First Crusade

The First Crusade (1096–1099) was a military expedition by Roman Catholic Europe to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquests of the Levant (632–661), ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem in 1099. It was launched on 27 November 1095 by Pope Urban II with the primary goal of responding to an appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who requested that western volunteers come to his aid and help to repel the invading Seljuq Turks from Anatolia.An additional goal soon became the principal objective—the Christian reconquest of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and the freeing of the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. During the crusade, knights and peasants from many nations of Western Europe travelled over land and by sea, first to Constantinople and then on towards Jerusalem, as crusaders; the peasants greatly outnumbered the knights.Peasants and knights were split into separate armies; however, because the peasants w ere not as well-trained in combat as the knights, their army failed to reach Jerusalem. The knights arrived at Jerusalem, launched an assault on the city, and captured it in July 1099, massacring many of the city's Muslim and Jewish inhabitants. They also established the crusader states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, and the County of Edessa.Because the First Crusade was largely concerned with Jerusalem, a city which had not been under Christian dominion for 461 years, and the crusader army refused to return the land to the control of the Byzantine Empire, the status of the First Crusade as defensive or as aggressive in nature remains controversial. The First Crusade was part of the Christian response to the Muslim conquests, and was followed by the Second Crusade to the Ninth Crusade, but the gains made lasted for less than 200 years. It was also the first major step towards reopening international trade in the West since the fall o f the Western Roman Empire.

Japanese and American Business Behavior

Management sciences have long identified that there are many forms of business behaviors. Different organizations from different cultures tend to run their business in different manners, this include decision making activities, problem solving, future forecasting, and other issues within a business.The differences do not stop on the organizational level, managers of different cultures generally has their own personal style of managing their subordinates. These differences are interesting to study because of the increasing phenomena of globalization.II. Research BackgroundII. 1. The Need to Study Business StylesDifferent companies within different cultures previously have no need compare their business styles with those of foreign companies. However, with the rising of globalization and international competition, corporations are derived to take account of business cultures from all over the world. This is necessary in time where they have to make connections with foreign business in order to grow or survive. Furthermore, some business behaviors might be better suited in their local environment but contributes poorly within the global environment.There are times where changes of culture from local to global culture are necessities. Thus, to compare one business style to another is almost a common activity for economist and businessmen today.II. 2 Why Study Japanese CultureAsian economy has always been a matter of intense discussion among American scholars. There are predictions from many economist and observers that Asia will be the center of economic growth once the world has entered the new millennium. Although these predictions have not come through as expected, the rapid development of Asian economy is still an important event in the history of world’s economy.Let us take Japan as a representation of the strength of Asian economy. Japan produces some of the most innovative and highest quality products in the world. Since 1970’s, Japanese automa kers have been intensely competing with US automakers. Some even believed that they have exceeded the US automakers in some respects. The British motorcycle industry, which once considered as the one who brought the’ golden age’ on motorcycle industries has been wiped-out almost entirely by the presence of Japan’s futuristic motorcycles in their local soil.In fact, today, we have seen that Japanese culture is everywhere in the world. Many Americans today are fans of Japanese products since they were children. Japanese products have undeniably infiltrate US social and economic life in the most significant way. The popularity of Kill Bill, Iron Chef, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty, and Anime describes the strong presence of Japanese culture in the United States. Furthermore, American businessmen are today learning Japanese business style, more than just to communicate with their Japanese partners, but also to enhance their efficiency in doing business.The acknowledgem ent given to Japanese culture and their influence is overwhelming in many parts of the world (Palmeri, 2004). The popularity of Japanese culture in most parts of the world brought upon an interesting question for American business people. What are actually the differences between Japanese business behaviors and American business behaviors? Furthermore, the ability of Japanese businessmen to do what Americans cannot bring increasing interest in studying the popular culture. Within this paper, I am comparing two of the world’s most popular business styles, the American style and the Japanese style.There will be discussion on differences, similarities and some comparison of which has the advantage over certain situations.III. Research QuestionAs mentioned above, the strength of Japanese culture astonished economist from all over the world. With the increasing case studies where Japanese businessmen outperform others in international market, there is an interesting question of wh ether Japanese culture could have exceeded the dominating culture of the world (Americans). The implied research questions in the elaboration above are:‘With respect to its Strengths and Weaknesses, is Japanese business culture more suitable for business advancement and development than the American business culture? ’ In order to answer this question, a sufficient elaboration regarding both business cultures is required. The elaboration should lead to a comparative analysis regarding both business cultures. Based on book, journals and articles on Japanese and American business culture, I will divide the comparative analysis into several chapters focusing on different ways to compare the two business cultures.A concluding statement will be made to summarize the comparative analysis in the end of the paper. IV. Organizational Management StylesIV. 1 Roles and DecisionMaking In terms of managerial styles, American companies tend to be financially oriented and value autonom y. In a typical American company, the role of each employee is clearly defined and the employee is fully responsible for the activities assigned to him/her. Decisions generally come from individual authority, and the company usually makes clear definition of who is entitle for making what kinds of decisions (Engel, 2000).The Japanese style of management however, has a rather contrast approach. Japan companies (or Japanese style companies) has a more intuitive approach to management. Most of the employees have undefined roles and they are most likely to be assigned as teams to work together for group goals. Decisions do not come from a single person, but rather as a collective process involving many voices. However, when it comes to managing overseas, Japan companies seem to be more centralized that US corporations.For instance, if a Japanese company has an affiliate in US soil, their necessities focus on detailed communication across the Pacific. Generally, such communication is dom inated by Japanese employees, excluding many of the American employees from the managerial process. Furthermore, the US affiliate will most likely diminish in its ability to act independently. These issues created significant concern for American employees working for Japanese companies.IV. 2 Strategic PlanningIn strategic planning, Japanese companies seem to have a considerably different approach to Americans.For instance, while formulating a strategy, Americans are more-top-driven in their approach. They prefer to design changes and speed up evolution. This is in contrast with the Japanese who prefer to allow things to evolve from the bottom (Fiedler, 1965). American business people tend to finalize strategies quickly, sometimes without taking account of several issues and factors. They generally prefer to spend more time correcting the strategy in the implementation stage. The Japanese, on the other hand, tends to hold more careful discussion of what might go wrong and find their solutions.It is not until an all round agreement is achieved would the strategy be implemented. Many believe that the Japanese take more time to execute a plan and that is simply unacceptable. On the other hand, there are those who believed that the Japanese way is better, because they do not force the process. They allow everything to be in place, and when it does, they implement it quickly. Another argument in awe of the Japanese business culture is the fact that most Japanese managers prefer to look into the roots of the problem before making decisions, judgments and strategies.The American straightforward approach often result casualties of innocent workers being fired because management cannot see the root of the problem. This judgmental behavior is efficient, but not effective. Decisions are delivered in faster amount of time but less accuracy and depth of analysis. Japanese managers prefer to solve the problem first before looking for someone to blame. This culture evolves i n a manner that allows employees to feel shame even before they were even accused of misconduct. Mutual understanding and commitment to corporate goal is what fueled the Japanese strategy-machine to work.IV. 3 Employment and Personnel ManagementIn terms of employment, many writers indicated that Japan companies have distinctly unique system of ‘lifetime employment. Japanese companies are given credit by many for their ability in fostering loyalty and encouragement of their employees. Nevertheless, this is domestic in nature, and the system generally turns weak, once the companies enter international realm. Most of the modern nations found the Japanese employment system demands things that little (except Japanese people) would tolerate.Analysts indicated that these demands come from the lack of external labor market. There is not much choice for Japanese labor and employees in terms of employment. Thus, they tend to go along with every terms of the company, once they have signe d their contracts (Hersey, 1972). In foreign lands, Japanese companies who find that their system of employment is large unacceptable by non-Japanese, generally come up with an unfortunate solution. They would decide that the non-Japanese is to be hired under separate employment categories with little advancement opportunity or job security.IV. 4 Thickness of CultureOpening to new culture has been recognized as one of the popular traits of American business style. Corporations generally have a strong statement of their culture, but with a sense of flexibility and openness for new people and subsidiaries. Many writers consider this as advancement over other developing business cultures around the world. The Japanese on the other hand, develop a very ‘thick’ sense of corporate culture in each of their working generations. This strong sense of culture evolves from the fact that most Japanese employees work together for as long as a lifetime.Even a Japanese new entry would have difficulties in tuning-in to the corporate culture if they join in mid-career. Because of this tendency to form a strong bond among Japanese employees, Americans working within these companies generally experience numerous frictions and frustrations because they fail to understand the ongoing culture in the company (Kopp, n. d).V. Personal Leadership StylesV. 1 Types of LeadershipWithin this chapter, I will elaborate several types of leadership styles. Within each style there is an assessment of how Americans or Japanese favor the style. The types of leadership are: ? Directive LeadershipCompanies whose managers are accustomed to stress direction to subordinates are those of the directive leadership style. This style became famous in the United States, but it is now declining in frequency. Many stated that this style is currently most dominant is Asian countries. However, the Japanese seemed to be excluded in this particular category.Participative LeadershipThis style pursues c lose teamwork as a path to success. The Japanese are the symbol of this particular leadership style. Americans very seldom practice this type of leadership.Empowering LeadershipThis type of leadership is a brand new trend in America.It stresses on delegating responsibilities to subordinates and retain their passion in doing the best for the company. American Giants today are proclaiming themselves to be practicing this type of leadership. However, many Japanese multinationals (like Sony Corp. ) have this type of leadership style within their corporate philosophy. ? Charismatic Leadership Many CEO of multinationals have what is called human magnetism. It is the ability to gain trust from others to do what is needed for the company. These leaders usually exist within national boundaries. Their charismatic power seldom breaks through the limits of their culture.This type of leadership was dominated by Americans; however, their numbers are significantly reduced by as many of US companie s go global. More of them exist within the Japanese local culture now. (Cotter, 2001)V. 2 Family Succession LeadershipAccording to HBS (Harvard Business School) professor, D. Quinn Mills (2005), Japanese and other Asian companies are noted to pass down their line of leadership to family members. This is similar to the conduct of some of the largest American companies. However, it is more popular in American business culture that firms are run by professional managers and replaced by another professional manager.In American business culture, better companies generally have advance programs for developing executives within the firm. The next CEO will be chosen among them. There are also American companies who hire external CEOs without any familiarities of the company. This behavior is generally derived from the need to excel in growth or recovery. Despite the fact that several Japanese companies exceeded the Americans in terms of efficiency and profitability, many scholars still beli eve that the Japanese business style is only a stage of development which will finally lead to the American business style.These scholars argued using the leadership succession styles. They mentioned that the family succession culture was once a common practice among US companies. However, it was then replaced by the professional management succession line which is considered the latest piece of the evolutionary line. These scholars mentioned that it is possible that Asian firms will follow this evolutionary path in the future.V. 3 Political ConnectionsIn Japan and other Asian countries, it is more apparent that the success of a company depends to the intensity of its relations to political and social leaders of the environment.Japan and other Asian countries have developed a belief that connections to important people are crucial for the survival of their business. Quite contrast, the CEOs in America often have no direct connections to top politicians. The government only has autho rity at an arm’s length and business affairs are done by business people. Nevertheless, this does not include exceptions where older and powerful American companies take advantage of their political connections to enhance their success. The percentage of these companies is very low compared with Asian companies (Kopp, n. d).VI. Communication PatternsJapanese and Americans share some of their traits in terms of communication. Both of them are superpowers who held high their own culture. Americans and Japanese are known for their lack of knowledge over other languages. Few Americans speak and read foreign language enough to do business with people who do not understand English very well. Similarly, Japanese businessmen tend to be uncomfortable in detailed business discussion using English and English-language documents. Some other traits they share are their lack of experience in dealing with foreign people.Most of them lack the skills necessary to overcome cross-cultural chall enges (Kenna & Sondra, 1994). Japanese and American communication also has significant differences in their communication patterns. American business people tend to be more direct opened and values discussion. The Japanese style is on the other hand, more vague and roundabout. Much of the meaning is stated in nonverbal cues and subtle nuances of toning and wording. Different from Americans who viewed debate and challenging discussion as a positive trait, the Japanese tend to avoid them and viewed them negatively (Kenna & Sondra, 1994).VII ConclusionThe comparative analysis points out to several conclusions. The Japanese business culture is apparently very strong around its people. However, when their business expands to foreign lands, the power of their culture is either reduced, causing the lost of certain competitive advantages, or tightened, causing lack of collaboration to the surrounding environment. One of the reasons of Japanese rapid expansion into the international world is its unique managerial style. Successful Japanese companies have the ability to generate powerful motivation among its employees, thus, increasing corporate profitability, creativity and quality management.In this respect, the Japanese business culture has a significant advantage compare to the American business culture. The American seems to have superior business philosophy compare to the Japanese. Its ‘opened’ communication pattern and the lack of need for political connections and family ties provide high level of flexibility which supported expansion and business evolution. However, the quick decision making processes, the top-down evolution methods, and the impersonal relationship of its employees created a lack of strength in American managerial structure.Because of these, there are more strategies in the American culture that do not reach their goals, and more employees become left behind by the quick evolutionary stages. In this respect, the Japanese culture al so presents a favorable behavior for business evolvement. As a final conclusion, despite the fact that each business culture has their own strengths and weaknesses, this paper reveals a strong agreement that Japanese business culture has a significant advantage over the American business culture.A further study however, needed to be done over each and every aspects mentioned above in order to provide a more detailed explanation of how each culture excels or diminish within those respects.BibliographyCotter, Colleen. 2001. Lonely Planet USA Phrasebook: Understanding Americans and Their Culture Engel, Dean. 2000.Passport USA: Your Pocket Guide to American Business, Customs & Etiquette Fiedler, Fred E. 1965.Engineer the Job to Fit the Manager. Harvard Business Review. Vol. 43 Hersey, Paul. Blanchard, Kenneth H. 1972.Management of Organization Behavior. New Jersey: Prentic- Hall Inc. Kenna, Peggy. Sondra, Lacy. 1994.Business Japan: A Practical Guide to Understanding Japanese Business Cu lture. McGraw-Hill Kopp, Rochelle. N. d. ‘The Rice Paper Ceiling’. ISBN 1-880656-51-5. Stone Bridge Press. Mills, D. Quinn. ‘Asian and American Leadership Styles: How Are They Unique? ’. Harvard Business School. Retrieved June 2, 2006.Available at http://hbswk. hbs. edu/item. jhtml? id=4869&t=leadership Palmeri, Christopher. 2004.‘Is Japanese Style Taking Over the World? ’. Business Week Online. Retrieved June 2, 2006. Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/magazine/content/04_30/b3893091. htm,

