Precious Blood

Blood Diamond is a movie that was cast by Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly and was directed by Edward Zwick’s. The movie was set in Sierra Leone Civil War in South Africa. The role of Hounsou was a fisherman while DiCarpio was a white mercenary gun smuggler that sells guns to rebellions in exchange of money while Connelly was an American journalist that wants to expose the illegal and mistreating of the diamond miners in Africa. Connelly was the only cast in the movie that has no intent on diamonds. (Burr, 2006)The movie was all about the quest of DiCarpio and Hounsou to reveal the pink diamond which they believe that the pink diamond will change their lives. Hounsou was a fisherman who was taken away from his family so that he can work in the diamond field. While in prison, DiCarpio found out that Hounsou had an idea of the pink diamond. The major quest of Hounsou was to find his family but found out that his family was in the hands of the United Nation s.But the son of Hounsou was kidnapped by the diamond miner terrorist and was forced to become a child soldier. With this, the two men joined in finding the missing pink diamond because the said diamond will help Hounsou saves his family from the hands of the rebels while DiCarpio will find a second life. With the help of Connelly, the three will reveal the truth behind the issues surrounding the diamond industry in South Africa. (Burr, 2006)The story of Blood Diamond mirrors the reality of some country-the rebels using their resources in finding weapons that they can use against the government. Many countries are now experiencing this kind of problem and affect the performance of the government in serving its citizen. This is a positive side of the film because it tackles some of the major problems in countries, terrorism. The setting of the movie is perfect for the purpose, and message of the movie. It shows the lives of many African people and shows how sad are the lives of these Africans. The major casts of the movie play their role efficiently. Like Hounsou who played as a rebel kidnapped. As the quest begins in finding his son, the emotion as a father was seen on Hounsou.The movie Blood Diamond showed mistake in doing the film. First, is the scene were DiCarpio and Connelly share the wine and the rd cup they used appear and disappear with out explanation. Another movie mistakes is when the child soldiers were seen using a Game Boy Advance SP. The video game was released in the market on 2003 while the film was set in 1900s. Also, when Solomon was fishing in the morning, the sun rise over the sea which is contrast to reality that the sun rise over land.The CastsDiCarpio had a character that is flat and one dimensional only at the start of the movie. But as he entered to the real world of diamond industry in Sierra Leone, he became strong, and well rounded. At first, DiCarpio shows a virtue of a smuggler, a liar but as the movie goes; his brutal honesty re veals the illegal diamond business in Sierra Leone.   Hounsou shows was successful in making a character that is strong and is determined in regaining back his son from the diamond rebels. And sometimes, he induced anger, compassion and hopelessness.   Jennifer Connelly was a American journalist that seeks and wants to reveal the illegal diamond business in Sierra Leone. She cooperates with DiCarpio and Hounsou in her quest.The acting of the three major casts played their role in well. This is a good characteristic of the film because it shows the reality in South Africa.The film ends when Hounsou reveals to the people his experience in the diamond rebels and the illegal of the said business. The film was very interesting because it show to the audience what really happens in some part of the world. The producer of Blood Diamond would like to impart to the audience to become aware to this serious issue that will make a one step towards in minimizing these problems.Reference:Burr , T. (2006). Blood Diamond Movie Review [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 25, 2007 from http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=9301.

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne ultimatum is about a guy that works for the CIA, but at the same time is trying to uncover his identity. The movie represents a variety of political messages that portray a corrupt government who through secrecy utilize their power to better the personage. The Bourne ultimatum shows a variety of political messages such as individuality, corruption, conflict, role of government, power and secrecy. However, the main theme portrayed throughout the movie is the involvement of corruption in the Central Intelligence Agency. Several individuals were portrayed as having too much power. To understand Bourne ultimatum you may need to watch the first movie (the Bourne identity) as well as the second movie (The Bourne supremacy). The Bourne ultimatum is a movie that transfers the corruption of the CIA. For example, the CIA officers, are officers that protect the nations and investigate terrorism so that it is ceased. How is it possible that there are officers that are complete hypocrites because they betray their nation. The movie also helped demonstrate how the corruption is served by betraying the country. As the film unravels the involvement of corruption only deepens and the relationship between corruption, secrecy, power and individuality seem synonymous. As the protagonist, Jason Bourne struggles to find his own identity, the involvement of corruption in the CIA worsens. According to Bourne’s head trainer Conklin, Jason Bourne is a â€Å"malfunctioning 30 million dollar weapon of the United States government†. He is a highly trained assassin who is suffering from amnesia struggling to find his own identity. Bourne was involved in a top secret program called â€Å"Treadstone†, which went wrong after the program attempted to alleviate a conflict by assassinating of a political leader. The second movie begins before the end of the events in (The Bourne Supremacy). Bourne Ultimatum ultimately reveals the total corruption involved in the CIA and Bourne’s true identity. Bourne then reads an article in The Guardian by Ross about Bourne, Treadstone, and â€Å"Operation Blackbriar. † He then arranges to meet Ross in London at the south entrance of Waterloo Station. Ross, however, is under surveillance because his use of the word â€Å"Blackbriar† in a phone call to his editor was tracked by Echelon, alerting the CIA. CIA section Chief Noah Vosen alerts his staff at the Anti-Terrorism Deep Cover in New York to find out any information on Ross, believing that Operation Blackbriar has been compromised. Vosen orders an assassin, Paz, to kill Ross and his source. Vosen's team identifies Bourne on a security camera and recognizes him as the original Treadstone assassin, and assumes he is Ross's source. While Paz gets into a position with a sniper and kills Ross, Bourne went to Ross body and gets his note and he run away. In this scene, the government’s agents received information that a British news reporter uncovered something about an operation called Blackbriar, so they tried to track him down by looking up his record. They were able to find his personal information including his address, cell-phone numbers, and job location. During this process the agents hacked into the news reporter’s email transactions and discovered that he bought a train ticket so agents were sent to the train station to capture the reporter. When the reporter arrived at the train station the agents monitored his every move from a room filled with high tech computers and TV screens that were hooked up to the surveillance cameras, and satellite communication system. Surveillance cameras are there to make sure that no shady activities are present. People recognize that they are there, but the CIA used the cameras to help them capture the reporter and Jason Bourne, so their secrets will remain secret. Later in the movie the CIA officials sent an assassin to kill the reporter, and the cameras assisted in locating the position of the reporter. When the assassin shot him, the security cameras were purposely turned off. This is not acceptable! The cameras are not there to aide murderers. The CIA is protected by the Patriot Act which allows them to access medical records, tax records, and information about the books that one buys or borrow without probable cause, and the power to break into your home and conduct secret searches without warning or probable cause (USA Patriot Act). The Patriot Act is aimed at terrorists or people that are potentially terrorists and it doesn’t give the government the power to kill innocent people. Even though the reporter was not a British Citizen, the CIA agents were from the US so they should follow American laws. Also the reporter in this movie was not a terrorist. He was harmless to society. He just happened to hear something that he wasn’t suppose to hear. This movie shows what the government is capable of doing, and they could be monitoring the everyday lives of U. S. Citizens, listening in on our phone conversations. Pamela Landy is asked to help capture Bourne. With Landy's help, Vosen and his team also determine that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. By implementing Landy in the films was a successful character, the director attempted to send an important message to his audience. I believe that he tried to instill the idea of separated Landy from the other male characters was corruption, Landy worked to answer questions and find truth. She was portrayed as the ideal CIA official. Vosen and his team also determined that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. They send a team to Daniels' office in Madrid, to kill her, but Bourne get first to save her and killing Desh Bouksani that was the guy they send to kill Daniels. Bourne later found out that Blackbriar was Treadstone’s â€Å"dirty little secret†, it provided a way for corrupt CIA officials to cover up their slip ups by sending Bourne to eliminate targets. This would allow the officials to keep their corrupt ways a secret. They utilized their power; Blackbriar, to carry out their own dirty missions. Bourne takes a flight to New York City, he calls Landy while observing her and Vosen from across the street, the same call that was shown at the end of the second movie. Bourne sends a text message to Landy to arrange a meeting. Vosen and his team intercept the message and follow Landy as she leaves the building. However, the meeting is simply a diversion to allow him to enter Vosen's office and steal classified Blackbriar documents. Landy gave Bourne the address of the Treadstone R facility in code when Landy gave Bourne his date of birth. Bourne meets Landy and gives her the stolen documents from Vosen's office before entering the building. Landy finishes faxing away the Blackbriar document that Bourne stole to the FBI. Landy realizes that the man she is working with to find Bourne is also corrupt. The CIA director Noah Vosen was Blackbriar’s â€Å"operational chief,† and DR. Albert Hirsch was the â€Å"alleged mastermind of the program† She wasn’t able to prove this if Bourne had acquired the files needed to prosecute the corrupt CIA officials. By achieving these files and confronting the officials Bourne was able to find his true identity. In this movie we have the opportunity of see how the CIA, works in their secrets case. I believe the director may want to teach the audience showing example of how the government works and as well making to see not matter how important can be the agency there still haven individual that there dishonest. Also the director included political messages and carefully placed cameras in order to capture the real life possibilities of corruption, secrecy, power in our government. The camera angles were set as if the movie were a documentary, everything was set up so that it all seemed real and was happening now. This method made the film seem more real and believable. It greatly highlighted the quality and sense of reality throughout the film. In the sense of corruption the film is pretty accurate in its representation of the political system. For example, corruption among high levels of government like those involved in the Watergate and the occasional CIA leaks that we see on CNN and FOX news channels are established in the Bourne movies. All of these ideas are introduced and incorporated into the Bourne films which furthermore increase the films realistic and documentary feel. In effect, the director successfully increases the validity of the film’s material. Another aspect The U. S. Government takes a lot of safety precautions to protect its property and people, but sometimes they go too far even as far as to invade the privacy of its citizens. In the new film Bourne Ultimatum many example of privacy invasion is demonstrated. Some of these examples of privacy invasion are acceptable under extreme circumstances, but others are not. Otherwise what increased the films reality was Bourne’s ability to use anything in order to complete his tasks. He worked with what he was given and it made the audience really appreciate his craft and skill with his ability to maneuver things to work in his favor. Another example are the fighting scenes, he was seen using not only guns, but also cords, towels, books, to defend himself and neutralize his opponents. He used whatever it took to get the job done and stay alive. This is important because according to field operation officers like Bourne were highly trained in areas such as, self defense, weapons handling, high speed driving, disguise, and secret writing communications, which all represent an entire array of what CIA calls the trade craft skills. A good fields’ officer makes anything his weapon. The more trained you are with weaponry, more missions will be completed. The film reflected a negative outlook on American politics. It demonstrated the U. S. government particularly the CIA as being a corrupt agency that utilized their reserved powers to resolve not only regular but also personal conflicts through secrecy to better their individual selves. The idea of imperfection, political messages like corruption, and from a general standpoint accurate portrayal of an operations field officer, qualifies the trilogy as a representative piece of American politics. The Bourne films give a realistic point of view; government is not perfect! Contrary to most films the Bourne movies show that the government too is vulnerable to issues like corruption, secrecy, and abuse of power. By filming as if the film were a documentary on Jason Bourne, the film ultimately delineates imperfection amongst our levels of government.

