Discussant assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussant - Assignment Example In order to increase its revenue and attract more customers, the cruise line has to offer longer duration of their cruises. The cruises should have options of one to three months in order to cub competitors who are also in the game. The stock prices of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings are too high, hence limiting shareholders (Baldwin 8). The shares should be affordable in order to attract more customers. The company should also improve its services in order to attract better investors and to make them buy the stock without considering share prices (Baldwin 20). According to customer review carried out on the cruise ships, the Carnival Corporation PLC had the most reviews. However, these reviews indicated that they are not the best when it comes to customer satisfaction (Baldwin 12). Comparing the cruises Royal, Carnival and Norwegian, the customer review was 78%, 73% and 70% respectively (Baldwin 12). This shows that Carnival does not offer the best customer service in the cruise ship industry. The customers’ reviews of NCLH are the poorest compared to their rivals. This means the cruise line should offer better customer service and be more polite in order to maintain the loyal customers and attract new customers (Baldwin 4). The cabin crew members should be polite and can listen to the customers. Also, meals offered on cruises should be improved to enable customers notice it immediately. Entertainment on board is important and should be a variety for the people to choose (Baldwin 10). Employee satisfaction could improve their services to the customers a great deal. At all times, employees deserve to be treated with respect and paid their dues well to enable them deliver the organizational goals (Griffin 300). A happy employee means a happy customer and a happy customer equals loyalty and thus the growth of the company. Moreover, NCLH

Tourism: Vital To The Caribbean Region

Tourism: Vital To The Caribbean Region The impact of tourism on the physical environment has both negatively and positively affected the natural resources of Caribbean countries. Over the years more people are engaging in eco-tourism which forces the people of a county to preserve its wild life, flora and fauna, which are seen as tourism assets. When fees are charge to visit the preserved tourism assets of a country it assists to generate funds to aid in maintenance and protection of the tourism assets. Therefore tourist interest in ecotourism can be sustained for the country. Negatively, the tourists can have a destructive effect on a countrys ecological system. The Caribbean has coral reefs which are infamous for containing rare species of animal life. By tourist engaging in the water activities such as diving and snorkelling, they are directly affecting the endangered species which will seek to migrate when there habitat is being invaded. The endangered species may also die. In addition engaging in water sports will ca use physical damage to the coral reef which will destroy it. Economically tourism has significantly played a major role in the development of many Caribbean countries. Due to tourism, of jobs have an abundance been created in the Caribbean directly and indirectly. According to (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2012) In 2011 Travel and Tourism accounted for 614,000 jobs in the Caribbean directly from the Travel and tourism industry, this figure is expected to increase by 1.7% in 2012. The creation of jobs provides an income and the multiplier effect comes into play whereas those persons who are directly employed to the tourism industry will eventually spend their income for it to circulate in the countrys economy until it is leaked. The leakage concept states that money generated by one country is lost to another. Leakage occurs in Caribbean tourism in many forms, one of which includes chain hotels owned by foreign investors sending back profits to their home countries so the majority of the income does not remain in the Caribbean. Caribbean c ounties heavily depend on tourism for economic viability; this can be change within a day with natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes which can destroy roads, airports, hotels, because tourism is the main source of income for some Caribbean countries this would leave them helpless. Tourism encourages the public and private sectors of a country to build and improve tourism infrastructures (roads, hotels, airports etc.), leisure amenities (gyms, clubs, etc.). By doing this the local people benefits since they are able to use it for themselves even though it was intend for the tourist. Tourism inspires the local people to preserve their traditional customs, festivals, and cuisines since tourists are interested in culture. The culture of the Caribbean are often times sold by the local community members especially areas where the tourist resorts are found. This helps the community members to generate an income for themselves and their families, from which the government can increase tax revenues for the country. Though community tourist benefits the locals there are still negative impacts associated with community tourism. This includes, invasion of privacy by foreigners, drugs can be brought into the community or sold to tourist there which shows the country in a n egative light. The morals and values of local people can be lost through adaption of the foreigners culture. The relationship of tourism to the economy of Caribbean countries can be described as developing. The Caribbean is seen as the most tourism dependent region in the world, with the tourism sector contributing to 36% of the GDP (Caribbean Region: Tourism, n.d.). There are over 900,000 persons directly and indirectly employed to tourism industry according to the (Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), 2002). This figure contributes significantly to the growth of the GDP since employment will help to increase the standard of living for individuals. With tourism industry thriving for Caribbean countries others sectors that are linked to the tourism industry can benefit from the productivity such as the agriculture sector. There are however some challenges that the Caribbean tourism sector is facing. The tourism sectors of the Caribbean need to be more competitive in order to stay on top since more countries are turning to tourism as a feasible option to boosts their economy. Tourism is a c apital intensive activity which Caribbean countries rely heavily on, therefore it is essential to consider these keys variable of tourism as it relates to the Caribbean economies: the impact on GDP, Inter-sectoral impacts, balance of payments, Investment, Government revenue. Referances http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/ Rita kennedy no date http://traveltips.usatoday.com/positive-negative-effects-tourism-63336.html

Hedge Fund Policy Essay -- Economics Wealth Papers

Hedge Fund Policy What makes a hedge fund such a unique investment? And why is it so controversial? Many feel the risks of a hedge fund strongly outweigh its benefits. And with some funds, it does. But when a hedge fund strives, it has impeccable potential. It is arguable that the regulation on hedge funds, or lack there of, is what allows for so many to falter. However, despite various suggestions for policy changes, a few lemons still remain. Would changes in policy and regulation of a Hedge Fund allow it to be a more attractive investment opportunity? Although some alterations could make the hedge fund a safer investment, some risks are completely unavoidable. Ultimately, these changes may not only create more problems, but also take away from the uniqueness of this remarkable form of investment. A hedge fund is typically a private partnership invested primarily in publicly traded securities or futures. They are limited to 99 investors and require large minimum investments, which can range from $25,000 to several million dollars. Sixty five percent of the investors must have a net worth of at least $1 million. A general partner, who uses sophisticated strategies to make bets on the fund?s direction, and generally receives 20% of the profits, leads the fund. Hedge fund strategies fall into four open categories: absolute return, long/short equity, event driven, and global asset allocation. Absolute driven strategies are known as "market-neutral" funds, which seek to moderate the effects of overall market forces. Long/Short hedge funds, which represent about half of the assets in the hedge fund industry, seek to profit from underpricings by buying long, and overpricing through short selling. Event driven hedge funds ... ... able to grow and have the leverage it had, if it had not been lent the money," said Bert Ely. Though many may argue that hedge funds do more harm than good, they are still extremely popular investments and have proven to be very successful. Many have benefited with the current hedge fund policy and see no need for regulatory changes. Various proposed changes may not, in fact, be entirely beneficial. Once implemented, the suggested solutions could create more problems for the hedge fund world. And such changes would alter the characteristics that attract so many to such incredible investment opportunities. In the end, a better hedge fund policy is neither plausible nor desirable. Sources: http://library.hbs.edu/hedgefunds.htm http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~mtwomey/newspapers/100198he.html http://www.bernstein.com/perfstrat/products/ts_020401.htm