Affects of the cycle of poverty on children in Victorian England Research Paper

Affects of the cycle of poverty on children in Victorian England - Research Paper Example In the play viewers come across the topic of confrontation between working class and bourgeoisie. In order to understand the depth of these processes it is necessary to resort to Marxist criticism. Thus, Marxist approach is based on the idea that it is necessary to equate different social classes, or in other words – to empower lower class. Working class is considered to be on the bottom of the society, while the authorities are referred to as those who control all the aspects of social life. Marxist criticism refuses from such a position. According to its principles, the control over economic, financial, and cultural life should first and foremost belong to working class. Viewers may observe characters of the play attempting to rebel against social realities. Thus, social inequality is one of the most acute and challenging issues of the Victorian era. Toby Ragg, Todd’s apprentice, and Sweeney Todd himself may be seen as representatives of the lower class, while Judge Turnip represents the ruling class. It is possible to see that lower class is morally opposed to the higher class. Thus, Judge Turnip represents evil. It is difficult to say that Toby represents goodness, though partially he does. This is just an innocent child who becomes a victim of circumstances. Toby is too weak to resist the flow of life. His biography may illustrate this. This is an orphan, hired by Mrs. Lovett  after his previous employer was murdered by Todd. Very soon the boy becomes deeply attached to Mrs. Lovett – he accepts her as his surrogate mother. Todd’s business is flourishing, which means that Toby is not hungry and has a roof over his head. A lot of children of the Victorian era could be envious with him. However, his life changes soon. Todd and Mrs. Lovett start hunting for him as he discovers their secret. Toby is shocked and astonished with atrocities Todd has

Louis XVI and the French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Louis XVI and the French Revolution - Essay Example I ordered the arrest of Duval d’Espremensil and Goislard de Montsadert, who opposed the judicial reform that was against the public interest. As a King, I had to put into consideration the public interest and not favor the parliament interests that will have an adverse impact on the public. I expected the two to support me instead of criticizing the Brienne ministry reforms. Their act could have caused great influence to different groups of people making them develop a negative attitude leading to violence. However, in mid-1780s the country was almost driven near bankruptcy due to the policy of borrowing loans internationally and not raising taxes that increased the country’s debt. I was therefore obliged to collaborate in the radical fiscal reforms which were not supported by the nobles. The nobility did not help the deterioration of provincial privileges in order to favor the centralized monarchy (Hardman, 2000). I, therefore, state that I did not escape as accused, but I was under depression due to the queen’s infidelity. I needed s time away from everything in order to forget my marital problems, and I engaged in activities like hunting. Therefore, I had no reason to run away to avoid my duties as the King. Before my downfall, I was forced to accept the authority of the National Assembly which I had I resisted initially. I did everything for the benefit of the country. As I rest my case, I wish to declare that I am innocent according to the charges pressed against me† (Plain, 2002).

