TechWatt Value and Risk Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

TechWatt Value and Risk Management - Case Study Example These are TechWatt's presently known five requirements. First, fulfil the perception of value in making such a move. Second, provide enough space for 15 people working in a laboratory and light manufacturing. Third, provide enough office space for 12 managers and administrative staff. Fourth, provide space (e.g., a conference room) to accommodate visiting customers and prospects. Two conference rooms are preferable so when visitors use one, TechWatt employees have the other as needed. Fifth, TechWatt has 5 million to make a headquarters. These pre-project objectives are an incomplete "preferred solution". It's an 'initial brief' with too little information to proceed to Strategic Briefing. TechWatt makes software-hardware products. Constructing a headquarters facility is new with many unknowns. TechWatt will rely strongly on its Architect to be the Lead Consultant (LC) responsible to apprise the company of occurring new developments at each step, and giving good advice. Using the LC's experience is the smart approach to manage and try to optimise value and minimise risk, and do a Strategic Briefing. TechWatt must more thoroughly define value. The Architect/LC is in the best position to help clearly and concisely define and communicate value priorities and measurable expectations. This joint-effort Study uses RIBA's Plan of Work to clearly define value. Using RIBA methods, the LC shall guide TechWatt's work to identify and develop requirements (value), as well as identify constraints possibly blocking development. This is 'Work Stage A' or the inception of the Headquarters Project (HQP). Stage A / Inception requires careful considerations, or appraisals of as many things as it is possible to see about the HQP. The output of the Inception/Appraisal is a Strategic Briefing which is 'Stage B'. The Strategic Briefing shall define measurable value for the HQP. To make these determinations TechWatt shall work in conjunction with the LC. For now, all parties are evaluating the initial brief. Needed: Strategic Briefing with clarity - RIBA Work Stages A and B TechWatt needs to clearly determine future goals and scope of the HQP. Between now and the future, there is a gap to bridge. Management perceives value of the HQP as a bridge across the gap. TechWatt management has a Business Case mindset to support the aim to make a new headquarters. Business factors must stay in focus. Emotions must not override them. TechWatt's executive management team and front-line management (hands-on software and hardware experts) are best suited to clarify ideas for a Strategic Briefing about headquarters. To successfully launch the HQP, management must clearly define but not be limited to: - expected value added to TechWatt by the new headquarters, - 'must have' resources (accommodations, capabilities, etc.) in the new headquarters, - 'nice to have' resources (but possible to live without), - people and machines to make headquarters run well into the future, - trade-offs - pros and cons to of creating headquarters or not (cost of "Doing nothing"), - actual costs (Quantity Surveyor with input of Production, Purchasing and Accounting), and - opportunity costs (money lost by not doing certain opportunities; brainstormed largely by

Electrochemical cell lab Aim Essay Example for Free

Electrochemical cell lab Aim Essay Aim :- To find out the feasibility of a redox reaction by looking at the cell potential of the reaction . Quantitative observation The table below shows the values of cell potential that were recorded when the experiment was performed Reaction Cell potential (ÂÂ ±0.01V) CuSO4 and ZnSO4 0.99V CuSO4 and AgNO3 0.64V Ag 1.39V Qualitative Observation Reaction Obsevrations CuSO4 and ZnSO4 Copper sulphate turns from clear to blue , whereas zinc sulphate remains colorless CuSO4 and AgNO3 Copper sulphate is blue in color , silver nitrate is colorless Ag Data processing Experiment 1 Zn(s) - Zn2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) Cu2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) - Cu (s) Cu2+ (aq) + Zn(s) - Cu(s) + Zn2+ (aq) Experiment 2 Cu(s) - Cu2+ (aq)+ 2e- (aq) Ag+(aq) + e- (aq) - Ag(s) Cu(s) + 2Ag+ (aq) - Cu2+ (Aq) + 2Ag (s) Experiment 3 Zn(s) - Zn2+ (aq) + 2e- (aq) Ag+ (aq) + e- (aq)- Ag(s) Zn(s) + 2Ag+ (aq) - Zn2+ (aq) + 2Ag (s) The table below shows the literature values for the respective cell potential Reaction Cell potential (ÂÂ ±0.01V) CuSO4 and ZnSO4 0.34V CuSO4 and AgNO3 0.46 V. Ag 1.10 V Error percentage = (|difference between the literature and experimental value|)/(the literature value )x100 = (|0.34V 0.99V|)/(0.34V) x100 = 191.17% We can similarly find the error percentages for other cell potentials also The table below shows the respective error percentages of each of the cell potential Reaction Error percentage CuSO4 and ZnSO4 191.17% CuSO4 and AgNO3 39.13% Ag 16.36% Theory Electrochemical cells In an electrochemical cell, electricity is produced through chemical reactions. There consist two electrodes: the negative electrode and the positive electrode. At the negative electrode

1950s Movie Essay: Rebel Without A Cause -- Movies Film

1950s Movie Essay: Rebel Without A Cause Introduction Rebel Without A Cause is a very popular film from 1955. It depicts life in the 1950's from the viewpoint of three teenagers who live in Los Angeles, California. They live in a comfortable environment in middle-class America. However, they must deal with their own inabilities to "fit" into society. The teens try to fit in with their peers and find the love they so desperately need from their families and others like their peers. The biases presented in the film's are based on cultural values form the 1950s. Rebel Without A Cause also compares to some of the data presented in the text Nation of Nations. The film also compares to the general view America has of the period of the 1950s. For these reasons, Rebel Without A Cause is an essential film in understanding the 1950s. Film's Cultural Values or Biases of the 1950's The film tells a tale of the restless and somewhat misunderstood rebellious and defiant American youth. The film highlights the conformance of 1950s America, through the eyes of the main character, who faces a new school environment and unsporting or ‘loving' parents. Though the film could be seen as bias, by portraying all 1950s youths as rebellious and engaging in "chickie runs" and knife fights, who would rather go against the grain of society, the film instead uses this bias to portray more of the internal seeking of youthful acceptance and love that all teens of this period were seeking, through rebelliousness and acts of promiscuity. This film has achieved cult status through the years as was the springboard for other 1950s movies trying to portray the same exploitation of teenage rebellion and delinquency. Perhaps what makes this film of ... ...tion of the teens who were fighting so hard to buck the system and break into their own independence. By the mid-50's, teens were becoming more rebellious, listening to Elvis Presley's music, and wearing clothing that had not been previously acceptable fashion. Prior to the 1950's, children were to be seen and not heard. This movie epitomized the struggle of the younger crowd in the 1950's -- they fought to break free, stand tall, and make an impact on the world around them, regardless of how tough that would be for them. It is important for us to remember that the 1950's were above all, a time of change. Everyone adjusted to those changes differently, but the younger population faced an evolving world that was at times scary and intimidating, as well as exciting and captivating. Learning to balance the changes with the things that stayed the same was the true battle.

