The Indigo Spell Chapter One

THIS WASN'T THE FIRST TIME I'd been pulled out of bed for a crucial mission. It was, however, the first time I'd been subjected to such a personal line of questioning. â€Å"Are you a virgin?† â€Å"Huh?† I rubbed my sleepy eyes, just in case this was all some sort of bizarre dream that would disappear. An urgent phone call had dragged me out of bed five minutes ago, and I was having a little trouble adjusting. My history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger, leaned closer and repeated the question in a stage whisper: â€Å"I said, are you a virgin?† â€Å"Um, yes. . .† I was fully awake now and glanced uneasily around my dorm's lobby, making sure no one was around to witness this crazy exchange. I didn't have to worry. Aside from a bored-looking desk attendant on the far side of the room, the lobby was empty, probably because no sane person would be up at this time of night. When Ms. Terwilliger's call had woken me, she'd demanded I meet her here for a â€Å"life-or-death† matter. Getting interrogated about my personal life wasn't quite what I'd expected. She stepped back and sighed in relief. â€Å"Yes, of course. Of course you're a virgin.† I narrowed my eyes, unsure if I should be offended or not. â€Å"Of course? What's that supposed to mean? What's going on?† She immediately snapped back to attention and pushed her wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. They were always slipping down. â€Å"No time to explain. We have to go.† She grabbed hold of my arm, but I resisted and stayed where I was. â€Å"Ma'am, it's three in the morning!† And then, just so she'd understand the severity of the situation: â€Å"On a school night.† â€Å"Never mind that.† She turned in the direction of the desk attendant and called across the room, â€Å"I'm taking Sydney Melrose with me. Mrs. Weathers can argue with me about the curfew tomorrow.† The attendant looked startled, but she was just some college student who'd been hired to sit there overnight. She was no match for the formidable Ms. Terwilliger, with her tall, gangly stature and birdlike face. The real authority keeping girls in my dorm was the security guard outside, but he simply nodded in a friendly way when Ms. Terwilliger dragged me past. It made me wonder just how many girls she'd abducted in the middle of the night. â€Å"I'm in my pajamas,† I told her. It was the last protest I could offer as we reached her car, which was parked in a fire lane. She drove a red Volkswagen Beetle with flowers painted on the sides. Somehow, this didn't surprise me in the least. â€Å"You'll be fine,† she said, fishing car keys out of her massive velvet purse. Around us, the desert night was cool and silent. Tall palm trees created dark, spiderlike shapes against the sky. Beyond them, a full moon and smattering of stars glittered. I wrapped my arms around myself, touching the soft fabric of my microfleece robe. Underneath it, I had on full-length striped pajamas paired with fluffy beige slippers. The ensemble worked well in my cozy dorm room but wasn't exactly practical for a Palm Springs night. But then, going out in pajamas wasn't really practical in any place. She unlocked the car, and I stepped gingerly inside, having to dodge empty paper coffee cups and old issues of Utne Reader. My neat sensibilities cringed at that kind of mess, but it was the least of my worries right now. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger,† I said, once we were driving through the suburban streets. â€Å"What's going on?† Now that we were out of the dorm, I hoped she'd start talking sense. I hadn't forgotten her â€Å"life-or-death† comment and was beginning to grow nervous. Her eyes were on the road ahead of us, and lines of worry marked her angular face. â€Å"I need you to cast a spell.† I froze as I tried to process her words. Not long ago, this proclamation would've sent me into protests and fits of revulsion. Not that I was comfortable with it now. Magic still freaked me out. Ms. Terwilliger taught at my private high school, Amberwood Prep, by day and was a witch at night. She said I, too, possessed a natural affinity for magic and had managed to teach me some spells, despite my best efforts to resist. I actually had a few good reasons for wanting to avoid anything arcane. Aside from inborn beliefs about magic being wrong, I simply didn't want to get caught up in any more supernatural affairs than I had to. I already spent my days as part of a secret society that kept vampires secret from the human world. That and my schoolwork were enough to keep anyone busy. Nonetheless, her magical training had gotten me out of some dangerous situations recently, and I was no longer so quick to dismiss it. So, her suggesting I perform magic wasn't the weirdest thing going on here. â€Å"Why would you need me for that?† I asked. There were few cars out, but occasionally, passing headlights would cast a ghostly light over us. â€Å"You're a million times more powerful. I can't cast a fraction of the things you can.† â€Å"Power is one thing,† she admitted. â€Å"But there are other limitations and factors at work here. I can't cast this particular spell.† I crossed my arms and slouched back in the seat. If I kept focusing on the practical aspects, I could ignore how worried I was growing. â€Å"And it couldn't have waited until morning?† â€Å"No,† she said gravely. â€Å"It could not.† Something about the tone of her voice sent chills down my spine, and I fell silent as we continued our drive. We were headed outside of the city and suburbs, into the wilds of the true desert. The farther we drove from civilization, the darker it became. Once we were off the freeway, there were no streetlights or houses in sight. Spiky desert shrubs created dark shapes along the side of the road that put me in mind of crouching animals, ready to pounce. There's no one out here, I thought. And no one back at Amberwood knows you're here either. I shifted uneasily as I recalled her virgin question. Was I going to be a sacrifice in some unholy ritual? I wished that I'd thought to bring my cell phone – not that I could have told my organization, the Alchemists, that I was spending so much time with a magic user. And not just any magic user – one who was teaching me to become one too. Better to risk being sacrificed than face the Alchemists' wrath. Twenty minutes later, Ms. Terwilliger finally pulled to a stop along the side of a dusty one-lane road that seemed to be a direct route to nowhere. She got out of the car and motioned for me to do the same. It was colder here than it had been back at Amberwood. Looking up into the night sky, I caught my breath. Free of the city lights, the stars were now out in full force. I could see the Milky Way and a dozen constellations usually hidden to the naked eye. â€Å"Stargaze later,† she said curtly. â€Å"We need to hurry, before the moon progresses much further.† A moonlight ritual, a barren desert, virgin sacrifice . . . what had I just foolishly walked into? The way Ms. Terwilliger pushed me into magic always annoyed me, but I never thought she posed a threat. Now I berated myself for being so naive. She tossed a duffel bag over one shoulder and headed off into a desolate stretch of land, dotted with rocks and scraggly vegetation. Even with the brilliant celestial display there wasn't much light out here, yet she walked purposefully, as though she knew exactly where she was going. I dutifully followed, wincing as I crossed the rocky ground. My fuzzy slippers had never been intended for this sort of terrain. â€Å"Here,† she said when we reached a small clearing. She carefully set down the duffel bag and knelt to rifle through it. â€Å"This'll do.† The desert that was so mercilessly hot in the day became cold at night, but I was still sweating. Probably my own anxiety had more to do with that than the temperature or heavy pajamas. I retied my robe more tightly making a perfect knot. I found that kind of detail and routine soothing. Ms. Terwilliger produced a large oval mirror with a scalloped silver frame. She set it down in the middle of the clearing, glanced up at the sky, and then shifted the mirror over a little. â€Å"Come here, Miss Melbourne.† She pointed to a spot opposite her, on the other side of the mirror. â€Å"Sit there and make yourself comfortable.† At Amberwood, I went by the name of Sydney Melrose, rather than my true one, Sydney Sage. Ms. Terwilliger had gotten my made-up name wrong on the first day of class, and it, unfortunately, stuck. I followed her directions, not that I could really get all that comfortable out here. I was pretty sure I could hear some large animal scuffling out in the brush and added â€Å"coyotes† to my mental list of dangers I faced out here, right below â€Å"magic use† and â€Å"lack of coffee.† â€Å"Now then. Let's get started.† Ms. Terwilliger peered at me with eyes that were dark and frightening in the desert night. â€Å"Are you wearing anything metal? You need to take it off.† â€Å"No, I – oh. Wait.† I reached around my neck and unfastened a delicate gold chain that held a small cross. I'd had the necklace for years but had recently given it to someone else, for comfort. He'd given it back to me recently, by way of our mutual friend Jill Mastrano Dragomir. Even now, I could picture the angry look on her face as she'd stormed up to me at school and thrust the cross into my hand without a word. I stared at the cross now as it gleamed in the moonlight. A queasy feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach as I thought about Adrian, the guy I'd given it to. I'd done so before he professed his love for me, something that had caught me totally off guard a few weeks ago. But maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised. The more I looked back – and I did so all the time – the more I began to recall telltale signs that should have tipped me off to his feelings. I'd just been too blind to notice at the time. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if I'd seen it coming or not. Adrian was totally unsuitable for me, and it had nothing to do with his many vices or potential descent into insanity. Adrian was a vampire. True, he was a Moroi – one of the good, living vampires – but it made no difference. Humans and vampires couldn't be together. This was one point the Moroi and Alchemists stood firmly together on. It was still amazing to me that Adrian had voiced those feelings to me. It was amazing that he could even have them or that he'd had the nerve to kiss me, even if it was a kiss that had left me dizzy and breathless. I'd had to reject him, of course. My training would allow nothing less. Our situation here in Palm Springs forced the two of us to constantly be together in social situations, and it had been rough since his declaration. For me, it wasn't just the awkwardness of our new relationship. I . . . well, I missed him. Before this debacle, he and I had been friends and spent a lot of time together. I'd gotten used to his smirky smile and the quick banter that always flowed between us. Until those things were gone, I hadn't realized how much I relied on them. How much I needed them. I felt empty inside . . . which was ridiculous, of course. Why should I care so much about one vampire? Sometimes it made me angry. Why had he ruined such a good thing between us? Why had he made me miss him so much? And what had he expected me to do? He had to have known it was impossible for us to be together. I couldn't have feelings for him. I couldn't. If we'd lived among the Keepers – a group of uncivilized vampires, humans, and dhampirs – maybe he and I could have . . . no. Even if I had feelings for him – and I firmly told myself I didn't – it was wrong for us to even consider such a relationship. Now Adrian spoke to me as little as possible. And always, always, he watched me with a haunted look in his green eyes, one that made my heart ache and – â€Å"Ah! What is that?† I squirmed as Ms. Terwilliger dumped a bowl full of dried leaves and flowers over my head. I'd been so fixated on the cross and my memories that I hadn't seen her coming. â€Å"Rosemary,† she said matter-of-factly â€Å"Hyssop. Anise. Don't do that.† I'd reached up to pull some of the leaves out of my hair. â€Å"You need that for the spell.† â€Å"Right,† I said, getting back to business. I set the cross carefully on the ground, trying to clear my mind of green, green eyes. â€Å"The spell that only I can do. Why is that again?† â€Å"Because it has to be done by a virgin,† she explained. I tried not to grimace. Her words implied that she was not a virgin, and even if that made sense for a forty-year-old woman, it still wasn't a thought I wanted to spend a lot of time on. â€Å"That, and the person we're looking for has shielded herself from me. But you? You she won't expect.† I looked down at the shining mirror and understood. â€Å"This is a scrying spell. Why aren't we doing the one I did before?† Not that I was eager to repeat that spell. I'd used it to find someone, and it had involved me staring into a bowl of water for hours. Still, now that I knew how to do it, I knew I could perform it again. Besides, I didn't like the idea of walking into a spell I knew nothing about. Words and herbs were one thing, but what else might she ask of me? Endanger my soul? Give up my blood? â€Å"That spell only works for someone you know,† she explained. â€Å"This one will help you find someone you've never met before.† I frowned. As much as I didn't like magic, I did like problem solving – and the puzzles magic often presented intrigued me. â€Å"How will I know who to look for, then?† Ms. Terwilliger handed me a photograph. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I looked into the face of a pretty young woman. There was a striking resemblance between her and my teacher, though it wasn't initially obvious. Rather than Ms. Terwilliger's dull brown hair, this woman's was dark, nearly black. She was also much more glamorous, dressed in a black satin evening gown that was a far cry from Ms. Terwilliger's usual hippie attire. Despite those ostensible differences, the two women shared the same high cheekbones and aquiline eyes. I glanced back up. â€Å"She's related to you.† â€Å"She's my older sister,† Ms. Terwilliger confirmed, her voice remarkably flat. Older? I would've guessed this woman was at least ten years younger. â€Å"Is she missing?† I asked. When I'd scried before, it had been to find a kidnapped friend. Ms. Terwilliger's lips twitched. â€Å"Not in the way you're thinking.† From the never-ending duffel bag, she produced a small leather book and opened it to a marked page. Squinting at where she indicated, I could make out handwritten Latin words describing the mirror and herbal concoction she'd dumped on me. Following that were directions on how to use the spell. No bloodletting, thankfully. â€Å"It sounds too simple,† I said suspiciously. I'd learned that spells that only had a few steps and components usually required a lot of mental energy. I'd passed out from the other scrying spell. She nodded, guessing my thoughts. â€Å"It takes a lot of focus – more than the last one. But, as much as you don't want to hear this, your strength has grown enough that you'll probably have an easier time than before.† I scowled. She was right. I didn't want to hear that. Or did I? Part of me knew I should refuse to go along with this madness. Another part of me worried she'd abandon me in the desert if I didn't help. And still another part was insanely curious to see how this would all work. Taking a deep breath, I recited the book's incantation and then set the picture in the middle of the mirror. I repeated the incantation and removed the picture. Leaning forward, I stared into the shining surface, trying to clear my mind and let myself become one with the darkness and moonlight. A hum of energy coursed through me, much more quickly than I expected. Nothing changed in the mirror right away, though. Only my reflection peered back at me, the poor lighting dulling my blond hair, which looked terrible both from sleeping on it and having a bunch of dried plants hanging in its strands. The energy continued to build in me, growing surprisingly warm and exhilarating. I closed my eyes and sank into it. I felt like I was floating in the moonlight, like I was the moonlight. I could've stayed that way forever. â€Å"Do you see anything?† Ms. Terwilliger's voice was an unwelcome interruption to my blissful state, but I obediently opened my eyes and looked into the mirror. My reflection was gone. A silvery gray mist hung in front of a building, but I knew the mist wasn't physical. It was magically produced, a mental barrier to keep me from seeing the image that lay beyond it. Strengthening my will, I pushed my mind passed that barrier, and after a few moments, the mist shattered. â€Å"I see a building.† My voice echoed oddly in the night. â€Å"An old Victorian house. Dark red, with a traditional covered porch. There are hydrangea bushes in front of it. There's a sign too, but I can't read it.† â€Å"Can you tell where the house is?† My teacher's voice seemed very far away. â€Å"Look around it.† I tried to pull back, to extend my vision beyond the house. It took a few moments, but slowly, the image panned out as though I were watching a movie, revealing a neighborhood of similar houses, all Victorian with wide porches and creeping vines. They were a beautiful, perfect piece of history set in the modern world. â€Å"Nothing exact,† I told her. â€Å"Just some quaint residential street.† â€Å"Go back further. See the larger picture.† I did, and it was like I drifted up into the sky, looking down upon the neighborhood the way some soaring bird would. The houses extended into more neighborhoods, which eventually gave way to industrial and commercial areas. I continued moving back. The businesses became more and more densely packed. More streets crisscrossed between them. The buildings grew taller and taller, eventually materializing into a familiar skyline. â€Å"Los Angeles,† I said. â€Å"The house is on the outskirts of Los Angeles.† I heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by: â€Å"Thank you, Miss Melbourne. That will be all.† A hand suddenly waved across my field of vision, shattering the city image. Also shattered was that state of euphoria. I was no longer floating, no longer made of light. I came crashing down to reality, down to the rocky desert landscape and my stuffy pajamas. I felt exhausted and shaky, like I might faint. Ms. Terwilliger handed me a thermos full of orange juice, which I drank greedily. As the nutrients hit my system and strengthened me, I began to feel a little better. Intense magic use depleted blood sugar. â€Å"Does that help?† I asked, once I'd downed the thermos. A nagging voice inside me started to chastise about how many calories were in orange juice, but I ignored it. â€Å"Was that what you wanted to know?† Ms. Terwilliger gave me a smile that didn't extend to her eyes. â€Å"It helps, yes. Was it what I wanted?† She stared off into the distance. â€Å"No, not exactly. I was hoping you'd name some other city. Some city far, far away.† I picked up my cross and refastened it around my neck. The familiar object brought on a sense of normality after what I'd just done. It also made me feel guilty, looking back on the euphoric high the magic had given me. Humans weren't supposed to wield magic – and they certainly weren't supposed to enjoy it. Running my fingers over the cross's surface, I found myself thinking of Adrian again. Had he ever worn it? Or had he just kept it around for luck? Had his fingers traced the cross's shape like mine often did? Ms. Terwilliger began gathering her things. When she stood up, I followed suit. â€Å"What does it mean exactly, ma'am?† I asked. â€Å"That I saw Los Angeles?† I followed her back toward the car, and she didn't answer right away. When she did, her voice was uncharacteristically grim. â€Å"It means that she's much closer than I would like. It also means, whether you want to or not, you're going to have to work on improving your magical skills very, very quickly.† I came to a halt. Suddenly, I felt angry. Enough was enough. I was exhausted and ached all over. She'd dragged me out here in the middle of the night and now had the presumption to make a statement like that when she knew how I felt about magic? Worse, her words frightened me. What did I have to do with this? This was her spell, her cause. Yet, she'd given the directive with such force, such certainty, that it almost seemed as though I was the reason we'd come out here to this wasteland. â€Å"Ma'am – † I began. Ms. Terwilliger spun around and leaned toward me so that there were only a few inches between us. I gulped, swallowing whatever outraged words I'd been about to utter. I'd never seen her look like this. She wasn't scary, not exactly, but there was an intensity I'd never seen before, far different from the usual scattered teacher I knew. She also looked . . . frightened. Life or death. â€Å"Sydney,† she said, in a rare use of my first name. â€Å"Let me assure you that this is not some trick on my part. You will improve upon your skills, whether you like it or not. And it's not because I'm cruel, not because I'm trying to fulfill some selfish desire. It's not even because I hate seeing you waste your ability.† â€Å"Then why?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Why do I need to learn more?† The wind whispered around us, blowing some of the dried leaves and flowers from my hair. The shadows we cast took on an ominous feel, and the moonlight and starlight that had seemed so divine earlier now felt cold and harsh. â€Å"Because,† Ms. Terwilliger said. â€Å"It's for your own protection.†