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 28~29

Twenty-eight The Sheriff To Burton, it sounded like there could be thirty or forty people wailing in the cave, let alone whatever was making the roaring noise. It might not be as easy to get rid of witnesses as he'd thought. If all the people he'd passed on the road earlier were in the cave, the SWAT snipers were going to have their work cut out for them. One thing was for sure, he couldn't let Crowe and this woman, whoever she was, leave the ranch alive. His cell phone rang and he pushed the answer button. â€Å"What?† He set his gun down and covered his ear to shut out the noise from the cave. â€Å"Nailsworth here,† the Spider said. â€Å"They're on the way. Give it forty minutes. And there's no other entrance to that cave.† Burton was not happy, having to lie in this crevice for another forty minutes, but once the SWAT team arrived, it would be over. â€Å"Nailsworth, shot in the dark here, but have you ever heard of someone calling themselves Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Wasteland?† â€Å"The Outland,† the Spider corrected. â€Å"Warrior Babe of the Outland. Of course, only the finest series of nuked-out future movies ever made. Kendra's a huge star. Was a huge star. Molly Michon was the actress's name. Why?† â€Å"Never mind. One of the suspects thinks she's a comedian.† â€Å"If you want some of the cassettes, I can let you have some copies for twenty bucks apiece. I've got almost the whole collection.† â€Å"Nailsworth, you're a pathetic piece of shit.† Burton disconnected. The wailing was still coming from the cave and the woman was screaming something he couldn't make out. Molly Theo's sneakers were still showing, sticking out between Steve's teeth. Molly grabbed her broadsword, ran up the Sea Beast's foreleg, and leapt onto his broad neck. She brought the broadsword down hard between his eyes and the impact made her hands go numb. â€Å"Spit him out! Spit him out!† Steve tossed his head, trying to throw her off, but she gripped him with her thighs and hacked away at his head. Chunks of his scales flew off and the blade sparked. â€Å"Spit him out! Spit him out!† Molly screamed, punctu-ating the panicked chant with blows from the sword. She'd seen this before. She knew that if she heard a crunch, Theo was finished. The Sea Beast opened his jaws to deliver the coup de grace and Molly could hear a gurgling scream come from Theo. She leapt to her feet on Steve's forehead, put the tip of the broadsword in the corner of his eye, and prepared to leap on the hilt to drive it into his eye socket. â€Å"Spit him out! Now!† Steve went cross-eyed trying to see his attacker, then made a grunting noise and hacked the constable out on the cave floor. He whipped his head and Molly went fly ing, hitting her back hard on the cave wall ten feet away and sliding down. The pilgrims' wails turned to sobs as Steve slunk to the back of the cave. Theo, mired in a puddle of blood, bat guano, and dragon spit, pushed himself up on his hands and knees and looked to Molly. â€Å"You okay?† he gasped. She nodded. â€Å"I think so. You?† Theo nodded and looked down to make sure his legs were still there. â€Å"Yeah.† He crawled over to her and sat back against the cave wall beside her, still heaving to get his breath back. â€Å"Nice friends you have. Why'd he stop?† â€Å"I think his feelings are hurt.† â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"He'll get over it. He's a big boy.† Despite himself, Theo started laughing, and before long he and Molly were leaning against each other, giggling uncontrollably. â€Å"Steve, huh?† Theo said. â€Å"He looks like a Steve, don't you think?† Molly said. Theo wiped the dragon spit from his mouth and leaned over to kiss her. She caught his chin in her hand and pushed him away. â€Å"Bad idea.† Another roar rose from the back of the cave, this one less angry and more sad than the last. â€Å"I guess so,† Theo said. â€Å"What in the hell is going on in there, Crowe?† Burton called from outside. â€Å"You don't have a lot of time to dick around here. There's a SWAT team on the way. What do you want?† â€Å"I don't even know what the hell you're talking about,† Theo shouted. â€Å"What do you want to walk away from this? Leave the state. Forget everything. How much? Give me a figure.† Theo looked at Molly as if she might have the answer. She said, â€Å"I thought we made our demands pretty clear.† â€Å"He's not going to let me go, Molly. And now he's not going to let you go either. If there's a SWAT team on the way, we're in big trouble.† â€Å"I need to go talk to Steve.† Molly stood and walked between the sobbing pilgrims to the back of the cave. Theo watched her fade into the dark where the Sea Beast was pulsing with dim spots of green and blue. Theo rubbed his eyes to try to clear his vision. â€Å"Well, Crowe? What'll it be?† â€Å"Make me an offer,† Theo said, trying to figure out some kind of insurance. Something that would keep him alive more than two seconds after he stepped out of the cave. â€Å"I'll give you a hundred thousand. It's a fair offer, Crowe. You can't prove anything anyway, not if Leander is dead. Take the money and walk away.† â€Å"I'm dead,† Theo said to himself. The size of the bluff offer itself betrayed Burton's seriousness. There was no way he was letting Theo get away alive. â€Å"We'll talk it over!† Theo shouted. His head was throbbing from the pistol whipping he'd taken and the vision in his left eye was blurry. His cell phone chirped from within the pile of pilgrims' clothing and he scrambled through the clothes and pill bottles to find it. His vision went black with the move-ment and he had to steady himself until it cleared. He found the phone nestled in a pair of panty hose and hit the answer button. Steve He knew an enemy when he saw one. He could sense waves of aggression and fear coming from them, and he had felt those things coming from his warmblood lover. He could feel the fear even now as she approached him through the feeder people. Why, if she was going to find another mate, did she go to the trouble of unwrapping the feeder people for him? He didn't mind being hit with the sharp thing, that felt good, he thought she wanted to mate again, but when she put it in his eye, he knew she would have killed him. He felt it. She had turned her loyalties to another. He considered biting off her head to show her how badly he felt. He tucked his head under his foreleg as she approached. She rubbed his gill tree and he sent a bolt of scarlet over his back to tell her to stop. â€Å"I'm sorry, Steve. I don't have many friends. I couldn't let you eat Theo.† He could sense benevolence in her tone, but he didn't trust her now. Maybe he would just bite off an arm as a test. His back pulsed magenta and blue. â€Å"You have to go, Steve. There's a SWAT team coming. You can get past that guy outside without a problem. In fact, you can eat that guy outside if you want. In fact, I'd really appreciate it if you'd eat that guy outside.† She stepped back from him. â€Å"Steve, you have to get out of here or they're going to kill you.† He pulsed a dull olive drab to her and tucked his head farther under his foreleg. She wanted him to go away, he could feel it. And he wanted to go away, but he didn't want her to want him to go away. He knew she could never be what he wanted, and he understood never now, but he didn't want the warmblood to have her either. Colors ran like sorrow over his scales. â€Å"I'm not rejecting you,† Molly said. â€Å"I'm trying to save your life.† She pushed through the pilgrims, who were all on their knees sobbing, and one woman, a thirtyish redhead with gravity-defying fake breasts, grabbed her arm. â€Å"I can sacrifice,† the woman said. â€Å"I can.† Molly pulled her arm away from the woman. â€Å"Fuck off, lady,† Molly said, â€Å"Martyrdom's easy, it comes with the plumbing.† Theo It was only when he answered the cell phone that Theo realized one of Burton's blows had caught him on the ear. â€Å"Ouch! Goddamn it. Ouch!† Theo limped around in a circle, despite the fact that his limbs weren't injured at all. â€Å"Theo?† Gabe said, his voice tinny in the receiver. â€Å"Yeah, it's me.† Theo changed the phone to his other ear, but still held it a few inches away, now that it had bitten him once. â€Å"Where are you? Who answered your phone?† â€Å"That was Molly Michon. We're in that cave up on the ranch where the mushroom farm used to be. Burton has us pinned in here and he's called in a SWAT team.† â€Å"Have you seen it?† â€Å"Yeah, I've seen it, Gabe. I think you were right about the brain chemistry thing. There's a bunch of people here all tranced out, saying they were called to give sacrifice. They all have prescriptions written by Val.† â€Å"Wow,† Gabe said. â€Å"Wow. What's it look like?† â€Å"It's large, Gabe.† â€Å"Could you be more specific?† â€Å"Look, Gabe, we need some help. Burton is going to kill us. I need witnesses up here so he can't claim that we fired on his men. Call the TV station and the paper. Get a news helicopter up here.† Theo felt Molly grab his shoulder. He turned to see her shaking her head. â€Å"Just a second, Gabe.† He covered the mouthpiece with his hand. â€Å"No reporters, Theo.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because if they find out about Steve, they'll put him in a cage or kill him. No reporters. No cameras.† She gripped his shoulder until it hurt and tears welled up in her eyes. â€Å"Please.† Theo nodded. â€Å"Gabe,† he said into the phone, â€Å"Forget the reporters. No news people. No cameras. You guys come, though. I need witnesses here that don't work for Burton.† â€Å"You said there were a bunch of people there?† â€Å"They're all out of it, I don't think they're worth a damn. Besides, they're naked.† There was a pause. Gabe said, â€Å"Why are they naked?† Theo looked to Molly, â€Å"Why are they naked?† â€Å"To deter them from coming into the cave.† â€Å"To deter them from coming into the cave,† Theo said into the phone. â€Å"Well, that didn't work very well, did it?† Gabe said. â€Å"Why didn't she scare them off with the creature?† â€Å"That's what I've been telling you, Gabe. They're here to be with the creature.† â€Å"Fascinating. And Molly has control over him?† Theo looked at the dragon spit running down his jeans. â€Å"Not exactly. Gabe, please, bring Val and get your ass up here. You can claim to be here for scientific reasons or something. Val can say she's a trained hostage ne-gotiator. These people are her patients; that should help her credibility. Bring as many people as you can.† Molly grabbed Theo's arm again and shook her head. â€Å"Just the people who already know.† Theo cursed under his breath. â€Å"Scratch that, Gabe. Just you and Val. Don't tell anyone else.† â€Å"Mavis and Howard and Catfish know already.† â€Å"Just them. Please, Gabe, borrow Mavis's car and get up here.† â€Å"Theo, this isn't going to help you much. We might keep you from getting killed, but Burton is still going to arrest you guys. You know it. And once he gets you in his jail, well, you know.† â€Å"One thing at a time.† â€Å"Theo, we've got to preserve that creature. This is the greatest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Gabe,† Theo interrupted. â€Å"I'm trying to preserve my ass. Get going, please.† â€Å"You've got to get that creature out of there, Theo. They might not shoot you if there are witnesses, but they won't let the creature go.† â€Å"He won't move. He's in the back of the cave, sulking.† â€Å"Sulking?† â€Å"I don't know, Gabe. Just come, okay.† Theo disconnected and sat down. To Molly he said, â€Å"Gabe's right. We may just be delaying the inevitable by bringing in witnesses. Maybe we should rush Burton before SWAT gets here.† Molly picked up the AK-47 from the floor, released the clip and tilted it so Theo could see it was empty. â€Å"Bad idea.† The Head of the Slug â€Å"Hostage negotiator?† Val Riordan said. â€Å"I did my residency in eating disorders. The closest I've ever come to a hostage negotiation is talking a sugar-jagged actress out of purging fourteen quarts of Ben & Jerry's Monkey Chunks after she lost her part on ‘Baywatch.'† â€Å"That counts,† said Gabe. He'd related everything that Theo had told him and was ready to run to the rescue, but Val was reluctant. â€Å"I believe the flavor is Chunky Monkey,† H.P. said. â€Å"Whatever,† said Val. â€Å"I don't see why Theo needs us if he's got a whole cave full of my patients.† Gabe was trying to be patient, but he could feel a clock ticking in the back of his brain, each tick taking away his chance to save his friend and lay eyes on a living specimen from the Cretaceous period. â€Å"I told you, Theo says they're out of it.† â€Å"Perfectly logical,† said H.P. â€Å"How so?† asked Val, obviously irritated at the stuffy restaurateur's tone. â€Å"The tradition of making sacrifice is as old as man. It may be more than just a tradition. The Babylonians sacrificed to the serpent, Tiamet, the Aztecs and Mayans sacrificed to serpent gods. Perhaps this creature was the serpent to which they sacrificed.† â€Å"That's ridiculous,† Val said. â€Å"This thing eats people.