Exegesis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Exegesis Paper - Essay Example When it was written? The answer to this question is not quite as completely uncertain as that relating to authorship. There is also uncertainty as to the exact date of the writing of Hebrews. Numerous references to the temple of Jerusalem seem to place the date of writing prior to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, (Heb. 10:11; 13:10-11). So around A.D. 66 seems the most satisfactory date. The actual place of writing is unclear. The only clue we have for an answer to this question is found in Hebrew 13:24 – â€Å"They of Italy salute you.† The Greek word translated â€Å"of† is â€Å"apo†, which means â€Å"from†. So the reference could mean either that the writer was in Italy or that he was sending greeting back to Italy from some Italians who were with him. Structure and parallelism The book of Hebrews occupies a very important place in the Scriptures. It is the Spirit’s commentary on the Pentateuch, especially the book of Leviticus. The wri ter uses the Old Testament Scriptures throughout, making at least eighty-six direct references, traceable to at least one hundred Old Testament passages. Hebrews explains the meaning and significance of the whole Jewish ritual. It makes clear that all the ceremonial laws given in the Old Testament, such as the offerings of sacrifices and the ministrations of the priests were but types pointing forward to Christ, the great sacrifice for sin, the true Priest the one Mediator between God and man.   Literary Criticism Form Criticism and Redaction Criticism The topic which is discussed at the greatest length in the Epistle to the Hebrews is that of Christ as High Priest. The next six chapters (5 – 10) are saturated with the idea. The passage before leads up to chapter four and coincides with for it does not affect the passage. The literary form of Hebrews is Hebrews has traditionally been described as an epistle or letter. It appears in the New Testament in the middle of the col lection of letters. It functions as a hinge connecting the 13 Pauline letters and the 7 general or Catholic Epistles. However, Hebrews lacks the basic ingredients that identified ancient letters. There is no mention of author, no mention of addressees, no greeting, no thanksgiving section and no prayer for the readers in the opening lines. The closing verses of Hebrews 13 do reflect the traditional way in which a letter should close. Hebrews is often compared with Romans. Hebrews presents the Person of salvation; Romans presents the way of salvation. The book of Hebrews focuses on the ceremonial law of the Old Testament; and compares to Romans, on the moral law of time. â€Å"Romans moves from law to grace, and Hebrews, from shadow to substance. The redaction criticism of this passage shows that in regards to the Old Testament Leviticus is the book of the covenant of the Law and Romans which is parallel to Hebrews shows us Gods grace and mercy. Contents The key word of this Epistle is â€Å"better†. It occurs thirteen times in the thirteen chapters. Christ is shown as better than angels (cc1-2), better than Moses (c.3), better than Joshua (c.4), better than Aaron (cc.5-10).Christianity is declared to be a better covenant (c.8) It offers a better rest, an better priesthood, a better altar, a better sacrifice. The theme of the book is the superiority of Christianity to Judaism. In every way it is a better religion. The meaning of the word â€Å"

Diversity of Approaches Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Diversity of Approaches - Assignment Example Most of the final products as the final works of various developers might require integration at some point of which could prove challenging. This is acceptable especially where no common ground rules have been designed to monitor and control most of the upcoming software. Technology developers, relying on hardware and software, are constantly releasing upgrades or superior hardware with improved features. For the cases where software is used to develop other applications or as a base development platform then the developer has to adjust to fit into the changes. Take the Android development platform, for instance, the entry is in constant advancement to more stable forms after some turn out to be flawed. Modeling also changes especially where fixes were developed to correct bugs or another form of loopholes. Cloud hardware is a perfect example of the growing technology where virtualized resources are run by software. The changes emerging changes must be met by the developer to run on the intended hardware. This implies that if this is not checked through the correct modeling it will be expensive to make corrections and thus the advocating for the diversity (Nunes & Cunha, 2010). A human resource firm has different needs to those requested by a telephone or internet service providing company. The diversification is also critical to ensure that the implemented model features all the required entities and emphasis is held on the development time and resources used especially for large applications. One organization would probably require the whole program sufficient to run a different business as part of their masterpiece. Incorporating both of these requires skills and extensive skills in project modeling during the software development lifecycle. The number of systems as a form of diversification does not pass the test as it is entirely covered in the different organizations has different needs, option above,

TBA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

TBA - Essay Example In the video, Mrs. Kondo fights to reduce the increasing rudeness among Japanese youth (ABC News: Cultural Differences In Manners Between Japan And The U.S.). During the interview, we see her smiling the whole time of the interview. In addition to we also see the women in her class speak in low tones, which is an indicator of the non-verbal communication skills in the video. 2. In the McDonalds commercial, there is a young shouting, this is a clear indication of the non-verbal codes. The young man shouts while raising his hands up to show excitement. The gesture indicates that there is the use of non-verbal codes in the short video. Mrs. Kondo is shaking her head when she says that there is a decline in manners among the youths in the Japan. She argues that the American culture has a strong influence on the modern Japan culture. Deborah Tannen shakes her head when she says that modern youths are comfortable in using technology. 3. The use of non-verbal gestures and codes in the video plays a major role in the video. The non-verbal messages in the individuals in the video to sensitize their views on the impact f American culture on the Japanese culture. It helps show the emotional state of most of the individuals in the video. The state official indicates to the interviewer that he has finished speaking by nodding his head. It is an indication that regulates the flow of communication between conversations. It provides appropriate feedback to individuals during interviews. Mrs. Kondo feels that the modern youth do not have manners when holding discussions. She insists that they do not have manners. According to her, the Japanese youth does not act the way the society expects them to do. At the beginning of the video, we find Mrs. Kondo teaching the interviewer how to bow in front of people during greetings. The gestures indicate that of politeness in the

Implementation, Strategic Controls and Contingency Plans Essay

Implementation, Strategic Controls and Contingency Plans - Essay Example As a result, the company’s management aim at enhancing the company’s portfolio assets making it dominant in the real estates and other investments made in United States of America and around the globe (Wolff Urban Development LLC n.d ). In addition, the management intends to formulate strategies by branding the company’s image resulting to positioning of the company in the global market. More than that, the Human Resources of Wolff Urban Development, LLC plays a decisive role in the development of investments decisions and managing the company’s human resource thus, it makes it easier for them to have knowledge on what the company wants. Given that, World Urban Development, LLC has been in business from 1968, it is crucial to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the processes that will make the company be vibrant in the global market. More significantly, it is essential to establish solutions based on the challenges that the company faces both internally and externally while undertake investments decisions whether by acquisition or construction. More considerably, Wolff Urban Development LLC sets plans that are intended to benefit the company in achieving the set goals. More significantly, it is imperative to establish on how the investment are being undertaken thus, it is important to develop the strategic controls and contingency plans that will be used in implementation of the company’s decision (Barney, 2007). Objectives 1. To ensure employees involvement in the successful implementation of the company plans. 2. To make sure that the company’s brand maintains a strong image and market position. 3. To oversee the expansion of the company’s investment within United States of America (USA) and around markets in the world. Wolff Urban Development, LLC, is guided by the strategic and contingency plans that are clearly set to meet the investment projects. The company’s management outlines their objectives t hat are focused on utilizing the investment opportunities in making it successful in the industry. Wolff Urban Development LLC, is involved in a clearly set devising strategy focused on achievement of its objectives and goals that are set before carrying out the plan. Functional Tactics Wolff Urban Development LLC, uses it reliable network established over the years of existence to achieve its investments decision. It remains essential for the company’s employee to internalize and be more conscious towards the organization’s investment decisions. More significantly, the company invests a large amount of funds in projects that require human resource personnel of the company to utilize the resource allocated in order to ensure that the company attains the highest possible return for the organization as the focus on achieving objectives that the management sets. In addition, Wolff Urban Development LLC, employees are putting the company in a competitive position by settin g investment projects that are beneficial to the company. In addition, the experience company’s employees have acquired over the period makes it easier for them to understand the needs of the company (Wolff Urban Development LLC, n.d). More significantly, the employees of the organization develop new policies by bring new ideas and opportunity that are benefici

Economic Change Effect Frauds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Economic Change Effect Frauds - Research Paper Example The enormous preponderance of fraudsters gets an action to hide their crimes. Consequently, several frauds might not at all be trapped. Other strategies might be committed for years previous to they are exposed. In addition to, still amid those that are noticed, a great figure of cases would never be accounted, permitting them to stay concealed from the public eye. Therefore, no precise calculation of the height of fraud throughout the contemporary recession could subsist. However, examining the relationship between frauds along with a diluted economy is an important attempt. To obtain a pulsation on how the economy is touching fraud tendencies, the ACFE left to the professionals who are in the ditches hostility fraud on an everyday basis. By reviewing anti-fraud experts about their knowledge and explanation, we expect to increase the number of imminent into the association between economic downswings and misleading action (Galbraith 2004). Evaluation The height of fraud has enhanced given that the starting of the economic disaster. We inquired peoples to contrast the stage of fraud they meet up throughout the 12 months previous the review (from near the beginning 2008 throughout early on 2009) to the figure of frauds they have seen or practiced in former years. Through recognizing alterations in the stage of seen deceptive action all through this age, we could collect a wide vision of the connection between the contemporary economic recession as well as executive offense (Galbraith 2004). To assist measure the degree of several seen alter, we subdivided the height of fraud into two metrics: numeral of cases and monetary shock. In addition, 49% seen an enhancement in the dollar sum lost to fraud throughout the similar era. At the same time as it is too quickly to obtain a obvious image of precisely how much fraud has started because the creation of the contemporary economic bend, the facts supplied by review individuals (particula rly when joined with the deliberation of how much fraud has not up till now been noticed) offers the first-class sign that fraud is certainly on the mount.