Systematic Review Paper

The purpose of this meta-synthesis research was to synthesize a qualitative study performed to better understand the underlying reasons why only a fraction of cancer patients participate in cancer research trials. The attempt is to explore factors that influence participation in this type of study. Literature in the subject indicates poorly understood process of how patients are enrolled into clinical trials.This systematic review tries to improve the patient decision-making process in participating in cancer clinical trial and to provide Oncology nurses to treat patients with solid background utilizing evidence based practice (Biedrzycki, 2010). The study was conducted in hope to eliminate misconceptions on the negative feelings of cancer clinical trials. A common misconception is participation can cause harm instead of cure. The report clearly describes how the variation in research design and methods revealed low percentages of cancer patient participation in previous studies.An i nformation specialist assisted with the selection of relevant studies. Data selection was reviewed through PubMed. Patient participation and decision making were topics reviewed. A PRISMA-type flow chart elaborates on the multiple studies reviewed (Biedrzycki, 2010). The criteria for reviewing articles included articles published since 2004. Research from other countries was reviewed and was not confined to the United States.Literature reviewed through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) roadmap for Medical Research, fortified the research by emphasizing important aspects of human research participants and transforming this into clinical research. 62 articles met criteria and 24 articles did not meet the initial criteria. Articles beyond five years provided evidence of inaccurate representation of the current views on patients’ will to participate in clinical trials (Biedrzycki, 2010). The research article indicates the sample sizes ranged from 16 to more than 115000 whic h yield a median=162.The combined sample of participants includes gender, race, and age. Most participants were Caucasian. One study included only Asian women. Ages ranged from 50 to 64 years, median 57. 6 years. Cancer diagnoses were reported in 10 studies, six studies omitted reporting cancer as a diagnosis. Four studies reported advanced cancer. Six studies reported participation in phase I clinical trials. One study reported participation in a phase III clinical study. The rest of the studies did not report the phase of trials. There is no indication whether follow up was done with the original reporter to clarify missing information (Biedrzycki, 2010).The criteria used to appraise the research consisted of decision-making process, communication, educational interventions, perceptions, benefits and burdens, quality of life, reasons for declining participation, knowledge, relative health stock, timing of consent, satisfaction, and decisional regret. Most studies focused on decisi on making, however; thirteen studies described multiple aspects of cancer clinical trial participation. Some studies focused on the psychosocial consequences of clinical trial decision making.This data was appraised by several research team members (Biedrzycki, 2010). Decision-making instruments included the Llewellyn-Thomas, an unnamed instrument and the Homes-Rovner et al. Satisfaction with Decision Scale. Other instruments included the Understanding of Clinical Trials by Joffe et al. and The Decisional Regret Scale and the Karmonos Accrual Analysis System. Most studies did not report psychometric measures and almost all studies used one question to assess willingness, interest or knowledge about cancer clinical trials (Biedrzycki, 2010).Data analysis is presented in table format. Table 1 consists of factors reflecting the rigor of the studies reviewed. Table 2 consists of measures of decision making used in the studies reviewed and Table 3 lists strengths, limitations, and key po ints of the studies reviewed. The studies were mainly descriptive, consisting of mixed-methods design. Three studies tested an educational intervention and two studies used an experimental design. 50% of the studies did not report timing of the research in relation to the decision regarding clinical trial participation (Biedrzycki, 2010).During meta-analysis, response rates varied by type of measure and study design, only 50% reported response rates (range = 21% – 95%, median=71%. 29% declined participating because they had no interest and 24% declined with no reason given. One major reason people declined to participate was because they had no access or could not use a computer. Multiple time measures were conducted in decision regret, it was noted that responses were reduced (Biedrzycki, 2010). The process used to pool the data together was clinical trial decision making.The main factors influencing this process consist of patient, provider, and treatment. Two studies speci fically explored decision making by the patient. Education requirements impacted decision making since understanding the risks and benefits of clinical trials was the most important factor taken into consideration by the patient. Educational interventions were noted to have increased patient enrollment. (Biedrzycki, 2010). If the patient found the education from the provider to be coercive, treatment was considered a burden.Time and travel also posed an inconvenience on the patient since it adversely affected quality of life and therefore deterred patients from cancer clinical trials. On a positive note, studies reported factors associated with positive decision making outcomes. Positive decision making included being more spiritual, younger, and having more advanced cancer, and having a good understanding of the education received. Several other aspects were indicated as positive decision making outcomes when providers introduced user-friendly systems (Biedrzycki, 2010).The primary focus of the study was accepting or declining clinical trial participation. The secondary focus was decision-making and the silent variable was the influence on clinical trial participation. All criteria were elegantly spelled out in form of charts and tables. Figure 1 included factors associated with the decision to participate in a cancer clinical trial. Figure 2 revealed factors associated with a positive decision making outcome (Biedrzycki, 2010). A factor that was clearly noted as missing was a review on the process by which patients decide on whether or not to participate in clinical research trial.Components of the decision making preferences have not been determined. Consenting for a research process is autonomous and the current healthcare system does did not provide sufficient learning opportunities for the patient to acquire enough information to make an adequate informed consent. When the patient lacks this knowledge and the healthcare provider lacks the understanding o f the patient’s values, it is difficult for the patient to want to participate in clinical trials (Biedrzycki, 2010).The reviewers concluded that future research is needed for continuation of exploring the reasons for lack of cancer patients’ participation in clinical research trials. The need for sound construct for decision making can prepare nurses and healthcare workers to understand the cancer patient’s values and to provide education that may enhance knowledge and strengthen interventions, and improve cancer clinical trial participation (Biedrzycki, 2010).

13 Reasons Why: Story Essay

Hanna’s and Clays dual narrative enhance goes by they tell each point of view in the story because its like he is not talking to anyone but himself and his conscious, it would’ve probably been the same way because that’s probably what most of them thought. If it was Tony he was going to think the same. I don’t think her reasons are of equal importance some people are on the list for playful reasons. The main one I found unexpected was when Bryan walker molested her. I think all thirteen reasons are responsible that’s why they all have tapes and I think she committed suicide to get away from her problems. I think that’s creepy because you visualize her being there and that would creep me out but then you would tend to feel exactly what she felt as she was their so you experience her inside life. The tape is different from the impression of a suicide note because when you get to hear a voice you know exactly how their feeling. She recorded and left the tapes for the rest to hear them and remember that day for the rest of their lives. Yes because that’s what people use today, tapes are old. When she says that she means that there are other peoples point of view in the story and she tells what happens and what she thinks about it. See more: Beowulf essay essay If she listened to it she probably wouldn’t be dead because they would have discussed about it first. She thought that if she moved place to place the rumors would be left behind. A rumor is something going around as gossip known as â€Å"not true† they say that she has â€Å"things† in her dresser. No one isn’t powerful then the other were all the same, rumors can’t be positive. Yes it does because rumors are just lies. The different perspectives of how her story plays out is like they didn’t know that what they do and how they act contributes to others. What she means by â€Å"pushing it† is that every time something happens to her it takes her deeper and deeper each time till she feels like killing herself. All of the thirteen reasons pushed her to her final decision but they kept treating her wrong so she gave up. Yes they would’ve changed, if they knew. what she means by this is that for you, you would investigate something before saying it so you just need it to be true because nobody wants to be called a liar so at first you say the lie then you know your going one day have to say the truth because you know its not your choice to say the lie so you say you need it. She reacts to it because she knows something is wrong with him and the way he acts she thinks it’s unusual. Yes I think she knows he is lying she should know her son. She doesn’t question him because she knows he will tell her a lie so she doesn’t bother because that’s the way she feels about the poem and she wants the rest of them to know. I agree with her reasoning because that’s how she feels about everything and they should know this reappears throughout the story but she still uses the same tore of voice. The â€Å"lost-n-found† gazette applies to the themes because once you tell something and put it out there, it will soon be found and spread else where so when you say a secret or a bad rumor it will go around every where and it wont be lost but soon found. â€Å"The truth will set you free† applies to Hanna’s story by instead of spreading rumors you should tell something that’s the truth and you’ll be free and not on a list. No truth really doesn’t gift freedom because sometimes the truth hurts and affects others. Yes there will always be peace in knowledge you would know wrong from right. What the man says is significant to Clay because he sees that there is something wrong with him with the way he acts and how he feels and he sees that he is suffering from something but he doesn’t have to know he sees it so he lets Clay not have to pay to feel better. To describe the difference between incidents and non-incidents is that an incident and is tragedy and a non-incident is something done on purpose and isn’t that bad. Clay Jensen relates to the previous state because of what happened to her about what was said on a rumor and people just wanting to believe it. So on what was said about Clay was so good she knew she had to believe it regardless if it was true or not. Hanna’s reputation is important to her because she doesn’t want things put down on her that’s not true. The reputation that others have on the tapes is bad and is most likely to be changed. I think most of the people on the tapes are disproved through the information. Hanna’s reputation influences Clays interactions by he knows who the real Hanna is and wants to meet her. Clay is afraid of getting hurt by her. The reason why Clay left the room after kissing Hanna was because she forced him too. I think he really didn’t have to leave, she just needed help. He could’ve asked her why she wanted him to leave and just get her talking. She puts Clay as one of the thirteen reasons why because she wants to say sorry. When Clay says that, yes I agree with him because I know that he really did like her n he really would’ve helped. Yes Hanna made that choice, she wanted to kill herself. The choices she had was that she could’ve talked to someone or talk to them about how she felt. For those thirteen reasons she ended her life I think that there were also thirteen equally reasons she had to live. When Jenny hits her car to a stop sign actually symbolizes something hazard because she can cause an accident. What Clay means when he says â€Å"we all could’ve stopped something† really shows that all those things that goes on there can be a positive to it. This relates to the Bryce and Jessica situation because she could’ve stopped Bryce for taking advantage of Jessica. The roles adults play in what happened to Hanna is like they should’ve paid more attention to her and take what she was saying very seriously. Yes I think an adult could’ve done something to help her and stop her from her decision she includes one adult so everyone could know she went for help. She opens the truth to an adult so they can help her and give her advice. She chose Mr. Porter because he was a trust counselor.

