Monday, September 30, 2019
Organizational Culture at Krispy Kreme Essay
Organizational culture is defined as ââ¬Å"a system of shared meaning held by membersâ⬠of an organization which effectively sets it apart from other groups or organizations (Robbins, 2005). The system referred to in the definition is in reality a group of characteristics which are valued by the members of an organization, in particular, and the entire organization, in general. These characteristics, which are found to be predominant in an organization, are actually advocated and promoted by the founders of the organization. By and large, organizational culture has seven general characteristics which generally describe a certain organization. These are: ââ¬Å"innovation and risk taking, attention to detail, outcome orientation, people orientation, team orientation, aggressiveness, and stabilityâ⬠(Robbins, 2005). Innovation and risk taking refers to the tendency of management to adopt a policy which permits or encourages its workforce to seek out and introduce new methods and approaches even if some amount or risk-taking is involved. Aggressive companies are aptly described by this characteristic. Attention to detail, on the other hand, means that management insists that employees exhibit absolute accuracy in every facet of operation. This is prevalent among companies engaged in the production of precision instruments and devices. Outcome orientation is an organizational characteristic which simply means that the owners of the business are willing to sacrifice adherence to prescribed rules, regulations, and procedures if by doing so optimal results are achieved. Concern for the safety and well-being of its workers are the primary objectives of an organization which is characterized as being people oriented. For this type of an organization, outcome or even profit take secondary position to the welfare of workers. This means that no matter how profitable a decision could be for the company, it could get sidelined if evidence suggests that the safety of the employees would be compromised. Meanwhile, team orientation should be interpreted as the inclination of an organization to organize work activities around work teams rather than individual workers. In other words, the organization believes that teams perform better than individuals. Aggressiveness refers to the management policy of not only tolerating an aggressive attitude among its workers but also encouraging competition. This characteristic also implies that the organization has the tendency to resort to expansion without waiting for stability to be firmly established. Finally, stability is the opposite characteristic of aggressiveness. The company prefers the stable, profitable status quo over hasty expansion plans. An organization characterized by stability is not in a hurry to strive for growth and expansion and is usually contented with the present so long as its desired profit is realized. In the case of Krispy Kreme, its statement of objective clearly made known its aggressiveness, i. . : ââ¬Å"As we enter the 21st Century, Krispy Kreme is not slowing downâ⬠(Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. , n. d. ). This statement depicts a company in a hurry ââ¬â a characteristic which is very admirable as far as an aggressive individual is concerned. Data available in the company website support this declaration. After the initial public offering of its stock in the year 2000, the first international outlet near Toronto in Canada was inaugurated in December 2001. The Canadian expansion started the companyââ¬â¢s thrust towards international growth. Today, barely eight years later, Krispy Kreme products are already available in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Dubai, Hongkong, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. , n. d. ). The other appealing characteristics of the company are: innovation and risk taking, and team orientation. The company took its first calculated risk as early as 1950 when it decided to be innovative and sought to improve its doughnut-making process by designing its own doughnut-making equipment. Their objective was achieved through the efforts of a team of equipment engineers that it organized, thereby putting emphasis on the importance of team orientation. The collaboration of the engineers allowed Krispy Kreme to become the first company to serve hot doughnuts to their customers. Their engineering team is also continuously improving their hot doughnut technology to preserve the companyââ¬â¢s leadership status in the hot doughnut business (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. , n. d. ) The culture at Krispy Kreme could also be characterized as people oriented because the organization is customer-responsive. The workforce is composed of employees who are recruited because of their innate friendliness and service-oriented tendency. Moreover, employees are not bound by hard and fast rules in their dealing with customers. There exists a rather low level of formalization in the company and in its stores that allows employees to make the necessary adjustments that would enable them to deal satisfactorily with different kinds of people who come from all walks of life. Management refers to this policy as empowerment because it allows Krispy Kreme employees to do what they think is necessary in order to make their customers happy and satisfied. Being people oriented (particularly customer-responsive), Krispy Kreme has made it clear that employees should be painstaking in their efforts to please their customers and ensure that they keep coming back (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, n. d. ). By cultivating and sustaining a strong culture, the management has effectively informed its employees exactly what the company expects of them. Foremost among these is for the engineering team to keep on discovering new technologies that would improve their doughnut-making capability and preserve company leadership in the industry. Then its army of chefs should assume adequate vigilance in the preparation of their products so that customers are always satisfied with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and coffee, among others. Finally, store front-liners are expected to go out of their way to satisfy customer needs ââ¬â to be sincerely friendly, helpful, and accommodating, thereby generating customer loyalty (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. n. d. ). As Robbins (2005) has specifically prescribed, a strong culture should have a ââ¬Å"high degree of sharedness and intensity [which] creates an internal climate of high behavioral control. â⬠At Krispy Kreme, only applicants who are perceived to fit the bill are hired. Then the culture of the company is drilled into them from day one, thereby effectively shaping the organizational behav ior of every worker.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Environmental Case Analysis Essay
The case tells about the current crisis in the New England fisheries, which recorded the devastation in the ocean ecosystem due to overfishing in that part of the globe. The discovery of the George Bank or ââ¬Å"St. Georgeââ¬â¢s Shoalâ⬠in the northern pole between the Newfoundland and Labrador in 1821 paved the opportunity for the fishing industry by the Gloucesterââ¬â¢s fleet since then (p. 42) until groups of fishermen exploited the area in 1950 from different countries such as the Russians, Germans, Poles, and Spanish (p. 44). It is said that the modern vessels using modern facilities in fishing used by the latter fishermen had triggered the extinction of the many kinds of fishes in the sea. Today, it is documented that rich stock of living organisms that includes the marine food web have decreased in a very alarming level. The twentieth century fishing left the marine resources at stake with a report of sixteen percent decrease per year, with a total loss of about ninety percent of ââ¬Å"predatory fishesâ⬠(p. 37). The George Bank, which was previously overpopulated with living organisms, had damaged considerably enough to call the attention of the authorities as well as the stakeholders to act upon the tragic loss. It is recorded that the Gloucesterââ¬â¢s fleet and smaller craft in 1859 had brought in ââ¬Å"60,000 barrels of mackerel, 11,400,000 pounds of codfish, and 4,590,000 pounds of halibut,â⬠and few million of other species (p. 42). Since 1970ââ¬â¢s, the decline began spontaneously; with record of about ââ¬Å"4. 4 million tons of fishâ⬠in 1973 to ââ¬Å"2. 6 millions of tons in 1992â⬠is an indication that ecosystem in the bank is getting impoverished. Variety of fishes may face extinction which range from predators or species of higher tropic level such as tuna and halibut to species of lower tropic level such plankton-eaters such as anchovies and cod. The worst is, since the main predators as well as the codfish and haddock are facing annihilation, the dogfish and skate may dominate George Bank, and that will cause ââ¬Å"ecological shiftâ⬠(p. 46). Because of this, the market has changed its demand for dogfish and skate (ibid). Thus, many concerned individual and groups take into account the crisis and proposed recommendation to revive the sea. For instance, the East Coast Fisheries Federation executive director James Oââ¬â¢Malley suggested the ââ¬Å"50% effort reductionâ⬠to replenish the stock of fish in the bank (p. 48). This problem concerns the many stakeholders particularly the people who are dependent on fish for food such as in the case of people of Europe and America. Likewise, if the fifty reduction or other proposals such as the ââ¬Å"buyoutâ⬠scheme or fish farming may also harm the fishermen for their bread and butter is fishing. This will also harm the fishing industry. There will be constant battle between the opposing interests of government and business groups, which includes global fisheries, for both attend to their own interests. No matter what, if the problem will not be settled, worst scenario may come about ââ¬â damage in the ocean ecosystem and extinction of fishes which is vital to human survival. Relationship to Science and Ethics The sustainability of the ââ¬Å"marine food webâ⬠lies greatly on reducing fishing capacity until such time that oceans reach appropriate level. In connection, when fishing activity is reduced, the serial depletions or collapse of species will gradually reduce and thus improves the condition in the ecosystem. This will provide sufficiency for all the people who need sea foods for survival. In this endeavor, people are to work hard hand in hand to increase the sustainability of oceans in providing food that people need. Without reducing in fishing will affect the ecosystems of the fishes and other living organisms in the water because those involve in the marine food web are important and interconnected in the chain. For instance, the predators though serve a negative impact on their prey yet, provide help in the preservation of the prey in such a way that they also consume ââ¬Å"other predators and competitorsâ⬠so the prey will abound and will become ââ¬Å"available for humansâ⬠(Pauly, Christensen, Guenette, Pitcher, Sumaila, Watson, & Zeller). Thus, their extinction may lead to worst condition to prey. In addition, according to Pauly, et. al. , there will be reduction in the ââ¬Å"number and length of pathways linking food fishes to the primary producersâ⬠that results to fluctuations in the population of the prey. Thus, the issue of overexploitation done by people to the marine life is a threat to human consumption that without appropriate and immediate action, people will greatly suffer. The ethics that must be seen in this case is the interest that governs every action. Whose interest should prevail ââ¬â the interest of majority or the interest of few for money? Either of the interest will determine the action that will be made. What persuades us the value of preserving the New England fisheries? The above alarming scenario in the marine life is enough to consider steps towards reducing fishing around the area. Stakeholders must cooperate with each other towards the preservation of the remaining life in the ocean for the benefit of many more people. Above many reasons, the preservation of marine life through fishing reduction will ensure the future of the food supply. Definitely, if fishing continues, none will be left for humans for there will be no chance for these species to survive. The demand for immediate action is great that international cooperation is deemed important. The process may take several years before full the recovery, yet the impact is lasting ââ¬â for menââ¬â¢s survival. Preservation of New England Aquatic ecosystem is another reason for this. Even politicians and government leaders and even ordinary fishermen have taken for granted the ill effect of overfishing because they all thought that ââ¬Å"ocean will yield what we needâ⬠(Pauly, et. al). People never realize that as human population increases, the water resources decrease to supply the demand for food. Thus, the preservation of ecosystem could sustain the healthy economy of the country because biological resources are sufficient to supply ecological needs. How does it happen that it is in no oneââ¬â¢s interest to preserve the fisheries but it is everyoneââ¬â¢s interest to preserve the fishery? At this point in time, though there are studies conducted on the serious problem with aquatic life, people often neglect their responsibility because they have a negative attitude about the problem. The fishermen understand the problem but they resist doing positive action, rather, they are ââ¬Å"against limits, against collectivization and consolidation, against being regulated, reformed, and brought in line with the common good for the long runâ⬠(p. 52). This particular problem will lead to total collapse of the ocean ecosystem that affects every individual. Well, preservation of fishery is everyoneââ¬â¢s business. This must be understood by every stakeholder especially the fishermen. The efforts by the civic groups and the government must also direct to these individual by reeducating them of the true intention of the action. Reference Pauly, D. , Christensen, V. , Guenette, S. , Pitcher, T. , Sumaila, R. , Watson, W. , & Zeller, D. (2002). Towards sustainability in world fisheries. Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science, 418 (689-695). http://www. nature. com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/full/nature01017. html Skunked. Crisis in the New England Fisheries (file attachment)
