Vampire Academy Chapter 19

NINETEEN IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT finally made me do it. I'd held on to so many secrets for so long, doing what I believed best protected Lissa. But hiding her cutting did nothing to protect her. I hadn't been able to make her stop – and really, I now wondered if it was my fault she'd ever started. None of this had happened until she healed me in the accident. What if she'd left me injured? Maybe I would have recovered. Maybe she would be all right today. I stayed in the clinic while Dimitri went to get Alberta. He hadn't hesitated for a second when I told him where she was. I'd said she was in danger, and he'd left immediately. Everything after that moved like some sort of slow-motion nightmare. The minutes dragged on while I waited. When he finally returned with an unconscious Lissa, a flurry arose at the clinic, one everyone wanted me kept out of. She had lost a lot of blood, and while they had a feeder on hand right away, rousing her to enough consciousness to drink proved difficult. It wasn't until the middle of the Academy's night that someone decided she was stable enough for me to visit. â€Å"Is it true?† she asked when I walked into the room. She lay on the bed, wrists heavily bandaged. I knew they'd put a lot of blood back into her, but she still looked pale to me. â€Å"They said it was you. You told them.† â€Å"I had to,† I said, afraid to get too close. â€Å"Liss†¦you cut yourself worse than you ever have. And after healing me†¦and then everything with Christian†¦you couldn't handle it. You needed help.† She closed her eyes. â€Å"Christian. You know about that. Of course you do. You know about everything.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help.† â€Å"What happened to what Ms. Karp said? About keeping it all secret?† â€Å"She was talking about the other stuff. I don't think she'd want you to keep cutting yourself.† â€Å"Did you tell them about the ? ®other stuff'?† I shook my head. â€Å"Not yet.† She turned toward me, eyes cold. † ? ®Yet.' But you're going to.† â€Å"I have to. You can heal other people†¦but it's killing you.† â€Å"I healed you.† â€Å"I would have been okay eventually. The ankle would have healed. It's not worth what it does to you. And I think I know how it started†¦when you first healed me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained my revelation about the accident and how all of her powers and depression had started after that. I also pointed out how our bond had formed after the accident too, though I didn't fully understand why yet. â€Å"I don't know what's going on, but this is beyond us. We need someone's help.† â€Å"They'll take me away,† she said flatly. â€Å"Like Ms. Karp.† â€Å"I think they'll try to help you. They were all really worried. Liss, I'm doing this for you. I just want you to be okay.† She turned away from me. â€Å"Get out, Rose.† I did. They released her the next morning on the condition that she'd have to come back for daily visits to the counselor. Dimitri told me they also planned on putting her on some sort of medication to help with the depression. I wasn't a big fan of pills, but I'd cheer on anything that would help her. Unfortunately, some sophomore had been in the clinic for an asthma attack. He'd seen her come in with Dimitri and Alberta. He didn't know why she'd been admitted, but that hadn't stopped him from telling people in his hall what he'd seen. They then told others at breakfast. By lunch, all the upperclassmen knew about the late-night clinic visit. And more importantly, everyone knew she wasn't speaking to me. Just like that, whatever social headway I'd made plummeted. She didn't outright condemn me, but her silence spoke legions, and people behaved accordingly. The whole day, I walked around the Academy like a ghost. People watched and occasionally spoke to me, but few made much more effort than that. They followed Lissa's lead, imitating her silence. No one was openly mean to me – they probably didn't want to risk it in case she and I patched things up. Still, I heard â€Å"blood whore† whispered here and there when someone thought I wasn't listening. Mason would have welcomed me to his lunch table, but some of his friends might not have been so nice. I didn't want to be the cause of any fights between him and them. So I chose Natalie instead. â€Å"I heard Lissa tried to run away again, and you stopped her,† Natalie said. No one had a clue why she'd been in the clinic yet. I hoped it stayed that way. Running away? Where in the world had that come from? â€Å"Why would she do that?† â€Å"I don't know.† She lowered her voice. â€Å"Why'd she leave before? It's just what I heard.† That story raged on as the day passed, as did all sorts of rumors about why Lissa might have gone to the med clinic. Pregnancy and abortion theories were eternally popular. Some whispered she might have gotten Victor's disease. No one even came close to guessing the truth. Leaving our last class as quickly as possible, I was astonished when Mia started walking toward me. â€Å"What do you want?† I demanded. â€Å"I can't come out and play today, little girl.† â€Å"You sure have an attitude for someone who doesn't exist right now.† â€Å"As opposed to you?† I asked. Remembering what Christian had said, I did feel a little sorry for her. That guilt disappeared after I took one look at her face. She might have been a victim, but now she was a monster. There was a cold, cunning look about her, very different from the desperate and depressed one from the other day. She hadn't stayed beaten after what Andre had done to her – if that was even true, and I believed it was – and I doubted she would with Lissa either. Mia was a survivor. â€Å"She got rid of you, and you're too high and mighty to admit it.† Her blue eyes practically bugged out. â€Å"Don't you want to get back at her?† â€Å"Are you more psycho than usual? She's my best friend. And why are you still following me?† Mia tsked. â€Å"She doesn't act like it. Come on, tell me what happened at the clinic. It's something big, isn't it? She really is pregnant, right? Tell me what it is.† â€Å"Go away.† â€Å"If you tell me, I'll get Jesse and Ralf to say they made all that stuff up.† I stopped walking and spun around to face her. Scared, she took a few steps backward. She must have recalled some of my past threats of physical violence. â€Å"I already know they made it all up, because I didn't do any of it. And if you try to turn me against Lissa one more time, the stories are going to be about you bleeding, because I'll have ripped your throat out!† My voice grew louder with each word until I practically shouted. Mia stepped back further, clearly terrified. â€Å"You really are crazy. No wonder she dropped you.† She shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I'll find out what's going on without you.† When the dance came that weekend, I decided I really didn't want to go. It had sounded stupid to begin with, and I'd only been interested in going to the after-parties anyway. But without Lissa, I wasn't likely to gain admission to those. Instead, I holed up in my room, trying – and failing – to do some homework. Through the bond, I felt all sorts of mixed emotions from her, particularly anxiety and excitement. It had to be hard hanging out all night with a guy you didn't really like. About ten minutes after the dance's start time, I decided to clean up and take a shower. When I came back down the hall from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my head, I saw Mason standing outside my door. He wasn't exactly dressed up, but he also wasn't wearing jeans. It was a start. â€Å"There you are, party girl. I was about ready to give up.† â€Å"Did you start another fire? No guys allowed in this hall.† â€Å"Whatever. Like that makes a difference.† True. The school might be able to keep Strigoi out, but they did a horrible job at keeping the rest of us away from each other. â€Å"Let me in. You've got to get ready.† It took me a minute to realize what he meant. â€Å"No. I'm not going.† â€Å"Come on,† he prodded, following me inside. † ? ®Cause you had a fight with Lissa? You guys are going to make up soon. No reason for you to stay here all night. If you don't want to be around her, Eddie's getting a group together over in his room later.† My old, fun-loving spirit perked its head up just a bit. No Lissa. Probably no royals. â€Å"Yeah?† Seeing that he was starting to get me, Mason grinned. Looking at his eyes, I realized again how much he liked me. And again I wondered, Why couldn't I just have a normal boyfriend? Why did I want my hot, older mentor – the mentor I'd probably end up getting fired? â€Å"It'll just be novices,† Mason continued, oblivious to my thoughts. â€Å"And I have a surprise for you when we get there.† â€Å"Is it in a bottle?† If Lissa wanted to ignore me, I had no reason to keep myself sober. â€Å"No, that's at Eddie's. Hurry up and get dressed. I know you aren't wearing that.† I looked down at my ripped jeans and University of Oregon T-shirt. Yeah. Definitely not wearing this. Fifteen minutes later, we cut across the quad back over to the commons, laughing as we recounted how a particularly clumsy classmate of ours had given himself a black eye in practice this week. Moving quickly over the frozen ground wasn't easy in heels, and he kept grabbing my arm to keep me from falling over, half-dragging me along. It made us laugh that much more. A happy feeling started to well up in me – I wasn't entirely rid of the ache for Lissa, but this was a start. Maybe I didn't have her and her friends, but I had my own friends. It was also very likely that I was going to get head-over-heels drunk tonight, which, while not a great way to solve my problems, would at least be really fun. Yeah. My life could be worse. Then we ran into Dimitri and Alberta. They were on their way somewhere else, talking guardian business. Alberta smiled when she saw us, giving us the kind of indulgent look older people always give to younger people who appear to be having fun and acting silly. Like she thought we were cute. The nerve. We stumbled to a halt, and Mason put a hand on my arm to steady me. â€Å"Mr. Ashford, Miss Hathaway. I'm surprised you aren't already in the commons.† Mason gave her an angelic, teacher's-pet smile. â€Å"Got delayed, Guardian Petrov. You know how it is with girls. Always got to look perfect. You especially must know all about that.† Normally I would have elbowed him for saying something so stupid, but I was staring at Dimitri and incapable of speech. Perhaps more importantly, he was staring at me too. I had on the black dress, and it was everything I'd hoped it could be. In fact, it was a wonder Alberta didn't call me on the dress code right there and then. The fabric clung everywhere, and no Moroi girl's chest could have held this dress up. Victor's rose hung around my neck, and I'd done a hasty blow-dry of my hair, leaving it down the way I knew Dimitri liked it. I hadn't worn tights because no one wore tights with dresses like this anymore, so my feet were freezing in the heels. All for the sake of looking good. And I was pretty sure I looked damn good, but Dimitri's face wasn't giving anything away. He just looked at me – and looked and looked. Maybe that said something about my appearance in and of itself. Remembering how Mason sort of held my hand, I pulled away from him. He and Alberta finished up their joking remarks, and we all went our separate ways. Music blasted inside the commons when we arrived, white Christmas lights and – ugh – a disco ball casting the only light in the otherwise darkened room. Gyrating bodies, mostly underclassmen, packed the dance floor. Those who were our age stood in too-cool clusters along the edges of the room, waiting for an opportune time to sneak off. An assortment of chaperones, guardians and Moroi teachers alike, patrolled around, breaking up those dancers who did a little too much gyrating. When I saw Kirova in a sleeveless plaid dress, I turned to Mason and said, â€Å"Are you sure we can't hit the hard liquor yet?† He snickered and took my hand again. â€Å"Come on, time for your surprise.† Letting him lead me, I walked across the room, cutting through a cluster of freshmen who looked way too young to be doing the kind of pelvic thrusts they were attempting. Where were the chaperones when you needed them? Then I saw where he was leading me and came to a screeching halt. â€Å"No,† I said, not budging when he tugged my hand. â€Å"Come on, it's going to be great.† â€Å"You're taking me to Jesse and Ralf. The only way I can ever be seen with them is if I've got a blunt object, and I'm aiming between their legs.† He pulled me again. â€Å"Not anymore. Come on.† Reluctant, I finally started moving: my worst fears were realized when a few pairs eyes turned our way. Great. Everything was starting all over again. Jesse and Ralf didn't notice us at first, but when they did, an amusing array of expressions played over their faces. First they saw my body and the dress. Testosterone took over as pure male lust shone out of their faces. Then they seemed to realize it was me and promptly turned terrified. Cool. Mason gave Jesse a sharp poke in the chest with the end of his finger. â€Å"All right, Zeklos. Tell her.† Jesse didn't say anything, and Mason repeated the gesture, only harder. â€Å"Tell her.† Not meeting my eyes, Jesse mumbled, â€Å"Rose, we know none of that stuff happened.† I almost choked on my own laughter. â€Å"Do you? Wow. I'm really glad to hear that. Because you see, until you said that, I'd been thinking it had happened. Thank God you guys are here to set me straight and tell me what the hell I have or haven't done!† They flinched, and Mason's light expression darkened to something harder. â€Å"She knows that,† he growled. â€Å"Tell her the rest.† Jesse sighed. â€Å"We did it because Mia told us to.† â€Å"And?† prompted Mason. â€Å"And we're sorry.† Mason turned to Ralf. â€Å"I want to hear it from you, big boy.† Ralf wouldn't meet my eyes either, but he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology. Seeing them defeated, Mason turned chipper. â€Å"You haven't heard the best part yet.† I cut him a sidelong look. â€Å"Yeah? Like the part where we rewind time and none of this ever happened?† â€Å"Next best thing.† He tapped Jesse again. â€Å"Tell her. Tell her why you did it.† Jesse looked up and exchanged uneasy looks with Ralf. â€Å"Boys,† warned Mason, clearly delighted about something, â€Å"you're making Hathaway and me very angry. Tell her why you did it.† Wearing the look of one who realized things couldn't get any worse, Jesse finally met my eyes. â€Å"We did it because she slept with us. Both of us.†