Implications of Partisanship in the Congress Essay - 1

Implications of Partisanship in the Congress - Essay Example The role of the Congress in legislation has been affected by some elements particularly the issue of partisanship. The contemporary Congress is now polarized as inspired by such aspects as party loyalty, and policies established by individual parties. As such, there is a heated debate on the possible implications of partisanship on the overall effectiveness of the Congress. In fact, the members have noble responsibilities of passing vital bills into right on behalf of all Americans. Their tendency to engage in a tug of war before a bill is passed into law has been found to affect the timing of the consent of the president. Partisanship has led to the polarization in the Congress as attributed to unique causes, and this had a direct impact on the legislation process calling for improvised models to enhance cooperation among members. Possible Causes of Polarization in the Congress Partisanship has seen polarization in the Congress turn multiplicative in the recent past as attributed to demographic uniformity in congressional districts (Victor, 2012). In our contemporary societies, individuals tend to flock with those who share similar values and perspectives. It turns to birds of the same weather affair. This has been the case in the Senate and the House of the Representatives. This has fueled division among members based on party affiliation. A second element that has seen a rise in polarization in the Congress is the protocol and rules observed during the nomination of congressional candidates. Actually, the same rules are followed in drawing congressional districts.

Critically assess Renaissance understandings of humankind Essay - 1

Critically assess Renaissance understandings of humankind - Essay Example The aspects of sharp senses, power of reason, and high level of intelligence, as presented under the Oration On the Dignity of Man also seen as the manifesto to the Renaissance, as the aspects that put mankind in a unique category from the rest of the creatures, owing the fact that these characteristics of mankind serves as the bridge between the lower cadre of life which consists of God’s creatures, and the higher cadre consisting of God and all that is in heaven (Mirandola, 1965 p3). Therefore, the concept of hierarchy existed before the middle Ages, according to Plotinus idea of The One the Demiurge, and the Material World, and thus the middle ages just created a more organized theory. However, the most important of all the factors that completely put mankind in a unique position, is the freedom of judgment that mankind was granted by the creator, so that he could be able to differentiate the good and the bad, and based on this judgment, he could then get an opportunity to ascend upwards, from the middle category where he was created to fit, to join the upper cadre of life (Mirandola, 1965 p5). Therefore, Renaissance of humankind is pitched on the concept of happiness, which is derived from freedom, where mankind was given that; â€Å"Liberty of God the father! O great and wonderful happiness of man! It is given to him to have that which he chooses and to be that which he wills† (Mirandola, 1965 p5). Nevertheless, while the concept of freedom and happiness informs Pico’s philosophy of the Renaissance understandings of humankind, there seems to be some form of contradiction in this philosophy. His philosophy points to the fact that man was created with absolute freedom to choose, so that he could become all that he wished to become and have everything that he chose to have. However, the philosophy is later contradicted by upholding the principle that God spoke to man after creation, and told him

Managing Entrepreneurial Enterprises' Written Report Essay

Managing Entrepreneurial Enterprises' Written Report - Essay Example The market is currently experiencing a 2.1 percent, stable annual growth rate and provides $8 billion in annual revenues across Australia. The market potential consists of approximately 591,000 potential customers, which is roughly 30 percent of the entire regional population in South East Queensland. It is a favourable market based on cultural characteristics found within the homogenous Australian culture and one where ample opportunities for commercial development in a highly-saturated region with many resource-capable target customer groups. To ensure competitive success, the business must focus on brand-building, promotion and establishment of a human-centric leadership model of human resources to gain commitment and establish a dedicated, cohesive organisational culture that will provide legitimate excellence in service. Relationship development between AAB and the client markets are critical for ensuring competitive success in a market environment where many products are easily replicated by other consulting firms. Financing will occur utilising traditional banking systems, on medium-term loan generation, requiring monthly payback. This strategy is most appropriate for a small-sized company unable to procure adequate capital through stock issuance and where start-up costs are not substantial to ensure proper capital expenditures for many different tangible assets. The monthly break-even, as aligned with expected sales volumes for each variety of sales packages provided to customers, supports medium-term financing in this capacity. Australian Acumen Brokers Consulting (AAB) is a small business designed to offer corporate and small business clients advice and opportunities to improve their marketing positioning and brand visibility. Many businesses operating in multiple industries lack the resources and or management capital necessary to establish recognised brand identities among competition and often do not

CREATE ONE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

CREATE ONE - Essay Example as demonstrated by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, of refusing to participate in the Ukraine crisis talks, suggests that the once internationally relevant nation in history; is slowly losing its focus. In stating this, I do not wish to suggest that Britain draws its relevance or respect from its entire participation in any international crisis. Instead, I wish to point out that the nation is missing when it is increasingly required to feature, and for that, it is losing its international influence. Your article has rightly and accurately observed that Britain’s alliance is no longer central to any nation (Erlanger, n.p.). Britain did not join France and Germany when they went to hold a peace talk between the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, as a way of resolving the Ukraine crises. However, if my memory serves me right, Britain was engaged in both the Syrian and the Libyan crises, and not just engaged, but embroiled in them. Right now, it is two of her European counterparts that are involved in a security crisis that does not only threaten the two nations, but also the entire European Union’s stability. What does Britain do in this case? She avoids the peace meeting that would resolve the crisis without creating much instability in the region. This would easily cause anyone to think that Britain is surely misplacing its priorities or does not have any at all. That however is not the greatest of my concern. The non-uniform response to crisis that has been shown by Britain is what worries me even more. Why should Britain decide to engage in the Syrian and the Libyan Crisis, but snub the Ukraine crisis peace talk? Your article has observed that Britain’s future in the European Union is unclear (Erlanger, n.p.). But even though, shouldn’t Britain be more concerned about a crisis that is looming within the European region, than it should be concerned with the crisis in the Middle East or Africa? Again, in arguing so, I do not wish to suggest that

Management and Organisational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Management and Organisational Behavior - Essay Example The other motivation I got in another internship was being given token gifts and allowances even though it was a non-paying internship. The allowances were not much but they meant everything to me and were a sign of the company appreciating my work. My current workplace where I have worked the longest motivates its employees through providing training to the best performing employees as well as having paid vacation leaves where the company provides even vacation packages for those with families which are fully paid. The employees never willingly leave the company and they have made the company excel in terms of increased profitability as well as gain a competitive advantage in the industry. Herzberg Two factor theory explains very well about motivation and the factors that can motivate the employees. According to the theory, there are two types of factors in any organization and these are the hygienic and the motivational factors. The hygienic factors are those employees cannot do without as their lack leads to dissatisfaction and their presence motivation. They include factors such as salaries, interpersonal relations as well as good working conditions (Brooks, 2010). The motivational factors, on the other hand, are rarely present in an organization but their presence satisfies and motivates the employees immensely. These factors are mostly ignored in many organizations but if used can bring a great difference in terms of performance increment. They include factors such as awards, recognition, and responsibility among others. The other motivational theory is the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. This theory has five levels which individuals have to pass before they completely become self-actualized. The completion of each of these levels is a motivation to move to the next level. These levels of needs