HR planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

HR planning - Essay Example This paper reviews an article titled Consider Outsourced Training that was published on Workforce, an online HR magazine, on December 23, 2014. The analysis is based on Part II of Strategic Human Resources Planning, 5th Canadian Edition titled HR Planning. 1. Analyze the organization and the industry within which it operates: The author of the article argues that different companies operating in different industries have different training needs. For instance, there are firms operating in highly dynamic industries such as electronic manufacturing. For such firms, it is paramount that employees stay abreast as far as industry innovations are concerned. Otherwise, they risk getting stuck in outdated technologies that would ultimately lead to the firm losing their competitive edge. 2. Identify a specialized training firm that meets the needs of the organization:Whereas there will be several potential service providers, the organization must do due diligence to ensure that they settle on a service that possesses the needed competencies. 3. Consider the mode of training:besides conventional classroom-based training, today increasingly more and more training programs are delivered online. The mode of training an employer settles on should be informed factors such as the nature of the work of the employees. 4. Sign a well-thought contract:A carefully thought and drafted agreement safeguards the interests of the parties involved. In addition, the agreement will minimize the possibility of conflicts by specifying the rights and obligations of each partner. 5. Consider the advantages of outsourced training besides saving money: Besides helping the organization save money, outsourced training helps the organization to free up some time. That time can be invested in the core activities of the organization. The authors of the textbook concur that while training is not a core activity of the organization, it is important to the organization and staff for several

The Scope and Domain of NASCARs Branding Strategy Case Study - 121

The Scope and Domain of NASCARs Branding Strategy - Case Study Example However, every track had to negotiate its contract with television; implying that each race anchored on a different network. This was a hindrance for NASCAR. Thus, the company established its domain by signing contracts with television channels expanding broadcasting to about 167 countries (Aurand, 431). NASCAR also reached out to other companies by establishing co-branding relationships with them to gain competitive advantage. It also established scholarships from a great deal number of companies. The company was able to leverage its sponsors by ensuring that the outcome of sponsorship benefits both the company and the sponsors (Aurand, 431-432). For instance, drivers were expected to race incredibly, be available for marketing functions and be answerable to sponsors. Its profitability in sponsorship investment attracts more sponsors, however at the expense of expertise co-branding. In fact from the 2005 report, fans seemed to appreciate the company’s relationship with corporate sponsorship which earns NASCAR more credit and hence more customers. NASCAR extends its domain by involving fans in the sport, thus fans feel the close connection with drivers enhancing the brand image of the sport. In conclusion, NASCAR needs to comprehend sustainable development for the safety of all. Its impact on the environment is grim and is likely to jeopardize both the company and the future environment.

Employee engagement is crucial for effective corporate decision making Essay

Employee engagement is crucial for effective corporate decision making - Essay Example Effective and efficient decision making in a company will enhance a perfect maximization of profits. A poor one, on the other hand, is not flexible to change especially technological changes, in a business corporation. The inefficiency of a poor decision-making by the managerial teams may lead to the decline of the company. This may be because of the poor relationship between the employer and the employees thus resulting into lack of responsibility towards the production of the final products. In the decision making process, the managers choose a perfect course of action from some of the few observable ones. The Lenovo and Samsung Companies have adopted this system of decision-making process towards acquiring a perfect product for competition. Employees’ Engagement in Corporate Decision-Making The Lenovo and Samsung Companies indulge in a more competitive market environment. Their decision-making processes are, therefore, very considerate especially in the managerial decision- making. This has seen these companies at the top of their game due to the well-organised decision-making process. Decision-making processes, in these companies, range from the product promotion, customer relation and to the employee-employer relationship. In addition, when it comes to the employee-employee relations, the companies have adopted a perfect system since this is the ultimate goal of any given business corporate. The brands of products produced by the Lenovo and Samsung companies are as well not affected by the market segmentations. Concept of Corporate Decision-Making A perfect corporate decision-making is a significant aspect towards achieving a healthy competitive marketing environment by a company (Salman, 2001 p201). Pricing, as an example of a decision making process, has made Lenovo as a multinational company acquire a greater status in the technological field. This company adopted one of the most appropriate pricing strategies, which has increased its customerâ₠¬â„¢s loyalty that has led to increased demand of their products globally due to their affordable nature (Bevans, 2007 p142). This, in addition, has maximised the profit maximization limits of the Lenovo Company. In the technology market, Lenovo has been viewed as one of the fast moving globally operating companies (Akwetey, 2011 p123). Samsung, on the other hand, has also adopted a flexible decision-making process in its marketing strategies (Mylanas & Hodges, 2007 p154). Samsung’s products are also affordable in most marketing environment. Over the last decades, Samsung has been able to acquire a good number of customers in spite of the stiff competition in the technological marketing environment. The Effectiveness of Corporate Decision-Making Businesses that handgrip their decisions in a well-organised manner just as these two companies will always be at an upper hand towards achieving a perfect financial status. Financial superiority, as an aspect of decision-making, is o ne of the key goals of a corporate decision making (Ling, 2006 p121). The entrepreneurs, therefore, engage in the decision-making system by considering financial status acquaintances as the driving factors. Another key aspect of an effective decision-making process is the motivation of employees in the workplace. Motivation of workers in the organisation is also a key role of decision-making (Mauboussin, 2021 p253). Various businesses have undergone

International Human Resource Management Assignment - 1

International Human Resource Management - Assignment Example With internationalization of business, many experts feel that it will influence the HR practices of a company. The most common way in which business enters into global market are Joint Ventures (JVs), Multi domestic operations (MDOs) and strategic Alliance (SA). Such kind of businesses demands changes in organizational structures, communication across organisation, etc. To handle these issues the organisations need different HR approaches for managing such MNCs. Globalisation of business has affected HR managers more than any other functional heads (Davis, Kerr Von Glinow, 1987, pp. 486-495). Hence with increasing interlink of business across the nations, the HR managers need to give importance to International orientation of the employees. International human resource management is managing worldwide human resources like allocating appropriate resources to utilise their skills effectively. International Human resource management refers to the process of allocating, procuring and eff ectively utilizing the human resources of an international organisation. ... Hence new capabilities and knowledge are needed to be incorporated in the HR practices to make it work. Human resource incurs both cost and revenue to the company (Benson, 1978, pp. 21-37). Many international organisations are facing complications of dealing with many multicultural employees which are becoming an important contributor to their success. This need for human resource specialist is widely acknowledged not only for giant multinational enterprises but also for small enterprises. With economic liberalisation across Europe, reduction in the restriction on the labour movement across the European community, with the advent of new technology has all contributed to the importance of International HRM (Black, 1988, pp. 277-294). Companies now days are trying to invest outside their own country to gain competitive advantage. Due to such strategy they sometimes recruit the local staff or even third-country nationals, like individuals who are neither from home or parent country but from third country. Hence in this case it becomes important for the organisations to look at strategies managing these resources. The HR professional needs to have a deep knowledge of what will be the appropriate environment for such organisation to reach their objectives and goals. The problems faced by Sensortec Sensortec is a UK company set up in 2000 dealing mainly with development and manufacture of electronic sensors. They have their operations spread across three centres, one at Barking, the second at Stansted and another at Docklands. Each operating centre has different functions and hence their workforce supporting the operations is of different skill set. Sensortec is now facing increasing

The Human Resource Function of Harrison Brothers Corporation Assignment

The Human Resource Function of Harrison Brothers Corporation - Assignment Example They also want to convert the empty spaces into selling spots and want to stock and sell the in demand brands. Moreover, they are also looking to better forecast their sales and maintain better inventory records by using computer systems. Also, they want to increase the productivity of their staff. Ans 3: Harrison is headed by an Executive Vice President and General Manager. The Branch Store Manager works under him. Within the branch, Harrison has divided it’s human resources into three departments: HR, Sales and Operations. The sales department is itself divided into three departments each headed by a Sales Manager. Each Sales Manager looks after the sales of a number of sales categories. The HR manager has four people working under him responsible for assistance, training and payroll processing. The Operations Manager oversees five employees responsible for receiving, maintenance, supplies, security and accounting. Ans 4: Exhibit 1.4 presents a summary of the responses made by HR and Store Managers on how much importance they give to the various HR functions. In some of the functions, both of them have given equal importance, which means that they will support and approve the HR department’s activities in these areas. Store Managers give more importance to areas such as compensation and training and development, while Ans 5: At Harrison Brothers, the HR department was not up to the mark in its performance. However, since McCain has joined she has taken measures to reorganize the HR department and upgrade its performance. Given the strategic objectives of Harrison Brothers, I believe they need to hire a more educated and trained workforce. Rather than hiring sales people in general which they can place in any category, they should hire sales people who can perform well in specific areas, such as women clothing, furniture, house wares etc. This would make the sales force more focused and allow them to specialize in

English 101 Common Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English 101 Common Assignment - Essay Example Even knowing where to begin describing it can be difficult due to its wide-ranging variety. To begin with, America was born from a revolution. In 1776, the American Revolution began (Zinn, 32). This was in large part a tax revolt. English settlers in the coastal states were unhappy with the British government's attitude towards them. They overthrew their masters and created a new country with a new constitution. They wanted more rights for ordinary people. They wanted freedom of speech and separation of church and state. Over the next few decades America grew. It faced perhaps its greatest trials under the presidency of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. This war occurred between North and South. This was a war about slavery, which was practised in the South. It was a bloody war, but eventually the North won. Slavery was abolished. During the 20th century America grew in size and power. It fought in many wars and usually won. Today, it has the largest economy in the world and a la rge population. Its culture is exported around the world. Some people dislike it, but many more love it. America's geography varies because the country is so huge. It hosts the Rocky Mountains and the forests of New England and the plains of the Midwest. The geographical features are diverse (Birdsall, 5). It is hard to describe so various a country.

