Opposition Against Macbeth Essay

Finally the three witches who built up Macbeth is also opposing him with a new prediction which would lead to his downfall. (3. 5 29-31) In Act three we are introduced to Macbeths deception and paranoia as he begins to suffer horrifying images of his murdered victims appear amongst him. Macbeths greatest opposition as he quickly destroys his status among others is Banqou his closest friend . Banqous suspicion towards Macbeth grows deeper ,yet it’s his persistence towards his prophesies that forces him into silencing the topic of his beliefs and knowledge for his own ambitions. Banqou awaited for his prophesies to suffice his wants yet as the time grew Macbeth grew in power with dark intentions. AS time quickly slipped through Banqous hand Macbeth noticed the threat the Banqou held against him. (Act3-2)(40-61)Macbeth began to experience paranoia and Banqous suspicion fueled that paranoia. With the witches misleading statements towards Banqous life and rise to glory, Macbeth was convinced there was a defective statement that may lead to his death through Banqous request. With fear and hatred circling his mind, Macbeth convinced two attendants to murder Banqou. (Act3-3)(12-33)As the two murders go off and commit their crime, Macbeth hints to his wife of great plans and that’s a sign of glory and confidence filling his soul. Macbeth had experienced a lack of sleep and a lack of apatite as he sat at his thrown while Banqou and others revolved around him with great suspicion leaving an emotional and mental scar. Act3-4)(49-101)After Banqous death, Macbeth grew great confidence yet it was the idea of murdering his friend haunted him daily and knowing Fleance escaped grew more fear within his soul. (Act3-5) The second opposition which played a large role from the beginning was the witches and Hecate. Macbeth finally reached his goal and accomplished his prophesy yet it was his greed that made him want more power and knowledge of future occurrences ,Knowing this Hecate Decided to convince Macbeth of more glory awaits him and raise his confidence to a higher level which will finally destroy him and lead him to his great down fall. Hecate knew Macbeth’s rain among Scotland and those close to him had to reach its limit and allowing him to continue would lead them to their death. In order to avoid the conflict and remove Macbeth from his power swiftly, Hecate and the other witches decided to allow Macbeth collapse on himself through gentle statements they created. Macbeth’s insecurity and fear leads him to gain enemies and demons which over take his mind. Act3-6)The final great opposition that slowly forms against Macbeth was Lennox and the other lords. Lennox and the other lords begin to discuss Macbeth’s actions among his territorial rule. The lords begin to discuss all the crimes they are sure Macbeth had committed. Macbeth begins to create a defence for himself as he find out his enemies alliance grows rapidly. Macbeth leads himself into the lowes t of situations as he slowly begins to murder others . His suspicion and terror haunts his every move and his enemies grow with his every day at his position.

The Tumbling Down of Rates Across the Globe

Even months after the repeated unfolding of events that have led to the continuing global crisis, the economies worldwide are still reeling from its disastrous effects. The downfall of some of the icons in the financial industry – Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Merill Lynch, AIG, Wachovia, to name a few – followed by the similar fate of the automobile giants all served to transform the once thriving business landscape of the country into a sullen territory of besieged by unemployment, home foreclosures, and an ominous recession.These days, central banks from country to country have been slashing their Treasury rates in their attempts to revive their respective economies. Benchmark Interest Rate The benchmark interest rate, also referred to as the â€Å"base interest rate,† is the minimum interest rate that investors are willing to accept for investing their money in instruments that are relatively riskier than the gover nment-issued Treasury securities.(Farlex website) It is the â€Å"yield that is being earned on the most recent on-the-run Treasury security of similar maturity plus a premium. † (InvestorWords. com) Needless to say, the benchmark interest rate fluctuates in unison with the Treasury yield. An increase or decrease in the prevailing Treasury yield will prompt a mirrored reaction from the benchmark interest rates. The benchmark interest rate varies from one country to another. These interest rates are actually indicative of the investment and economic climate that is currently in place.

Kinetic Energy in Mobile and Device Charging Essay

Kinetic Energy in Mobile and Device Charging - Essay Example This paper illustrates that a household device is crucial in the absence of electricity. It keeps or converts kinetic energy into power, which it uses to charge the devices.   The manufacture of the instrument is such that it can charge with the same speed as standard chargers. Ten thousand steps in a day maintain the equipment for close to three hours. It costs approximately $85, and it comes with an application that records the calories burnt and power it has generated. The company has reached its target of 100000 and after 28 days, it has received over 116000 pledges. It has a fast market growth, and it has no major competitors of the same kind. The small innovations typically make up for more than 80% of the development of the company. These events do not lead to the growth that the company hopes to get in the end. R-W-W directs the project to answer six important questions, which are, does the product have a real market? Does the company produce a genuine product? Can the comm odity compete with other products? Will the organization compete with others? Is the product return profitable at a particular risk? Is it logic to launch the product? Establishing if the market exists is an important factor in its growth. The new technology has a real market because it has passed the qualities of the market. The charger has been able to shape the quality of the market because of its quality. Apple and Samsung are the main producers of smartphones in the world. The phones they produce do not come with a portable charger. It means the charger will have a ready market for the charger. The need for the portable kinetic charger is growth due to a diversity of products. Individuals will choose the charger over other because of one or more features it possesses. The charger would improve on the existing charging solutions in the industry. The market has been there for a long time and it indicates that the portable kinetic charger will, compete with other corporations. The high use of mobile phones and other devices has become a community norm. The new technology will compete with other chargers, which are in the market.

Megamusicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Megamusicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber - Essay Example Musical Theater is an art form that combines the basic elements of speaking, acting, singing and dancing. It is a play that may have all the four elements together in varying proportions or it may utilize pure singing and dancing only and is considered as pure-music or sung-through form. Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats and Phantom of the Opera are almost sung-through musicals, a trademark of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. When story and music are put together, the synthesis is an extremely powerful, expressive and stimulating work of art that is very effective in communicating a message and eliciting a warm response from the audience. All the ingredients of a story including the setting, characters, the plot, the conflict, the resolution and the message contribute to make a good story. It provides a time and place which may be real or imaginary; while a real-life setting is determined by historical facts, an imaginary setting however can make a story very interesting. Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita are based on real-life persons and events while Cats and Phantom of the Opera on fictional stories. A story also provides characters whose personalities, background and visions become the basis of songs. Information about the character becomes the source of the content of the lyrics and the basis of the styles to be used for the music. In Webber's musicals, songs have been written for and about the characters like Jesus, Mary Magdalene and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar; Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Macavity in Cats; Evita, Juan Peron and Che in Evita and the Phantom, Raoul, and Christine in The Phantom Of The Opera.2 A story also layouts the plot, that is, the series of events arranged in a logical sequence and meaningful format that progresses interestingly to bring a clear conveyance of the musical's idea. The plot provides the structure or outline for the sequencing or ordering of songs and music for the musical while the context of the scene helps the composer to determine the type of melody, rhythm, tempo, dynamics or style of music to be used to suit the scene. Considerations like whether to use vocal or instrumental music, solo or choral; sad or happy music, for example, are influenced by the nature and meaning of the scene. Webber is very successful in this aspect which may be appreciated in some of his works especially in his musical Jesus Christ Superstar.3 The conflict is the core of a story, for without it a story becomes uninteresting and unrealistic. Human life is full of conflict and it is this aspect of a story which people relate and respond to. It is then a rich source of material for lyrics and music; conflict leads to the composition of intense songs and powerful music. Webber's song "I Don't Know How To Love Him" and the Overture of Jesus Christ Superstar are just some of his great works that manifest conflict. The resolution of conflict in a story is also a source of material for score writing. Conflict resolutions create wonderful, victorious and inspiring song and music. "Hosanna" and "Superstar" are examples of inspirational songs written by Webber.4 Lastly, the message of the story is a very important source of material and content for the making of song and music for a musical. A story without a message is useless and a song without a message is devoid of significance and meaning. Webber's musicals have great meanings and messages including love for fellowmen, romantic love, love for country and love for life. His musicals contain deep values like hope, love and loyalty.5 In musical theater, the Story is the ingredient that provides meaning and essence. It is the core and substance that endows the musical its development and evolution. It is the component that carries the message to the audience in a forward movement and making the play comprehensible; it is the constituent of the musical play that makes the mind think. Because of the story, actors and actresses have something to say, act, sing