Economics of the UAE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Economics of the UAE - Research Paper Example y is comprised of seven formerly independent states, Abu Zaby, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn which merged to form the country in 1971, and in 1972, was joined by the state of by Ras al Khaymah (Index Mundi par. 2). The UAE presently has an approximate population of 5,314,317, a large increase from its population on 1968 of 180,000 (Elhiraika & Hamed 2-3). Its economy is primarily based on the extraction of vast natural oil and gas reserves within its inland and sea areas. It currently produces an estimated 2 million of barrels of oil daily. Being the third in worldwide oil reserves, the country has proven oil reserves of 98.8 million barrels, or 10% of the world’s oil reserves in June 2000, with another 6 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves (Shihab 249-251). The UAE has a total land area of 83,600 square kilometers, with a coastline of 1,318 km and is bordered by Saudi Arabia on its west, Oman on its east, and the Persian Gulf to the North. As of 1982, its population is comprised of less than 20% natural UAE citizens, with the rest being Emirati, Arabia and Iranian, South Asians and other expatriates. Its official language and religion is Arabic and Islam. Literacy rate is 77.9% with a life expectancy of 76.71 years. The country has a federal form of government, with a Federal Supreme Council (FSC), composed of the seven emirate leaders, with its capital in Abu Dhabi. Its Executive Branch has a Chief of State, President, Vice President and Deputy Prime Ministers with a Council of Ministers appointed by the President. Its legislature is composed of a 40-seat unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) and a judicial branch, the Union Supreme Court, with the Judges appointed by the President (CIA par. 3-5). The UAE economy has undergone a significant change from an impoverished region to one with a high degree of standard of living since the discovery of oil within its borders in the 1950s (CIA Para 1). With a 5.4 million

Case Study on Organisational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study on Organisational Change - Essay Example Case issues While analysing the given case scenario, it is clear that the takeover of the ‘Star’ by the ‘Iron Cage’ caused the Star to move from a highly profitable company to an underperforming company. The major identified issue is that the business acquisition raised severe challenges to the Star’s innovativeness as the resulted organisational change prevented the company from effectively dealing with experimentation. Undoubtedly, this adverse situation negatively affected the Star’s market competitiveness since thoughtful experimentation and frequent innovations are essential for the sustainability of a chemical company operating in a progressive niche-market. Declining employee loyalty was one of the main reasons for the Star’s failure. According to the author, the business takeover led to the formation of a coercive worksite environment and hence this excessive bureaucracy by Iron Cage top management persuaded Star employees to cha nge their view from â€Å"it is my company† to â€Å"it is just the company I work for† (Grieves, 2004, p.233). In addition, Star employees did not get extensive exposures to demonstrate their creativity due to the parent company’s over-involvement. ... Such a situation adversely affected the formed organisation’s managerial activities and ultimately operational efficiency. The most potential reason for Iron Cage’s break up is that the organisation failed to ensure the active involvement of Star employees. In short, it can be asserted that over-dominance of Iron Cage management over Star employees ended up in the Iron Cage’s break up and sell off. Case study analysis The company’s failure could have been avoided if the Iron Cage had efficiently dealt with the change management subsequent to the Star acquisition. The case study clearly indicates that the Ice Cage management was not thoughtful in integrating two entirely different organisational cultures. The Iron Cage tried to coordinate quality assurance systems and achieve cultural integration by installing a managing director from its own ranks. The organisation did not consider any of the Star’s top executives for this change management process. In addition, the parent company had done nothing proactive in preparing Star employees to adapt to a new organisational environment. The Ice Cage’s business integration strategy was against the business ethics of change. According to Audi (2012, pp.46-50), the idea of business ethics is of greater significance in ensuring an organisation’s sustainability as this concept is a key to tool to achieve employee loyalty and reputation. Similarly, the Iron Cage management did not give any importance to Star employees’ problems and opinions. In contrast, the parent company tried to suppress the ideas and suggestions of Star employees. The case study clearly indicates that Star’s managers were not satisfied with the language of the

RESEARCH ABOUT INTERIOR DESIGN FIRMS Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ABOUT INTERIOR DESIGN FIRMS - Research Paper Example The future of interior design will require an individual who has taken the course on textile basics. This course will provide me with a better understanding of the many types of fibers and the various designs that can be achieved by using man-made fibers. The course also teaches students the different stitch and knit methods that can be done manually; such skills will be vital in order to come up with signature designs. Surveys done across the design industry reveal that Americans will be residing in small spaces and fewer rooms within the next five years. Design professionals also note that formal rooms will gradually become extinct. Dining rooms will change to multipurpose rooms with small home offices; children study rooms and entertainment spots. Multipurpose spaces will be developed from separate rooms with the type of furniture in use being moveable, modular and smaller scaled. Dining rooms will give way to eat-in kitchens and technology will be heavily incorporated, for example; sensor and voice activation and spa baths. Low maintenance homes with real gardens will become prevalent. As a future designer, I will keep updated with such trends and keep designing future homes. This firm is named among the global leaders in mixed-use developments, retail design, built and natural asset design. Callison was started in the year 1975 and are based in Seattle. Callison offers retail and commercial services while specializing in graphic design, program management, master planning, entertainment and sustainable design. Residential designs, Callison creates designs that leverages the market potential; generate returns while meeting the client’s needs. Interior and architecture designs for the hospitality industry; hospitality field creates varying design challenges where they excel (Edwards). They have come up with a studio environment that equips them with the necessary skills to provide personalized attention Design Culture; Callison

12 years a slave Essay Example for Free

12 years a slave Essay The movie is based of the life and times of a man named Solomon Northup, who was born a free man in Minerva, New York, in 1808. In the movie, the book, and his life, little is known about his mother, because they never gave her name. However in all three we know of his father, a man named Mints, who was originally enslaved to the Northup family from Rhode Island, but he was freed after the family moved to New York. In the movie, a now young man, you saw that Northup helped his father with farming, chores and even worked as a rafts on the waterways of upstate New York. He married Anne Hampton, a woman of mixed black, white, and Native American ancestry, on December 25th, 1829. They had three children together. During the sass, Northup became known as an excellent fiddle player. In 1841, two men offered Northup large sums of wages to Join a traveling musical show, but unfortunately soon after he accepted it they drugged him and sold him into slavery! He was sold at auction in New Orleans in 1841. Now Northup had to serve a number of masters, some of course were brutally cruel and others who were more humane. After several years of slavery, he met with an outspoken abolitionist from Canada who sent letters to notify Northup family of Northup current situation. A state agent was sent to Louisiana to reclaim Northup as a slave and he was successful through a number of chances. After he was finally declared a free man, Northup pressed charges of kidnapping against the men who had drugged him and sold him, but the length of the trial was dropped because of legal inabilities, and he received nothing for it. Little is known about Northup later life after the trial, but he is said to eave finally passed away in 1863. Twelve Years a Slave was recorded by David Wilson who is a white lawyer and legislator from New York who claimed to have presented. The story is sometimes believed to have been dedicated to Harriet Beechen Stows and is even said to have introduced another key to Uncle Toms Cabin. Northup book was published in 1853 which was maybe less than a year after he was set free. It sold over 30,000 copies and is therefore not only one of North Americas many slave books, but also one of the most popular ones.