† H.P. chuckled, â€Å"People have been loving vengeful gods for thousands of years. Who's to say it isn't the vengeance that inspires that love? Perhaps, as Dr. Fenton has pointed out, there is some symbiotic relationship between the hunting habits of this creature and the brain chemistry of its prey. Perhaps it inspires love as well as sexual stimulation. That feeling needn't be reciprocal, you know. He could be as oblivious to his worshippers as any other god. He takes the sacrifices as his due, with no responsibility on his part.† â€Å"That's a steamin bag of dog snot if I ever heard it,† Catfish spouted. â€Å"I been near this thing and it ain't never done nothin but scare the daylights out of me.† â€Å"Is that right, Mr. Fish?† H.P. said. â€Å"Isn't it true that your fear of this creature has inspired a lifelong career in music? Perhaps you owe thanks to this beast.† â€Å"I owe ya'll a ride to the booby hatch, thass what I owe.† â€Å"Enough!† Gabe shouted. â€Å"I'm going. You can come or you can stay, but I'm going to help Theo and see if I can keep that creature alive. Mavis, can I borrow your car?† Mavis threw her keys on the bar. â€Å"Wish I was going with you, kid.† â€Å"May I join you?† H.P. asked. Gabe nodded and looked at Val. â€Å"They are your patients.† She pressed her back against the bar. â€Å"This is all going to blow up, and when it all comes out, I'm going to go to jail. I should help with that?† â€Å"Yes,† said Gabe. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because it's the right thing to do, and because it's important to me and you love me.† Val stared at him, then dragged her purse off the bar. â€Å"I'll go, but you will all be getting hate mail from me when I'm in jail.† Mavis looked at Catfish. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"Ya'll go on. I got the Blues on me.† They started out the door. â€Å"Don't you worry, honey,† Mavis called after them. â€Å"You're not going to jail. Mavis will see to it.† Twenty-nine Gabe Up until the time that Steve had come to town, the most fearsome prehistoric beast on the Central Coast was Mavis Sand's 1956 Cadillac convertible. It was lemon-pie yellow with a great chrome grill that seemed to slurp at the road as it passed and gold-plated curb feelers that vibrated in the wind like spring-loaded whiskers. The daytime regulars called it the â€Å"Banana† and in a fit of ambition had once even fashioned a giant blue Chiquita emblem, which they stuck on the trunk lid while Mavis was working. â€Å"Well,† Mavis said, more than somewhat surprised by their efforts, â€Å"it ain't the first banana I've rode, but it takes the size record by at least a foot.† Even in his youth, Gabe had never driven anything like the Banana before. It steered like a barge and it rocked and lurched over dips and potholes like a foundering scow. Gabe had activated the electric top when they'd first climbed in and hadn't figured out how to put it back up. Gabe spotted Val's Mercedes parked on the side of a hill off the main ranch road. There were six other vehicles parked next to it, all four-wheel-drive sport utility vehicles: two Blazers and two larger Suburbans. A group of men in black jumpsuits were standing by the vehicles, the tallest watching them through binoculars and talking on a radio or cell phone. â€Å"Maybe we should have taken a more inconspicuous vehicle,† Gabe said. â€Å"Why didn't we take your car, Howard?† Val asked. She was slouched in the passenger seat. Howard sat in the back, as stiff as a mannequin, squinting as if this was his first exposure ever to sunlight. â€Å"I own a Jaguar. Superior coach works, none like them in the world outside of Bentley and Rolls. Walnut burl on all the interior surfaces.† â€Å"Doesn't run, huh?† â€Å"Sorry,† said Howard. Gabe stopped the Banana at the cattle gate. â€Å"What should I do? They're watching us.† â€Å"Go on up there,† Val said. â€Å"That's why we're here.† She had gotten brave all of a sudden. Gabe wasn't quite so self-assured. â€Å"Someone tell me again why the sheriff won't just shoot us along with Theo and Molly?† Val was getting into the spirit of the thing, realizing that this might be the only way to atone for what she'd done to her patients. â€Å"I'm a psychiatrist, Gabe, and you have a Ph.D. The police don't shoot people like us.† â€Å"You're kidding, right?† Howard said, â€Å"Does one require an advanced degree to be immune to gunfire, or does a life of scholarship count as well?† â€Å"Go, Gabe,† Val said. â€Å"We'll be fine.† Gabe looked over at her and she smiled at him. He smiled back, sort of, and pulled the Banana into the pasture toward five heavily armed men who did not look happy to see them. Theo Theo had searched the rest of the cave, using the disposable lighter he'd forgotten to abandon with the rest of his pot habit. The cathedral chamber was closed, except for the entrance where Burton waited. Theo gave the Sea Beast a wide clearance on his way back to Molly, who stood just inside the cave mouth. Burton shouted from outside, â€Å"Crowe, we've got your friends locked up! This is your last chance to make a deal! I'll give you five minutes, then we're using gas!† Theo turned to Molly in a panic. â€Å"We've got to get these people out of here, Molly. As soon as the first gas grenade comes in, it's all over.† â€Å"Don't we need hostages?† â€Å"For what? He's not going to negotiate. The only thing he wants is me – and probably you – dead.† â€Å"Why don't you call someone and tell them what you know? Then Burton won't have a reason to kill us.† â€Å"All I know is what I've seen. With Leander dead, there's no one to connect him to the labs. I've already told Val and Gabe. Now he's got them. I was an idiot to bring them into this.† â€Å"Sorry,† Molly said. â€Å"Wait.† Theo flipped open his phone and dialed. The phone rang eight times and Theo was glancing at the battery gauge, which showed only a quarter-charge, when a man answered. â€Å"Nailsworth,† the Spider said, leaving the caller to guess that they had contacted the Sheriff's Department's information officer. â€Å"Nailsworth, it's Theo Crowe. I need your help.† â€Å"Having a bad day, Theo?† What a prick, Theo thought. â€Å"Listen, I'm trapped†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know where you are, Theo. Remember, I know ev erything. Actually, I'm glad you called. I had something I wanted to ask you about.† Theo fought the urge to scream at the megalomaniacal geek. â€Å"Please, Nailsworth, I don't know how long this battery is going to hold out. I need you to do me a favor.† â€Å"Me first.† â€Å"Go,† Theo barked. â€Å"Well, when Burton called me, he mentioned that your accomplice said she was Kendra, Warrior Babe of the Outland. So I started looking around. Turns out there was a Molly Michon admitted to county psychiatric a few times. She left a Pine Cove address. I wondered if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's her,† Theo said. â€Å"Wow, you're kidding! No way!† â€Å"She's right here.† Theo looked at Molly and shrugged. â€Å"Look, you warned me not to go on the ranch. You know about Burton's crank network.† â€Å"I might,† Nailsworth said. â€Å"Don't be coy. You know everything. But what I need to know is do you have access to information that could be used as evidence – money transfers, checks, offshore accounts, phone records, and such – stuff you could give to the state attorney?† â€Å"Why, Theo, you're starting to sound like a cop.† â€Å"Can you get it?† â€Å"Theo, Theo, Theo, don't be silly. Not only can I get it, but I've had it. I've been compiling a file for years.† â€Å"Can you get it to the attorney general's office right now?† â€Å"What's in it for me?† â€Å"Nailsworth, he's going to kill us.† â€Å"Kendra is right there with you, huh? I can't believe it.† Theo shuddered, halfway between panic and anger. He held the phone out to Molly. â€Å"Say something Kendra-like.† Molly cleared her throat and said, â€Å"Die, you scum-sucking mutant pig. The only thing of mine you'll feel is cold steel!† â€Å"Oh my God! It's her!† the Spider said. â€Å"Yeah, it is,† Theo said. â€Å"Now will you help?† â€Å"I want a copy of the Norwegian Battle Babes. Can I get one?† Theo covered the receiver and looked at Molly. â€Å"Norwegian Battle Babes?† Molly smiled. â€Å"Kendra VI: Battle Babes in the Hot Oil Arena. The Norwegian version is the only version that has full nudity in all the arena scenes. It's very rare.† Theo's mouth had dropped open. His survival had come down to this? â€Å"So do you have a copy?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"You got it,† Theo said into the phone. â€Å"I'll bring Kendra naked and in person to your office if you get moving now.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Molly. â€Å"I'll send the file to Sacramento,† the Spider said, â€Å"but that won't do you any good. Even if you tell Burton about it, he's got you in a perfect situation to kill you anyway. You need media.† â€Å"Media? Helicopters? We're too far north to get anyone here in time,† Theo said. â€Å"No!† Molly shouted. â€Å"I'll call them,† the Spider said. â€Å"Hold them off for twenty minutes, maybe twenty-five.† â€Å"We don't have anything but naked people and a jealous sea monster to hold them off with.† â€Å"Is that more of your drug nomenclature?† the Spider asked. â€Å"It's what it is. If they use gas, we won't have twenty minutes.† â€Å"They won't.† â€Å"How do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Twenty-five minutes. And Battle Babes better be in the original box.† The Spider hung up. Theo clicked his phone closed. â€Å"I said no helicopters, Theo,† Molly said. â€Å"Even if we get out, you know they'll hurt Steve. You need to call him and tell him no helicopters.† Theo felt he was close to losing it. He clenched his fists and tried very hard not to scream in her face. His voice went to a whisper. â€Å"Molly, even with a warrant out for Burton, he will kill us. If you want your dragon to live, then you've got to get him out of here before they get here.† â€Å"He won't leave. He won't listen to me. Look at him. He doesn't care about anything anymore.† Sheridan Sergeant Rich Sheridan was six-three, two-thirty, with dark hair, a mustache, and a long, hooked nose that had been broken several times. Like the other men on the hill, he was wearing body armor and a radio headset, as well as a weapons belt. He was the only one not holding his M-16. Instead he was talking on a cell phone. He had been a cop for ten years and working for Burton on the side for eight. If this had been an official activation of Special Weapons and Tactics he would have been second in command, but as the real commander wasn't in Burton's pocket, Sheridan was in charge. He let the binoculars dangle around his neck and waited while his men got firing angles on all of the yellow Cadillac's passengers before he approached. Sheriff Burton was screaming at him on the cell phone. â€Å"I'm pinned down up here, Sheridan. Handle this and get your ass up here. Now!† â€Å"Yes, sir. What do you want me to do with them?† â€Å"Find out who they are, then cuff them and leave them there. And hurry.† Sheridan hung up. â€Å"Get out of the car. Keep your hands where I can see them.† The two men and a woman did as they were told and submitted to pat-downs from Sheridan's men. When they were handcuffed, Sheridan spun the younger man around. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Gabe Fenton. I'm a biologist.† Gabe smiled weakly. â€Å"Nice headsets. You guys could all be standing by to take my subscription order for Corrup-tion Weekly.† Sheridan didn't react. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"Endangered species protection. There's a very rare creature in that cave up there.† Val winced. â€Å"Were you supposed to tell him that?† she whispered. â€Å"How did you know to come here?† Sheridan asked. â€Å"This is the habitat of the California red-legged frog, very endangered. I saw your SWAT vehicle go by and the driver had that ‘I want to kill some rare frogs' look in his eye.† Gabe looked at one of the other SWAT guys, a stocky Hispanic man who was glaring at him over the sights of his M-16. â€Å"See, there's that look right there.† â€Å"We didn't bring the SWAT vehicle,† Sheridan said flatly. â€Å"Actually,† Val jumped in, â€Å"I'm a clinical psychologist. I have experience in hostage negotiation. I heard the SWAT team being dispatched on my scanner at home, and since you're so far north, I thought you might need some help. Dr. Fenton agreed to ride along with me.† â€Å"We weren't dispatched over the radio,† Sheridan said, dismissing Val as if she were an insect. He looked at Howard. â€Å"And you?† â€Å"Howard Phillips. I'm merely here to observe a hid eous ancient creature that has arisen from the darkest Stygian depths to wreak havoc on civilization and feast on human flesh.† Howard smiled (the smile of an undertaker at the news of a big bus crash, but a smile nonetheless). Sheridan stared blankly at H.P., saying nothing. â€Å"He's the caterer,† Gabe said quickly. â€Å"We brought him along to get your order. I'll bet none of you guys remembered to pack a lunch, did you?† â€Å"Who did you tell you were coming here?† Gabe looked at Val and Howard for some clue as to the right answer. â€Å"No one,† he said. Sheridan nodded. â€Å"We are going to put you in the back of that truck over there for your own safety,† he said. Then to the others he said, â€Å"Lock them in the K-9 unit. We've got to go.†