Interest group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interest group - Essay Example Lack of attention by the Congress has paralyzed implementation. It is very crucial to address these problems to avoid further loopholes that include handout by the special interest groups, for example, the American Civil Liberties Union which fights for the rights of immigrants. Although the government is working hard in securing the border, more stringent laws need to be put in place to fully take charge of the situation. Dempsey and Forst (341) elaborate that research shows that there are more than ten million illegal immigrants in the country. This means that the federal government is not working hard enough. Another failure by the government is the lack of reforms in the visa section. It has failed to ensure that those people who get into the country on a temporary visa do not stay in the country permanently. According to Nownes (218), interest groups are people who have come together with similar interests who try their best to influence public policy. They are very important to democracy in that they represent the views of the citizens and also allow the people to have a chance of their voices being heard. In the environmental policy, an example of the interest group is the American Council for an energy efficient economy. It works towards ensuring that the economy prospers with a protected environment. Environment and energy are areas that have managed to capture a lot of interest from the citizens including interest groups. It is a policy that is determined by the federal, local entities and the state. They tackle the issues of production of energy, consumption, as well as distribution. The responsibilities include determining gas lineage standard and also building codes. The problems in energy and environment include poor government incentives and poor legislation. Being a sensitive sector, more attention is required to ensure that all citizens can enjoy a favorable environment that is clean, safe and healthy for all. It is important for the

Ethinicity And American Culture Essay Example for Free

Ethinicity And American Culture Essay The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1850 was signed between the American government and the interim government of the military occupied Mexico which resulted in the end of the Mexican-American War. This was intended to bring peace in the disputed territory and the end result was that Mexico ceded a large territory to the United States and its size was reduced by forty-five percent. The land Mexico ceded to the U. S. is now a number of states: Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. The military government in Mexico received fair compensation for the territory. The treaty of Guadalupe paved the way for the way for the immigration of Mexicans especially workers to the U. S. this was necessitated by the United States’ need for labor to develop the newly acquired territory. Immigration patterns have been determined by American manual labor needs. The Immigration Process The immigration of Mexicans to the U. S. began soon after the territory was surrendered, the U. S. government sought labor from Mexico to build the railroad which was to connect all the new territory to the other states. Between 1850 and 1880 the U. S. government brought in 55,000 migrant workers from Mexico into the former Mexican territories to work on the railroad. The government preferred Mexican laborers because they were not entitled to any constitutional protection and they could work for substandard wages in the harsh conditions. The process of immigration began to peak up speed in 1910 when the Mexican revolution took place. After the revolution, more then 50,000 Mexican workers immigrated to the U. S. in search of jobs which they felt were better than those available in their home country. Changes over Time Change in the immigration process began to take shape in 1929 when American citizens massively complained that the illegal workers were taking up their job. The government responded by launching major crackdown on immigrants who did not posses the relevant immigration documents. This resulted in the forceful deportation of over two million Mexican of which about one and a half million had been born in the U. S. this was harsh as those born in the U. S. were therefore citizens by birth. The U. S however found itself in a tight spot when it got in World War II in 1942 which elicited the need for Mexican workers. The U. S. acted quickly to remedy the situation by getting into an agreement with Mexican officials and this was known as the Bracero program. Under the program guest Mexican workers would be allowed to enter the U. S. and provide labor on a temporary basis though they would not be afforded the labor protections accorded to their U. S. counterparts. The program run through out the period of World War II and went on up to 1964 as major Corporations had pulled string to ensure that the laborers continued to work as they wanted to cash in on the cheap labor. Since 1964 there was what has been referred to as an unspoken agreement between the undocumented workers, Corporations and the government. The government has intentionally failed to implement border regulations after being lobbied by major corporations which benefit highly from the labor if the immigrants. Though the agreement has been said to benefit all the parties which is utterly false as the immigrant workers are subjected to poor living conditions, are paid substandard wages and do not enjoy the protection of labor unions or practices. In 1986 three million undocumented Mexican-American workers were granted amnesty by the Reagan administration and this consequently made them subject to human rights protections, (Borjas National Bureau of Economic Research, 2007). Effect on Chicano Movement The Chicano movement was vastly affected by the immigration of undocumented as they were not officially recognized by the U. S. government. This meant that they did not enjoy constitutional protection like other American citizen and the movement’s job was harder as attempts at demanding for rights resulted in deportation. Mexican workers therefore did not seek the help of the movement as they fear that its intervention would result of their deportation, (Rosales, 2000). Conclusion The immigration of Mexican to the U. S. began with the need by the U. S. government to have cheap labor for building of a railroad through the territory acquired from Mexico in 1850. The immigration pattern has however been tied only to the manual labor needs of the U. S. as the government allows entry of undocumented Mexican workers when they are in dire need of cheap manual labor like during World War II. The pattern is also evident from the push and pull debate that rages on the undocumented workers. Reference Borjas, G. J. National Bureau of Economic Research. (2007). Mexican Immigration to the United States. Chicago? : University of Chicago Press. Rosales, F. A. (2000). Testimonio: A Documentary History of the Mexican-American Struggle for Civil Rights. Houston: Arte Publico Press. ESSAY TWO Some historians describe the Civil Rights Movement as a two-phase process of a southern movement to guarantee basic human rights and a northern movement focused on economic and social inequalities. In an essay, which incorporates lecture, readings and class discussion analyze this process. Introduction The Civil Rights Movement sought reform in the way the American society treated African Americans and it sought to change the perception. The movement originated in the urban areas of the south after large numbers of African Americans migrated from the rural areas and this was after the abolishment of slavery. The American Civil Rights Movement faced a number of challenges in its quest for equal civil rights for African Americans and other minority groups. This came in the form of legislation which promoted the injustices committed against African Americans by white Americans. The movement was therefore forced to employ different strategies and tactics so as to have its voice and that of its people heard. The movement suffered major losses in the road to the eventual attainment of those rights. The Civil Rights Movement refers to a reform movement of African Americans which sought to attain equal civil rights under the law for all people. It sought to have the abolishment of both public and private acts of discrimination and segregation against African Americans. The movement is said to have originated in the southern urban areas when millions of African Americans migrated from rural areas to the urban centers of the south. The Civil Rights Movement employed various strategies which included: nonviolent strikes, civil disobedience, marches, boycotts, protests rallies and freedom rides. The movement therefore focused on disenfranchisement and the Jim Crow laws in the south. The Civil Rights Movement in the south can be said to have been the most intense as it was in the south that African Americans faced the greatest resistance to their attempts to struggle for equal rights. The south had become the most notorious when it came to the suppression of rights of African Americans. The laws in the south permitted or required four acts of discrimination against African Americans. They included voter suppression or disfranchisement, denial of economic opportunities, private acts and mass racial violence and racial segregation which was first upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court decision in 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. It was also in the south that most of the milestone events in the civil rights movement took place in the south which included the: Martin Luther king Jr. assassination, march on Selma, Alabama, Mississippi freedom summer and the Montgomery bus boycott. The south was also home of some of the most important literature to come out of the Civil Rights Movement like Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham jail. It also home to important Civil Rights Movement landmarks like the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Site. The latter also house a museum which chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement. The challenges of the movement in south emanated from the legislature passing of the Jim Crow laws which legalized segregation in all public facilities. This law meant that African Americans and other non-white citizens were designated different facilities this includes: lavatories, buses, restaurants, housing establishments among others. These went on to be adopted by most local government across the country and this turned to be a major challenge to the Civil Rights Movement. It was the successes of the Civil Rights Movement in the south which made life better for African Americans all over the United States. The civil rights movement culminated in the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965 but of which were a clear symbol of the success of the Civil Rights Movement, (Williams Bond, 1988). Conclusion Despite the major challenges the American civil Rights Movement faced, it managed to succeed in its cause because of its strategies, sacrifices and it resilience. Some of the sacrifices the movement had to contend with included the loss of one of its leaders, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was assassinated. Though this was a major blow the movement managed to remain resilient and it was rewarded with the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965 respectively. The fact that most of the Civil Rights Movement events took place in the south does not mean that the northern part of the country was not involved as activities like the march on Washington took place in the north. The march was the venue for famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. The civil rights movement therefore came along way to achieve success. Reference Williams, J. , Bond, J. (INT) (1988). Eyes on the Prize: Americas Civil Rights Years, 1954- 1965. ISBN 0833514318, 9780833514318: Bt Bound

