People Like Us By David Brooks - 861 Words

â€Å"We don’t really care about diversity all that much in America† (132). In â€Å"People Like us† David Brooks takes a logical approach through examining the demographics of our neighborhoods, our educational institutions, and he touches on an emotional approach by having his audience examine their values; he does this with hopes of having his audience question their word choice for the American value diversity, and question if the way they are living their lives invites diversity. Brooks uses the diversity of neighborhoods in America to support his claim: America lacks diversity. He states that he has noticed people are â€Å"making strenuous efforts to group themselves with people who are basically like themselves† (Brooks 132). People who share common values and interests seem to attract, including in communities. Brooks points out that many neighborhoods have a general race, values, and interests. When making this argument Books neglects addressing the origin of segregated neighborhoods. When America was just developing its government and values, millions of people where coming into America from other countries and relocating themselves. They moved in by and reached out to others who shared their common values and cultural beliefs. They segregated themselves for support and structure during their new adventure, becoming an American. While understanding that it looks as though America is not diverse because of the efforts made by Americans to segregat e themselves, we have to keep inShow MoreRelatedDavid Brook s People Like Us 1285 Words   |  6 PagesJason Iloulian Professor Briscoe Written Expression II 4 Nov 2015 David Brook’s Essay: â€Å"People Like Us† David Brook’s essay, â€Å"People Like Us, describes about the tolerance and diversity in the United States. Since the great immigration of the late 19th century, America has been cited as one of the most diverse countries in the world. The United States is home to individuals from many different races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, political views, interests, personalities, and income levels. HoweverRead MoreAnalysis David Brooks People Like Us1403 Words   |  6 PagesWarburton Essay #3 October 22, 2012 David Brooks’ â€Å"People Like Us† Analysis Many individuals interpret diversity differently specifically in the United States because of its melting pot of distinct cultures and lifestyles. In his essay â€Å"People Like Us†, David Brooks’ argues that although the United States is a diverse nation as a whole, it is homogeneous in specific aspects like interactions between people. To some extent, his observation is true; people tend to stick to what or who they areRead MoreAnalysis Of David Brooks s People Like Us 874 Words   |  4 PagesIn the essay, People Like us by the author, David Brooks, the main focus is the diversity in America. The United states has a label as being a country that is very diverse. Our country has many different types of ethnic groups, religions, personalities, interest, etc. so in that case, you really can justify the United states as diverse. Brooks mostly uses logic in his essay to prove that, once you look at the United States with a more magnified view, you might realize that te chnicalities comeRead MoreDavid Brookss People Like Us1695 Words   |  7 PagesDavid Brooks, who is a successful journalist, columnist, and self - described â€Å"comic sociologist† at The New York Times, communicates the dilemma of diversification in his expository essay â€Å"People Like Us†. Brooks thinks that people should encourage the diverse community to perceive and esteem each other s different reflection in America. David Brooks demonstrates why all different kinds of humans are attracted to identical and similar races, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, political values, andRead MoreDavid Brooks s Our Sprawling Supersize Utopia956 Words   |  4 PagesDavid Berreby who is known as the author of â€Å"It Takes a Tribe,† was born in France in 1958. He was raised by an American mother and a Jewish father. Berreby talks about the lifestyle of being a college student in gaining a respectable position in the hierarchy of a college tradition within the club membership. David Berrebys’ analysis of ‘us’ v’s ‘them’ brings an impact to all the students because they feel like they need to find or join a group in which they belong to. As for David Brooks, the authorRead MoreRhetorical Critique Essay1175 Words   |  5 PagesKimberly Huerta Frey English 102-167 January 25, 2012 A Rhetorical Critique of David Brooks â€Å"People Like Us† In David Brooks’ â€Å"People Like Us† passage on the issue of diversity, Brooks takes a personally emotional perspective of the way in which Americans don’t appreciate how diverse our nation is while â€Å"relatively homogeneous† (Brooks 136). His argument is weakened, however, through a bias and hypocrisy that his diction conveys. He claims that grouping ourselves with those who we are most alikeRead MoreShould Being Unhappy Be A Good Thing?1460 Words   |  6 PagesMingyang Chen Sarah Perkins English 1A Final Draft Dec. 12 2015 Can Being â€Å"Unhappy† be a Good Thing? In This Boy’s Life written by Tobias Wolff, we follow the stories of people who choose to surrender to their unhappy circumstances and all they can do is hope things change without them actually putting work into it (Wolff). However, Wolff’s work triggers the question, â€Å"can being unhappy be a good thing?† Every individual has a desire to achieve a state of happiness, they wish to be happy even theyRead MoreWealth and Happiness753 Words   |  4 Pagestexts 1 and 2. In text 1 David tells us of how wealth is nothing compared to your relationships with other people. Through many studies it has been shown that people get more happiness out of socializing with people than making lots of money. Text 1 ends with the conclusion that personal triumphs are important, but not as important as relationships. In text 2 we are told that studies show that people are happier when using money on experiences rather than on material goods like a new couch. Some studiesRead MoreThe Pursuit of Organic Happiness828 Words   |  3 Pagesthe world is. However is it always what one wants, or what one thinks they want because society has instilled the non-negotiable need for them to feel happy. The media has developed in such a way that they now control us as people. For example in â€Å"The Grill Buying Guy,† David Brooks perfectly exemplifies this when connecting a new grill to the key to happiness for typical family men in society. He also takes it a step further and explain how some go the extra mile to buy the grill that cost the mostRead MoreAnalysis Of Nonconformity Is Skin Deep901 Words   |  4 Pagesspruce up our flesh, but it adds personality. Tattoos modify a persons self-esteem and body. David Brooks article Nonconformity Is Skin Deep explains how wearing a tattoo became a way o f self-expression and even a part of the consumerism. Brooks emphasizes on the idea that many acquire tattoos to be part of a social group and to have (as he sarcastically says) something to talk about with others. Brooks compares tattoos to the dark and edgy underbelly of each tattoo-wearers personality. With the

What Is Gender Equality - 911 Words

What is gender equality? To my understanding, gender equality is both genders evenly alike as a whole. Now, wait. What does that mean? Evenly alike as a whole? Who even speaks like that in the real world? Apparently, I do. Let me put it this way, take everybody in the world and put them together as one person. Not man, nor woman. Which I know is hard to imagine, but just go with me here. Now think of all that they are capable of doing. Split it back up into everybody in the world. We are all capable of doing what that one person was able to do. We become more alike when we are put together as a whole. Still don t get it? That s okay; let me try explaining it differently. You cannot picture equality if you don t look at the whole picture. Think of a painting. In a painting, many things make up that picture. One stroke, then another. Each stroke different, but as a whole it is all alike. We all have our differences, but put together we are just one. As one of my teachers put it, I am y ou, and you are me. I am him, and he is me. We are all just one; even. That is when you can start to see equality. According to CNN women get paid 74 cent for each dollar that a man make, even though they’re doing the same exact job and they have the same exact talent and experience. For more than 100 years, Women were and still are fighting for equal rights, but still we can see that men are the one that are controlling everything while techquniclly women were the ones that gave life toShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Gender Equality? Essay2156 Words   |  9 PagesWhat is gender equality? Gender equality is when both genders, male and female can enjoy the same rights as one another – they are considered each other’s equals. When thinking about gender equality it seems straight forward, both genders are equal – having all the same rights, treated with the same amount of respect. I ask myself why would it be any other way? We are all people at the end of the day, equality should be a given. â€Å"Gender empowerment doesn t mean discrimination; it only means equalityRead MoreTo What Extent Does Gender Equality And Changing Gender1771 Words   |  8 Pages To what extent does gender equality and changing gender roles in society affect cultural traditions? For centuries, women and men have been labeled because of their sex. Regardless of how strong a woman is, or how sensitive a man is, society will hold them to a certain standard because of their gender. Especially if that individual grew up learning certain traditions within their culture. Gender roles is defined as ‘normal’ standards created by society in many countries all over the worldRead MorePublic Opinion on Gender Issues: Human Rights, American Civil Rights, and Feminist Movements1328 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Movements that Significantly Affected Public Opinion on Gender Issues: Human Rights, American Civil Rights, and Feminist Movements The development of social movements in the course of human history has led to unprecedented changes that challenged the not only the status quo, but most importantly, the worldviews of societies as well. Social movements have sprung to create a new world order that defined human societies as they exist today. It is not surprising, then, that social movements likeRead MoreGender Equality Should be Universally Imposed845 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Gender equality does not imply that women and men are the same, but that they have equal value and should be accorded equal treatment,† this means that women should be respected and treated just like men. The song â€Å"Anything you can do, I can do better,† shows how society started to change in favor of women, even though it might be in a competitive fashion it does not have to be that way. In order for society to grow and to become a better one men and women should be considered equal. Gender equalityRead MoreGender Equality And Women s Rights1274 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscrimination and gender equality takes action to achieve women’s rights. AAUW provides and gives women the chance to have an education, while Catalyst reaches out to women to carry out equal pay, equal participation in the workplace, and remove discrimination. UN Women attains to human rights for women. Throughout history women have fought for gender equality in the workplace and in education, and every year organizations like AAUW, Catalyst, and UN Women have gotten closer to balancing equality. Read MoreGender Should Not Be A Problem1737 Words   |  7 PagesGender Should Not be a Problem. It’s not a new problem. Women have been discriminated against for decades. This has and always will lead to a rift in the equality of women. It’s an unfair battle for equality, sure women have an amendmendment stating that all women have the right to vote , but it’s still not enough. That amendmendment only fixes half the problem. There’s still the problem of gender roles, the wage gap, and countless other problems stopping women from have the equality women haveRead MoreGender Should Not Be A Problem1737 Words   |  7 PagesGender Should Not be a Problem. It’s not a new problem. Women have been discriminated against for decades. This has and always will lead to a rift in the equality of women. It’s an unfair battle for equality, sure women have an amendmendment stating that all women have the right to vote , but it’s still not enough. That amendmendment only fixes half the problem. There’s still the problem of gender roles, the wage gap, and countless other problems stopping women from have the equality women haveRead MoreGender Inequality And Gender Equality1667 Words   |  7 PagesGender inequality is the state in which access to rights or opportunities is affected by gender. Gender inequality is an issue not just nationally but globally. This issue is portrayed by the mistreating of individuals, mainly women, and not valuing everyone as one. This presentation will illustrate the exploration of gender equality, propose a solution and why that solution will produce a better future for a better world. Gender inequality is a very important issue common in our world today thatRead MoreGender And Gender Differences974 Words   |  4 PagesGender differences are fascinating in the way that one must fit through the assumptions and inevitable confusion to distinguish the reality of the assumption. Men and women are obviously different, inherently but not in what they can and cannot do. Men and women are different and have different roles because this is society presented them to the world. Women have it the most difficult. There should be equality among all men and women of all race and ethnicity. This is a never-ending issue. We asRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1250 Words   |  5 Pages In his text, The Republic, Plato leads us through an elaborate thought experiment in which he creates the ideal city. Throughout The Republic Plato constructs the laws and societal structures of what he deems will lead to a high functioning society. He names this city Kallipolis. A cornerstone of Ka llipolis’ structure is Plato’s principle of specialization. The Principle of Specialization argues that each member of society must do the job in which he is best suited. Plato explains â€Å"The result,