Consumers' Unethical Belief and Attitude toward Counterfeiting Essay

Consumers' Unethical Belief and Attitude toward Counterfeiting - Essay Example The main issue is the consumer has the benefit of choice. A product may be counterfeit. But it may be as good as or better than the original. The customer is in no position to ascertain the true value of the product unless he buys it. However, his unethical belief may be product-specific. He may or may not be willing to test counterfeits of each and every product. For instance, clothes. The fashion business is highly fluid in the matter of originals and counterfeits (Ha, Sejin & Lennon, Sharron, 2006). Depending on the government's strength and the rule of law prevalent in the region, the consumer's reliance on counterfeits may be rewarding or counterproductive and the question of ethics does not bother the consumer because he has paid for the goods even if it is counterfeit (Tatnall, Professor Arthur, 2008). Consumer's belief and attitude rotates around the single, dominant factor that he is paying for the product and hence it does not matter if the product is counterfeit. If the counterfeit provides him with as much or better services than the original, his purchase of such goods does not bother him at all on the matter of ethics. It is true that an informed society is more tolerant of unethical belief. It also has a higher anti-business attitude because there is greater awareness of what is going on in big business houses. Big business houses have problems with ethics (Friedman, Hershey H et al, 2008, p38). They make choices between the greater evil and the lesser evil in the regular course of their business. This does not get reflected in their balance sheets or profit and loss account. They have to gloss them over. With globalization and use of the information technology, large (and even small) business houses make no bones about dubious business practices. The original manufacture too deigns to resort to counterfeiting to realize cost and other benefits. The practice is too ingrained and enmeshed between the original and the counterfeit to separate one from another. Nothing is lost in the process except consumer's cynicism and respect for the original (Decker, Melissa A, 2004, p6). In the ultimate analysis, it is difficult to hold on to ethics and do business at the same time. By our view of ethics, we even blame the Almighty for committing many blunders. Also, the different shades of ethics do not have the same order of value in the eyes of different individuals. The world highly differs in ethical standards between individuals. Business must serve its own interests, setting the best examples in the process. Sometimes, their choice may not appear morally correct. Technically, however, business may not have committed any offence. Nonetheless, if the consumer is unhappy with a company's stance, it will result in anti-big business attitude (Sender, Katherine, 2002). Consumers with more tolerant of unethical belief will have lower social cost of counterfeit attitude If the consumer takes social cost into account, he will not be able to make use of his freedom of choice. The

International Business paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International Business paper - Essay Example Australian newspapers have similarly been blazing on about the changes in the economic policy and big business. The Age reported on February 25th about the Australian clothing company Pacific Brands moving its manufacturing facilities to China (Draper 2009). This has been in line with moves by a range of such businesses in the country deciding to place their facilities in Asia. Brands espoused by the company have been seen to be quintessentially Australian with a large following. This decision has been seen with a reflection of how many other local manufacturers in the food industry and others have slowly been taken over by foreign based companies. However, The Age reports that Pacific Brands, which retains Australian ownership, stresses that it remains very much Australian. Despite its manufacturing facilities now located in Asia and the subsequent layoff of workers in the country, the company's top management is quick to point out that the idea generation and organization will always remain Australian and thus it will not lose its focus towards the country (Draper 2009). In another article, The Canberra Times comments on the possible measures being contemplated by the Government to limit free trade by ranking up tariffs and subsidies (Barnett 2009). This is seen as a possible deterrent to the adverse effects of the international financial crisis and that it would help local businesses to stand up. Globalization is seen by some circles to be blamed for the recession that is leading to layoffs and a drop in production. It is believed that such restrictive measures can be used, despite remaining WTO legal to help the Australian economy. However it is argued that it could potentially be devastating since the country now has a big population and in recent years has been witnessing floods in rural areas and bush fires along with other troubles. It requires the elements of free trade to be present so that cheap imports can be brought in to meet local needs as the local economy may not be as self sufficient as is predicted (Barnett 2009). Question 1 Both these articles can be said to fall into the study of international business. The article by The Age speaks of the move by one Australian company that is typical of the trend being adopted by companies worldwide to find cheaper labor costs and costs of manufacturing to get higher profit margins. This shows the emergence of the global economy that we are witnessing today and the worldwide marketplace such that it is viable for businesses to shift their facilities to different parts of the world as comparative advantage shifts (Hirst 2002). It further has implications for local employment and that in the area to which the company shifts where the company will have to adapt to the local culture and practices in the case of its workforce there. It may further have to deal with exchange rate changes, a possible reliance on hedging techniques and be involved in the foreign exchange market which further links the company with others around the world. The other one by The Canberra Times talks about the Australian government's response to a global financial crisis and the ensuing recession. This is relevant to international bus

IT Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT Management - Essay Example So, rather than the website author being the center of knowledge, and disseminating the knowledge on the website, in Web 2.0, the users constantly add to the website, changing it and making it new. Facebook is often given as an example of Web 2.0 computing. It is a site that many people use, and add to, but no one owns or controls the information on. Web 2.0 computing is relevant because it represents a rebirth of computing and internet use, after the initial dot com bubble. Most people today are part of some sort of social networking site, and this is Web 2.0. The concept is relevant because it affects IT change and standardization. The implications of Web 2.0 for governments and organizations are multiple. First of all, there is the idea of connectivity that Web 2.0 creates; there is also the elimination of a top-down command structure. These are liberating settings in which the user becomes the controller. It can be used to show how people in a community can become a part of a larger community, through Web 2.0 government. â€Å"Whats more, two of our initial Web 1.0 exemplars, DoubleClick and Akamai, were both pioneers in treating the web as a platform. People dont often think of it as "web services", but in fact, ad serving was the first widely deployed web service, and the first widely deployed "mashup" (to use another term that has gained currency of late)† (Web, 2008). Web 2.0 is important to understanding changing IT trends, and is something of which governments should take advantage. The government can enable Web 2.0 sharing among employees. â€Å"Apparently, web-enabled collaborative tools that can improve productivity are of great interest among an increasingly mobile workforce. With that in mind, enterprises are likely to further invest in collaborative tools like unified communications in the next few years† (Poon, 2009). Some worry about the lack of privacy with

Online Services Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Online Services - Assignment Example Banner Ads - In this method, WFTI will have to buy advertisement runs for a period of time after which it has to renew its advertising slot. Banner ads are available or sold as number of impressions. These impressions are generally sold in chunks of 100,000 to 1000,000 over a particular period of time. These banners are generally sold by publishers on specific section of the host website’s web page. Advantages – In this option, both the publisher and WFTI knows how many impressions they need to buy and for how long. This will simplifies the budget of WFTI and will also give flexibility to test the advertising model. Disadvantage – This method is less effective compared to social media ads. Its biggest disadvantage is that the customer may view banner ads but not click on it. Also the user may simply ignore it or over see the ads if they do not find it interesting. Social Network Advertising - This type of advertising is targeted to the social networking site users. The advantage of using this type of advertising is that the demographic information of the users can be obtained very easily. This will help the company target its products according to demand of users and their preferences. It can be further divided in two types of advertising: Direct advertisement based on users and their friend’s network – Based on the feedback of the friend group, the next user may see the advertisement messages.

ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE MY TRIP TO ITALY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE MY TRIP TO ITALY - Essay Example These two actors were egotistical, self-absorbed and rude; this is what makes it the more hilarious. This time round, they have been assigned to a second round of restaurants in Italy. Just like several other sequels, the entry of this lacks the surprise element, however that was expected. The thinness of the material is the weakest part in this movie. By trying to intensify the dialogue as well as the characters it outstays its welcome. The narrative is not adequate to stop the movie from losing steam and earlier than expected. Nobody could argue with overstaying in Italy though. Italy’s beauty, comprising Tuscany, Liguria, Rome, Caprio and Amalfi are spectacularly captured by James Clarke’s camera. There is effective utilization of wide angles and overhead shots in image capture such as the cities in the back of the frame as well as boats on the water as the camera moves away in a continuous tracking shot. This is one unbelievably looking movie; however one ought to ask what Winterbottom’s motivation was in coming up with another entry; being one of the most diverse moviemakers globally and usually does not make the same movie a second time. There is recycling of some of the thematic material from other movies such as the Look of Love, which also featured Steve Coogan as a negligent father. Both of the actors are extremely eloquent with their invention. There is more discussion regarding death and age as well as frequent reference to poets such as Lord Byron and pop staples such as Roman holiday. The ironic and thematic goal is that the actors are busy discussing death; not realizing how much time they are wasting. However, the movie’s comedic mistake is in trying to soften Coogan’s character .He was needy, unfaithful and jealous in the first movie but in the sequel he is growing older and intends to spend more time with his son; adding a bit of sentimentality. On the other hand, Steve is more