Gwen Harwood Analysis Essay

In â€Å"The Violets,† the persona experiences a transition from childhood innocence to experience, sparking the process of maturation. This idea of childhood innocence is a Romantic ideal, and the process of growth that one experiences from this state of innocence to adulthood takes place when the persona learns about the inevitability of time. The dialogue, â€Å"Where’s morning gone?† is representative of this realisation, with the rhetorical question reflecting the child’s confusion at this stage of life when one is innocent and unburdened by certain mature knowledge. Also, the noun, â€Å"thing,† in the emotive lines, â€Å"used my tears to scold the thing that I could not grasp or name that, while I slept, had stolen from me,† refers to time and its namelessness symbolises the fact that it is abstract and unreturning, and incomprehensible to a child. This is what makes a child innocent and, Romantically invested; this is what Harwood is shown to value through her poetry. The emotive word, â€Å"tears,† and the dramatic verb, â€Å"stolen,† further exemplifies the harsh realities that accompany maturation and signify a loss of innocence. In these lines of the third stanza, there is a tone of sadness and despondency as the persona comes to terms with what the inevitability of time means for one’s life: that, regardless of when the process of maturation begins, one’s time is always limited. As Harwood’s poetry deals with the significant universal themes of personal growth, maturation and loss of innocence In addition, the persona’s experience of maturation is reflected in the growth of the violets and other natural references, further demonstrating the Romantic influence within this poem. Throughout the poem, there is an extended connection between nature and humanity, a connection which once manifested as a Romantic ideal. In the third stanza, set in the past, there is a description of the violets as â€Å"spring violets in their loamy bed,† with the descriptive terms, â€Å"spring,† and, â€Å"loamy,† creating imagery of youth and rejuvenation, reflecting the persona’s also youthful state at this time.  This is contrasted with the first stanza, set in the present-tense, where the violets are described as â€Å"frail,† and, â€Å"melancholy,† in the context, â€Å"I kneel to pick frail, melancholy flowers,† and invest the poem with notions of decline, representing the inevitability of the growth and aging of all life, human or non-human. In this stanza, the persona is also older, and so, the imagery of the violets reflects the growth and change of the persona. Furthermore, the persona’s acceptance of growth and decline, and therefore the persona’s process of maturation is represented by the natural reference to â€Å"dusk,† another Romantic reference, in the context, â€Å"dusk surrendered pink and white to blurring darkness.† The descriptive term, â€Å"blurring,† which is symbolic of blurring the line between acceptance and rebellion against the inevitabilities of life, marks the point when maturation begins as the child decides to accept this. Also, the descriptive colours, â€Å"pink and white,† carry connotations of softness and calm, reflecting the persona’s experience of solace after the transitional period of growth into maturity. The time of â€Å"dusk,† is also symbolic of wanning life, again, Romantically connecting nature and humanity as they share the same inevitable life cycle. Memories: In â€Å"The Violets† Harwood connects the power of memory with Romantic ideals to reveal the futility in resisting the unstoppable cycle of life. You may have noticed that throughout the poem, there is a motif of the violets. These flowers are an element of nature, an entity of high value to Romantics, and they are symbolic of remembrance and memory. The violets are presented in the poem’s present-tense introduction, â€Å"I kneel to pick frail, melancholy flowers.† Through the descriptive words, â€Å"frail,† and, â€Å"melancholy,† nature becomes a reflection of humanity, as the violets, which, in this case, carry a tone of weakness and decline, mirror the state of the persona at this time. This idea that all life, including both nature and humanity, inevitably faces degradation is highlighted when this present-tense description of the violets, a Romantically valued aspect of nature, is contrasted with the past-tense description in the idealised memories of the persona. Within these memories, which are identified through a structural indentation, the violets are described as being â€Å"spring violets in their  loamy bed,† with the descriptive terms, â€Å"spring,† and, â€Å"loamy,† creating imagery of youth and rejuvenation, and again acting as a reflection of the persona’s condition and age. Just as nature experiences a cycle, as does humanity, and, through a Romantic perspective, this exemplifies the idea that is the force of nature cannot overcome the trials of time, then neither can other forms of life. This realisation is represented through a contrast in the past and present states of life, demonstrated through the power of memory, and leads to an acceptance of the inevitable life cycle which is propelled by time. In â€Å"The Violets,† it can be seen that within the stanzas that portray memories, there is evidence of Harwood’s religious faith, demonstrating the power with which Harwood invests this theme. In the childhood memory of the persona, her mother-like figure likens to Christian images of the Virgin Mary who often held purple violets, and which were symbolic of her humility in confronting the ending of life. This is because the violets, in terms of this religious iconography, symbolise mourning, foreshadowing the death of Christ, and therefore the inevitable suffering and death of humanity. This connection between religious faith and past memories emphasises the importance of memory from a religious perspective, reminding the reader that even Biblical figures experienced the grief associated with death. Throughout the poem, there is a motif of light, specifically, references to â€Å"lamplit presences,† a metaphor for memory. This idea of â€Å"light,† conn ects to Biblical images of Christ, who was believed to be â€Å"the light of the world,† and to give, â€Å"the light of life.† This is an allusion to the ‘eternal life,’ and, in conjunction with her past memories, this motif of light lightens the burden of looming death. Through memories of the violets and maternal relations, Harwood highlights religious undertones to facilitate the acceptance of dying through the power of memory, an important theme in Harwood’s poetry. Death: â€Å"The Violets† is invested with anxieties about death and aging, and Harwood projects the theme of death onto nature and its cycles, a Romantic ideal. Elements of nature, specifically the violets, are described as â€Å"melancholy,†Ã‚  and, â€Å"frail,† in the context, â€Å"I kneel to pick frail, melancholy flowers.† These descriptive words represent the degradation of life which accompanies time. The time of day, â€Å"dusk,† another Romantic reference to nature, is, in a way, connected to the persona, as it is a time of transition, much like the status of the child who experiences the transition from fearing and fighting her approaching demise, to accepting the inevitability of time. When â€Å"dusk† is referenced in the context, â€Å"dusk surrendered pink and white to blurring darkness,† it becomes a metaphorical representation of the persona succumbing to death, emphasised by the descriptive term, â€Å"blurring,† whi ch is symbolic of blurring the line between acceptance and rebellion. The descriptive colours, â€Å"pink and white,† carry connotations of softness and calm, reflecting the persona’s experience of solace after the transitional period. The time of â€Å"dusk,† is also symbolic of wanning life, Romantically connecting nature and life. Harwood explores the notion of dying and how crucial it is to accept this. Harwood was highly religious and this is revealed through her poetry, particularly in â€Å"The Violets,† which deals with themes of death and explores the transience of time. Harwood presents her audience with funerary imagery. For example, the oxymoron, â€Å"ashes and loam,† in the description, â€Å"flowers among ashes and loam,† is suggestive of traditional funerary rights, referencing the â€Å"ashes to ashes† custom, and the idea of dirt being thrown on a coffin, with the noun, â€Å"flowers,† also being symbolic of placing flowers at a grave. By connecting religion and death, Harwood uses her faith to console herself about age and decline. When the child of the poem experiences the revelation of the powers of time, which she, symbolic of her childhood ignorance and innocence, refers to metaphorically as, â€Å"the thing I could not grasp or name,† she becomes distraught, and cannot undo what she has learnt. This alludes to the Biblical â€Å"Tree of Knowledge,† with the information being irreversibly gained, and causing sorrow, represented through the emotive words, â€Å"tears,† and, â€Å"scold,† in the metaphor, â€Å"[I] used my tears to scold the thing,† with, â€Å"the thing,† again symbolising time. Harwood reflects the need to understand and accept the process of aging as it is essential for well-being. Through religious references to death and aging, Harwood comments on the inevitability of facing decline and  degradation. Relationships: Harwood demonstrates a value of relationships, and, â€Å"The Violets,† influenced by Romantic ideals, demonstrates the idea that relationships assist one with the revelation that humanity is fleeting. Throughout the poem, filial bonds are surrounded with connotations of warmth, comfort and consolation. When the child first discovers that the day has escaped her, her mother attempts to console her, â€Å"she†¦carried me downstairs to see spring violets in their loamy bed.† The references to birth and innocence, through the metaphor, â€Å"spring violets in their loamy bed,† not only reminds the audience of the transience of youth, a reference to the Romantic value of childhood innocence, but, when in conjunction with the verb, â€Å"carried,† highlights the role of family in understanding and accepting this fleetingness. The embedded section of the final stanza presents a Romanticised, idealised memory of family and connection. Harwood describes the image, â€Å"my father†¦with tenderness stroking my mother’s goldbrown hair.† The nouns, â€Å"father,† and, â€Å"mother,† represent these filial connections, while the connotative terms, â€Å"tenderness,† and, â€Å"goldbrown,† invoke sentiments of harmony, warmth and security. Through these connections between relationships and cosiness, Harwood demonstrates the impact of relationships upon accepting the inevitability of death. Harwood’s religious faith resonates throughout â€Å"The Violets,† and exemplifies the comfort and support bought about by relationships. Just as Mary consoled Christ, this poem alludes to the Fall of Man, with the mother figure providing comfort for her child, similarly to Mary. When the child realises the suffering that accompanies mortality, she describes her mother’s role, â€Å"she dried my tearful face as I sobbed.† The verb, â€Å"dried,† is representative of a mother’s care, easing her child’s sorrow about the trials of life. The reference to â€Å"Kedron Brook,† in the final stanza, â€Å"stone-curlews call from Kedron Brook,† refers to Harwood’s hometown, and carries connotations of the family connections which reside there. This is also a Biblical reference, as it connects to the brook of Kedron in Jerusalem. Christ had to cross this brook, and it marks the location where  he made peace with his Father , God. The persona metaphorically crosses her brook of Kedron, and in doing so, makes peace with her parents, who have consoled her, and therefore makes her peace with dying. These universal symbols of religion, in association with family and childhood connections, ease the acceptance of mortality. Artistic Creativity or Passion: N/A â€Å"Father and Child†: Maturation and Growth: In â€Å"Father and Child,† Harwood presents a threshold, defining experience of the persona, making it a transition from innocence to experience. . The opening word of the first part of the poem, â€Å"Barn Owl,† is â€Å"daybreak,† and this foreshadows that the child will experience an awakening which sparks the process of maturation. The persona of the poem experiences a loss of innocence with the discovery of the tragedy of death. Before shooting the owl, the child believes they are the â€Å"master of life and death,† with the noun, â€Å"master,† reflecting the power that the child feels and the ignorance that the child has about the nature of death. This description of the child is later contrasted in the fourth stanza, â€Å"I watched, afraid by the fallen gun, a lonely child who believed death clean and final, not this obscene bundle of stuff.† The emotive term, â€Å"afraid,† represents the change in the persona’s attitude after being exposed to the harsh reality that is mortality. Also, the growth and maturation in the persona is exemplified by the juxtaposition, by way of contrast, between the descriptive terms, â€Å"clean,† and, â€Å"obscene,† which show both the child’s previous ignorance and their new found knowledge. This stanza is invested with religious imagery which further denotes the child’s loss of innocence. The reference to the â€Å"fallen gun,† is a Biblical allusion which symbolises the Fall of Man and reflects the idea that knowledge has been acquired and knowledge is unreturnable. Furthermore, the title of the poem, â€Å"Barn owl,† contains the noun, â€Å"owl,† which is both a religious symbol of death and a symbol of wisdom, foreshadowing that knowledge and wisdom is accompanied by the process of maturation. Finally, the dialogue,  "End what you have begun,† is  an imperative command which refers to the process of maturation and carries with it the idea that maturation is inevitable and must occur as a part of life. In part II of â€Å"Father and Child,† â€Å"Nightfall,† the same idea about growth and maturation is carried through. In this part of the poem, the persona accepts the inevitability of death and therefore completes the process of maturation. The second stanza contains the line, â€Å"since there’s no more to taste,† which is a Biblical allusion to the apple and the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, symbolising the fact that there is nothing left to gain from the process of maturation. Romantic references to nature connect the natural world with humanity and demonstrate that growth and the life cycle are inevitable for all forms of life. The natural reference, â€Å"sunset,† in the fourth stanza line, â€Å"sunset exalts its known symbols of transience,† is symbolic of decline and, as referenced, of transience, and this transitional period marks the persona’s transition from innocence to experience which accompanies decline and aging. By extension, the verb, â€Å"done,† in the final lines of the sixth stanza, â€Å"your marvellous journey’s done,† emphasises the conclusion of maturation, which is further highlighted by the lines of the final stanza, â€Å"the child once quick to mischief, grown to learn what sorrows, in the end, no words, no tears can mend.† The verbs, â€Å"grown,† and, â€Å"learn,† represent the maturity and knowledge gained by the persona, with the nameless, â€Å"what,† referring again to the harsh reality of death. Memories and Death: Part I of â€Å"Father and Child,† demonstrates the memory of a defining experience and shows significance due to this moment’s impact on the rest of the persona’s life. This poem is related in the past-tense, as if told as an anecdote, a memory or reflection upon a threshold experience on one’s life. Throughout the first three stanzas of the poem, there is a tone of mischief and playfulness, however, this turns to a tone of lamentation for the remainder of the poem, conveying the power of this memory to bring the shock of the realisation and knowledge about the trauma of death. This memory is so significant because of what it begins; maturation, and because of what it  teaches the persona. The child, stealing the father’s power to take life, sees himself as the â€Å"master of life and death,† a power which the child does not understand, and this is highlighted by the description of the child as the â€Å"wisp-haired judge,† which j uxtaposes, by way of connection, ideas of youth and ignorance. Ironically, the child is breaking both the law of man, and, in a Biblical sense, the laws of God, referred to in the Old Testament: â€Å"Ye shalt not kill,† and, â€Å"honour thy father and thy mother.† The child acts as Eve did in the Garden of Eden, giving into the temptation of the â€Å"horny fiend,† and eating from the Tree of Knowledge. This causes a loss of innocence as knowledge about death is gained, a significant realisation of growing up, and therefore a significant childhood memory. The child wrongfully objectifies the owl, metaphorically labelling it as his â€Å"prize.† The synecdoche, â€Å"punish beak and claw,† further represents this and the fact that the child can only see and focus on parts of the owl, symbolically denotes the fact that that the child is blind to the enormity of what they are about to do. The first three stanzas are invested with a tone of suspense, for example, the line, â€Å"holding my breath,† and, the short, sharp sentence, â€Å"my first shot struck.† This reflects the immensity of the event, and therefore the place of this memory in the child’s life as significant. The visceral imagery of stanzas five and six further exemplifies the horror of the moment and why it has become embedded in the persona’s memory. The verbs, â€Å"dropped,† â€Å"dribbled,† â€Å"tangling,† and, â€Å"hobbled,† are used to describe the actions of the dying owl, and â€Å"the bundle of stuff,† that falls out of its body. These verbs each carry connotations of mess, shock, and revulsion, and, in conjunction with the nouns, â€Å"bowels,† and, â€Å"blood,† the gravity of what the child has done is reflected, and thus becomes a defining memory for the child. Part II of â€Å"Father and Child,† demonstrates the adult life of the persona in â€Å"Nightfall,† and the impact of their defining childhood memory, in which they discovered the truth about death and learn to accept this. Harwood turns to her Romantic ideals to soothe the gravity of knowledge acquired and understand what was learnt in the memory of killing the owl. The persona turns to nature, a Romantic ideal, focusing on images of abundance and fertility to counter the childhood memory of â€Å"Barn Owl,† which is so full of  death. The persona reflects, â€Å"you keep a child’s delight for ever in birds, flowers and shivery-grass.† The nouns, â€Å"birds,† â€Å"flowers,† and, â€Å"grass,† are all elements of nature and carry pleasant connotations of imagery of a peaceful landscape full of life and living things, however, death makes its ubiquitous presence even in the descriptions of nature, â€Å"sunset exalts its known symbols of transience.