Knowledge Management for Telecommunication - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theKnowledge Managementfor ABC Telecommunication. Answer: Challenges of Implementing AHP There are several challenges of implementing AHP as a knowledge management tool in any organization (Hislop, 2013). However, the major challenge for ABC Telecommunication is total cost of the implementation process. When implementing AHP, there are additional costs along with the implementation cost. These costs include product cost, license cost, training, maintenance and software subscription cost. Among these costs, training cost for the employees is the major challenge for the organization (Ngai Chan, 2005). On the other hand, ABC management will have to regularly update the software as KM tools are rapidly changing with the changing demand of the market. Benefits and Limitations of AHP For ABC Co. Ltd, t he management of the organization is expecting that AHP system will assist the bid management method of the organization by delivering the managers and officers relevant information and knowledge so they can properly prepare documents for submitting a tender. Besides, it is also expected that this system will help the SAAB department of the organization to retain, share and develop information (Ngai and Chan, 2005). As the organization will be able to gain ample amount of knowledge, they will become more competitive and will be able to fulfill the demand of the consumers. However, developing KM practices within dissimilar cultural setting is a problem. Due to differences in how knowledge is formed and utilized in different cultures, it is tough to implement KM tools. References Hislop, D. (2013).Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press. Ngai, E.W.T, Chan, E.W.C. (2005) Evaluation of Knowledge Management Tools using AHP, Expert Systems with Applications, 29, pp.889-899

The Most Difficult Thing I have Ever Done free essay sample

â€Å"Challenge† it self means â€Å"Difficulty†, however, everyone in their life go through this practice. Some people give up, while some of them just try hard to get out of it. It’s true that every person, once in their life has to face certainty, but they are afraid from inside of their heart to face it. But, you got to make your mind up and consider the fact. You got to think how to prevail over this difficult time. To prove this piece of information, I will talk with reference to my life. The most difficult thing, I ever have done in my life was that, I moved from India to USA as a settler. Before, going directly to the point on how I moved from India to USA, I will like to first talk regarding my birth in India. So, I was born in India on 24th March, 1993 in a small city name Navsari which is very much located in Gujarat state, in India. We will write a custom essay sample on The Most Difficult Thing I have Ever Done or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In India, I was raised up. I used to study in Seventh-Day Adventist English High School, studied there almost from kindergarten up till 10th grade. I had bunch of friends over there. Some friends were extremely close to me, moreover they meant a lot to me. If they observe me in some sort of trouble they used to assist me. We all used to stay like solitary family and treat each other as a part of it. I, basically, used to stay in joint family. We have like a big, three storeys, mansion which is divided into four houses but they are adjacent to each other, each have four living rooms, four kitchens, each house have five bedrooms and three drawing rooms, and there is a big passageway which divides the kitchen and living area, we have an elongated balcony in which there are four swings placed, on which I used to sit every morning and every night to refresh my mind from all day work, I loved swings. There is a very big compound wall surrounding my house. There were four families staying in it, which were basically my cousins (my grandfather’s three brothers including my grandfathers’ family). Now let me come to the point. It was a cold day. I was sitting in my room and was watching a television show. So, after a while my dad came home, he called me and my family in our living room. Then, he said that our immigrant file has been approved so we are going to USA. Everyone in my family was very happy. So, I went to my mom and started crying. My mom asked me, â€Å"What happen? Why are you crying?† At that very time, I was not able to utter a word from my mouth. By then the sun was setting down and the moon was rising up. My dad was sitting in his bedroom. I went to him to talk about that I do not want to go to USA and I will stay here with my grandfather and grandmother. But, I was afraid to talk to my dad about this. But, then I make up my mind and went to my dad. My dad I asked me, â€Å"What is wrong with you today?† I said, â€Å"Daddy are we really going to USA? Can we just stay here, Please?† My dad replied, â€Å"Yes, we are going to USA and we c annot stay here because I want you to make your carrier over there.† I instantly said back to him, â€Å"No, I am not ready to go to USA and you all can go there but I am not coming with you. I will stay with grandpa and grandma.† After having a conversation with him, I ran towards my bedroom and I was literally weeping. So many thoughts were running in my mind. I was thinking to myself that I will lose all the fun that I used to have with my friends; I will not have any relatives over there to whom I know. I will lose all the fun that I used to have with all my cousin everyday at their home or mine. I will miss my swing, my school days with my friends, and parties with friends. I just want to stay in India. I was also thinking that why my dad did not hear a word from me and tell me to do what he says to me. Everyone in my family as well as my cousins who were essentially my neighbors, come to know about our family was about to go to USA. I was not ready to go away from my cousins, my friends, not even from my house. But, then, I have to. Soon, the day arrived when I was about to come USA. My flight was on 26th September, 2010, Wednesday. Some of my cousins come to drop us off to the airport. While we were coming to the airport, we had lots of fun together. Inside from my heart I was crying, but I did not want to show that I am really sad. So, I was talking, laughing, and was playing with my cousin. My friends were calling me on my cell phone and I really was not able to talk with them properly. I was really in a very big grief; I did not know what to do. But, I had no option instead. Finally, we reached airport and my cousins were telling us â€Å"Good-Bye† and they said that everything will be alright, don’t worry. I hugged one of my cousins and I cried a lot in front of all. Afterwards I was going inside the airport and last thing I saw was that my cousins were waving their hands to say us â€Å"Good-Bye.† Finally, I got on the plane and the plane started moving, my heartbeats were increasing because I really did not want to go USA. As the time passed by I was more and more thinking about India. Everyone on the plane was sleeping but, I was weeping. Finally, we were in USA, I remember it was on 27th September, 2010, Thursday. I remember my aunt who is basically my dad’s sister came to pick us up on the airport. We were then heading back to my aunt’s home. I was constantly looking outside from the car window and thinking about India. Everything was changed, nothing was like India. I was thinking to myself that how will I stay here? Because the environment was not the one in which I grew up, everything seems different. I wanted to cry but I did not. By then, I reach my aunt’s home and there were some guests at her residence that came to meet us (they were also my cousins). I was not feeling well, my ears were popped out and I was feeling almost like passing out. So, I went in the basement (which was now my and my cousin room) for having a nap. Next day morning, I woke up and was feeling lonesome. I called my mom and told her and wept in front of her and she comforted me. Several days passed but I was not able to accept the fact that I was in USA and now that I have to live my present life (I would not say rest of my life since I may not reside here very longer and I might go back to India) in USA which is far most different life from India. I was not talking with anyone from my family. After 7 days I and my cousin got admission in â€Å"North Brunswick Township High School.† I was afraid to go to the school because I felt that people here will make fun of me because I came from India and will laugh at me when I will try to have conversation with them in English , though I knew English except, my English accents were so different than theirs. Next day I went to the school. My counselor Ms. Rao gave me my schedule and I was so lucky that I was not having any ESL classes. More of, I was unaware of the whole school process because in India students have to sit in one class and teacher has to come in class and teach students but, here everything was different. There were nine periods in a day and I attend each classes. As I attend each of my classes every teacher were asking my name and were asking me where did I come from? I gave all the answers to the entire question which were being asked from my teachers. They assigned a seat to me. I sat in all of my class very quietly, not even looking around the class and was brooding from inside of my heart and missing my friends of India. I and my brother used to live with my aunt in North Brunswick, whereas my dad and mom were living here in Flemington. It’s obvious that I did not like to stay at my aunts’ home without my parents. Therefore, I used to come here in Flemington almost every weekend to live with my dad and mom. That way, 6 months passed and finally, I was able to make up my mind that I am really here in USA and I need to accept the culture, the beliefs of people and the way they act. I made friends but not a lot. Some were Indians who were very nice to me from the first day of my school. I started focusing in my studies and I started to bring good grades in class. That way I was able to build up my good impression on people and teachers. If someone in the class had some type of difficulty, they came to me for help, and I helped them. After then, there was a poster competition that was held in Middlesex County, on bullying, I participated in that competition and guess what? I came first in whole Middlesex County and my poster is right now posted in the Middlesex County court. At the end of the school year, I was able to make lot of friends which were nice though, towards me. But, the day arrived and it was the last day over there in that school. I did not wanted to change that school. But again, I was placed in the situation where I had to. That was the last time, I met all my friends and hugged them and said â€Å"Good Bye† to them. Lastly, I came to live here in Flemington. It was a summer break, and so I used to work in Dunkin Donuts besides the school, Rt. 31, where my dad and mom work currently. But here, the good things happened were I made friends from school, I made friends from where I currently live. I am presently studying in Hunterdon Central Regional High School. I am not at all afraid now as I was afraid in previous school. I am a senior. I have good grades throughout my first quarter. I can now freely talk with people to whom I want to talk with, even if I do not have US accents. I like this school. The level of teaching is so high and so systematic. Now, I am looking forward for my graduation. In conclusion, do not walk away from your difficult time or do not hide from your reality, just go with the flow and as the time passes, you will be able to get out of your difficult time and you will be able to identify yourself as I did. While, facing the reality you have to go through many difficult situ ations, but you should not give up and just move on.