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Course work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Course work - Essay Example In regard to the NEC contracts, the issues that arise between parties involved in the contract are handled by the adjudicator (clause 91.1). The adjudicator will give his ruling after a maximum period of 4 weeks (Bennett 2001). During this time the parties must go on with their obligations as if nothing has happened as they wait for the ruling. Reasons for termination are outlined in clause 95(95.1 -95.6) that show the grounds that can be used by either party to terminate the contract. Sacking of a contractor is the termination of the working agreements between them. The contract becomes null and void and the parties lose the working relationship they once had. Removal of a contractor is usually an extreme method of dealing with non-performance. This is despite the fact that it might lead to less headaches in regards to the particular contractor it has certain adverse effects (Rowlison, 2011). It is advisable to have the contractor on board until a particular project is finished then seeking legal redress thereafter. This protects the project manager from some legal hurdles. To begin with, it is very difficult to fire a contractor. Once a contractor is fired, there is the issue of the unfinished work which is on a certain timeline. Getting a different contractor to finish the work can be a hassle given that other contractors will be wary of working with such a project manager (Bennett 2001). The project manager will have limited bargaining power and might not get the best that the market has to offer. This will therefore compromise the quality of the project. Termination of a contract can be by two ways. This can be by using the terms of the contract or claiming that the behavior of the contractor is appalling and this behavior may imply that the contract does not exist. Termination by using the terms of the contract involves giving notice to the contractor as per the set guidelines in the contract (Rowlison, 2011). Contract termination due
Friday, September 27, 2019
Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1
Criminal law - Essay Example When there are different parties to a crime, principle offenders are deemed to have contributed to committing the offence. In this case Andrew decides to kill his wife Sue in order to be with Beth. He acts by hiring a hit man, John to do the work for him on some payment. In doing this, he acts as the counsellor. This is by encouraging, and inciting John to commit the crime and offering him money as payment for it. This makes him a party to the crime as a counsellor. A person who counsels or procures another person to commit a crime is a principle offender if the offence is actually committed. He is therefore liable for the same penalties as John as if he had committed the offence himself. It is immaterial whether the offence actually committed was the same as that counselled. Provided that the facts surrounding the offence committed are a probable or direct consequence of that counsel. For example in the case of Twelve v R , where a son procured a witchdoctor to kill is mother whom he believed was a witch and was responsible for killing his children. He believed that the witchdoctor would superficially k ill his mother however; the witchdoctor killed her by shooting her on the back in her hut at night. The son was held to have been likely convicted of murder for having procured the witchdoctor to kill his mother. The means used was immaterial, guiding another person to commit a crime, makes one a party to the offence. For example in the case of DPP of Northern Ireland v Maxwell , A drove his car to a pub knowing that he was guiding another vehicle containing members of a terrorist movement. A realised that some kind of attack was to be made but did not know the form it would take. Members of the terrorist group threw a piped bomb into a pub but fortunately, it did not explode. A was held guilty for being an accessory to a crime and of doing an act with intent of causing the explosion and being in possession of explosives. The court found that those were offences within the range of possibilities, which he contemplated, would be committed. Andrew is therefore criminally liable for at tempted murder of Tim and his penalty is the same as that of John. Even if the person killed was not the person he intended, he still is a party to the transferred murder of Tim. Similarly, since Andrew had procured John to kill Sue, who ended up attacking Tim instead, it still stands that Andrew advised him to commit a crime of that nature. It does not matter that it is Sue he wanted killed. As long as John acted on the procurement, Andrew also provided John with the gun to be used to commit the crime. Helping giving assistance to the perpetrator or offering the weapon in the doing of a crime, whether before or during the commission of the offence makes one an aider or abettor to the offence. Andrew had the intention to kill Sue and thus it does not matter that John killed the wrong person. There was still the intention to commit a crime. Andrew is then a principle offender by virtue of this and thus he is jointly liable for attempted murder of Tim since there is a common intention by the offenders to commit the murder. This is illustrated in R v Bainbridge3 where the appellant supplied thieves with cutting equipment for breaking into a bank. It was held that the equipment was to be used for some kind of breaking even if he did not know what particular bank. Likewise, since Andrew knew the purpose the gun was going to
Thursday, September 26, 2019
The Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2
The Vietnam War - Essay Example The Vietnam Peopleââ¬â¢s Army, on the other hand, practiced conventional warfare (Henriksen 16). The US and South Vietnamese forces typically relied on air superiority, as well as superior firepower for searching and destroying communistic operations through airstrikes, artillery and ground forces. It is undeniable that the upheaval in Vietnam during the 1960s had serious repercussions as both sides suffered immense losses of both lives and funds. This paper will examine the conditions in Vietnam that precipitated such upheaval, focusing on the social, economic and political conditions in Vietnam during the 1950s. The 1950s in Vietnam were critical years to the war. Political Conditions The most notable causes of the Vietnamese upheaval of the 1960s were largely political-based. One of the most critical situations that precipitated the upheaval in the 1960s was the involvement of the US government in the affairs of South Vietnam. The US had initially backed France in its pursuit t o take over Vietnam. However, upon the defeat of France, the nation (Vietnam) split into two; North and South (Henriksen 38). The US government sought involvement in the war with a view to deter a communist takeover of South Vietnam. The US was quite weary of the insurgency of communism in South Vietnam, and thus engaged a containment strategy or counterinsurgency to deter South Vietnamââ¬â¢s takeover. All this occurred from 1950 when the US sent its military advisors to the then French Indochina. The US government was adamant that the North intended to convert the South into a communistic state, thus warned the Southern political elite of the same. This precipitated animosity between the North and Southern leaders and in turn increased tension between the two states resulting in massive upheaval. à After France acceded defeat by the Vietnamese, the US government, under the administration of Presidentà Dwight Eisenhower, embarked on building a state from the South Vietnamese political entity by fabricating government there. The US overtook the governance of South Vietnam through controlling the local government. This allowed the US to attain its mission, i.e. war against the communists to deter South Vietnamââ¬â¢s takeover. Furthermore, in addition to the US sending its military advisers to South Vietnam, it also dispatched the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to engage in psychological warfare with the North. The involvement of the US only angered the North who reciprocated through guerilla tactics against the South. In addition to helping South Vietnam to deter communist takeover, another key political reason for the Vietnamese upheaval in the 1960s was the USââ¬â¢ guarantee to support capitalistic South Vietnam to deter the reoccurrence of the Chinese takeover by communists. The US government throughout the administrations of Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy all guaranteed South Vietnam of their undying support. The US had rather selfish reason s for backing South Vietnam. According to the US government, under the administration of the aforementioned presidents, if the US deserted South Vietnam, its word would thus be considered as unreliable by other governments, both friendly and unfriendly. Therefore, because its credibility was at stake, the US advocated the war against South Vietnam. Social
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Business Structure Advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1
Business Structure Advice - Essay Example Sole proprietorship is one of the business structures that Mr. John can opt for. If the owner aims at becoming a sole proprietor he just needs to start a business and does not need much paper work. In such a business there are no partners and all the decision making authority lies in the hands of the single owner of the business (Parrino, 2012). He makes important business decisions regarding what to produce, where to sell the goods and services and for whom to produce. Another benefit of this form of business is that the owner retains all the profits from the business (Nytimes.com, 2012). But at the same time the owner is entitled to unlimited liability which means that in case if the business goes bankrupt, he/she is responsible for paying all the debts and in order to pay the debts the owner may even lose all the money he has invested in the business along with property and assets owned by the owner. In case of running this form of business, the owner has to pay for all the taxes that are associated with the business and these taxes are filed as the personal income tax of the business owner (Sba.gov, 2014). A second form of business is partnership in which more than one individual join hands together to start a business and the profit and the decision making authority is divided amongst the business owners (Parrino, 2012). The benefit of this form of business is that the business can raise more funds that may be contributed by the partners. The disadvantage of this form of business is that all the owners experience unlimited liability. This means that in case of bankruptcy, they will lose all their money to repay the debts (Miller, 2008). Similar to sole proprietorship, the taxes paid in this form of businesses are paid by the owners of the business in relation of the percentage of their share of profit from the business (Sba.gov, 2014). A third form of business is company in which the business itself is recognized as an
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Susan Meiselas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Susan Meiselas - Essay Example The Maryland Art Source web page dedicated to Meiselas tells how she was given grants in order to begin film and photography programs in the school houses of the rural south. Later she was able to combine her teaching ideas with oral history and photography and she continued to work with teachers in New York city at the Center for Understanding Media. In 1976 she joined the Magnum Photos co-operative. The members portray and interpret world events , issues and people.Since that time Meiselas worked as a freelance photographer. She is best known for her pictures of human cruelty and coverage of human rights issues in Latin America, travelling in 1977 to Nicaragua to photograph the civil war then being conducted, with huge loss of life, between the forces of the dictator General Anastasio Somoza Garcà as and his Sandinista opposition. In 1981, she photographed a village in San Salvador which had been destroyed by the armed forces and also took photographs of the El Mozote massacre which took place in the same year when Salvadorean soldiers , who had been trained by the military of the United States, killed some 1000 civilians in the name of an anti-guerilla campaign. Her work is known world wide Meiselas has had many one-woman exhibitions in Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Her photographs are included in more permanent exhibitions both in America and elsewhere. She has been honored with many awards in recognition of both her work and her courage including the Robert Capa Gold Medal for outstanding courage and reporting in 1979 given by the Overseas Press Club for her work in Nicaragua. This was followed by the Leica Award for Excellence in 1982, the Engelhard Award from the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1985. In 1992 she was named as a MacArthur Fellow. The Maria Moors Cabot Prize was given by Columbia University for her coverage of Latin America and she also
Monday, September 23, 2019
The Role of Human Resource in the Success of an Organization Essay