A middle class family named The Birlings Essay

An Inspector Calls, written by J. B. Priestley, is about a middle class family named The Birlings. The Birlings lived in an up and growing industrial town in the north midlands. Set in 1912, the Birlings were happily celebrating their daughter Sheila’s engagement to a respectable businessman, Gerald Croft. However, the modest celebration turned out to be more than eventful when an unexpected inspector arrives enquiring the suicide and death of a young girl names Eva Smith. Whilst doing so, the inspector unlocks a chain of family secrets along the way. The play, in its time, proved to be very popular, and still does so today. In this play, I think that J. B. Priestley chose the characters very well. I think that what made the play so appealing is the way in which he gave each character such a strong personality. Each member of the Birling family has a unique personality and throughout the play some of the Birling family change. I do think however, that the Birlings as a whole family are quite stereotypical. The Birlings come across as a family that have wealth and seem to be quite a respected family of a high class. At the beginning of the play, the Birling family seem to be quite a closely bonded family but throughout the play this bond seems to drift apart as they recognise their differences. The family consists of four very unique and exciting individuals: Arthur Birling- A very self-obsessed, wealthy business man, also very self-opinionated. The perfect example of an old snob. Obviously very proud of his achievements in life, but with his heart set on a knighthood which would be his ultimate achievement. Sybil Birling- Considers herself high in regard to social standings, largely on the back of her husbands’ success and wealth. Possibly a ‘Hyacinth Bucket’ of her time. A very unlikeable woman who sees lots of people as being beneath her. Sheila Birling- comes across as a very polite and obedient woman, looking forward to her engagement to Gerald Croft. However, as the play goes on, Sheila begins to realise the truth about herself and the Birling family, and begins to stand up against them. Eric Birling-Quite an enclosed person. Eric’s personality is hard to detect. He seems to be the outcast of the family, and the family do not discover until later on in the play that Eric is in fact a heavy drinker and was to father a illegitimate child. A typical wealthy young man of the day.

Gothic Architecture in Medieval France

Gothic Architecture in Medieval France As with most modernization, new concepts are often refined versions of previous techniques. Although structural design during the Middle Ages was already advancing at a large scale, distortions of the classical style were not too apparent until the Gothic era occurred. Taking place during a time of turmoil with the Hundred Years' War and the Black Plague, the Gothic age emerged right as European society was forced into a reflective change. With an increase in trade and a growing violation, an associated development of cities also occurred.Since it was more plausible to centralize churches and monasteries within towns, advancements of stone architecture began in order to meet the needs of the general public. First appearing in Northern France in the mid-12th century, Gothic style began mainly in these newly built or restored cathedrals. The modernization that took place within Gothic architecture directly reflected the changes that were taking pl ace within French society. The two main structural improvements of Gothic architecture were minted arches and ribbed vaulting.Building upon the design of the intersecting arches of groin vaults (primarily seen within the Romanesque period), Gothic architects created rib vaults as a result of using diagonal and transverse arches that intersected crosswise. By switching from curved to more-pointed arches, builders were able to maximize height-space and have all the arches at approximately the same level, regardless of the arches' widths. This allowed the inside of cathedrals to be very spacious and give the appearance of openness.Another structural advantage of the pointed Gothic vaults is its downward weight distribution. Because they require less reinforcement to keep them in position, large windows could be placed underneath the arches instead of supports, making it possible to let more light into the room. These areas were often filled with another prominent Gothic feature: staine d-glass windows. Although it was not originally produced during the Gothic Era, stained-glass gained its standing with its use in cathedrals.By taking advantage f the usable space under pointed arches, architects were able to replace walls with stained-glass and transfer natural light into the building, creating a colored ambiance. Abbot Auger, the Abbot at Saint-Denis (a cathedral noted for being a precursor in Gothic architecture) coined the phrase lug nova, meaning â€Å"new light† to describe the effect of the stained-glass. Aside from transmitting light into the cathedral, the windows acted as a way to present religious illustrations and depictions of Holy Scripture.Although the glass is much more unstable than the rounding stone encasement and structure, Gothic architects were able to reinforce the glass with iron and other materials to make it withstand much weathering. A structure combining glass and stone support that became typical within French Gothic architecture was the rose window, a large circular window that combined the designs of the inside and outsides of the cathedral. The aim of overstated design of cathedrals was not limited Just to the inside of the buildings.While the stonework within the churches was more minimalist, the outsides were overfed with facades of religious sculptures. Acting as a central point to these facades, rose windows were covered in detailed stone work that was best seen from outside the cathedral. It was also a notable gothic style to have the sculptures of saints in a more unassuming manner. The statues began to have individual personalities and more nonjudgmental postures, showing the separate identities of the saints. Another feature of sculptural design was gargoyles.Acting as a way to direct rain water away from the building, gargoyles have played a key part in keeping he stone cathedrals from eroding and to minimize other water damage. Although occurring during a time of struggle, the Gothic era depicts the progression of France throughout this time. The advancements and stylistic techniques that were created continued throughout much of France's history and even spilled into English regions. Considering many of the cathedrals of this time have remained in decent condition even 800 years later, it is safe to say that Gothic style has passed the test of time.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 107

Essay Example From afar, one would think that it is but a very realistic illustration of a bright red, elegant armchair with one pair of an old running shoe and an electrical cord in front, a broom on the side and a painting on the wall hanging just right over it. It would not be until one looks closely on it that the touching details of the painting become clear. The elegant armchair is old and worn out looking as if it has been used for many years. The shadow on the left side of the painting and the one that is created by the armchair make it look like the light is focused on the painting on the wall and the armchair with a huge fish lying on it. With all these elements combined all together, I realized why Fraser named it as such. As one of the spectators in the room, I think that the whole picture shows the contrasting yet funny way of life. The painting of the fishermen that is hanging right above the armchair reflects all of the hard work in order to live an extravagant lifestyle. However, the fish that seems to be catching its breath lying on the chair represents our ignorance of the fact that we have been trying so hard that we do not realize that the one thing that satisfies all our needs are sitting just right inside our home. A healthy lifestyle and a clean living condition are sufficient enough to make man happy. The simplicity of life should satisfy

Bsiness statistic assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bsiness statistic - Assignment Example For example, when the factors that are contributing most to the overhead costs are known, it becomes easy to control such costs. This report will involve analysis of different variables that are believed to affect overhead costs, including number of setups, machines hours and labour hours. Some of the methods of analysis that will be used include descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and use of histograms and graphs. Section A - characteristics of all the variables Calculating measures of location (averages) and dispersion (variation) N Mean Std. Deviation Variance Overhead costs 24 172.79 17.939 321.824 Direct Labour hours 24 1134.67 64.629 4176.928 Machine hours 24 1402.58 213.135 45426.514 No. of setups 24 201.42 13.990 195.732 Valid N (listwise) 24 Table 2: descriptive statistics (averages and variation) Using all 24 months’ data to construct a frequency distribution and histogram for the machine hours Machine Hours Frequency 1000 0 1100 5 1100 0 1200 1 1200 0 1300 2 1300 0 1400 4 1500 3 1600 6 1700 2 1800 1 Table 2: Frequency Distribution Table Figure 1: Histogram for the machine hours Estimating the median and other descriptive statistics for the machine hours Column1 Mean 1402.583 Standard Error 43.50599 Median 1428 Mode 1300 Standard Deviation 213.135 Sample Variance 45426.51 Kurtosis -0.97697 Skewness -0.22011 Range 710 Minimum 1060 Maximum 1770 Sum 33662 Count 24 Table 3: Median and Other Descriptive Statistics for machine hrs A brief Report Determination of descriptive statistics is very essential in decision-making regarding cost. Among the four variables, the highest level of dispersion was reported in machine hours, as shown by the standard deviation and variance, implying that use of machines is likely to significantly affect variations in overhead cost. Number of set ups have the least dispersion, possibly meaning that this variable may not significantly cause cost variation (Table 2). Table 2 shows the grouped frequency histogram for the machine hours, where it is evident that most of the hours lie between 1001 to 1100 and 1501 to1600. The shape of the histogram exhibits a bimodal distribution or rather it has two peaks. This is a problem that results from stratification and it means that the data could have originated from two different sources. It is, therefore, important to identify these sources and analyse the data separately if appropriate. Figure 3 shows the descriptive statistics for the machine hours. The minimum and the maximum values are very useful in quickly identifying the range between which hours fall, which in this case is 1060(min) and 1770(max). The standard error gives the extent to which the distribution is exposed to sample error, which in this case amounts to 43.5 (Mann, 1995). Section B Graphs and analysis of the linear relationships in the variables related to the overhead costs. Figure 2: OH costs vs. direct labour hours Figure 2: Overheads costs are directly related to the direct l abour hours, which means that an increase in direct labour hours leads to an increase in overhead costs. The equation y=2.5352x +