Major General Lafayette McLaws - American Civil War

Major General Lafayette McLaws - American Civil War Lafayette McLaws - Early Life Career: Born in Augusta, GA on January 15, 1821, Lafayette McLaws was the son of James and Elizabeth McLaws.   Named for the Marquis de Lafayette, he disliked his name which was pronounced LaFet in his native state.   While receiving his early education at Augustas Richmond Academy, McLaws was schoolmates with his future commander, James Longstreet.   When he turned sixteen in 1837, Judge John P. King recommended that McLaws be appointed to the US Military Academy.   While accepted for an appointment, it was deferred a year until Georgia had a vacancy to fill.   As a result, McLaws elected to attend the University of Virginia for a year.   Leaving Charlottesville in 1838, he entered West Point on July 1. While at the academy, McLaws classmates included Longstreet, John Newton, William Rosecrans, John Pope, Abner Doubleday, Daniel H. Hill, and Earl Van Dorn.   Struggling as student, he graduated in 1842 ranked forty-eighth in a class of fifty-six.   Commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant on July 21, McLaws received an assignment to the 6th US Infantry at Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.   Promoted to second lieutenant two years later, he moved to the 7th US Infantry.   In late 1845, his regiment joined Brigadier General Zachary Taylors Army of Occupation in Texas.   The following March, McLaws and the army shifted south to the Rio Grande opposite the Mexican town of Matamoros.  Ã‚   Lafayette McLaws - Mexican-American War: Arriving in late March, Taylor ordered the construction of Fort Texas along the river before moving the bulk of his command to Point Isabel.   The 7th Infantry, with Major Jacob Brown in command, was left to garrison the fort.   In late April, American and Mexican forces first clashed beginning the Mexican-American War.   On May 3, Mexican troops opened fire on Fort Texas and commenced a siege of the post.   Over the next few days, Taylor won victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma before relieving the garrison.   Having endured the siege, McLaws and his regiment remained in place through the summer before taking part the Battle of Monterrey that September.   Suffering from ill health, he was placed on the sick list from December 1846 into February 1847.    Promoted to first lieutenant on February 16, McLaws played a role in the Siege of Veracruz the following month.   Continuing to have health issues, he was then ordered north to New York to for recruiting duty.   Active in this role through the rest of the year, McLaws returned to Mexico in early 1848 after making several requests to rejoin his unit.   Ordered home in June, his regiment moved to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri.   While there, he met and married Taylors niece Emily.   Promoted to captain in 1851, the next decade saw McLaws move through a variety of posts on the frontier. Lafayette McLaws - The Civil War Begins: With the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter and start of the Civil War in April 1861, McLaws resigned from the US Army and accepted a commission as a major in the Confederate service.   In June, he became colonel of the 10th Georgia Infantry and his men were assigned to the Peninsula in Virginia.   Aiding to construct defenses in this area, McLaws greatly impressed Brigadier General John Magruder.   This led to a promotion to brigadier general on September 25 and command of a division later that fall.   In the spring, Magruders position came under attack when Major General George B. McClellan commenced his Peninsula Campaign.   Performing well during the Siege of Yorktown, McLaws earned a promotion to major general effective May 23.   Ã‚      Lafayette McLaws - Army of Northern Virginia: As the season progressed, McLaws saw further action as General Robert E. Lee commenced a counter-offensive which resulted in the Seven Days Battles.   During the campaign, his division contributed to the Confederate victory at Savages Station but was repelled at Malvern Hill.   With McClellan checked on the Peninsula, Lee reorganized the army and assigned McLaws division to Longstreets corps.   When the Army of Northern Virginia moved north in August, McLaws and his men remained on the Peninsula to watch Union forces there.   Ordered north in September, the division operated under Lees control and assisted Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons capture of Harpers Ferry.       Ordered to Sharpsburg, McLaws earned Lees ire by moving slowly as the army re-concentrated prior to the Battle of Antietam.   Reaching the field, the division aided in holding the West Woods against Union attacks.   In December, McLaws regained Lees respect when his division and the rest of Longstreets corps resolutely defended Maryes Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg.   This recovery proved short-lived as he was tasked with checking Major General John Sedgwicks VI Corps during the final stages of the Battle of Chancellorsville.   Facing the Union force with his division and that of Major General Jubal A. Early, he again moved slowly and lacked aggressiveness in dealing with the enemy.    This was noted by Lee, who when he reorganized the army after Jacksons death, declined Longstreets recommendation that McLaws receive command of one of the two newly-created corps.   Though a reliable officer, McLaws functioned best when given direct commands under close supervision.   Upset by perceived favoritism to officers from Virginia, he requested a transfer which was refused.   Marching north that summer, McLaws men arrived at the Battle of Gettysburg early on July 2.   After several delays, his men attacked Brigadier General Andrew A. Humphreys and Major General David Birneys divisions of Major General Daniel Sickles III Corps.   Under the personal supervision of Longstreet, McLaws pushed Union forces back capturing the Peach Orchard and beginning a back and forth struggle for the Wheatfield.   Unable to break through, the division fell back to defensible positions that evening.   The next day, McLaws remained in place as Picketts Charge was defeated to the nor th.          Lafayette McLaws - In the West:    On September 9, the bulk of Longstreets corps was ordered west to aid General Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee in northern Georgia.   Though he had not yet arrived, the lead elements of McLaws division saw action during the Battle of Chickamauga under the guidance of Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw.   Reassuming command after the Confederate victory, McLaws and his men initially took part in siege operations outside of Chattanooga before moving north later in the fall as part of Longstreets Knoxville Campaign.   Attacking the citys defenses on November 29, McLaws division was baldy repelled.   In the wake of the defeat, Longstreet relieved him but elected not to court-martial him as he believed McLaws might be useful to the Confederate Army in another position. Irate, McLaws requested a court-martial to clear his name.   This was granted and commenced in February 1864.   Due to delays in obtaining witnesses, a ruling was not issued until May.   This found McLaws not guilty on two charges of neglect of duty but guilty on a third.   Though sentenced to sixty days without pay and command, the punishment was immediately suspended due to wartime needs.   On May 18, McLaws received orders for the defenses of Savannah in the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.   Though he argued that he was being scapegoated for Longstreets failure at Knoxville, he accepted this new assignment. While in Savannah, McLaws new division unsuccessfully resisted Major General William T. Shermans men that fall at the conclusion of the March to the Sea.   Retreating north, his men saw continued action during the Carolinas Campaign and took part in the Battle of Averasborough on March 16, 1865.   Lightly engaged at Bentonville three days later, McLaws lost his command when General Joseph E. Johnston reorganized Confederate forces after the battle.   Sent to lead the District of Georgia, he was in that role when the war ended. Lafayette McLaws - Later Life: Staying in Georgia, McLaws entered the insurance business and later served as a tax collector.   Engaged in Confederate veterans groups, he initially defended Longstreet against those, such as Early, who attempted to blame the defeat at Gettysburg on him.   During this time, McLaws did reconcile to some degree with his former commander who admitted that relieving him was a mistake.   Late in his life, resentment towards Longstreet resurfaced and he began to side with Longstreets detractors.   McLaws died in Savannah on July 24, 1897, and was buried in the citys Laurel Grove Cemetery.  Ã‚   Selected Sources Gettysburg Generals: Major General Lafayette McLawsCivil War: Major General Lafayette McLawsLatin Library: Major General Lafayette McLaws