The Role of Human Resource in the Success of an Organization - Essay Example They were treated with less concern and still the focus of human resource were on improving the methodologies of production by focusing on skills of workers and how they will be able to accomplish their tasks in relation to their job. Other factors that affects effectiveness of worker i.e. interest and career growth, were of less consequence as measure of organizational effectiveness. As more studies were conducted to determine secrets of effective management, more theories and findings were identified and more books were written that give precedence to the significance of behavioral factors in the success of managing organizations or developing teams to accomplish organizational objectives. Total Quality Management, for one covers several aspects of management. It applies to the quality of the strategic thinking exhibited by executives, the quality of the firmââ¬â¢s ethics or company beliefs, the quality of training, the quality of technology management, and to the quality of communications2. It encompasses everything. If youââ¬â¢ll look at it, it significantly stresses higher concern on the human resource factor and it is way beyond the original concept of how industry looks at the role of HR to the effective management. Now, HR is an integral part of management and plays significant part in the success of the organization. They became a partner of the management team and perform more than personnel management or office records management. HR became not only as a mother figure in a commercial company, who talks and handles grievances of employees but also, they play a role in decision-making, policy development and implementation of the companyââ¬â¢s aspirations and beliefs.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Joan of Arc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Joan of Arc - Research Paper Example They again felt that they would be able to hold on to the sovereignty of their nation and have their own king on the throne. Joan of Arc lived her life according to what she felt was the dictate of God. What she did was based on the visions that she had when she was a child living in a village of France. Her rise to power in France was thus meteoric. Her death however, was equally tragic. A gruesome death at the hands of the English Church was hardly what she deserved after the pains that she took for the sake of her motherland, France. Following her death, her memory was recovered and she has now entered into public consciousness through literature and various other sources. This paper shall seek to understand her position as a woman in the fifteenth century and attempt to answer the question as to whether this position affected the different choices that Joan of Arc took. Joan of Arcââ¬â¢s entry into French politics is looked upon with great surprise by many who are familiar wit h the condition that women found themselves during the fifteenth century in France and for that matter, anywhere in the world. This is not a pointer to the immense clout that Joan of Arc wielded at this point, right at the beginning of her career, but to the condition that France found herself in. ... She however, looked at the situation where the Count of Dunois had led France to and sought to reverse it. The siege of Orleans had started to look like a hopeless affair as far as the French were concerned. The siege which had continued for over seven months had started to look ominous from the French point of view. This condition was changed to a large extent with the point where Joan of Arc enters the history of the Hundred Years War. Her journey to meet the Dauphin was the catalyst behind the revival of the French hopes as far as the continuance of their resistance was concerned (Pernoud 1999, 9-11)1. This journey was an uncommon one for any woman to undertake and this was the beginning of her breaking various stereotypes that are often assigned to women. This was a breaking of a barrier of customs that did not have such a precedent. Joan of Arc thus set an example for those who were to follow her, providing them with an example of initiative. In the twenty first century, there a re many women who are lauded for their political initiative and courage. One needs to remember that Joan of Arcââ¬â¢s actions were taken in a conservative society where women were given much less freedom than they are in todayââ¬â¢s society. This makes her achievement all the more praiseworthy. Calling her the ââ¬Å"Ideal Androgyneâ⬠, Marina Warner talks of Joanââ¬â¢s transvestism2 (1981, 140). Wearing clothes that were traditionally worn by men was something that Joan had to resort to so as to protect herself from sexual advances by male soldiers of both camps. This points to the condition that women had to face in society at the point of time when Joan was active. The importance of this lies in the fact that even a person who was powerful in the larger 1. Pernoud
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Fermentation Lab Report Essay Example for Free
Fermentation Lab Report Essay Increased production of CO2 is a result of increased temperatures acceleration of the rate of fermentation. Abstract: We have tested the affects of increased temperature above room temperature on the rate of fermentation of yeast. We had 6 flasks filled with 6mL DI water, 2mL Yeast suspension and 6mL glucose of which 3 were at 25à °C and 3 were at 37à °C. The flasks at 37à °C had each mixture pre-heated at 37à °C for 2 minutes before being combined and then added to the flask where it was put into the bath heated to 37à °C. We then checked CO2 levels in each flask every 2 minutes for 20 minutes. We came out results that showed a marginal difference between the amounts of CO2 produced at different temperatures. The results showed that increased temperature causes an increase in fermentation rate and increased production of CO2. Introduction: Fermentation is the break down of organic matter, by microorganism, in the absence of oxygen also known as anaerobic (Van Neil, 2008). Our reactions occurs when yeasts is added to a solution of glucose and water. Fermentation starts with a process called glycolysis. In glycolysis Glucose is broken down into two molecules of pyruvate and a net yield of 2 NADH (electron carrier) and 2 ATP (adenosine triphosphate) molecules. The first step of glycolysis is the energy investment phase. In which 2 ATPââ¬â¢s are added to the Glucose molecule, which produces 2 ADPââ¬â¢s and Fructose 1, 6-biphosphate. This is followed by the energy payoff phase. In this phase NAD+ is reduced to NADH and ADP is reduced to ATP. The total number of ATP created is 4 and 2 NAHDH. After the energy payoff phase what is left is 2 pyruvates. Fermentation then takes place only in the absence of oxygen. In fermentation the pyruvate is converted into ethyl alcohol, through the oxidation of the 2 NADH molecules, which returns them to two NAD+ââ¬â¢s (Freeman, 2011). Oxidation is the loss of an electron in this case H+. We used information from previous labs in which we tested yeasts ability to break down disaccharides, sugar in that case, at different temperatures and found that 37à °C was the optimal temperature for yeast to break down sugar, to formulate our hypothesis. Our sources we collected also indicated that different yeasts have different optimal operating temperatures, such as bakerââ¬â¢s yeast, which requires higher temperature for yeast to ferment the proteins (Fell, 2008). Since we were using bakers yeast in our experiment we therefore came to the conclusion that increased temperature would increase yeasts ability to ferment glucose. Using this information and our sources we came up with the hypothesis that increasing the temperature of the solution would increase the rate of fermentation. We thought this was a reasonable hypothesis based upon earlier results from our other lab on temperatures affect on the yeasts ability to break down disaccharides. The predictions we came up with for the results of our tests were that the flasks at 37à °C would have a much more accelerated rate of CO2 production then that of the 25à °C Flasks. Materials and Methods: In the experiment we obtained 9 small beakers and 6 fermentation flasks. In the one beaker we added 18mL of Glucose. In the next we added 6ml of Yeast Suspension followed by another beaker with 18ml of distilled water. We then took those 3 beakers and placed them in the incubating bath set at 37ÃÅ¡C for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes took the beakers out and added 6mL of distilled water, 2mL of yeast suspension and 6mL of Glucose into 3 separate beakers and mixed them together. We then immediately added them at the same time to separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then placed them in the incubating bath set for 37ÃÅ¡C and set out timer for 2 minutes. We then prepared 3 beakers using 6mL of distilled water, 2mL yeast suspension and 6mL Glucose solution. Except that this time the yeast, water and glucose was a room temperature (25ÃÅ¡C). We then proceeded to pour these mixtures into 3 separate fermentation flasks and measured their CO2 levels using a ruler. We then set a timer for 2 minutes. Each time the timer went off we would check the CO2 levels using a ruler. We continued to repeat this checking every 2 minutes for 20 minutes for each set of flasks. Results: My results indicated that increased temperature increased the rate of fermentation. In the CO2 Evolution graphs it is clear that as time increased as 2-4 minutes you can see a noticeable increase in the level of CO2 in the fermentation flask. As time increases that difference only increases and increases. Then when you look and the average alcohol fermentation graph it is clear that in total amount of CO2 produced in the flasks fermented in the 37ÃÅ¡C incubating bath were much quicker in the process of fermentation, so therefore they produced much more CO2 then those at room temperature (25ÃÅ¡C). Discussion: My Data supported my hypothesis. Each of my graphs data supported this finding. In the graph showing CO2 evolution the data showing 37ÃÅ¡C had a steep positive slope, while the 25ÃÅ¡C data showed an almost unnoticeable positive slope. This shows how over time the fermentation in the flasks at 37ÃÅ¡C had a noticeable increase in its rate. The other graph shows the overall production of CO2 for each set of flasks. For the flasks at 25ÃÅ¡C their average CO2 produced was .7mm, while the flasks at 37ÃÅ¡C produced on average was 9.2mm. This increase rate and total production increase from that at 25ÃÅ¡C and 37ÃÅ¡C without a doubt supported my hypothesis. Also our minimization of errors landed itself to accurate results. We minimized any error by having the same person measure levels of CO2 and measure out substances such as yeast suspension. This increases my confidence that the results of our experiment not only support my hypothesis, but also supports that our bodiesââ¬â¢ temperature (37ÃÅ¡C) is the optimal temperature for cell respiration and not room temperature. Another follow-up experiment that could be used to give more detailed information about what happened is an experiment in which you run the same test, except include a 3rd condition in which the temperature is below room temperature such as 0ÃÅ¡C. This could show the increase from freezing to room temperature and room temperature to 37ÃÅ¡C. References: Cornelias B Van Niel, ââ¬Å"Fermentation,â⬠in AccessScience, à ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Freeman, Scott. Biological Science. 4th ed. Boston: Benjamin Cummings, 2011. Print. Jack W. Fell, Herman J Phaff, Graeme M. Walker, ââ¬Å"Yeast,â⬠in AccessScience, à ©McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Web. Reddy. Effect of Fermentation Condition on Yeast Growth and Volatile Composition of Wine Produced from Mango Fruit Juice. Food Biproducts Processing: Transactions of the Institute of Chemical Engineers Part C 89.4 (2011): 487-91. EBSCO. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Web.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Global Warming And The Effects On Canada
Global Warming And The Effects On Canada In the past couple of decades, the world has seen a drastic change in the rise of climate alterations and resource scarcity. This is mainly due to the affects from carbon pollution, greenhouse gases and global warming. The highest concerns with global warming are those of carbon pollution that not only harms the environment but also the ozone layers. Canada is one major example of a country where global warming has affected its climate and its forestry in both positive and negative ways. However, the positive impacts are dimmer than the negative affects. The paper will give a clear insight of how global warming has affected Canada both positively and adversely in terms of its economy, soil, forestry, and environment. Global warming occurs when the Earths temperature shows an abnormal increase due to the effects from pollution and greenhouse gases being trapped in the atmosphere (World Almanac, 2000). Carbon pollutions are one of the greatest root effects of severe hot climate changes. This is clear evidence in Canada where as global warming has gradually increased the temperature and has caused drastic changes in the environment. Globally, Canada is dominantly known as the highest carbon polluters in the world, second to Unites States. The emissions have risen more than 30 percent since the last decade (Leahy, 2010). These emissions directly contribute to the long lasting affect of global warming on climate and Canadian soil. Most Canadian cities annually produce about 20 tons of carbon dioxide per capita, placing Canada among top three nations in terms of per capita contribution to potential climate changes (Roseland, Connelly, and Hendrickson, 2005). The major gain from this trend of pollution will only further assist in the path of global warming where temperature rising would be inevitable and will cause more damage in the near future. The rise in temperatures would proportionally harm Canadas Boreal forests. Over the past six decades, the mean temperature in Canada has warmed by 1.4 degree Celsius and six have occurred within past decade. Due to Canada having a large forestry industry, the impact from global warming in this sector of the environment is very significant. Health is another factor that would be positively and negatively