Why was there so much violence in Rome in the late Republic Essay

Why was there so much violence in Rome in the late Republic - Essay Example 140) Caesar’s rise to power and his eventual assassination demonstrate the violence that permeated Rome’s late Republic. Caesar was pivotal in the increase in violence as he helped militarize the Roman city. Earlier, Rome was plagued by anarchy and that Cnaeus Pompeius was entrusted with the restoration of order. He achieved this by bringing legionaries into the center of the city, the first time that serving soldiers have been brought there for this purpose, except in times of civil war. (Lintott, p. xiv) After order was restored, these legionaries remained in Rome for two more years under Pompeius’ command. Now, this was used by Julius Caesar as a reason to invade Italy with the pretext of defending his own status. This invasion would bring the Republic to an end. The transition from armies that were fighting in the battlefield to gangs fighting in the streets has sparked the violence in the late Republic. Such transition was disastrous and it is not difficult to understand why. Cicero argued in favor of arming the Roman citizens in his defense of Milo. However, this proved disastrous as more and more people became violent with their arms up to the point that the government could no longer control them. By the time the Roman Senate passed legislation to control bearing arms for violent purposes in the public realm, it was already too late. A specific example of the most controversial disturbances happened in 59 B.C., when the consul Bibulus tried to block his colleague Caesar’s legislation. According to Crook, Lintoot and Rawson’s account: Bibulus offered religious objection to Caesar’s proposals in the traditional way, according to the process known as abnutiatio: he appeared in the Forum and declared to the presiding magistrate that he had seen evil omens†¦ As the year went on, however, civil disturbances increased and Bibulus became the object of such violent assaults that he took refuge in his house and merely issued messages that he was

What Is Variance Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

What Is Variance Analysis - Assignment Example But it is of prime importance that management; especially the supervisors acquire full explanations of the reasons for these variances otherwise such variance analysis would be no good for control purposes. Variances are of two types, favourable and unfavourable. The favourable variance means that the budgeted and the actual costs and revenues are the same as forecasted by the budgeting department of the company, whereas unfavourable means the opposite of it. In any manufacturing concern, the variable cost comprises of direct material, direct labour and variable production overhead cost. The responsibility of material price variance lies with the purchasing department. If the material price variance is unfavourable, then it should be an indication for the managers the prices of the raw materials have increased or the purchasing department has carelessly overstocked the inventory level during the current operational year. The adverse material price variance could also be due to change in material standard. The managers while analyzing the budgeted and actual profit should take care of the aforementioned factors. On the other hand, material usage variance usually occurs due to defective material and excessive waste of the material during the production. It has also been observed generally that material usage variance also occurs due to fault in an allocation of materials to jobs. The managers should ensure that materials of higher quality a re used during the production process and allocation of materials to all the jobs is done prudently. Another important direct cost is the direct labour cost. Labour rate variances tend to be fairly minor because usually the labour rates are agreed with the labour unions and there is a minor chance that these rates changes after the agreement is entered into. [Accountingtools.com. "What is variance  analysis? ] Labor rate variance, however, may occur because of the use of a single average rate for a department, operations, or craft, while several different rates exist for the individual workers.     

Robbing people of the ability to see enormous opportunities directly Essay - 2

Robbing people of the ability to see enormous opportunities directly in front of them - Essay Example Much as with many nebulous and difficult to define terms, this American dream means something different for almost each and every individual that seeks to integrate with it. Rather than arguing whether or not the American dream is ultimately a life were dead, this brief analysis will seek to analyze whether or not present America is something of a â€Å"stacked deck† and whether or not the current system is robbing people of their ability to see enormous opportunities directly in front of them. As a function of such an analysis, three of the readings which have been engaged during the course of the semester will be utilized to prove that the current system of opportunity and potential that exists for the individual within the United States is ultimately constrained and unreflective of the faults height and bravado that is so oftentimes associated with such terms as the American dream. In such a manner, it will be the goal of this author to prove to the reader why the United St ates, in its present form, promise and hopeless situation for many participants within its society. Although it is not hard to disagree with such political buffoons as Rush Limbaugh, the point that he made with regards to disagreeing with the overall level of potential and opportunity that exists within the United States was less outlandish been many of his other statements. Ultimately, what them off claimed was the following â€Å"such an understanding robs people of the ability to see the enormous opportunities directly in front of them†. Such a statement assumes that these semi-nebulous â€Å"opportunities† exist for each and every member of the society; a fact that has been fundamentally disproven with regards to the literature which will be discussed and with regards to existing literature outside this given subject matter. In such a way, the reader can definitively understand that the opportunities and potential that someone such as Rush Limbaugh, a

BCEN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BCEN - Essay Example orever Young is guided by a mission to become the world’s leading distributor of organic foods, create a healthy family for the future through quality products, enhanced supply chains and well-trained staff. We are committed to a better tommorow and will, therefore, use the available technology to ensure customer experience is enhanced. Our greatest strength is the goodwill and continuous encouragement that we have received from our clients. In the last twelve months, our customer base grew with a margin of 15% on referrals alone. The referrals signified the great deal of trust placed on our products by our clients. The customer loyalty we enjoy makes it possible for us to make profits above break-even. In numbers, we cater for about 30 million households with a potential of growing the number to 100 million in the next five years. As we venture into the world market, we are encouraged by the fact that the organic food market is growing each year and has a net value of US$45million which hasn’t been fully achieved. Over the years, Forever Young has acquired state of the art equipment that give our products a competitive edge in quality and cost efficiency. Being able to achieve high quality at low prices is a strength that any firm would like to achieve, and we have done it with the corporation from our highly trained staff. In such an expensive market, capital can be a limiting factor. For us though the amount of capital available for investment is high and the continuous interests from investors and our good credit rating give us an advantage when it comes to requesting for funds for new investments. In our 12 years of operation, we have developed a strong staff training regime that allows us to employ and attract the best experts in the market. This strong programme has ensured that staff morale is always high which reflects in our sales and customer service provision. Organic foods have never been cheap since production cost is high. With

Working Capital Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working Capital - Assignment Example The ability of firms to manage short term debts and expenditures can be calculated with the formula in which value of current assets is deducted from the total value of current liabilities. If current assets are less than current liabilities we can say that entity has a working capital deficiency and if it assets are more than liabilities it shows entity is able to manage its debts and operational expenses. Working capital management helps companies to make short term decisions. The management involves different policies whose aim is to manage current assets and short term financing. Management of assets involves cash management, inventory and debtors management. Cash management refers to the availability of cash for business to meet day to day expense. Inventory Management which includes maintaining the level of inventory to meet daily production schedule without interruption. This will lower the reordering cost which subsequently increases the cash flows. Debtors management refers to the developing of credit policy for customers which will attract customers ,once customers are satisfied and willing to the credit policies of the entity this will increase revenue as well as Return on Capital. Short term financing involves devising appropriate source of financing as the inventory used by an entity is usually financed by suppliers or banks .Most firms find the need of short term financing because cash flow from operations may not be sufficient for the growth of firms financing needs. It is very important to manage the seasonal effects on working capital. Work capital of seasonal businesses show drastic changes during peak and off season. This fluctuation is dependent on the ability of the firm to manage its working capital. As explained by Rene Agredano in his article that to ensure efficient working capital a firm should keep track of its accounts receivables during peak season and avoid overspending in off season. IF we take an example of any seasonal business

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay 1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because in the long run it affects the bottom line. By being socially responsible, the business is also showing that they care about more than their profits. Caring about more than just profits allows for greater employee commitment, investor loyalty, as well as higher customer satisfaction. Research has also shown that social responsibility and good business ethics contributes to higher profits. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? â€Å"No, Starbucks is not unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees. Business ethics has become more important in the business world and it has been found that if a company is dedicated to taking care of its employees, the more dedicated the employees will be. If an employee sees that the company is acting and treats them in an ethical manner, the employee is more likely to act in an ethical manner. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible activities or because it provides products and an environment that customers want? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because it has combined a product and environment that people want with great business ethics and social responsibility. This combination has allowed the company to expand exponentially during a good economy and maintain in a bad economy. By being socially responsible and treating their employee’s right, the company has less of a turnover rate and in the long run has been able to avoid large layoffs and shutting down a large amount of stores. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 4) In what other ways does this case relate to the concepts that we have learned in the chapters so far? â€Å"This first chapter has shown that ethics is a big part of business. It can basically make or break a company. In the case of Starbucks, it has made them. They have based their business around social responsibility and ethics and have been able to maintain in an economy that has tanked because they treat their employees and customers right. According to our textbook, being ethical pays off with better employee performance, and higher employee honesty and integrity. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† Bibliography Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2013). The Importance of Business Ethics. In O. C. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, L. Ferrell, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 17-22). Mason: South-Westen.