Love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw Essays

Love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw Essays Love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw Paper Love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw Paper There was only doom and gloom in Cathy and Heathcliffs relationship soon after Cathy returned from Thushcross Grange, things werent going too well. Catherine started spending much more time with Edgar and this was observable from Heathcliffs calendar in which he marked off the days Cathy spent with him and also the days she spent with Edgar, the ration would have been 5:25, five days she had spent with Heathcliff and twenty-five with Edgar. One stormy night, Catherine had just come back from the grange, she seemed very happy but the storm was a sign that something disastrous had to arise. She asked Nelly if she would keep a secret for her, the secret was Edgar had proposed to Cathy and she had accepted the proposal. Nelly saw someone approaching in the corridor and realised it was Heathcliff who was listening to their conversation in the dark, Catherine on the contrary had no clue whatsoever about his arrival. Nelly then asked Cathy why she wants to marry Edgar; she said she loves everything about him, and that she would be the finest and richest woman in the area. Nelly acknowledged that all these reasons werent good enough and that Heathcliff would friend, love, and all that he has. Cathy remembered her dream in which she was miserable in heaven and wanted to return to the heights, and realises Ive no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven. Right after that Cathy says It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now. Heathcliff leaves right after listening to this. She goes on comparing Heathcliff to Edgar without knowing Heathcliff had gone forever by saying, Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Lintons is as different as moonbeam from lightning or frost from fire. Social class plays a huge role in this separation, Cathy said it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff because he was a servant and they werent on the same level, this also links back to Hindleys revenge as he was the one who made Heathcliff a servant. Family and destiny also play a major role as Nelly knew Heathcliff was eavesdropping but never told Cathy, also Heathcliff only heard Cathy talking about the degradation not staying to hear her say, I am Heathcliff. This is where faith interwines in their love. Catherine becomes very ill after losing her love and waits for Heathcliff for another two and a half years, but with no luck she finally marries Edgar, destiny also plays a role here as Heathcliff returns after three years, 3 months after Cathy gets married to Edgar. Cathy was flabbergasted when she saw Heathcliff on the door of the grange and invited him in, she also told Edgar to be friends with him as he was now a fine rich gentleman, Edgar wasnt half as happy as Cathy was upon Heathcliffs arrival. Cathy discovered Heathcliff was now the owner of Wuthering Heights as Hindley had no money after gambling continuously. Cathy was starting to become selfish as she wanted Heathcliff to be her friend and Edgar to be her husband at the same time, something which neither of the two wanted. Between all this Heathcliff turned into Isabellas crush, and Isabella soon started to love Heathcliff. He took advantage of this and got his revenge with Edgar by marrying his sister even though Cathy had told her how cruel and wicked Heathcliff is. Isabella soon realised this when Heathcliff said your wealth is now mine and you are going to wish you never married me. This separation was due to Heathcliff wanting to get revenge on Edgar. Cathy was soon seriously ill, and in the 1800s a minor cold could result in a persons death. After a few days in bed Cathys condition worsened, Heathcliff arrived at the grange right after he received the news that Cathy is ill, they were both in tears and angry with each other, but they both forgave each other, Heathcliff had to go out when Edgar arrived but told Cathy I will see you again. He didnt know this was their last meeting, Cathy died a few hours after giving birth to a baby girl, Catherine Linton. This was their final separation, a physical one. Destiny, family, hatred, revenge, social class and death were a few of the main reasons for the soul mates separation along with many people mainly from the family. Wuthering Heights was an amazing story told by Emile Bronte, the two lovers Catherine and Heathcliff finally got together after Heathcilff died in her memories. Alas.

A study of the financial sector in Saudi Arabia differentiating Essay

A study of the financial sector in Saudi Arabia differentiating between conventional loans & Murabaha financing - Essay Example Further, the section will also discuss about the basic aims and objectives of the paper. The next section of the paper will be of the theoretical perspective in which the actual meaning of the conventional financing and Murabaha financing according to theories will be discussed. In the next chapter, an intensive review of various literary sources will be presented through which different aspects about Murabaha financing and current market scenario of Saudi Arabia will be presented. The next chapter will discuss the methodology being used for the research. Further, in the next section, analysis of the information gathered in the previous section will be presented. The next section of the paper will present several recommendations about the topic on the basis of the research. At last, the paper will conclude in the last section, i.e. conclusion. Table of content Chapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................................... ... 4 1.1 Aims and Objectives of the research.................................................................. 4 1.2 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2: Theoretical perspective ....................................................................................... ... ............................................................................................... 14 Chapter 4: Methodology  and Research design.......................................................................18 4.1 Library Research Method for Data Collection ....................................................22 4.2 Case study analysis methods ...............................................................................24 4.3 limitations of the research and research design .................................................. 25 Chapter 5 Findings and analysis.............................................................................................28 5.1 Findings from literature review .......................................................................... 28 5.2 Findings from case study .................................................................................... 35 Chapter 6: Recommendations ........................................................................ ...................... 44 Chapter 7: Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 8: References ............................................................................................................47 Chapter: 9 Appendix ............................................................................................................. 51 1. Introduction Finance is one of the most important aspects of business activities of each and every country. Simply, finance stands for the allocation as well as management of available resources. It also includes the process of acquisition or investing activities of a firm. Basically finance is considered as blood of the organization which is

European Union Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Union Trade - Essay Example Established by Article 113 [133] of the Treaty of Rome, Common Commercial Policies therefore took shape in 1961 to safeguard the common interests of the EU nations (Bretherton & Vogler, 1999). This effectively meant that the EU region will act as one country while dealing with any other country/ organisation for trade and commercial interests. But the commonness envisaged within the policy kept eluding the European community for many years, because of the changes that the world went through during the period and the conflicts of economic interests within the EU nations. The delay in settling for a common European Monetary unit (EMU) is one such example. Euro, the common currency came into being in 1999, but Bordo and Jonung (1999) reported about some observer's apprehensions about EMU itself citing the lack of a central authority supervising the financial systems of EMU. The Common Commercial Policy expected a degree of autonomy and competitiveness from the member states, which has b een achieved with limited success so far, as is evident from OECD (2007) 'EU country note', which states that competition in network industries remains patchy while implementation of the liberalization policies by individual countries are not in sync with the EU level as a whole. Bretherton & Vogler (1999) further suggest that the common commercial policy calls for common policies on tariff rates, international negotiations, liberalization, exports and trade protection measures; all based on uniform principles. Despite the differences in policy implementations, perception and other interests, today with a share of 18.10% in Goods and 26.4% in services, EU is a major trading partner with the world community, as is evident from the charts below. Fig-1: Share of EU in world trade1 Roarty (1996) states that in order to minimize the differences on trade barriers, efforts were also made in 1993 by creating a Single European Market (SEM). SEM's stated objective was to eliminate the non-tariff barriers restricting competition and resulting in fragmented European market. OECD (2007) points out that the income gap between EU and USA has kept widening since 1990 on account of decelerating growth in productivity and improper labor utilization by some of the larger countries in the EU. Wallace & Wallace (2000) point out towards a fundamental shortcoming in the framework of EU policy making. According to them, "Most studies of the EU concentrate on describing what happens in and through the special institutions of the EU, located in Brussels, Luxembourg, and Strasbourg: the European Commission; the Council of the EU; the European Council; the EP; and the ECJ. However, we should be careful not to regard these EU institutions as existing in a vacuum. Most of the policy-makers who devise and operate EU rules and legislation are from the member states themselves. They are people who spend the majority of their time as national policy-makers, for whom the European dimension is an extended policy arena, not a separate activity." Bretherton & Vogler (1999) also state that though the Common Commercial Policy has evolved through a complex interaction between the shifting composition of international trade, the external demands of various GATT rounds and adjudicative decisions of the European Court of

The Body Shop Essay Example for Free

The Body Shop Essay Body Shop is a brand with a difference. Marketers consider this brand as an Icon. Body Shop has created a brand image without the aid of conventional advertising. 2006 saw this iconic brand draw up serious business plans for India. Body Shop brand was created in 1976 in Brighton United Kingdom. The brand and the brand owner share a common personality that is very much linked to each other. Anita Roddick the legendary founder of the Brand created this brand from a small shop in UK started to support her family. Body Shop in India is sold through the master franchise Planet Sports . The brand is expecting to ramp up the operations to major metros by the year 2008. Body Shop is differentiated from other conventional cosmetics by the values that the brand adheres to and the brand image created through the unique association with those values. The brand is famous for its association with ethical practices and the environment friendly world view. The products reflects these values through the use of only natural ingredients and the products are never tested on animals. The ackaging and the merchandising are carefully prepared to highlight the brand values. For example , Body Shop uses refillable packs and recycled [recyclable papers. Although the use of refillable packs were used to keep the price low, it evolved into an element that reinforced the brand positioning. The brand also was careful in the messages displayed in the shop and other POP merchandises. The messages were simple, enthusiastic and informative. These elements made Body Shop a different cosmetic brand. The brand was essentially an extension of the founder herself. Anita Roddick is an ardent environmentalist and naturalist. Her views about the nature supported with her activities and associations created a positive reinforcement for the brand. Customers were seeing a brand that does things while others Just give hope. More over Body Shop was able to communicate with the customers at a higher level rising above beauty and fairness that other cosmetics talked about. There was honesty associated with the brand. The shops also reinforced this attribute. All the shops reflected an environment of honesty, excitement and fun. It is reported that Ms Anita Roddick takes personal interview with the franchises to ensure that they share the same passion with Body Shop principle. Although Body Shop is starting serious business with Indian consumers only now, the association with India dates back to the initial years itself. India was a sourcing partner for Body Shop during the creation of the brand. The success of the brand was because of the unique business model of Body Shop. The brand relies on PR and word of mouth to make sales. The Indian launch was also