be affected due to climate changes cause by global warming. With greater heat waves, respiratory ailments that are due to air pollution would increase and tropical diseases would also increase (West Nile Virus) at the same time (Whitgott et. al., 2010). However, the diseases from cold weather would decrease at the same time. Effects are made by the government and pressure from scientists and individuals who are favor of the idea of having a protected wilderness/ forestry yet, the climate change becomes an obstacle with greater chance of damage done to the system then preserved. As climate changes become more drastic and unfavorable, the effect on Canadas forest gets more severe. With increase in global warming, there is an increase in forest fires, habitat destruction, and many drought stresses. Although forest fires are essential to forest as it is a key factor that maintains the diversity of an ecosystem, but many recent forest fires are caused by unnatural consequences. The main cause of forest fires remains the climate change and human- caused origins. The human cause increase in forest fire is solely dependent on human occupation and extensive usage of the boreal forest and resources (Weber and Stocks, 1998). In many cases, lightning causes are also directly related to the increase in forest fires. The increase lightning-caused fires are due to the facts that there is an increase in CO2 emission in the atmosphere. Climate changes in boreal forest generally predict warmer and drier conditions, which directly causes fire. The habitat destruction/modification is another aspect of the climate change due to global warming that negatively impacts the forests in Canada. In the boreal region of Canada, pest-caused timber losses are as much as two times the annual depletion due to the fires (Volney, 2000). As global warming takes its toll, the warmer weather and shorter winters would only cumulate to favor the pests that will infest many trees (pine in particular) and slow the reproduction as well. Thus, being a threat to Canadas largest timber industries. With increase in temperature, and rise in carbon dioxide emission, it only adds up to the precipitation and increase in droughts. As the glaciers melt due to warm conditions, it consequently affects the sea level which then affects t he forest growth with impact of both variations in warmness and precipitation (Wien and Hogg, 2005). The Canadian animals and fisheries are also affected by global warming causing climate changes. Species with limited biological traits are currently at risk of being extinct with least capabilities to adapt naturally. It was determined that climate change may have negative affections on endangered species in Canada (Lundy, 2008). Migratory birds and aquatic species such as some types of fishes are at risk of being extinct. Atlantic salmon and whitefishes are considered as endangered species due to climate changes. Under climate change, the Atlantic salmon and whitefishes will be threatened by loss of suitable habitat conditions which is mainly due to warmer water temperatures (Lundy, 2008). With respect to birds, Barn Owls and Eskimo Curlews are also some examples of birds that are negatively impacted by climate changes under global warming. Climate changes have been the potential cause of the reduction in the population of these birds. These birds have been northward shifted due to temperature rises and to some extent, due to warming of the northern coastal and freshwater ecosystem used for breeding purposes (Lundy, 2008). However, with warmer temperatures, birds and fisheries that are adaptive to the system of warmer weather will migrate to places such as Canada for their breeding purposes. Signs of tropical birds have already been traced in some parts of the country as well as some new breeds of fishes that were not present before. In addition, due to warm temperatures, fishes such as bass and sturgeons would be benefiting as their habitat would expand. Thus, these are some positive impacts of climate changes in Canada. The climate change due to global warming is also adversely affecting the farmers in Canada. Longer and warmer growing seasons would inevitably give a higher yield, but it would also cause severe droughts in some parts of the country such as the prairies (Bohn, 1995). Some places in prairies would become too dry to grow grain crops, which would result in migration of the cropland to areas where grain crop is grown with proper climate. Because of dry conditions, rich crop nutrients would give a rise to dust storms. For instance, because of global warming, the potato crops were suffered due to heavy drought and minimum rainfalls. This was mainly due to high temperatures that were recorded in the prairies. In addition, the frequent droughts have resulted in the promotion of soil erosion, which directly encourages forest fires and harming the agriculture sector at the same time. Thus, irrigation is one of the options farmers are now willing to take in order to protect the land and the dem anded crops. In terms of economic sustainability, as shortages accumulates, due to droughts, the cost of food would increase automatically. On the other hand, climate change caused by global warming is also seen beneficial to the crops and maximizing the production. Since plants thrive on carbon dioxide that is released in the atmosphere by humans, greater carbon dioxide level in atmosphere could also result in greater production and availability of foods (Bohn, 1995). This is only established if the farmers adapt and are willing to move and tackle the droughts by planting variety of crops. However, the benefit is clearly depended upon the farmers adaptation towards the changes in climate. Thus, the negative impacts are still greater than those of the positive ones. Rising sea levels would also be negatively impacted and would affect the coastal zones. As warmer temperatures shifts northwards, the glaciers would inevitably melt which would cause a rise in sea levels. This would directly impact the beaches, the coasts, and water quality. The beaches would result in greater erosion, there would be greater coastal flooding and there would also be mixture of saltwater into aquifers. It is predicted that by the end of 21st century, the sea level would increase to 18-59 cm depending upon the amount of pollution (Whitgott et. al., 2010). This would eventually lead to migration of people moving upwards. Thus, because of pollution and contaminated water quality, the recreation and tourism in Canada would also be negatively affected. Because of prolong summers and the rise in sea levels, the beach maintenance would increase with an increase in erosion at the same time. On the contrary, climate change due to global warming has its own significant positive impacts. For instance, higher wind speed in mid-latitude would decrease the cost of wave and wind energy (Tol, 2007). With reduced ice glaciers in the Arctic, there is more access to the harbors and less exploitation cost of extraction of oil and minerals in the Arctic. In addition, the warm temperatures could also aid in improving transportation in Canada. With shorter winter periods, there are capabilities to connect new routes from north end to south end. The cost of transportation would also subsequently decrease with more efficient services. The climate change can also bring forth tourist towards the poles and directly up to the mountains (Tol, 2007). Because of increase in tourism, there would be an increase in revenue for Canada. With warmer climate due to global warming, there are presence signs of diverse tropical birds/fishes and vascular plants that are adaptive to the temperature change occurring in Canada. Fork three-awned grasses are spotted in Ontario and Quebec (Lundy, 2008). These plants are northwardly shifted due to the change in climate. In addition, small-flowered sand verbenas are also positively impacted by climate change in Canada. These particular vascular plants are more likely to increase in growth in Canada as warmer and drying seasons increase. Night snakes and Northern Bobwhites are two types of species that are positively impacted by the climate change in Canada. The night snakes may stand to benefit from the climate change occurrence in Canada as these reptiles would be more adaptive to the newer climate changes. These species prefer areas where its hot, dry and desert like. Thus, as global warming takes its toll in Canada, these species will be more profoundly be spotted in British Colombia. Northern Bobwhite birds are another example of species that will be positively impacted by climate change in Canada. Over the past century, these birds ha ve decreased in population due to habitat loss, but under high carbon dioxide emissions, the bobwhite birds would be northerly shifted towards Canada. Thus, climate change due to global warming would favor the growth of Bobwhite Birds across Canada. However, even with the positive impacts due to climate change, the negative effects are more severe and needs close attentions in order to prevent the loss in habitats or other species. To conclude, the negative impacts would more likely have greater importance and would cause severe damage to the environment as global warming rapidly influences the climate change in Canada. In order to prevent further harm done by global warming, it is important for individuals to reduce the greenhouse gases and high pollution that are caused by them. Furthermore, adaptation and mitigations are two other responses against the change in climate. By mitigating, government can take a step towards educating individuals to take responsibilities and reduce greenhouse gases to lessen severity of future climate changes. Farmers can adapt to the change in climate and start to analyze the scenario in a positive manner. By adjusting farming practices to muddle through with the droughts caused by climate change, the economical harm would be minimized. Thus, tactical strategies are needed to tackle the issue cause by global warming. Although there are positive impacts to global warming, yet the positive impacts are minimal compare to the damage done by the negative impacts. References Environment Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect. World Almanac 2000. Mahwah: World Almanac Books, 2000. Bohn, G. (1995, February 21). For Canadian farmers, heats a mixed blessing Series: GLOBAL WARMING WARNING. The Vancouver Sun, p. B.4. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Canadian Newsstand Core. (Document ID: 21324042). Brooymans, H. (2010, July 4). Boreal efforts draw praise; Canada on track to create worlds best protected wilderness. Edmonton Journal,A.1. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Canadian Newsstand Core. (Document ID: 2073903491). Hogg, E. Wein, R. (2005). Impacts of drought on forest growth and regeneration following fire in southwestern Yukon, Canada1. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 35(9), 2141-2150. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 950425571). Leahy, S. (8 October). CANADA: SEEING CLIMATE CHANGE PROSPERITY INSTEAD OF CALAMITY. Global Information Network, Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2157446291). Lundy, K. Climate change and endangered species in Canada: A screening level impact assessment and analysis of species at risk management and policy. M.E.S. dissertation, University of Waterloo (Canada), Canada. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Dissertations Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT MR54837). Roseland, M., Connelly, S., Hendrickson, C, D. (2005). Toward Sustainable Communities: Resources for Citizens and Their Governments. American Planning Association. Journal of the American Planning Association, 66(4), 448-449. Retrieved October 27, 2008, from Research Library database. Tol, R. (2007). Why worry about climate change? A research agenda. Dublin: The Berkeley Electronic Press. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Research Library. Volney,W. Fleming,R. Climate change and impacts of boreal forest insects, Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment, Volume 82, Issues 1-3, December 2000, Pages 283-294, ISSN 0167-8809, DOI: 10.1016/S0167-8809(00)00232-2. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Research Library. Withgott, S, Brennan, S, Murck, B. (2010). Environment: the science behind the stories, first canadian edition. Canada: Pearson Education Canada. Weber, M, Stocks, B. (1998). Forest fires and sustainability in the boreal forests of Canada. Royal Swedish Academy of Science, 27(7), 545-549.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
A Short History of Fingerprinting Essay -- Exploratory Essays
A Short History of Fingerprinting The use of fingerprinting as a means of identification was born out of the need of law enforcement officials to have permanent records that could determine if a convict had been previously arrested or imprisoned. Before the advent of fingerprinting, law enforcement used a number of different methods to try to accomplish this. Ancient civilizations would tattoo or physically maim prisoners. In more recent times, daguerreotyping (that is, photographing) was used, but proved to be less than reliable, because people had the ability to dramatically alter their appearance (Skopitz). As a result, this method too, became obsolete with the discovery of fingerprinting, an absolutely infallible method of identification. Variations of fingerprinting have existed since the very beginning of civilization. Originally, it was used primarily as a type of signature. However, in the Fourteenth Century, it was discovered by a Persian official that no two people had identical fingerprints (The History of Fingerprints). Over the next 300 years or so, there was little development in fingerprinting, except for the work of two professors, Marcelo Malpighi and John Evangelist Purkinji. Each had works on types of fingerprint patterns published - Malpighi in 1686 and Purkinji in 1823 (The History of Fingerprints). The middle to late Nineteenth Century was the time when interest in fingerprinting peaked and a number of important discoveries were made. This all started with the English Chief Magistrate in India, Sir William Herschel, who required natives to have their fingerprints impressed on all business contracts, a tradition which dated back thousands of years (The Hi... ...y in recent years was the computerization of the process. Fingerprints are now stored and matched using computers. Fingerprinting is still used in criminal investigations, although DNA testing is becoming increasingly prevalent and will likely, in cases in which such evidence is available, eventually replace fingerprinting (Skopitz). Brief Summary of Sources http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html - This site provides a list of people who made significant advancements in fingerprinting. The list is structured chronologically by the date on which the advancements were made. http://kyky.essortment.com/fingerprinthist_rmmv.htm - This site provides a more detailed history of fingerprinting. It describes methods of identification used prior to the advent of fingerprinting, follows the development of fingerprinting, and speculates on the future of fingerprinting.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Use of Images and Imagery in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework
Use of Imagery in Macbethà à à à à à à à à à à à à à à à As defined in the Webster's Students Dictionary, imagery is a figurative term which reveals description by applying the five senses. William Shakespeare's usage of the imagery of animals, the imagery of blood, the imageries of clothing and weather, are frequently shown throughout the play. Through examples of imageries of animals, Shakespeare uses literary elements such as symbolism. Before Suncan's assassination, animals, such as the owl and the falcon, emerged from the night and acted unnatural, "even like the deeds that's done." "It was the owl that shrieked, the fatal bellman, which gives the stern'st good-night." In Act 2, scene 2, Lady Macbeth waits anxiously for Macbeth to return from killing Duncan, the King of Scotland. The step that Macbeth is leaping over goes against the rules of nature, and when thsi happens, animals and weather erupt. The owl is a bellman because, according to superstition, the hoot of the owl portends death. He is fatal, perhaps because he death and horror. thus, when the owls screamed and the crickets cried, it symbolized evil and ominous doings. In Act 2, scene 4, Ross and an old man exchange accounts of the disturbed night and the recent unnatural happenings. Hours seemed dreadful and things strange. The heavens and animals are troubled by man's presence on earth's stage, where he performs his bloody acts. The night has been unruly, houses and chimneys were being destroyed by fierceful winds, and everything was filled with "dire combustion." The indistinguishable bird of darkness, the owl, clamored the night. "A falcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, was by a mousing owl, whose normal prey is a mouse. The night has become more powerful than the day or else the day is hiding its face in shame. Also, Macbeth's horses, the choicest examples of their breed, turned feral, as they broke their stalls, and were said to have eaten each other. Horses do not each other. Bizarre events occured the night Duncan was murdered by Macbeth. These dreadful events took place at night, a symbolic reference to the evil doings of men. There is a sense of fear, wonderment, amazement, and mystery. An atmosphere of death is symbolized by the behavior of the animals of the night. "The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under my battlements." In Act I, scene 5, Lady Macbeth has already planned the assassination.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Artificial Intelligence Essay -- Essays Papers
Artificial Intelligence Computers are everywhere today. It would be impossible to go your entire life without using a computer. Cars, ATMs, and TVs we use everyday, and all contain computers. It is for this reason that computers and their software have to become more intelligent to make our lives easier and computers more accessible. Intelligent computer systems can and do benefit us all; however people have constantly warned that making computers too intelligent can be to our disadvantage. Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a field of computer science that attempts to simulate characteristics of human intelligence or senses. These include learning, reasoning, and adapting. This field studies the designs of intelligent agents, or a system that acts intelligibly. The term artificial intelligence is confusing and misleading however. Artificial intelligence is still a form of intelligence, but perhaps ââ¬Å"synthetic intelligenceâ⬠is a better name because it is not natural intelligence. This is why the name ââ¬Å"computational intelligenceâ⬠, or CI, is sometimes preferred. Artificial intelligence is used in many objects that we use everyday: cars, microwaves, personal computers, and videogames. There are many different goals for AI, depending upon your field or view. Computer science attempts to make computer systems do what only humans could do in the past. Computational philosophy tries to understand human intelligence at a computer level. AI also has applications in medical programs, factories, robots, and many other tasks. There are several different disciplines of artificial intelligence. They are: different are expert systems, natural languages, simulation of human sensory capabilities, robotics... ...pable of much growth in the years to come. In a few years maybe it will be possible to create systems that are in every way equal to or superior to humans. That can be a scary thought, however impossible it may sound. For now we will just continue to use these systems to our greatest advantage. References Chung, Randolph, and Lynellen D. S. Perry. ââ¬Å"Robotics: introduction.â⬠Crossroads. 4.3 (1998): 2. Klerfors, Daniels. Artificial Neural Networks. Nov. 1998. St. Louis. U. Nov. 2001. http://hem.hj.se/~de96klda/NeuralNetworks.htm. Nadis, Steve. ââ¬Å"We Can Rebuild You.â⬠MITââ¬â¢s Technology Review. 100 (1997): 16-18. Poole, David, Alan Mackworth, and Randy Goebel. Computational Intelligence, a logical approach. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Turner, Raymond. Logics for Artificial Intelligence. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1984.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay
They say with age, comes wisdom. They say a tough life will build tough people. That the world, no matter how terrible it may seem or how bad things get, is only what you make of it. This has never been shown more so by Phoenix Jackson from Eudora Weltyââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"A Worn Pathâ⬠. Encumbered with age and poverty, Phoenix shows fortitude, cleverness, and a child-like view of the world while traveling to the city for medicine. Weltyââ¬â¢s love of literature from her mother, and classic writing style with African American characters (Marrs) is clearly displayed in ââ¬Å"A Warn Pathâ⬠. Eudora Welty, whose life spanned most of the 20th century, represented the world of the deep American South in multiple genres. In stories, novels, and photography, the Pulitzer Prize winner was especially interested in the relationship of place to character. Her art explores the impact of place on the life of the individual depending on race, gender, and economic status, as well as the reverse influence of the individual character on environment, which is exeptionally displayed in ââ¬Å"A Warn Pathâ⬠(Marrs). In ââ¬Å"A worn pathâ⬠an elderly african-american woman, named Pheonix Jones, is up against the world on her way to town. Armed with nothing but her cane, she maneuvers through obstactle after obstacle, showing perseverence in the highest fashion through every disincentive that inhibits her journey. As such, her story depicts the Depression in the United States from the vantage point of a victim insufficiently represented in artââ¬âthough a victim who, like the mythological phoenix her name evokes, resists annihilation, Phoenix transcends the abuse she experiences. This essay will explore Eudora Weltyââ¬â¢s character Phoenix Jonesââ¬â¢s most exemplary traits. It will shine light on her fortitude, ingenuity, and light hearted view of the world. Provided along with Phoenixââ¬â¢s traits is examples in which she shows each trait, with direct reference to ââ¬Å"A worn pathâ⬠. Imagine, having every bone in your body weakened with over seventy plus years of aging. You now have the bones of Phoenix Jones. Weakened, she struggles to get to town. Yet, still she keeps trecking over every obstacle thrown at her. This calls to merit her outstanding fortitude. At one point she encounters a barbed wire fence. With barbs glaring at her, hungry to put a halt to her journey, ââ¬Å"There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps. But she talked loudly to herself: she could not let her dress be torn now, so late in the day, and she could not pay for having her arm or her leg sawed off if she got caught fast where she was. At last she was safe throught the fence and risen up out of the clearing,â⬠(Welty 850). This is a fine example of her phenominal perseverance and fortitude, showing she was not only going to get through, but she refused to let that fence make even a scratch on her dress. And even before that, at the start of her journey, she already had shown her tremendous amount of determination. As she starts out on her journey she exclaims with a fiery attitude ââ¬Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals! Keep out from under theses feet, little bob whites. Keep the big wild hots out of my path. Donââ¬â¢t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long wayâ⬠(Welty 849-850). This shows that her mind is already set on getting to town and nothing is stopping her. These fine examples show the true, raw determination and fortitude within Pheonix Jones, showing that she may be frail, but she is anything but weak. There are few things that make true ââ¬Å"good characterâ⬠. Imagination is one of them. No one has better imagination than a child. A child sees the world as something differentâ⬠¦ something better. Phoenix Jones clearly holds her inner-child within herself after all these years. After traveling a piece she decides to rest. ââ¬Å"Up above her was a tree in a pearly cloud of mistletoe. She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake on it she spoke to him. ââ¬Å"That would be exceptable,â⬠she saidâ⬠(Welty 850). Her imagination peeking forth, this shows even through her journey, she imagines a little boy giving her a slice of delicious cake, presenting that everything does not have to be serious. A little piece onward, she shows her enlightening imagination running wild again as she runs up on a menacing scarecrow that she gazes at from a distance. ââ¬Å"Ghost,â⬠she said sharply, ââ¬Å"who you be the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by. â⬠â⬠¦ She found a coat inside that an emtiness, cold as ice. ââ¬Å"You scarecrowâ⬠she saidâ⬠¦ â⬠Dance, old scare crowâ⬠she said, ââ¬Å"while I dancing with you. â⬠She kicked her foot over the furrow, and with mouth drawn down, shook her head once or twice in a little strutting way,â⬠(Welty 851). Her fun loving child-like nature is highlighted through this passage, showing that she took a fear, and enlightened it when she found out it was a scarecrow, dancing with it, showing the trophy of imagination and optimism. Welty shows through Pheonix that imagination will never die, and that it is a precious tool to get over any obstacle. Further down the warn path, Phoenix is greeted by a discourteous hunter helping her up after she fell in a ditch in the wake of a nosy dog coming to investigate this strange intruder. This point is where she shows her cleverness and wit. As she is talking to the hunter, ââ¬Å" Without warning, she had seen with her own eyes a flashing nickel fall out of the manââ¬â¢s pocket onto the groundâ⬠(Welty 843), and she said nothing. As it continues the hunter runs off and she wittily bent over in his absence and ââ¬Å"The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting henâ⬠(Welty 843). As he later lies about having money to spare, this presents her wit, as she gained five cents from this brash traveller who has the audacity to later hold a gun to her head as a joke, which does not intimidate her, and only shows once again the fortitude previously stated in the last paragraph. As she gets to her destination, a clinic that she gets medicine from, she meets an attendant when she first walks in. She came to claim a bottle of medicine through charity for her grandson, which may just be a guise to get free medication, which in itself is a example of clever planning, the example I am using is of her interaction with the attendant. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s Christmas time, Grandma,â⬠said the attendant. ââ¬Å"Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? â⬠ââ¬Å"Five pennies is a nickel,â⬠said Phoenix stifflyâ⬠ââ¬Å"Hereââ¬â¢s a nickel,â⬠said the attendantâ⬠(Welty 856). She persuades the attendant to give her a nickel, which in total gives her a dime, showing her witty resourcefulness. Whether she uses this ten cent for her grandson a windmill, or something else she wishes to buy, her adept skill and dexterity is presented as she uses wit and expierence to claim these precious boons. Pheonix Jones is a woman of many traits. From her perseverance to her sly inginuity, she uses all her characteristics to get through ââ¬Å"A Warn Pathâ⬠. She shows her child like perception in a way that eases the burdon of travelling. To the hills and back again seven times fold, her fortitude and will is an object of pure sovereinty over obstacles in her way and in her head. And with just a little bit of quick thinking and bamboozlement she was able to obtain a secondary reward from her journey, a skill that comes in handy throughout her life. Pheonix Jones is a pure, text book definition of strong.
