Visitor and destination management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Visitor and destination management plan - Essay Example The Canary Islands consist of Isla de Gran Canaria, Isla de Tenerife, Isla de la Palma, Isla de la Gomera, Isla de El Hierro, Isla de Alegranza, and Isla de Fuerteventura. Tourism is one of the main revenue source for the isands, with Gran Canaria and Tenerife attracting the most visitors, however, tourism abounds throughout the chain (McLeod, 1999). The Canary Islands, which shall focus on Gran Canaria of the island chain, as the subject location for this study of tourism and destination management in that the location is well known as well as offered suitable information that is available to enable an examination of the varied points to be addressed herein. In examining visitor and destination management, an understanding of the term is necessary to position it within this study. The Association of Destination Management Executives defines destination management as professional management that specialises " in the design and delivery of events, activities, tours, staffing and transportation, possessing and utilising extensive local knowledge, expertise and resources" (Lee, 1998). The World Trade Organisation Business Council advises that "the current trend in almost all regions of the world is towards semi-public but autonomous tourism organizations involving a partnership with both private sector and regional and/ or local authorities" (George Washington University, 2003). The preceding marks a distinct departure from the past as the roles as well as responsibilities of the private sector and governments have undergone a significant change in that the state no longer has the main responsibility for the development and promotion of tourism (George Washington University, 2003). The new situation calls for the alignment of both interests due to the huge economic ramifications of tourism that requires cooperation and planning between the state, local governments, the private business sector, as well as local communities in the crafting of long range plans concerning infrastructure investment, that consists of airport, transport, road, energy delivery, and related improvements as well as foreign investment attraction for hotels, general and specific industries (World Travel and Tourism Organisation, 1999). The fact

Financial Statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Financial Statements - Essay Example d of the companies are for the year 2008.The areas covered are profitability, liquidity, financial risks, investments attractions and overall growth of the companies. The ratios employed to assess the profitability of two competitive airlines are Operating profit margin, Net Profit Margin, ROCE, and earnings per share. Gross profit margin cannot be employed as the airline business is not a goods trading business. Operating Profit Margin â€Å"measures the percentage of each sales dollar remaining after all costs and expenses other than interest and taxes are deducted. It represents the pure profits earned on each sales dollar.†(Lawrence J. Gitman, page 144)i Easyjet operating profit margins are mere 3.85% as compared to massive 19.78% of Ryanair. The reason for such difference is the efficiency employed by Ryanair in operating expenses to reach a turnover of $27138222000. On the other hand the turnover of $2362.8m has been achieved by Easyjet at huge operating cost of $2271.8m. Net profit margins take into consideration all expenses including depreciation and finance expenses before taxes. It will be noted that Easyjet has shown improvement in net profits margin of 4.66% when compared to its own operating profit margins of 3.85. The reason is that Easyjet has net finance income and not the expenditure. It is because of this reason Ryanair/s net profit margin of 16.17% is lower than its operating profit margin of 19.79 as it has finance expenses are higher than finance income. But Ryanair’s net profit margin is certainly higher than Easyjet because of its efficiency shown in controlling the expenses. Return on capital employed (ROCE) is more realistic ratio of profitability â€Å"if the assets are stated at current value rather than at historical cost; that is, there is a revaluation reserve included in the capital employed.† (Philip Ramsden, page 42)ii Taking this limitation into account, Easyjet has a very poor ROCE of 3.81% as compared to 8.19% of Ryanair.