Shakespeares Othello - The Motivations of Iago in Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Motivations of Iago in Othello  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Have you ever met a devil who does evil for his own sake? Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello could seem like he has good motives, but I feel that he uses them as his excuses. The first thing that I did was uncovered Iago's motives. Iago is the most controversial character in Othello. He is able to keep his true thoughts and motives from everyone. Are his motives only excuses for his actions? Iago pretends to have so many motives that they seem more like excuses. Iago then uses these excuses to justify his actions, which are pure evil. I also feel that Iago has motives and actions that cause his actions. Does Iago have many different excuses, or does he only have one? This paper will prove that Iago has one clear motive and reason for his madness. Iago is not looking for justification that causes him to act the way he does. There is much more though to Iago. He is not a man of only excuses, he has goals with his motives, which causes him to act the way he does. As early as the first scene of the play Iago shows us strong motives for his actions. In this first scene we see Othello, a general of Venice, has made Cassio his new lieutant. Iago feels he truly deserves his promotion as he says "I know my price, I am worth more no worse a place."(l.i.12) Iago over here is confused why Othello has made such a stupid decision. Iago is a man with a tremendous ego who knows, sometimes overestimates, his worth. Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman, understands Iago when Iago said that he is "affined to love the Moor."(l.i.41-42) What Iago really means is "I follow him to serve my term upon him."(l.i.45) Iago wants to use Othello for his personal goals. We also must put ourselves into Iago's shoes. He is a man whose self-esteem and professional carrier have just been torn apart. Iago makes his actions of revenge toward Othello almost immediately by informing Brabantio, a Venetian senator and father of Desdemona, that "an old black ram (Othello) is tupping (hi s) white ewe (Desdemona)."(l.i.97) Iago's next motive becomes clear when he convinces Othello "that he (Cassio) is too familiar with his (Othello's) wife." (1,iii.4399) Iago's motive here is to break the bond between Othello and Desdemona.

Book Report: The Other Side Of Truth by Beverley Naidoo Essay

The Other Side of Truth is an historical fiction novel set on a true story. Although all the characters in the book are fictional, three political figures who were real people, are mentioned within it. It is set in around 1996, just after an event that ties in with one of these real people, has come to an end. The story linking the fictional characters together is supposedly set when talk of this real life event has died down. The novel is told in third person and is mainly focused on the thoughts and actions of the main character; a young Nigerian girl named Sade. The Other Side of Truth begins in Lagos, Nigeria with a terrible tragedy. It begins on an ordinary day, Sade and her younger brother Femi are packing their bags for school, and their father, an outspoken Nigerian journalist is getting ready for work. Suddenly: â€Å"A shot. Two shots at the gate in the early morning and a car screeches away down an avenue of palm trees† After the terrible loss of their mother, Sade and Femi find that terror is all around them. Their father decides that they must flee their country to England, and go and stay with their Uncle Dele. At once. Just the two of them. Plans for their journey are promptly arranged and they soon find themselves on the plane to England, under the names of Yemi and Ade, travelling as the children of a Mrs Bankole. But as soon as they arrive in England, Mrs Bankole deserts them and they are left wondering the streets of London on their own. A huge shock comes, when they are unable to locate their Uncle Deli. Together, they tramp round the dusty, dirty London streets, trying to find place to shelter for the night. Their large holdall is stolen and they soon find themselves being taken away by the police, assumed as thieves. When asked their names, they take their mothers surname, so that the police  don’t find out that they are the children of Mr Folarin Solaja, a man whom many Nigerian’s hate, just because he writes the truth. The police soon realise that they are not thieves and the children are handed over to the social workers who fix them up for the night at a Mrs Grahams. The next morning, the social workers begin to inquire about the reason why they were all alone in the centre of London, late last night. Where were their parents? At first the children say nothing, not knowing what to say and what to keep to themselves. After a long struggle, the social workers finally manage to get their names and a little information out of them. It takes a long time, but finally the children are given temporary admission to the country, and the social workers take the children to the home of Mr and Mrs King whom they are to stay with until they find their Uncle or any of their relations. The children start to settle down with the Kings, and they both start school. However problems for Sade are far from over. She is bullied, by two of the girls from school, into stealing from the family of her friend Mariam who is also African. All Sade and her brother want, is for things to be how they were on that morning before the death of their mother. But now, they never know if they will ever see their father, or any of their relations again. The Other Side of Truth is a tragic novel that I found, on the whole is very emotional. The characters are very convincing and memorable. They are described as seen through the eyes of Sade and are very realistic. The author has named the people who play minor parts in the novel, by the action they did, or what they said in the story. For example, all we hear about one character is, † A man in a yellow coat guarded the door. With one hand, he held a mobile telephone up to his ear. With the other he controlled the queue.† This man is not given a proper name, instead the author writes him as ‘Mr Mobile’. The use of this naming technique is used throughout the  book. It is only with the main characters that real names are used. Beverley Naidoo has written the novel in a very vivid style, and it is very easy to picture what is going on at each point in the book in you head. The opening is very strong and will immediately get the reader hooked, as it did for myself. Usually it is the opening of the book that decides whether you are going to read on or not, and in this book a major event happens in the first chapter, which makes you want to find out what happens next. The author uses many very descriptive passages and emotional phrases to really bring you into the book and make you feel that you are there experiencing what Sade and Femi had to. Throughout the novel, Beverley Naidoo has used flashbacks to something that has happened in Sade’s life in the past that relates to the story at that time. It might be something that her mother had said, or something that her father had told her. An example of this from the novel follows: When Sade returns from school on her first day, Aunt Gracie asks her what it was like and Sade replies, † It was fine, thank you.† This was a lie and there is then a flash back to something Sade’s mother had once said: â€Å"Tell a lie, play with fire. But don’t complain of the smoke.† The Other Side of Truth is a novel that will appeal to anyone who enjoys historic books with a bit of an adventure. I think it would mainly appeal to teenagers, but adults who enjoy an easy read may also like it. I really enjoyed reading the book, as there was always something happening and it was fairly easy to understand with not many character names to remember, so I did not get confused. I found it very emotional and very realistic. The novel is very well written and you can really get into and feel that you are there, watching the incidents in the book happen right in front of your eyes.

Why Did the Titanic Sank

Why did the Titanic’s maiden voyage ended in such disaster? One of the largest passenger liner of the early 20th century made in the history, having the first and final voyage 100 years ago, owned by the magnificent White Star Line, was travelling without interference through the calm waters until one of the sailors on board reported that the Titanic is heading for a vast and humongous iceberg in April 12 1912 at that lethal midnight. The disaster had caused 1517 deaths on board, though there were only partially of the passengers that survived the disaster; which strangely are mostly consisted of women and children.In this essay we will embark on a journey to find out the causes of the Titanic’s maiden voyage ended in such disaster. Competition and pressure for Atlantic passengers At that time, Bruce Ismay, the Managing Director of the White Star Line, was fierce about the competition for Atlantic passengers with other companies and the White Star Line wanted to show th em that they could make a six-day crossing from Southampton to New York City. In order to meet this schedule, the Titanic could not afford to slow down, putting pressure on Captain Smith to maintain the travelling speed of the ship.Over confident by Captain Smith of the Titanic As the ship was manoeuvring on calm waters, the captain received several warnings about iceberg. In fact, the captain ignored seven warnings. If he was cautious and more concern than been on schedule, he would have slowed down the ship and put more crews to keep eyes on the icebergs, maybe the Titanic disaster would not have happened. Poor quality of the rivets in Titanic Besides that, a few million rivets were used to hold sections of Titanic together steadily.As some of the rivets were recovered from the wreckage and investigated, the result shows that the rivets were made of sub-standard iron which caused sections of the Titanic to break due to the force of impact of the ship and the iceberg. If a better i ron were used for the rivets, the Titanic may have been able to survive the disaster. No binoculars for lookouts at night time and going too fast Other than that, though there were binoculars aboard the ship, hardly a crew knew there was even one in the ship.It is possible that the crews can give an early warning about the iceberg where the Titanic was heading to. In addition to the worst, as the warning was received by the captain, the ship was in full speed. In quick reaction, the captain adjusted the speed to reverse, which was a mistake. This caused the ship to skid a slightly and hit the iceberg at the side instead of head on. It was believed that if Titanic hit the iceberg head on, other than causing of a disastrous result, the ship may destroy the iceberg instead of vice versa. The lifeboat talesWhen the lifeboats were fitted onto the ship, there were only 16 of them on Titanic, which however only allow approximately 1648 passengers to be rescued, which is about one third of the total amount of people on board. This is because the ship rather provided comfort for the passengers than safety. And since the Titanic had the title of â€Å"unsinkable†, the people grew more confidence and they felt that the Titanic did not need much of the lifeboats. Addition to the trouble, Boards of Trade’s regulation stated that ships over 10 000 tons were only allowed to bring 16 life boats only.This would also mean that out of the original 64 lifeboats Titanic was supposed to carry, the White Star Line only provided life boats as legally required. Next, many of the lifeboats in initial stage were not fully filled and utilized. It was due to the lack of experience and knowledge of the crew members on board. It was believed that only about 50 members of the deck crew knew how to launch the lifeboats. It was Captain Lord of Californian’s fault It was said that the last iceberg warning was sent to Titanic by the Californian, at about 1 hour before the SO S message of Titanic went out.The crew of the Californian were fed up of hearing messages being sent by passengers on the Titanic to friends and family back home, telling about their great experience they had been having. As the crew of Californian saw the fireworks which was intended to be the SOS message, Captain Lord concluded that the passengers on Titanic were having a party. This was one of the great mistakes taken by the Californian crew, if they were patient enough to hear the distress message from the Titanic, they probably can do something such as arriving at the scene of the disaster earlier and save more victims.Conclusion At the end of the essay, there were several hypothesis of the massive and lethal event. Before the journey, the rivets should be made of a better quality of iron so that the ship is durable enough to withstand the impact of iceberg. During the journey, Captain Smith should be more cautious about the warning concerning about the icebergs and alert of fi rst journey of this heavy duty ship and Captain Lord should be a little patient and put more attention on the SOS message which is extremely vital and significant for the people on board of the Titanic could be rescued by them.