Explore the Theme of Kingship and Ruling in Sophoclesââ¬â¢ Antigone.
In Sophoclesââ¬â¢ Antigone, the audience experiences a catharsis wherein sympathy and fear is evoked for Creon, a tragic hero whose Kingship was spoilt by corruption, human fallibility and pride. Throughout the play, Creon has demonstrated how even rulers with a strong moral stance can still fail in their attempts to do good, unfortunately due to exceeding the limits of their humanity. To begin, the tragedy that befalls Creon as a man devoted to his country and to his religion seems to feel undeserved.Creon declares ââ¬Å"whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothingâ⬠as an expression of his loyalty to his State; the dramatic element is accentuated through the term ââ¬Å"nothingâ⬠which reverberates off the script in an echo that demands the viewerââ¬â¢s reverence and attention. In this way, Creonââ¬â¢s stance on leadership is magnanimous because Creon no longer works on the order of his familyââ¬â¢s needs but on the order of the Go ds and his state.To highlight this, we see the chorus exclaim: ââ¬Å"the king of the realm is comingâ⬠¦ whatever the gods are sending nowâ⬠¦ / what new plan will he launchâ⬠The significance of this ââ¬Å"realmâ⬠is interpreted as something divine yet disconnected from humanity, so as to highlight Creon as merely a servant to the Gods. In this sense, Creon is a character that is empathized with for his respect towards the Gods, thus his actions can be attributed to the will of the Gods. ââ¬Å"Exactly when did you last see the gods celebrating traitors? Inconceivable! exclaims Creon, whose actions are characterised by a morality modeled after their will. A modern audience will interpret the duty of the King to come as a direct order from the Gods, therefore whatever law Creon enacts, and whatever cause he chooses to pursue, would have been the Godsââ¬â¢ law. The question thus arises: was Creonââ¬â¢s tragedy truly of his own doing? The authority of the King diminishes when put into perspective with the Gods, and the audience can view how even a man of superior rank can still be thwarted by the almighty powers of God.This, as a result, can reinforce a feeling of fear, or caution for those watching. However, one question seems to question the purity of his intentions: ââ¬Å"Am I to rule this land for othersââ¬âor myself? â⬠Although, contextually speaking, this question was meant to demonstrate his loyalty to the state, it does include dark, subtle undertones that could reveal Creonââ¬â¢s hidden intention. The hyphen in the ending of the question ââ¬Å"ââ¬âor myself? â⬠seems to delay the response and give a slight hesitance to Creonââ¬â¢s speech.The question stands: does Creon make decision because he believes it is best for his country? Or does he rule because the influence of power has enabled him to act upon his own bias? Creonââ¬â¢s kingship creates an extension of itself with Haemon, whose ââ¬Å"flesh and bloodâ⬠describes how profoundly connected Haemon is to his father. The tie between Creon and Haemon explores how kingship challenges both the emotional and human relationship between father and son. Perhaps he invests so much of himself into the idea of ââ¬Å"father and son, the same bloodâ⬠that a part of him equally dies with his son.Haemon has been included into Creonââ¬â¢s life as an indispensable structure, a piece inseparable piece from the framework of Creon himself. In fact, Creon cries to the ââ¬Å"harbor of Deathâ⬠asking ââ¬Å"why me? why are you killing me? â⬠, thereby portraying how the blood link that connects both father and son is interwoven in their lives so that one life is married to the other. Creon describes himself as a ââ¬Å"shatteredâ⬠man after the death of his son, thereby illuminating his vulnerability as a flawed human being.As such, the audience, witnessing his fall, can experience a heightened catharsis knowing a man of such supremacy can crumple so easily and in such a wretched fashion. It is implied that Creon himself has the power to shape Haemonââ¬â¢s destiny and his duty as a person by ââ¬Å"produc[ing] good sonsââ¬âa household full of them, dutiful and attentiveâ⬠. Creon describes his son to be ââ¬Å"bred and rearedâ⬠for a specific purpose. Both terms ââ¬Å"produceâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bredâ⬠create the effect of a human fabricated at certain specifications.This puts Creon in a state of authority not only over the mores his son must live by, but the way his son is formed as a human being, which is eerily reminiscent of the divine authorities and the power of the fates to write out a personââ¬â¢s destiny. In a sense, Creon compares the greatness of his sovereignty to that of the Gods, thus portraying how his power is a prerequisite to his hubris. Moreover, Creon establishes dominance over other men using his title as King, naturally elevating him beyond the rank o f mortal men.To demonstrate his frightening autocracy, Antigone claims that ââ¬Å"[the chorus] would praise me too/ if their lips werenââ¬â¢t locked in fearâ⬠. This fear of Creon is further bolstered by powerful oratory, which Creon uses as a tool in commanding his peopleââ¬â¢s patriotism and emotions. The expressive visual imagery characterized of Creonââ¬â¢s speech can turn a traitor into a fiend who ââ¬Å"thirsted to drink his kinsmenââ¬â¢s blood. â⬠The impact of the words ââ¬Å"thirstedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"bloodâ⬠stress this graphic image of death and blight, which Creon manipulates to kindle hate and passion in his people against Creonââ¬â¢s enemies.Although a ruler is meant to serve the state and protect it, Creon uses his rhetoric to advance his own beliefsââ¬âa decision characterized by greed. What is debatable about where Creonââ¬â¢s sense of leadership is whether he is doing this as an act of greed or an act of what he believes is co rrect for the state. Leading on from power, the audience understands that Creonââ¬â¢s arrogance comes from the notion that his power ennobles him beyond the ranks of mere humanity. They see him gain much more authority as a saint, savior or being closely linked to God.His sentries all address him as ââ¬Å"My lordâ⬠and Creon is able to issue death sentences to reinforce his superiority. Creon uses terms that are definitive of a personââ¬â¢s fate, despite the fact that he has no control over their fate in any substantial way: ââ¬Å"Not a word of hopeââ¬âyour doom is sealed. â⬠The precise diction of ââ¬Å"doomâ⬠recalls the notion of a terrible fate that stretches beyond the mere human life, and forwards into the dark murkiness of afterlife. To pronounce it as ââ¬Å"sealedâ⬠is to imply it is fixed; Creon uses this to strike fear in the heart of Antigone, yet it also presupposes that our fates, once written, are unchangeable.The dramatic irony that c omes with Creon proclaiming this as his fate is being written heightens the tragic ending of the playââ¬âthe Katastasis. Creonââ¬â¢s arrogance could be seen as a shift in character from what the audience knows of Creon in Sophoclesââ¬â¢ Oedipus the King. Creon once proclaimed, ââ¬Å"if you think crude, mindless stubbornness such a gift, youââ¬â¢ve lost your sense of balanceâ⬠as a display of humility and rationality. Before his reign as King of Thebes, Creon understood the natural traits found in a good leader involved a sense of poise and understanding of oneââ¬â¢s own limits.Yet, once he had possessed ââ¬Å"the throne and all its powersâ⬠, there was a change in character. ââ¬Å"All its powersâ⬠incorporates the idea of excess and abundance, which is characterised as hubris, therefore the audience might feel a sense of fear for the upcoming and inevitable demise that may come for Creon. Naturally, when this power is questioned, Creonââ¬â¢s insec urities begin to appear and after some time, become more pronounced and irrational. Creon expresses his shame and his exasperation of Antigoneââ¬â¢s defiance through the terms ââ¬Å"laughing, / mocking us to our face with what sheââ¬â¢d doneâ⬠.These words hint to a sense of stigma that comes with a woman defying the rules set out for her by the authorities that govern her. Drawing from the cultural context of Sophoclesââ¬â¢ play, women were mainly viewed as inferior beingsââ¬âoften they were weak or even dangerous, which makes the defiance against the state and Creonââ¬â¢s edict more grave and scandalous. Creon portrays his fear of being diminished by a woman through his cry: ââ¬Å"I am not the man, not now: she is the man / if this victory goes to her and she goes free. / Never! â⬠because essentially, her freedom would mean his defeat, which in the end would blemish, or even completely fracture, his stature as an omnipotent ruler. Moreover, Creon become s erratic as he is faced with his flaws as a human being. When he is first notified of his errors by a sentry: ââ¬Å"Oh itââ¬â¢s terrible when the one who does the judging / judges things all wrongâ⬠, he retaliates in a unnecessarily cruel manner: ââ¬Å"you just be clever about your judgmentsââ¬â / â⬠¦ youââ¬â¢ll swear your dirty money brought you pain. Personally, his cruelty can be interpreted as a defensive insult inflicted to shield himself from the truth of his humanity. This interpretation is supported by the way Creon storms off by ââ¬Å"turning sharplyâ⬠, as his actions seem to portray a sense of flinching (characterized by ââ¬Å"sharplyâ⬠) annoyance. This same effect is particularly seen in Creonââ¬â¢s dialogue with Tiresias after he is told of his fate. Creonââ¬â¢s language becomes more infused with anger and insecurity, making him appear weaker: ââ¬Å"you shoot your arrows at my head like archers at the targetââ¬ââ⬠He seem s to refute his own guilt, and justify imself as a person of superiority: ââ¬Å"are you aware youââ¬â¢re speaking to the king? â⬠, which makes him appear untouchable. Creonââ¬â¢s spite is felt through his sharp intonation of ââ¬Å"Spit it out! â⬠and ââ¬Å"lust for injustice! â⬠His reaction to his fate up until his concession is characterized by defensiveness and verbal insults, which can highlight how much of his power and glory he is afraid of losing, Creon becomes frightened by the prospect wherein he would have to concede to his hamartia and undeniable fallibility as a human.The main purpose of these effects is to illuminate Creonââ¬â¢s very human flaws: his insecurities, his paranoia of being thwarted by a woman of lesser importance, and his irritable temper. These flaws consequently form the nature of his demise and conclude the circle of his journey as the Tragic Hero. Essentially, his kingship has brought upon him his downfall because power is ins eparable from vanity, and vanity became the hamartia of the Creonââ¬â¢s character.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Terrorism Case Study