Pricing Decision Essay Example for Free

Pricing Decision Essay Companies in their endeavor to succeed in the highly competitive and dynamic market are now considering a clear focus on their marketing strategies. This is in order that they may remain relevant in the fast changing business environment, market conditions and consumer preferences. It is important that a company considers the effects of the changes in the business environment including price variations initiated by its competitors This is best done by first analyzing the prices offered by the competitors visa vie the company’s cost structure and the competitor’s chances to change in response to the company’s new price offers (Kotler 2003. p 66). Pricing Strategies The company needs to figure out the best strategy to implement in order to achieve the optimum prices for its products. To initiate cost-cutting with a view to improve on the profitability of the company the company must have an understanding of the type of cost that it needs to manage. This will be to a large extent influenced by its style of management, sources of professional advice, the broader vision of the company’s goals, communication strategy, and company’s capitalization in relation to debt-equity ratio and the cost of borrowing (Sherman 2007. p 3-4). The company also needs to understand the several types of costs that it incurs. The various types of costs are research and development costs, the overheads and administrative costs, human capital costs including health care costs, salaries and employee benefits, infrastructure and system costs, advertising and promotional costs, fixed and variable costs, and debt-servicing costs. The bottom line is to thoroughly examine each of these cost categories and weigh their importance to the company’s business operations, consider more efficient available alternatives, and the possible implications of the cost reduction strategy (Sherman 2007. p5 9). A company such as Wal-Mart that has for years been ahead of its competitors by offering the lowest prices for its goods. Wal-Mart is able to manage favorable price cuts by implementing price cut strategies such as endeavoring to reduce its costs by pursuing a tax reduction strategy. This has been through its investments in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) in order to exploit tax loopholes and avoid some of the taxes levied in particular states (Moore 2007. p. 2). Having accomplished the above cost reduction strategy, the company may the come up with appropriate pricing for its products. This is done by first understanding pricing methods. There are six pricing methods that would lead to an informed decision in fixing prices. These are markup pricing method, the target return pricing method, perceived value method of pricing, value based pricing, the going-rate method of pricing and the sealed-bid method of pricing (Kotler 2003. p 66). Implications of Price Cuts and Conclusion The price of the product or service is a major factor that influences customer’s purchase decision is the marketing mix. A combination of the cost reduction strategy and an appropriate pricing strategy is more likely to benefit the company and enable it attain a competitive advantage over its competitors. By adopting market responsive cost cutting strategies in the communication industry, companies in turn helped create a better way of life whereby customers are now able to communicate more often and at lower prices Salazar 2007. p. 1). This translates to increased profits to the service providers as they are able to sell more units than before. References Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Management. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Moore, M. (2007). Taxing Strategies: Always Cutting Prices, Wal-Mart Attempts to Rollback Taxes. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://walmartwatch. com/img/blog/NIMSP_tax_strategies. pdf Salazar, L. C. Cost Cutting Strategies at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. lirneasia. net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/2-lcs-shoestrings-sing-28feb07. pps Sherman, A. J. (2007). Strategies for Cutting Costs and Improving Profitability. Retrieved March 8, 2009 from http://www. sbecouncil. org/uploads/PPT%20Cost%20Cutting%20for%20Growth%20and%20Profitability. ppt