Atomic Energy: Good and Bad Essay

The use of nuclear energy is controversial because it can be used to wreak havoc upon mankind. Fission, or the splitting of atoms, can be used to release extreme heat and radiation. During World War II, the United States decided that this would be a powerful weapon, so they dropped two fission bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan to end the war. Many buildings were desotryed and thousands of innocent civilians were killed. After that, the world viewed nuclear bombs as dangerous new weapons that could devestate entire cities. Also, the radiation released from nuclear fission is harmful to living organisms. In 1986, a steam buildup in a nuclear reactor in Chornobyl, Ukraine caused an explosion that released tons of radiation into contact with people and animals. Thirty-one deaths resulted from the accident. Traces of the radiation were found in areas far away from the reactor because they traveled by wind. After the accident, the radiation still affects people in the contaminated areas; thyroid cancer in people has been increased due to the radiation. I think the benefits of nuclear power definitely outweigh the potentional dangers. Nuclear power is a very efficient source of energy. For example, it can be used to provide electricity for cities. Nuclear reactors would split radioactive elements to form heat, which would produce steam to turn turbines. Then electricity would be created to power major towns and cities. We do not need to worry about nuclear meltdowns because of the safety measures in nuclear reactors. The Chernobyl accident would be a thing of the past. Nuclear energy is also abundant, unlike fossil fuels (coal and oil). We don’t have to worry about running out of radioactive elements. However, fossil fuels are the complete opposite; gasoline prices have skyrocketed over the past thirty years, and scientists predict that gas would become a rarity in the year 2075 or so. I do not think all countries should agree to limit atomic weapons. Even if a country has only 200 atomic weapons, they can still easily threaten other  nations. Leaders should be able to buy what they desire with their nation’s money without having to worry about breaking any agreements. Perhaps a better solution is to ban atomic weapons altogether; that way, the world don’t have to worry about nuclear war anymore. If a country is suspected of possessing nuclear weapons, then that country would probably be wiped off the map (courtesy of the United Nations, they are the sheriff of the world.) Or maybe we should allow all countries to stockpile only ONE nuclear warhead for every country on earth. So if there are 200 countries in the world, your country could only stockpile 200 nuclear warheads. That way, if you bombed every country on earth, you would only have one warhead left to defend yourself with. I think it would be a pretty wicked awesome system. Atomic energy was used to cause death and destruction, but now it is being used to help light up the world. When the responsible are in charge of nuclear power, then everyone benefits! Atomic power is a great example of wonderful technology.

buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay

buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay The article Effects of Immigration on Jobs; Wages Is Difficult for Economists to Nail Dow explains on the effects of the people who migrate and decide to stay in America. It indicates that the people have assisted in economic growth though there are some side effects. The people who migrated to America have displaced the workers from America. Those without high school diploma have entered the working in casual jobs hence reducing the wages. The manufacturing jobs have declined, and this made more citizens to remain jobless. Despite the side effects, immigrants have assisted a lot in the growth of economy, because they provide service with cheap labor. They pay for government taxes, and this assists in growth of economy of some state. Many immigrants join social unions, but they go back before retiring and they do not claim for their dues. The article, Defying Trends, Canada Lures More Migrants explains that Canada has benefited from immigrants. Those under Manitoba provide casual services like driving, carpentry, plumbing, and weaving among others. They provide the service at cheap price and this makes Canada safe. Those pay rent and other bills and this increases government revenue because of huge tax. Immigrants also determine the political wave because about 20% of Canadian voters are foreigners. Canada needs more foreigners to provide casual services with low wage. The immigrants have improved Canadian economy. Opinion The immigrants add value to the economy, because they make the country more congested. Some of the immigrants leave their country due to bad record, and when accepted to stay in foreign country, they may later develop criminal behaviour and become a threat to security. Countries should resource the citizens and train them to provide all services. When a terrorist enters a certain country, he can bring more loss than 100 immigrants bring. Each country should handle immigrants with great care. Buy custom Effects of Immigration on Jobs essay

ACT Scores, GPA

Texas A&M Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA Texas AMs main campus in College Station is a large, selective public university with a 67 percent acceptance rate. Dont let that relatively high number create a sense of false security: as the data below reveals, nearly all admitted students have grades and standardized test scores that are above average. Why Texas A&M? Location: College station, TexasCampus Features: Texas AMs massive 5,200-acre campus includes an 18-hole golf course, polo fields, and Kyle Field, the football stadium that seats over 102,000 fans.Student/Faculty Ratio: 21:1Athletics: The Texas AM Aggies compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference (SEC).Highlights: Undergraduates can choose from 128 degree programs spread across the universitys 19 schools and colleges. Programs in business, agriculture, and the biological and health sciences are particularly popular. Acceptance Rate For students entering Texas AM in the 2018-19 academic year, the university had a 67% acceptance rate. This means that for every 100 applicants, 67 were admitted and 33 received rejection letters. The admissions process is selective, and below average students will have a difficult time being admitted. Admissions Statistics (2018-19) Number of Applicants 36,423 Percent Admitted 67.2% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled 45.4% SAT Scores and Requirements Texas AMs main campus in College Station requires all students to submit either SAT scores or ACT scores, although students with very high grades and class rank may be able to get the test requirement waived. The SAT is more popular than the ACT- for students entering in the 2018-19 academic year, 61% of applicants submitted SAT scores. Texas A&M SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 580 680 Math 590 700 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing When we compare these scores to national SAT data from the College Board, we can see that the great majority of students who attend Texas AM rank among the top third of all test-takers. For the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam, 50% of students scored between 580 and 680. The bottom 25% of students scored a 580 or lower, while the top 25% scored a 680 or higher. Scores on the Math exam are slightly higher. The middle 50% of students scored between a 590 and 700. This means that 25% of admitted students scored a 590 or lower, while the top quartile scored a 700 or higher. Students with a combined SAT score of 1380 or higher will be particularly competitive at Texas AM. That said, if you compare SAT scores for top Texas colleges and universities, youll see that there are many schools that are more selective than Texas AM. Requirements Texas AM does not require SAT Subject Tests, but the test are sometimes used for course placement. The university does require students to take the SAT with Essay although the essay score does not play much of a role in the admissions process other than as a validity check for the application essay. SAT scores must be no more than five years old, and the university does not super-score the SAT. The school will use your highest score from a single test date. ACT Scores and Requirements All student applying to Texas AM must submit either SAT or ACT scores, and the ACT is less popular than the SAT. 39% of students entering in the 2018-19 academic year submitted ACT scores. Texas A&M ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 24 32 Math 24 30 Composite 25 31 An average ACT score is a 21, so you can see that nearly all Texas AM students have above-average scores. As national ACT data reveals, the great majority of Texas AM students placed in the top 25% of all ACT test-takers. The middle 50% of admitted students scored between 25 and 31. This means 25% of admitted students had an ACT score of 25 or lower, and at the top end, 25% had scores of 31 or higher. Requirements Texas AM requires the ACT with Writing. The writing section of the exam is used primarily as a check on the validity of the main application essay. The university will not super-score the exam, so they will use your highest total score from a single test date for admission purposes. Students who take the ACT are not required to take any SAT Subject Tests. GPA Texas AM does not publish GPA data of accepted students, but the self-reported data in the graph below shows us that the great majority of admitted students have high school averages in the B range or higher. 63% of Texas AM students rank in the top 10% of their high school class, and 92% are in the top 25% of their class. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Texas AM Applicants Self-Reported GPA, SAT Score, and ACT Score Data. Data courtesy of Cappex   The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Texas AMs main campus in College Station. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. ​Admissions Chances Texas AM is one of the top Texas colleges and universities, and applicants will need decent grades and test scores to be admitted. In the graph above, green and blue represent accepted students. Its important to realize that theres a lot of red (rejected students) hidden beneath the blue and green in the middle of the graph. Some students with scores and grades that are on target for Texas AM still get rejected. Note also that a number of students were accepted with test scores and grades a bit below the norm. These seeming discrepancies exist because Texas AM has holistic admissions. The admissions officers are considering qualitative as well as quantitative information. Students with exceptional talent (in, for example, athletics or music) will typically receive a closer look even if their numerical measures are a bit below the norm. Like all selective universities, Texas AM is trying to enroll students who will contribute to the campus culture in meaningful ways. Strong application essays, positive letters of recommendation, and interesting extracurricular activities are all important pieces of a successful application. Engineering applicants have an additional essay requirement. Keep in mind that high grades and standardized test scores are not a guarantee of admission. Some students with A averages and SAT/ACT scores that are well above average did not get in. This may seem strange since Texas AM has guaranteed admission for students who graduate in the top 10% of their class. This state policy, however, does have a couple restrictions. For one, students must be in the top 10% of a Texas school, so out-of-state applicants have no admissions guarantees. Also, Top 10% admits must have completed enough college preparatory classes to qualify. Finally, Texas AM recommends (but does not require) that prospective students visit campus, attend a prospective student session, and/or participate in an academic program for visiting students. All of these opportunities allow you to get to know the university, and they help demonstrate your interest in Texas AM. The university also recommends that applicants submit their applications as early as possible (you might want to consider the Early Action option). Sources: Graph from Cappex.com; other data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Texas AM Office of Admissions. admissionfrom the National Center for Educational Statistics