† Sunset symbolises finality and a conclusion, foreshadowing her father’s deaths, and the reference to â€Å"transience,† highlights the Romantic sensibility that shapes the imagery in the poem, for the Romantic poets were focused on the transience of humanity’s existence. By introducing death into this natural reference, the responder is shown that the childhood memory of the owl’s death has had an impact on the rest of their life, however, it is accepted with the assistance of the solace which is provided by nature. Relationships: Similarly, Harwood shows, through both parts of the poem, â€Å"Father and Child,† that fathers are significant figures in one’s life, acting as a guide through childhood and assisting in the process of maturation. This idea is highlighted by religious allusions. In â€Å"Barn Owl,† Harwood employs a Biblical allusion to the Fall of Man symbolically through the child dropping the gun with which they shot the owl, â€Å"I watched, afraid, by the fallen gun.† This references the fact that the child has now learned the horrible truth about death, with the emotive word, â€Å"afraid,† emphasising the child’s response of shock, and the child’s now new and unreturnable knowledge of death. However, later in this poem, the father arrives, â€Å"my father reached my side, gave me the fallen gun. â€Å"End what you have begun.†Ã¢â‚¬  The positional verb, â€Å"side,† highlights the father’s relationship with his son as one of significance as he is providing support and comfort with the realisation of death, a catalyst for maturation. Also, this second allusion of the â€Å"fallen gun,† with the father picking it up, is symbolic of a father’s assistance and guide through maturation. The dialogue, â€Å"End what you have begun,† is an imperative command which further identifies the father’s strength and teaching role in a child’s life, with this command referencing the fact that the child must continue with the process of maturation as it is a significant aspect of life, however, the father’s presence indicates that  filial relations can help with this process. In the second part of this poem, â€Å"Nightfall,† the persona learns, through their father, the need to accept death, and so concludes the passage of maturation. Harwood describes the father’s acceptance of death, â€Å"you find, with your white stick the path on which you turn home,† the noun â€Å"home,† is a Biblical reference to returning to God in heaven, and, by the father accepti ng that death will come and this will happen, he allows his child to learn that death cannot be stopped, no matter how horrific it is. The poem comments on the success of the father’s role, â€Å"with the child once quick to mischief, grown to learn what sorrows, in the end, no words, not tears can mend.† These final lines of the poem denote the child’s acceptance of knowledge regarding death, conceding, with the aid of a relationship with their father, that death is inevitable, and that a finality of maturation comes with the acceptance of humanity’s transience. These two poems, through religious references, show how one’s relationship with their father can prepare them for the knowledge that accompanies adulthood. Harwood’s poem, â€Å"Father and Child,† also employs Romantic elements and presents the idea that when one progresses from childhood to adulthood, a loss of innocence is experienced, however, through the guidance of relationships, this transition is facilitated and a semblance of innocence may be maintained. Throughout â€Å"Barn Owl,† the owl, an element of nature, is symbolic of wisdom and death, and through the child’s actions of killing the owl, he gains the wisdom and knowledge of mortality, and in doing so, experiences a loss of innocence. Childhood innocence is of specific value to the Romantics, and the father’s assistance in this experience of gaining knowledge of death attempts to ease this loss. The verb, â€Å"leaned,† and the emotive word, â€Å"wept,† in the lines of the final stanza, â€Å"I leaned my head upon my father’s arm and wept,† represents the child’s close filial bond with their father and the comfort that such a significant human relationship can bring. This position of the child leaning on the father, also maintains the child’s youthful and vulnerable persona, symbolising that comfort from a father can maintain at least a skerrick of innocence. In the second part of the poem, â€Å"Nightfall,† the roles are reversed slightly, with the father using his relationship with his child to return to a place of innocence  before death. In the fifth stanza, the lines, â€Å"you keep a child’s delight for ever in birds, flowers, shivery grass,† contain a cumulative list of natural elements, a connection to Romantic values which symbolise the father’s regaining of innocence. This is made possible through his relationship with his child, represented through the metaphor of the â€Å"child’s delight,† existing within nature, and since nature is eternal, according to the Romantics, this demonstrates that innocence can be preserved forever, to be regained before, and to facilitate one’s passage into death. Harwood combines a value of nature with the theme of significant relationships to exemplify their ability in easing the trials and tribulations of life. â€Å"Triste, Triste†: Memory and Artistic Human Expression: Harwood’s â€Å"Triste, Triste,† is influenced by her religious values, and highlights the timeless value of divine moments in which one feels close to God. The juxtaposition of the spiritual and transcendent coital experience represented in this poem is connected with the resurrection of Christ. The Biblical allusion, â€Å"body rolls back like a stone, and risen spirit walks to Easter light,† contains the simile, â€Å"body rolls back like a stone,† which connects the body in the spiritual post-coital moments with the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb. This connection highlights how such experiences can bring one’s spirit closer to God. Also, the reference to a â€Å"risen spirit,† at Easter-time, further connects the persona’s euphoric and transcendent spiritual experience with the resurrection of Jesus, and therefore connects the persona with God. Since religion is still a significant aspect of humanity, â€Å"Triste, Triste,† appeals to a broad audience. From a religious interpretation, the audience is reminded of the power of God over the mundane existence of humans. During the divine experience of the spirit after intercourse, when one is connected with God, the heart, the symbol of one’s physical being has to call the spirit back to the body, â€Å"And heart from its prison cries to the spirit walking above.† The term, â€Å"prison,† is a metaphor for the body and reminds the audience of humanity’s mortality. Harwood uses her religious values to demonstrate the timeless and universal value of divine and transcendent experiences. However, she also concedes  that transcendent moments do not last forever, which is perhaps what makes them so significant. In â€Å"Triste, Triste,† Harwood uses Romantic elements to highlight the inspiration and joy that can be achieved through human creativity, and since everyone deserves this kind of human expression, Harwood’s poem holds a broad appeal. The dialogue in the poem, â€Å"remember me,† contains the emotive word, â€Å"remember,† and references the idea that Harwood is using artistic creativity and expression, values of Romanticism, to preserve a part of herself in the present and future, so that, after death, she will remain and be remembered. This invokes a sense of joy which is required by everyone, especially when reminded of the mortality and transience of humanity, and therefore demonstrates the value of Harwood’s poetry. The final line of the poem, â€Å"to peace in the paradise of sleep,† includes the verb, â€Å"sleep,† which alludes to the notion of dreams, and dreams are a place where imagination and creativity is unleashed, and, in conjunction with the emotive term, â€Å"peace,† exemplifies the idea that solace may be found through artistic creativity and expression. Since creativity is widely valued by society, Harwood’s poetry holds significant and broad appeal. Relationships: â€Å"Triste, Triste,† explores the importance of intense human relationships through the influence of Romantic elements. This poem is filled with romantic physical connections, for example, the post-coital contact of â€Å"eyes against shoulder,† with the positional verb, â€Å"against,† signifying the comfort that can be drawn from a relationship, and from human experience. This idea of intense human experience is a Romantic value, and Harwood invests this into her poetry as a way of idealising life’s defining moments, such as defining relationships. During the coital experience, the persona experienced a transcendent spiritual awakening, another Romantic value. With reference to the soul, the final stanza explains, â€Å"[the spirit] falls from its dream to the deep to harrow heart’s prison.† The metaphor, â€Å"falls from its dream,† reflects the soul returning to the body after such an intense expression of a relationship. During the divine experience of the spirit after intercourse, the heart, the symbol of one’s physical being has to call  the spirit back to the body, â€Å"And heart from its prison cries to the spirit walking above.† The term, â€Å"prison,† is a metaphor for the body and reminds the audience of humanity’s mortality, and therefore of humanity’s fleetingness. However, Harwood demonstrates that relationships can provide solace after this realisation of mortality and of the transience of human life and experience. This is emphasised by the emotive words, â€Å"loved,† and, â€Å"comfort,† in the first lines of the final stanza, â€Å"so the loved other is held for mortal comfort,† which further exemplify the powerful abilities of relationships, as the persona, is comforted after their soul returns to their body. This poem is also invested with Harwood’s religious ideals as she personally valued religion and used her poetry to explain that relationships with individuals can bring one closer to God. The juxtaposition of the spiritual and transcendent coital experience represented in this poem is connected with the resurrection of Christ. The Biblical allusion, â€Å"body rolls back like a stone, and risen spirit walks to Easter light,† is both symbolic of a physical relationship with another human, and of a divine spiritual relationship with God. This allusion contains the simile, â€Å"body rolls back like a stone,† which connects the body in the spiritual post-coital moments with the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb, therefore connecting the persona with Jesus via an intense spiritual relationship. Also, the reference to a â€Å"risen spirit,† at Easter-time, further connects the persona’s euphoric and transcendent spiritual experience with the resurrec tion of Jesus, and therefore established a relationship between the persona and God. â€Å"AT MORNINGTON†: Response about MEMORY: Harwood’s poem, â€Å"At Mornington,† also utilises ideas of memory and Romantic influence to understand the process of life. The Romantics valued the personal experience, and the use of first person within this poem represents the idea of personal and emotional memories. The personal pronoun, â€Å"I,† in the experience, â€Å"I leapt from my father’s arms,† emphasises the persona’s personal memories with nature, with the verb, â€Å"leapt,† reflecting the enthusiastic embrace of nature. This action of carelessly leaping into the  water is symbolic of a child’s ignorance of death, due to innocence and youth, another Romantic value. The personal disposition of the poem allows the persona to emulate her spiritual connection to the divinity of nature. In a memory, signified by a structural indentation, the persona recounts, â€Å"I dreamed once, long ago, that we walked among day-bright flowers.† The use of personal pronouns, â€Å"I,† and, â€Å"we,† again symbolises the Romantic element of personal reflection. The description, â€Å"day-bright,† is symbolic of life and youth, and is later contrasted with â€Å"night;† being representative of death and ending, in the recollection, â€Å"then, as night fell, you said, â€Å"There is still some water left over.† This dialogue, containing the symbolic noun, â€Å"water,† portrays the acceptance of death, through nature, as it provides the semblance that regardless of what age brings, memories, symbolically represented through, â€Å"water,† will always survive. Harwood demonstrates the power of memory to change one’s perception of mortality. Again, â€Å"At Mornington,† like â€Å"The Violets,† is invested with religious imagery, in association with Harwood’s representation of the theme of memory and the important role it plays in life. Water is a repetitive symbol throughout the poem, and when the persona revisits the memory of leaping into the ocean in the poem’s introductory stanza, it appears reminiscent of baptism, a ritual cleansing required before death, returning the persona to a time of innocence and connecting to cyclic ideas. There is also a Biblical allusion to Jesus walking on water, with the persona conceding, â€Å"I remember believing as a child, I could walk on water,† with the noun, â€Å"child,† representing naivety and innocence, again referencing the idea of returning to a time of religious and spiritual purification, with the noun, â€Å"water,† again symbolising memory, and how returning to childhood memories, where innocence and purity manifests, one can spiritually prepare themselves for death. The motif of light, reflected in memories, and in the present, represents the everlasting need of the human condition to return to a time of purity before death, referencing the religious belief of heaven, and providing a semblance of hope and security, facilitating the acceptance of death with the promise of an afterlife. Harwood relates the idea that memory provides a religious education which raises emotions of hope and solace regarding the gravity of death. Response about LIFE, DEATH and AGING: Harwood closely examines the human experience in her poem, â€Å"At Mornington,† and represents the inevitable force of death through Romantic values. There is a motif of water throughout the poem, an element of nature, and of value, and therefore an indicative component of Romantic idealism. For example, the noun, â€Å"wave,† in the recount, â€Å"I†¦was caught by a wave and rolled like a doll,† is representative of the inevitable and overpowering force of nature, time and death, emphasised by the simile, â€Å"like a doll,† which demonstrates the powerlessness of humanity in the face of such a force. The fact that this is a personal reflection, portrayed through the use of personal pronouns, such as, â€Å"I,† is another Romantic element, and highlights Harwood’s idea that everyone must come to terms with the transience of life through the human experience. This idea that the human experience prepares one for death is emphasised by the cumulative list, â€Å"I†¦am rolled in one grinding race of dreams, pain, memories, love and grief.† This list encapsulates the human condition, and Harwood suggests that one experiences these entities with age, and they prepare one for death and enable them to accept the decline accompanied by time. Harwood’s poem, when viewed Romantically demonstrates the power of time and death. Harwood invests â€Å"At Mornington,† with her own religious reliance, and, uses this to demonstrate the theme of death as part of a spiritual cycle. The Biblical allusion, â€Å"as the drying face of land rose out of the earth’s seamless waters,† references the book of Genesis which contains the parable of the Great Flood, meant to cleanse humanity of sin. This allusion refers to preparing one for death, by cleansing their soul. Harwood comments on the spiritual and emotional acceptance that occurs with age and an understanding of death. Also, the metaphorical, â€Å"hand,† in the final stanza, â€Å"I am seized†¦.no hand will save me,† references the ‘hand of God,’ and the fact that God cannot prevent death as it is a part of the cycle of life, and, as a devout Christian, Harwood, and the persona in the poem are reconciled to the idea of death by holding faith in God and the promise of a peaceful afterlife, demonstrated by the emotive word, â€Å"peace,† in the context, â€Å"the peace of this day will shine,† with, â€Å"this day,† symbolising the last day of  life. Harwood comments that religious can assist with the reconciliation of death and degradation. Response about RELATIONSHIPS: â€Å"At Mornington† references Romantic values and demonstrates the theme of relationships as an integral aspect of finding solace in age and decline. The second stanza, containing the noun, â€Å"friends,† in the personal, present-tense description, â€Å"we stand, two friends of middle age, by your parents’ grave,† carries connotations of time passing and causing age and decline. The pronoun, â€Å"we,† and the description, â€Å"middle age,† emphasises that this is a Romanticised, personal experience, invested with a sense of revelation and a nostalgia for childhood innocence, also reminiscent of Romantic values. It also reveals that these â€Å"two friends† have been together throughout their lives, and that their companionship and the fact that they are now facing death together, facilitates their acceptance of death. Romanticism also held a value of the human condition. The couplet, â€Å"we have the wholeness of this day to share as we will between us,† contains the alliterative terms, â€Å"we,† â€Å"wholeness,† and, â€Å"will,† which denote tones of hope, and connection which come about with human relationships, an aspect of the human condition. Through Romantic influence, Harwood demonstrates the mutual comfort that comes from friendship and acts as an antidote to the anxieties surrounding death. Like in â€Å"The Violets,† Harwood’s, â€Å"At Mornington,† is invested with an essence of her religious spirituality which evokes ideas of flourishing relations as a cure to the apprehension of death. The persona recalls walking through â€Å"Brisbane gardens† with a friend, demonstrated by the pronoun, â€Å"we,† and the noun, â€Å"gardens,† in the past-tense recollection, â€Å"we walked among†¦Brisbane gardens.† This venture alludes to the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man, with the persona walking through the â€Å"garden,† with a friend, referencing Eden, before she and her companion gain the knowledge of what it means to be mortal and experience the Fall, that is the irreversible revelation of the inevitability of death. Also, the lines of the final stanza, â€Å"At your side among the graves I think of death no more,† contain the positional verb, â€Å"side,† the funerary reference of â€Å"graves,† and the  noun, â€Å"death,† in conjunction with the negative terms, â€Å"no more,† to combine ideas of companionship, spiritual well-being and death. This highlights the religious notion that friendship and other relationships are strengthened by religious faith, and bring about a spiritual peace that prepares one for life after death. Harwood’s religion offers her hope of an afterlife, and the idea of companionship following her through life and into death; softens the blow of mortality.