Studied male behaviour Essay Example for Free

Studied male behaviour Essay One type of gender bias is alpha bias. This is the tendency to exaggerate differences between males and females. An example of this is heightening the value of women (e.g. Gilligans theory of moral development), and a contrasting example is devaluing them (e.g. Freuds theory of psychosexual development, which says that women develop inferior superegos). Another type of gender bias is beta bias, which is the tendency to overlook differences or exaggerate similarities between the sexes. This was an issue in Kohlbergs theory of the development of moral understanding, as his classifications were largely based on justice-based morality for both men and women, when it may be that women have different moral values. Many psychological studies have been criticised for being androcentric. An example of this is Milgrams (1963) research into obedience. This bias was particularly methodological: he used only male participants, meaning that it is possible that the findings only apply to males and do not generalise to females. This criticism is supported by a replica study by Kilham Mann (1974), who used both male and female participants, 16% of the female participants obeyed and administered the full shock, compared with 40% of the males. This significant difference was overlooked by Milgrams study as he only studied male behaviour. Both of these pieces of research were conducted in a laboratory setting, which is criticised by feminists for being a male-dominated environment that disadvantages women and feminine behaviour: this may have influenced how some of the participants in both studies acted, in that they may have otherwise acted differently if the setting was more natural. The feminist criticism would suggest that, in Kilham Manns study, less women would obey in real life; however this criticism may itself be criticised for alpha bias and reductionism, since it may be too simplistic to characterise behaviours and settings as masculine or feminine. A theory criticised for its alpha bias is the sociobiological theory of interpersonal attraction. The theory states that males and females look for different characteristics in either sex, and will emphasise certain aspects of their own characteristics in order to attract a partner of the opposite sex. Dunbar (1995) compared around 900 lonely hearts advertisements from four newspapers in the United States, and found that 42% of males sought physically attractive characteristics in their partner, compared to 22% of women; and 50% of females adv ertised their own physical attraction, compared with 34% of males. Their conclusion was that the theory was supported and, while this is true to a certain extent, it overlooks the fact that the theory holds true for a maximum of 50% of participants. That is, it was not all males and no females who said that they sought a physically attractive partner. The research therefore demonstrates the alpha bias of both the theory and Dunbars conclusions. In addition, the sample and setting of the theory may produce alpha bias. It may be that dating agencies augment gender differences in order to optimise success rates, even if this is not representative of real life. Subsequently, people submitting their own advertisements may conform to this norm of augmenting their own gender, therefore leading to a biased sample and, therefore, biased results. This research could be improved by using a more representative sample, such as using a random sample from a wide range of places for a questionnaire. This is especially important since the sociobiological theory is an evolutionary theory, in that it assumes that our desires are innate: it is therefore important to gain a sample from multiple cultures. Numerous other theories and research have been criticised for their gender bias. Freuds psychosexual theory of development is particularly vulnerable to this criticism, as it is androcentric. He claimed that women have inferior superegos to men because they do not have a penis, leading to penis envy which would never be fully resolved. In other words, the theory suggests that femininity is a sort of failed masculinity. This is contrary to the widely accepted idea that women and men, despite their differences, are equal; and even Freud (1925) admitted his gender bias, saying that we must not allow ourselves to regard the two sexes in completely equal in position and worth. In reaction to this, Homey (1926) said that it did not make sense that women would envy a mans penis, instead envying their higher social status (at the time). Horney also coined the term womb envy, which describes a mans envy of women for their ability to have children, therefore providing a less androcentric view by indicating that men and women are different and envy each others positive characteristics. Kohlbergs (1976) theory of moral development has been criticised for beta bias and androcentricism. In his research, he presented participants with moral dilemmas and categorised them with respect to how much they had matured morally based on their responses to the questions subsequently asked. However, this may be seen as androcentric due to the criteria required for categorisation: the dilemmas were based on abstract principles of justice, which Gillian (1982) proposed was an inherently male method of thinking. This meant that Kohlbergs findings classified most women as being morally inferior to men because of the beta bias of the theory. Gilligan (1982), instead, proposed that womens morals are based on care and relationships, whilst those of men are based on justice. However, this theory shows alpha bias, and the existance of this bias is demonstrated by her own findings that roughly as many women base their morals on justice as on care. In fact, Walker (1984) found, in a meta-analysis of 108 studies, that only 8 studies showed overall gender differences in morality (which, ironically, displays beta-bias).  It may be that the alpha- and beta-bias in such studies arise due to a lack of explanation of individual differences, as it is rarely the case that there are no differences between men and women, or that men and women are completely different.