Entertainment, Theater, and Music Vocabulary

Entertainment, Theater, and Music Vocabulary The words below are some of the most important used when talking about entertainment. English learners can use this vocabulary to discuss  theater, opera, music, and art. Entertainment - People actoractressartistaudiencebacking groupballerinachoreographercastcomposerconductordancerdirectordrummerguitarist (lead / bass)magicianmusicianorchestrapainterpianistplaywrightproducersaxophonistsculptorsingervocalistviolinist Entertainment - Arts and Crafts carvingdrawingknittingpaintingpotterysculpturesewing Entertainment - Artistic Events balletconcertexhibitionfilmplayopera Entertainment - Inside the Theater aisleboxcirclecurtainfootlightgallerylightingmicrophoneorchestra pitrowscreenscenerysetspeakerstagestallswingsworkshop Entertainment - Places art gallerycinemaconcert hallexhibition centermuseumopera housestadiumtheater Entertainment - Verbs applaudbooconductexhibitperformplay (a part) More Themed Vocabulary The BodyClothesEducationEnvironmentFamilyFoodHealthJobsMoneyPeopleSportsTravelThe Weather

Class Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class Project - Coursework Example They were different fronts changing each other on this territory during three days. As fronts are boundaries between air masses with different temperature and can also differ with content, I thought interesting weather changes could happen there. I also checked a temperature changes and weather history at the other site (www.wunderground.com). As I said, on synoptic maps we can see different marks on chosen place during three chosen days. There is a mark L – Low, - Cyclone 28th of July 2014. Near L’s usually are strong winds, which can change weather and bring clouds and precipitation. Also there is a yellow front line. 29th of July 2014 we can see a different front – a blue one, - there. Also Cyclone had changed coordinately. Last day it was L – Low, this day it’s H – for High. Winds blow clockwise here. It’s anticyclone, so clouds should be gone and weather could be fine (Calvert, J. B). 30th of July anticyclone is moving East. Also yellow marks for fronts are back. So clearly, these three days had been not the most boring ones. 28th of July. Temperature wasn’t very stable. It was the highest about 6 AM – 83-84F and all morning it was pretty warm. Temperature was lowing ‘till noon and about 7 PM was 53-54F. So it’s 30F per day change. Dew point this day was more or less stable, though lowed to 37F about 6 AM (about that time, when temperature was the highest). In the evening it was stable – 56-57F, though temperature was the lowest. Looking at PH graph, we see that it changes a lot. Again with the highest temperature about 6 AM it was low – a little bit more, than 20% and in the evening – about 80% while temperature was the lowest. So I suppose it was raining in Steamboat Springs, because as we also knew from synoptic map, there was a cyclone that day. But RH jumped. Again, it was the lowest about 5 AM (30%) and had reached mark 80% in the evening. As we

Federal Parliament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Federal Parliament - Essay Example The law made by the courts, using precedent, as opposed to those made by parliament (Statute law), is called the Common Law. The Common Law is case-based and has a hierarchical doctrine of precedent. It is adversarial rather than inquisitorial. The adversarial system of law relies on the skill of the different advocates representing their party's positions and not on some neutral party, usually the judge, trying to ascertain the truth of the case. Judges in an adversarial system tend to be more interested in ensuring the fair play of fundamental justice. The doctrine of precedent governs the case law system. Once a case is decided, subsequent similar cases are to be decided on the principles/rules developed in the earlier decision. The Common Law system of precedent is hierarchical: lower courts are bound to follow the principles decided by higher courts. Once a higher court decides a case, it becomes a binding authority on the lower courts. Under Australia's common law system, the High Court of Australia and the Federal Court of Australia have the authority to interpret constitutional provisions. Judicial power is vested in a "Federal Supreme Court" which is also called the High Court of Australia. ... Judicial power is vested in a "Federal Supreme Court" which is also called the High Court of Australia. The High Court has jurisdiction over matters arising under the Constitution, federal laws, treaties, foreign affairs (Sections 75-78). The High Court is also the top appellate court in Australia, and hears appeals from any other federal court, state Supreme Courts, and the Inter-State Commission only on questions of law. Land, as we all know is a limited resource and plays a vital role in the development of any nation. If a country has to expand its economy, it has to think of changing its land use pattern. The vast countryside holds tremendous potential for growth and industrialisation. A problem peculiar to Australia is the occupation and subsequent ownership of land by the native groups. Previous cases related to land disputes should shed some light on the outcome of change initiatives taken up by the government. Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (commonly known as Mabo) was a landmark Australian court case which was decided by the High Court of Australia on June 3, 1992. The effective result of the judgement was to make irrelevant the declaration of terra nullius, or "land belonging to no-one" which had been taken to occur from the commencement British colonisation in 1788, and to recognise a form of native title. Although Mabo was litigated within the legal context of property law, the decisions clearly had much wider implications which have still to be determined1. 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabo_v_Queensland_(No_2) The action which brought about the decision had been led by Eddie Mabo, David Passi and

Report Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report Business Strategy - Assignment Example The company has good knowledge pertaining to its competitors. The company fully understands the demands of its customers and therefore it fulfills them accordingly. It possesses good ability of predicting the changing market trends and has successfully applied its strategic skills. The company is considered as strategic leader within its industry and enjoys a competitive workforce. There is a culture of learning attitude in the company which has become a part of its employees’ personalities as well. Abu Dhabi Airport Company has a willingness to adopt change whenever required. The ability of the company to identify new opportunities has led to increase in the profitability of the company for past several years. Its risk taking ability is also appreciable. The company is highly innovative and believes in utilizing the best possible technological advancements. Strategic activities include developing new products and services, reviewing the performance of stakeholders, reviewing the performance of company etc. According to the survey, Abu Dhabi Airport Company is frequently involved in the development process of new products and services. However, it is not much involved in the public relation campaigns and has been marked as average in this category. Abu Dhabi Airport Company strictly examines the performance of its distribution channels as well as it suppliers. It frequently formulates marketing strategies whenever required and also frequently examines the level of customer satisfaction. The pricing strategies are also reviewed by the company more frequently and in this manner, its response time is adequate. The business objectives are strongly driven by the customer satisfaction. The company frequently monitors the alignment in serving the customers and level of commitment. The business model of Abu Dhabi Airport Company, also allows the company to freely communicate all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences

Understanding Interpersonal Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Understanding Interpersonal Behaviour - Essay Example Individual behavior according research is a product of a multitude of factors that are interrelated (Capozza, 2000). As such, these factors are true for both particular actions and patterns of behavior. Based on the complexity of the said factors, it becomes challenging to underpin the exact influence of individual behavior with broad characteristics such as individual thoughts, genetics, feelings, social interaction with other individuals, macro-social environment, and individual interaction between groups (Barlow, 2013). In this essay, the researcher will answer the question: â€Å"In what ways does an individual’s behavior change when s/he is part of a group?†Considerationof various methods, perspectives and underpinning of epistemological assumptions will be undertaken in answering the question. It will also be necessary to consider the context of the individual and group such as cultural and societal factors and the importance of interactions, experience, values an d social norms (Brown, 2010). The key factors that are involved in group behavior include conformity, obedience, groupthink, prejudice, social identity theory, schemas and stereotypes (Brown, 2010). These factors will be discussed and evaluated in the essay alongside relevant research and theories. The rationale of discussing the aforementioned factors is due to how they influence the behavior of an individual under influence in a group. Group behavior is a situation in which individuals interact in groups which may be small or large, and within which certain values, norms and characteristics are internalized within an individual, status differentials and communication patterns (Capozza2000, p.16).Majority of research that is conducted in the area of group behavior have been mainly based on experimental perspectives in psychology (Capozza, 2000). However,

Impact of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi Essay - 7

Impact of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi public sector - Essay Example Secondly, Dr Claire Armstrong, my supervisor, whose guidance, academic and professional commitments allowed me to overcome the obstacles. In addition, I would note the name of Dr. Christine Cross who is my course leader. With his supervision and assistance, I was able to develop a broader vision to develop my understanding. Also, I would like to thank my parents and family who supported me throughout my working period. Finally, friends who have been there to stay motivated and perform well even under pressure. It is to invite you to participate in the study that is conducted to determine the impacts of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi. The main purpose of this study is to determine the impacts of work imbalances and its influences on the performance of the workers in the region. It shall investigate how the workplace affects the performance of employees. The participants that were selected for the project were mainly the workers in the different public sectors(Baisai & Madondo, 2013). However, your participation shall be greatly appreciated; it is up to you to participate in the

International Relations Between the United States of America and Assignment

International Relations Between the United States of America and Middle East Countries - Assignment Example The main issues that are dominating international relations and politics are the relationship between the United States of America and the Middle East. It is therefore important to identify the issues that have affected the fragile foreign relationship between some of the Middle East countries and the United States of America (Kivimà ¤ki, 64). Obama, in 2013, stated that ‘‘The united states of America will continue to foster peace among the Middle East countries†. There exists little debate around the question of what the United States international policies are towards some of the countries that are located in the Middle East as well as other countries in the globe. One of the policies of the United States towards the Middle East countries is centered at promoting peace as well as democracy in countries that have continued to be conflicts. Based on the terrorism attack that took place in the American soils by the extremist with camps in the Middle East, the US has targeted the Middle East with the intention of preventing the acts of terrorists around the world (Kivimà ¤ki, 65). Additionally, the prevention of biochemical weapons attack and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East is an of issue of significance in the anti-terror efforts with Iran being regarded as one of the countries that pose great danger to the world security as a result of its persistent initiative of creative nuclear weapon(Stephens, Elizabeth, and Steve, 14). The United States has therefore extended its efforts in the region with an intention of ensuring that such dangerous weapons are not developed. The US has also focused on Syria with many offenses such as development of chemical and biological weapon of mass destruction and support of international terrorism being leveled against their leaders.