Media Connections to Appearance vs. Reality Essay Example for Free

Media Connections to Appearance vs. Reality Essay Themes are the framework of works of art. Just like a backbone in humans is needed to provide support and aid movement, a theme is used to send a message across to the audience and provide the means used to send it. Appearance vs. reality is a theme most commonly used in writing. It requires the audience to think about the fact that the piece of art they have just read or seen has more to it. This theme is used in Nadine Gordimer’s â€Å"Once Upon a Time†, Julio Polanco’s â€Å"Identity† and American rock band Evanescence’s song, â€Å"Everybody’s fool†. It is used in the plot of each work to give three major underlying messages. The first is that appearance exists to hide the truth, the second is that reality is often a harsher world and the lastly, they use it as an umbrella to express their feelings and thoughts. Reality is the state of things as they actually exist. Appearance on the other hand, was made to cover up reality. There only reason as to why the original, fixed state of things has to be altered is to hide the truth. For instance, the main characters of Gordimer’s story are a family living in a suburb that are racist but try not to make it seem so. They put up a silhouette of an intruder as a warning to future burglars. The silhouette is neither black nor white proving that the family is not racist (Godimer). The possible burglars the family was expecting were the coloured people from the other side of town. This is racist because they see them as harmful because of their colour. Likewise, Julio Polanco’s poem also shows that there is something hidden under all the glamour and falsity that is appearance. It is about pretty flowers that are â€Å"always watered, fed but harnessed to a pot of dirt† (Polanco). The flowers appear better off because they are being taken care of but in reality, they are not truly happy because they are not free. Lastly, Evanescence again reinforces this idea through the behaviour discussed in their song. They describe how one alters their behaviour when around others. The person has â€Å"no flaws when they are pretending† (Lee). This is because they use their changed behaviour to cover up their true imperfect selves. Appearances are often made because it is an easier alternative to the real thing. Life is full of hardships, struggle and anxiety which one must face almost daily. This becomes too difficult for people and they create an idealistic way of life which appears easier and better. For example, in Gordimer’s story, the family does not want to face violence from the coloured people. â€Å"There were riots, but these were outside the city, where people of another color were quartered† (Godimer). Due to this, the family creates a safe home with lots of security reinforcements and this keeps the danger out so they do not have to face it. Similarly, Evanescence’s song tells readers about a character who covers up their true personality. They sing â€Å"without the mask where will you hide? Can’t find yourself lost in your lie† (Lee). The person creates a new self- image because they probably did not like who they used to be. In like manner, Julio Polanco makes an even stronger point of the harshness of reality with descriptive words in his poem. The flowers are well kept and cared for unlike the weed that is â€Å"exposed to the madness of the vast, eternal sky† (Polanco). The condition the weed grows in is harsh so even though the flower is not free, it lives in a safer environment. Appearance is also used broadly by the writers as a metaphor to express their opinions on political or social issues. Gordimer’s story expresses her opinion on a political issue while the topic of both Polanco and Evanescence’s work is based on social issues. On one hand, â€Å"Once Upon a Time† may feel like a children’s tale but it is really showing how she feels like a children’s tale but it is really showing how she feels about apartheid in South Africa (CITE). The story is written in simple language but it has a serious undertone as to the consequences of racial segregation. The colours people are not the only ones affected by racism. Racism has an effect on everyone involved. In her story, Gordimer expressed this using the death of the son (Godimer). Her opinion is that apartheid benefits no one. On the other hand, Julio Polanco writes about a social issue. In his poem he says, â€Å"I’d rather be a tall ugly weed† (Polanco). This is an extended metaphor used to show how the narrator prefers being strong and free while suffering hardship as opposed to being under the rule of another. Julio Polanco shows that he believes in the right of freedom. By the same token, Evanescence’s style in their lyrics voices their opinion on hypocrites. They think these kinds of people go from fooling everyone to becoming â€Å"everyone’s fool† (Lee). In conclusion, these artists use the theme to express themselves. Deeper thoughts are stimulated in the audience when the theme of appearance vs. reality is used. It is a message within a message. Nadine Gordimer, Julio Polanco and Evanescence are only a few of the artists who use this theme. In their works, they show that appearance is only serves as a blindfold to the truth; appearance exists because reality can become too hard to face and lastly, use it as a means of expression. The theme of appearance vs. reality is like a matryoshka doll, the message is there, you just have to go through all the other layers. Works Cited Gordimer, Nadine. â€Å"Once Upon a Time†. Hot Elements of Literature Sixth Course – British Literature. Nexus learning. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. Lee, Amy. Lyrics. â€Å"Everybody’s fool†. Fallen. CD. Wind up. 2004. Azlyrics. Web. 18 Jan. 2013. Nadine Gordimer and the South African Experience. Nadine Gordimer and the South African Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013. Polanco, Julio. â€Å"Identity†. Bread loaf poetry exchange. PB works, 2011. Web. 18 Jan. 2013.

Case study McDonalds Business Plan

Case study McDonalds Business Plan In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. The SWOT analysis revealed that McDonalds has the internal capabilities to enter new market and that external threats make it imperative for the company to enter new markets. In addition, Porters Five Forces Analysis also confirms that McDonalds initiative to expand to China could benefit the company to a large extent. Finally, the PESTEL Analysis also suggest that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds. 1.0 Introduction A news article by Nicholas (2010) featured McDonalds voluntary recall of tumblers sold in its store. As revealed in the article, the tumblers were sold at McDonalds as part of the promotional tie up with a new film. According to the news article, the tumblers contained cadmium, which is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children (Nicholas 2010). In response to the issue, the Consumer Product Safety Commission called on fast food companies for a stricter and thorough review of domestic and international supply chains in order to prevent products with potentially dangerous elements to reach its stores (Nicholas 2010). Consequently, this issue could add to the list of challenges being faced by the company. To recall, McDonalds has also been held responsible for obesity among children in the US and the UK (Kilkenny, 2010), which may so far be considered as the most disastrous issue facing the company. In view of the issues facing the company, Mc Donalds may find it vital to launch new business initiatives. This paper presents a business plan for McDonalds, which centers on the strategic issues facing the company and on the result of the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) Analysis, Porters Five Forces Analysis, and PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) Analysis conducted on the company. 2.0 McDonalds Company: Business Overview According to Adams (2007), McDonalds is a popular destination for fifty million customers every day, making the company one of the largest fast food restaurants in the world. McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food Company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. At present, there are about 32,500 McDonalds stores in over 100 countries across the globe, employing a total of 385,000 employees worldwide (McDonalds 2010). The company is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, but its operations span from the United States to Europe to the Middle East and to the Asia Pacific region (McDonalds 2010). McDonalds stores sell a standardized menu, but there are slight variations depending on the country where the store operates. For example, aside from its standard menu, McDonalds sell coconut water in Brazil, rice burgers in Taiwan, and porridge in the UK to suit the local taste of the customers (Adams 2007). The key or standard products served at McDonalds stores include hamburgers and cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, wraps, chicken nuggets, salads, desserts, sundaes, soft served cones, pies, as well as cookies. Furthermore, McDonalds also serves a wide range of beverages including milk shakes, soft drinks, coffee, and flavored tea. In addition, McDonalds also sells breakfast items especially in the US and many international markets, whereby breakfast offerings include muffins, biscuits, hotcakes, and bagel sandwiches. McDonalds markets its products under the following global brands: Big Mac, Big N Tasty, Filet-O-Fish, McNuggets, McFlurry, McMuffin, and the McGriddle s (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds Head Quarters 3.0 SWOT Analysis 3.1 Strengths Strong Brand: As mentioned in Leong and Lwin (2006) brands are valuable symbols that magnify the image of the company. In the case of McDonalds, strong brands may be considered one of the greatest strengths of the company. As a proof, McDonalds was included in the list of the best global brands in the annual ranking of the Business Week magazine for 2009 (Holbrook, 2009). In relation, McDonalds brand equity for 2009 was valued at around $32,000 million (Holbrook, 2009). As a strong global brand, McDonalds is very well known in the informal-eating out market in almost all countries where it operates. Strong Global Presence: Aside from a strong brand, McDonalds strong global, diversified presence may also be considered a major strength of the company. At present, McDonalds has more than 32,000 stores in key geographic locations, such as, the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (McDonalds, 2010). Furthermore, McDonalds operations span across 118 countries across the globe (McDonalds 2010). Consequently, McDonalds operations tend to be relatively larger compared to rivals. Large Scale of Operation and Product Customization: Given that McDonalds is the worlds largest food service retailing chain, it could leverage on its size to compete effectively in the market. Furthermore, McDonalds has bigger economies of scale in terms of sales or revenues to compete with rivals. For example in fiscal year 2009, McDonalds generated revenues totaling to $22,744.7 million, which is significantly higher compared to the revenues of Wendys ($3,580.8 million) and Burger King Corporation ($2,537.8 million). Low-Cost Foods: McDonalds has been popular in the market due to its dollar menu, which includes fruit and yogurt parfait, cheeseburger, and fries (Dunlop, 2009). McDonalds low cost food has been considered a major strength to the extent that the company still managed to increase sales by 6.8 percent over the previous year in spite of the economic downturn. Aside from the regular menu, McDonalds also sell specialty coffee such as those sold at Starbucks but a lower cost. To illustrate, Huglett (2009) noted that prices of espresso-based coffee sold at McDonalds costs about 75 cents cheaper than Starbucks coffee. Generally, Holbrook (2009) noted that fast food companies flourished even in a struggling economy due to its cheap menu items. Good Community Reputation: McDonalds sponsors the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, which is an integral aspect of the companys corporate social responsibility programs. As part of the program, McDonalds sponsors various community outreach programs that aim to benefit children especially those who come from poor families in various communities where McDonalds operates (Adams, 2009). For example, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile aims to provide free screenings and treatments to children all around the United States (McDonalds, 2010). McDonalds corporate social responsibility program has helped create a positive company image. McDonalds mascot, Ronald McDonald has become a symbol of goodwill among customers, most especially to the children. Progressive External Orientation: As part of the companys commitment to total customer satisfaction, McDonalds offers free Wi-Fi services in over 15,000 stores across the globe (McDonalds, 2010). The free Wi-Fi access is intended to meet the personal and professional needs of McDonalds customers (McDonalds, 2010). 3.2 Weaknesses Health Issues: One of the weaknesses of McDonalds is that its core products were considered unhealthy (Adams, 2009). For example, McDonalds French fries was feared to have more Trans fat, which could cause obesity among consumers. Legal Suits Filed Against the Company: McDonalds is party to several litigations around the world. McDonalds have faced charges of violation of state consumer fraud acts, unfair competition or deceptive trade practices acts, strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, fraud and fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and concealment, unjust enrichment, and false advertising (Brown, 2003). Additionally, McDonalds have admitted to 20 offenses of illegally employing children aged 15 and 16 at two restaurants in Surrey, UK (Brown, 2003). Furthermore, the company also received more than 2,750 recorded customer complaints of food poisoning a year (Brown, 2003). Consequently, these issues have tarnished McDonalds reputation in the market. 3.3 Opportunities Adding Healthy Food Options: Studies reveal that consumers are becoming more particular of the health implications of their consumption, whereby consumers now tend to demand healthy food options (Taylor, 2006). For McDonalds, this trend could create an opportunity for McDonalds to expand its menu to include healthy food varieties such as salads and fruits. Improving the Transaction and Service Delivery Processes: Improvements in technology provide a way for more efficient ordering and paying processes. Technologies that could improve transactions at fast food restaurants include the following: touch-screen ordering system, which makes order taking faster and more efficient; timing systems, which aims to monitor meal progress and hence ensure that orders are delivered accordingly; reservation systems, which aims to maintain good flow of traffic within the restaurant; inventory management system, which allows restaurants to effectively track supply levels and reduce wastes from over stocking and spoilage; and hand-held point of sale devices, which allows servers to place orders and print checks at the tableside. 3.4 Threats Slowing Economy: As mentioned in Horovitz (2009), businesses, including fast food restaurants are vulnerable to economic downturns. Generally, the economic slow down has negative implications to the business reflected in slightly depressed sales growth of restaurants. Consumer Eating Out Less: Surveys reveal that consumers are beginning to eat out less relevant to the economic downturn. In relation, a survey conducted by the Nielsen Company revealed that about 46 percent of American households have begun to eat out less (Panian, 2010). Increasing Competition: Competition in the fast food industry has intensified over time, thereby putting pressure on McDonalds. McDonalds does not only compete with rival companies in the industry, but also with formal restaurants and easy-prepare meals sold at supermarkets (Zwolak, 2010). Increasing Regulations: The fast food industry is under strict regulation from the government due to health issues associated to products sold at fast food restaurants. For example, some states in the US have required fast food restaurants to print calorie and nutrition information on their menu and at the same time placed restrictions on selling snack food and soda (Hirsh, 2009). 4.0 Industry Analysis 4.1 Size and Growth According to Data Monitor industry report, the US fast food market generated total revenues of $68.2 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% for the periods between 2004 to 2008. Furthermore, the industry is highly fragmented, with the four top players holding only 35 percent of the available market share (Zwolak, 2010). Furthermore, 48 percent of establishments are small business operators with nine or fewer employees, while the other 52 percent have between 10 and 99 employees. 4.2 Trends The fast food industry is in the mature phase of its industry life cycle (Zwolak 2010). In this regard, growth may still be expected but at a slower pace and has the possibility of reaching saturation point in the domestic market. For the fast food industry, annual growth is expected to be around 2.5% over the next five years (Zwolak, 2010). 5.0 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Buyer Power Buyer power is assessed as moderate to the extent that buyer power within the fast food market is weakened by the fact that while not everyone enjoys fast food, large numbers of people are patronizing fast food. Buyer power is strong as such fast food companies are compelled to offer low prizing scheme. 5.2 Supplier Power Supplier power is assessed as strong to the extent that the supplier market is quite consolidated whereby few supply companies have substantial market shares and have other customers in the cost foodservice sector and in other segments of the profit food sector, hence decreases their dependence on fast food companies. 5.3 New Entrants Entry to the fast food market does not require huge capital outlay, allowing small business owners to establish single, independent fast food outlets. Furthermore, franchising agreements are common in the industry. As a proof, franchisees run the majority of McDonalds outlets in the US. In this regard, there is a strong likelihood of new entrants. 5.4 Substitutes Generally, substitutes present a strong threat to companies operating in the fast food industry. At present, substitutes for fast food include other forms of profit food service, and also food retail such as ready meals or easy-to-prepare meals (i.e., frozen meals) for home cooking. 5.5 Rivalry Rivalry in the fast food industry is relatively strong, given that the industry is highly fragmented. As mentioned before, the top four players in the industry hold only 35 percent of the total market share. 6.0 Business Expansion Plan: Entering New Market In view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the Data Monitor market research found that the Asia-Pacific fast food market has posted strong, generating total revenues of $47.1 billion in 2008, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent for the period spanning 2004 to 2008, with the Chinese and South Korean markets having compound annual growth rates of 14.5% and 5.6% respectively. 7.0 PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis will be used to validate the attractiveness of China as the target market for McDonalds. The goal of the PESTEL analysis is to analyze how political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors will interfere with the organization in entering the Chinese market. 7.1 Political Factors China adopts the open door reform policy, which aimed to decentralize the economic system and to attract overseas investment. In this regard, McDonalds would not have difficulties in entering the Chinese market, as the political structure of the economy supports foreign direct investment. 7.2 Economic Factors China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today and growth forecasts for the subsequent years are fairly high. For McDonalds the booming economy and increasing gross and disposable income of the population in China suggest higher revenues in the future. 7.3 Social Factors The population of China was estimated at 1,328,020,000 as of 2008 and is expected to grow at a slower pace, given the one-child policy being adopted by the country. For McDonalds the large number of population in China opens opportunity for higher sales potentials. 7.4 Technological Factors Chinese government has placed significant investments on science and technology, leading to significant improvements in technology in the country. For McDonalds, improvements in technology could offer significant opportunities for businesses in managing different aspects of the business. Companies could leverage on newly introduced software to increase productivity and efficiency. 7.5 Environmental Factors The Chinese government has committed to reducing its carbon footprint in the future. In this regard, stricter environmental restrictions on businesses may be expected. 7.6 Legal Factors The Chinese labor force is highly regulated compared with other countries in the Asian region, whereby regulations are tighter for dismissing workers than on hiring. 8.0 Customer Analysis The target market segment of McDonalds in the new market includes mostly of busy, working people, to the elderly and young. Convenience may be considered as the main factor that attracts busy, working people to fast food as well as to the elderly and the young. Additionally, value for money may be considered as the greatest factor that would attract low to middle income households to fast foods. Finally, the childrens meal offered at McDonalds would appeal to children. 9.0 Competitor Analysis McDonalds major competitors in the international fast food market are: Wendys International and Yum Brands Inc. Focusing first on Wendys International, the company is engaged in the operation, development, and franchising of restaurants, operating a total of 6,645 restaurants in the US and in 19 other countries and territories (Data Monitor, 2009). Same with McDonalds, Wendys also offer a standardized menu, comprised of hamburgers and chicken sandwiches, as well as chicken nuggets, chili, baked and French fried potatoes, freshly prepared salads, milk, frosty dessert, floats, and kids meals. In FY 2008, the company reported revenues totaling to $1,822.8 million and net losses amounting to 413.6 million (Data Monitor, 2009). Meanwhile, Yum Brands Inc., similarly develops, operates, franchises, and licenses a system of restaurants. The company operates under five branded restaurant concepts, namely KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, LJS, and AW (Data Monitor, 2009). Yum Brands operates a total of 36,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries. Yum Brands generated total revenues of $11,279 million in the financial year ended December 2008, equivalent to an 8.3% compared to the previous year. 10.0 Conclusion McDonalds is considered as the worlds leading fast-food company in terms of revenues and number of restaurants. However, in view of the current issues facing the company as well as the result of the SWOT analysis and Porters Five Forces Analysis, McDonalds may find it compelling to enter new offshore markets. Consequently, the Asia-Pacific region, more particularly China has been considered a promising market for McDonalds. In relation, the PESTEL analysis confirms that China is potentially a good new market for McDonalds.