buy custom The Political Parties essay

buy custom The Political Parties essay The American health market like the normal commodity market has changed its focus from providing quality services to maximizing the quantity of services provided to maximize profits, which they have succeeded in, but at the expense of the peoples welfare. There is a significant difference in the quality health care provided by salaried doctors and that provided by doctors who were paid per service, with the salaried doctors exhibiting better quality service delivery. These incentives have also caused many doctors to turn their backs on patients who cannot afford their services, which beats the purpose of being a doctor. The quality of healthcare in the United States relative to that of other countries has been a major issue. A free market approach to healthcare much like the market for other commodities has been argued by one political advocacy to result in low quality healthcare as doctors compromise the quality of healthcare in favor of quantity and has been found to result in higher mortality rates (Hoffman, 2003). The cost of healthcare in the United States relative to its economy is the highest in the world. There is need for a fiscal policy that will bring the costs of healthcare under control and ensure universal coverage of health care in America in the long run. The inconsistent coverage in health care has been a major concern. For example, a 2009 Harvard study found that there were more than 44800 deaths in the United States every year cause by lack of health insurance. It was also found that there were thousands of others who died annually due to lack of medical care. The following essay covers the current health care condition in America and the stance of political parties in regards to the same and to reforms. Health reform has been discussed and debated by political parties in the United States for a long time with every party having a different opinion from the other and sometimes from the public. All Americans agree that there is need for health reform in America but few are willing to pay for it. There also seems to be a lack of consensus on the best approach with approximately 40 percent being democrats, 30 percent being republicans and 30 percent being independent (Birn, 2003). The main difference in the stance taken by the political parties is whether to improve the quality of health care by giving the public control over health care, an approach advocated for by the republicans or to provide universal coverage and allow for government intervention, the democratic approach. While majority of Americans think that health care reforms should be addressed now, they cannot seem to decide on the timing. In light of other urgent matters such as the economic condition of the country the majority of the democrats think that the health care reform issue should be tackled immediately, while the majority of republicans think that at the moment health care reform is not affordable (Wainess, 1999). When it comes to the question of raising money to cater for health care reform, the democrats favor government based funding. They support the ideology of increasing taxes for the wealthiest and also on unhealthy health practices such as smoking. The republicans on the other hand recommend that Americans be charged with the responsibility of funding this reform. The Republican stance Therepublicans unlike the Democrats believe in giving the power to make decisions to the people rather than to the government. When it comes to health reform therefore their focus is on the patient and his needs and wants rather than the government. Their main goal is the provision of better quality health care at lower costs. They disagree with the democrats goal of offering increased access without lowering costs. Republicans claim to have a bill that is workable and that will cover all Americans without costing the tax payer any money. This bill, the Empowering Patients First Act which they proposed as a replacement for the amendment of the Senate bill was rejected by the Senate Finance Committee. Their reasons were that this bill would not reduce the number of people without insurance cover and was feared to actually reduce health insurance coverage since it would do away with mandated coverage rules that are in operation in some States. The insurance companies would than benefit from more government funds by coming up with new insurance subsidies. The republicans however, maintained their stand since they beleve that charging the public with this responsibility is bound to increase doctors accountability and to increase competition therefore reducing costs. For a long time the republicans have been against government control in the health sector and advocate for private medicine practice as opposed to socialized medicine. The republicans objectives in advocating for less government involvement include encouraging the promotion of health and the prevention of diseases, protection of the citizens from restructuring effort that would result in rationing or complicated health care, create a cooperative environment among the health providers, the patients, the stakeholders and payers in the health care system and eliminating government interference between the health care providers and their patients (Williamson, 1994). Their stance basically is one of increasing the patients control, their accessibility and affordability of health care. They also disagree with the democrats policy of increasing taxes for whichever class and government subsidies instead of lowering costs. They advocate for patients empowerment and reducing government intervention therefore curbing the bureaucracy that comes with the involvement of the government. Their argument against the involvement of the government is the lack of progress so far in light of their intervention. Their goal is to improve the quality and coverage of health insurance at lower costs. In their view, health care provider and American citizens, not the government is key to real health reform. They believe that Americans have the right to an affordable health care plan which meets their needs. Therefore it is imperative that insurances be made more affordable by lowering premiums, and more secure. They also advocate for the employees choice to own coverage apart from the one offered by the employer or one linked to the job. The patients, not the insurance companies need to have the upper hand and the insurance companies need to strive to keep patients business as opposed to the patients striving to keep their insurance covers. Republicans are concerned about the inequalities exhibited in the current tax system. In the current tax system the high income employees enjoy better health tax benefits compared to other Americans who cannot afford a health care plan. Part of their goal is to ensure all Americans receive equal tax benefits, whatever the means of their insurance. Tax reform is another strategy that would reduce health care costs significantly. Inefficiencies in healthcare have been partly perpetuated by a lack of clarity in regards to health insurance costs and the bearer of these costs in employment. Health insurance provided by providers is currently exempted from tax and it has been argued that taxing employer based health insurance would increase the tax revenue significantly. The Economist, in November 2009 estimated the increase in tax revenue in the event that employer based health insurance was taxed to be 215 billion dollars. Tax payers are more likely to change the system or their behavior that will impact on demand for health care services. Besides ensuring individuals are in control of their health care, Republicans are committed to helping lower cost, improving quality of care as well as helping Americans adopt a healthier life and a culture of wellness. They also advocate for preventive measures such as vaccines and improved nutrition. An example is strategy suggested in aiding medical cost reduction is measures towards lowering obesity. Preventing overweight and obesity issues prevents a large number of diseases related to these conditions whose treatment is rather costly such as heart disease, cancer among others. Therefore lowering obesity is bound to significantly reduce healthcare costs. They also advocate for less smoking and consumption of alcohol (Willimson, 1994). This is bound to lower the demand for health care services and therefore lower its prices. They also advocate for equal treatment of mental health care with physical health care. Access to health care should not only be limited to those seeking physical health care but also to those seeking mental healthcare. One of the strategies that the republicans advocate for that is bound to lower costs is increasing competition. This can be achieved by providing the citizens with perfect information concerning health care so that they make informed decisions about health care and health providers. This should increase competition and consequently lower costs. The republicans believe in the betterment of medical research especially by funding it. This would be accomplished by using comparative effective research among other tools. This would ensure that there is a body that is charged with the specific task of ensuring that the medical and healthcare field was at its best at all times. It would also be responsible for carrying out regulatory measures to ensure the healthcare system was based on quality service provision rather than quantity. Incentives presently being used by the health care system have been criticized as aiding in increasing health care costs. One of their major problems with current incentives is that doctors get paid for the number of services provided rather than receiving a constant salary. While this is aimed at encouraging them to provide more health services it could also cause them to compromise on quality services in bid to maximize the quantity of health care provided and in turn increase profits. Fully insured patients also contribute to the high health care costs since they have no incentive to consider minimal costs when choosing among alternative treatment methods. This has the effect of increased premiums by the insurance companies to all. The republicans stress the importance of appreciating the health providers who do a good job and rewarding them. They should be paid for the quality of work they provide and not by the number or tests run or the cases they treat. The use of technology can be used to improve record keeping by making it digital therefore easy to store and to access. Technology is devoid of human error therefore making it more reliable. It encourages low costs, more efficient record keeping and more accurate treatment. Recently a lot of funds have been directed towards improper payments that amount to medicare fraud. These crimes are highly lucrative for the perpetrators and are often difficult to trace. However, seeing as the amount of money that is lost to these fraudulent cases amounts to 60 billion dollars every year, there is need to address this issue and adapt measures to apprehend the perpetrators while preventing the likelihood of their successful perpetration. Thorough auditing needs to be done and more transparency and accountability measures implemented if these monies are to be saved (Cook, 2007). These fraudulent practices besides costing the government a lot of money, may lead to lawsuits directed at the doctors often. Lawsuits often have the effect of increasing insurance rates and consequently increasing the costs of health care. The Democrats stance The democrats most consistent advocacy for years has been increasing health care coverage in the United States by advocating for access of health care to everyone. They have fought for the public to have some basic assurance and security in health care. A research study in Health Affairs found that 50 percent of personal bankruptcies were a result of medical bills, a finding that indicated the inconsistency in health care coverage in the United States. Over the years a couple of the presidents of the United States have taken measures towards the achievement of this goal, and most recently President Obama increased health care coverage to include four million children who do not have insurance cover. Therefore it advocates for public funded systems which have been found to result in high quality healthcare. This group has also criticized the quality of managed care and that of health maintenance organizations. The shortage of doctors and nurses in the United States is another issue of concern for the democrats. A shortage of medical practitioners means healthcare services will become scarcer and therefore increase in cost. With an average of 2 to 3 doctors for every a thousand people, the doctors are swamped as it is. A deterioration of this statistic would mean less accessibility to quality medical care in addition to increased health care costs. They therefore advocate for the training of more doctors and nurses since the more they are the more likely the public security in health care since it means more doctors are available per a particular number of people (Cook, 2007). Another measure that the democrats have advocated for is the bill passed concerning insurance coverage for persons with pre existing conditions. In the near future, uninsured adults who lack insurance on the basis of pre existing conditions will be able to acquire insurance coverage via a new program. Buy custom The Political Parties essay