How Has Climate Change Effected Cambodia Environmental Sciences Essay

How Has Climate Change Effected Cambodia Environmental Sciences Essay Nowadays the world has encountered abundance of challenges such as terrorism, transnational crimes, environment issues and weapon mass destruction (WMD) proliferation. As a matter of fact, these issues cannot be solved by one state; in order to overcome these problems, international cooperation and increasing non-state capability are required. For me, the most anxiety and interesting challenge is environment issue especially climate change and global warming due to two main reasons. First, this issue is a contemporary issue that has affected the world especially agriculture based countries. As we know, about 80 percents of Cambodia population are farmers, and most of them still practice old traditional farming rather than using new technology to assist them. Furthermore, farmers usually rely on water during rainy season to provide water to their fields and harvest on dry season; however, because of climate change and global warming the issue occur when there is not enough water in rainy season plus the irrigation system in Cambodia does not adequate to provide water to everywhere in the country as well, so some farmers cannot plant anything and end up with debt. Thus, this research can show the effects on Cambodia as the agriculture based country. Second, I want to do a research plan on this issue in order to apply for scholarship to study abroad when I graduate. By doing the research on this topic, I can know more about the grass root causes-effects, current solutions and obstacles of these issues. In conclusion, since this issue is beyond my understanding in some aspect, I will use this opportunity when I study the global governance course to analyze this topic, and I hope this individual reflection paper can share knowledge to other students as well. IRP outline: MC#1: Introduction MC#2: The causes of climate change and global warming MC#3: The effects of climate change and global warming MC#4: Responses and challenges MC#5: Conclusion (Note: this outline might be altered according to the research) Topic: Climate change, global warming and its effect on Cambodia as a nation Mini Composition #1: Introduction Global warming and Climate change have been the environmental issues facing humankind for such a long times, and these issues has attracted the international attention during the 1970s. Because these issues are quite a complex subject, cooperation between states and increasing capability of the relevant non-state actors (NSAs) are solutions to deal with these issue. Over the past decades, leaders from states have negotiated to seek a comparative solution for all parties; the institutional framework provided by the UNFCC, the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, in 1992 and plus the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, yet these fragile frameworks do not contribute much to alleviate the problems due to realism ideas, lacking in private morality and uncertainty of states. Furthermore, its impacts are far beyond human ability to control and monitor. we shall discuss in detail about the responses in Chapter4 Global warming is a term used to describe a persistent increase in the earths mean surface temperature relative to long-term average conditions (those that prevail over centuries). In fact, the world climate changes over period; however, in the late 19th century, the climate has changed considerably. Furthermore, it is difficult to distinguish the global warming and climate change since global warming results in climate change and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though climate change has a broader meaning and refers to changes in average climatic conditions (temperature, wind, rainfall, and other climatic variables) relative to their long-term average. Both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) factors can causes global warming, but the overwhelming scientific consensus is that the increase in global temperatures over the past century is primarily due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In conclusion, the global warming and climate change is a wide range of issues that need efforts from each actor in international relation. In the next chapter, we will take a deep look to the causes of global warming and climate change. Mini Composition #2: What are the causes of global warming and climate change? Many scientists endeavor to determine preciously what key factors are behind the global warming and climate change, and they come up with different causes that are interrelated. We can divide causes into two categories increasing amount of Green house gases (GHGs) and urbanization. According to Time For Change organization report, almost 100% of the observed temperature is being increased over the last 50 years has been due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, ozone and other gases. However, the largest contributing source of greenhouse gases is the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2). GHGs in the atmosphere act like a mirror and Fig. 1: the relative of the major human-produced greenhouse gases to current warming [Source: www.koshland-science-museum.org/exhibitgcc/cause01.jsp] reflect back to the Earth a part of the heat radiation, which would, otherwise, be lost to space. The higher the concentration of green house gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the more heat energy is being reflected back to the Earth. Thus, what are the causes of increasing those gases? So far, the causes of variation of atmospheric greenhouse gases especially carbon dioxide are human-made activities and natural disasters. There are various kinds of human activities that increase the amount of CO2 such as burning fossil fuels, emission of smoke by factories, overpopulation, clearing forests for development (agriculture, industrialization or urbanization) and logging in the jungle. For instance, the emission of CO2 into the environment mainly from burning of fossil fuels (oil, gas, petrol, etc.) has been increased significantly over the past 50 years (see the graph below). Fig. 1: Carbon dioxide emissions in million tons per year over the last 200 years [Source: http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Global_Carbon_Emission_by_Type_png] Another cause is urbanization. In order to transform lands from forest or natural to urbanization, industrialization or agriculture, policy makers often face trade-off between development and environment. For example, in industrialized nations, they need fuel in fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gases in order to run their factories. Even though, the leaders do know that it will damage the environment, they have no choice rather than extract natural resources within their countries or other states. Moreover, small particles in the air (aerosols) may have warming or cooling effects, depending on their characteristics. Sulfate (SO4) aerosol, for example, is light-colored and reflects sunlight back into space. The cooling effect of volcanic aerosols from the Mt. Tambora eruption of 1815 caused North Americas year without a summer in 1816. The other interesting cause is overpopulation. According to the US Census Bureaus Web site (15:41 UTC (EST+5) Nov 04, 2010), the number of people in the world is 6,879,418,535. When there are more people, there will be more de mands, and it will lead to more supplies. Thus, in order that factories can increase their productivities, they need more energy and natural resources. Moreover, some products affect the environment because they contain greenhouse gases. For instance, refrigerators and aerosols which contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) that causes damage to the ozone layer. Case study In this case study, we are going to explore the causes that Cambodia contributes to the climate change and global warming. There are three main causes which are deforestation, urbanization and industrialization. First, Deforestation is a hidden causes and controversial in the international stage as well. Between 25 and 30 percent of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere each year comes from deforestation. For instance, Cambodia, located in South East Asia, was recognized as a green country that consisted of rainforest (70% all over country) in 1970s. Unfortunately, Cambodia becomes one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, third to only Nigeria and Vietnam, according to a 2005 report conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The percentage of rainforest fell dramatically from over 70% in 1970 to just 3.1% in 2007. There are some reasons behind this disaster such as war, fragile governance, development, lands incentive f or investments, agricultures, and so on. Second, the Cambodia government has initialed to urbanize the city due to overpopulation and reform. Even though, this development does alleviate and give benefit to this country, it also affects the environment. For instance, when land is converted from forests or nature to urban environments, the regional climate system is altered because urban environments are also islands of heat produced by industry, homes, automobiles, and asphalts absorption of solar energy. Last but not least, in Cambodia, the number of factories, located in the cities and countryside, also affect to the environment. The disposal of waste on land, in water and air damage the ecosystems and leak abundance of green house gases especially CO2. Thus, even though Cambodia is a tiny country in the world, it also mainly contributes to the climate change and global warming as well. In conclusion for this chapter, green house gases, that created by human-made activities and natural disasters, are the main causes of global warming and climate changes. In the next chapter, we will discuss detail about the effects of the global warming and climate changes. Mini Composition #3: What are the effects of global warming and climate change? Even thought global warming and climate change have many effects, these phenomena are interrelated, so to make ease for analyze the effects, I will categorized in six main impacts (1) increasing the temperature on the earth; (2) rising of sea levels; (3) changing landscapes; (4) increasing risk of drought, fire, foods and species extinction; (5) increasing heat-related illness and disease; and (6) economic looses. Increasing the temperature on the earth simply means the earth becomes warmer and warmer, and this is not a new phenomenon, but due to global warming the temperature in the world has increased rapidly and upward. Because the amount of GHGs mainly CO2 increase dramatically in recent decades, Time For Change Organization makes a projection that the temperature of the earth will be increased by 3o to 50 by the year 2050. As the world is heated, sea levels rise because warmer water takes up more room than colder water, a process known as thermal expansion1. Furthermore, the glaciers in the polar melt leads to raising sea levels. Rising seas threaten to inundate low-lying areas and islands, threaten dense coastal populations, erode shorelines, damage property and destroy ecosystems such as mangroves and wetlands that protect coasts against storms. A logical consideration is a 36-inch increase in sea levels would swamp every city on the East Coast of the United States, from Miami to Boston. Moreover, sea level rise associated with climate changes could displace tens of millions of people in low-lying areas especially in developing countries. Inhabitants of some small island countries that rest barely above the existing sea level are already abandoning their islands, some of the worlds first climate change refugees. Another effect is changing landscapes. We can divide it into two different issues land degradation and desertification. Land degradation simply means soil quality is worsening. This phenomenon is a result of over-farming and poor land-use practice. On the other hand, desertification means the growths of deserts and sand areas. Each year according to the United Nations Environmental Program, an area of land about the size of Australia, approximately 31000 square miles, turns into dessert. Another major effect is increasing risk of drought, fire, foods and species extinction. Climate change makes the circulation of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth causing drought and floods to be more frequent, serious and widespread. In 2010, according to Pakistani government data the floods directly affected about 20 million people, mostly by destruction of property, livelihood and infrastructure, with a death toll of close to 2,000.2 Due to the overpopulation, people need to increase the food productivities to meet the demand. Unfortunately, because of land degradation and desertification, most of the soils in the world become poorer and it leads to food insecurity in the world. Moreover, According to The Nature Conservancy group, experts predict that one-fourth of Earths species will be headed for extinction by 2050 if the warming trend continues at its current rate. Not so long, the world already experiences some lessons. For example, in 1999, the death of the last Golden Toad in Central America marked the first documented species extinction driven by climate change3. Another effect is increasing heat-related illness and disease. When the ozone layer becomes thinner, more amount of sun light will come to the earth. Consequently, people will get skin disease because of Ultraviolet. Moreover, Climate change may increase the spread of infectious diseases, because warmer temperatures let diseases carrying insects, animals and microbes to survive in areas where they were once thwarted by cold weather. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that climate change may have caused more than 150,000 deaths in the year 2000 alone, with an increase in deaths likely in the future. Last but not least, global warming prevail the economy loose. Globally, serious change in weather (more serious hurricane, storm etc.) could cause billions of dollars in damage to property and infrastructure. Plus, declining crop productions due to prolonged drought and high temperatures, especially in Africa, could put hundreds of thousands of people at risk. Thus, the effects of global warming and climate change are varies and interrelated. After we have look through to the major effects of these phenomenon, then we shall analyze on the certain country, Cambodia. Case study In the previous chapter, we have examined the causes that Cambodia has contributed to the global warming and climate change. In this case study on the other hand, we shall prevail and analyze the impacts of global warming and climate change in this country. Cambodias temperature would increase up to 1.35 2.50C in 2100. Annual rainfall would increase between 3 and 35% from current condition; lowland areas seem to be more affected than highland areas4. Map of flood-prone communes Map of drought-prone communes Source: WFP (2005) Floods and drought are recognized as one of the main contributors to poverty. In these pictures above, Cambodia is vulnerable to floods and droughts. High dependency on rain-fed farming makes agriculture sector particularly vulnerable. In Cambodia, the impact of climate change has become apparent, yet the public does not feel alert due to limited knowledge and other. There are six implication suggestions on Cambodia. First, recall memory of economy loose. Floods caused 70% of production losses of rice, while drought 20% between 1998 and 2002, and the floods caused USD 205 million damage between 2000 and 20025. Second, According to Allison, he claims that Cambodias economy is rated as one of the most vulnerable to impacts of climate change on fisheries. Third, if the sea level rises, it will affect areas near the sea. The research of ministry of whether shows that 1m rise can submerge 56% of Koh Kong City. Consequently, it will damage to infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, and livelihood. Fourth, as an agriculture country, when the food productivities decline, it leads to food insecurity in the country since Cambodian highly depends on single crop and low processing capacity within the country. Firth, another effect is water quality degradation and sanitation. Finally, increase in water- related / tropical diseases such as malaria and dengue. The Ministry of the Environment estimates that under changing climatic conditions Cambodia may experience increasing incidences of malaria, up 16 percent from its current rate. Natural disasters have upset fragile ecosystems, which in turn have triggered other changes that have affected issues such as ri sing poverty and malnutrition in children. In conclusion, Cambodias weak social infrastructure will affect the poor, and it will be a heavy burden for Cambodias next generations, who will have difficulty in bridging its ecological deficit. Thus, the government and all others relevant must come up with strong policies and fast action to combat climate change. In the next chapter, we shall examine the actions undertaken by international actors and Cambodia itself. Mini composition #4 Responses and challenges of global warming and climate change After severe suffer from these environmental issues, states have recognized that they are in troubles. Consequently, two key environmental conferences were held during the 1990s, namely Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and Kyoto Environmental Summit in 1997. Held under UN auspices, the Rio Earth Summit brought together thousands of delegates and representatives from state actors and non state actors. According to Time reporter, Philip Elmer-Dewitt, published in Rich Vs Poor in 1992, the Earth Summit was the largest and most complex conference ever held- bigger than the momentous meetings at Versailles, Yalta, and Potsdam1. In this summit, 178 states signed two treaties, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCC), addressed global warming issues and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), addressed to protect endangered species and biodiversity. The UNFCC sets the basic objective to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Regarding this summit, the great success is that it gathered many people from different part of the international community that had never assembled to discuss a particular issue. Moreover, Earth summit also raised global consciousness about environmental issue; however, throughout the Rio meeting, a conflict between environmental protection and economic development was reveal because the insistence of many Developing World states that feared that stronger wording might adversely affect their economies. Following the Rio Earth Summit, the Kyoto Environmental Summit in 1997, Japan, intended to address the global warming issue. Despite reduction in the emission of green house gases (GHGs) mandated by the Montreal Protocol and Rio summit agreements, states in the world still released too many of GHGs into the atmosphere, so the atmosphere remained at risk. This Kyoto protocol provided economic incentive for developing states to meet their targets through trade and clean development mechanism, and urged for cooperation between developed and developing states over environmentally clean projects. Nevertheless, only seven out of 84 countries who signed the protocol ratified it in 1999 all of which were small islands or low lying states particularly concerned by global warming and submerging them; however, the conflict between developing and developed states has remained and it needs to be sort out through trust cooperation and mutual interests. Responses From these two summits, there are three suggested solutions carbon management, creating market incentive and alternative energies. Among GHGs, carbon dioxide is the dangerous chemical substance that is the major cause of global warming and climate change. Since the industrialization era, the demand of fossil fuel has increased dramatically, so oil production become inelastic. In order to cope with the carbon budgets, we do need to face head-on six importance activities, (1) slow or stop deforestation, (2) reduce emissions from electricity production, (3) reduce emissions from automobiles, (4) clean up industrial processes in a few major sectors, (5) economize on electricity use through more efficient motors, appliances, lighting, insulation and other electrical demands; (6) convert point-source based systems powered by low-emission electricity. Considering the challenges of reducing emissions from the electricity generation are complicated, there are three major avenues to reduced emissions from the power sectors: greater efficiency in the use of electricity, a greater proportion of electricity generation with n on-fossil fuel sources of energy and special engineering processes to capture the carbon dioxide from fossil fuel electricity plants and to store it by using a technology called carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) 1. The Kyoto protocol has accomplished one major advance: the start of a market price on carbon emissions, in the form of tradable carbon permits, albeit only in Europe. This strategy more or less provides incentive to the emitters to limit carbon emission from their factories. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to increase funding for climate science in the poorest countries to help those countries understand how adapt to the climate change, and science also needed to enable those countries to participate effectively in global mitigation efforts by reducing the rate of deforestation and by adoption low-carbon energy strategies in the course of economic development. Last but not least, we can expect non-fossil energy sources to provide a good and growing fraction of the worlds energy supply. While fossil fuels will predominate for some decades more, in the longer term non-fossil alternatives are likely to come to preeminence. Wind, hydroelectricity, ocean waves, bio-fuel, geothermal and nuclear energy will be more favored although each of these is limited by local condition and not applicable as global solutions. Due to popularity and profits, states attempt to gain the nuclear energy, but it can pose threat to the localized and internationalized because of nuclear radiation and nuclear weapon. Prepared by SAY VORTANA 2 email: [emailprotected] Challenges From my perspective, there are two main challenges implementation and the inequity between developed and developing states. The problem is not the framework or purpose but implementations. The Kyoto protocol commitments were very modest (only 5 percent reduction) and short term until 2012, and it shows the cooperation of the world on a carbon management trajectory. Even so this treaty is considered as failure when the U.S did not ratify this protocol in fear of economic development impacts. The US, far and away the biggest contributor to GHGs, indignantly telling poor countries bearing the consequences in famines, droughts, increased malaria transmission and more that the United States will not even start on emissions control, so how can other states obey and ratify this treaty? Another important but controversial challenges is the inequity between developed and developing states. Development and environmental protection are dilemma for decision makers of individual states; developing countries who try to develop their countries are inevitable to exploit their natural resources, so when developed states who enjoyed their economic growth in the past decades tell developing states to stop exploit their natural resources, it is injustice. For example, when the US and Europe tell Brazil to stop deforestation business investment, and similarly China was criticized for air pollution. In conclusion, as long as there is no strong support from super power P5 (security council); the south and north cannot reach mutual interests (efficiency and equity) plus trust each other, the global warming and climate change still remain unsure when will it can be sort out. Case study What are the possible solution for Cambodia to overcome global warming and climate change? There are three potential solutions low carbon economy/ enhance economy efficiency, carbon finance and promote environment awareness. Cambodias government can improve and examine seven factors: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Energy supply improved supply and distribution efficiency, Renewable sources, security and access à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Transport Hybrid vehicles, emission standards, bio fuels, Public transport, non- motorized transport à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Buildings passive and active solar integrated buildings, improved insulation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Industry Upgrading of factories, processing lines / schemes etc. Prepared by SAY VORTANA 3 email: [emailprotected] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Agriculture improved agricultural practices à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Waste management landfill methane recovery; waste to energy; composting; recycling and waste minimization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Forestry Reforestation; forest management; reduced deforestation For carbon finance Cambodia can enjoy with the extra paid by using clean development mechanism (CDM). According to UNDP based in Cambodia, a local power generator, Samrong Thom Methane-fired Power Generation reduce total GHG emission for 7 years 47,544 tCO2e; this generator can get total income at $15/tCO2e: US$ 713,160 from carbon finance2, so government should encourage this kind of investment in Cambodia. Invest in Biogas Digester (source: UNDP) Another solution is to promote environment awareness for Cambodian. The bottom- up strategy also provides a better option to overcome this issue. The government can work effectively with other Non-government organizations (NGOs) by providing environment education in the public school and local communities. In short, besides protecting environment, Cambodia can enjoy low carbon economy through carbon finance; furthermore, the bottom-up strategy can promote environment issue awareness in Cambodia. In the last chapter of this paper, we will wrap up and provide brief conclusion. Mini composition #5 Conclusion Global warming and climate change are transnational issues that pose great challenges to the global governance. Nations has suffered severe disaster such as flood, hurricane, serious earthquake, drought and so on recently, and it would be great danger in the future if global warming and climate change are not sorted out effectively. Despite of cooperation between states through earth summit and Kyoto protocol, the issues remain widespread from day to day. Who will be responsible? Developed states or developing states? The controversial stances between developed countries and developing countries remain exists and pose a big challenge for Kyoto protocol. Furthermore, the decision maker, leader, head of states are inevitable face dilemma between development and environmental protection. For Cambodia, Cambodia contributes little to climate change but almost all the provinces in Cambodia are vulnerable to climate change due to their low adaptive capacity and dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods. Moreover, climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and windstorms as well as coastal inundation due to sea-level rise. Responding to climate change should start by linking efforts to reduce vulnerability to present climate-related disasters with those aimed at building longer-term resilience to climate change. Low carbon economy/enhance economy efficiency, carbon finance and promote environment awareness are the factors that will be alleviate and assist Cambodian through bright future in the next generation. For both international and national level, implementation and commitment from the government or head of state is compulsory to ensure the sustainable growth with the green economy policy.