Differences among nations affect international business Essay

This paper describes some of the ways in which social, cultural, economic, legal and political differences among nations affect international business. Specific real world examples of the described differences are also provided. Doing business in the international marketplace mandates taking into account some very hard to overlook social differences between countries. For instance, if trying to market and sell a product in a country other than where the company is based, the company must take into account the language differences for such things as packaging (Ebert, R. J., 2003), use instructions, marketing materials, web site presence, and customer care and support. A marvelous real world example of overcoming social differences in order to do business in the international marketplace is provided by the company Ikea (Ikea, 2003). Ikea does business in over thirty-four countries. Much of Ikea’s furniture requires the purchaser to assemble them. This means that all the instructions that are included with the same merchandise must be written for each of the countries that it does business in. Another example of Ikea’s adeptness at handling social differences is their website (www.ikea.com). The company has links from their global website to translated websites for each company they do business in. There are some other, not so obvious, cultural differences as well. Such things as general consumer preferences may be very different in the target country. An example of these consumer preferences would be what is considered standard staples in the country. Another example would be shopping habits, such as time, frequency and consumer outlet type that is generally preferred (Ebert, R. J., 2003). Yet another example would be if the standard work day isn’t the same as a standard workday in the country where the company is based, this could affect such things as the hours of operation of a store-front or office. A terrific example of general consumer preferences is brought to light by McDonald’s (McDonald’s Inc, 2003). McDonald’s does business in over fifty-eight countries. In order to gain consumer credibility they generally provide to a charity in the countries they do business in. In the United States the charity that they prefer is the Ronald McDonald House, which concentrates on providing for the needs of children. In Europe the charity of choice for McDonald’s is a community  football (United States soccer) due to the heavy influence that the sport has in the European countries it does business in. There are also some other cultural differences in European McDonald’s, such as the menu: beer is served as a beverage. Economic differences are probably the first hurdles that a company will recognize while planning to support their trade in a foreign country. These differences will be extremely obvious if, for instance, the company of interest is based in a country with a Market or Mixed Economy and wishes to do business in a country with a Planned Economy. Economic differences can include things such as monetary trade rates, the country’s banking policies and government involvement in an industry (Ebert, R. J., 2003). China is a great example of doing business with a Planned Economy country (Premier Star Company, 2003). In China foreign companies can not own land, rather it must be leased or rented from People’s Republic of China. Legal and Political differences are the biggest players in doing business internationally. A government in a foreign country can determine how an outside country’s business is run in their country by controlling such things as the cost of the outside country’s company’s goods in their country by using quotas, tariffs and subsidies (Ebert, R. J., 2003). The government can also control the payroll and employee education costs as well as initial capital expenditures of an outside country’s company, by requiring that a portion of what the company sells in their country must also be produced there. This may require employing local people and possibly educating them, as well as setting up a presence, whether it is a manufacturing plant or another type of facility that is required for the company to produce it’s goods. There is also the matter of complying with the target country’s business laws and regulations. This requires that the company expand it’s legal team to include knowledge of the remote government in order to protect itself. Many things that may be legal in one country, may be illegal in another. Cuba and the United States is a good example of legal and political differences (Haar, J., 2002). A United States company can not do business with Cuba, as it is illegal in the United States to do so. References Ebert, R. J. (2003). Business Essentials. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Ikea (2003). http://www.ikea.com. Sweden: Inter IKEA Systems B.V. McDonald’s Inc. (2003). http://www.mcdonalds.com/corporate/social. United States: McDonald’s Inc. Premier Star Company (2003). http://chinaunique.com/business/law_main.html#land. Rochester, NY: Premier Star Company Haar, J. (2002). http://www.miami.edu/nsc/pages/newsupdates/Update53.html. Miami, FL: University of Miami