The Effects Of Ufos On People Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Effects of UFO's on People Almost every civilization in history that has kept a written history has recorded the sightings of strange objects and lights in the skies. These objects have been described as glowing wheels, colored balls of light, and disk shaped objects. Today unexplained aerial phenomena are generally referred to as unidentified flying objects (UFO's) or flying saucers. The effects of extra terrestrial sightings can have an adverse effect on people if influenced the wrong way. No solid proof has shown that UFO's are real, but many sightings cannot be proven otherwise. The media, stories, or one's own experience may often influence what one believes. The government once stated that they had captured extra terrestrials. (60 minutes, CBS) On the contrary, most scientists now agree that almost all sightings and stories of extra terrestrials are not authentic. The United States government has records of thousands of UFO sightings since 1948, including photos of alleged UFOs and interviews with people who claim to have seen them. Since UFOs were considered a potential security risk, the report on these sightings was originally classified as secret. (Craig, 917) When the report was later declassified it showed that 90 percent of all UFO sightings could be easily explained. Most of the sightings turned out to be celestial objects, such as stars or bright planets like Venus, or atmospheric events such as auroras or meteors falling through the atmosphere. Many other sightings turned out to be objects such as weather balloons, satellites, aircraft lights, or formations of birds. Often these sightings were accompanied by unusual weather conditions. Only 5.6 percent of these cases were not explained. Testimonies by people are often very inaccurate and dramatized. People have the tendency to explain everything they see, which is not usually completely accurate. The unaided human eye can be tricked into hallucination and has an inaccurate depth perception. Reflections from windows and eyeglasses can provide an optical illusion of a UFO. Radar is much more reliable to identify objects, but it cannot detect many characteristics that separate natural phenomena and physical objects. Radar often picks up ionized gas, rain, or thermal discontinuities. Electronic inter... ...s visiting Earth from somewhere out in space, it is safe to say that humans are alone in their home planet. It is possible that this theorem will be proved wrong in the future, but until then all any person can do is guess, hope, and wait. What the future holds for Earth may not be what is expected, but until then scientists will be examining all the evidence to help provide a better future for the home to life as we now know it. Works Cited "Unidentified Flying Objects" World Book Encyclopedia, 1992. Page 19, volume U- V, 1992 Craig, Pat. "On Nevada's Extra Terrestrial Highway." Tribune News Service August 19, 1996: Page 819 from InfoTrack/Super Tom+. On CD-ROM. Foster City, CA: Information access, 1997 "Unidentified Flying Objects" Groiler's Encyclopedia, 1994. Page 17, volume U-V, 1994 Woolard, John. "UFO Investigators Scoff at Abduction Claims." Tribune News Service, September 12, 1996. Page 912 from InfoTrack/Super Tom+. On CD-ROM. Foster City, CA: Information Access, 1997 60 Minutes, CBS Television Network. April 4, 1997 Heaven's Gate Home Page, http://www.aeok.com/heavensgate/index.htm Steve Edwards, 1

Executive Summary of Burbank Boards Essay -- Burbank Boards Business M

Executive Summary of Burbank Boards TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 PROBLEM DEFINITION 4 NEW SYSTEM OBJECTIVES 6 NEW SYSTEM CONSTRAINTS 7 NEW SYSTEM PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 8 TEXAS INSTRUMENT - COMPOSER 9 ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAMS 10 ACTIVITY HIERARCHY DIAGRAMS 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction Current System New System  · objectives  · recommendation  · advantages of new system  · how it will solve problems  · implementation  · tools used to document the new system ie.. ERD PROBLEM DEFINITION The main problem at Burbank Boards: Management has not continued to use an out-dated computer based system without realizing the importance of using efficient information systems to gain a competitive edge. Symptoms of the problem at Burbank Boards: 1. Redundacy of effort  · Telemarketing operators enter order data on sales order forms and then key much of the same data into their terminals.  · Buyers fill out Purchase Order Requisition forms and then data entry operators key in the same data.  · Manufacturing orders are placed using paper forms and this data is then keyed into the computer. 2. Poor responsiveness of the system  · Customer orders are not filled as they are received. Instead they are held until the order batches are processed by the order entry, inventory, and billing systems.  · Buyers are notified of the need of raw material replenishment the day after the computer detects that the reorder point has been reached. 3. High credit risks  · The current credit classes have resulted accepting several poor credit customers and in turn, several bad debts have been incurred. 4. Lack of production standards and controls  · Production workers often do not accurately record start and completion times for their jobs sheets.  · The production schedule prepared by production planning and control is only a close approximation to what can be expected. 5. High buyer turnover  · It is extremely difficult to train new buyers who need to be highly skilled at negotiating. Lack of sufficient information may lead to poor purchases.  · Low morale could be contributing to the high turnover. Loss of a buyer leads to loss of valuable experience and expertise that is hard to compensate for. 6. Delayed deliveries by suppliers  · Late delivery dates have caused the company to reschedule... ... will be listed in this report. This type of report is important when the structure of the entities are being developed, and later when they are being coded. Heavy documentation of those areas is necessary to ensure cohesion and consistency throughout the use of the entities. Activity Hierarchy Diagrams Activity Hierarchy Diagramming (AHD) identifies the lowest-level processes of interest to the business through decomposition. AHD shows levels of increasing detail for each function and process until activities decompose to the lowest level (elementary processes). A process is a defined business activity whose executions may be identified in terms of the input and output of entities of specific types. Analyzing business activities independently of data helps you understand:  · The activities of the business  · The nature of information required and produced by these activities, independent of the organizational structure and the existing information systems An accurate and complete activity model lays the foundation for subsequent system design and implementation efforts. More specifically, the upcoming phases require this information in one form or another.