Impact of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi Essay - 7

Impact of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi public sector - Essay Example Secondly, Dr Claire Armstrong, my supervisor, whose guidance, academic and professional commitments allowed me to overcome the obstacles. In addition, I would note the name of Dr. Christine Cross who is my course leader. With his supervision and assistance, I was able to develop a broader vision to develop my understanding. Also, I would like to thank my parents and family who supported me throughout my working period. Finally, friends who have been there to stay motivated and perform well even under pressure. It is to invite you to participate in the study that is conducted to determine the impacts of work life imbalance on the productivity of workers in Saudi. The main purpose of this study is to determine the impacts of work imbalances and its influences on the performance of the workers in the region. It shall investigate how the workplace affects the performance of employees. The participants that were selected for the project were mainly the workers in the different public sectors(Baisai & Madondo, 2013). However, your participation shall be greatly appreciated; it is up to you to participate in the

Group reflective on mental models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Group reflective on mental models - Essay Example The major thesis or argument of the article is based on the Senge’s discussion about mental models. This is a type of reflective essay. The study will evaluate the arguments of the author. Moreover, the study will reflect on the group’s presentation. Reason behind writing the Chapter According to Peter Senge, mental models are intensely ingrained generalizations, assumptions or even pictures of the images that influence the understanding and thought process of the individuals. Organizations generally have several kinds of mental models. In case of non-profit organizations, mental models are generally developed around the role of an organization, people served within an organization and several activities performed by an organization. Peter Senge became familiar with several disciplines of group dynamics and organization theory in graduate school. It is true that several individuals within the organizations have different level of perceptions about the organization. Pete r Senge wrote this chapter to make people understand about unique perception level in the minds of the individuals. Unique perception profoundly influences the lives of people on a specific individual level. According to Peter Senge, mental models generally offer a flawed but useful representation of reality like several architectural models or computer models. The author wrote this chapter in order to educate the people about different aspects of mental models in a business environment. Purpose of the Chapter Major purpose of this chapter is to determine the characteristics and effects of the mental models. Mental model is a type of filter that helps to pass the refined data and information. Generally mental models are restrained and powerful. These are restrained because the individuals are not aware of the effects of these mental models. On the other hand, these mental models are powerful because these help to determine to what the individuals should pay attention. The mental mod els are quite conservative in nature. These models are left unchallenged. These guide us to see a broader picture from the achieved and filtered data and information. However, the characteristics and effects of these mental models are discussed in the evaluation part. It is clear from the detailed readings of the chapter that the author has effectively drawn the conclusion. Therefore, it can be stated that Peter Senge significantly tried to meet his purpose. However, the chapter is lacking some practical and real time examples. It is true that an individual will find it difficult to gather real time and practical examples as the subject highly depends upon imaginary and perception process of an individual. It would be effective for him if he could gather more real time examples regarding group dynamics and organization theory. It would help him to develop an effective insight of study. Argument of Author There are several mental models. The discipline of this mental model starts wit h the turning of inward mirrors. These models help an individual to learn internal pictures of the real world in order to bring them to the practical surface. These mental models also include the significant ability to carry on effective and meaningful conversations in order to maintain an effective balance between advocacy and

Airtel New Advertising Campaign A Critical Analysis Marketing Essay

Airtel New Advertising Campaign A Critical Analysis Marketing Essay The first question we encounter in the study of advertising and brand promotions as students is why advertising? Is it really important? After all, how much role does promotion play as part of the 4Ps in realizing the ultimate marketing objectives of the brand or the company? The new advertisement campaign of Airtel provides a fascinating case that helps us in studying these questions with all their criticalities. Background Airtel is an Indian multinational telecom service provider with presence across 19 countries. In India it is one of the most reputed brands. Outside India, it is known as Zain in Africa and Warid in Bangladesh. Having revolutionized the telecom industry in the fifteen years since its inception, Airtel decided to reposition the brand with a new logo, jingle and advertisements so as to have a uniform presence world-wide. The idea behind the new positioning was to signify Airtels journey towards the new world of digitization. It wanted to make its presence felt in the 3 G, social media and mobile based e-commerce space and connect with the new age customers. Hence a London based ad agency came up with the new logo with letter a in lowercase, with Airtel written beneath it in lowercase. In the words of Sanjay Kapoor, the CEO of Bharti Airtel, The new logo is modern ,vibrant , friendly and signifies Airtels commitment to reach out to its shareholders and consumers , the letters in the low ercase is a symbol of its humility . New logo Old Logo http://www.afaqs.com/all/news/images/news_story_grfx/2010/28828_2.jpg http://www.afaqs.com/all/news/images/news_story_grfx/2010/28828_1.jpg The Launch The new logo is paired with the tagline Dil jo chahe pass laye again reinforcing Airtels commitment to the users. The new look was promoted through all the advertising channels such as TV, print, outdoor and digital campaigns. In an attempt to make the customers identify with the new look, Airtel even launched a campaign where the customers had to name the new logo of Airtel .To reemphasize the new look of the Airtel ,A.R Rehman was roped in to compose a fresh jingle for Airtel . The story so far looked good .With the big names such as JWT, Madison Media Plus, Digitas and Web chutney  working behind the campaign, one could have been assured of the success of the campaign. The Backlash What happened next took everyone by surprise. Social media space and newspapers alike were abuzz with the negative criticism of the new look and campaign. Social media conversations about the rebranding exercise In a survey conducted by brand monitor analysis the sentiment of tweets, the results showed that Almost  62%  of the conversations about the new Airtel logo were negative   Facebook discussions and LinkedIn discussions the Position team analyzed, 3 distinct themes around the reactions emerged: Approximately  15% of the conversations were direct comparisons  of the new Airtel logo to the Videocon and Vodafone logos Approximately  10%  of the conversations suggested that Airtel should have invested money in improving their customer service and network availability instead A very small minority  (1%) called for a reinstatement of the old logo  or a fresh redesign exercise (Source: http://blogs.position2.com/airtel-brand-revamp-social-media-response) Fans even went to the extent of comparing the logo with Videocon Vodafone logo Click to enlarge: Logo Comparisons Created by a fan Primary Research In order to get a first-hand account of the user reaction the Airtels new advertising campaign I interviewed some fellow B school students who have done their specialization in marketing. Given below are excerpts of some of the interviews Sayan Majumder: I dont connect with new brand identity of Airtel .I had more emotional attachment with the previous one. It is true that a company needs to know to evolve but there was no need for Airtel to rebrand itself. It could have focused on providing more on customer satisfaction Sakyabrata Dutta: Airtel visual appeal has gone for a toss .In an attempt to appeal to a global audience the advertisement has lost its local flavor Sandeep Somisetty: The new promotion strategies of Airtel are definitely a deliberate attempt to connect with the young 3G audience. The focus on technology as the underlying theme of its advertisements definitely reinforces the brand as a technology savvy one. However, I am not sure how much this drastic brand repositioning will translate into enhanced top-line growth for the company. From my little knowledge of the telecom sector, most of the sources of revenue lie in the untapped rural market. It is hard to find them connect with this new urban, cosmopolitan avatar of the brand. The Learning In spite of the initial negative sentiments ,consumers have now started to connect with new brand identity and may eventually come to like it .But whatever may be the final results for Airtel ,this campaign will always be remembered for the fuss it created and a few lessons an advertising professional can learn. Customers own the brand for them its a way of life and any change in the brand proposition should be done taking customer into consideration; otherwise the millions spend on advertising just go down the drain. Such a fiasco can even affect the sales of the company. In one instance a salesman was dejected that the shopkeepers were making fun of the new merchandise of the Airtel. Advertisement forms an integral part of the marketing of a brand. It is a means to reach the consumers and should be designed keeping in mind the final marketing objective to be achieved. Finally, advertisers should learn that If it aint broke, dont fix it. The Airtel brand itself was build through years of tremendous hard work exemplary performance. It is not clear what prompted this change of positioning, may be the recent telecom troubles acted as catalysts. However, evidences suggest that whatever be the motive, it was not successful. The brand managers of Airtel may be forced to take a lesson like those at Coca-Cola who famously introduced the New Coke in 1985 in response to Pepsi had to take it back after huge consumer backlash.