Strength training program for a healthy body Essay Example

Strength training program for a healthy body Essay Example Strength training program for a healthy body Essay Strength training program for a healthy body Essay Resistance-exercise training improves physical function and health outcomes by increasing muscle mass and muscle strength. Depending on the program, strength trainings produced greater improvement in muscular strength, body mass, lean body mass, and percentage body fat. The main objective is to lose body fat without losing muscle mass. The key to successful body conditioning is a well-designed strength training program that helps promote balance development of the major muscles using proper exercise form and correct exercises techniques. It is best to test and determine first how your body reacts to any application of external force to allow measurement of flexibility and strength in order to reveal any hidden dysfunction on current state and in the process know what is needed to improve function.Whole body training refers to single workouts done in every muscle group which are the chest, shoulders, back, quadriceps, hamstrings, biceps, triceps, forearms, trapezius, calves, and abdom inals. Results are favorable and effective when you train each muscle every other day to allow better stimulation of the majority of the muscle fibers within each muscle group at the same time stimulating large portion of the body’s muscle mass. Since most problems are with the abs, let’s limit my talk on ways as to how you should flatten abs at home first for beginners. Perform these exercises with maximum of 30 seconds rest only. Then as you progress you may add other programs.Steam engine abs workout. Stand with your hands behind your head. Touch your left elbow to your right knee by bending and raising the knee at the same time crunching your left armpit toward your right hip. Return to the starting position and repeat to the opposite side, crunching your right armpit toward your hip. Beginners may do at least 16-20 repetitions of this exercise (Zinczenko Spiker 2006).Bicycle exercise for abs. Lie face up on the floor. Put your fingers behind your head. Bring the knees in towards the chest while you lift the shoulder blades off the ground. Do this without pulling on the neck. Lift your left leg straight out to a 45 degree angle simultaneously turning the upper body to the right. This brings the left elbow towards the right knee. Then switch sides now bringing the right elbow towards the knee. Continue alternating sides in a pedaling motion for 12-16 reps (Waehner n.p.).Vertical leg crunch. Lie face up on the floor with legs extending straight up. Keep your knees crossed throughout the session. Lift the shoulder blades off the floor as if reaching your chest towards your feet. This will contract your abs when you keep your legs in a fixed position for a matter of seconds. Lower and then repeat for 12-16 reps.Full reverse crunch. Lie on your back. Then extend your legs straight towards the ceiling.   Put your hands behind your head. Lift your shoulder blades off the floor at the same time pressing the heels towards the ceiling. The abs will contract when you make a u-shape towards the torso. Lower down then repeat for 12-16 reps.Long arm crunch. Lie on the mat with arms greatly extended straight out behind the head. Do this with your hands clasped and arms kept next to the ears. Then lift the shoulder blades off the floor. This will cause the abs to contract. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.Ab rocker. Sit on the ab rocker. Grab the bars in each hand. Rock forward trying to originate movement from the abs. When you rock in this manner it contracts the abs. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets at 12-16 reps.Elbow to knee crunch. Lie on your back. Keep your left foot flat on the floor. Put your right foot crossed over your left knee. Always keep your arms folded over your chest. Then twist your upper body towards your right side. Touch your left elbow to your right thigh. In doing this make sure you twist your whole torso toward your knee. Lower yourself then repeat switching legs. Do 12-16 reps (Kita 2005).Being busy is no ex cuse for forgetting about staying healthy, getting fit and having a sculptured body. You may begin to do this exercises at home first just to let your abs contract and let your body get to the feel of the work out before you go the gym and perform your strength training programs. So try to work it out in the morning or in your evenings and see the effect in weeks.

“Ballad of Birmingham Essays

â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham Essays â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham Paper â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham Paper â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham† No, baby, no you may not go. We’ve all probably heard this once in our life times. Our moms always think they know best and they always say the decisions they make are for our own good. In some cases that’s true but in others it isn’t. In the â€Å"Ballad of Birmingham† by Dudley Randal it’s what the mother tried to protect her daughter but it wasn’t what she was expecting. It actually turned out to be a whole different story. This poem has a strong tone to it; it also has a very strong theme and a good variety of figurative language. The poem has a very happy tone to it at the beginning. The child says â€Å"Mother Dear, may I go downtown instead of out to play, and march the streets of Birmingham in a freedom march today? †(Lines 1-4) Obviously her daughter wants to do something her mother doesn’t approve of her doing. So her mother say â€Å"No, baby, no you may not go† (Line 5) She thinks that it’s a bad idea for a little child going downtown. So that’s when a little argument start not big but her mom say no and rather she goes to church. After she dresses her up the poem turns into a tragedy because when her mother left she had a smile and it was the last smile she would have in her face. Sadly there was a terrible explosion. The theme of this poem is you can’t always boast about things that are going to happen because you never know what can change in a heartbeat. It’s also about things that can change your life for ever. The mother thinks that downtown is not a place for her child. She says â€Å"No, baby, no you may not go. For I fear those guns will fire. But you may go to church instead and sing in the children’s choir† (Lines 13-16) Thinking its safe for her child she sends her to church and leaves with a smile but returns with a frown and tears coming down her face. She than sees her child’s white shoe she had worn but never say her child. The figurative language in this poem is strange but logical. For example â€Å"For the dogs are fierce and wild, and clubs and hoses, guns and jails aren’t good for a little child† (Lines 6-8) she means that there is thief’s and it’s really dangerous for kids to be walking around freely. It also gives the thought that there might be wild dogs loose and they are fierce towards people. Also when she mentions jails and guns there might be a conflict with people and a lot of crime for the jails. So it’s pretty understandable why she insist her child goes to church. Also (Line 10-12) â€Å"Other children will go with me, and march the streets of Birmingham to make our country free. † It sound like there is a conflict between migrations and being free. That is motivating kids to support it. Those are my main analyzing points of this poem. The change of the tone, the theme and the figurative language. This is why when we do things its best to think it over twice and look at from different points of views. Every action has its consequences. So that’s why you think things truly.

Maya Bloodletting Rituals - To Speak to the Gods

Maya Bloodletting Rituals - To Speak to the Gods Bloodletting- cutting part of the body to release blood- is an ancient ritual used by many Mesoamerican societies. For the ancient Maya, bloodletting rituals (called chahb in surviving hieroglyphs) were a way that Maya nobles communicated with their gods and royal ancestors. The word chahb means penance in the Mayan Cholan language, and may be related to the Yukatekan word chab, meaning dripper/dropper. The blood-letting practice usually involved only the highest nobles who would perforate their own body parts, mainly, but not only, their tongues, lips, and genitals. Both men and women practiced these types of sacrifices. Ritual bloodletting, along with fasting, tobacco smoking, and ritual enemas, was pursued by the royal Maya in order to provoke a trance-like state (or altered state of consciousness) and thereby achieve supernatural visions and communicate with dynastic ancestors or underworld gods. The trances were to petition their ancestors and the gods for rain, good harvests, and success in warfare, among other needs and desires. Bloodletting Occasions and Locations Bloodletting rituals were usually performed on significant dates and at scheduled state events through the Maya ritual calendar, especially at the beginning or end of a calendar cycle; when a king ascended to the throne; and at building dedications. Other important life stages of kings and queens such as births, deaths, marriages, and the beginnings and ends of war were also accompanied by bloodletting. Bloodletting rituals were usually carried out in private, within secluded temple rooms on the top of pyramids, but public ceremonies celebrating the bloodletting rituals were organized during these events and masses of people attended them, crowding into the plaza at the base of the main pyramid of the Maya towns. These public displays were used by the rulers to demonstrate their ability to communicate with the gods in order to obtain advice on how to balance the world of the living and to ensure the natural cycles of the seasons and stars. A statistical study by U.S. archaeologist Jessica Munson and colleagues (2014) found that most references to bloodletting on Maya monuments and in other contexts are from a handful of sites along the Usumacinta River in Guatemala and in the southeastern Maya lowlands. Most of the known chahb glyphs are from inscriptions that refer to antagonistic statements about warfare and conflict. Bloodletting Tools Stone Seat with Polychrome Reliefs Depicting Self-Sacrifice (Zacatapalloli), House of Eagles, Templo Mayor, Mexico City, ca. 1500. De Agostini / G. Dagli Orti / Getty Images Piercing body parts during bloodletting rituals involved the use of sharp objects such as obsidian blades, stingray spines, carved bones, perforators, and knotted ropes. Equipment also included bark paper to collect some of the blood, and copal incense to burn the stained paper and provoke smoke and pungent odors. Blood was also collected in receptacles made out of ceramic pottery or basketry. Cloth bundles are illustrated on some of the murals, thought to have been used to carry around all the equipment. Stingray spines were definitely a primary tool used in Maya bloodletting, despite, or perhaps because of, their dangers. Uncleaned stingray spines contain venom and their use to pierce body parts would have caused a great deal of pain, and perhaps include deleterious effects ranging from secondary infection to necrosis and death. The Maya, who regularly fished for stingrays, would have known all about the dangers of stingray venom. Canadian archaeologist Haines and colleagues (2008) suggest that it is likely that the Maya either used stingray spines that had been carefully cleaned and dried; or reserved them for special acts of piety or in rituals where references to the necessity of risking death was an important factor. Bloodletting Imagery Late Classic Limestone Lintel at Maya Yaxchilan. Arild Finne Nybà ¸ Evidence for bloodletting rituals comes primarily from scenes depicting royal figures on carved monuments and painted pots. Stone sculptures and paintings from Maya sites such as Palenque, Yaxchilan, and Uaxactun, among others, offer dramatic examples of these practices. The Maya site of Yaxchilan in Chiapas state in Mexico  offers a particularly rich gallery of images about bloodletting rituals. In a series of carvings on three door-lintels from this site, a royal woman, Lady Xook, is portrayed performing bloodletting, piercing her tongue with a knotted rope, and provoking a serpent vision during the throne accession ceremony of her husband. Obsidian blades are often found in ceremonial or ritual contexts such as caches, burials, and caves, and the presumption has been that they were bloodletting tools. U.S. archaeologist W. James Stemp and colleagues examined blades from Actun Uayazba Kab (Handprint Cave) in Belize and compared the microscopic damage to the edges (called use wear) on the archaeological blades to those produced during experimental archaeology. They suggest that they were indeed bloodletters.   Sources DePalma, Ralph G., Virginia W. Hayes, and Leo R. Zacharski. Bloodletting: Past and Present. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 205.1 (2007): 132-44. Print.Haines, Helen R., Philip W. Willink, and David Maxwell. Stingray Spine Use and Maya Bloodletting Rituals: A Cautionary Tale. Latin American Antiquity 19.1 (2008): 83-98. Print.Munson, Jessica, et al. Classic Maya Bloodletting and the Cultural Evolution of Religious Rituals: Quantifying Patterns of Variation in Hieroglyphic Texts. PLoS ONE 9.9 (2014): e107982. Print.Stemp, W. James, et al. An Ancient Maya Ritual Cache at Pooks Hill, Belize: Technological and Functional Analyses of the Obsidian Blades. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 18 (2018): 889-901. Print.Stemp, W. James, Meaghan Peuramaki-Brown, and Jaime J. Awe. Ritual Economy and Ancient Maya Bloodletting: Obsidian Blades from Actun Uayazba Kab (Handprint Cave), Belize. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology  (2018). Print.