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Evaluate the general environment of Wal-Mart using the framework in Chapter 2. What are the key opportunities and threats facing Wal-Mart? (This is the OT of a SWOT analysis)Wal-Marts builds its stores in towns with a population size of 5000-25,000 people. Wal-Mart has recently started to tap into the more populated city suburbs by building smaller less obtrusive stores in those regions. Wal-Mart targets every age group from infants to senior citizens. Wal-Marts geographically places its stores in rural less populated areas with very few employment opportunities. Wal-Mart tries to attract all income levels by selling brand name items along with generic brand items. Wal-Mart approaches its global market by evaluating market potential based on economic and political risk, growth potential, and availability of real estate for development. In countries that had became saturated Wal-Mart used acquisitions to acquire ownership. In markets that were not saturated and land was easily accessible Wal-Mart used organic growth. The technology that Wal-Mart uses to run their business is unmatched. They have a network of satellites that can track a person purchase and automatically refurbish those items from suppliers without any human intervention. Wal-Mart maximizes efficiency by using effective technology to gain a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart has grown into a global empire and has become the world largest private employer and the number one retailer in the world. Despite all of this success Wal-Mart still has a huge opportunity to grow. Wal-Mart continues to adapt to the ever-changing economy by remodeling their store and by placing the customer as their number one priority. Wal-Mart took advantage of its rural locations early on and gained a significant competitive advantage, now Wal-Mart is taking on the urban environment by placing stores in the outskirts of major metropolitan areas. At first local residents rejected the idea of having a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood for fear it would drive down property value and unwanted individuals to their suburbanite neighborhood. Wal-Mart quickly resolved this problem by changing the format and size of their stores located in these regions. The only threats to Wal-Mart faces are mostly from within (eg..) lawsuits employee disputes and the threat to become unionized. Use Porters Five Forces Model to analyze the global retailing industry. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Support  your decision. Wal-Mart is a huge threat to new entrants. Wal-Mart has created huge barriers to new entries by offering one stop shopping. Wal-Marts Super Centers offer everything from prepared meals to sports gear. Grocery chains have taken a huge hit because of this, even Kmart is feeling the heat, there stock hit rock bottom in 2004. The discount clothing and apparels have also taken a bite from this retail giant. Wal-Mart has produced a very proficient economy of scale from incremental improvements that they have acquired since becoming so large. Manufactures scramble to try and keep up with the huge demand that Wal-Mart places on its suppliers, this further reduces the prices of goods and services for their customers. Small-scale entries are nearly impossible in a region where Wal-Mart is located. Large-scale entries face the retaliation factor when trying to tap into Wal-Marts market because suppliers are forced to do things the Wal-Mart way. Wal-Mart has successfully customized many of their products and forced manufactures have been forced to produce the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart has taken total control of the bargaining power of suppliers. Wal-Mart has a small group of buyers based in Bentonville Arkansas thats in charge of managing the purchasing of all retail stores. Wal-Mart is responsible for selling 35% of all pet food, 24% of all toothpaste, the largest volume of jewelry, groceries, DVDs, CDs, toys, guns, diapers, sporting goods, bedding, and numerous other things. This has put the retail giant in a very favorable negotiating position with suppliers. Wal-Mart has generated a huge market of loyal buyers by supplying them with the lowest possible prices for quality products. With Wal-Mart having such a huge share of the market and good prices there is no need for buyers to seek deals elsewhere. Wal-Mart has proven to be a huge threat of substitute products in several industries for example the jewelry industry, Wal-Mart has become one of the leading jewelry dealers in the North America. Wal-Mart has also created its own brand name for several of its items that have been so successful that manufactures are forced to produce products bearing the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart competitors have to be very calculated with their responses because Wal-Mart is so large it can really drive a business under ground (Kmart). What is Wal-Marts business-level strategy? Is the strategy appropriate to offset the forces in the industry? Do you recommend any changes? If not, support your decision why you would not recommend any changes. Wal-Mart uses Integrated Lost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy. Wal-Mart has offset the forces in the industry by creating the most efficient supply chain in the industry. Efficient production has allowed Wal-Mart to keep cost low and pass own saving to its customers. Wal-Mart has successfully used Integrated Cost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy by setting the pace in new technology and adapting quickly to new technologies in their external environment. Concentration on the needs of its core customers (discount retailers), Wal-Mart has created a friendly family environment thats economically smart and beneficial to its patrons. Flexibility is one of Wal-Marts strongest assets, which allows them to complete primary and support activities in ways that allow them to produce somewhat differentiated products at a low cost. I would not personally recommend any changes to this strategy because it has made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer. What is your evaluation of the leadership at Wal-Mart?Wal-Mart has become the most successful business in the world through its un-yielding leadership. Mr. Walton has laid the foundation for success for years to come. The leaders at Wal-Mart focus on providing the customer with the highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost. They have redefined the retail industry with their cutting edge technology and flexibility that is un-matched by any competitor. The fact that upper management travel in economy class shows a lot about the character within the organization. The leadership at Wal-Mart has made the world we live in much smaller through economic availability and convenience. The leaders at Wal-Mart are a true example of profit through customer satisfaction. Works Cited Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R. (2007), Strategic Management, Competitiveness andGlobalization: Concepts and Cases. 7th ed. Mason: Thomson South-Western(August 21, 2006). Global Labor Strategies: Wal-Mart: The Homefront. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2007,