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell Dell Computer Corporation was started in 1984 by Michael Dell, who had the simplistic view that personal computers could be built and sold directly to customers (Suite 101, 2009) alongside this ideology that Dell, could best understand consumer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solution to tailor those needs (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So Dells mission is to be The most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve (Dell, 2010(a)).In doing so, Dell aim to meet customer expectations of: So, Dell, since the last 26 years, has become a mass producer of standardised products and has evolved dramatically since they were first formed in 1984. The company, at first, merely took orders on the phone to help fulfil their policy of building custom built personal computers (PCs) (Dell,2010, (b)).However, the company then gained first-mover advantage in the mid 1990s, when it became one of the first companies to offer PCs online (Chaffey, 2007, p.239).In 2008, Dell was one of the market leaders in the worldwide PC market with sales around US$41 billion (lynch, 2009, p.789) and since their evolution, Dell, have diversified their product range and scope from small desktop computers to large server computers-to individuals, businesses and other organisations (Schneider, 2006, p.108). In 2009 in they owned a global market share of 12.4% in the number of PCs shipped worldwide, with only Hewlett Packard (21%)and Acer (13.4%) preceding them during this period (Bloomberg, 2010). Notably, this was the first time Dell had fell behind Acer in the second spot as the worlds largest computer-maker and this was primarily due to Acer producing low-cost net books and other inexpensive home computers at a reduced operating margin (Bloomberg, 2010).However, recently, in 2010,they did move back into second place in the global PC manufacturing market ahead of Acer but only slightly as they had a 12.8% market share compared to Acers 12.4% (Afterdawn, 2010).So this level of competition has been intense since 2006 as companies such as HP and Acer were vastly reducing the cost of their global network suppliers, which forced Dell to enter into new global markets such as in China ( George and Jones, 2009,p.195). However, Dell, see their strengths in the commercial and corporate market ( Techeye, 2010), as this is still their dominant market, even though home consumers are an ever growing element of their strategy. So, Dells competitors now include both, domestic manufacturers of PCs such as Apple and HP as well as, overseas competitors such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo in Asia (Jones George, 2009, p.195). This essay will therefore explore Dells generic hybrid strategy and the activities which constitute this strategy. This will then lead to a value chain analysis of the company, which can be used as a tool to emphasise the linkage between the primary and support activities which are used to create value within Dell. This will then pave show how these added values create a distinctive competence within Dell, which, overall, have lead to competitive advantage since the company began to aggressively cut its costs and prices to increase their global market share in the 2000s (Jones and George, 2009,p.195). Dells Generic Strategy Michael Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980) was created to specify how companies use generic business strategies, to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This encompasses how companies use cost reduction and/or differentiation within their product and services to appeal to a particular broad or narrow segment of the market, in order to gain this competitive advantage. Overall Dell, operate a hybrid broad focus strategy and this can derived be from Porters Generic Strategy Model obtained from the Mind Tools website (2010): In order to understand Dells generic strategy we must explain the different segments of this model Firstly, cost leadership occurs when a company achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segment (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). On the other hand, differentiation is when a company has a range of clearly differentiated products which appeal to different segments of the market (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). However, Dell, appear to operate on a hybrid strategy, similarly to the car manufacturing industry, which incorporates both the cost leadership and differentiation elements of Porters model. A hybrid strategy, overall, seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). So, Dell, use both of these aspects, but in a broad focus since they offer their products on a wide scale, as explained earlier, as they offer both corporate and commercial solutions to small, medium and large sized enterprises but also satisfy the needs of users within different spectrums such as within the public sector right down to the home user. This is explained by on their homepage when they state: For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether theyre at home, work, school or anywhere in their world (Dell, 2010(c)). So the focus is very much broad, but Dell has this direct business model which involves gathering customer needs and tailoring that solution to meet their requirements For instance, Premier Dell.com offers technological solutions to businesses which helps them manage all phases of computer ownership such as purchasing, asset management and product support(Chaffey, 2007, p.97) So their broad direct focus helps simultaneously create both cost leadership and differentiation strategies and helps explain why, perhaps they have been one of the most successful PC manufacturing corporations in the world. So how does Dell use both of these strategic elements of Porters model? Firstly, with cost leadership, Dells direct business model involves purchasing standardised components which ultimately minimises the need for expensive research and development and sales are then made direct over the Internet to customers (Ogden Wersun, 2007) thus eliminating retailers that add necessary time and cost, or/who can diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So this results in low costs and is a very aggressive pricing policy which helps gain market share from any competitor whom has taken their eye of the ball and has let their costs increase (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.60). Consequently, Dell have lower manufacturing and distribution costs than most of their competitors, thus they have achieved a cost leadership strategy over their rivals. However, another school of though can equally argue that within Dells generic strategy lies a differentiation strategy. This also exists within their direct business model as consumers can design their own computers which tailor their own unique needs and specifications. This is differentiation as Dell not only offers differentiated products to specific users, but also to specific markets(small, medium, large-sized, public sector, businesses, etc), thus reinstating this concept of the company having a broad focus. Hence, Dells direct sales model has allowed it to differentiate its PC products by allowing customers to design their own computer system and offering complementary services such as online customer support, three-year-on-site warranty, web hosting, installation and configuration of customers hardware and software (Grant, R.M, 2005, p272).Furthermore, Timmers (1999, p.227) stated how Dell, on their website, dont merely offer the best PC offer of the month approach but rather an approach which offers discounts for large purchases which are tailored to that particular individual or company, as well as having support which is customised to users needs (Dell, 2010 (c)). However this whole concept could be challenged as many people would be reluctant to buy a Dell PC without testing it in store first, however this argument becomes less relevant as more and more of us know people who have bought a Dell computer, since we can inspect theirs (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.61). Notably, Schneider (2005,p.305) also argued that because Dell made most of their sales online, they often unintentionally left themselves exposed to the laws and ethics of the banking industry and in this case, in1999, they had offered monthly payment setups to customers without disclosing the full details of the lease plan associated with this payment scheme. So, this pinpoints how despite Dell having a successful online strategy, they could be left vulnerable to changes in the legal environment, which could clash with their online customisation policy. Nevertheless, Dells hybrid strategy was a clever one; not only did it conjunctively produce cost effective manufacturing policies and customised products, but it also overcame the barrier of having access to new suppliers or distributers which can be arduous for companies gaining and sustaining success within an online market. This factor can be analysed in more depth from the companys value chain activities. The Value Chain of Dell Overall, the following value chain model by Michael Porter helps analyse the type of activities within Dells value chain and how they interlink with one another, to fulfil their generic strategy. Dells customisation policy of tailoring technological solutions to satisfy individual or company needs, has provided the company with the two main advantages of being able to reduce marketing and sales costs by eliminating their intermediaries and building to order which, overall, reduces inventory costs (suite 101, 2009). This originally led to soaring profits, as the internet has, ultimately, allowed Dell to extend the scope of their sales at a reasonably low marginal cost This following diagram allows a more definitive insight into how Dells value chain operates: (Dedrick and Kraemer, 2001) Dell, unlike their competitors, actually eliminates the need for distributors and retailers to sell their product, which as mentioned earlier creates cost leadership. Hence, this direct PC value chain, works around this built to order (BTO) strategy. The BTO process begins with the customer placing an order through the internet, phone or email and then it takes approximately one day to process the order (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). This then corresponds to this concept of just-in-time management as here Dell, only purchase the necessary parts which are needed for that particular order with the result being that inventories are kept to a minimum. Michael Dell emphasised this whole idea when he stated: We tell our suppliers exactly what our daily production requirements are. So its not, well every two week deliver 5,000 to this warehouse and well put them on the shelf, and then well take them off the shelf. Its tomorrow morning we need 8.562 and deliver them to door number seven by 7am. (Mhhe,1997). So, in the Dell manufacturing process, parts come into their factory to fulfil actual customer orders hence no PCs are made for stock, so there is no cost of hiding stock (Lynch, 2009, p.789). This also has the advantage that if a supplier such as Intel, launches a new computer chip, then Dell is not caught with high stocks of the old chip (Lynch, 2009, p.789), allowing the company to efficiently keep up with changes in technology. Therefore Dells procurement support activities i.e. purchasing of stock, play a pivotal role in executing these strategies of BTO and JIT, both, before and after the product has been sold. So what are the exact support and primary activities that Dell has used, in conjunction with one another, which has lead to them adding value to their activities? A traditional firm usually incorporates a make-to-forecast strategy in which products are produced from long-term demands of consumers. Hence, when considering Porters value chain activities, here the primary activities of the value chain move from inbound logistics to operations to outbound logistics and then to marketing and sales (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). However, since Dell manufactures the product only after an order has been given, then the marketing and sales support activity is moved to the front of the value chain (Turban et al, 2006, p506). Notably the inbound logistics element is important since the correct parts have to be delivered but since the holding of stock isnt necessary with Dell due to their JIT system, then it becomes less meaningful. Therefore the operations segment which transfers the supplies into the finished customised product and the service segment which Dell exemplifies to help the end-user(s) maintain their products i.e. the PCs value after the PC ha s been delivered, are the key primary elements of Porters Value Chain in which Dell uses. However, without the marketing and sales aspect these primary activities couldnt be executed since customised orders wouldnt be known and this has a direct link to the support activities of technology and procurement, as technology i.e. the internet allows Dell to sell their products to their customers and without it, it would be arduous to establish their hybrid strategy and procurement mechanisms are pivotal in maintaining their BTO and JIT policies since this deals with the acquisition of supplies in the more efficient way. There are though some criticisms of Dells value chain activities. Such as, the BTO strategy is sensitive to short term changes in demand. For example if a particular computer component suddenly becomes wildly popular or temporary unavailable, the standard supply in inventory may diminish fast, and customer orders will not be completed on time (Turban et al, 2006, p.507). Also, in terms of their service function. Orman (2007) argued that despite Dell providing one of the most effective support systems to its customers the company, fails to provide comparisons to the products of other vendors such as HP and also fails to compare products from one class to another such as desktops in relation to notebooks., Nevertheless though, Turban et al (2006, p.507) highlighted that by using key value chain activities such as operations and technology, Dell showed the world that when these are used effectively and efficiently, they can be used to gain a competitive advantage creates a distinctive c ompetence and therefore leads to competitive advantage.