Impact of Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Impact of Business Ethics - Essay Example Most commonly, ethics affect the performance of business organizations by defining the extent to which they are trustworthy and honest, engage the community in making positive contributions to the community, and retain customer loyalty that contributes to the economic bottom line. In order to be successful in life, ethics plays a vital role. Companies who regularly partake in unethical business practices may be profitable for a season, but once word gets out that they have unscrupulous in many of the dealings, the public will likely abandon them. The issue, then, is for a business to clearly state their ethical code of conduct and then work hard to live up to those standards. The problem, however, is that large corporations often find it difficult to live up to the high expectations that its shareholders and the public have set for them. It is important, therefore, for concerned parties to understand sound business ethics in order to ensure and guard against failure in this area. According to Jennings (2012), corporate ethics provide pillars on which business operations are built upon. There are many different ways that a corporation can use sound ethical principles to contribute to their overall success. A product corporate social responsibility is one such way that this can take place. Corporate social responsibility involves a process of opening up and maintaining a solid manner of doing business that emanates from business ethics. Combined with this concept, it is way the corporation gets involved and participates in community issues. It has been determined that corporate social responsibility is an essential element in working to ensure the success of a business (Jennings, 2012). The reason why corporate social responsibility is a critical part of ethics in any given company rests in the fact it serves to strengthen the bond between the organization and society as a while. It works to gain the

Comparison between Canada's Military Correctional System and the Research Paper

Comparison between Canada's Military Correctional System and the United States Military Correctional System - Research Paper Example The responsibility of the Army Correctional Command ACC is the management of resources like force structure, budget, personnel and the day to day operations of the U.S Military Corrections System (Grande, 2009). The U.S Military Corrections system has two oversees facilities in Germany and Korea, two medium security regional facilities in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Lewis Washington, and one maximum security prison ( U.S Disciplinary Barracks ) in Fort Leavenworth Kansas. Both the regional Military Corrections facilities and U.S Disciplinary Barracks provide a complete range of custodial and correctional treatment programs to military offenders regardless of the branch of service, and the only maximum security facility in the department of U.S defense is the U.S Disciplinary Barracks. The military corrections system comprise of three level tiers: Level-1 accommodates inmates with sentence of less than one year. The level-1 tier has no different from the public prisons and most progra ms are the same in comparison. The marine corps operates two facilities; the navy is in charge of six facilities, while the air force manages 36 facilities. The level-1 tier is not controlled by the Army. The level-2 tier accommodates inmates with sentence of less than 7 years and is the middle tier. The majority of military offenders are retained in level two. The army is in charge and controls the better part of level two while the marine corps operates and controls 3 facilities. The Air force does not operate any facility in level two, thus majority of inmates are retained in at two Naval consolidated brigs. The level-3 accommodating inmates with sentence of more than 7 years and inmates whose character pose threat to the national security of the United states. Females are majorly confined in this level so as to benefit from the health facilities, assets and consolidated space. Level-3 tier includes male military. The level-3 does not accommodate pre-trial inmates and its mission is â€Å"Our mission, Your Future†. Unlike the United States of America, Canada has only one Military forces prison named, the Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks (CFSPDB), located at the Canadian Forces Based Edmonton. The Canada military prison is maintained and controlled by the Canadian Forces Military Police, although non-commissioned officers NCOs from various branches of the Canadian Forces also serves as staffs at the prison. The prison confines inmates with the jail term not exceeding two years. Military offenders with a crime sentence of more than two years imprisonment are then referred to the public prison after they have been relieved of their duties as Canadian Force Personnel. Rights/Treatment of Inmates The Canada’s detention facilities at Edmonton Alberta have unforgettable experience in store for any soldier who dares to go the wrong path of the law, which is very useful in military personnel behavior corrections purposes. The Canad ian Forces Service Detention Barracks (CFSPDB) inmates go through training, counseling and are assigned various duties majorly hard labor like performing drills. For about two weeks from their arrival, the military prisoners have limited privileges like sleeping and eating, but are not allowed to make phone calls, interacting with fellow prisoners, interact with

Overcoming Procrastination. Time Management Article

Overcoming Procrastination. Time Management - Article Example The personal obstacle I faced was procrastination. I had the habit of avoiding doing assignments even when I knew they had to be done. Despite having a highly detailed schedule, I would still find myself procrastinating my duties. This was as a result of getting weighed down by my workload that I would have just put it all off. At most times, I found the lectures so tiring. Concentration was also lacking with new exciting things in this new environment. Some of the causes for poor time management were; lack of self motivation and knowledge as I had no predetermined goals. Maintaining a schedule was difficult due to improper planning for a schedule that was flexible. Procrastination also contributed heavily on managing time as whatever was put off had to be done later at a time planned for another task. To overcome these obstacles, I had to employ some useful tactics. According to my biological tempo and the time of the day it became easy to plan for what would be best to do in the mo rning, day time and evening. I came up with a way to prioritize my day. In the evenings, I would put down most crucial things to be done the next day. I would then attempt them in order of their significance. I would review my progress and fix or adjust my list if necessary. When all significant errands were done, timely and in an organized manner, I would reward myself. For better concentration; studying in particular places like the library is best. Where one can avoid interruption from fellow students or friends, they can cover a lot of work and do their revision. Also switching off the phone or having it in silent mode so as not to get disrupted. During study time, one should only pick urgent calls and shun chatting with friends. Having an arranged working area beats off laziness. One can optimize their working environment. I had a file for all my things and kept them in order of the dates. My class notes were organized and kept ready for quizzes and tests. On a weekly basis, I would conduct a clean up where I would go through all my materials. I filed everything recent systematically and kept old papers in another file at home. Another helpful technique to solve procrastination would be starting on another item after finishing that which you were working on. For example, during study time when done with the day’s work, briefly start on the next assignment so as to be ahead during the subsequent session. If the work is too much you can always do only a small part of the task at a time, and this goes hand in hand with time management. If you do small quantities of the work when it is already nearing the time it should be handed in then the assignment will not be completed, but if one starts doing small portions of the work immediately assigned by submission date, it can be complete and ready to be handed in for marking. A relapse is normal and expected so one must not give up, evaluate what went wrong then try overcoming the obstacles again. After ap plying these techniques, the progress in overcoming my personal and academic challenges was remarkable. Free time and study time were defined clearly after coming up with a flexible schedule. To guarantee success in my studies, there was enough planned study time such that for every hour spent in class two hours would be devoted to revision. I discovered the overpowering problems such as the need for perfection, anxiety and panic and sought them out fast since they are what caused these obstacles in the first place. When the mind is kept occupied at all time, for example, multi tasking it helps. During breaks, going back on what you had studied and revising this for instance definitions covered earlier when studying so that they can be remembered easily if

Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch ) and talk about them - Essay Example In the human resource function, the strategies assist the organization in facilitating the change management function, for instance, the change speeding up process. The change speeding up process has an emphasis on a learning culture, development and growth cultures. The cultures by Jack Welch also have a strong support and emphasis on the development of the skills possessed by the human resource development professionals. The theories enhance the effectiveness and improvement of the training programs that are essential for the skills development of human resource research development professionals. Gold et al. (2011) say that the training programs that are products of the theories fronted by Jack Welch are important for the development of programs that enable the workers to work in rotation through various departments and job assignments. The departments, where the staff members are rotated through, could have other purposes other than the human research development functions. The rotation in other departments helps the employees in gaining knowledge and competencies about the organization making them better strategic partners of the business. The theories also enable the use of technology and thus, majority of the human resource development activities are carried out with the use of technology. The technology better equips the human resource function and the employees more technical knowledge making them specialists in different functionalities of the organization. Hamlin & Stewart (2011) assert that when the human resources specialize, they are of great benefit to the organization because they can be used as internal consultants to the organization. The theories also help the organizational human resource development specialists in understanding the main objectives of the strategic human resource development , what the implications of changes in strategic human resource developments are