Caless (2012) defines terrorism as â⬠the threat or use of violence to further a political agenda for change by inducing widespread fearâ⬠. However, experts have been debating over a clear definition for terrorism for over 100 years. Although the word was first used over 200 years ago when discussing the Reign of Terror (Whitaker, 2001). Consequently, there have been over 100 definitions offered for terrorism (Laqueur, 1977, cited in Martin, 2013). Alex Schmid's (2004) research also illustrates the lack of clarity surrounding the definition.And most experts believe that an impartial and universal recognised definition will never be agreed upon (Ganor, 2002). With the lack of clarity surrounding the definition, a further question arises; who is classed as a terrorist? This is reflected in the well known phrase ââ¬Å"one man's freedom fighter, is another man's terrorist. â⬠(Gerald Seymour, 1975, cited in Ganor, 2002). Overall, it is agreed, that this depends on the sub jective viewpoint of the individual (Ganor, 2002; Jackson, 2008; Corte, 2007).The Just War doctrine is an ââ¬Å"ideal and moralistic philosophyâ⬠(Martin, 2013). It asks questions such as ââ¬Å"what types of force are morally acceptable? â⬠and ââ¬Å"who can morally be defined as an enemy? â⬠This notion is usually used by ideological and religious extremists, in order to justify their own acts of extreme violence. A prime example of religious extremists is the ââ¬Ëjihadi Islamic fundamentalists', the term jihad means a sacred ââ¬Å"struggleâ⬠but is manifested by some radical Muslim clerics as a holy war and therefore perceived that their war is a ââ¬Å"just warâ⬠(Martin, 2013).This paper will endeavour to answer the question; Did University College London (UCL) further radicalise Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab? There have been many debates, theories and investigations surrounding this question, many of which will be analysed throughout. Umar Farouk Abd ulmutallab (born 22 December 1986) is a Nigerian Islamist who attempted to detonate plastic explosives in his underwear whilst travelling from Amsterdam to Detroit, on Christmas Day 2009, on the Northwest Airlines Flight 253. In January 2005 Abdulmutallab joined an Islamic forum under the pseudonym ââ¬Å"Farouk1986â⬠(Now Public, 2009).He frequently contributed to the forum. His postings normally gave advice to other forum members, although on occasion he expressed more personal views. These included his ââ¬Å"jihad fantasiesâ⬠, describing how ââ¬Å"Muslims will win and rule the worldâ⬠and prays to Allah to ââ¬Å"unite us all Muslims and give us victory over those who do not believeâ⬠. The majority of his postings illustrate his loneliness and his struggle to contain his ââ¬Å"sexual driveâ⬠, and he goes on to urge fellow forum users to limit their activities to ââ¬Å"Islamically goodâ⬠and to only ââ¬Å"hang around with good Muslims who enjoy s tudyingâ⬠.Throughout his postings in the forum he maintains that he is memorising the Quran (Islamic Forum, 2005). These postings illustrate that Abdulmutallab's views on the Islamic religion, are very similar to Salafism or Olivier Roy's neo-fundamentalism (see: Social Science Research Council). This is shown with his fixation on personal faith, and is also portrayed when he praises Shaykhs Saud as-Shuraim and Abdul Rahman as Sudais (Islamic Forum, 2005). Another radical Muslim he mentions is Abdullah el-Faisal, who is currently in prison in the UK for influencing his supporters to murder Jews, Hindus and Americans (Forest, 2012).Some of the media (Gardham, 2009) focused on Abdulmutallab's love for football and this is clearly seen within his postings online. However, by November 15th 2005, he had turned against it stating ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s save our honor and religion and try to stay away from football and do sporting activities that are more Islamically beneficialâ⬠¦ ru nning, paintball, archery (or any other sport of the like that teaches [how to] target and aim). â⬠(Islamic Forum, 2005). There are many different theories as to where Abdulmutallab was further radicalised, the one that will be discussed in this paper is the possibility hat University College London (UCL) and it's Islamic Society were the perpetrators. During the investigation of the attempted attack of Flight 253, the University College of London (UCL) had held their own investigation of their Islamic Society and although the evidence holds strongly against them, as will be seen throughout this paper, they came to their own conclusion that à there was ââ¬Å"no evidence to suggest either that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised while a student at UCL, or that conditions at UCL during that time or subsequently were conducive to the radicalisation of students. (UCL, 2010). Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab began university, in September 2005, during a peak of Islamist activity in the UK, there were events organised by Ikhwan (Ikhwan Web, 2005)à and Jamaat-e-Islami inspired groups that were being held weekly and their influence over British Islam was steadily increasing (Hitchens, 2010). This year is an important one, as the emergence of the first Islamic militant groups in Bangladesh (Kabir, 2005) were seen and Islam became the official religion of Iraq (Islamopedia Online).British Islamists were exploiting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and implicating the Western governments with the ââ¬Å"war on Islam and Muslims,â⬠(Hitchens, 2010). According to Islamist's, Western Muslims, had a duty to stand up for their religion and fight back using peaceful methods (O'Connor, 2012). The ââ¬Å"Stop Police Terrorâ⬠lecture was given by Awlaki at the East London Mosque in 2003 (YouTube, 2011). The listed supporters of this group could be found on the Stop Political Terror website, and interestingly UCL was among this list (Stop Political Terror, 2003- 2005).The aims of this campaign was to urge Muslims to fight against the ââ¬Å"anti-terrorist policeâ⬠and to alert them of ââ¬Å"the deteriorating situation in the UK and the scale of arrests, raids and abuse meted out [against Muslims] by Anti-Terrorist Police. â⬠The campaign statement also included a clear warning: ââ¬Å"Britain's Muslims, as a community, will refuse to cooperate with the law enforcement authoritiesà ifà this abuse continues. â⬠(Stop Political Terror, 2003-2005). During this time, the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) ran another campaign alongside ââ¬Å"Stop Political Terror. , issuing further explicit statements -ââ¬Å"previously, it was Muslims themselves under attack, now the agenda [is] to attack Islam, its principles â⬠¦ New laws making it an offence â⬠¦ aim to divide and weaken the Muslim community. â⬠And ââ¬Å"The relative concept of ââ¬Ëextremismââ¬â¢ is being used to condemn Muslims from very diverse political viewpoints. â⬠(Hitchens, 2010). The perception of a Western ââ¬Å"war on Islamâ⬠is one of the key recruitment tools of global jihadist groups like al-Qaeda (Home Office, 2011).Therefore, it is clear that Abdulmutallab was absorbed in an protesting setting, and this appeared to him to give value and objective, to his already pre-existing neo-fundamentalist attitude and personal discontent (loneliness). It is also apparent from his previous online statements, that he was vulnerable to the indoctrination; ââ¬Å"I hope to get over my loneliness when I go to universityâ⬠¦ where there are usually Islamic groups [and] clubs with good Muslimsâ⬠(Islamic Forum, 2005).His obsession with Islam is clearly illustrated with the amount of time he devoted to the group, and after a year of starting university he was already president of UCL's Islamic Society (Irvine, 2009). Terrorist groups are also known to use the media to their advantage. As terrorism is à ¢â¬Å"not limited to specific locales or regionsâ⬠and the media has allowed everybody to witness some form of terror. Knowing this terrorist groups can therefore understand the power of the images and manipulate them to their advantage (Martin, 2013).Gus Martin (2013) explains the media frenzy surrounding terrorism, and describes the 21st century as being ââ¬Å"an era of globalized terrorismâ⬠. Another key recruitment tool that jihad groups use is the internet (US Department of Defense, 2007). Sites such as Facebook, (Torok, 2011) and the creation of websites that can be regionalised. Although governments monitor the websites and, if necessary shut them down, another website can be made and the process can start again (McNeal, 2008). It is clear that Abdulmutallab was a fan of internet use, with his frequent postings on the Islamic Forum.Awlaki could also be an key element in the ââ¬Å"jihad internet recruitmentâ⬠process. The media present him as the ââ¬Å"Bin La den of the internetâ⬠(Madhani 2010; CNN, 2011). He wasà a Muslim lecturer and spiritual leader who had been accused of being a senior al-Qaeda ââ¬Å"effective global recruiterâ⬠(Telegraph, 2012) and motivator. He is thought to have given a series of video link lectures at the East London Mosque (Gilligan, 2010). They however, categorically deny this ever took place, and deny that Abdulmutallab even attended the Mosque (East London Mosque, 2010). The University of Westminster Islamic Society are alleged to have ties with Awlaki.Another Islamic Forum announced him as a guest at University of Westminster Islamic Society Annual Dinner in 2006 (Ummah Forum, 2006). Along with these