Niagara Falls :: essays research papers

Niagara Falls, one of the worlds greatest natural wonders, can only be described as breath taking. No matter what time of year, whether it’s the beautiful rainbows glistening in the mist, or the magnificent ice bridge created by the cold of winter, Niagara Falls always seems to amaze it’s viewers. Schoolbooks called it one of the greatest wonders of the world, bringing to mind pictures of a far away, unattainable place. It seemed like a larger-than-life miracle of nature. As a child, I believed that Niagara Falls, like Mt. Rushmore and the Grand Canyon were all very real attractions of the United States. I was given the facts and numbers, but never could my young mind comprehend the actual size and greatness of the falls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This past June, I was given the opportunity to travel to Canada and see the expansive falls with my own eyes. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the falls is that they are not in some far away place in the country. They are right smack in the middle of a town, the town of Niagara Falls. As a child, I envisioned the falls as a giant rushing shower of water. However, I could never have imagined the great beauty and breathtaking view the falls offer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The falls serve as a border between the U.S. (New York) and Canada (Ontario). The falls actually consist of the American Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, collectively called Niagara. They were created 12,000 years ago when large glaciers retreated allowing the Niagara River to flow over large sections of rock. There are several ways to view the falls, but perhaps the best way to observe the splendor and majesty of Niagara Falls is through a tour. Our tour guide directed us through many of the unseen attractions including the man-made tunnels behind the falls. Here, several look-out points allowed us to observe the incredible speed at which the water rushed over the rock. The water flows at an amazing 212,000 cubic feet of water per second. We were also guided to the basin where the falls originated miles away. In fact, over the last 12,000 years, the falls have eroded back seven miles. The incredible history of the falls came to life when I actually viewed them with my own eyes. No schoolbook could possibly give an understanding of the vastness of the falls. Nor could a book bring to life the remarkable history behind this amazing wonder of nature.

Mrs. Dalloway

Virginia Woolf in â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† derides the superficiality of social conventions in society, forcing its members to constantly pretend, mask their individuality and abandon their own needs.The text depicts how individuals are shaped by their social environments, how historical forces impinge on people's lives, how class, wealth, and gender help to determine people's fates. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† was published at a time when British society was still recovering from World War One.The difficult post-war times affected Woolf privately and eventually affected her writing Woolf focuses on the internal description of the characters while bringing to light the social conditions of the postwar Britain. â€Å"Mrs Dalloway is set in a very volatile time period in Britain, portraying the idea that war is more than just a conflict on a battlefield .The war lead to the destruction of not only the physical infrastructure in Britain, but the social/political infrastructure that is vital in character relationships and analysis. Woolf showcases London populated by people of differing disabilities, socioeconomic statuses, and sexualities wherein each character occupies a unique position within the narrative's classist, patriarchal, and heteronormative society.Woolf eliminates any sense of an omniscient narrative voice by the constant bounce from the narrator?s commentary to the thoughts of a central character. â€Å"Mrs Dalloway† portrays a critique of Empire and the war, taking the state as the embodiment of patriarchal power, who even Richard Dalloway refers to as â€Å"our detestable social system†. Dalloway's words reverberate Virginia Woolf's intention; ‘In this book I have almost too many ideas. I want to give life and death, sanity and insanity; I want to criticise the social system and to show it at work, in its most intense.'† â€Å"Mrs.Dalloway† offers a scathing indictment of the British class system.Woolf, through her novel and her characters such as Clarissa Dalloway, Septimus Warren Smith, Dr. William Bradshaw and Dr. Holmes, shows how complex structures of power can seize the people's real identity and fabricate it in order to be appropriate with the values and norms of power. In â€Å"Mrs Dalloway†, the British upper-class ignores the actuality of the aftermath of war and social events become a form of normalization for them to neutralize the existence of reality, giving them an illusion of fulfilment and connectedness.†Mrs Dalloway† becomes an extended social critique where the audacity and stateliness of the most prominent guests is mocked through the description of the epicurean Hugh Whitbread, the sophisticated Lady Burton. Clarissa by inviting high members of English society who are the symbols of power,provides an appropriate background for madness to reveal itself, where the upper-class cannot help but find relief and peace in the deaths of working class people who have become free of all societal pressures resulting in Septimus' suicide becoming a casual conversation at their party. Woolf mocks the inability of upper class English society to recognize the changing social and political landscape .Lady Bruton,a once powerful upper class individual faces challenges due to her old ways of aristocratic networking,representing the degeneration of old english society. Richard's committees, Lady Bruton's emigration project, Hugh Whitbread's letters to the Times , are all the exhibition of the authority of ruling-class.Hugh, an advocator of ruling class,functions as a symbol of all those who have inherited their social standing and who are protective of their privileged social standing. Woolf gives us Kilman as a symbol for all the despicable things people sometimes claim to do in the name of religion. Society includes a group of people who are in common geographical region and under the same political and cultural authority. Individuals have to conform to the norms defined by the society and violating these unwritten rules, is seen as abnormal. In Mrs Dalloway,Holmes and Bradshaw try to suppress this abnormality. Bradshaw views himself as one who helps his country by making his patients conform to his idea of sanity and secluding them from society. The characters of the doctors, Hugh Whitbread, and Lady Bruton as compared to the tragically mishandled plight of Septimus, allows Woolf to depict how exposed and ill-treated those suffering from mental illness really are by the doctors. Septimus Smith is portrayed as a war veteran suffering from shell-shock, who finds frustration in his doctor's prognosis and decides to commit suicide. Septimus felt that his lack of emotion was a sign of strength and courage. Woolf, through portraying Septimus' life, indicates the prevalent insanity in London and the disillusionment in English people.His suicide becomes an act of resistance to the power of London's social system. Septimus, through his madness, his death and life, unveils the truths hidden under the surface of society. Woolf utilizes madness to criticize the structures of English society with a sharp attack to the social system at â€Å"its most intense.† Placing the doctor and patient together, Woolf emphasizes the fatal impact of society's social structures upon people.The world of the sane and the insane side by side: Woolf portrays the sane grasping for significant and substantial connections to life. Woolf in â€Å"Mrs Dalloway† showcases the breakdown of stable social categories and how the escalation of social roles to be performed results in an anxiety about the ability of the characters to â€Å"sanely† exist within a hostile social system, performing roles that do not adequately correspond to their identity. Woolf shares a ruthless observation of the social system, through Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith, who have both been have been psychologically damaged by their position in society. These two psychologically distinct and disparate characters, both try to establish a stable identity while struggling with patriarchal arrangement of the society and misunderstanding of mental illness. Clarissa's fertility is the sole dynamic providing her with a function in this patriarchal society, leading her to face a psychological crisis as to her future role. Septimus suffers a similar crisis of identity as a victim of the society; fighting a war sparked by bureaucratic tensions out of his control. Unable to reconcile his feelings for the England he left to fight for and the England to which he returns leads to rapid changes in his status and identity eventually claiming his sanity. Both Clarissa and Septimus suffer from the society's oppression; Septimus eases his internal struggle through death while Clarissa is unable to find a way out for herself due to the ideology of class propriety to which she must adhere to. Woolf portrays the conventional society of the beginning of the 20th century, where women's lives were shaped by the patriarchal society, sexual suppression and ideologies of gender. The society brings to light masculine normativity, which governs what is more convenient to their genre, where most of tht men belong to the public sphere, possessing an active role within their society and majority of women belong to the private sphere,dealing with household or some domestic issues. Woolf through the text offers a critique of the patriarchal and imperialistic society, where women have no individual identity, and are impelled to suppress their needs. Woolf utilizes Clarissa as a vehicle for critiquing patriarchy and all it involves including class-based social ranking, gender bias, and heteronormativity. Clarissa's decision to marry, in general, is because she is a member of a society that enforces heterosexuality upon an individual.Clarissa's love for Salley Saton,contradicts all norms of patriarchy and they ignore their desires because the only accepted female identity was the one that was accepted by patriarchy. Clarissa, in rejecting the potentially fulfilling relationship with Sally and marrying Richard , not only conforms to the expected ideologies of her society, but represses her homosexual desires for women. Because of her ‘place' in society, Clarissa explores her sexuality and love for Sally only in her memories, while her marriage to Richard Dalloway represents superficiality and conventionality of the upper-class in the early twentieth century Britain. Septimus' class and his mental instability differentiates him from Clarissa; however, they both struggle with the same oppressive structure-patriarchy that defines and categorizes men as much as they do women. Septimus idealizes war for it offered him the apparently straightforward and masculine role of defending idealized womanhood.His society's expectations of masculinity destroy his ability to express his emotions. He sees phantoms, has visions, and is unable to convey his reality. Peter Walsh exemplifies the oppressive effects of male privilege and heteronormative systems, by using Daisy Simmons to fulfil his preconceived idea of marriage. Woolf emphasizes the misconception of marriage as a social chain, criticizing how marriage imposed boundaries on people that psychologically oppressed them, leading them to even commit suicide. Clarissa, conforms to the ideals present in her society;Septimus, too, marries; but shell-shock prevents him from reintegrating into London's social spaces. Septimus's suicide highlights the fact that there is no way out of the patriarchal structure; there are only ways of coping with it. The terrible effects of patriarchy is portrayed also through Lucrezia's life who becomes a victim to the cruelty of the social and political doctrine of the English society.She silently struggles through Septimus's insanity,enduring even the indifference of Septimus,for whom she left her relatives and country. â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† acts a critique on female subjugation in the domestic sphere of hostessship where Woolf presents characters that are lost in their own being,they have to put up to the obstacles of the system that gives them an apparently viable reality. Woolf rejects the literary and linguistic conventions of novel-writing to dismantle the ordered nature of early 20th century society.Through this aversion to established literary practices, Woolf subtly proposes the need to alter the traditional rituals and structures of society ,if its inherent problems are to be rectified. However, Woolf is never brazenly or overtly radical in her condemnation, refusing to adhere to one particular viewpoint. Many critics argue that the novels depicted by the technique of stream-of-consciousness struggle reflect the serious social problems and that â€Å"Mrs. Dalloway† is an apolitical and asocial novel about individual internal life as opposed to social life. Critics who do believe that the novel is concerned with social and political events and developments of the time, consider it a novel of suggestion, not argumentation. Woolfs social critique and political radicalism are more subtly formed and is expressed in the language of observation rather than in direct commentary since she believes it is the reader's work to put the observations together and understand the coherent point of view behind them. As Julia Briggs indicates in Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life, Woolf invites readers to explore the literary tensions within her novels: â€Å"Woolf intended her [experiments in writing] to bring the reader closer to everyday life, in all its confusion, mystery and uncertainty, rejecting the artificial structures and categories of Victorian fiction†.