A guide to critical thinking and argument with readings Essay

A guide to critical thinking and argument with readings - Essay Example Current Issues and Enduring Questions is a book, which contemplates on the elements and fundamentals of critical thinking. The authors presented arguments and literature materials from various sources in order to support the conclusions conveyed by the book. It is divided into two significant chapters, which makes it a complete package for the readers to understand the ideas the book aims to impart to the intellectual market it serves.Critical Thinking, the title of the first chapter of the books presents the various elements of critical thinking by presenting several arguments which significantly represents each major element of critical thinking.The first subchapter presents the argument regarding driver's licenses and photographic identification. The authors expounded the tribulations the present transportation system and person identification industry faces. Numerous accounts of the dilemma are seen on both parties of the drivers and the traffic enforcers, as well. Hence, it nece ssitates critical thinking. As the introductory subchapter, it represents the element of identifying the subject of critical thinking and expounding several manipulative ideas governing the subject.The second part of the first chapter is a widened and deeper analysis of the first subchapter. It concentrates on the deeper societal issues of driver's licenses. It presents facts on why these matters and issues call for critical thinking and its three major elements, which is comprised of imagination, analysis and evaluation. Writing as an integral part of critical thinking is beyond doubt. This fact is introduced in the third subchapter. Theoretically, writing as an intellectual way of evaluating and interpreting different aspects of man's life has become a myth for the ordinary man. However, this subchapter presents reliable evidences which attests for the critical thinking attributes of writing. It also enumerates the elements of critical thinking, which are widely fulfilled by writing. The fourth subchapter, hypothetically, encompasses the heart of the chapter. Entitled "A Checklist for Critical Thinking," it details the elements of critical thinking and describes the impact of each element on man's critical philosophy. It itemizes each element and differentiates one from the other, which makes it comprehensible for the readers to identify one element from another. The fifth subchapter represents the exercise part for the readers. It comprises of an essay of Alan Dershowitz illustrating critical thinking, which is entitled, "Why Fear NationID Cards" Hence, the readers are able to apply the elements learned in the previous chapters by reading the essay. At the same time, it also supplements additional information regarding the issue of National I.D. cards. The sixth subchapter puts forward a casebook on examining assumptions. It presents two literature materials, which are both essentials on evaluating the underlying important procedures on assumption evaluation. This subchapter includes the articles, "A Proposal to Abolish Grading" and "Test for Aptitude, Not for Speed" by Paul Goodman and Howard Gardner, respectively. Both materials identify the values tests have in examining assumptions, which is an integral part of critical thinking. The seventh and last subchapter, as a whole, represents a checklist for evaluating letters of response. It comprises of an article by Diane Ravitch, entitled, "In Defense of Testing." This subchapter spells out the necessary factors of critical evaluation of response letters. This proves to be an essential aspect of critical thinking, as proper evaluation gives way for judicious interpretation of various subjects. Chapter 2: Critical Reading: Getting Started Whilst the first chapter concentrates on the essential elements comprising critical thinking, this second chapter focuses on the aspect of critical

Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch Essay

Strategic Human Resource Management ( choose 3 Theories of jack welch ) and talk about them - Essay Example In the human resource function, the strategies assist the organization in facilitating the change management function, for instance, the change speeding up process. The change speeding up process has an emphasis on a learning culture, development and growth cultures. The cultures by Jack Welch also have a strong support and emphasis on the development of the skills possessed by the human resource development professionals. The theories enhance the effectiveness and improvement of the training programs that are essential for the skills development of human resource research development professionals. Gold et al. (2011) say that the training programs that are products of the theories fronted by Jack Welch are important for the development of programs that enable the workers to work in rotation through various departments and job assignments. The departments, where the staff members are rotated through, could have other purposes other than the human research development functions. The rotation in other departments helps the employees in gaining knowledge and competencies about the organization making them better strategic partners of the business. The theories also enable the use of technology and thus, majority of the human resource development activities are carried out with the use of technology. The technology better equips the human resource function and the employees more technical knowledge making them specialists in different functionalities of the organization. Hamlin & Stewart (2011) assert that when the human resources specialize, they are of great benefit to the organization because they can be used as internal consultants to the organization. The theories also help the organizational human resource development specialists in understanding the main objectives of the strategic human resource development , what the implications of changes in strategic human resource developments are

Fashion - customer service can help in build the loyalty of a brand Essay

Fashion - customer service can help in build the loyalty of a brand - Essay Example The paper "fashion - customer service can help in build the loyalty of a brand" talks about how the customer service can help in build the loyalty of a brand. The luxury fashion retailing sector of Hong Kong is exceptionally well developed hence one of the fashion capitals of Asia. The fast growing expenditure from Chinese tourists has turned Hong Kong into a regional distribution hub for popular designer brands around the world, providing a great variety of high-end fashion brands and luxurious products in the market. With the Chinese tourists continuing to pour in, the product demand is high. Many high-end retailers try to provide extra services to retain their customers. Top brands try to find ways to capitalize on the buying interest of their customers and provide quality customer service due to the limited space. Besides globalization, many prestigious retailers are turning their focus to generating a greater profit from their existing customer base by developing brand loyalty. Such ideas are also backed by a number of researchers. Homburg, Koschate & Hoyer (2005) stated that brands were benefited from brand-loyal customers due to repeated patronage and their tendency to pay premium prices for additional services. The findings of Graner and Sterling (2003) further strengthened the incentive for retailers to develop brand loyalty as they found that retaining 5% more customers would boost profits by 25% to 125%. Quality customer services provided by the business are essential.

Business Communication Trends Essay Example for Free

Business Communication Trends Essay Business communication plays a big role in our daily work activities as individuals we must manage our daily activities depending on the trends and needs of our current workplace. There are ten Business communication trends the one that I will be discussing is on Quality and customer needs. Business Communication Trends Business communication is very important in my daily work environment. It is so important because we use this to communicate efficiently with our Managers to our customers. I work for The City of Indio in water department. My duties vary from customer service to Engineering administrative assistant. Business communication does play a big role in my day-to-day duties, because we have to be able to have great communication skills orally, and also we must use other communication technology efficiently like emails, letters, memos and phone or teleconferencing. In order to be a good representative we must be able to communicate effectively with our customers. The reason I say this is because we are responsible in making sure that we listen to what the customers needs are and that we are able to satisfactory resolve any issue that the customer might have. Many times when customers have a valid complain we must inform our supervisor via E-mail, depending on the level of urgency regarding the customers complains. I generally prefer to communicate this way because it creates a paper trail and it also protects me. Through these emails we must be able to communicate to our supervisor, what the issue is and what are the solutions that we can offer the customer. Then my supervisors will respond with either an approval or rejection. Then we can communicate with the customer and inform them what the end result is of their complaint. I have found that communicating with my supervisors via e-mail helps keep track of records, and if that same issue were to ever come up again we would have an e-mail that would be proof that particular issue was addressed and brought to our supervisors attention. If the issue is not resolved to the customer satisfaction it would be because there wasn’t a follow-up with the customer and we did not communicate in a professional manner. Business Communication Trends Working in a utility division comes with many challenges. When creating utility statement, wording has be to address in a manner where we are targeting an audience that can read and understand exactly what is being said in a normal monthly water utility bill . For example, what amount is due and when is it due. Many of our customers misinterpret or don’t understand the wording on the utility bills. This causes confusion, and can even cause customers to have the utility services interrupted, because they misinterpret their bill and did not know how to read it correctly. We all have spent countless hours rewording our statements and every time there is that one customer that is looking for a loop in the system to get away out of paying a payment or late fees. Our role as representatives is to ensure that are customer satisfaction is meet, and if there is an error where it might misguide our customers, we want to make sure that we correct the problem before it becomes a problem.