The Modern Olympic Games Tourism Essay

The Modern Olympic Games Tourism Essay The modern Olympic Games are a major international event featuring summer and winter sports in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the worlds foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Games are currently held biennially, with summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, meaning they each occur every four years. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority. The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The IOC has had to adapt to the varying economic, political, and technological realities of the 20th century. As a result, the Olympics shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of the mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games. The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organizing committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Olympic Games. The host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter. The Olympic program, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games, is also determined by the IOC. The celebration of the Games encompasses many rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympics in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second and third place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented. Such growth has created numerous challenges, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and terrorism. Every two years, the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute a major opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world. The Olympic Games program consists of 35 sports, 30 disciplines and nearly 400 events. For example, wrestling is a Summer Olympic sport, comprising two disciplines: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. It is further broken down into fourteen events for men and four events for women, each representing a different weight class. The Summer Olympics program includes 26 sports, while the Winter Olympics program features 15 sports. Athletics, swimming, fencing, and artistic gymnastics are the only summer sports that have never been absent from the Olympic program. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been featured at every Winter Olympics program since its inception in 1924. Current Olympic sports, like badminton, basketball, and volleyball, first appeared on the program as demonstration sports, and were later promoted to full Olympic sports. Some sports that were featured in earlier Games were later dropped from the program. Olympic sports are governed by international sports federations (IFs) recognized by the IOC as the global supervisors of those sports. There are 35 federations represented at the IOC. There are sports recognized by the IOC that are not included on the Olympic program. These sports are not considered Olympic sports, but they can be promoted to this status during a program revision that occurs in the first IOC session following a celebration of the Olympic Games. During such revisions, sports can be excluded or included in the program on the basis of a two-thirds majority vote of the members of the IOC. There are recognized sports that have never been on an Olympic program in any capacity, including chess and surfing. In October and November 2004, the IOC established an Olympic Programme Commission, which was tasked with reviewing the sports on the Olympic program and all non-Olympic recognized sports. The goal was to apply a systematic approach to establishing the Olympic program for each celebration of the Games. The commission formulated seven criteria to judge whether a sport should be included on the Olympic program. These criteria are history and tradition of the sport, universality, popularity of the sport, image, athletes health, development of the International Federation that governs the sport, and costs of holding the sport. From this study five recognized sports emerged as candidates for inclusion at the 2012 Summer Olympics: golf, karate, rugby union, roller sports and squash. These sports were reviewed by the IOC Executive Board and then referred to the General Session in Singapore in July 2005. Of the five sports recommended for inclusion only two were selected as finalists: karate and squash. Neither sport neither attained the required two-thirds vote nor consequently was they not promoted to the Olympic program. In October 2009 the IOC voted to instate golf and rugby union as Olympic sports for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The 114th IOC Session, in 2002, limited the Summer Games program to a maximum of 28 sports, 301 events, and 10,500 athletes. Three years later, at the 117th IOC Session, the first major program revision was performed, which resulted in the exclusion of baseball and softball from the official program of the 2012 London Games. Since there was no agreement in the promotion of two other sports, the 2012 program featured just 26 sports. The 2016 and 2020 Games will return to the maximum of 28 sports given the addition of rugby and golf. The host city for an Olympic Games is usually chosen seven to eight years ahead of their celebration. The process of selection is carried out in two phases that span a two-year period. The prospective host city applies to its countrys National Olympic Committee; if more than one city from the same country submits a proposal to its NOC, the national committee typically holds an internal selection, since only one city per NOC can be presented to the International Olympic Committee for consideration. Once the deadline for submission of proposals by the NOCs is reached, the first phase (Application) begins with the applicant cities asked to complete a questionnaire regarding several key criteria related to the organization of the Olympic Games. In this form, the applicants must give assurances that they will comply with the Olympic Charter and with any other regulations established by the IOC Executive Committee. The evaluation of the filled questionnaires by a specialized group provides the IOC with an overview of each applicants project and their potential to host the Games. On the basis of this technical evaluation, the IOC Executive Board selects the applicants that will proceed to the candidature stage. Once the candidate cities are selected, they must submit to the IOC a bigger and more detailed presentation of their project as part of a candidature file. Each city is thoroughly analysed by an evaluation commission. This commission will also visit the candidate cities, interviewing local officials and inspecting prospective venue sites, and submit a report on its findings one month prior to the IOCs final decision. During the interview process the candidate city must also guarantee that it will be able to fund the Games. After the work of the evaluation commission, a list of candidates is presented to the General Session of the IOC, which must assemble in a country that does not have a candidate city in the running. The IOC members gathered in the Session have the final vote on the host city. Once elected, the host city bid committee (together with the NOC of the respective country) signs a Host City Contract with the IOC, officially becoming an Olympic host nation and host city. By 2016, the Olympic Games will have been hosted by 44 cities in 23 countries, but by cities outside Europe and North America on only eight occasions. Since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the Olympics have been held in Asia or Oceania four times, a sharp increase compared to the previous 92 years of modern Olympic history. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro will be the first Olympics for a South American country. No bids from countries in Africa have succeeded. The United States has hosted eight Olympic Games, four Summer and four Winter, more than any other nation. The British capital London holds the distinction of hosting three Olympic Games, all Summer, more than any other city. The other nations hosting the Summer Games twice are Germany, Australia, France and Greece. The other cities hosting the Summer Games twice are Los Angeles, Paris and Athens. In addition to the United States, nations hosting multiple Winter Games are France with three, while Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Japan, Canada and Italy have hosted twice. Among host cities, Lake Placid, Innsbruck and St. Moritz have played host to the Winter Olympic Games more than once, each holding that honour twice. The most recent Winter Games were held in Vancouver, Canadas third Olympics overall. The next Winter Games will be in Sochi in 2014, Russias first Winter Olympics and second Olympics overall. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games, 24 Nov, 2012) London Wins By 15 July 2003, the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics: Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. On 18 May 2004, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, the IOC reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. All five submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004 and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during the IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut, would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances. Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite, particularly as this was its third bid in recent years. London was seen at first as lagging Paris by a considerable margin. Its position began to improve after the appointment of Lord Coe as the new head of London 2012 on 19 May 2004. In late August 2004, reports predicted a tie between London and Paris. On 6 June 2005 the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. They did not contain any scores or rankings, but the report for Paris was considered the most positive. London was close behind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations. On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, I cannot predict it since I dont know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less. On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two contenders were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes to Pariss 50. The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on Londons transport system less than 24 hours after the announcement. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics, 24 Nov, 2012) Why was London chosen? A lot of available land to regenerate Government was in favor Many hotels and restaurants Has the right facilities A good transport system In Europe, close to many spectators and potential athletes A good climate during July and August Pre Olympics Preparations for the Games Economics of the Games By almost any measure, staging the Olympic Games was big business. Revenue is generated from five principal sources: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Broadcast rights-the rights to broadcast the Games in countries around the world. In recent times, the rights for the United States accounted for about 50% and the rights for Europe accounted for 25% of the total broadcast revenue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ International sponsorship-the rights for a company to proclaim itself an Official Sponsor of the Olympic Games on a worldwide basis in the four years leading up to the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ticketing-the tickets to the individual Olympic events. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Domestic sponsorship-the rights for a company to proclaim itself an official sponsor of the Olympics within the country hosting the Games. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Licensing rights-the rights to use the Olympic logos and trademarks on items ranging from stamps and coins to t-shirts and stuffed animals. Preparing For and Managing the Games Using its allocation of the Olympic revenues, the host city London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games had to plan for, organize, and manage the 17 days of the Games, all within the contractual obligations set forth by the IOC. The major tasks included: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Staging the Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, and sporting events à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Arranging for the required stadia, arenas, training facilities, and equipment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Housing and feeding the athletes and officials à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anticipating and solving potential transportation problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meeting the needs of the media à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Providing security to ensure a safe and peaceful Olympics Importantly, while the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was responsible for arranging for the Games infrastructure, responsibility for actually providing that infrastructure rested with the host city and country. This included the stadia and arenas to stage the events, the Olympic Village to house the athletes, the national and international transportation systems to efficiently get people to and from the host city, and the local transportation systems to shuttle people to and from the events. If funds were needed to build this infrastructure, they typically were raised through taxation, lotteries, and private investment. Chris Townsend explained: The costs of any Olympics can be broken down into software or people costs and hardware or infrastructure costs. Software costs are the responsibility of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and include the expenses associated with planning the Games, housing the athletes, and running the events. In contrast, hardware costs are the responsibility of the host city and depend greatly on the existing infrastructure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ The 2012 Games Great Britain was no stranger to the Olympic Games. It was one of only four nations to compete in all 26 Olympic Games, holding third place in total number of medals won. It had successfully hosted the 1908 and 1948 London Games. And it had bid on the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Games. Winning the rights to the 2012 Games was far from certain, however, with Paris, New York, Moscow, and Madrid also in the final running. The process to select the host city consisted of a series of secret ballots, with each IOC member voting for the city of his or her choice. After each round of voting, if no city obtained a majority of the votes cast, the city with the lowest number of votes was eliminated, and the remaining cities advanced to a new round of voting. By most accounts, Paris was the favourite to win the rights to the 2012 Games. However, many believed the London bid was aided by the addition of Sebastian Coe to the London Bid Committee in 2004. Coe was the 1980 and 1984 gold medallist in the 1,500-meter run, was widely considered one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time, had served as a member of the British Parliament, and was widely respected both within and outside the Olympic community. In the end, the IOC apparently was impressed by the proposal that the London Bid Committee submitted. As announced on July 6, 2005, to the joy of its many supporters, London had won the rights to host the 2012 Games in a final, head-to-head ballot in which London received 54 votes to Pariss 50. The Plans for the 2012 Games The 2012 Games were scheduled to run from July 27 to August 12, with over 12,000 athletes from 205 countries expected to compete across 26 sports and 300 events. In a perfect world, the organizing committee knew, their decisions would satisfy many criteria. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First, given the importance of ticketing to the Games bottom line, they had a strong incentive to maximize revenues. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second, given that the entire world would be watching, they wanted to maximize attendance-not just at the Opening Ceremony and swimming finals, which traditionally were easy sells, but also at events like handball and table tennis, which were not. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Thirdly, the wanted to fill the seats with right people- knowledgeable fans who added to the energy and atmosphere of the event. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Finally, tickets had to be accessible not only to the worlds elite but also to average Londoners, many of whom lived around the corner from the Olympic park. With 7.9 million tickets up for sale, the LONDON ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES anticipated an average of 500,000 spectators per day to attend the Games, with up to 800,000 on the busiest days. It estimated that roughly 30% of all tickets would be purchased by Londoners, 25% by United Kingdom residents who lived outside of London, 20% by people from the rest of Europe, and 25% by people from the rest of the world. In addition, it expected 10,000 Olympic and political dignitaries to watch some or all of the Games, 20,000 journalists and media personnel to cover the Games, 60,000 security personnel to ensure safety, and 100,000 paid and volunteer workers to help run the Games. Location and Venues A key selling point in the London bid was the plan to build the centrepiece of the Games-the Olympic Park-in East London. As stated in Londons bid document: Great Games leave welcome legacies. Consistent with Londons long-term plan, the Games will stimulate vital economic and social regeneration in what is now a disadvantaged area. Creation of the Olympic Park will involve restoring large tracts of land in East London, with new green spaces and revived wetlands. The Olympic Village will become a desirable and socially diverse new residential area, providing 3,600 new homes in a community transformed by the Games. The intent was to develop 500 acres of existing industrial and waste land in East London into the Olympic Park. By 2012, this would include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium-for Opening and Closing Ceremonies and athletics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 17,500-seat Aquatics Centre-for diving, swimming, and water polo à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 12,000-seat London Velopark-for indoor track cycling and outdoor BMX cycling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 12,000-seat Basketball Arena à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 15,000-seat Olympic Field Hockey Centre à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The 17,000-bed Olympic Village After the Games, the plan was to reduce the size of several of the larger venues to fit with the surrounding community, to relocate several of the smaller venues to other parts of the country where they could be better utilized, and to convert the Olympic Village into 3,600 units of affordable housing, with an additional 5,400 new homes to be built later. The remaining sports would use existing venues located throughout London and the UK, including Earls Court (volleyball), Excel London (judo, weightlifting, wrestling), Hyde Park (triathlon), the Millennium Dome (gymnastics), Wimbledon (tennis), and Wembley (football). Transportation A second critical element of the London bid was a plan to make the 2012 Games the first public transport Olympics, with close to 100% of ticketed spectators traveling to the Olympic events by such means. To make this happen, existing transportation links to and from the East London area were to be expanded and upgraded, turning it into one of the best-connected Communities in the city. The most talked-about of these efforts was a 12-car subway shuttle called the Olympic Javelin, which would ferry passengers from Kings Cross Station, in the heart of London, to the Olympic Park in just 7 minutes. These efforts were expected to support the transport of up to 240,000 passengers per hour into and out of the Olympic Park area. In turn, to encourage spectators to use public transportation, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games had announced that the price of every ticket to an Olympic event would include the use of Londons public transportation network on the day of that event. Atmosphere finally, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games hoped to engage and excite the British public. While Sydney came to be called the Laid-Back Games, and Beijing had been unofficially dubbed the No Fun Games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games wanted the legacy of the 2012 Games to be one of inclusiveness. Toward this end, Sebastian Coe noted: Whilst London will be the principal venue, it is the entire United Kingdom which will be the host. The London 2012 Games will be Everybodys Games. London 2012 will be the most accessible and participative Games ever. Putting on Everybodys Games, we are clear that our stakeholders are the 60 million people living in Britain. Delivering the 2012 games The two groups responsible for delivering the 2012 games were the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which staged the Games, and a quasi-governmental organization called the Olympic Delivery Authority, which built the infrastructure. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games forecasting budget was $3 billion. Roughly $1.2 billion of this came from its share of the broadcast revenues and international sponsorships. London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was responsible for the rest, with a planned $1 billion coming from about 60 domestic sponsors, $650 million from ticket sales, and $150 million from licensing fees. The Olympic Delivering Authoritys total expenses were projected to run about $12 billion: $6 billion for the building of the Olympic park, $4 billion for the transportation upgrades, and the rest for smaller projects, contingencies and taxes. Roughly 60% of these funds came from national taxes, 15% came from London city taxes, and 20% came from the National Lottery. Selling tickets to the games Hired as head of ticketing in September 2007, Paul Williamson was no stranger to large sporting event. Previously, he had helped set ticketing guidelines for several FIFA World Cup Finals, the Cricket World Cup etc. He was well aware of the challenges that London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games faced: Ticketing for the FIFA World Cup was a great experience, but it pales in comparison to the Olympic Games. For a World Cup Final, you sell three million tickets to 64 matches played over 30 days in 10 or 12 major cities. The teams were all of very high calibre, the stadia were all well established, and football was the most popular sport in the world. With the Olympic Games, they were trying to sell almost eight million tickets to 26 different sports played over 17 days, with some sports wildly popular and others a complete mystery to the average person. In reality, they were running 26 world championships in a fortnight. While many ticketing issues were still up in the air, some had already been decided. In particular, it was known that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A total of 7.9 million tickets would be available for sale across all events. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In late 2010, international and domestic sponsors, the 205 National Olympic Committees, the International Federations, and other IOC affiliates could place requests for tickets- specifying how many tickets at each price point they desired for each event. All would pay full price for any tickets ultimately received and, collectively, these groups would receive no more than 25% of available tickets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In the spring of 2011, the general public could similarly place requests for tickets, via an online ballot, specifying the event, number of tickets, and price point they desired. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In the summer of 2011, ticket requests from both the IOC affiliates and the public would be processed and individuals would be informed as to whether they had obtained tickets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Later in 2011 and into 2012, any remaining tickets would be offered for direct sale. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ During the Games, tickets still not sold would be available for purchase at box offices throughout London. Williamson noted that those applying for tickets were requesting entry to a particular event within a certain price tier. Not until tickets were matched to requests, in the summer of 2011, would customers find out where they actually sat in the stadium or arena. Managing Ticket Revenues When it came to managing ticket revenues, Williamson and his team looked to the 2000 Sydney Games for inspiration: While the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Beijing Games were wonderful events, they do not provide a great ticketing benchmark for the London Games. Athens was hampered by the small size of the city and the limited capacity of the venues. And Beijing tried hard to make tickets affordable for its domestic population, resulting in ticket prices that were artificially low. But the Sydney Games were staged in large venues in the largest city of a wealthy, sports- loving country. People were willing to pay to attend events and the results reflected this fact. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also viewed sufficient ticket revenues as vital to the legacy of the 2012 Games. As Chris Townsend noted: With so much money involved in the Games, it is easy to view ticket sales as a drop in the bucket. What is $650 million when the Olympic Delivery Authority is spending $12 billion to build the Olympic Park and the Olympic Javelin? But putting things in perspective. Last year, Manchester United generated about $150 million in ticket revenues over a nine-month season, while the New York Yankees sold $120 million in tickets over a six-month season. They were looking to bring in four to five times those amounts, which will have a major impact on the financial legacy of these Games. But Williamson knew that maximizing ticket revenue meant more than just charging high prices Peoples willingness-to-pay for a given event will depend on many factors. Theres an expectation about what a ticket should cost based on other sporting events in and around London. Theres the global appeal of a sport, with swimming and gymnastics being very popular around the world. Theres the local appeal of the sport, often driven by the host countries past success in that sport. Theres the event stage, with most people wanting to see those stages where the gold medals are awarded. And then theres a particular team or athlete that makes the difference. Williamson also reasoned that the pricing of tickets at past Games provided only limited guidance for the pricing of the London Games: First, every host city possesses unique tastes, culture, and atmosphere. While beach volleyball may be big in Australia, table tennis is king in China. Second, the reach of the Games varies by location. Given the difficulties in getting into China, tickets to the Beijing Games were largely limited to the Chinese. Given the proximity of London to the rest of Europe, they anticipate a much more international crowd. Third, this will be the first Games where ticketing will be done via the Internet, which may alter demand for some events. Finally, with the current global financial crisis, London 2012 is entering uncharted territories. Managing Attendance The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also wanted to fill the many venues during the games. As stated in the London bid document, Great Games generate genuine enthusiasm. This will be demonstrated by full stadia across a wide range of events. Given that organizers expected close to five billion television viewers to watch some part of the 2012 Games, the last image the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games wanted broadcast to the world was that of half-empty arenas. Everyone at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games understood the potential fallout from attendance shortfalls. Pinned to a nearby bulletin board were several articles from recent games. In reference to the 2004 Athens Games, one New York Times headline read, Summer 2004 Games: Seats May Be Empty, But Not the Beaches. And in regard to the 2008 Beijing Games, the Los Angeles Times proclaimed, Empty Seats Are a Mystery at Beijing Olympics. Williamson broke down the challenge of maximizing attendance into two parts. First, you have to get people to buy the tickets. Second, you have to get those who purchased tickets to actually use them. Neither of these was a trivial task. When it came to getting people to buy the tickets, Williamson had no illusions: You just cant sell every ticket to every event. The Opening Ceremony? Sure. The final day of track and field? Sure. Michael Phelps in any of the swimming events? Sure. But what about a preliminary round of handball, table tennis, or archery? The demand is just lower for certain sports. The reality is, there were three classes of events they managed. First, there was big four-swimming, artistic gymnastics, athletics, and the ceremonies-where demand historically far exceeds supply and which likely sold out at almost any prices. They expected about 40% of ticket revenues to come from these four sports. Second, there was football, with almost two million tickets across 58 mens and womens matches. If there was any single sport with which they obsess, it was football. On the one hand, football is the most popular sport in Europe, which worked in their favour. On the other hand, unlike the FIFA World Cup, the Olympic teams were largely limited to players under 23 years of age, eliminating some of the biggest names in the sport. They hope to generate another 10% of ticket revenue from football. Third, there were all the other sports, where supply historically exceeds demand and where they had to work hard to maximize sales. But the challenge did not end with merely selling the tickets. As the Beijing organizers discovered, ge