What Is Power Electronics Engineering Essay

What Is Power Electronics Engineering Essay Power electronics involves the study of electronic circuits intended to control the flow of electrical energy. These circuits handle power flow at levels much higher than the individual device ratings. It has been said that people do not use electricity, but rather they use communication, light, mechanical work, entertainment, and all the tangible benefits of both energy and electronics. In this sense, electrical engineering is a discipline very much involved in energy conversion and information. In the general world of electronics engineering, the circuits engineers design and use are intended to convert information, with energy merely a secondary consideration in most cases. This is true of both analog and digital circuit design. In radio frequency applications, energy and information are sometimes on a more equal footing, but the main function of any circuit is that of information transfer. What about the conversion and control of electrical energy itself? Electrical energy sources are varied and of many types. It is natural, then, to consider how electronic circuits and systems can be applied to the challenges of energy conversion and management. This is the framework of power electronics, a discipline that is defined in terms of electrical energy conversion, applications, and electronic devices. More specifically, Rectifiers are probably the most familiar example of circuits that meet this definition. Inverters (a general term for dc-ac converters) and dc-dc converters for power supplies are also common applications. As shown in Fig. 1.1, power electronics represents a median point at which the topics of energy systems, electronics, and control converge and combine [1].Any useful circuit design for the control of power must address issues of both devices and control, as well as of the energy itself. Among the unique aspects of power electronics are its emphasis on lar ge semiconductor devices, the application of magnetic devices for energy storage, and special control methods that must be applied to nonlinear systems. In any study of electrical engineering, power electronics must be placed on a level with digital, analog, and radio-frequency electronics if we are to reflect its distinctive design methods and unique challenges. FIGURE 1.1 Control, energy, and power electronics are interrelated. All power electronic circuits manage the flow of electrical energy between some sort of source and a load. The parts in a circuit must direct electrical flows, not impede them. A general power conversion system is shown in Fig. 1.2. The function of the power converter positioned at the middle is that of controlling energy flow between a given electrical source and a given load. For our purposes, the power converter will be implemented with a power electronic circuit. As a power converter appears between a source and a load, any energy used within the converter is lost to the overall system. A crucial point emergesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬to build a power converter, we should consider only lossless components. A realistic converter design must approach 100% efficiency. A power converter connected between a source and a load also affects system reliability. FIGURE 1.2 General systems for electric power conversion A circuit built from ideal switches will be lossless. As a result, switches are the main components of power converters, and many people equate power electronics with the study of switching power converters. Magnetic transformers and lossless storage elements such as capacitors and inductors are also valid candidates for use in power converters. The complete concept, shown in Fig. 1.3, illustrates a power electronic system. Such a system consists of an energy source, an electrical load, a power electronic circuit, and control functions. The power electronic circuit contains switches, lossless energy storage elements, and magnetic transformers. The controls take information from the source, load, and designer and then determine how the switches operate to achieve the desired conversion. The controls are usually built up with conventional low-power analog and digital electronics. FIGURE 1.3 a basic power electronic system Trends in Power Supplies : As costs of electronics decline, the power supply becomes a larger fraction of system cost and design effort. One major manufacturer estimates that power supply cost will soon reach 50% of the total cost of a typical electronic product such as a cordless telephone or personal computer. Thus, new technology developments in power supplies are critically important. In the past, bulky linear power supplies were designed with transformers and rectifiers from the ac line frequency to provide low-level dc voltages for electronic circuits. Late in the 1960s, use of dc sources in aerospace applications led to the development of power electronic dc-dc conversion circuits for power supplies. In a typical power electronics arrangement today, an ac source from a wall outlet is rectified without any transformation; the resulting high dc voltage is converted through a dc-dc circuit to the 5V, 12 V, or other level required. These switched-mode power supplies are rapidly supplanting linear supplies across the full spectrum of circuit applications. A personal computer commonly requires three different 5V supplies, two .12 V supplies, a ÃÆ' ¿12 V supply, a 24 V supply, and perhaps a few more. This does not include supplies for 1 Introduction 3 video display or peripheral devices. Only a switched-mode supply can support such complex requirements without high costs. The bulk and weight of linear supplies make them infeasible for hand-held communication devices, calculators, notebook computers, and similar equipment. Switched-mode supplies often take advantage of MOSFET semiconductor technology. Trends toward high reliability, low cost, and miniaturization have reached the point at which a 5 V power supply sold today might last 1,000,000 hr (more than 100 yr), provide 100Wof output in a package with volume This type of supply brings an interesting dilemma: the ac line cord to plug it in actually takes up more space than the power supply itself. Innovative concepts such as integrating a power supply within a connection cable will be used in the future. Device technology for power supplies is being driven by expanding needs in the automotive and telecommunications industries as well as in markets for portable equipment. The automotive industry is making a transition to 42 V systems to handle increasing electric power needs. Power conversion for this industry must be cost effective, yet rugged enough to survive the high vibration and wide temperature range to which a passenger car is exposed. Global communication is possible only when sophisticated equipment can be used almost anywhere. This brings a special challenge, because electrical supplies are neither reliable nor consistent throughout much of the world. While in North America voltage swings in the domestic ac supply are often Given the enormous size of worldwide markets for telephones and consumer electronics, there is a clear need for flexible-source equipment. Designers are challenged to obtain maximum performance from small batteries, and to create equipment with minimal energy requirements. DEVICE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS OF POWER DEVICES Diode: Current ratings from 5000 A. Voltage ratings from 10V to 10 kV or more. The fastest power devices switch in BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor): Conducts collector current (in one direction) when sufficient base current is applied. Power device current ratings from 0.5 to 500 A or more; voltages from 30 to 1200V. Switching times from 0.5 to 100 ms. The function applies to dc-dc circuits; combinations with diodes are used in inverters. Power BJTs are being supplanted by FETs and IGBTs. FET (Field Effect Transistor): Conducts drain current when sufficient gate voltage is applied. Power FETs (nearly always enhancement mode MOSFETs) have a parallel connected reverse diode by virtue of their construction. Ratings from _1 to _100 A and 30 up to 1000V. Switching times are fast, from 50 or less up to 200 ns. The function applies to dc-dc conversion, where the FET is in wide use, and to inverters. IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor): A special type of power FET that has the function of a BJT with its base driven by a FET. Faster than a BJT of similar ratings, and easy to use. Ratings from 10 to >600 A, with voltages of 600 to 1700V. The IGBT is popular in inverters from _1 to 100kW or more. It is found almost exclusively in power electronics applications. SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier): A thyristor that conducts like a diode after a gate pulse is applied. Turns off only when current becomes zero. Prevents current flow until a pulse appears. Ratings from 10 up to more than 5000 A, and from 200V up to 6 kV. Switching requires 1 to 200 ms. widely used for controlled rectifiers. The SCR is found almost exclusively in power electronics applications, and is the most common member of the thyristor family. GTO (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor): an SCR that can be turned off by sending a negative pulse to its gate terminal. Can substitute for BJTs in applications where power ratings must be very high. The ratings approach those of SCRs, and the speeds are similar as well. Used in inverters rated >100 kW. TRIAC: A semiconductor constructed to resemble two SCRs connected in reverse parallel. Ratings from 2 to 50 A and 200 to 800V. Used in lamp dimmers, home appliances, and hand tools. Not as rugged as many other device types, but very convenient for many ac applications. MCT (MOSFET Controlled Thyristor): A special type of SCR that has the function of a GTO with its gate driven from a FET. Much faster than conventional GTOs, and easier to use. These devices are supplanting GTOs in some application areas. POWER CONVERTERS The power processors usually consist of more than one power conversion stage where the operation of these stages is decoupled on an instantaneous basis by means of energy storage elements such as capacitors and inductors. Therefore, the instantaneous power input does not have to equal the instantaneous power output. We will refer to each power conversion stage as a converter. Thus, a converter is a basic module (building block) of power electronic systems. It utilizes power semiconductor devices controlled by signal electronics (integrated circuits) and possibly energy storage elements such as inductors and capacitors. Based on the form (frequency) on the two sides, converters can be divided into the following broad categories: 1. AC to DC 2. DC to AC 3. DC to DC 4. AC to AC We will use converter as a generic tenn to refer to a single power conversion stage that may perform any of the functions listed above. To be more specific, in ac-to-dc and dc-to-ac conversion, rectifier refers to a converter when the average power flow is from the ac to the dc side. Inverter refers to the converter when the average power flow is from the dc to the ac side. In fact, the power flow through the converter may be reversible. Power Electronic Applications (a) Residential Refrigeration and freezers Space heating Air conditioning Cooking Lighting Electronics (personal computers, other entertainment equipment) (b) Commercial Heating. ventilating, and air conditioning Central refrigeration Lighting Computers and office equipment Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) Elevators (c) Industrial Pumps Compressors Blowers and fans Machine tools (robots) Arc furnaces, induction furnaces Lighting Industrial lasers Induction heating Welding (d) Transportation Traction control of electric vehicles Battery chargers for electric vehicles Electric locomotives Street cars, trolley buses Subways Automotive electronics including engine controls (e) Utility systems High-voltage dc transmission (HVOC) Static var compensation (SVC) Supplemental energy sources (wind, photovoltaic), fuel cells Energy storage systems Induced-draft fans and boiler feed water pumps (f) Aerospace Space shuttle power supply systems Satellite power systems Aircraft power systems (g) Telecommunications Battery chargers Power supplies (dc and UPS)