connections Awlaki is also suspected to have had ââ¬Å"recruitedâ⬠Abdulmutallab before the attack. According to Fox News, an FBI bulletin states that Awlaki showed Abdulmutallab ââ¬Å"how to detonate the bombâ⬠(Catherine Herridge, 2011). Research carried out by the University of Cam bridge suggest that ââ¬Å"the majority of young British Muslims are opposed to political Islam, and are more likely to join Amnesty Internationalâ⬠(Cambridge University, 2008).This was criticised, when Anthony Glees accused Cambridge of trying to prove that British universities are not ââ¬Å"hotbeds of Islamic radicalismâ⬠and called the research ââ¬Å"flimsy and uncompellingâ⬠(Lipsett, 2008). Their research was argued against by the Centre for Social Cohesion (CSC), who stated that ââ¬Å"Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was radicalised at University College Londonâ⬠, and goes on to describe British universities as the ââ¬Å"breeding grounds of Islamic extremismâ⬠(Centre for Social Cohesion, 2010).They describe themselves as the ââ¬Å"Centre [that] has been at the forefront of the debate on what role Universities should play in ensuring that British students do not fall victim to the ideology of violent Islamism. â⬠(Centre for Social Cohesion, 2010). They went on to completely contradict Cambridge Universities report, and suggested within the report that Islamic extremism will ââ¬Å"flourishâ⬠. This statement was further supported when Abdulmutallab became the fifth president of a UK Islamic society to face terrorist charges (Weiss, 2011).The vulnerability of Abdulmutallab along with the recruitment tools of jihadist groups illustrate how easily individuals can slip beyond this porous boundary rapidly and very often unnoticed. Since the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center, it has become apparent that Al-Qaeda are focusing on mobilising Western Muslims to commit ââ¬Å"lone-wolfâ⬠terror (RUSI, 2012). This evidence is supported by the ICSR (2011) who describe Awlaki's role as ââ¬Å"ideological rather than operationalâ⬠and explain that the greatest threat he poses is the mobilisation of Western Muslims through his sermons and therefore expanding the jihadi movement.Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's extremis t views are apparent very early on. Although, as his loneliness grew, so did his radical views. It appears that he was trying to fight his urges to act upon these views time after time. Abdulmutallab was quite clearly an ââ¬Å"extremistâ⬠turned ââ¬Å"terroristâ⬠, as it is clearly defined by Martin (2013); ââ¬Å"extremistsâ⬠who violently act out their extremist beliefs are ââ¬Å"terroristsâ⬠. It is clear that his time at UCL and within the Islamic Society unquestionably played a part in Abdulmutallab's further radicalisation when examining the evidence discussed.It is also remarkable to see that UCL was among the list of supporters of the Stop Police Terror campaigns, almost condemning themselves of the radicalisation. They contradicted themselves when they released their findings that ââ¬Å"no evidence to suggest â⬠¦ that conditions at UCL â⬠¦ [are] conducive to the radicalisation of students. â⬠(UCL, 2010). It is noted that Cambridge Univers ity's ââ¬Ëflimsy' research could support the UCL's outcome, but then could this research, with their ââ¬Ëbad press', also diminish their findings.Overall, there are many factors that led to the radicalisation of Abdulmutallab, his state of mind, his vulnerability, and the people that he was associated with within the Islamic Society. Therefore, the UCL was not completely at fault, it was also the fundamentalists, that infiltrated the system and took advantage of a vulnerable, young Muslim. References Caless, B (2012) ââ¬ËTerrorism and Political Violence: Introduction, Overview and the Problem with Definitions. (Accessed: 5 December 2012). Cambridge University (2008) ââ¬ËCampus radicalism fears too extreme? ââ¬Ë Available at: http://www. cam. ac. k/research/news/campus-radicalism-fears-too-extreme/ (Accessed: 5 December 2012). CNN Online (2011) ââ¬Ë Al-Awlaki: Who was he? ââ¬Ë, CNN Online, Available at: http://security. blogs. cnn. com/2011/09/30/al-awlaki-who-wa s-he/ (Accessed: 5 December, 2012). De La Corte, L (2007) ââ¬ËExplaining Terrorism: A Psychosocial Approach'à Perspectives on Terrorism, North America, Vol. No. 2 [Online] Available at: . (Accessed: 5 Dec. 2012). East London Mosque (2010) ââ¬Ë East London Mosque and London Muslim Centreà à Statement on Anwar Awlaki' [Online] Available at: http://www. astlondonmosque. org. uk/uploadedImage/pdf/2010_11_07_15_44_46_Awlaki%20Statement%206%20Nov10%20-%20Full%20Statement. pdf (Accessed: 5 December, 2012) East London Mosque (2010) ââ¬Ë Sunday Mirror publish ELM letter' [Online] Available at: http://www. eastlondonmosque. org. uk/archive/news/243 (Acccessed: 5 December, 2012). Forest, J (2012) ââ¬ËPerception Challenges Faced by Al-Qaeda on the Battlefield of Influence Warfare. ââ¬Ëà Perspectives on Terrorism, North America, Vol. 6, No. 2. [Online] Available at: . (Accessed: 05 Dec. 2012). Ganor, B. (2002) ââ¬ËDefining Terrorism- Is One Man's Terrorist Another Man' s Freedom Fighter? ââ¬Ë. International Institute for Counter-Terrorism [Online]. Available at: http://www. ict. org. il/ResearchPublications/tabid/64/Articlsid/432/Default. aspx#Defining_Terrorism:_The_Present_Situation (Accessed: 1 December 2012). Gardham, D. (2009) ââ¬Ë Detroit bomber: internet forum traces journey from lonely schoolboy to Islamic fundamentalist', The Telegraph, 30 December 2009 [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. o. uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6910776/Detroit-bo mber-internet-forum-traces-journey-from-lonely-schoolboy-to-Islamic-fundamentalist. html. (Accessed: 5 December 2012). Gilligan, A (2010) ââ¬Å"East London Mosque: the terrorist question and the liesâ⬠, The Telegraph, 2 November 2010 [Online]. Available at: http://blogs. telegraph. co. uk/news/andrewgilligan/100061920/east-london-mosque-the-terrorist-connection-and-the-lies/ (Accessed: 5 December 2012). Gregory S. McNeal (2008). ââ¬Å"Cyber Embargo: Countering the Internet J ihadâ⬠à , Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, vol. 9, pp. 789-826. [Online] Available at: http://works. bepress. com/gregorymcneal/15 (Accessed 1 December 2012) Herridge, C (2011). ââ¬Ë Awlaki Trained Suspected Christmas Jet Bomber How to Detonate Underwear, Document Reveals'. Fox News, 4 October 2011 [Online] Available at:à http://www. foxnews. com/us/2011/10/04/al-awlaki-trained-suspected-christmas-day-jet-bomber-how-to-detonate-underwear/#ixzz2ECpGaSXS (Accessed:5 December 2012). Hitchens, A (2010) ââ¬ËThe Making of the Christmas Day Bomber', Current Trends in Islamist Ideology, Vol. 10 [Online]. Available at: http://currenttrends. rg/research/detail/the-making-of-the-christmas-day-bomber (Accesed: 29 November 2012). Home Office (2011) Contest: The United Kingdomââ¬â¢s Strategy for Countering terrorism. London: The Stationery Office. (Cm. 8123). [Online] Available at: http://www. homeoffice. gov. uk/publications/counter-terrorism/counter-terrorism -strategy/strategy-contest? view=Binary (Accessed: 2 December 2012). ICSR (The International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation)(2011) ââ¬ËICSR Insight: How Anwar al-Awlaki Became the Face of Western Jihad'. [Online] Available at: http://icsr. nfo/2011/09/icsr-insight-how-anwar-al-awlaki-became-the-face-of-western-jihad/ (Accessed: 5 December, 2012). Irvine, C (2009) ââ¬Ë Detroit terror attack: suspect president of university Islamic society', The Telegraph, 29 December 2009 [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/6902785/Detroit-terror-attack-suspect-president-of-university-Islamic-society. html (Accessed: 5 December, 2012) Ikhwan Web (2005) International Religious Freedom Report 2005. Available at: http://www. ikhwanweb. com/article. php? id=13543&ref=search. php
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Corporate Culture at Apple
Corporate Culture at Apple Apple has a very secretive corporate culture. Often employees will choose not to speak out about apple until they are no longer employed there. Apple goes to greater lengths than any other company in the valley to protect its creative and intellectual environment. Appleââ¬â¢s security policy extends to blogs, speaking engagements, and even what people talk about with spouses. Most employees get the policies and respect them as well.The New York times reported that the companyââ¬â¢s veil of secrecy began to take shape around the release og the original Macintosh back in 1984. Employees working on secret projects at Apple have to pass through a maze of security doors, swiping their badges again and again and finally entering a numeric code to reach their offices. Once inside the top secret areas, employees are often monitored by surveillance cameras as they work. Those working on more sensitive projects are allegedly instructed to ââ¬Å"cover up device s with black cloaks when they are working on them. A former Apple marketing manager described the companyââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"controlled leaks,â⬠whick he said the company sometimes relies upon to gauge public reaction, confuse competitors, or encourage partners. I also came across an article where the former CEO of Appleââ¬â¢s big Israel acquisition Anobit shares his experiences of Apple culture. Ariel Maislos said ââ¬Å"They say that Intel is full of paranoids, but at Apple, ââ¬Ëtheyââ¬â¢ really are after you. â⬠He worked at Apple for about a year after Apple acquired Anobit in December 2011.Maislos left Apple for what was said to be personal reasons. Maislos was also very familiar with Intelââ¬â¢s culture as well. While Intel engineers are given assignments and are rewarded for ingenuity and creativity, he said itââ¬â¢s a given at Apple that engineers will be at the top of their game. He said ââ¬Å"At Apple, you have to run ahead just to stay in place, and there are very high expectations of everyone. Apple expects everything to be amazing. ââ¬
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