The World Today As A Unipolar Society

The World Today As A Unipolar Society The world is a complex and dynamic with almost endless combinations of events leading to different outcomes. Sovereign states, multinational corporations, NGOs, militias, terrorists, regional and global organisations, media outlets and rogue states affect global relations. Environmental changes, natural disasters, regional and inter-state conflict, economic instability, migration and demographic changes are a fraction of the events that add uncertainty to the path of future global relations. So can we neatly categorise this multifarious world? Gordon Allport said categories are nouns that cut slices through our environment. This applies to all things, not simply to a persons nationality or skin colour. From birth we learn to categorise the world, to drop items or situations into buckets that broadly meet its features. This helps us process complex information without being utterly overwhelmed. Regarding world order; no two situations are alike but we are able to apply the basic constructs to a polar system. There are those who argue for unipolarity, multipolarity and nonpolarity. This essay will assess each of the arguments in turn and, in conclusion, you will be presented with an opinion based on those arguments. In 1939 the international system was multipolar with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USSR, UK and US as the major global powers. This balance of power led to a total war between two alliances with two superpowers emerging, the USSR and US. From 1945 these two superpowers were engaged in a political and military standoff, the Cold War, which despite its deadly potential delivered a degree of stability to world order. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 left a period of uncertainty that saw the US take the role as global hegemon. This power shift has been ongoing since well before WWII, even before Carl von Clausewitzs days in the multipolar early 19th century, and above all this demonstrates the dynamic and ever shifting nature of the international system of power. Unipolarity can be defined as a system in which a single power is geopolitically preponderant because its capabilities are potent enough to preclude the formation of an overwhelming balancing coalition against it  [1]  . To suggest that a unipolar state must be capable of achieving all its goals, everywhere, by itself is nonsense  [2]  . If this were the case there would never have been a unipolar state on the global stage. There have, of course, been unipolar powers; America is the most recent and the best example but the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire and Chinas Han Dynasty are other examples. There is no stomach for anything other than US hegemony on Capitol Hill. The US has dominated since the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. An entire generation of Americans has grown up knowing nothing apart from US hegemony and they are not keen to lose it. Following the end of the Iraq War there was no flurry of US innovation to try and prevent future Iraq wars; there was instead a shift in the doctrinal approach of the Pentagon towards counter insurgency and more money spent on equipping the military to fare even better in future Iraq wars. Key factors defining superpower status are military, economic, political and technological. An economically strong US has built a military, unmatched in terms of the size of its technologically advanced forces. The US Navys fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 navies combined.  [3]  China and India have larger armed forces than the US but the US has more forces stationed overseas (460,000 is 146 countries). It has the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world, spending almost as much on defence as all other nations combined  [4]  . This ability to project power globally is significantly unmatched by any power in the world and this gives the US a more prominent place at the international table. Of the four key factors, military power is the most relevant to maintaining US global hegemony but even US culture has migrated around the globe. MTV, CNN, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Disney and Hollywood are but a few US brand names in what is known in some camps as th e McDomination Effect. The US enjoys a unique geographical advantage, having allies on each of its borders; Canada, Mexico (an uneasy ally but a strong trading partner), and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Other states tend to have their ascent to superpower status blocked by their neighbours. The huge margin between the US and its nearest competitors may have reduced in recent years but it remains. Furthermore there is no other single country that can compete with the US in all areas of power. Yale historian Paul Kennedy claimed the US would suffer from imperial overstretch but, in such awe of US success in Afghanistan in 2002, he wrote nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing. The notion of overstretch is largely ill founded as the potential final nail in the coffin for the US; unlike Great Britain, France and Spain before it, the US does not crave territory, almost before they put boots on foreign soil they are looking for an exit strategy  [5]  . The commonly held view is that unipolarity is unstable, mainly due to the tendency of other states to seek counterbalance and inevitably cause conflict. In this case, however, there are no power enemies that are seeking to directly counter the US. Indeed, following the September 11 attacks India, Pakistan, Russia and even China have revised their foreign policies regarding the US. Even North Korea may be entering back into dialogue in April with the US over dismantling its nuclear programme. Which other countries enjoy the ability to disregard the international system without retribution? Not only disregard the system but draw their allies along with them, such as with the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cases of torture of terror suspects, the last invasion of Iraq, not signing up to the Ottowa Treaty (despite being a P5 member of the UN Security Council), the Highway of Death massacre in Iraq; the list is extensive but the point remains that the US remains at the head of the international table despite multiple infringements of international law or, in the case of the Ottowa Treaty, setting a poor example to the international community. Charles Krauthammer coined the Unipolar Moment in the early 1990s and in 2002 he suggested that moment had become the Unipolar Era. Since 1990 however, the US has been at war in the Middle East, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia in the main. It has suffered a disastrous presidency under Bush and financial meltdown following the collapse of the sub-prime market. In addition it has suffered a major terrorist attack, a catastrophic diversion of attention from Afghanistan to Iraq regarding WMDs and has suffered a moral own goal by practising torture and violating human rights, specifically the authorised use of waterboarding by CIA personnel on US terror suspects. Financially the country is a shell following Bushs presidency; he took office with $120 billion in reserve and left a deficit of $1.2 trillion eight years later. In every dimension other than military power the distribution of power is shifting, moving away from U.S. dominance. That does not mean we are entering an anti-American world but we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people  [6]  . Many argue, most notably Richard Haass, that the unipolar moment is over, that sovereign states have lost the monopoly on power in a world now dominated by dozens of state and non-state actors, each with a significant amount of power. In todays world, states are challenged from above, by regional and global organisations (UN, NATO, IMF and WTO), from below by militias and terrorist groups (drug cartels, Al Qaeda, CIRA and Hezbollah) and from the side by NGOs (Amnesty International, the Red Cross and Greenpeace) and the media. The six major world powers are joined by global, regional and functional organisations that wield tremendous power; consider OPEC for example. In this nonpolar environment, mechanisms for providing solutions to world problems are becoming multilateral in nature and not state driven. Recent meetings at the UN have been held including government departments, UN agencies, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, think tanks and universities  [7]  . Military might does not equate to effect. The events of 11 Sep 01 demonstrate that a small organisation with minimal funding and manpower can strike a devastating blow to a powerful state. The events since have shown that, even with the full prosecution of its power, the US has been unable to bring the war on terror to a satisfactory conclusion. Power and influence have become less synonymous in recent years due, in part, to the decline of the US on the world stage but also to the growth in stature of other states and non-state actors. The increase in production and consequential consumption of fossil fuels has seen substantial funds flow to oil producing countries. These countries have enjoyed the benefits of these profits and are now rising in power and influence themselves. The success of the US machine has contributed to its own downfall. The dollar is in decline, worldwide talks are taking place regarding the cessation of trading in the dollar for oil; already many global exchan ge holdings are now in other currencies.  [8]  The emerging BRIC and Middle Eastern countries are discussing alternative currencies for international reserve. Globalisation is a major factor in the global diffusion of power. In both the physical and the virtual world, borders have become more porous over the last 20 years and therefore less susceptible to state control. In the same way that states have increased in their ability to succeed financially and technologically, non-state actors have matured in the same way. This, coupled with more porous borders in a smaller world has enabled far more actors to exert their influence around the globe. Terrorist groups communicate worldwide via internet, move funds electronically via internet and move members internationally via a high tech worldwide air bridge. Media groups such as CNN and Al Jazeera distribute current footage of war zones across the world that has not been subject to government censorship; many non-western countries receive instant footage in their native language, not subject to western control. US primacy has been challenged and found wanting. The dollar is in decline and countries are regularly able to resist US petitions (Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe most recently). Other states have grown significantly (including China, Brazil, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia) and there has been a great deal of backlash to Americanism. Despite the decline of US hegemony, no state has stepped up to the plate to take on the role of hegemon. This, combined with globalisation, has led to a unipolar world. So what of multipolarity? Irans rise to nuclear power seems inevitable; supported by both Russia and China, financially and in the UN, the US appears powerless to halt Irans nuclear progress. Irans accumulation of wealth shows no sign of waning, especially as it holds three fifths of the worlds oil reserves and two fifths of the worlds natural gas reserves. Russia has made a massive comeback under Putin. It holds half of the worlds supply of nuclear weapons and has the third largest gold and foreign currency reserve in the world. There is heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies across the continent and, with the financial crisis pushing investors to liquidate assets into oil, gold and other commodities, Russia benefited greatly in recent times. China has also rapidly risen as a diplomatic and economic power; at current rates the country will lead the US in GDP by 2050. Despite its unusual peaceful rise to power, compared with Britain, the US, Japan, Germany and Russia before it, China may be prepared to support Russias objection to a possible US anti-missile shield in Europe by use of military power. China has been one of the first to move into Africa, capitalising on untouched oil and mineral reserves. Also there has been a direct challenge to the US might via cyberspace; Chinese hackers have repeatedly compromised Pentagon computer security, rendering entire systems inoperative. India is another rising power and a nuclear power. It too has very good relations with Russia and China, who has given financial support. Unfortunately India suffers with a similar problem to the EU in that it is a multi-faceted entity that faces challenges from within regarding a single voice and unity in aim. Further to this it is hampered in its quest for hegemony in South Asia by Pakistan who, although significantly weaker in conventional terms, possesses a nuclear capability. Brazil has made a meteoric rise in power in recent times. Already a mineral rich country it has recently discovered extensive oil reserves offshore and has signed a multi-billion dollar military technology sharing deal with France. It sits under the US security umbrella and has no serious threats from its neighbours and does not seek to be a military power but an economic one. Vast swathes of land have been made fertile and the country now leads the world in the exports of many foodstuffs and is the second highest producer of ethanol in a world looking for alternative fuels. The Muslim world is increasing in power across the world. Birth rates in Muslim countries are increasing and the availability of medical services is improving this gives rise to longer life expectancy coupled with a larger young population. With the concentration of fossil fuels in Middle Eastern countries and the financial benefits that brings we can expect to see increase in the effect of the Muslim world on the west. This may take the form of states increasing in production and becoming more powerful but there is a chance this could mean increased migration to the west. The US remains primus inter pares but is no longer hegemon. It now relies on more imports and is able to export less (exports of goods and services grew by 12.0% in 2008 to $1.84 trillion, while imports increased 7.4% to $2.52 trillion  [9]  ). Meanwhile other countries are growing at increasing rates (China grew 9.6% in 2008 compared with 1.1% in the US  [10]  ). Chinas GDP growth may be increasing but it is unlikely that spending on defence will come close to the US. The poor majority Chinese population will continue to sap economic growth. EU GDP may be in excess of the US and its armed forces may be great in number but the union is not yet truly unified and the region is suffering an ageing population. Japan too is suffering an ageing and shrinking population. India is making huge advances in its economy but suffers from a bureaucratic system with little in the way of infrastructure. Russia could be seen as a possible contender again, although it is challenged from within by a declining population (falling at about 0.5% per year since 1991  [11]  and internal challenges to its government. The most recent example of nonpolarity is Iran. With the surge in oil prices Iran has accumulated wealth and power and is now seemingly aspiring to join the nuclear family. Despite its protestations, the US is unable to turn the tide without significant help from other states and organisations to assist with sanctions or to block access to nuclear technology and materials.  [12]  Iran now has the ability to exert influence over OPEC, which in turn could significantly affect the US. There is no doubt that the US still leads the world in the power stakes but its place at the top has become more unsteady in recent years. Iraq and Afghanistan have cost a considerable amount to fund and have turned opinion against them around the globe. US intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan has seen its national debt rise to over $250 billion; this coupled with the recent sub-prime market crash has seen the US economy weakened considerably. Hence the accumulation of wealth elsewhere in the world has a more marked effect. GDP growth differentials are reducing. The EU already beats the US GDP by some considerable margin and both Japan and China are closing the gap The world today But polarity is not a binary phenomenon. The world will not stay unipolar for decades and then suddenly, one afternoon, become multipolar  [13]  . The US remains primus inter pares more powerful in more areas than any other country. This does not mean, however, that it remains at the top of a unipolar system; Iran is a case in point. Success in the US has fed many other countries around the world, particularly oil producing states. China has benefited from US trade and with all While the concept of categorisation discussed at the beginning of this essay has clear benefits, we cannot simply assign one of the given categories to the world today. Unipolarity has been a reality since the collapse of the Soviet Union but the unipolar moment is truly over. The US does not have the ability to act with impunity or support any longer. There is a definite case of imperial overstretch, given its financial position, with the war on terror. Heavy economic and financial reliance on China sits paradoxically with the US position regarding Russia, Iran, India (opposed as it was to the Indian nuclear testing programme) and, more irritatingly, Chinese cyber war. There may currently be no state that is directly challenging the US on the global stage but the door of opportunity is certainly open for others to pose a threat to the US if conflict is provoked. While it is true that globalisation has increased the power of non-state actors to have an effect on the world stage, they are only able to apply pressure to sovereign states. Ultimately the sovereign states retain the real power, the combination of military might, geopolitical influence, economic power and technological advancement. Other actors play a key role in making the system work and providing solutions to global problems (global warming, financial crises, conflict prevention and so on) but the state remains king on the world stage. Multipolarity is re-emerging as nation states amass wealth, technology and increase cooperation through globalisation. There is possibility of conflict arising from this situation, especially with the Middle Eastern situation and with various states opposed to the US and its foreign policy. The reality would appear to be that we are in a transition phase between two elements of polarity, those being the unipolar world of the post Cold War era and the multipolar world of the future.