The Great Starvation of Ireland :: essays papers

The Great Starvation of Ireland I.The starvation in Ireland: 1845-1852 Over the years, the people of Ireland have suffered many hardships, but none compare to the devastation brought by the Irish potato famine of 1845-1857. A poorly managed nation together with ideally wicked weather conditions brought Ireland to the brink of disaster. It was a combination of social, political and economic factors that pushed it over the edge. After a long wet summer, the potato blight first appeared in Wexford and Waterford in September of 1845. The phytophora infestans were carried in on ships from Europe and America. Less than a year later, in August of 1846, virtually the entire potato crop in Ireland had been destroyed. The following winter became unbearable for the already starving nation. The westerly winds, which usually brought warmer air, failed, letting cold conditions from Scandinavia and Russia overtake the island of Ireland. The effects of malnutrition from starvation combined with the unusually cold temperatures aided in the spread of disease and ultimately death among the nation of Ireland. Starvation, respiratory disease, typhus epidemics, cholera, dysentery, scurvy, and deficiencies in vitamin A, all contributed to the loss of over a million Irishmen over a seven-year period. The practice of medicine at the onset of the blight was extremely inadequate. Ireland had only 39 infirmaries; this transla ted into one clinic for every 366,000 people. When looking at these numbers, one can easily understand why so many perished. Many of the deaths during the famine were never recorded, because of this the death toll may never be known. The number of deaths related to starvation is estimated to range from one to one and a half million people. According to Don Mullan, 200-300 mass graves were discovered, and in each grave over 1,000 bodies were identified. The infant mortality rate in some areas reached 50%. It was mainly the deaths of babies and children were the ones that often went unrecorded. The beginnings of the starvation are said to be a â€Å"biometeorological phenomenon,† however, the British reacted in a sociopolitical manner. Relief from the British government was slow and insignificant. The economic policies that existed were unhelpful and the British Parliament refused to make adjustments to provide for a national disaster. No free food was offered to the starving people as long as there was food for sale.

Investigative Reporting :: essays research papers

Investigative Reporting In the seventeenth century the puritans lived through relationships, religion, community, discipline and punishment in a way that would bring honor and glory to God. In The Scarlet Letter, the puritans of seventeenth century Boston society were a fate driven religious group that would not accept sin of any kind without punishment. The type of punishment they would use the most was that of public humiliation and to be taunted by the community around the one who committed the crime or sin. In Hester Prynne’s case, her crime was adultery, which was most commonly punishable by death. Instead of death, the community branded Hester Prynne with a letter â€Å"A† for the rest of her life and made her stand in front of the whole community as an example for everyone that sin and corruption was not accepted in their society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Relationships between men and women were very constrained, which is what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone of the community. Men had more rights than women did and that is why anything Hester would have said could not have possibly helped her. Religion seemed to be what governed over all, people would look up to reverends and the community believed that fate was their destiny. In the seventeenth century everything was very strict and everyone was expected to to follow the laws, which makes Hester’s sin such a good example of the beliefs of that time period. This type of punishment was used not only to humiliate, but to discourage people from breaking the laws and committing the same sin or crime.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the nineteenth century came about Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter, making the setting in Boston, taking place in the seventeenth century. Although The Scarlet Letter was written about seventeenth century Salem, the problems of the past affect the future as evidenced by the personal guilt that Hawthorne, being of a Puritan heritage, reveals concerning his past. The nineteenth century was a place of change for different people, different places, and different situations. Fore example: women were gaining more rights, the revolutionary changes of the Civil War affected history and technology, also education was on the rise. People no longer treated women as inferior’s but as equals. Sin was still viewed as bad, but it was no longer punished by humiliation and death but as to be settled with God himself.

Nuclear Power Plants :: essays research papers

Nuclear Plants   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question of whether the U.S. should have nuclear power plants is very controversial. There are two sides that one can take; however, both sides have their own share of problems. If you chose to not have nuclear plants, then eventually all natural resources will run out. The oil supply will run out relatively soon, and all other sources will run out too. The natural resources that we have now are still harmful to the earth however. The gas which we use for our cars pollutes the air and considering the amount of cars the are driven each day, it is ripping apart the o-zone layer. However, if the U.S. does decide to use nuclear plants, then there is a great danger of toxic waste invading our rivers, and also the chance of a spill similar to Chernobyl. As we saw in the Chernobyl video, there is great danger when using nuclear energy. If this were to happen is the United States, the risk of mortality is much higher because the area’s in which there would be a plant such as a big city are very densely populated. Because of these facts, I do not think that the U.S. should renew its efforts to develop more nuclear plants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States should put the money which they would have used in order to renew their power plants, and use it to research others ways of receiving power. For example, if the U.S. developed solar power more and made it less costly, as well are more convenient for the average person, then there would be no more problems. In the past century many advances have been made in terms of energy. Power plants became the main source of energy, and towards the end of the century, new advances have been made such as solar power. I predict that in the upcoming century, many new advances will be made which will benefit the human race enormously.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If these advances are made, than the U.S. will not have to spend billions of dollars towards building plants but rather use the money for more global issues.