Breast Cancer :: Health

Breast Cancer In the United States in 2005 alone, 43,063 died from breast cancer. It is the number two cancer killer and the number one cancer in females ages 15 to 54. On average if a woman gets this disease, their life expectancy drops nineteen and a half years. This cancer is within the top three cancers of all woman above the age of 15, and comprises 6% of all health care costs in the U.S. totaling an astounding 35 billion dollars a year. An average woman is said to have a one in thirty chance of getting the cancer, but if that person had family history of the disease, their chances have been measured up to a one in six chance. Sixty ©nine percent of African ©American women survive from it, and there are predicted to be nearly two million new cases reported this year in the U.S. The disease is breast cancer. Breast cancer is a group of rapidly reproducing, undifferentiated cells in the area of the breast in women. The earliest changes occur in the epithelial cells of the terminal end buds (TEB) of the breast milk ductal system. While the outlining steps of breast cancer are unknown, the cells in the breast trigger a reaction of cell reproduction. These new cancer cells form tumors. If cancer cells are active or are considered malign, the tumor grows at tremendous speeds, and may end up in metastasis. Metastasis is a complex process in which cells break away from their primary tumors, and via the blood supply or through the lymph system relocate into other organs, thus spreading cancer throughout the body if left untreated. Generally, if a lump is smaller than one centimeter, it is considered benign, although every woman should consult her doctor about any unusual bumps or feeling in the chest. One sign of breast cancer results from ductal cancer in the breast. A once hollow open tube could be completely clogged up with cancerous cells thus leaving an awkward feeling in the chest area. Other complications that result from this cancer and others is on top of the clogging and cramming of the system, the body's need to not only supply for itself, but for the large tumors. Recently genes have been touted as a great cause of cancer. It now is thought among the medical community that while there are definite environmental contributors to cancer, even those people who are exposed to few carcinogens may suffer from disease that runs in their families. Among the genes that is being heavily researched is the gene BRCA1. In one of Breast Cancer :: Health Breast Cancer In the United States in 2005 alone, 43,063 died from breast cancer. It is the number two cancer killer and the number one cancer in females ages 15 to 54. On average if a woman gets this disease, their life expectancy drops nineteen and a half years. This cancer is within the top three cancers of all woman above the age of 15, and comprises 6% of all health care costs in the U.S. totaling an astounding 35 billion dollars a year. An average woman is said to have a one in thirty chance of getting the cancer, but if that person had family history of the disease, their chances have been measured up to a one in six chance. Sixty ©nine percent of African ©American women survive from it, and there are predicted to be nearly two million new cases reported this year in the U.S. The disease is breast cancer. Breast cancer is a group of rapidly reproducing, undifferentiated cells in the area of the breast in women. The earliest changes occur in the epithelial cells of the terminal end buds (TEB) of the breast milk ductal system. While the outlining steps of breast cancer are unknown, the cells in the breast trigger a reaction of cell reproduction. These new cancer cells form tumors. If cancer cells are active or are considered malign, the tumor grows at tremendous speeds, and may end up in metastasis. Metastasis is a complex process in which cells break away from their primary tumors, and via the blood supply or through the lymph system relocate into other organs, thus spreading cancer throughout the body if left untreated. Generally, if a lump is smaller than one centimeter, it is considered benign, although every woman should consult her doctor about any unusual bumps or feeling in the chest. One sign of breast cancer results from ductal cancer in the breast. A once hollow open tube could be completely clogged up with cancerous cells thus leaving an awkward feeling in the chest area. Other complications that result from this cancer and others is on top of the clogging and cramming of the system, the body's need to not only supply for itself, but for the large tumors. Recently genes have been touted as a great cause of cancer. It now is thought among the medical community that while there are definite environmental contributors to cancer, even those people who are exposed to few carcinogens may suffer from disease that runs in their families. Among the genes that is being heavily researched is the gene BRCA1. In one of

Teaching Essay -- Pedagogy

Thus suggesting practitioners should embrace and accept the approach enabling them to â€Å"adopt learning strategies that embed the acquisition of knowledge and skills into meaningful context† (Macleod-Brudenell and Kay, 2008, p.311). Moss and Petrie (2002) support this concept by stating â€Å"pedagogy can be used to refer to whole domain of social responsibility for children, for their well-being, learning and competence† (p.138). Pugh and Duffy (2006) suggest a pedagogue is the one who leads and educates children’s learning. This effectively impacts upon children’s learning and enables them to become confident learners. As well as encouraging children to be in control of their own interests and learning (Every child matters, 2004). Allen and Whalley (2010) adopt Whalley, Allen and Wilson’s (2008) notion that the role of the practitioner is extremely significant and address the idea that effective pedagogy is about improving outcomes for children’s learning. Therefore in order to provide an effective provision for children to learn and grow in practitioners must be able to maintain positive interactions with the children. Allen and Whalley (2009) adopt Curtis and O’Hagan’s (2009, p. 156) concept that theorists such as Bruner and Vygotsky have influenced pedagogy by placing â€Å"emphasis upon the importance of the adult in facilitating children’s learning†. This promotes children’s learning. Good practice would be for the practitioners to try to extend and build upon the child’s knowledge by scaffolding their learning through ideas and questions (Bee and Boyd, 2007). Additionally, Allen and Whalley (2010, p.7) highlight the forth theme of the EYFS as â€Å"positive relationships†. Bruce (2008) resonates with the National strategies (2009) no... ...one year. Partnership with parents provides the teachers to be able to get to understand the child’s family to gain a greater knowledge basis of the child’s needs. Curtis and O’Hagan (2009) illustrate that parents and teachers meet up throughout the school year to discuss any problems they or the children may be having. This is good practice as it ensures the practitioners are receiving all the information they can to help support the children within their care to reach their full potential. Reggio Emilia however, believes in continual assessment. This concept expects practitioners to record and review what children say and do on a regular basis. This system is viewed by parents at any point. Reggio Emilia values this system very highly and ensures parents know they are completing a reflective and extensive process that can help contribute to children’s learning.

The Role of Business in Foreign Policy Essay -- Foreign Policy

Throughout the course of American history, business-related interests have played a predominant role in influencing foreign policy. Foreign policy determines how America conducts its relations with other countries. It is designed to further certain goals such as security and trade. More importantly foreign policy seeks to ensure America’s security and defense and its ability to protect America’s national interests around the world. National interests that shape foreign policy covers a wide range of political, economic, military, ideological, and humanitarian fields. This is the stand the United States has taken in the last decades in regards to foreign policy. While the US government conducts its foreign policy, the public is kept purposefully unaware of the motives behind some major decisions it takes and most of the operations related to foreign policy. Even though the US foreign policy is set to protect its well being and to spread democracy, I think the US foreign p olicy is not only influenced by business but is controlled by those with these business-related interests as well. In this essay I will argue the magnitude of the influence of business on foreign policy in the United Sates government. For most of America's history, foreign policy has reflected an obsession with open markets for American business. Democracy and capitalism are associated with open markets, and the US has made the spread of democracy and capitalism across the world a priority. The US has been anticipating the Arab Spring; the fall of the tyrants in the Middle East opens unexploited markets. This opens new markets that have been controlled by dictators like Muammar Qaddafi who expressed their hatred to the US and anything associated to it. The spread ... ...we come to notice that beneath a multitude of causes influencing the flow of history, lays a valid and strong economic one. Works Cited Ells, Mark Van. 1998. "No Blood For Oil: Protesting the Persian Gulf War". Journal for the Study of Peace and Conflict Garten E. Jeffrey. 1997. " Business and Foreign Policy". Office of Foreign Affairs Jacobs, R. Lawrence . 2005. " Who Inï ¬â€šuences U.S. Foreign Policy?" Vol. 99, No. 1. American Political Science Review. Mandelbaum, Michael. 2010. The Frugal Superpower: America's Global Leadership in a Cash-Strapped Era. New York: PublicAffairs books. Sean , M. Lynn-Jones. 1998. "Why the United States Should Spread Democracy." Discussion Paper 98-07, Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University Shaw, F. Eugene. 1979. ‘Agenda-setting and mass communication theory’, 25, 2 , p.101. Gazette

EDocs Study Questions Essay

This case concerns the negotiation of a venture capital investment between Charles River Ventures (CRV) and the founders of eDocs. eDocs (Kevin Laracey) and CRV (Jonathan Guerster) must decide what terms they would like to negotiate. Negotiation roles are given in an accompanying spreadsheet. Please review the study questions (page 2) and the poll questions (pages 3 and 4) – I will use these questions as a basis for class discussion. The point of the poll questions is to force people to think specifically about trading off deal terms for price, and to see how these tradeoffs vary across teams. Statistics from the poll results will be discussed in class. In your case memo, please include a term sheet signed by one member of each team. Please make sure that the term sheets from both sides of the transaction match. It is not necessary to reproduce the entire term sheet for the case; instead, you can sign an â€Å"amended term sheet† that includes only the provisions that have changed from the original; please also include any amendments to the terms discussed in Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of the case). If the teams could not reach an agreement, please say this explicitly in your case memo. The memos should include all the answers to the â€Å"poll questions† for your team (pages 3 and 4) and some logical support for these answers. These poll questions are effectively the starred (*) questions for this memo. You are also free to answer/discuss any of the study questions (see page 2) or any other issues that were important in your negotiation. Grades on these memos will depend on the logical coherence of your negotiating strategy and answers to the poll questions (as described in the memo) and may depend on the relative success of your negotiation (judged vs. other teams). It is possible to negotiate against intransigent counterparties, come to no agreement, and yet explain this well and write an excellent case memo. Please restrict your memos to be no more than five pages (not including the term sheet). A well-written memo of three pages beats a rambling five-page memo any day. There are two sets of poll questions: one set for the eDocs team and one set for the CRV team. I apologize for stating the obvious, but here it goes: eDocs teams should answer only the eDocs poll and CRV teams should answer  only the CRV poll. eDocs A startup e-commerce company is looking for its first-round of venture capital. A prominent VC is interested, and the parties must bargain over terms and price. 1) Is eDocs a good fit for CRV? If you were CRV, is this the kind of company you want to invest in? 2) Is CRV a good fit for eDocs? If you were eDocs, is this the kind of VC you want as an early-stage investor? 3) What are the most contentious terms for negotiation? 4) (*) How did your team decide on the relative value of these terms? 5) With the experience of this negotiation behind you, how would you have handled it differently? Poll Questions: eDocs NOTE: There is not just one â€Å"correct† answer for any of these questions, so don’t go crazy trying to figure it out. Also, for Questions 2 and 3, we do not expect any specific quantitative analysis. There are, however, good reasons why you might care more or less about the issues raised in all of the questions: please discuss these reasons in your memo and use them to guide your answers. One thing that is true: all of your answers to these questions should have X greater than or equal to $1. If you want to give an answer less than $1, then you are misunderstanding the question. 1) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that eliminates the participation described in the â€Å"liquidation† section of the term sheet. That is, you have offered that CRV pay $1 per share for regular convertible preferred stock with no participation feature. They counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the participation option. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep participation? 2) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that accelerates the vesting as described in the â€Å"Founders Stock, Options & Vesting† section of the term sheet. That is, you have offered the same terms as the original spreadsheet, except that founder’s shares vest immediately. CRV counters with an offer of $X per  share while keeping the same vesting schedule. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep the original schedule? 3) You have made a counteroffer to CRV that adds Kris Canekeratne to the Board of Directors. CRV, concerned that the board would be too large, counters with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same board composition as in the original term sheet. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep the original board composition? 4) Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of case) includes a condition under which CRV will receive extra warrants if they finance the entire round. You have made a counteroffer that removes this provision. CRV counters with an offer of $X per share while keeping the extra warrant condition. What is the lowest value of X for which you would be willing to let them keep this condition? Poll Questions: CRV NOTE: There is not just one â€Å"correct† answer for any of these questions, so don’t go crazy trying to figure it out. Also, for Questions 2 and 3, we do not expect any specific quantitative analysis. There are, however, good reasons why you might care more or less about the issues raised in all of the questions: please discuss these reasons in your memo and use them to guide your answers. One thing that is true: all of your answers to these questions should have X greater than or equal to $1. If you want to give an answer less than $1, then you are misunderstanding the question. 1) eDocs has made a counteroffer to you that eliminated the participation described in the â€Å"liquidation† section of the term sheet. That is, they have offered that you pay $1 per share for regular convertible preferred stock with no participation feature. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the participation option. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order keep the participation? 2) eDocs has made a counteroffer to you that accelerates the vesting as described in the â€Å"Founders Stock, Options & Vesting† section of the term  sheet. That is, they have offered the same terms as the original spreadsheet, except that founder’s shares vest immediately. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same vesting schedule. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep the original vesting schedule? 3) eDocs has made a counteroffer to CRV that adds Kris Canekeratne to the Board of Directors. You are concerned that the board would be too large and are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the same board composition as in the original term sheet. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep the board composition as described in the term sheet? 4) Guerster’s letter to Laracey (page 22 of case) includes a condition under which CRV will receive extra warrants if they finance the entire round. eDocs has made a counteroffer that removes this provision. You are preparing to counter with an offer of $X per share while keeping the extra warrant condition. What is the highest value of X you would be willing to offer in order to keep this condition?