MGMT Methylation Status and Glioblastoma Multiforme Outcome

MGMT Methylation Status and Glioblastoma Multiforme Outcome ABSTRACT Background: O6 – methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation has been associated with increased survival among patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) who were treated with various alkylating agents. We examined the relationship between MGMT methylation status and clinical outcome in newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with BCNU wafers (Gliadel ®). Methods: MGMT promoter methylation in DNA from 122 newly diagnosed GBM patients treated with Gliadel was determined by a Quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay (QMSP) and correlated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results: The MGMT promoter was methylated in 40 (32.7%) of 122 patients. Overall median survival was 13.5 months (95%CI: 11.0-14.5) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 9.4 months (95%CI: 7.8-10.2). After adjusting for age, KPS, extent of resection, temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation therapy (RT), newly diagnosed GBM patients with MGMT methylation who were treated with Gliadel had a 15% reduction in hazard of death compared to patients with unmethylated MGMT (Hazard ratio: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.56-1.31). Patients aged over 70 with MGMT methylation and treated with Gliadel had a significantly longer median survival of 13.5 months compared to 7.6 months in patients with unmethylated MGMT (p=0.027). A similar significant difference was also found in older patients with a median recurrence-free survival of 13.1 versus 7.6 months (p=0.01) for MGMT methylated and unmethylated, respectively. Conclusions: Methylation of the MGMT promoter in newly diagnosed GBM patients who were treated with Gliadel followed by RT and TMZ, was associated with significantly improved survival compared to the non-methylated patient population with similar treatment. For the elderly population, methylation of the MGMT promoter was associated with significantly better OS and RFS. INTRODUCTION Glioblastome multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor, with a median survival of less than two years [1]. To date, only two different alkylating agents have been shown to be consistently associated with prolonged survival – temozolomide (TMZ) and the locally delivered BCNU wafers (Gliadel) [1-3]. Gliadel wafers (Eisai Inc. for Arbor Pharmaceuticals, LLC) are implanted and locally deliver Carmustine (also known as (1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1- nitrosourea (BCNU)) at the site of tumor resection, allowing for a higher concentration of local chemotherapeutic doses while minimizing systemic adverse effects [2-4]. These wafers provide a controlled- release form of local chemotherapy for approximately 3 weeks [4, 5]. Methylation of the MGMT promoter in gliomas was found to be an important predictor of the tumor responsiveness after several cytotoxic regimens [6], including BCNU treatment [7]. It was found that expression of the DNA repair protein, O6 – methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT), results in GBM resistance to alkylating agents. Alkylating agents cause cell death by binding to DNA, most commonly to the O6 position of guanine, and forms cross-links between adjacent DNA strands. This cross-linking of double strand DNA is inhibited by the cellular DNA-repair protein MGMT. In this study, through a unique analysis of 122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who were treated with Gliadel, we retrospectively examined the association between MGMT promoter methylation status and survival. METHODS Patients and Tumor Specimens We retrospectively reviewed 185 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who received Gliadel after tumor resection, at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, between July 1997 and December 2006. Of these patients, only 122 patients had stored samples that were available for MGMT analysis. The clinical, radiological and hospital course of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Age and gender were recorded, as well as Karnofsky performance score (KPS) at time of diagnosis, tumor location, time to recurrence and dates of death were recorded. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from the time of surgery to death, and recurrence free survival (RFS) was calculated from the time of surgery to time of recurrence or censored at the last time of follow-up. GBM was histologically confirmed in all cases. Extent of surgical resection was determined based on a postoperative MRI performed Treatment Algorithm Gliadel wafers were typically not implanted in patients after tumor resection when the tumor largely extended into the ventricles or was multifocal. DNA Extraction After initial patient de-identification, all original histologic slides from the GBM specimens were reviewed to reconfirm the diagnosis of GBM by a senior neuropathologist (PB). A representative block with tumor was retrieved for DNA extraction. Histologic slides from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue were obtained. One representative slide was stained with HE and the tumor was marked by the senior neuropathologist (PB). An additional five correlating unstained 10 micron slides were also obtained. The tumor cells in the unstained slides were microdissected according to the marked HE stained reference slide. DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissue after xylene deparaffinization. The microdissected tissue was digested with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 200ug/mL proteinase K (Roche, Nutley, NJ) at 48 °C for 48 hours, followed by phenol/chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation of DNA. Extracted DNA was dissolved in either LoTE (2.5 mM EDTA, 10 mM Trisâ⠂¬â€œHCl [pH 8]) or distilled water. Bisulfite Treatment Extracted DNA was subjected to bisulfite treatment, to convert unmethylated cytosine residues to uracil residues. Briefly, 2  µg genomic DNA from each sample was treated with bisulfite using the EpiTect Bisulfite kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Converted DNA was stored at -80oC. Methylation Analysis Bisulfite-modified DNA was used as a template for fluorescence-based real-time PCR. Amplification reactions were carried out in triplicate in a final volume of 20  µL that contained 3  µL bisulfite-modified DNA; 600 nmol/L concentrations of forward and reverse primers; 200 nmol/L probe; 0.6 units platinum Taq polymerase (Invitrogen); 200  µmol/L concentrations each of dATP, dCTP, dGTP, and dTTP; and 6.7 mmol/L MgCl2. Primers and probes were designed to specifically amplify the promoter of MGMT and the promoter of a reference gene, ACTIN B; primer and probe sequences and annealing temperatures are provided in Table 1. Amplifications were carried out using the following profile: 95 °C for 3 min followed by 50 cycles at 95 °C for 15 s and 60 °C for 1 min. Amplification reactions were carried out in 384-well plates in a 7900 sequence detector (Perkin-Elmer Applied Biosystems) and analyzed by a sequence detector system (SDS 2.2.1; Applied Biosystems). Each plate included patie nt DNA samples, positive controls (Bisulfite-converted Universal Methylated Human DNAStandards (Zymo Research) in serial dilutions 20ng to 2pg) and molecular grade water was used as a non-template control. The ÃŽ ²-actin gene was used to normalize and act as an internal loading control. The methylation ratio was the ratio of values for the gene-specific PCR products to those of the ACTIN B and then multiplied by 1,000 for more efficient tabulation. Statistical Methods The overall survival (OS) time was defined from the date of initial diagnosis of the disease (surgery) to the time of death or censored at the time last known alive. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) was counted from the date of initial diagnosis of the disease to the time of disease recurrence or censored at the time last known alive and recurrence-free. Probabilities of OS and RFS were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method [15] and compared using Log-rank test. Confidence intervals were calculated using the method of Brookmeyer and Crowley[14]. Cox proportional hazards model [16] was used to estimate the association between OS or RFS and MGMT methylation status, treatments and well known prognostic factors. Schoenfeld residuals were used to test the proportionality of factors in Cox proportional hazards models. Radiation status was treated as a stratification factor in the Cox regression model. TMZ has FDA approval for newly diagnosed GBM patients aged between 18-70. Subgro up analyses were performed for patients who were aged over 70. All p values were two-sided. All analyses were performed using the Statistical Analysis System, version 9.2. MGMT was considered as promoter methylated if the methylation ratio was higher than 8, and unmethylated if below 8. RESULTS Patient Population Six hundred patients with newly diagnosed GBM underwent craniotomy between 1997 and 2006, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. One hundred eighty five patients received Gliadel (30.8%) after tumor resection. Methylation specific PCR was performed in 122 of the 185 patients (66%) because 63 patients did not have sufficient paraffin embedded tumor tissue for MGMT analysis. The characteristics of the patients and type of treatments are shown in Table 2. The clinical course of forty patients who had methylation of MGMT promoter was compared to 82 patients without promoter methylation of MGMT. The similarity of distributions among patients characteristics, and treatments between MGMT methylated and unmethylated is also shown in Table 2. There was a slightly male predominance in both groups. The median age of the MGMT methylated group was 65.5 years compared to 60.5 years in the non-MGMT methylated group (p=0.59). Most of the patients in both groups had KPS score of ≠¤ 80 (p=0.67). Most of the patients in both groups underwent gross total resection (GTR) (85% vs. 74% in the methylated and non-MGMT methylated group, respectively), (p=0.19). Most of the patients in the MGMT methylated and non-MGMT methylated groups received post-operative radiation therapy (RT) (80% and 72% respectively). However, there were 31 patients (25%) without radiation treatment recorded in their medical chart. Only 33% and 29% of MGMT methylated and non-MGMT patients, respectively, were treated with TMZ due to majority of patients was treated prior to 2005 when RT+ TMZ became the stadnadrd of care for the newly diagnosed GBM patients. Overall Survival The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the median OS for the122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM was 13.5 months (95% CI: 11.0, 14.5). Median OS for those with MGMT methylation was 13.9 months (95%CI: 9.5, 17.1) compared to 12.9 months (95%CI: 10.9, 14.5) (p= 0.86) in patients non methylated. Univariate and multivariate association of survival with treatment factor, baseline prognostic factors, and MGMT methylation status are shown in Table 3. There was a 15% reduction in hazard of death (Hazard ratio: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.56-1.31) for patients with MGMT methylated tumor compared to those with MGMT unmethylated tumor after adjusting for age, KPS, extent of resection, TMZ and RT. A subgroup analysis was performed among 35 patients who were 18-70 years old and treated with Gliadel, RT and TMZ ( Gliadel+ Stupp’s regimen) [1]. The median OS was 19.8 months (95% CI, 14.5, 22.2) in this subset of patients. There was no statistically significant difference in OS among these 35 patients with MGMT pr omoter methylation (median OS:20 months,95% CI: 9.2, 37.0), compared to patients without MGMT promoter methylation (median OS: 18.9 months, 95% CI: 11.9, 22.2), (Table 4). Only two out of 30 elderly patients aged above 70 years were treated with TMZ, one was MGMT methylated and another was not. Among these elderly patients, those with MGMT promoter methylation showed a significantly longer median survival of 13.5 months (95% CI, 0.49, 17.1) compared to 7.6 months (95% CI, 2.9, 9.4) when the MGMT promoter was non-methylated (p=0.027). A similar significant difference in median recurrence-free survival was also found in elderly patients where the median survival was 13.1 versus 7.6 months (p=0.01) for MGMT methylated and unmethylated, respectively. The overall median recurrence-free survival was 9.4 months (95%CI: 7.8-10.2) for all patients. There was no difference in RFS between patients 18-70 years old with and without MGMT methylation. DISCUSSION In this study we investigated the significance of MGMT methylation status in a series of 122 patients with newly diagnosed GBM who underwent surgical resection and implantation of Gliadel wafers. The results of our series show a reduction in hazard of death for patients who were MGMT methylated compared to non-methylated. Interestingly, this effect was much more profound in the elderly group of 35 patients who were older than 70 years old when they were diagnosed with GBM. Elderly patients who were MGMT methylated had significantly better OS, compared to non-methylated (13.5 vs. 7.6 months respectively, p=0.027). The methylation of the MGMT promoter region leads to a reduced ability to repair DNA damage induced by alkylating chemotherapeutic agents [7]. Methylation of the MGMT promoter was found to be associated with responsiveness to alkylating chemotherapeutic agents such as temozolomide [6] and BCNU [7], and an increase in OS and progression free survival. The median survival of patients who received the combination of Gliadel, temozolomide and radiation therapy in our cohort ranged between 18.9 to 20 months, six months greater than that for the radiation therapy and temozolomide historic cohort [1] (Figure1). For patients younger than 70 years old, the median survival of the MGMT methylated sub-group was slightly greater that MGMT non-methylated. KPS in a known prognostic factor for patients with brain tumors [8]. Most of the patients in our study cohort had poor KPS of less than 80. Still, our results were in line with the report of Lechapt-Zalcman et al. [9] who assessed the prognostic impact of MGMT promoter methylation in patients with newly diagnosed GBM that received Gliadel in addition to radiation therapy and temozolomide. The OS of their study cohort was 17.5 months. Patients with MGMT methylation had a significantly longer OS of 21.7 months compared with patients without MGMT methylation who had OS of 15.1 months. Two recent phase III clinical trials in the elderly age of patients with malignant astrocytoma, the NOA-08 [10] and Nordic trials [11], demonstrated that temozolomide therapy alone was not inferior to radiotherapy alone, and methylation of the MGMT gene promoter was associated with a benefit from temozolomide. However, there is a concern that combination therapy of radiation therapy and temozolomide may be less active and less well tolerated in the elderly population [12]. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-26981/National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) CE3 trial have suggested that with increasing age, the relative benefit of addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy decreases and the patients suffer from increased chemotherapy-associated side effect such as neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia , raised liver-enzyme concentrations infections and thromboembolic events. As opposed to systemic chemotherapy with its limitations, local delivery of Gliadel wafers may be promising in this subset of patients. Chaichana et al. compared 45 elderly patients who were treated with Gliadel to 88 elderly patients who did not receive Gliadel [13]. The survival for older patients who received Gliadel was significantly longer than for patients who did not receive Gliadel (8.7 months vs. 5.5 months respectively, p=0.007). The median survival of MGMT methylated in elderly patients in the current cohort was doubled. These results may support the use of Gliadel in this sub-population. Limitations There are several limitations to this study. Its retrospective nature carries a potential bias. Moreover, the time period of this study ended in 2006, only one year after temozolomide became the standard of care in the treatment of GBM, thus most of the patients were not treated with the combination of temozolomide and radiation therapy. Furthermore, because this is a tertiary referral center, there is a bulk of patients who were operated in this center, but received further neuro-oncology treatments elsewhere, near their home, and therefore, their complementary oncology treatment is not available. Still, this large and unique cohort of patients with newly diagnosed GBM who were operated in one tertiary center provide novel data that may assist in optimizing and personalizing the treatment for GBM patients.