Leslie Brinkman at Versutia Capital Essay

Introduction Versutia Capital experienced some early success in its infancy due to the emotional attachment its employees had with the company and its leader, Leslie Brinkman. Leslie provided a team oriented, supportive environment based on her core values that, in turn, attracted a diverse group of talented staff members. Initially this appeared to be a great foundation for long-term success. Unfortunately, the recent deterioration of the company’s performance has revealed that Leslie’s leadership under pressure does not match the core values of her organization. Leslie Brinkman must now ask herself â€Å"How do I behave under pressure and what signals am I sending my employees?† 1 Analysis Under pressure, Leslie Brinkman behaves impatiently. During office hours, Leslie loses her temper over fluctuations in stock performance. As one analyst recalled, â€Å"You had to catch [Leslie] at a good moment †¦otherwise she might fly off the handle or jump down your throat.† 2 Outside of office hours, Leslie continues to ride her staff. One analyst recalled, â€Å"It was not unusual to go to dinner with friends to see that I had three emails from Leslie regarding stock positions †¦it was understood that I needed to respond, and if I did not, I would often receive a follow up from Leslie asking whether I had received her previous message.† 3 Under pressure, Leslie Brinkman is not team focused. Leslie does not allow time for staff collaboration. Staff work upwards of 12 hours per day and are expected to be available by Blackberry ’24/7†². 4 Analysts describe the work environment as stressful noting that Leslie puts undue pressure on them and frequently expresses her disappointment in a blunt, confrontational manner. An analyst noted, â€Å"I was feeling increasingly burdened†¦ and I wasn’t sure [Leslie] would be sympathetic.† 5 Leslie admits that morale is low and that it isn’t the team oriented atmosphere she had dreamed about when she created the firm.6 Recommendation Leslie needs to learn to identify her stress triggers and modify her behavior in those situations to ensure her actions align with her core values. If successful, the benefits will be two fold: (a) Leslie will benefit by becoming a positive role model for her staff; and (b) Versutia Capital will benefit by  increased team cohesion. 1Langton, N. & S. Robbins. â€Å"Values, Attitudes and Their Effect in the Workplace.† In Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, 3rd Canadian ed., (Pearson Prentice Hall. 2007), p.10. 2 Julie Battilana and Rob Kaplan â€Å"Leslie Brinkman at Versutia Capital†,HBS No. 9-407-089, (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, Rev: July 23, 2007), p.10. 3 Ibid.,p.8. 4 Ibid.,p.8. 5 Ibid.,p.10. 6 Ibid.,p.11. Action Steps Leslie must take responsibility, reflect and get help in order to successfully learn to identify her stress triggers and modify her behavior under pressure, so her actions reflect her core values. Primarily, Leslie must take responsibility. Leslie needs to immediately acknowledge that her leadership is the root cause of the dysfunction manifesting in the workplace. Secondly, Leslie must reflect. Leslie needs to take one week off of work (away from the office) to step back and gain perspective on her behavior, and the effect her leadership style is having on office dynamics. 7 Finally, Leslie must get help. Leslie does not have the skills to address this problem on her own as demonstrated by the array of questions she has come up with and the corresponding lack of answers. 8 Leslie needs to hire an executive coach to meet with her when she returns from her week long break, to help her map out what her specific stress triggers are, and how she can effectively deal with them. Conclusion Leslie Brinkman’s leadership under pressure does not match the core values of her organization. She must learn to identify her stress triggers and modify her behavior in those situations to ensure her actions align with her core values. If Leslie is able to do that by taking responsibility, reflecting, and getting help it will result in tangible benefits to her and her company. Bibliography Battilana, J. and Rob Kaplan â€Å"Leslie Brinkman at Versutia Capital†, HBS No. 9-407-089, Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, Rev: July 23, 2007. Langton, N. & S. Robbins. â€Å"Values, Attitudes and Their Effect in the Workplace.† In Fundamentals of Organizational Behaviour, 3rd Canadian ed. Pearson Prentice Hall. 2007.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 62~64