Human Trafficking – Sexual Slavery

The truth is, however, that not every human trafficking case is pulled from a Lima Nesses movie; any sexual enterprise involving foreign immigrants and underage girls regardless of whether or not it is voluntary is considered human trafficking (Baker, 2). In order to rid the world of this vulgar, damaging corporation that directly conflicts with the moral principles of freedom and self-worth, we must concentrate on spreading awareness, eradicating domestic violence and perfecting the law enforcement system.Summary If you were to meet Syrupy Chain, ;a chubby cheeked 18 year-old with an infectious laugh (Pasta,l)†, you would never guess that she was forced to have sex with hundreds of men before the age of 10. At Just seven years old, Chain was sold Into a Cambodia brothel, where she and dozens of other pre-pubescent girls were forced o have sex with at least 20 men a day (Nair) Syrupy was a victim of sexual slavery, like an estimated 12 million others worldwide.The business of b uying and selling humans is a 32 billion dollar global enterprise, and despite being illegal in virtually every country, twenty-seven million people are enslaved worldwide (Pasta, 3). Slavery, especially sexual slavery, deters natural relationships, encourages the objectification of women, prevents evolution from poverty and Isn't necessary for a country's financial or cultural survival. Sexual slavery has Its roots in family violence, power intro and monetary desperation.Though many countries such as Thailand, the unofficial child-sex capital, are attempting to crack down on the sex trade, ineffective law enforcement, financial incentives (the sex tourism industry makes millions a year in Cambodia alone) and lack of motivation prevents the industry from dying out all together (McClellan, 2). From China and Cambodia to Mexico, Sweden and our very own United States, the Sex Trafficking Industry Is rapidly escalating, becoming a major underground enterprise that crosses cultural bound aries and reiterates age- old gender struggles.Though human trafficking in the United States is a wildly ignored and taboo subject, 14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the US annually and thousands of girls and boys are kidnapped or coerced Into different forms of slavery each year (Baker, 2). The CIA estimates that 30,000-50,000 of these trafficking victims are sex slaves (Landsman, 2) and the MGM, the Negotiation and Conflict Management Group, states that 100,000 children US children are victims of commercialese sex exploitation each year (Baker, 2).Many of these prostituted children are victims of domestic abuse, growing up in broken homes and depending on pimps as father surges. Pimps ensnare such young girls by gaining their trust, supplying the love that was devoid at home and utilizing the girl's new-found dependence to manipulate r Nine typical age AT a sex tracking volt Is plummeting; In ten past most girls were in their late teens or early ass's, but now the average g irl is from 12 to 14 years- old (Landsman, 6).The life of a US prostitute is wildly dangerous and harmful to the development of under-aged girls; the victims are put through strenuous mental and physical abuse by their financially motivated pimps, the recent demand for violent ND aggressive sex causing the occupation to become more damaging than ever (Landsman, 6). Often times, if these girls escape and return to their families, they aren't accepted back into their communities and the girls return to the only home they know – their pimp.Even when offered help by organizations such as GEMS (Girls Education and Mentoring Service), many victims slip back into â€Å"the life† due to their lack of confidence and dependence on their pimp. Because they were forced into the business at such a young age, it's their only way of supporting themselves (Very Young Girls). Each one of these factors prevents American sex slaves from rising to a good life that benefits society and pro ves that damaging effects of the US sex industry.While American trafficking is not as well publicized as its foreign counterparts, the entire enterprise reveals deep rooted issues such as domestic violence and poverty that prohibit demolishing the sex industry. Sex slavery is rampant in Asian countries such as Thailand and Cambodia, resulting in the sexual exploit of underage girls and debt-oriented imprisonment. Prostitution makes up 59-60% of Thailand government budget each year (McClellan, 1), whilst there Asian countries have numbers in similar ranges.Though trafficking laws are in place throughout the cotangent, the poverty and financial desperation of local authorities inhibits the prevention of such issues (McClellan, 4). Unlike America, Asian pimps and brothel owners rarely lure girls into their enterprises using charm or love, but rather prey on needy parents by offering Jobs in the city, a better life or sometimes Just a good deal (Luggage, 2). There are prostitutes in Cam bodia and 35% are minors (Landsman, 4).Boys and girls as young as infants are sold into sex slavery, where they are kept in miniscule, dungeon like rooms with remises of freedom at the completion of their contract. Children are often times forced to have sex dozens of times a day with strangers, burnt, cut and abused at the slightest mention of protest (Landsman, 4). Asian countries place an extremely high value on virginity, believing that intercourse with a virgin perpetuates youth and heals medical ailments (Luggage, 3).Unfortunately, this results in Sais's title as the child sex capital of the world.. The life expectancy of a prostitute in Cambodia is around twenty-eight, while 20% of the girls are HIVE positive, a statistic that cannot be reified since the majority of sex workers never get a blood test (McClellan, 4). The prostitutes, both child and adult, are nothing but commodities; they are so ubiquitous that they have become disposable and often killed when they cease to be useful (McClellan, 2).Due to this, Asia has huge gender imbalances, lack of financial opportunities for half of its people and little chance of rising from third-world status. From pedophilia to squalid conditions and absolute slavery, the Asian sex slavery system is one of the most dangerous and harmful worldwide. Though the Cambodia and Thai sex industry are well publicized in terms of brothels ND local men, sex tourism, â€Å"tourism organized with the primary purpose of facilitating the effecting of a commercial-sexual relationship with a child,† is a largely unreleased student (Song, 1).Every year, tonnages AT adults travel ten globe to sexually exploit children as young as 5 years old, while many more stumble upon such opportunities while traveling for business or pleasure (Nair). According to the International Labor Organization, countries such as Thailand, India and the Philippians report that 2 – 14% of their gross domestic product comes from sex tourism and other related fields (Nair). This horrible industry that includes 2 million children is ubiquitous in beautiful, well-traveled countries with widespread poverty (Song, 2).Young girls with desperate parents and lack of educational opportunities are often tricked or sold into the sex tourism industry with no idea what awaits the (Nair). Another major issue in ending sex tourism is the Internet; sellers and pimps can put online profiles of their victims, while foreign sex tourists can exchange locations, stories and tips (Nair). A mere Google search turns up horrific information on what awaits the average sex tourist in Thailand; meticulous details describing the co's and don't of the Patty Sex Scene.The website describes the dangers of trusting the women, wearing watches, giving them tips or treating them as anything less than whore's, while encouraging the adventurous sex tourist to experiment with gabbros and nude shows (so the buyer â€Å"knows what he's going to get†) and t ake extra cash to compensate for the unavoidable â€Å"sex-crazes† (wry. Mayhap. Com). Deeper exploration into the website reveals details on Soapy Massage Parlors, a Thai Sex Tourism Attraction that involves huge quantities of highly trained, pre-pubescent girls using their bodies to engage in a fantasy world of bubbles and sex Wyandotte. Mom). Though most sex industries remain within a single country o continental region, the sex tourism industry causes conflict between countries and changes the relationships that they would otherwise have had. The entire industry degrades females and children, abuses multicultural boundaries and continues the cycle of gender imbalances. Unlike American and Asian countries, Eastern Europe depends on promises a better future to lure potential victims into the sex trade. It is estimated by European Union Nations that there are over 500,000 women in prostitution in Europe (Kristin).Traffickers use fictional Jobs as models or nannies in the US to lure girls into the system, often times paying their own air fare and giving up their passports. In most cases the women are then held captive in transition countries such as Mexico, waiting to be moved into the United States and sold into sex slavery (Landsman, 2). Prostitution was very rare in the Soviet Union up until about 22 years ago, when the communist government fell and the country was cast into poverty (Landsman, 5). A a result, many young women turned to the prospects available in the US (Landless 2).Though many women were aware that prostitution could be involved in the opportunities offered, the glorified ideas of solicitation presented in movies like Pre Women (a top 10 movie in the area) shielded the truth of a horrid industry (Kristin). Once the girls were bought by a pimp they would have to be â€Å"broken in†. This is terrifying process used to mentally break down the girls' dignity and force them to resign too life of sex slavery. In many cases the child ren are locked in a basement squalid conditions, they are kept cold and starving, and they are beaten and raped their captors.Spherical items are forced down the little girls' throats to retract their gag reflex, and honey is put on John's penises as a training mechanism for girls undo ten age AT / (Linesman, 4) once ten gulls are phonically Ana mentally Drunken down they are ready to be transported to other locations for work (Landsman, 4). European trafficking is especially dangerous due to the unpredictability of victims, the danger it poses to inter-cultural relationships and the images it reiterates of women as second-class citizens.While Eastern European traffickers often kidnap and mislead their victims, Mexican imps, often known as â€Å"Los Lemons†, rely on charm and young women's desperation to find El Norte to lure them into the United States. Though in most other countries pimps work alone or in pairs, Mexican pimps work in larger family groups, selling and exchan ging with other well-known brothels and organizations (Landsman, 3). Los Lemons begin their training at the age of 12, when they are pulled out of school and given a girl of similar age to rape and pimp out.In such a family hierarchy system, the father or grandfather is in charge of the organizational aspects, while older sons and cousins hunt, kidnap and entrap victims (Landsman, 3). Los Lemons wait at bus stops and school dances, befriending young girls and pursuing them as suitors, much like American pimps enamored potential victims (Chin). After the initial introduction period, the results are thoroughly predictable – the girls are drugged, raped and taken to brothels in major cities like Tangoing, Mexico City or the United States (Landsmen, 3).However, these issues are constantly reiterating, as Mexican officials â€Å"see sex trafficking as a U. S. Problem† (Landsman, 4). Over the years, Mexican pimps have taken tips from European traffickers by setting up a sexu al introduction system. Young prostitutes (some of them as young as 4) are kept in underground stalls divided by frayed curtains, mentally abused by women and raped by cheap Johns in 15 minutes intervals for 20 hour a day (Landsman, 4). While the American system relies on simply having girls, Mexicans, like Europeans, depend on emotionally degrading and physically breaking them.Once the girls have completed their training, the most talented' are sold to American pimps or local tourist hot spots (Landsman, 4). Though many countries with prominent sex industries cater to Americans, Mexican slavery is an issue that must be taken seriously without placing he blame on American influence. Though the sex trafficking industry is an old and dangerous system, it can be compensated for through media coverage, careful police work and international policies.From Cambodia and Europe to Mexico and the United States, human trafficking ruins lives, destroys relationships, seals social stereotypes an d inhibits development from poverty. The tradition of women's bodies being traded and sold is a common one, but careful work can prevent it from continuing. Eventually, children will be able to attend school instead of brothels; women in 3rd world countries will e able to have Jobs and countries will be able to develop past a world where violence, trafficking and crime are the main forms of finances. Argue Prostitution and sexual slavery are common motifs in modern culture; from Grand Theft Auto and Blockbuster action films to dingy street corners and clothing styles, the sex trade is ever present in our world. Though most people accept that prostitution is wrong, it is hard to define why. The fact is that all people have the right to be free from slavery. The concept that one human can be owned by another disagrees with the principles that our country was founded on. Secondly, the sex industry is degrading to women and prevents the enslaved from developing as individuals.Though it may seem like a line straight from Opera's daily talk show, the truth is that all people have the right to confidence and a positive self-image. In reality, sex slavery prevents the development of individuals and societies due to