The Difference Between an Element Group and Period

The Difference Between an Element Group and Period Groups and periods are two ways of categorizing elements in the periodic table. Periods are horizontal rows (across) the periodic table, while groups are vertical columns (down) the table. Atomic number increases as you move down a group or across a period. Element Groups Elements in a group share a common number of valence electrons. For example, all of the elements in the alkaline earth group have a valence of two. Elements belonging to a group typically share several common properties. The groups in the periodic table go by a variety of different names: IUPAC Name Common Name Family Old IUPAC CAS notes Group 1 alkali metals lithium family IA IA excluding hydrogen Group 2 alkaline earth metals beryllium family IIA IIA Group 3 scandium family IIIA IIIB Group 4 titanium family IVA IVB Group 5 vanadium family VA VB Group 6 chromium family VIA VIB Group 7 manganese family VIIA VIIB Group 8 iron family VIII VIIIB Group 9 cobalt family VIII VIIIB Group 10 nickel family VIII VIIIB Group 11 coinage metals copper family IB IB Group 12 volatile metals zinc family IIB IIB Group 13 icoasagens boron family IIIB IIIA Group 14 tetrels, crystallogens carbon family IVB IVA tetrels from the Greek tetra for four Group 15 pentels, pnictogens nitrogen family VB VA pentels from the Greek penta for five Group 16 chalcogens oxygen family VIB VIA Group 17 halogens fluorine family VIIB VIIA Group 18 noble gases, aerogens helium family or neon family Group 0 VIIIA Another way to group elements is based on their shared properties (in some cases, these groupings do not correspond to the columns in the periodic table). Such groups include  alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals (including  rare earth elements or lanthanides and also actinides), basic metals, metalloids or semimetals, nonmetals, halogens, and noble gases. Within  this classification system, hydrogen is a nonmetal. The nonmetals, halogens, and noble gases are all types of nonmetallic elements. The metalloids have intermediate properties. All of the other elements are metallic. Element Periods Elements in a period share the highest unexcited electron energy level. There are more elements in some periods than others because the number of elements is determined by the number of electrons allowed in each energy sub-level. There are seven  periods for naturally occurring elements: Period 1: H, He (does not follow the octet rule)Period 2: Li, Be, B, C, N, O, F, Ne (involves s and p orbitals)Period 3: Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ar (all have at least 1 stable isotope)Period 4: K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Br, Kr (first period with d-block elements)Period 5: Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sn, Te, I, Xe (same number of elements as period 4, same general structure, and includes first exclusively radioactive element, Tc)Period 6: Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At, Rn (first period with f-block elements)Period 7: Fr, Ra, Ac, Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, Bk, Cf, Es, Fm, Md, No, Lr, Rd, Db, Sg, Bh, Hs, Mt, Ds, Rg, Cn, Uut, Fl, Uup, Lv, Uus, Uuo (all elements are radioactive; contains heaviest natural elements)

D2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

D2 - Assignment Example The environment is critical in shaping and determining the child’s development. In transition to parenthood, Cochenour and Chrisman (61) explain this stage to be a critical stage where the young parents are redefining their career growth, while at the same time a child comes along to require more attention and care from the two. Thus according to Cochenour and Chrisman, a child can be source of joy or conflict; the care of the child puts more strain on the parents, who are still required to utilize their strengths in defining their new career goals (Cochenour and Chrisman 64). The extended family thus chips in to offer the child the required development; the child no long belongs to the parents alone, but has to identify her/ himself with the large family context as all the family members have a role to play in shaping the child’s development. In addition, this brings about the sense of belonging and inclusiveness, which is necessary in defining identity. To solve the p roblems of conflict between parents as the new child requires more attention and care from the two; both parents have to actively participate in rearing the child; the role should never be left as an obligation of a particular parent. This creates the required environment for child development. Parents should also choose an environment that would be constructive in the child’s development. In understanding the structure of a family, the family systems theory would be of much importance to childhood educators. Cochenour and Chrisman (62) explain that the theory’s primary concept is that the family consists of interconnected members, with each member influencing the other in predictable and recurring ways. The theory would largely focus on the family behaviors and history to influence an individual’s behavior. Therefore, understanding this theory would help early child educators to have prior knowledge related to the several types of families,

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Entrepreneurship and Small Business - Essay Example Small businesses are also innovative as they are responsible for many of the new products or services on the market (Fucini and Fucini 1985). These factors have a knock-on effect of increasing employment opportunities, particularly amongst women and minorities who find this as an alternative avenue into business. This can be demonstrated by the high number of Asian, Chinese, Italian and other restaurants across the country. Women are also likely to start their own business as they are sometimes discriminated against when they take maternity leave. As small businesses are mainly innovative or arise from this situation, their organisational culture is of great importance as it influences whether they business can react to its environment; and whether the business can survive int the current environment. Organisational culture is a system of shared values, assumptions, beliefs and norms about the way things are done, and it is often referred to as corporate culture (Bird 1989). Culture is also important to small businesses as it has an impact on organisational effectiveness (Bartol and Martin 1998, Mullins 1999). ... Direction refers to the degree to which a culture supports rather than interferes with, reaching organisational goals (Hisrich and Peters 1995). Small businesses have to maintain a culture that is focussed as they are often striving to achieve growth levels and increase profits. This would not be possible without a direction or focus for the organisation to maintain. Pervasiveness addresses the extent to which a culture is widespread among members, as opposed to being unevenly distributed (Hisrich and Peters 1995). Small business will look at employing individuals who share similar drive and ambition to the entrepreneur. It would defeat the purpose of the small business if individuals who are not passionate about the innovation are employed. Strength refers to the degree to which members accept the values and other aspects of a culture (Hisrich and Peters 1995). The employees also have to believe in the innovation or the small business concept for it to be effective. These three factors embedded in organisational culture demonstrate how important it is for small businesses and entrepreneurs to adopt an enterprise culture, as it will determine how well they can react to factors present in the external environment in which they operate. This paper will briefly demonstrate the characteristics of enterprise culture and how this culture can be affected by the external environment. Enterprise culture Most successful organisations foster an adaptive entrepreneurial culture in which members view growth and change as desirable and believe that they can affect the competitive environment to their advantage, which differs to bureaucratic organisations which are more likely to have members who prefer the status quo and have little faith in their ability to

Parents Involvement in Their Children Education Research Paper

Parents Involvement in Their Children Education - Research Paper Example As children attend school, parents should participate in the education process using several approaches. These include buying uniforms, paying schools fees, assisting with homework, taking them to school and picking them. Sciarra (2004) indicates that parents should create an appropriate environment for their children by removing distractions such as excessive TV or films, too much movement or regular friends. DEEWR (2011) indicates that the home and learning environment should be favorable for children in order to boost their learning process. Parents’ contribution in their children erudition whose objective was to explain enhances their performance in school. Parents should teach their children songs, drawings as well as paintings or allow them to visit the library. As a result, parents know their children’s talents and preferred co-curricular activities. Additionally, parents get to know their children’s friends and keep a record of their progress in school. A ccording to a recent research whose objective was to explain the relationship between parents’ involvement in their children education and results, it was discovered that help with schoolwork is directly proportional to a child’s enhanced reading, understanding of numbers and improved scores. Another importance is that parents get to know their children capabilities and weakness. Additionally, parents get to know their children’s friends and keep a record of their progress in school.... of Education, claimed that parents’ participation in their children education is critical than socio-economic status of the family. This simply means that a child’s economic background does not influence their academic capabilities rather than their parents’ involvement (Sciarra, 2004). According to Sciarra (2004) parents are involved in their children’s education and social life in order to manage issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, peer influence and bullying. Financial constrain is a challenge that parents face, limiting them from taking their children to best schools, provide them with good books and educational trips (Sciarra, 2004). Sciarra claims that children who come from families whose parents suffer from sickness, mental disorders or abuse drugs are likely to perform poorly in school. These parents do not take a centre role in order to ensure children meet their academic objectives. Furthermore, children from such families do not engage in sp orts, go out on academic trips or buy books so that they do not burden their families. Additionally, such children avoid good careers such as medicine, law and engineering because parents cannot pay the required fees (Sciarra, 2004). In as much there is a broad agreement that parents influence their children education, researchers are still investigating an appropriate form of parenting that would lead to academic success of children. Theories on how parents can pass reading culture, skills and good attitudes to their children are being debated on. A significant proportion of scholars argue that some children are inherently intelligent while others are not academically talented. These scholars further claim that environmental influence or parental guiding cannot change academic capabilities. There