Mental Retardation in American Society Essay -- Mental Retardation Dis

Mental Retardation in American Society Mental retardation is a very serious illness, and most of the American population is ignorant regarding the subject. Approximately 3 percent of people in the U.S. are considered mentally retarded. With a percentage like this, the ignorance on the subject is bizarre. The nation has adopted slang terms such as â€Å"retard†, to insult others. Using this term is a way to call someone stupid. But there is a lot that people do not understand about mental disabilities. The study of the illness is actually a very complex topic. There are many parts that build up the subject. The definition of mental retardation is: significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Mental retardation is a term used when someone has limitations in their mental functioning. They also are limited in skills such as communicating, self-care, and social skills. These limitations cause a child to learn and develop slower than an ordinary individual. Children with mental retardation may take longer when learning to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There are usually things they cannot learn. There are many causes of mental retardation. They include; genetic conditions, pregnancy troubles, birth difficulties, and health problems. In some cases irregular genes inherited from the parents can cause mental retardation. Mental retardation can be the cause of baby not developing properly when in the womb. This could be the effect of the mother consuming alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. At birth, if a newborn does not receive enough oxygen, the result could be mental retardation. Many health problems are the basis for mental retardation. Numerous illnesses cause mental retardation. Also malnutrition and insufficient medical care are grounds for mental retardation. If a child is not receiving ample nutrition then negative effects will result. In addition, if an adolescent does not receive proper medicine, they could in result, develop a mental illness. Despite popular belief, mental retardation is not a disease. It is also not a men... ...s. People with mental retardation are highly misunderstood, but that is beginning to change more and more each year. People are starting to realize that people with mental disabilities aren’t stupid, and that they can learn and understand new concepts. People with mental retardation are fully capable of entering the work force and contribute to society. Individuals with mental retardation are still ostracized to some degree but it has become less and less over time. Soon people will become even more understanding of the mental disabilities that people contain, and hopefully most of the ignorance will vanish. Works Cited Brooks, Penelope H., Sperber, Richard, and McCauley, Charley. Learning and Cognition in the Mentally Retarded (1984): 56-230. Farber, Bernard. Mental Retardation: Its Social Context and Social Consequences (1968): 123-158 Zigler, Edward, and Balla, David. Mental Retardation, the Developmental-Difference Controversy (1982): 47-63. The Medem Network: Connecting Physicians and Patients Online. 3 Dec. 2004 Department of Mental Retardation. 3 Dec. 2004. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 3 Dec. 2004

Making False Confessions Essay -- Psychology, Learning Disabilities, M

Psychological research and application have established that it is not only people with learning disability or major mental illness that are susceptible to make false confessions. In order for a confession to be false, a person must either confess to a crime that he or she is completely innocent of or overstate his or her involvement in the crime. False confessions can be either voluntary or coerced. Although it is methodologically difficult to establish the frequency of false confessions, anecdotal evidence such as self-reports and case studies indicate that reported cases are only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. It appears that young people are particularly vulnerable and often make false confessions in order to protect others. Standardized psychological tests have been devised in order to assess personality factors such as suggestibility and compliance that render some people more vulnerable than others. The reason people make false confessions is typically due to a combina tion of factors such as psychological vulnerabilities, nature of the custodial confinement and the police interviewing tactics. Notorious cases of false confessions which have lead to the wrongful convictions of innocent people subsequently spending years in prison represent some of the worst cases of miscarriage of justice in Britain. One such cases, that of Engin Raghip of the so-called ‘Tottenham three’ will be discussed in the context of admissibility of psychological evidence in order to demonstrate how the judiciary has increasingly come to accept the psychological notion that most people, under certain circumstances, are susceptible to making false confessions. In order to better understand why people confess to crimes they have not committed, Kassin an... ...expert testimony in assessing the reliability of disputed confessions. The reason people make false confessions is typically due to a combination of factors such as psychological vulnerabilities, nature of the custodial confinement and the police interviewing tactics. Standardized psychological tests have been devised in order to assess personality factors such as suggestibility and compliance that render some people more vulnerable than others but these should never bee looked at in isolation. Studies indicate that reported cases are only the ‘tip of the iceberg’. It appears that young people are particularly vulnerable and often make false confessions in order to protect others. It is not only people with learning disability or major mental illness ´ that are susceptible to make false confessions; depending on the context, anybody can.

Anne Bradstreet

Leonard Anger toes: â€Å"For the Puritan, of course, every personal trial had its theological significance† (100). However, In dealing with the deaths of her grandchildren, It Is her intense grief and overwhelming sense of loss that compel her to question, and at times challenge, the meaning of God's will, consciously knowing this is against the Puritan doctrine. The elegies reflect Breadbasket's effort in trying to balance her struggle to accept, understand, and define her devotion to her family and the physical world against the spiritual definition of God and the expectations of her that.Anne Breadbasket's poetry, both in style and substance, embodies who she Is as a person: a Puritan, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a poet. Anger notes, â€Å"Broadsheet was aware that she was a woman poet, not just a poet,† (114) and that â€Å"She wrote of her family and of the issues that touched her closely at home† (1 15). The â€Å"domestic† poem allows Broadsheet more freely to express her feelings. Kenneth Require claims Broadsheet a better poet within her personal work because it most truthfully represents how she relates to the world-?as a woman, wife, and mother.Require believes the results are evident In Broadsheets private poetry and that â€Å"speaking as a private poet Is so sufficiently close to her domestic vocation that she Is comfortable in the private role† (1 1 Breadbasket's comfort level in writing about personal experience is apparent, and as Wendy Martin notes, this allows her to be â€Å"considerably more candid about her spiritual crises, her deep attachment to her family, and her love of mortal life† (17). Broadsheet reserves her personal poems for a small, trusted audience of family and close friends.Writing for this audience rates a safe environment In which she can reveal her thoughts and feelings without the threat of Judgment or criticism. It Is within this â€Å"comfort zone† that Broadsheet wr ites these three heartfelt elegies and expresses the deeply personal and spiritual conflict she suffers in trying to understand the meaning of her grandchildren deaths. The first elegy, â€Å"In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Broadsheet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old,† Anne Broadsheet begins with tender emotion and sorrowful farewells.Her tone is melancholy, her sadness apparent. Beyond Breadbasket's poignant farewells, there is the actual physical structure of the poem to consider. Anger states, â€Å"It is clear that the structure of the stanzas is meant to be symmetrical,† (109). He describes what he believes Breadbasket's desired effect: â€Å"In both [stanzas], the first four lines capture human confusion and sorrow. The last three [lines in each stanza] locate the spiritual essence that provides consolation† (109).Anger considers this symmetry effective in representing Breadbasket's attempt of trying to find logic in Elizab ethan death and her realization at n â€Å"One cannot reason Trot experience to Beginning Witt the first stanza, the pattern of human confusion and sorrow appears in the first four lines when Broadsheet writes repeated farewells and reveals her uncertainty in understanding Elizabethan death: Farewell dear babe, my heart's too much content, Farewell sweet babe, the pleasure of mine eye, Farewell fair flower that for a space was lent, Then eaten away unto eternity (lines 1-4).Broadsheet is sad that her beloved granddaughter, Elizabeth, should have such a short time on earth and is confused when suddenly and inexplicably she is forever taken away. Looking at the second stanza, in the first four lines Broadsheet focuses on the life cycle of nature, speaking in terms of mature growth-?a contrast to the short life of Elizabeth: By nature trees do rot when they are grown, And plums and apples thoroughly ripe do fall, And corn and grass are in their season mown, And time brings down what i s both strong and tall (8-11).Broadsheet finds it logical that trees eventually rot; ripe fruit falls; corn and grass mown-?their life cycle complete and death expected. What Broadsheet cannot comprehend is why God would not allow Elizabeth a full and long life as He allows tauter. Enveloped within this confusion, Broadsheet reveals her shy question of God's will. As Anger indicates, it is within the last three lines of each stanza Broadsheet accepts her human frailty and receives comfort from accepting God's will.This expressed in the first stanza when Broadsheet writes the last three lines: â€Å"Blest babe, why should I once bewail thy fate, / Or sigh thy days so soon were terminate, / Sits thou are settled in an everlasting state† (5-7). In terms of religion, Broadsheet understands her granddaughter's fate-?to be with God-?is much greater than engaging on earth. Martin comments that Broadsheet is aware of the Puritan woman's duty is â€Å"to assist her family in the serv ice of God,† (69) and â€Å"To love them for their own sake would indicate a dangerous attachment to this world† (69).However, Breadbasket's heart aches for the physical being of Elizabeth, illustrating the conflict she has in quelling her tendency to place a higher importance on physical life than on spiritual life. In the second stanza, Broadsheet expresses in the final three lines a spiritual comfort and understanding when she accepts God's acts as beyond the OIC capable of mere human beings. She ends the poem: â€Å"But plants new set to be eradicate, / And buds new blown to have so short a date, / Is by His hand alone that guides nature and fate† (12-14).Broadsheet understands that God needs no reason. His authority so great, He alone chooses the fate of all living things. According to Puritan theology, God's will is unquestionable, and she at last defers to the wisdom of His ever-knowing power. This pattern, a tug-of-war between the devotion to her faith an d her human need for rational explanation, is successful in contributing to the motional power of this elegy. Four years following the death of Elizabeth, Broadsheet is again grief-stricken by the loss of a second grandchild, Anne.In the elegy Broadsheet dedicates to her, â€Å"In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Anne Broadsheet, Who Deceased June 20, 1669, Being Three Years and Seven Months Old,† seen Decodes more Torturing In tone, out again Tints nearest consulting to ten greater power of God. However, Broadsheet does not begin this poem with tender farewells, her accusation put forth immediately: â€Å"The heavens have changed to sorrow my delight† (2). She directly charges heaven for her sadness and in doing so indirectly blames God.Accusation alternates with retraction as Broadsheet then deflects that statement by later in the poem calling herself a fool: â€Å"More fool then I to look on that was lent / As if mine own, when thus impermanent† (13-14). Broadshe et places the blame back on herself for her foolish expectations of thinking that Anne belongs to this life, when in fact she belongs to God. This is another example of the great effort Broadsheet puts forth in trying to reconcile her feelings between the natural world and the spiritual world.In the closing lines Broadsheet writes: â€Å"Meantime my throbbing heart's cheered up with this: / Thou with thy Savior art in endless bliss† (17-18). Through rote obedience, Broadsheet claims comfort by the thought that Anne is now with God; although, this attempt to balance her grief against her trust in God expressed with reluctant resignation. Tragically, Breadbasket's grandson, Simon, dies Just five months following the death of her granddaughter, Anne.It is this third poem, â€Å"On My Dear Grandchild Simon Broadsheet, Who Died on 16 November, 1669, Being But a Month, and One Day Old,† hat is most powerful in illustrating the culmination of Breadbasket's deep sorrow and int ense frustration in her continued search for the meaning of her grandchildren deaths. Breadbasket's anger is palpable. Her grief is acute and raw. She now intends her accusations to be understood and deliberately ends the alternating pattern of shy questioning and submissive acceptance of God's will, a method used in the two previous elegies to mask her challenge of God.Broadsheet barely contains her anger and outrage when she blatantly charges God for her grandchildren deaths and penny questions his goodness when she writes: â€Å"Three flowers, two scarcely blown, the last I' the' bud, / Cropped by the' Almighty hand; yet is He good† (3-4). She cannot find wisdom or greater meaning in God's decision. She cannot reconcile the supposed goodness of God with the tragic deaths of her three grandchildren: a good God would not inflict such pain and sorrow.Breadbasket's voice is marked with strained piety that barely conceals her contempt of a God who would intend the death of a ch ild to serve as a lesson to her. Pamela Shelton comments on this when rites, â€Å"In poems mourning the deaths of grandchildren, she finds it more difficult to accept the God that she, as a Puritan, must love and obey: she writes with bitter irony about a God who kills children in order to test adults. † Broadsheet fills her lines with dark sarcasm and takes less care in her attempts to mask her accusations.Shelton notes what she considers the most powerful lines in this elegy: â€Å"Later, mourning her grandson Simon Broadsheet, the word ‘say is chillingly ironic: ‘Such was [God's] will, but why, let's not dispute, / With humble hearts and mouths put in the dust, / Let's say he's merciful, as well as Just. Here Broadsheet cannot connect her roles of grandmother and Puritan; she can only go through the gesture-? write the poem in which she tries to trust God-?of reconciling her personal experience with her religious faith. In this elegy, Broadsheet seems not as cautious in camouflaging her accusations; in fact, her tone is unmistakably condescending. However, she strategically constructs her phrases and carefully snoozes near words, stressfully conveying near sense AT Dearly walkout crossing ten dangerously thin line that separates piety and heresy within the Puritanical society. She demonstrates this by naming him merciful and Just, albeit without sincerity or In Breadbasket's closing lines, it is revealing that she does not refer to conviction.Simon being with God. Instead she writes, â€Å"Go pretty babe, go rest with sisters twain† (11). Broadsheet finds comfort not from the thought that Simon is with God, but that he is now with his sisters. Here she is outright refusing to accept comfort from a God who she deems unjust and unfair. Anne Broadsheet reveals through these three moving elegies dedicated to her beloved grandchildren the emotional and virtual Journey she traveled in seeking answers to her questions of faith.These poe ms symbolize Breadbasket's mourning the loss of her grandchildren and the conflict she experiences in attempting to define her faith in God and in the Puritan religion. According to Martin, â€Å"Anne Broadsheet finally managed to believe in God,† (76) but, â€Å"her faith was based on a profound desire to remain connected to life, whether in this world or the next† (76). I declare the Honor Pledge. Works Cited Martin, Wendy. An American Triptych: Anne Broadsheet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. 17, 69, 76. North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984.