Concept Of Public Administration

The government is set up to help and serve the people of its nation. The primary focus of the government is to provide, protect, and serve its citizens. In order for the government to remain accountable and to be effective, the field of com/public-administration-and-management-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-partnerships-in-terms-of-improving-service-delivery-and-accountability/">public administration was created to provide checks to the citizens to make sure the government is being held accountable. Public administration is defined as † Public administration entails civil servants implementing a specified policy within the confines of a government executive framework.Public administrators ensure that every facet of federal, state, and local public services are offered and executed to help pave the way for the future. † The biggest challenge of being in public administration is making sure that you are being held accountable and doing what is right and not what is popular . First, one the biggest obstacle in public administration is leadership and management in this field. Making sure that a public administrator is someone who is going to do what is right and fair is hard to find.Not only that being a public administrator and making everyone happy is nearly impossible due to the fact that everyone wants different things and plans. Next, the major functions in publis administration are a public administrator must be fair, firm, and consistent. A public administrator must be fair in all instances and cannot have favorites because this create dishonesty and a loss of trust. This can hamper the effectiveness of the organization all together. Next, a public administrator has to be firm.This means that many different people are going to question and ponder their decisions that are made. The public administrator has to be confident in their decision and stand by them. Next, must allows remain accountable and ethical. A public administrator cannot back track or place the blame on someone else if a decision they made does not go well. Next, a public administrator must be consistent. If they do one thing in a situation then when similar situation arises they need to continue to act in the same fashion as they first did.Next, one of the be\biggest obstacles with being in public administration is always making sure you are acting politically correct in context . This becomes very difficult because it seems there is always someone who can get offended by everything someone says or does. This become problematic when comes to dealing with public administration issues. One of the biggest obstacles is holding the government accountable and having intergovernmental relationships. A lot of public administration jobs are used in the sense that they hold politicians accountable for their jobs and the bills they pass.They are suppose to make sure the government is doing their job. † Government policy analysts are responsible for creating progr am policy and then evaluating its effectiveness. Policy analysts introduce pertinent decisions with data sets and hypotheses regarding the possible effects of the proposed policy. Afterward, they critique the results and then make adjustments according to need. † Often times when the government does not meet the demands of the people, it is the public administration field that is held accountable not the politician on why these actions were allowed to take place.The biggest challenges is applying the intergovernmental relations which is the finding of that middle ground of where the people are satisfied that you are holding the government accountable but at the same time making sure the politician is happy and does not wither defund you or fire you because you were holding them too accountable. Finally, when looking at public administration as a whole the biggest aspect is not to get too concerned and overwhelmed by the job given too you. Organizational behavior plays a major role in making decisions and learning how to appease the public.Sometimes public administrators are so concerned with perception they forget to go back to the basics and think like a person. Being in public administration does not or should not mean a bunch of red tape. It should be about providing a service to the people and making sure the people are given a voice. Sometimes, the easiest solution is human relations and realizing that the answers are always in front of us we just have remember that we are people too and rules and regulations do not make society function.Finally, when having to deal with budget restranits it is not always easy to accomplish the necessary goals. In conclusion, public administration is a very demanding job with high risks but great rewards. When looking at the biggest problems with public administration it is clear that with many problems the most important thing is to always be firm, fair, and consistent. By adhering to these rules it allows for a pe rson serving the people to always remain accountable and not to stress if they made the right decision.

Reading methods

English 1001 requires you to take additional classes including English 105 and 106, personally I do not like this method of classes but I do enjoy my 105 class out of all of them, because of this I am always given tons of reading material! In my 1001 class I recently read an article called â€Å"O. K. Glass† by Gary Shteyngart which is an article about the glasses developed by Google that can take pictures, record video, enable video chat with another person over Skype, and many other functions.When I was reading this article about 2 weeks ago it became extremely confusing to figure out ho was talking either the author or the person he was interviewing. I used this article to write a critical examination essay, examining the aspects of the article and deciding whether I agreed with the author or not. The Reading was about how the author was able to get ahold of a pair Google Glass and he was invited by Google to attend their Google Basecamp, which was to teach him about the fu nctions of Google Glass and all the possibilities using these glasses could produce.Shteyngart went around interviewing people on what they thought of Glass and also conducted his wn tests on it as a part of this article. For this reading I chose KWL+, personally I feel this strategy works the best for me it helps me remember what I read and shows me what I already knew. Some of the questions I came up with for this reading were why did Google not make the glasses compatible with Apple products, I realize they are competitors but more than 70% of the population that would buy Google Glass has an Apple IPhone.The reason you want the glasses to be compatible is because when they are synced the glasses they will show your phone screen through the lasses and you are also able to have a phone call without holding your phone. I also wondered about the quality of the camera on the glasses, considering the glasses are fairly small I wondered if it was as good as an IPhone camera. What I did learn from using KWL+ was that the audio recording on the glasses sounds like you are underwater when you talk, definitely something Google needs to work on.Also this accessory will only appeal to those willing to pay a hefty price tag of $1 500 for this pair of tech glasses. Even with the price tag in consideration almost everyone thinks hey are awesome: â€Å"that is so dope' says a college studentm (O. K. Glass). I believe Google Glass definitely has a place in todays society of ever advancing technology, 10 years ago something like this would be unheard of as well as way over the price tag of $1500.If Google is able to work out the kinks with the compatibility with Apple products I think the glasses will sell even better, and also working out the issues with the voice recognition. Shteyngart's article was relatively unbiased, it really did a great job of focusing on what the people thought of the glasses and what didn't work and hat worked straight forward and no deceptive sta tistics were in the article. One thing that helps Google Glass is that it is the first of its kind, nothing like this is available anywhere else.The glasses are scheduled to be released in 2014 so we will have to wait and see if Google is able to work out the kinks with its product. I plan to research the Glasses when the first real reviews come out in 2014 because I am excited to see if they are really worth buying. I will definitely use the KWL+ strategy again because it works the best for me and helps me retain information doesn't work well I will use ole faithful, KWL+.

Benefits of eating dark chocolate Essay

Although it seems too good to be true, dark chocolate can actually be good for you! Despite the fact that sweets are not the healthiest food in the world, dark chocolate, when consumed in moderation, has some powerful benefits, not only for the mood, but also for the body. However, only dark chocolate is beneficial for health, not white, semi-sweet, milk or any other type of chocolate. Most people think that everything chocolate-related is unhealthy and they always feel guilty after eating chocolate, even though it makes them feel happier. After eating dark chocolate you will feel the feeling of falling in love. In fact, it stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that bring on feelings of pleasure. Happiness may be a bite away, you just need some delicious dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is good for the body. The darker the chocolate is, the less sugar will contain. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate two or three times each week can help lower your blood pressure and it increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate also helps combat beauty’s public enemy number one: Stress. Less stress hormones mean less collagen breakdown in the skin, so fewer wrinkles. Chocolate can surely provide some powerful health benefits. Of course this does not mean that people should consume lots of chocolate every day. Therefore eat a square or two after dinner and enjoy the awesome taste without feeling guilty.