Coca Cola Essay -- essays research papers

Coca Cola was created by Pharmacist Dr. John Styth Pemberton. He developed the formula for the famous soft drink in his backyard on May 8, 1886. Dr. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, came up with the idea for the unique cursive logo that has been the trade mark ever since. On May 29, 1886 the very first ad appeared in the Atlanta Journal: Coca-Cola. Delicious! Refreshing! Exhilarating! Invigorating! The New and Popular Soda Fountain Drink, containing the properties of the wonderful Coca plant and the famous Cola nuts. For sale by Willis Venable and Nunnally & Rawson. Dr. Pemberton died shortly after this ad and sales plummeted. Robinson didn’t want the business to fail and decided advertising was at fault- â€Å"people did not know what they were missing.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Coca Cola trademark had been patented, Asa G. Candler, an Atlanta businessman, purchased the rights to the product and formed the corporation, â€Å"The Coca-Cola Company.† He began the push on Coca-Cola advertising by giving thousands of tickets away for free glasses of Coca- Cola, and advertising on outdoor posters, calendars, soda fountain urns, and wall murals and making Coke available everywhere. The invention of bottling in 1894 increased availability of the soft drink.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company hired William D’Arcy in 1906 to head up advertising and he believed that advertising should show that Coca-Cola is a part of happy times in everyday life. This type of advertising was used for decades. One of the first newspaper ads showed a picture of Ty Cobb, a baseball star up at bat and said: Something’s bound to happen—nerves a tingle—head whizzing. Crack!! Good boy Ty!! Safe!! And then you shout yourself hoarse. When it’s all over you’re hot, thirsty and limp. A cold, snappy drink of Coca-Cola will put you back in the game- relieve the thirst and cool you off. D’Arcy found this baseball ad to be a success because everyone loves baseball. He felt as though it affected the reader’s senses which made him or her feel thirsty for a Coca-Cola. Other ads that appealed to the consumer’s sense of pleasure in associations with Coke included an ideal American girl drinking Coke, business men drinking Coke aboard an American Pullman train car and young people enjoying Coke out on a boat ride. In 1929 Coca-Cola’s most famous slogan, â€Å"The Pause That Refreshes... ...ecial featuring Edgar Berger and Charlie McCarthy. Shortly after this came the sponsorship of Walt Disney’s TV premiere on Christmas Day of the same year. After fifty years D’Arcy closed its account with Coca-Cola and responsibilities for advertising was transferred to McCann-Erickson. They used everything that TV offered such as animation, stop motion and live action ads and coined the nationally known slogan â€Å"Things Go Better With Coke.† The first color ad was called the â€Å"Refrigerator-Man† and other famous TV ads were the â€Å"Hilltop† commercial, â€Å"Mean Joe Green†, and the â€Å"Northern Lights† which used the famous polar bear. In 2000 Coca-Cola launched an ambitious new international campaign using the slogan â€Å"Coca-Cola. Enjoy.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After ninety nine years Coke had become such a part of American life, that when the company tried to introduce â€Å"new Coke† the public protested so strongly that the company had to bring back the original renamed â€Å"Coca-Cola classic.† Coca-Cola and its â€Å"Red, White and You† theme and its pleasant associations with people’s everyday happy family life made it a classic symbol of America. â€Å"Unmistakably Coca-Cola. Unmistakably American.†

Black Boy-Oppression :: essays research papers

*Black Boy Essay: Oppression Growing up as a Negro in the South in the early 1900's is not that easy, some people suffer different forms of oppression. In this case, it happens in the autobiography called Black Boy written by Richard Wright. The novel is set in the early part of the 1900's, somewhere in Deep South. Richard Wright, who is the main character, is also the protagonist. The antagonist is no one person specifically, it takes many different forms called "oppression" in general. The main character over comes this "oppression" by rebelling against the common roles of the black, society. Richard Wright's character was affected in early childhood by the effects of society oppression, but he became a great American author despite the negative factors in his life. Today everyone encounters some form of oppression. One of the forms Richard is encountering is called societal oppression. As an example, after Richard sees a "black" boy whipped by a "white" man, he asks his mother why did the incident happen. His mother says, " 'The "white" man did not whip the "black" boy...He beat the "black" boy, '. This quote is showing racism, which is one way of society keeping Richard, and all other blacks in the South down. Another example is when is at the rail road station with his mother, and as they are waiting for the train, he sees something he has never seen, "...for the first time I noticed that there were two lines of people at the ticket window, a "white" line and a "black" line†. This is demonstrating how laws keep a certain group of people apart, which is also another form of society oppression. Society oppression occurs again when Richard is "hanging" out with his friends, and their conversation with each other leads on to the subject of war. One of his friends gets really into the subject and says, " 'Yeah, they send you to war, make you lick them Germans, teach you how to fight and when you come back they scared of you.’ This means that the "white" people put the "black" people on the front line to defend our country, and when they come back, they can not accept them, therefore they oppress them in different ways, which is society oppression. These are examples of society oppression that Richard overcomes and rises to the top on his own.