62 Like Clockwork Spies Malink found the old cannibal in a small clearing in the jungle, urinating on a young banana tree. â€Å"I brought you food.† Malink dropped the basket and sat down under a tree. Sarapul seemed to be taking a long time at his task. â€Å"Sometimes it's hard,† Malink said. â€Å"Sometimes I can't go at all,† Sarapul said. â€Å"It hurts.† He shuddered and turned around with a grin, smoothing down his thu. â€Å"But not today.† He sat down next to Malink and reached into the basket for a hunk of fish. â€Å"I heard the music last night,† Sarapul said. â€Å"The white bitch comes more often now.† He offered Malink a piece of fish and the chief took it. â€Å"There are three chosen in only ten days. I think they won't come back sometimes. Vincent says that she is not the Sky Priestess. The pilot said she will kill us.† â€Å"Then we must fight.† â€Å"Knives against guns? You remember the war.† â€Å"I remember. Come.† He got up and led Malink through the underbrush to a hollow log. He reached in and pulled out a long bundle wrapped in oiled sharkskin. â€Å"A man must take the strength of his enemies. If he cannot eat him and take his strength, he must take his weapon.† Sarapul unwrapped the bundle to reveal a World War II vintage Japanese bolt-action rifle. He had obviously been visiting this spot because the rifle was covered with a thin coat of fish oil and gleamed like new. â€Å"I cut off his head and took his gun.† Malink remembered the wrath of the Japanese on his people after the solider disappeared. â€Å"You did that? You were the one?† â€Å"It was a long time ago,† Sarapul said. He reached into the bundle again and pulled out three shining cartridges. â€Å"But I saved these.† â€Å"They have machine guns,† Malink said. â€Å"She doesn't.† The call came a little after midnight. Tuck had slept since he got to the hotel, stuffing toilet paper in his ears to block out the noise of the television and Sepie talking back to it. â€Å"Take a cab to general aviation at the airport,† Jake said. â€Å"The hangar you want says Island Adventures on the side. I'll be waiting.† Tuck climbed out of bed and turned off the television. â€Å"Hey,† Sepie said. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor about a foot from the screen. Tuck crouched and took her face in his hands. â€Å"Tomorrow at six you take the tickets and go downstairs. Tell the man at the desk you want to go to the airport. The bus will take you.† â€Å"I know this,† she said. â€Å"Just listen. A tall man with long hair will be there.† â€Å"Right. Jake,† Sepie said. â€Å"I know this.† â€Å"If he's not there, go to one of the men in the blue hats and tell him you need help getting on your plane. He'll help you. When you get to Houston, go into the airport and call this number. Tell the woman who answers that I told you to call. She'll help you.† â€Å"And you will come and get me soon, right?† â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"What about Roberto?† They hadn't seen the fruit bat since the mascara bombing. â€Å"Roberto will be fine. He'll live here, but I have to go.† He kissed her on the forehead and before he could pull away she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips so hard he thought he might have cut his lip. â€Å"You come get me.† â€Å"I will.† He stood and went out the door. A few seconds later he heard Sepie call to him from down the hall. â€Å"Hey!† Tuck turned. â€Å"How come you don't try to sex me?† â€Å"I will.† â€Å"Okay,† she said, and she went back into the room. Jake was waiting for him at the Island Adventures hangar. A Hughes 500 helicopter with its doors removed sat on a pad by the hangar. â€Å"I rented it for an hour. I fuck it up and we owe Mary Jean five grand for the deposit.† Tuck looked at the helicopter sitting on the pad like a huge black dragonfly and he began to get a very bad feeling. â€Å"You don't want me to do what I think you want me to do, do you?† â€Å"I'll put the skid right over the hatch. You just step out of one aircraft onto another. No problem. It can't be half as bad as what I had to do to get the hatch left open.† Tuck began to protest, but Jake was already walking to the helicopter. Tuck climbed into the helicopter and slipped on the headset. Jake threw the switches and the turbine began to whine. In a few seconds the blades slowly began to rotate. Tuck keyed the intercom mike on his headset so Jake could hear him over the blades. â€Å"You'll never get past the tower.† â€Å"I've done it before,† Jake said. â€Å"I had to repo a Jet Ranger for a guy once.† â€Å"They'll never clear you.† â€Å"There's no traffic. Besides, you think they're going to clear you? It's Captain Midnight's rock ‘n' roll express from here on out, big guy.† Jake pulled the collective lever by the side of his seat and the helicopter lifted into the air. Within seconds, Tuck heard the tower jabbering over the radio, warning the Hughes 500 to wait for clearance. Jake brought the helicopter up just high enough to clear the top of the hangar and flew in a low wide circle around the airport, then began his own jabber. â€Å"Honolulu Tower, this is Helicopter One, approaching from the west on Runway Two. I have a problem with my tail rotor. Requesting emergency landing.† The tower came back: â€Å"Helicopter One, didn't you just take off without clearance?† â€Å"Negative, Tower. I'm in from Maui. Request emergency clearance.† Of course, Tuck thought. Jake flew the circle below the radar and without the running lights. They have no idea whether this is the same helicopter that just took off. Jake sent the helicopter into a horizontal spin that moved it closer to the planes by the hangars with every rotation, just as it moved Tuck closer to throwing up. Jake stopped the spin for a second and nodded toward a United 747. â€Å"That's your baby. Get out of your harness and get ready. They won't know you're there. Get inside and wait two hours before you start your taxi. I don't want them to connect the helicopter with the jet. By the way, how're you going to get your natives on board?† â€Å"They've got ladders,† Tuck said. â€Å"I hope.† Tuck hung his headset behind the seat and unsnapped his harness just as Jake resumed his spin. Tuck grabbed on to the seat to keep from being thrown out the open door. What looked like an out-of-control aircraft was, in fact, a pretty elementary move called a pedal turn. Tuck found no comfort in that knowledge as he watched the tarmac spin below. Jake pulled the helicopter up just in time to miss the tail of the 747, then leveled it off and crept forward along the length of the huge aircraft. The tail would obscure the view from the tower. â€Å"You ready?† he shouted. Tuck shook his head violently. He could see the line of the hatch he was supposed to go through. He stepped out on the skid. Jake brought the helicopter down and the skid touched the top of the jet. â€Å"Now!† Tuck stepped off onto the plane and ducked instinctively below the blades. He looked back at Jake, shrugged, and shouted, â€Å"That was easy.† â€Å"I told you,† Jake shouted. He pulled the helicopter into the sky and started his spin toward the Island Adventures pad. Tuck got on his knees, dug his fingers into the seal around the hatch, and pulled it open. He jumped into the dark plane, sealed the hatch behind him, then sat in the pilot's seat and began to study the controls. He clicked on the nav computer and punched in the longitude and latitude for Alualu, which he knew by heart, then pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and put in the coordinates for his second destination. He put on a headset and turned on the radios. The frequency was already set for the Honolulu tower. Jake was receiving the official FAA ass-chewing of the century, but there wasn't a word about anyone dropping to the top of a United jet. He had just taken off the headset to settle down for the wait when he heard a scratching sound outside the escape hatch. He opened it and Roberto plopped inside. 63 No Frills The Sky Priestess was drunk. She and the Sorcerer had made two million dollars in the last ten days and she couldn't even buy a pair of shoes. The new pilot, Nomura, was a heavily tattooed, taciturn prick who spoke marginal English and looked at her like he'd rape her in a second, not for the pleasure of the violence, but to put her in her place. Since his arrival, even the ninjas had started to get cocky, joking in Japanese and laughing raucously when her back was turned. Even the Shark People seemed to be losing their fear of her. The last time she had appeared to them the children were left in the village. So the Sky Priestess was watching television in a torn T-shirt and some sweatpants and she was drunk. The intercom beeped and she let it. If it hadn't run on batteries, she would have unplugged it. Instead, she threw it through the french doors, where it beeped the beach for two more minutes, then stopped. The next time she saw it Sebastian was standing in the door holding it like a prosecutor exhibiting a murder weapon to the jury. â€Å"I suppose you think this is funny.† â€Å"Not particularly. Now if it had hit you in the head, that would be funny.† â€Å"We have an order, Beth. A Kidney.† â€Å"Oh, good. I'm in great shape to assist a surgery. Let's do both kidneys. Give the buyer a bonus. What do you say?† She sloshed her tumbler of vodka. Sebastian picked up the empty Absolut bottle from the end table. â€Å"This isn't going to work, Beth. You can't appear as the Sky Priestess like that.† He seemed more afraid than angry. â€Å"You are absolutely correct, ‘Bastian. The goddess has taken the night off.† Sebastian paced back and forth in front of her, rubbing his chin. â€Å"We could stall. We could put you on some oxygen and amphetamines and you could be ready in an hour.† She laughed. â€Å"And ruin this buzz? I don't think so. Tell them to find another source for this one.† He shook his head. â€Å"I don't think I can do that. Nomura's been on the phone with them. He told them we could deliver in six hours.† She hissed. â€Å"Nomura's a fucking grunt. He does what we say. This is our operation.† â€Å"I'm not so sure, Beth. I really don't want to tell him no. Please take a shower and make some coffee. I'll be back in a minute with an oxygen cylinder.† â€Å"No, ‘Bastian,† she whined. â€Å"I don't want to spend six hours in a plane with that asshole.† â€Å"You won't have to, Beth. They've requested that we send him alone this time.† She sat up. â€Å"Alone? Who's going to watch him?† Suddenly she felt very sober. â€Å"No one needs to watch him, Beth. He works for them, remember? You were right. We shouldn't have gotten a pilot from them.† An hour and forty minutes after he dropped through the hatch, Tuck started the procedure to power up the 747. He'd never actually flown anything this big – or anything nearly this big – but he had done twenty hours in a simulator in Dallas and only crashed twice. All planes fly the same, he told himself and he started the first engine. Once it had spooled up, he had the power to start the other three. He put on the headset and looked out the side window to make sure he had room to turn the plane and taxi it to the runway. As soon as it started moving, the tower began to chatter, trying first to get him to identify himself, then to stop. Roberto, who was hanging from the straps on the flight officer's seat beside Tuck, barked twice and let loose a high-pitched squeal. â€Å"You're cookin' with gas, buddy,† came over the radio. Jake was close enough to see the big jet. â€Å"Where are you, Jake?† â€Å"Out of the way, buddy, but thanks for using my name on the radio. Just thought you ought to know that you're going to need fifty-one hundred feet of runway to get that thing off the ground at your destination – and that's with full flaps, so save your fuel now. You'd better tell them what you're doing unless you've got collision insurance on that thing.† Tuck keyed the mike button on the steering yoke. â€Å"Honolulu Tower, this is United Flight One requesting immediate clearance for emergency takeoff on Runway Two.† â€Å"There's no such thing as an emergency takeoff,† the controller said. Tuck could tell he was close to losing it. â€Å"Well, Tower, I'm taking off on Two, and if you've got anything headed that way, I'd say you've got an emergency on your hands, wouldn't you?† The tower guy was almost screaming now. â€Å"Negative on the clearance! Clearance denied, United jet. Return to the terminal. We have no flight plan for a United Flight One.† â€Å"Tower, United Flight One requesting you chill and be a professional about this. Clear to ten thousand. I am starting my takeoff.† â€Å"Negative, negative. Identify yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This is Captain Roberto T. Fruitbat signing off, Honolulu Tower.† Tuck clicked off the radio, pushed the throttles up, and watched the jet exhaust pressure gauges. When they got to 80 percent of maximum thrust, he re-leased the ground brakes and one hundred and seventy thousand pounds of aircraft rolled down the runway and swept into the sky. At ten thousand feet he began his turn toward Alualu. The fighters joined him a hundred miles north of Guam. Evidently, they had found out that United did not employ a Captain Fruitbat. One of the F-18 fighters came in close and Tuck waved to him. The pilot signaled for Tuck to put on his headset. Why not? Tuck assumed they would be broadcasting across a number of frequencies. â€Å"Yo, good morning, gents,† Tuck said. â€Å"United 747, change your course and land at Guam Airport or we will force you down.† Tuck looked out the window at the sidewinder air to air missiles hanging menacingly under the wings of the fighter. â€Å"And how, exactly, do you propose to do that, gentlemen?† â€Å"Repeat, change your course and land in Guam immediately or we will force you down.† â€Å"That would be fine,† Tuck said. â€Å"Go ahead, force me and my hundred and fifteen passengers down.† Tuck let off the mike button and turned to Roberto. â€Å"Okay, you go in the back and pretend to be a hundred and fifteen people.† As Tuck had calculated, the fighters backed off while they waited for instructions. They were not about to shoot down an American passenger jet without very specific orders, whether it was stolen or not. He believed his biggest advantage was that the FAA and United would insist that no one could steal a 747. That sort of thing just didn't happen. Nice of them to give him an escort, though. He punched some buttons and the nav computer told him he was only half an hour from Alualu. He started his descent. He checked the position of the fighters and hit the mike button. â€Å"This is the UFO calling the F-18s.† â€Å"Go ahead, United.† â€Å"Are you guys both listening?† â€Å"Go ahead.† Tuck affected a singsong teasing tone: â€Å"Neener, neener, neener, you can't get me.† Then he locked the microphone in the on position and began singing an off-key version of â€Å"Fly Me to the Moon.† Malink, I hope you built those ladders, he thought. Malink had been awakened early by the Sorcerer's jet taking off and he was on his way to the beach for his morning bowel movement when Vincent appeared to him. â€Å"Morning, squirt,† the flyer said. Malink stopped on the path and fought to catch his breath. â€Å"Vincent. I build the ladders.† â€Å"You did good, kid. Now get everyone together – and I mean everyone – and tell them to go to the airstrip. Take the ladders. I'm sending a plane for you.† Malink shook his head. â€Å"You send cargo?† Vincent laughed. â€Å"No, kid, I'm taking the Shark People to the cargo. You'll need the ladders to get on the plane. Don't be afraid. Just get everyone.† â€Å"The Sky Priestess has three who have been chosen. One has just come back to the village.† Vincent looked at his feet. â€Å"I'm sorry, kid. You'll have to leave them. Go now. You don't have very long. I'll see you again.† And he disappeared. 64 Deliverance Beth and Sebastian Curtis were cleaning the operating room and sterilizing instruments when they first heard the jet. â€Å"That sounds low,† Sebastian said casually. Then the fighters, running ahead of the 747, passed over the island. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Beth said. She dropped a pan of instruments and headed for the door. â€Å"Probably just military exercises, Beth,† Sebastian called after her. â€Å"It's nothing to be concerned about.† He was glad to have help cleaning up and didn't want to lose it. Usually, at this point, she was on the plane heading for Japan. â€Å"‘Bastian, come here!† she called. â€Å"Something's up!† Sebastian shoved the last of the surgical draperies into a canvas bag and hurried outside. The sound of jet engines seemed to be everywhere. Outside he found Beth staring at some coconut palms. The guards were standing outside their quarters, looking in the same direction. â€Å"Look.† Beth pointed to the north. â€Å"What? I don't see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then he saw movement behind the palms and a 747 coming toward the island at entirely too low an angle. â€Å"It's landing,† Beth said. Sebastian's gaze was caught by more movement in his peripheral vision. He looked across the runway. The Shark People were coming out of the jungle. All of the Shark People. From the 747 the airstrip looked smaller than he had remembered. To conserve runway Tuck wanted to touch down as close to the near end as possible. He pulled full flaps and checked his descent rate. The Shark People were moving toward the plane in a wave. Some of the men carried long ladders. As all sixteen tires hit the runway, Tuck slammed the levers that reversed the engines and they screamed in protest. Immediately, he hit the ground brakes and watched the brake temperature gauge zoom into the red as the jet screamed toward the ocean at the far end of the runway at a hundred and fifty miles per hour. â€Å"Did you see the ladders?† Roberto said, but this time it was Vincent's voice coming from the bat. â€Å"Ya fuckin' mook, I told you they were makin' ladders.† â€Å"You must come,† Malink said. He crouched at the edge of the jungle where the old cannibal was hiding. â€Å"Vincent said all of our people must go.† Sarapul watched as the huge jet slowly turned at the end of the runway. â€Å"No. I am too old. This is my home. They don't want me where you are going.† â€Å"We don't know where we are going.† â€Å"Your people didn't want me here. Would they want me in this new place? I will stay.† Malink looked to the runway. â€Å"I have to go now.† Sarapul waved him off with a bony hand. â€Å"Go. You go.† He turned and walked into the jungle. Malink ran into the open and began shouting orders to the men with the ladders. The Shark People poured onto the runway and surrounded the jet like termites serving their swollen queen. Beth Curtis saw the first of the doors on the 747 open and immediately recognized Tuck. A tall ladder was thrown against the plane and the Shark People started climbing. â€Å"He's taking them away!† she screamed. Sebastian Curtis stood stupefied. Beth shouted to the guards, â€Å"Stop them, you idiots!† The guards had been spellbound by the landing of the jet as well, but her harpylike scream brought them to action. They were in and out of their quarters in seconds, running toward the airstrip with their Uzis. Beth Curtis ran behind them, screeching like a tortured siren. All six doors of the 747 were open now, and the Shark People were streaming up the ladders, mothers carrying children, the strongest men helping the old. The other guards piled up behind Mato while he unlocked the gate. He fumbled with the key, then finally sent it home and pulled the chain from around the bars. Beth Curtis hit the chain-link and curled her fingers though it like claws as she watched her fortune piling into the plane. â€Å"Shoot!† she screamed. â€Å"Shoot that son of a bitch!† The guards had no idea who she meant, but they understood the command to shoot. The first one through the gate pulled up and pointed his Uzi at the crowd of natives waiting to get up the ladder. There was a fat one who seemed to be giving orders. He aimed for the center of his back. A bullet took the guard high in the chest, knocking him back off his feet. His Uzi clattered on the runway. The other guards pulled up, looking for the source of the shot.. â€Å"Kill them all, you fucking cowards!† Beth Curtis yelled. â€Å"Shoot!† The guards crouched to make themselves into smaller targets as they scanned the edge of the jungle for movement. There was a roar and the guards looked up to see two fighter jets coming in low over the runway. Their decision was made. They ran for the cover of the compound as Beth Curtis screamed at their backs. She ran out to the dead guard, picked up his Uzi, and pointed it at the 747. A gunshot came from the jungle and a bullet ricocheted off the concrete next to her. She turned the Uzi toward the trees and pulled the trigger. It roared for three seconds, the recoil pulling her sideways as the bullets chopped a pattern in the vegetation like a remotecontrol Cuisinart. She brought the gun back around on the plane and pulled the trigger, but the clip was empty. She threw the gun to the ground and stood shaking as the last of the ladders was thrown away from the plane and the doors were pulled shut.