Case analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case analysis - Assignment Example The problems at the company started when Don Smith took over the firm. The biggest mistake that was made by the Mr. Smith when he acquired the company was that he did so through a highly leveraged transaction that drastically increased the long term debt of the company. A company that had a policy under the leadership of Blake of not mortgaging the opening of any new store became burdened by debt. A second issue at Friendly was conflicts of interest between TRC, Smith, and Friendly. Smith was both owners of TRC and Friendly. He approved a lot of dubious contracts including two shared costs programs of an Illinois office, where the company had no presence, and leasing agreement of a jet with TRC. There were also conflicts of interest in the board of directors which had some members that were dual board of directors of both companies. A third major issue at the firm was that its chairman was misusing company funds for personal expenses such as using the private jet for personal reasons . A fourth major issue at the firm was the lackluster financial performance of the company. The company lost over $30 million between 2005 and 2006. In 2007 the company achieved profits, but its net margin was a very thin at 0.9%. The net margin ratio measures the absolute profitability of a company (Peavler). A potential solution for the shareholders of the company is to sell off the shares of the company all at once. The problem with this solution is that a selling frenzy might further erode the price of the stocks driving it to become a penny stock. A second solution for the firm is to force the resignation of Don Smith. The problem with this solution is that his resignation would have to be forced by the board of directors and Smith has them on his pocket. A third solution is for the shareholders of the company to unite in the efforts of Sadar Biglari to turn around the company by getting two seats in

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises Literature review - 1

The Impact of Globalisation on BRIC Economises - Literature review Example Therefore, BRIC is expected to bring forth changes in the list of the greatest world economies in the near future. On the other hand, BRIC economies are not similar, though they are in the investment classification, whereby others having political and economic alliances, which are from the groups. Nevertheless, among these countries, China has made significant achievement, thereby making them eliminate the need for alliances. BRIC has made a significant effort in conversion of the growing economic influence into a political power, through summits comprising of analysts (The State University of New York, 2011, 1). In this case, the analyst work together in the BRIC countries in order to establish a future economic partnersip in these countries, whereby China will dominate in manufactured goods, provision of services is dominated by India while the field of material supply is dominated by Russia and Brazil (EconomyWatch, 2010, 1). Globalisation has been attributed to the acceleration of international economic integration, which has been unexpected in numerous ways. However, there are expectations that this might contribute to the vulnerability of workers in BRIC economies. There are resenting developments in the world concerning the increased importance of emerging economies, for instance, China has become a large exporter, whereby it has raised its reputation in international production networks entailing off shore business. Therefore, globalisation has enabled these countries to work together in order to counter well-established interests and organizational structures. The relationship between America and Europe has been substantial in facilitating the developments between the BRIC countries. Globalization in BRIC countries that are attributed to integration with the inputs, finished goods and services, which are underscored by increased business transactions in the world trade. In fact, the ratio of trade-to –trade GDP and the shares of

Slow Internet Surfing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slow Internet Surfing - Essay Example Although spyware potentially harm computers in many ways, the most obvious effect of spyware infection is on surfing speed. When we get connected, the spyware automatically begin sending personal information without the knowledge of the computer user. In this way, the computer user believes he is receiving and sending his required information although in reality, his personal information is being uploaded without his notice or permission. This stealth process slows down the net surfing significantly and the user wonders what might be the actual problem for this dead slow speed. Apparently, computer users tend to believe that this problem can be overcome through installing anti-spyware software as all of the anti-spyware promise to search and destroy every kind of spyware within no time. However, it is not that easy, nor a recommended approach. In fact, the computer user has to be extra cautious while giving information online. Here are a few steps that are helpful for effectively blocking and preventing the spyware from infecting computers. Every time we visit a website, some temporary files are downloaded automaticall

Security Fundamental Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Security Fundamental - Research Paper Example Moreover, by utilizing IPv6 addressing scheme, brute force and other associated probe attacks can be prevented and for private IP addressing scheme, it will not be accessible from the external networks. In order to enforce a strong password policy, easy and guessable passwords must not be set. Moreover, there are certain rules that must be followed such as (Graves, n.d): The password must be kept confidential Password must be updated on periodic basis Password must be difficult to guess Passwords must be alphanumeric Maintaining password history for eliminating old password reusability Enabling Role based Access Control 256 bit encryption for passwords Enable self-password management for resetting and creating own passwords (Kim & Solomon,) one of the most tried and successful attacks for gaining password are brute force attacks, as the attacker tries different passwords until he retrieves the successful password. Likewise, the trend of this attack has forced network security experts to enforce password policies containing all the factors mentioned above. However, a continual improvement cycle is required for a sustainable password policy management system within the organization. After discussing the password policy, authentication is also an essential component for granting access to genuine users on data and servers. As per the scenario, a triple factor authentication model will be recommended. Likewise, a combination of password and access code is required to gain access to data and networks. Some of the examples include fingerprints or voice recognition along with password or retina scan with password. Moreover, for addressing repudiation issues, digital signatures can be used that will be provided by the third party i.e. Certificate Authority. A digital signature is simply a message that is digitally signed by the sender’s private key and can only be verified by anyone who possess or has access to the sender’s public key, therefore, proving authenticity that the sender has access to the private key (Argentina, 2009). Similarly, the â€Å"CA certi?cates are digital certi?cates issued by one certi?cation authority (CA) for another CA. CA certi?cate identi?es the certi?cation authority (CA) that issues server and client authentication certi?cates to the servers and clients that request these certi?cates. Because it contains a public key used in digital signatures, it is also referred to as a signature certi?cate. If the CA is a root authority, the CA certi?cate may be referred to as a root certi?cate† (CA certificate.2007). Likewise, certificate Authority framework incorporates entitle management process, self-service management, Delegation of centralized rights to administrative staff, auditing, integration, reporting, scalability options and support for server and hosts. Cost for the Plan The cost that is estimated for this security plan will be around $30000 to $40000. The detail for this estimated amount is dem onstrated below: Cisco Router or Manageable Switch $20,000 to $25,000 Cisco ASA Firewall with Network and Host based Intrusion detection system $10,000 Dell Power Edge Server along with Windows Server 2008 operating system $2000 To sustain and secure data and computer networks of the electronic company, there are other factors that need to be addressed apart

Compare and contrast the ways in which two plays investigate the Essay

Compare and contrast the ways in which two plays investigate the question of gender - Essay Example Both the plays explore the depths of lust, power and money through the struggles of the characters, who are in a quest after it. In this article, we discuss by comparing and contrasting the various themes, characterization and ideology of the two plays, particularly investigating the question of gender. Women Beware Women: The play Women Beware Women was originally written by Thomas Middleton in 1657 and later on, in 1879, Howard Barker, one of the prolific playwrights of that period, revamped it to the modern world audience. The play was primitively observed as a Jacobean tragedy, until when Barker replaced the Jacobean Puritanism with the ‘modern’ adaptation, putting forward his views on the redemption power of sex. According to the Barker’s version of the play, Women Beware Women tells the story of Bianca, a rich daughter, who elopes with her love, Leantio and lives secretly in his mother’s place. Despite her husband’s exhortation, the Duke of Flo rence determines to lure her with the help of Livia, a wealthy widow in the neighborhood. Bianca is seduced by Duke and turns to be his mistress leaving her husband. Parallel to it goes the story of Isabella, who engages in an affair with her uncle, Hippolito, with the help of his sister Livia, and later is forced for a marriage with a rich foolish Ward. On the night before the wedding of Bianca, she is raped by Sordido, as a punishment for her acquisitive complicity for the Duke’s seduction. However, the Ward is not ever a fool and has pretended to be so for hiding his despair for Isabella. By the end, Livia is reformed as a liberated woman with a highly igniting passion towards Leantio. Cloud Nine The two-act play Cloud Nine is written by Caryl Churchill in 1979 with the workshops of Joint Stock Theatre Company. In the first Act, the characters are set in the backdrop of Victorian era, when the British colonialism was in full swing. However, in the second Act, the setting i s changed to a reformed culture in London during 1979, when the Victorian ideology of restrictions are loosened yet several other forms of repression exist in the society. In Act I, Clive, the British colonial administrator, lives with his wife Betty, son Edward and daughter Victoria. Meanwhile, Harry Bagley, an explorer and Mrs. Saunders, a widow arrives seeking protection from the natives. Matters start changing dramatically in the family when Clive ogles with Mrs. Saunders, while Betty fancies Harry, whereas Harry gets intimate with the servant Joshua. The governess Ellen reveals her lesbian nature which is confronted by Clive, forcing her into a marriage with Harry, even after his gay sexuality is disclosed. The play forwards with the marriage celebration, where Mrs. Saunders is kicked out by Clive for her disgusting behavior with Betty for kissing Clive. The Act ends with Joshua pointing a gun at him when he starts to initiate a speech for the couple. Act II happens a few decad es later in a setting in London and the characters are grown up. Betty, after leaving Clive, lives with her daughter Victoria, who is now married to Martin, an authoritarian husband. Edward, in the new scenario, is openly gay, leading a relationship with Gerry, whereas, Victoria begins a lesbian relationship with Lin. However, Edward discovers that he is bisexual and moves in with Lin and Victoria. Finally, Victoria leaves Martin and goes for living together with Lin and