Ophelia’s Madness Explained Essay

Joan Montgomery Byles’s view of Ophelia’s behavior in â€Å"Ophelia’s Desperation† and Sandra K. Fischer’s view of Ophelia’s behavior in â€Å"Ophelia’s Mad Speeches† contradict each other and present opposing explanations. Byles’s view is that Ophelia is defined by the male roles in her life (i.e. her father, brother, and lover). Fischer’s view is that Ophelia is simply grieving the loss of her father and fails to break the hold of the men in her life. These two analyses present opposing explanations because one author is saying that Ophelia simply cracked because she has lost her father and she just could not handle it and the other is stating that Ophelia went mad and committed suicide because she was tired of just sitting around listening to the men in her life tell her what to do and when; with all that built up anger and aggression Ophelia needed an outlet to diffuse the situation and so she took her anger out on herself and drowned. Looking closer it is obvious that Byles’s view is the more accurate of the two. In Fischer’s â€Å"Ophelia’s Mad Speeches† Fischer explains more about how Ophelia seems to break down after her father’s death, rather than how she is dependent on the male roles in her life. Fischer does not speak much about the fact that Ophelia could not get a word in edge wise about her own life, that is until she goes mad and decides to drown herself. It is almost as if Fischer’s piece is more about how Ophelia’s mad speeches get the attention, â€Å"but they seem to point to a loss rather than an assertion of self†¦Ã¢â‚¬  meaning that Ophelia’s madness is more attributed to the fact that she lost her father, rather than her trying to open up and get out all the aggression and anger she feels towards her father, brother and lover. While Byles’s view is based on the fact that Ophelia was entirely dependent on the males in her life. The play supports Fischer’s view by the first real time you see Ophelia truly in her madness. In Act IV, scene V, lines 29 – 32, â€Å"He is dead and gone, lady, He is dead and gone; At his head a grass-green turf, At his heels a stone.† This first scene where you truly see Ophelia’s madness it is very clear that she is singing in reference to her dead father. It could be perceived that since she is singing about her father in her current mental state it could point to the root of her madness being her father’s death. The rest we hear from Ophelia in the play is her singing about her dead father and how she hopes that is soul is at rest and talking to her brother about how their father is dead. Fischer’s view is not incorrect, though it contradicts Byles’s view. Byles’s view is that Ophelia’s madness is derived from the fact that throughout her life she has depended on the men in her life and is really very angry at all of them for one reason or another. Ophelia is never allowed to speak for herself, her opinion is never heard; generally she just sits tight and let’s the men do the talking. Ophelia just goes with whatever she is told and does not argue about it. There is a ton of evidence from the play that clearly sheds some light on her dependence and obedience to the men in her life. Byles’s states that, â€Å"Ophelia is frightened of her father, she is not allowed to declare an emotional world of her own.† This comment is one hundred percent true. When Ophelia first appears in the play she is speaking to Laertes and later Polonius about Hamlet. Her brother and father are basically warning her about Hamlet and that she should stay away from him. Clearly Ophelia has feelings for Hamlet. In Act I, scene IV, lines 109 – 110 & 112 – 113, Ophelia protests her father by stating, â€Å"My lord, he hath importun’d me with love, In honourable fashion. And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven.† Ophelia is trying desperately to make a case that Hamlet is not as bad as he seems and Polonius then has this long speech about how Hamlet’s advances are not true and that he is too young to clearly know what he wants. â€Å"Ophelia, Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers; Not of that dye which their investments show, But mere implorators of unholy suits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Polonius is basically saying that Ophelia should not believe Hamlet because his words are unholy and should not be taken seriously. Ophelia’s response to her father telling her to stay away from the man she loves is, â€Å"I shall obey, my lord.† (Act I, scene IV, line 135). This is the point where it is very clearthat even though Ophelia loves Hamlet and in her head wishes that he would propose and marry her and she wants to see the good in him, she is not going to disobey her father’s orders. Another example of Ophelia’s fear of the men around her is when Hamlet corners her in her closet. â€Å"O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!† (Act II, scene I, line 74) Ophelia then explains what happened to her father and Polonius’s reaction is â€Å"Mad for they love?† (Act II, scene I, line 83) Ophelia knows exactly why Hamlet has gone off the deep end about wanting her to be with him. Polonius asks her if she has done anything to set him off and she tells him that she had only done what he had told her to do, she refused his letters and denied him access to her. Byles’s brings up that Ophelia has been unable to establish a real conversation with anyone in the play other than herself. It is no wonder that she has built up so much aggression and anger towards the people around her. She is desperate to be an individual with a voice of her own, and is constantly denied just that. A good example of this is when Hamlet’s uncle Claudius and Polonius are spying on Hamlet and Ophelia and Hamlet is going off on Ophelia about how she has disgraced him and he no longer wants anything to do with her. He is basically calling her a good for nothing whore and keeps screaming at her to get thyself to a nunnery. Only after Hamlet has blown up on her and has left the scene can she try to gather her thoughts about what has just happened and has a small soliloquy of her own to try to put the pieces of what Hamlet just spout of together. This is the part of the play where Ophelia is finally letting her guard down and starting to feel bad about herself; she feels as though something is clearly wrong with what has happened and if it was not for her father it could have been prevented. Byles’s sees Ophelia’s death as the â€Å"ultimate expression† of all of her repressed anger and aggression that has built up throughout her life. Ophelia’s death is her way of having her voice be heard. To show all of the people around her that she was clearly not okay and that she needed to be heard. Before her death no one saw all of this anger and aggression and just pure unhappiness that she felt. In the end she decided that she was going to take all of this anger out not on the people that deserved it, not the people that were the cause of all her unhappiness, but herself; the thought is that she took it out on herself because she had been the only person that ever listened to anything that she had to say for herself. All in all these two analyses of Hamlet’s Ophelia do in fact contradict one another and present opposing explanations of why Ophelia came to be what she did. These analyses both speak on Ophelia’s madness and what may have caused it, but they do it in different ways with different sides of the play. Each analysis is true in it’s own way, but they do not compliment each other, nor do they have the same side of information. They both have their own way of why the think it happened. However, Byles’s was the more intriguing and had more of a voice of her own. There were fewer comments from other articles and more pure thought of why Ophelia was the way she was. The theory that Ophelia was dependent on the men in her life and in the end could not handle the pressure of doing everything she was told is much more plausible than simply her father’s death causing her to decide to end her life and drown herself. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=†Ã¢â‚¬ ,o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "studymoose.com"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e