Progressive Insurance :: Progressive Mutual Insurance Company

Abstract On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company. They wanted to provide vehicle owners with security and protection and they thought an insurance company was a good investment for a couple of lawyers who were just getting started. Since its beginning, Progressive has taken an innovative approach to auto insurance. They offered drive-in claims service before any other auto insurance company and in another industry first, they allowed customers to pay their premiums in installments. An appealing option for those who could not afford annual payments. Progressive wanted and still wants to make auto insurance accessible and easy so more people could protect their vehicles. Progressive began in 1937, and over the years, they have worked hard to build a superior proposition for auto insurance consumers through competitive pricing and by continuously improving our products and services. Today, they offer competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person and online services to all drivers throughout the United States. Today, Progressive customers can purchase auto insurance directly from them online or by phone, or they can purchase from independent insurance agents. Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive has 28,000-plus employees in more than 450 offices throughout the country. Progressive people enjoy a casual dress code and a unique work environment where all are required to risk, learn, grow and perform. Progressive's larger locations house one of the country's largest, most eclectic contemporary art collections. Communicating a clear picture of Progressive by stating what they try to achieve, how they interact with custom ers, and what guides their behavior permits all people associated with Progressive to understand what they expect of each other and ourselves and how we conduct our business. Progressive has been in business since 1937 and currently is one of the largest auto insurance groups in the United States. They have more than 10 million policies in force and growth continues as more people choose us for their vehicle insurance needs. They sell insurance directly to customers online and by phone, and offer insurance through more than 30,000 local independent agents. In addition to auto insurance, Progressive offers the following types of insurance to customers throughout the country: boat/personal watercraft insurance, commercial auto insurance, homeowners insurance, motorcycle insurance, RV insurance and Segway insurance. Policies are available for people who choose to shop for auto insurance online at progressive.com or by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE 1-800-776-4737. You also can compare rates for other top companies when you shop for a Progressive auto policy. Progressive Insurance :: Progressive Mutual Insurance Company Abstract On March 10, 1937, Joseph Lewis and Jack Green started Progressive Mutual Insurance Company. They wanted to provide vehicle owners with security and protection and they thought an insurance company was a good investment for a couple of lawyers who were just getting started. Since its beginning, Progressive has taken an innovative approach to auto insurance. They offered drive-in claims service before any other auto insurance company and in another industry first, they allowed customers to pay their premiums in installments. An appealing option for those who could not afford annual payments. Progressive wanted and still wants to make auto insurance accessible and easy so more people could protect their vehicles. Progressive began in 1937, and over the years, they have worked hard to build a superior proposition for auto insurance consumers through competitive pricing and by continuously improving our products and services. Today, they offer competitive rates and 24-hour, in-person and online services to all drivers throughout the United States. Today, Progressive customers can purchase auto insurance directly from them online or by phone, or they can purchase from independent insurance agents. Headquartered in the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive has 28,000-plus employees in more than 450 offices throughout the country. Progressive people enjoy a casual dress code and a unique work environment where all are required to risk, learn, grow and perform. Progressive's larger locations house one of the country's largest, most eclectic contemporary art collections. Communicating a clear picture of Progressive by stating what they try to achieve, how they interact with custom ers, and what guides their behavior permits all people associated with Progressive to understand what they expect of each other and ourselves and how we conduct our business. Progressive has been in business since 1937 and currently is one of the largest auto insurance groups in the United States. They have more than 10 million policies in force and growth continues as more people choose us for their vehicle insurance needs. They sell insurance directly to customers online and by phone, and offer insurance through more than 30,000 local independent agents. In addition to auto insurance, Progressive offers the following types of insurance to customers throughout the country: boat/personal watercraft insurance, commercial auto insurance, homeowners insurance, motorcycle insurance, RV insurance and Segway insurance. Policies are available for people who choose to shop for auto insurance online at progressive.com or by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE 1-800-776-4737. You also can compare rates for other top companies when you shop for a Progressive auto policy.

Susan Glaspells Trifles - Some Observations :: Trifles Essays

Trifles I would like to make three major points. Major #1: Since this is the first play we’ve read, the stage direction really caught my eye and I tended to consider it very seriously in determining the meaning of the work. The most obvious direction, which the essay by Parrish discusses, is that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Wright ever appear in the play, and Glaspell was the first to use this type of direction (which was later recognized as uniquely her own.) Other important examples of the play’s direction (not spoken lines) are: ( ... she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters.) (Stops, his face twitches.) In a manner of returning to familiar things.) Glaspell uses this direction several times. (Silence; then as if struck by a happy thought and relieved to get back to everyday things.) (Mrs. Hale glances in a covert way at Mrs. Peters.) (Pulling herself back.) this is an emotional direction, not a physical one Glaspell’s decision to present "Trifles" as a play instead of its short story original form (titled :"A Jury of Her Peers) gives the reader an opportunity to "see" the action better than usual, and therefore get a clearer understanding of the author’s meaning. Major #2: What is the significance of "preserves?" I see the literal meaning, but what is Glaspell saying about a woman’s act of preserving things? The action in the play keeps going back to this jar of preserves (example: if the jar gets too cold, it breaks; preserves make a sticky mess; they don’t want to let Minnie know the jars broke and are not preserved.) Major #3: Does anyone know about quilting? I’m looking for more specific information on knotting vs. quilting? I think Glaspell is using this craft (and it is a way of expression like writing and painting) very subtly to get her message across, but I don't have enough information to see it, although I do see the significance of knotting and the knot around Mr. Wright’s neck that killed him. Can anyone help? Parrish writes in her essay that Glaspell wrote and produced many plays, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1931. It is interesting and meaningful to read drama because it finds yet another way for women to find and express their voices. Parrish states that Glaspell’s writing focused on women’s "desire for equality and acknowledgement in a "man’s world.

Republic Day Essay

In India, Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950. The date of 26 January was chosen to honour the declaration of independence of 1930. It is one of the three national holidays in India. While the main parade takes place in the national capital, New Delhi, at the Rajpath before the President of India (currently Pranab Mukherjee), the anniversary is also celebrated with varying degrees of formality in state capitals and other centres. India achieved independence from British rule on 15 August 1947 following the Indian independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led by the Indian National Congress. The independence came through the Indian Independence Act 1947, an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent Dominions of the British Commonwealth (later Commonwealth of Nations): India and Pakistan. India obtained its independence on 15 August 1947 as a constitutional monarchy with George VI as head of state and the Earl Mountbatten as governor-general. The country, though, did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935. On 28 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Dr.B. R. Ambedkar as chairman. While India’s Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution.

How Is Blanche’s Illusionary World Broken Down in the Play by Others? Essay

In the 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams, there is an on going battle of rivalry between Stanley and Blanche, resulting to Blanche retreating into a world of illusions in order to protect herself. The two come from completely different societal worlds and have contrasting personalities, Stanley being powerful, controlling and strong and Blanche, being fragile, weak and vulnerable. Despite their hatred for each other and their differences they have many similar traits, including their use of sexuality and desperation to control others. The primary noticeable difference between Stanley and Blanche are the worlds that they both come from. Blanche believes in an illusionary world of which the upper and lower class people are separated, education is valued, races are separated and purity is preserved. In contrast, Stanley comes from a patriarchal society, which is morally corrupt, sinful and amoral. In the opening scene, the stage directions â€Å"her expression is one of shocked disbelief. Her appearance is incongruous to this setting† conveys her difference in class and how Blanche already does not fit into this new world foreshadowing the end of the play when Blanche is pushed out of the new world. The dialogue â€Å" they mustn’t have- understood- what number I wanted† highlights Blanche’s confusion as she arrives at Elysian Fields, which suggests that Blanche is entering into a world that she does not belong in. The use of the derogatory terms â€Å"negro†, â€Å"brown† and â€Å"one white and one coloured† all suggest that unlike in Blanche’s illusionary world, Stanley’s world, New Orleans does not separate races instead they intermingle. Throughout the play there are many references to animalistic qualities. Blanche is represented, as a â€Å"moth† of which is fragile and attracted to light, which leads to danger and death. Stanley is compared to a lion, a predator of power and strong with pride. Stanley is also described in the stage directions ass having ‘lordly composure’ this conveys his desire to be in charge or control of others around him, including Blanche. The use of the verb, â€Å"stalk,† suggests Stanley’s predatory nature. It is aggressive and masculine which is shown through Stanley’s hatred towards Blanche. The conflict between Stanley and Blanches is a fight for Stella’s love and control over their worlds. Stanley aims to break down Blanche’s illusionary world and dismantle her by revealing the truth and invading her privacy. Blanche’s statement â€Å"Everything I own is in that trunk† highlights that Stanley intends on ownership to break Blanche. Furthermore Stanley reveals the truth about Blanche’s sexual promiscuity. This is evident in his dialogue â€Å"You’re god dam right I told him. I’d have that on my conscience for the rest of my life if I knew all the stuff and I let my best friend get caught. † Stanley’s exposure of Blanche’s secret not only breaks the relationship between Blanche and Mitch, but further breaks down her illusionary world. Stanley’s intrusion of Blanche’s trunk marks the beginning of his invasion of Blanche. The use of the motif lights is a representation of Blanche attempting to hide from the truth as light symbolizes the harsh reality of the truth. The lack of light symbolizes Blanche’s need to avoid light, meaning reality and the truth. Stanley and Stella’s love for each other contributes to the break down of Blanche’s illusionary world. It is evident from the beginning that Blanche does not understand their marriage as it is based on opportunism and unlike Stella, Blanche has not yet accepted reality. Blanche is holding onto the past making her unable to accept reality. Blanche attempts to break down Stella and Stanley’s happiness, which was based on sex not genuine love. When Stanley says â€Å"I done nothing to no one. Let go of my shirt. You’ve torn. † It represents that their relationship has been broken, like the ‘torn’ shirt. In scene Ten Stanley’s rape of Blanche is a physical manifestation of his attempt to dismantle her privacy throughout the whole text, going through her bags, finding out about Laurel and revealing her secrets to Mitch. Stanley represents reality. He will not allow Blanche to retreat into her illusionary world. Clearly, the 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams reflects the on going battle of rivalry between Stanley and Blanche, resulting to Blanche retreating into a world of illusions in order to protect herself. Although Blanche lives in an illusionary world she is unable to sustain it, she attempts to hold onto this world in order to survive in the New World and protect herself. However Stanley’s ongoing rivalry to win over Stella by revealing the truth and breaking Blanche makes it almost impossible for Blanche to survive in the patriarchal society, resulting in her ending up in a mental institution. The new world is patriarchal and corrupt and violence has been normalised. Williams critiques these values suggesting that balance between â€Å"magic† of illusion and reality is needed. This is symbolic of the greater societal clash of values in the struggling world of late 1940’s America.