Facilitate the Counselling Process Assessment Essay

I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. I also declare, if this is a practical skills assessment, that a Client/Interviewee Consent Form has been read and signed by both parties, and where applicable parental consent has been obtained. 1. Name two signs you would look for to let you know Vara is ready to end counselling. Two signs I would look for to let me know that Vara is ready to end counselling are, firstly, if Vara is sounding a lot more confident and she looks a lot happier, then she probably is. Secondly, if Vara started to run out of issues to raise and discuss in counselling. I would be able to recognise that Vara is ready to end counselling. 2. Briefly describe how you would support Vara’s sense of autonomy. I would support Vara’s sense of autonomy by, acknowledging and helping her to recognise, her achievements since beginning with counselling. I would summarise these achievements for Vara. Vara has spoken to her husband Alec, and made him aware of her feelings. This is something she found quite difficult to do in the past. Since Vara communicated her feelings of ‘being fed up and wanting to end the marriage’, Vara and Alec have decided to trial a three month separation. In speaking up for herself she has generated real change in her life. Both Vara and her husband Alec, are looking into the possibility of seeing a marriage counsellor. In seeking this kind of counselling she is showing strength of character, she is looking for solutions and not just running away from her problems. She has the friendship and support of Julie and is trying to increase her work hours as a translator. I would acknowledge that it was Vara that made these changes in her life, not me. This will empower Vara with the confidence to know that she is a strong and capable women who can stand up for herself. 3. Briefly describe how you would inform her about opportunities for further support. I would inform Vara about opportunities for further support, by communicating to her that although our counselling sessions will be coming to an end, she is always able to reconnect with me, if she feels the need. Vara has indicated that she and her husband are interested in pursuing marriage counselling. I could provide Vara with some contacts for marriage counselling in her local area. Or, if she felt more comfortable, I could arrange a referral for her to a marriage counsellor that I think would be a good match for her. 4. Briefly describe three key steps to assist the process of ending the counselling process with this client. I would start this process a few sessions before the final counselling appointment. Firstly, I would encourage Vara to express any concerns she may have in regards to managing on her own without the support of the counselling relationship. I would be encouraging Vara to express her feelings about ending the counselling relationship. This will give Vara an opportunity to reflect and prepare for ending the counselling sessions. I would set the final appointment sometime in the future, so that Vara can have time to adjust to the thought of managing on her own. Secondly, I would plan with Vara to have a longer interval between our appointments, so that Vara can try out coping with her issues on her own. This will enable Vara to discuss any lingering issues that may need some attention before ending the counselling relationship. Lastly I would summarise for Vara the progress she has made, and acknowledge all the accomplishments she has made. She is now a stronger more capable women, who can stand up for herself and take care of herself. I would make sure that Vara knows that I have an open door policy, and that if she ever felt the need to reconnect with me, I would be happy to see her again. 5. Give an example of what you might say to Vara when ending counselling to ensure the underlying issues are managed. An example of what I might say to Vara when ending counselling to ensure any underlying issues are managed is, ‘Vara can you describe for me some of the strategies you have been using to help bring about the changes you have made’. This will give Vara the opportunity to reflect on how she has implemented these changes, and will reinforce the fact that it was Vara who has facilitated these changes, not me. I would also say ‘what do you think could be some coping skills you could use if these issues start to come up again’. This will give Vara the opportunity to reflect on how she has coped with these issues in the past, and to list some coping strategies that work best for her and her situation. Again this will reinforce the fact that Vara is the one who is coping with her situation, not me. I would also say ‘can you tell me again, what some of your underlying issues have been’. This will help Vara identify what the core issues are, and will make it easier for her to recognise if these issues come up again, so that she is ready to deal with them. 6. Provide an example of one of your session client notes. Client session notes. Clients Name: Vara Clients Age: 56 Date of session: 20/11/14 Session # 8 Session Duration: 60 minutes Others present: Nil Status of session: Kept Location: Office Information given by client: Vara is a 56 year old Polish immigrant. Came to Australia 25 years ago. She has raised 3 children who have all left home. Feeling very unhappy and ‘trapped’ in her marriage. Husband is ‘traditional’ male, who controls finances and has a ferocious temper. She has been secretly working and saving money. She wants to live her own life, but fearful of how she will cope on her own. She still loves her husband Alec. Summary of client’s issues: Vara has spoken to Alec and they have agreed to a 3 month trial separation, they are looking into marriage counselling. I have offered her a list of marriage counsellors in her area and offered a referral if preferred. Vara will be living with her friend Julie during her separation, and will be seeking more work hours as a translator. Notes of counsellor: I feel that Vara has made enormous progress in counselling, and believe that at this point she would benefit from marriage counselling. I have agreed to see her again if she feels the need arises.