its conflict with the basic moral principles of freedom and self worth. Among the undeniable human rights imposed on all people is the right to freedom. All over the world, millions of men and women are being denied their essential right to freedom and being forced to work against their will.In the Declaration of Independence, the fundamental document that our country was founded on, the writers state that â€Å"†¦ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness Professor). † A huge flaw in the moral makeup of the sex industry is that, among the unalienable rights every person is granted are â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Such goals cannot be procured through the life of a slave, for whom the idea of pursuing their win dreams is almost as outlandish as the notion of freedom. Freedom and the triumph it brings are hugely important to the success of a nation. When people are given the creative license to think and thrive without being subordinate to another individual, society can develop new ideas and have a more successful population. While Socrates once said, an â€Å"unexamined life is not worth living† (Rosenberg, 21).Individuals who do not even have the means to examine their own lives have little chance to flourish. Therefore, the sex trade directly contrasts with the fundamental unman right of freedom and should be eliminated. Self esteem, defined as a realistic respect for yourself (dictionary. Com), is an essential right that all humans should have. Part of having a devoted sense of self worth is having the confidence to demand your rights, make your own choices about your body and stand strong in the face of adversity.The sexual, physical and mental manipulations of others, practices that are routine in the sex industry, are major catalysts in self esteem issues of under-age girls such as not valuing their bodies as their own and viewing them self as subordinate. In fact, the entire industry depends alertly on ten velum's Initially to anemia wages Ana Treetop, consulting themselves to unfair conditions and inhumane practices. Pimps repeatedly beat and rape girls until their self confidence is entirely shattered and they are ready to work, ensuring that their internal respect does not intervene with subordination.Confidence is key to achieving goals, continuing education and pursuing happiness, and as Robert Collier said, mirror chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself (Coppersmith). † People who achieve aret, hat trust their instincts and push boundaries ge t much further in the world than those that are ambivalent about their life and don't believe in themselves. Unfortunately, the sex industry and it's extremely merciless customs prevent girls from overcoming boundaries and burdens, their agony, and thriving as individuals.Just as lack of liberty prevents the development of a society, it is crucial to the success of society that girls are free, confident and able to thrive In reality, sex slavery prevents the development of individuals and societies due to its conflict with the basic moral principles of freedom and the right to self worth. Every day, millions of people are denied their freedom and fundamental rights, but unable to take charge and fight due to their depleted sense of self worth. This vicious cycle perpetuates sex slavery and prevents individuals from developing and reaching their aret, or full potential.The huge toll sex slavery is taking on the economies of various countries worldwide demonstrates the magnitude of su ch a crisis, and issues a silent plea of help to the general public. Eliminating the sex trade is an ambitious mission that may seem impossible but is so crucial to societal success that it cannot be swept under the rug. Though there are many sides of the human trafficking crisis, it is important to concentrate on three major categories; domestic violence, media and law enforcement. Domestic violence prohibits the development of self confidence and provides an initial incentive to Join the sex industry.Secondly, an unknown problem cannot be solved and it is thus vitally important to publicize the truths that ignored by the general public. Finally, employing a politically correct and moral legal system that prosecutes Johns and provides support for victims of sex slavery helps eradicate the remaining trafficking inns. By paying attention to family life, spreading information on the sex industry and utilizing proper legal systems the sex industry will be well on its way to abolition. Domestic violence, ever-present in poverty stricken regions of the US, is a huge contributor to the sex trafficking crisis.Just as self-worth aids success, women with low esteem due to family friction are much more likely to fall prey to pimps or manipulative men. Domestic abuse, which can be categorized as physical, sexual, mental or neglectful ill-treatment, drastically alters an individual's abilities to thrive. Common side effects of childhood abuse are often â€Å"fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships† (Farley) and thus inhibit the victim's ability to thrive.Individuals who cannot form normal relationships, who abuse substances, are sexually inappropriate and depressed tend to fall easy to pimps who provide relationship substitutes for such unstable individuals. After all, 95% of teenaged prostitutes were abused as children (Farley) and 60 milli on survivors live worldwide (Farley). I nuns, It Is crucial to laminate mostly violence Ana supply potential victims with the skills to cope with adversity and the self-confidence to stand up for themselves.An active social service system is essential to eliminating domestic violence; having a system to check in on children and families and place them in safe foster homes are necessary to end domestic violence. After all, 80% of girls in the foster system are sexually abused (CAW, Sex Trafficking) and attention to such placements helps prevent potential victims from entering the cycle and developing substance abuse issues, fear, anxiety and relationship problems.Another important step is training teachers to recognize the signs of abuse such as excessive sadness, sudden social anxiety, strange bruises and odd parental encounters (Helped). If teachers educate about family life in school and update social services on troubled children, potential victims can be removed from toxic envir onments before the develop the characteristics that aid the sex industry and prevent them for attaining a normal life. Finally, mandatory support groups for victims of domestic ill- treatment help girls mend their wounds and learn to develop the confidence the need to thrive.Overall, the keys to ending domestic violence lie in developing a comprehensive social service system and paying attention to victims who may need help. A huge obstruction to the demolition of the sex industry is the lack of media coverage the crisis receives. When a hundred people were asked details about human trafficking, 70% knew it existed but very few knew anything else, let alone that it's present in the US (CAW, Violence at Home). The truth is, sex slavery cannot be stopped until the American people are tuned into the reality of such a gruesome enterprise.Honestly, media and public speakers have a huge impact on the average American – A Million Little Pieces, the drug-addiction memoir of James Fre y, had hardly BE SPECIFIC sold 10 copies when Opera featured it in her monthly book club and before the end of the year the sales averaged $3. 8 million (Wyatt). Regardless of the legitimacy of the novel, it brought massive amounts of publicity to the drug crisis and was a pioneer in addiction honesty. In reality, media proves time and again to be a priceless tool that cannot be underestimated in the quest to end trafficking.Though television often portrays prostitutes as manipulative temptresses who sell homeless for their own financial gain, the truth is that most are frightened, underage girls who are sold, coerced or forced into the sex industry. In reality, the average new prostitute is 13 years old (Landsman) and 90% of prostituted women are managed by pimps (Beveling Gibe, 1987). And while that 10% of women may appear to work willingly, the truth is that the universal abuse of sex workers proves the fact that â€Å"sex slaves† and prostitutes† are often one in th e same.It is thus crucial that we utilize media to help end the sex crisis, initially by correcting the modern mage of prostitution in film and television. Instead of portraying them as willing, the reality of the sex industry should be shown in movies and TV shows alike. If CNN and BBC broadcasted sex trafficking cases and let the public know that many prostitutes are underage and working against their will, the entire enterprise would be more likely to condone? In addition to this, it is important that an overview of sex slavery be included in the high school Sex De classes.According to Benedict Berne, speaker at the Conference of World Affairs at CUE Boulder, the world should get to a place where ten not AT Dulling sex Is almost as Torrent as ten not AT segregating cocoons Day race† (CAW, Human Trafficking). Finally, it is crucial to supply media coverage on the truths of street life and ensure teenagers have a realistic perspective on the ordeal. Sadly, modern misconceptio ns that portray the street as a good life, causing an estimated 1. 6 million kids to run away from their troubled families (Determinate).Runaways act as a huge feeder to the sex industry, and 1/3 of all runaways turn to prostitution and pornography for survival within the first 48 hours (Thinkers). In order to demolish the sex industry, it is crucial to publicize the realities of sex slavery, develop in-school programs to spread awareness and prevent the runaway epidemic from increasing. Law enforcement plays a key role in the elimination of sex slavery. Even if every humanitarian group does all in their power to console SP victims and spread awareness, the trafficking system cannot be thoroughly eradicated without a comprehensive law enforcement system.The modern misconceptions that were previously discussed cause law enforcement officials to prosecute the victims and ignore the true perpetrators. Many people, including cops, see prostitution as consensual whilst the majority of su ch workers are underage and coerced into the business. This leads to unresponsive law enforcement systems that concentrate on the wrong aspects of the sex industry and prevent the admonishment of prostitution. A former victim of sex slavery, Rosetta Minified, reported that â€Å"cops didn't help, when they busted me with Johns they told the guys to ‘get the hell out of there' and put cuffs on me and laughed at me.They called me a bitchy and ‘a disease ridden crack head†(Hunter, 2). To avoid such miscommunication it is crucial that police are properly introduced to he sex industry and given strict orders on how to treat those under suspicion of solicitation. Teaching introduction courses to sexual slavery and solicitation would help police prosecute the real criminals who perpetuate the sex industry and prevent demolition. Secondly, it is vital that the protection laws for underage prostitutes are enforced and mandatory therapy programs need to be put in place for the girls to be enrolled in.The programs, which vary in details between countries, tend to orient around teaching the girls basic skills and redeveloping their self-esteem. In a Cambodia clinic for underage sex slaves, the recovery process revolves around â€Å"the girls living at the center, which is run by a former victim of sex slavery named Somali Mama, and attending a nearby school, as well as learning Job skills like sewing and hairstyling† (Nair). If local authorities require therapy programs for ex-prostitutes, it will help portray them as victims and prevent their re-entry into the business.Finally, establishing a system that protects underage sex slaves from being prosecuted is vital to ending the sex trade system. The fact that a twelve year-old having sex with a hairy year-old man is considered rape but if money is exchanged the girl, who would otherwise be considered a victim, is thrown in Jail is preposterous (Landsman, 21). Due to this situation's immoral param eters a Safe Harbor system was created under which the purchase of sex is illegal while the sale is not. The Safe Harbor act, originating in Sweden but spreading quickly worldwide, proved to be very successful.It has now spread to US states such as New York and Pennsylvania (Nair). Because of this, more legal concentration is put on prosecuting the Johns rather than the victims. Therefore, a major asset in ending the sex trade industry is through careful law enticement, tannery programs Ana creating a legal system Tanat prosecutes ten buyers of sex. Regardless of the state or country in question, worldwide sex trafficking is a major international issue that prevents the development of societies both financially and culturally.Until the sex industry crisis common knowledge to the average person, domestic violence is drastically reduced and the law enforcement system is effective and legitimate, the entire enterprise cannot be ended. This will give governments the accessory means to d eal with trafficking rings that pop up in the near future. Like Polio, small pox and other eradicated diseases, the sex industry will be simple keep under control even when new trafficking rings begin to develop.The sizeable goal of ending the sexual exploitation can be achieved with persistence, will power and motivation of the people. In order to rid the world of the human trafficking system, a damaging corporation that directly conflicts with the moral principles of freedom and self-worth, we must concentrate on spreading awareness, eradicating domestic violence and perfecting the law enforcement system. Sexual human trafficking, a multi-cultural enterprise whose financial value ranks in the billions and for whom violence and abuse are the norm, is a hugely undervalued crisis in America.