Review of Related Literature and Related Studies about Mobile Phone

Foreign According to [ (Miller, 2013) ], a mobile phone is a wireless electronic device used for telephone and multimedia communications. Which means people can bring it and can communicate anywhere at anytime. [ (Singh, 2011) ] said that communication is the process to express his thoughts, ideas, and messages, from one person to other person for the sake of personal interest or business interest. Communication is more effective if you receive the response from other person. You can express his thoughts to another person by verbal communication, non-verbal communication or by mass communication. (McGuigan, 2013) ] Stated that Text messaging is a term for short communications made through cell phones. It uses what is called the Short Message Service, and so is often called SMS for short. It is also sometimes referred to as txting, using the shorthand common in such messages as a way of dealing with short character limits and often bulky interfaces. [ (Ziggs, 2011) ] proposed that age s 13 to 17 ends the highest number of text messaging, sending and receiving an average of 1,742 text messages per month. (Jenna Langer, 2009) ] said that men prefer to use communication to gain social status and use their social networks in a task-oriented manner (2).Face-to-face communication differences between genders and has been shown to cross over into e-mail and computer-mediated communication makes women communicate more thoroughly because of the lack of nonverbal cues. [ (Amanda Lenhart, 2010) ]One major influence has to do with the economics of the cell phone – who pays for the costs associated with the cell phone and its use and what are the limitations on the service plan for the phone?Does the user have unlimited minutes to talk or the ability to share minutes? Does he or she have an unlimited or pay-as-you-go text messaging plan? And regardless of who pays, what type of plan does the teen have? A shared family plan, an individual plan with a contract, or a contr act-less pre-paid phone? Each of these variations can influence how teens and adults use their mobile phones. [ (Amanda Lenhart, 2010) ] About one in five teen cell phone users (18%) are part of a prepaid or pay-as-you-go plan, and just one in ten (10%) have their own individual contract.The type of cell phone plan a teen has is significantly related to household income. Teens from lower income households are more likely to use prepaid plans or to have their own contract, while teen cell phone users in households with incomes of $50,000 or greater are most likely to be part of a family plan. Local [ (Celdran, 2002) ] declared that The characteristics of connectivity, speed, cost effectiveness, mobility and confidentiality of text messaging and its adaptability to Filipino culture has made SMS the most popular form of private communication technology in the country.BibliographyTeens and Mobile Phones. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from Pew Internet: http://pewinternet. org/Reports/2010/T eens-and-Mobile-Phones/Chapter-1/The-economics-of-cell-phones–Plan-Types. aspx Celdran, D. (2002).The Philippines: SMS and Citizenship. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://www. dhf. uu. se/pdffiler/02_01/02_1_part9. pdf: http://www. dhf. uu. se/pdffiler/02_01/02_1_part9. pdf Jenna Langer, V. J. (2009).Gender Differences in Text Message Content. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from http://www. jennalanger. com: http://www. jennalanger. com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/LangerJenna-Gender_dif_SMS_Content. df McGuigan, B. (2013, March 08).What is Text Messaging? Retrieved March 10, 2013, from wiseGEEK: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-text-messaging. htmMiller, B. (2013, March 05). What Is a Mobile Phone? Retrieved March 8, 2013, from wiseGEEK: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-a-mobile-phone. htmSingh, H. (2011, July 05). Communication plays an important role in our daily life. Retrieved March 10, 2013, from India Study Channel: http://www. indiastudychannel. com/resources/142618-Com munication-plays-an-important-role-our. aspx Ziggs, D. (2011, February 09). Average Monthly Calls Vrs

Assignment SWOT Analysis due Sun

I selected PC Repair   sample business plan. PC Repair is a S Corporation type of business that will be available to local small businesses and home computer users with computer related issues. PC Repairs offers computer and technical consulting such as repairs, training, networking, and upgrades. PC Repair’s has many strengths that will benefit local businesses and home pc users with all the computer consulting and services it offers. This computer consulting business offers excellent quality services to their clients. They have on-site repair, which is better for the client to eliminate transport of the computer to PC Repair’s office. They offer extended maintenance contracts for clients to work with a single item expense. Their main focus in on small businesses, who don’t have a full-time IT person, but have full-time IT needs. They offer affordable on-demand services to these businesses. They can offer maintenance agreements for small businesses for additional monthly income. They offer flexible, affordable, helpful services for the residential clients. The computing industry is expected to grow at a rate of 12% (Business Week). The expansion of processor speeds through the years will provide a rich resource for sales. PC Repair will use an aggressive advertising plan to exploit its competitor’s weaknesses and to make the name common to the community. They have established relationships with local distributors that will provide them with rapid services, but will be more expensive. They have reasonable prices for the high quality service they offer. They offer pick-up and drop-off service. PC Repair is not only interested in selling new components, but maintaining existing computers and finding client solutions. I can name a few weaknesses I came across first, PC Repair is a new player to the computer consulting business, which may affect initial sales. PC Repair lacks credibility it needs to be more involved in the industry to enhance it. The owner of PC Repair’s home equity is collateral for its short-term loan is a threat if it has no steady monthly income. Offering limited software support is weakness, which I think unlimited would be best. Another weakness is that PC Repair doesn’t have enough computer technicians because if computer services/troubleshooting are in demand and if there are not enough employees, then there might be a overload of clients you need assistant immediately. First year, a one-man home-office to possibly a 3-person business at a leased location I believe is a major weakness because a 1-3 person computer consulting business needs maybe at least 5-8 persons to operate. I also find that PC Repair’s start-up funding requirements to be too high for one-man operation. Their business only works in a 15 mile radius/local area for both business and residential clients. PC Repair’s market segmentation states client’s age range who they will provide services. They only provide services to small businesses or home users. This business plan has determined that small business’ pc needs are more urgent than residential users. The opportunities of PC Repair are that there are potentially huge markets to begin. With the consideration of the many marketing options it will help with the growth of PC Repair. An important characteristic for PC Repair in its marketing plan is the diversity. PC Repair each quarter needs to evaluate their results. Implementing frugal operating procedures and practices will help outgrow their competition and be in a better position in the market. The ability to understand the expectations of clients, having clearly definite responsibilities for their clients, knowing the best person to decide is the client and to know that PC Repair’s solutions address their client’s needs. The rapid rate of technological development creates constant need for PC Repair’s services. Clients tend to be loyal if they provide excellent services and satisfy client’s needs. In the Service Business Analysis it explains how their local competitors have serious weaknesses so there will be no significant barriers entering the market. There are many threats for any type of business, especially computer consulting services like PC Repair. The lack of new computer information may hurt PC Repair. Increasing prices may result in reduced profitability. Downsizing and poor client spending in all markets are results of economic recessions. They have only two main competitors for this type of business in the local area. Competitor A is well known and is efficient.