Coffee and Starbucks Essay Example for Free

Coffee and Starbucks Essay In 1971, Starbucks was founded on a love for coffee and 42 years later you can still go in and expect the same delicious cup of steaming hot coffee from your local store, served to you from a friendly face. Starbucks mission is â€Å"to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. Today, with more than 18,000 stores in 62 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. And with every cup, we strive to bring both our heritage and an exceptional experience to life. † (http://www. starbucks. com/about-us/our-heritage). They offer the best roasted coffee, handcrafted beverages; coffee experience products, excellence service and innovation, plus they are dedicated to produce a great coffee experience to customers. (Starbucks, 2011) The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze Starbucks’ organizational structure and the best form of organizational structure that best fits Starbucks with an emphasis on Job description and Job Specification for a Starbucks employee. I will also try to determine the form of departmentalization that should be used, as well as whether centralization or decentralization of power should be used in light of the recent financial struggles they’ve had. Lastly, I will attempt to determine which organizational configuration best fits Starbucks. Job description is defined as â€Å"a formal lists of tasks and duties† and Job specification is defined as â€Å"a list of eligibility requirements or qualifications needed to perform a job† (Reilly, Minnick Baack. 2011). These definitions will be used in creating a position for a new employee. Job Description: If you love coffee and helping people than you just might be perfect for this job! At Starbucks, we strive to provide a much needed service in today’s busy world. At Starbucks you can learn all about different coffee beans from all over the world and help in developing a great working team. You will be trained in what it means to thoroughly enjoy your job, the people you work with in a clean and safe environment and to enjoy working with the best coffee you can imagine. Job Specification: Develop a working knowledge of all products we offer. Maintain a clean and friendly store. Maintain a professional attitude and your composure should the store become busier than usual. Anticipates customer and store needs. Be Flexible with shifts and days that you can work. Starbucks should be using is departmentalization by geographic region. Starbuck locations are all over the United States. Starbucks uses a matrix configuration by combining divisional and functional structures. Divisional structure is used in multi-product or multi-market operations. Starbucks fall into this structure by having so many different beverages and items on the menu. When putting out so many different items one has to specialize in those items. Starbucks trains their employees to know every item inside and out. You cannot have one person who can make one drink and nit another. They use functional structure to stay organized activities such as coordination, supervision and task allocation. With 18,000 stores it takes many teams to stay updated of everything that is going on in the market. Starbucks hires people who specialize in marketing strategy to keep them on top of the market. The form should be changed in the stores that serve lunch because the structure of the work changes. It becomes more of a machine bureaucracy in that it is highly routine in making drinks as well as sandwiches and salads. When you have to repeat something many times you are working like a machine. Starbucks has decentralized authority because they created decision-making for each manager. There are also lots of stores around the world and each store has different from the authority, managers, and customers. This also allows for employees to be able to give their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. If the company uses their ideas they are rewarded. It also allows for the lines of communication to stay open between employees and managers which allows for a friendly working environment. Starbucks is making sure that it is here to stay. By surrounding itself and its team members with the best training and communication they stand out against all competitors. Yes, other will try to stand up against the designer coffee label but when it comes down to it Starbucks is finding new ways to stay at the top. With being in different regions they have created an evening atmosphere where you can drop in after work, with friends, after yoga, by yourself, after a long day or after a great day. The food is amazing. The wine selection is simple and smart (www. starbucks. com/coffeehouse/starbucks-stores/starbucks-evenings). Starbucks will change the structure of the business as many times as it takes to make it work for them. You never know they may create things that work for them that do not work for other coffee shops. REFERENCES Reilly, M. , Minnick, C. , Baack, D. (2011). The five functions of effective management. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://starbucks. com https://starbucks. com/about-us/out-heritage.

The Yellow Wallpaper -- Literary Analysis, Gilman, Crane, Perkins

When looking at two nineteenth century works of change for two females in an American society, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Stephen Crane come to mind. A feminist socialist and a realist novelist capture moments that make their readers rethink life and the world surrounding. Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† was first published in 1892, about a white middle-class woman who was confined to an upstairs room by her husband and doctor, the room’s wallpaper imprisons her and as well as liberates herself when she tears the wallpaper off at the end of the story. On the other hand, Crane’s 1893 Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is the realist account of a New York girl and her trials of growing up with an alcoholic mother and slum life world. The imagery in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets uses color in unconventional ways by embedding color in their narratives to symbolize the opposite of their common meanings, allowing these colors to represent unique associations; to support their thematic concerns of emotional, mental and societal challenges throughout their stories; offering their reader's the opportunity to question the conventionality of both gender and social systems. The use of color in Stephan Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets is crucial when looking at the setting of the story; the repeated use of red is significant when describing Maggie’s mother Mary and the importance of color in describing the social system through the story. It is seen prominently when Maggie and Pete go to the theater, parts of the play paralleled the lives of the common people: "The latter spent most of his time out at soak in pale-green snow storms, busy with a nickel-plated revolver, re... ...nd fear of the domesticity that she is imprisoned in. These ideas only reiterate the gilded cage idea of the nineteenth century and the association of all that is bad in a society represented by the trappings of domestic life. The color symbolism in both Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† share the associations of gender, society and the realism of a woman’s sphere within a changing and evolving commercial society. As the societal changes of the nineteenth century move closer to the industrialism, naturalism, and the rise of a new class taboos such as mental illness and poverty; it moves further from an ideal domestic Victorian society. The industrialization of manufacturing and the production of goods and thoughts are most representative through the writings of Crane and Gilman as well as other nineteenth century writers.

Franz Kafka Essay

Franz Kafka was born in Prague on July 3rd 1883, a German-speaking Jew. His father was a large, dominating man named Hermann. A lot of his work reflected his hatred for his father, in the play Metamorphosis and also in Letter to His Father, which reflects his feelings of inferiority and paternal rejection. His work was not of one specific genre. His work was of fantasies, dreams and human suffering. It was eclectic. Dying of Tuberculosis after the First World War, he wanted his work to be burnt upon his death, but his friend, Max Brod realised their potential and published them contrary to his wishes. His three most renowned pieces of work were The Trial, The Castle and Amerika. Kafka’s three sisters all perished in German concentration camps. The themes of Kafka’s work are the loneliness, frustration, and oppressive guilt of an individual threatened by anonymous forces beyond his comprehension or control. In literary technique, his work has the qualities both of expressionism and of surrealism. Kafka’s lucid style, blending reality with fantasy and tinged with ironic humour, contributes to the nightmarish, claustrophobic effect of his work. Like in his famous long short story â€Å"Metamorphosis† where Gregor Samsa, a hardworking insurance agent, awakens to find that he has turned into an enormous insect. Rejected by his family, he is left to die alone. Simulating the situation in his own home, it seems that Kafka based Gregor around himself. Mr. Samsa also seems to be represented as Hermann Kafka, Franz’s own dominating father. Kafka was heavily influenced by religion. As a Jew in his time, there were huge effects of anti-Semitism on their race, although Hitler’s rule over Germany and his terror-regime over the Jewish at the time was later on in the 1930’s, Kafka probably would have faced racist remarks and cruelty towards him and his work. As the son of an assimilated Jew who held only perfunctorily to the religious practices and social formalities of the Jewish community, Kafka was German both in language and culture. The absurdity of this social and cultural position created an ambiguous reality for Kafka, often more hallucinatory than realistic. Steven Berkoff was born into a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, and was born in the East End of London on the 3rd August 1937. During World War 2, in 1942 he was evacuated to Luton to avoid bombing. When he was 14 years old his family moved to the USA. This gave him the vision to see where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do in life. Moving back to Britain, he finished school, saved up enough money and went to France at the age of 19 to study the art of mime. Upon returning to London in 1968 he formed the London Theatre Group. It was in 1969 that Berkoff remade Kafka’s Metamorphosis. In 1976 he married his second (and present) wife, Shelley Lee. With the London Theatre Group, Berkoff attempted to create something unique. The London Theatre Group prided itself with trying to cover all forms of theatre. They wanted to be everything. They called their work a â€Å"fusion of elements†. Their main aim was to shock the audience. There were no set rules to Berkoff’s theatre. It was a mixture of many kinds of theatre, influenced by many people. The London Theatre Group wanted people of all social backgrounds to come and see their plays. Another thing they tried to do was to move away from conventional theatre, and use different ways of using the stage and positioning the audience. In The Penal Colony, The Trial and Metamorphosis were three plays of Kafka’s that Berkoff remade. Other plays the London Theatre Group has performed include Macbeth, Miss Julie versus Expressionism, Agamemnon, The Fall of the House of Usher, East, Greek, Hamlet, Decadence, West, Lunch, Actor, Harry’s Christmas, Kvetch, Sink the Belgrano!, Salome, Acapulco, Brighton Beach Scumbags, Dog, Storm und Drang, Dahling you were Marvellous, Massage, Shakespeare’s Villains, The Messiah. The Bow of Ulysses, Ritual in Blood and The Secret Love Life of Ophelia amongst many others. He also starred in many movies such as A Clockwork Orange and Rambo. He usually played the villain, but the main reason for his film roles was to fund his theatre productions. Berkoff was an atheist, explaining his wish to attract people of all social masses to see his plays. He never uses religious effects in his plays to avoid any conflict of cultures. Brecht was an influence of Berkoff. Brecht didn’t want to get involved with an audience. Another influence was Peter Brook, an expert of slapstick. Stanislavski believed in naturalism, the opposite of Brecht, and yet Berkoff used elements from both Brecht and Stanislavski in his work. This is shown in Metamorphosis, as without the audience’s sympathies for Gregor, the play would not work. Antonin Artauds was another influence. He was involved in theatre of the absurd. Again, Berkoff uses these ideas, mainly to shock the audience in his productions.