Asboville tells the story of JB, a sixteen year old verging on delinquency Essay

Asboville tells the story of JB, a sixteen year old verging on delinquency. After warnings about stone-throwing, keying cars (scratching a key on the car body work) , breaking windows and making children’s play parks a no go zone for the under 14s and the over 17s alike, he is caught vandalising property. He is served with an ASBO, his likeness is pasted up on posters all over his estate, and he is sent to live with his uncle in a quiet seaside town. His punishment is to work at painting the beach huts. At one hut each day, it will take JB the entire summer. However is-this what it is always going to be like for JB? Or is there a ray of hope? The book opens on the estate where JB, Scooby, Carla and Dicko are kicking around. We also learn that ‘JB’S court case was just two days away. ’Already the book has started off with in a negative state. In addition his behaviour is like the other teenagers in this novel, he doesn’t think about consequences until it’s too late. In chapter two JB is on the train, heading to Haycliffe. He’s missing his friends. There’s a moment where JB stares out of the window at the backs of houses and eventually sees a reflection of himself. He doesn’t like what he sees. ‘JB punched the window. A blast of pain shot up his arm.’ Furthermore he feels that they are making an example of him. ‘Stuck the ASBO on him. Made an example of him.’ JB takes a taxi to Lowes Field where his Uncle lives. He sees the town from the taxi and the driver complains about how the place has changed. Eventually they arrive at a broken down caravan park and JB is left there in the place that is to become his home. Even when he moves to the beach it seems broken and unfriendly, also the driver of the taxi feels sympathy for JB when he gives the driver ‘a tenner out of his pocket and handed it over†¦ then gave JB a fiver back. â€Å"Looks like you need it,† he said.’ This shows that he knows what lies ahead for JB is going to be difficult. This further proves that this novel is pessimistic In chapter seven JB is starting to make changes as JB is introduced to his new life of painting beach huts. There’s a brief flashback to an event in his childhood and then we’re back on the beach again. He challenges his uncle briefly and is defeated. Boredom sets in. This shows a slight change from vandalism to work that helps himself rebuild. ‘†its’ only a beach hut!† his uncle turned to face him â€Å"never `only`, jay. Not when it’s your living.†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This shows that his Uncle is trying to teach him. This shows a ray of hope for JB. In chapter eight it seems as that ray of hope is short lived as JB has joined up with a new gang. Our first meeting with Moey’s gang. JB hides from them as they kick a tin of paint over his newly painted huts. Later they return and make fun of him. They argue about tagging. A short look at life on the estate with nobody taking responsibility and then JB thinking of his friends as another day comes to an end, his mobile silent and lifeless.’ The gang of lads passed by the crack. One of them spotted the tin of paint on the trestle. The fattest took a run at it, kicked it into the air.’ JB’s life gets harder as this gang will make things difficult for JB. After that on chapter eleven JB meets Sal for the first time. She asks his name. He tells her. She mentions the ships ’graveyard and then she’s gone. Sal becomes the mystery girl and therein lays the attraction. Sal tells us a little more about the ships ‘graveyard; how her friend Emma found it by accident; how her father doesn’t believe in its existence. ‘JB got a look at her now, curled brown hair hanging in front of her eyes, legs long and tanned. She was beautiful.’ This shows a great ray of hope as JB has made a new friend and has someone to talk to. However Sal has problems with her dad. To add in chapter twelve JB finds the gang at the Lifeboat Memorial on carnival day. He meets Moey and the girls, including Moey’s girlfriend, Lisette, for the first time. Moey infiltrates the parade and causes trouble with one of the lifeboat men who forces the gang to disembark and disperse into the alleyways. They arrive at the harbour where Moey demonstrates his nerve by lighting a banger and holding it in his fingers until the very last second. JB does the same. It’s a test of his nerve, a challenge. The noise from the bangers attracts the same man from the parade and once again he moves them on. Moey offers JB some cannabis. JB refuses to begin with but, in the end, he takes it on credit. After he’s left the gang he thinks about throwing the cannabis into the sea, but keeps it just in case. JB is being influenced by the gang, mostly Moey, to do bad things. ‘When it was JB’s turn he lit the banger and watched it burn while the gang watched him.’ This is supporting that this novel is pessimistic. In chapter fifteen Sal visits JB at the beach huts. JB lies about his age. It’s clear that there’s a connection between them. This is giving a ray of hope for not only JB but Sal also as JB has something positive has happened to him. Five chapters after that a new social worker arrives at the caravan park. His name is Tristan Bellows. He’s unsympathetic, the opposite of Swallow, and reminds JB of the rules he must follow. Next in chapter 21 JB’s positive luck ends as JB and Sal have an argument. She tells him what people think of his uncle and why. A clue to his uncle’s past. We learn that somebody made a hoax call to the lifeboat station on the night of the storm. JB is visited and questioned by the police. They discover the body of Sal’s father. JB stops Moey and his gang from torturing a kitten. Moey accuses him of making the hoax call. ‘† what like you? Making a hoax call and killing you girlfriend’s dad?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This supports the fact that this novel is pessimistic; however in chapter twenty six on his way back to the caravan, he’s confronted by some of the members of Moey’s gang. They accuse him of making the hoax call. He stands up to them. This shows there is a ray of hope for JB as he starts to make changes. In addition he meets a smell boy on the beach and he made a new friends, someone who he can talk to and ‘He felt strangle relaxed with the boy’. This shows he has made a new friend and this novel may have a ray of hope. In chapter thirty-four, after completing the final hut and silently delivering some lyrics to Sal, JB spots two police cars at the caravan and Moey’s gang on the beach. Forced to make a choice, he approaches Moey’s gang who are sitting around a camp fire and to follow (in chapter 35) the first real climax to the novel. JB and Moey face up to each other. JB wields a knife. Moey’s gang scatter. JB takes up a flame from the fire and sets the beach huts alight. This is pessimistic and good at the same time as JB has realised that Moey was doing wrong and tries to stop him however the way he tries to stop him is negative, with a knife. Finally in the last two chapters JB sneaks back to the caravan then resolves to stay and face his punishment. JB’s decision is to stand and hold his ground. This is an important moment, for as we are well aware, there was a time when all he’d think of doing was running away. This is a major sign that JB has changed his ways and offers a ray of hope. And in the last chapter two months have passed. JB and his family have moved to a new house on the edge of the town. Sal calls from university. JB takes his phone to the beach where he lets Sal listen to the sound of the waves. They promise to see each other the following Christmas. This is where we know that JB has changed. So far my argument has been biased going towards the pessimistic side of the book however there aren’t many up’s to the book. This novel was over all negative and JB faced hard challenges to overcome, however in the end there is a ray of hope for the characters as once JB had stopped running away from things, like the police and real life he got back on track. Over all Asboville is a negative book from the start but towards the end offers a ray of hope to its characters.

Court Case on Pre-Elclampsia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Court Case on Pre-Elclampsia - Research Paper Example She gets valuable advice from her doctor that the only way to save her from these contingencies is only through an induced abortion as the fetus is not fully developed to the point where it can stay in an incubator. She goes to court to seek assistance so that she may procure the abortion(Kerry, 2010). The evidence she produces holds water and the judges are adamant to allow her to do as she wishes. The jury rules in her favor and she gets the permit with the assistance of her doctor to make the abortion (British Medical Association, 2012). Pre-eclampasia is pretty grim and looking at the symptoms and the expected end result, it makes one skeptic of the decisions they need to make either in favor or in disregard for the challenges that come with the condition. I think that it is something that affects many women across the globe and some are not even aware of the dangers that beckon them as they continue leading their lives. I believe that education is key to eliminating this devastation that is about to completely change the lives of women. I also feel that there should exist channels that women talk and interact with so as to give their opinions and experiences with pre-eclampasia so that they enlighten each other on the probable ways to overcome if not entirely eliminate the state of affairs.

Maltese Falcon Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Maltese Falcon Book - Essay Example It is a narrative published in the 1930s. Brigid O’Shaugnessy appoints Sam Spade to get an archaic falcon from the isle referred to as Malta. Spade works for Joel Cairo, and as he works for him, he looks for the bird as well as his partner’s murderer. He protects himself from police’s allegations, and his associate’s wife’s advances. In an ultimate showdown with all involved parties, Spade exposes the bird and the killer. This review aims at scrutinizing the predominant theme in the volume and how the author lucidly elucidates and describes the concept of people allowing avarice to control the actions in their life (Lombardi, p.2). This police volume depicts varied divergent components of the male as well as female characters. It explores the concepts of the detective genre and the divergent attributes of femininity as well as masculinity. It depicts topics of sexual desires and the avarice for money. The characters, as well as the visual motif in t he play, contribute to the creation of the plot and aids in developing a detective and sexual category oriented film. The duties of males and females are presented in divergent manners in, the Maltese Falcon, to present the unique purposes of manliness and womanliness between the characters. This volume is a subset of the strange genre. As depicted in the volume, the killings in the volume are incredibly inspired, the plots totally artificial, and the personalities pitifully two-dimensional, dummies and cardboard sexual partners, and paper Mache villains and policemen of superb and impractical gentility. This is a sensible obscurity fiction. In this volume, Hammett utilizes language, imagery as well as characterization to link the narrative close to realism. In addition, the author utilizes figurative lingo, insinuation, flashback, forewarning, as well as simile (Hammett, 57). The allusion in the narrative makes it fascinating. Forewarning permits the reader to forecast what will oc cur later in the volume. The simile presents the reader a clear picture of the characters in the volume. The crucial component to the advancement of the narrative is obscurity because it permits Spade to advance the divergence as well as the plot by attracting the reader into the narrative. It is a narrative written in a relaxed tone imbued with colloquialisms in an abrupt lucid style from a purposeful viewpoint. In this volume, Hammett has also utilized slang lingo that is distinct to a singular social affiliation; the underworld offenders, as well as the police. The narrative utilizes a play of astonishing oppositional attributes in some of its categorizations (Turner, p.23). As presented in the volume, Hammett rescues the obscurity genre by returning it to the real world. This is an astonishingly entertaining and well-presented volume. The Maltese Falcon presents a personal investigator who is motivated to disentangle the mystery encircling a black enamelled bird referred to as t he Maltese Falcon. Sam Spade, the significant protagonist of the narrative, is also depicted as the hard-boiled detective. Sam Spade is not a pleasant gentleman on the legal side. He is a character with an edge. The author describes him as a blond Satan. Spade is a concealed eye who can be as corrupt as the next gentleman but also holds to his own individual code of nobility. The intricacies of the narrative

The Roman Catholic Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Roman Catholic Church - Essay Example Roman Catholics are seen as Christians in their communion to the Pope. Over the world, there are over a billion members following the Catholic Church. In the following essay, we will describe in Part I the organization of the Roman Catholic Church through, then in part II we will discuss about the role of this religion in one's life with the role of the Pope, the Saints and the Bible. Finally, in Part III, we will compare the Roman Catholic Church with Islam. Roman Catholicism - as other Christian denominations, Judaism and Islam - is a monotheistic religion. The Catholic Church believes that God is one, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent. However, the Roman Catholic Church is also a Trinitarian religion, meaning that even though God is only one in nature, essence and being, He exists in three divine persons: the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit. They are all identical in essence but differ in their relationship to one another which constitutes the Holy Trinity. Faith in God is the keystone, the most fundamental Catholic belief but also faith in the relationship of these three divine entities as being one. Roman Catholics believe that the Son, the second divine person, has been incarnated as Jesus Christ. Born of the Virgin Mary, he is considered by Catholics to be truly divine and as the same time truly human, teaching how to live through his words and his acts and revealing God as love. Even though Roman Catholicism is composed of numerous places of worship such as cathedrals, churches, chapels and oratories, there is no particular rule for Christians to worship in these places. They can worship in any place as God is omnipresent. However, within these places are held the Eucharistic liturgy - the Celebration of the Mystery of Christ, especially the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection - which is considered as the high point of its activity and the source of its life and strength. Within these places of worship, Catholics are particularly focused on the altar, the tabernacle, the place in which chrism and other holy oils are kept, the seat of the bishop or priest, and the baptismal font. The Christian Roman Church recognizes and administers seven sacraments, considered as gifts from Christ to his Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Not every person will receive every sacrament, but they are considered by the Roman Catholic Church as necessary to salvation, conferring each sacrament's special graces, forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, conformation to Christ, and membership of the Church. There are numerous holidays and days of observance through the year for Roman Catholics. However, we will only insist on some major events in this essay. Christmas Eve and Christmas day celebrates the arrival of May and Joseph in Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus Christ. Ash Wednesday is an observance to begin the 40 day season of the Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Holy Week and Easter, a time of intense devotion, it is observed by fasting, frequent worship and acts of charity. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. Good Friday is a remembrance of the crucifixion of Christ. Finally, Sundays are considered as days of observance commemorating the rest of God after creating earth during six