Pros and Cons of budgeting in modern environment

Pros and Cons of budgeting in modern environment Budgets are recognized as time-honored tools for planning and setting organizations goals, for communicating among corporate constituencies, and for providing basis for operating results review as well as performance evaluation. While it is difficult for firms to have perfect budgets that make use of all functions equally well, differential emphasis on the respective uses of budgets reflects the environment variation and contracting needs. The modern economic environment is associated with a rapidly changing environment, flexible manufacturing, short product life cycles and highly customized products and services (Abdullah N.B. 2008). The keys to survive is flexibility and rapid response whereby companies are able to move quickly to exploit opportunities as they arise and does not operate according to elaborate business plans (Abdullah N.B. 2008). We were being overtaken by events. Traditional planning and budgeting strategy had to give. Senior vice-president in Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Kevin T. Parker said that, department managers budgeted at the detail level before the company had agreed on strategic objectives. (Banham, R. 2000.) Fujitsu were long on process and short on valuable information to run the business. Department managers would forecast product availability and customer expectations independent of one another, then negotiate with top management for few times until they were final. This circuitous routine took two months, an exceptionally long period of time in the fast-paced computer industry. (Banham, R. 2000.) Most organizations recognize budgets as a key element in their management control systems, but the usefulness of budgets has generated intense discussion and debate. Budgets have been proven by some of the researches that budgets are less useful in todays highly challenging business environment. Traditional budgeting, budget planning is a top-down process which will not support the types of extreme decentralization and employee empowerment initiatives that are required for firms to be competitive today (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007). Budgets are no longer useful in the current environment Budgets constraint responsiveness and flexibility and are often a barrier to change. Traditional budgeting is focused on the achievement of the specific plan or budget and this resulted in organizations eyesight to constantly focus on how to achieve and beat the budget. But indeed, the objectives of a company should not be to beat the budget but to beat the competition. (Leone, A.J and Rock, S. 2000) Whereas, in traditional budgeting there is rarely an opportunity to amend, change or update the budget once it has been approved, should there be any changes in the environment or assumptions employed (Abdullah N.B. 2008). Thus, managers only can decision within the budget, but the particular decision that he make, might not be the perfect solution; managers are tended to abandon best solution due to not exceed the budget, and thus inhibits management response to change. This focus can act as a constraint, decreasing the firms flexibility and ability to adapt and deal with new opportunit ies, threats or changes in customers requirements (Abdullah N.B. 2008).Traditional budgets prevent empowerment and the opportunity for employees to contribute to the achievement of strategic objectives. It is blocking employee initiatives and demotivated employees, where employee initiative and motivation are needed in todays highly challenging environment, which can make a marked improvement in performance and productivity, thus it is a barrier to continuous improvement and success, because, less focus is given on how to maximize the organizations potential. According to the Shastri K. and Stout D.E., many segment-level employees1 than corporate-level employees felt that budgets had negative behavioral consequences in terms of employee initiatives, motivating short-term decision making, and pressure to achieve targets. Budgets encourage gaming and dysfunctional behavior. (Abdullah N.B. 2008). Libby T., and Lindsay M., (2007) explicitly addressed the issue of budget gaming. Majority of the respondents surveyed indicated that three gaming phenomena occur at least occasionally: spending money at year-end to avoid losing it the old-age use it or lose it syndrome, deferring necessary expenditures and negotiating easy targets the Segment-level was defined variously as a subsidiary, division, department, or product level. sandbagging syndrome (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007).This is especially the case when meeting the budget is directly linked with rewards and incentive payments to individuals and/or team. Indeed, many organizations incorporate budgetary performance subjectively into the overall performance evaluation of managers (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007). Moreover, managerial compensation plans, including incentive compensation formulas, incorporate achievement of specified budget objectives for financial performance measures. (Shastri K. and Stout D.E. 2008) The dual roles of budgeting gives rise to agency problems in the budget-setting process and affect the accuracy of budgets. Majority of participants seek to maximize their personal gain during the process of setting budgets. Once, goal congruence is not achievable, there are conflicts of interest between company and employees, and this is where the agency problems are occurred. Tying budget targets to compensation contracts encourages ma nagers to game the budgeting system to increase the probability they will receive positive performance evaluations and, therefore, any related bonus (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007). Budget gaming is when managers are use to receive positive performance. For examples, when companies are using budget integrated with incentive program, managers will try they best to show a good performance but gaming the budgets. Managers might defer necessary expenditures (such as, maintenance of machine, advertising cost, research and development) to meet current period budget targets, which will affect effectiveness and efficiency of company. Besides that, managers will take big bath when budget targets could not be attained, which mean the effort of producing the budget is not appreciated. Using budget as the tools of evaluating performance will lead to negative behavioral consequences. Budgets can still be useful in the current environment Budget should use as the basic for performance evaluation but not the only means to evaluate performance. As mentioned above, solely focus on budget as the only way to evaluate performance and compensate managers will result in agency problems. Agency problems will lead to company underperformance. Budget can be useful once, the incentive program is not mostly depending on it. In order to measure performance, budget is not the only option; companies should design an effective performance measurement system by integrated financial2 and non-financial3 indicators as tools of measuring efficiency or performance. Moreover, companies should design an effective system which can link to strategy and goals of the organization to encourage goal congruence, recognize controllability and emphasize on employees empowerment. By designing a system besides budget to measure performance can solve agency problem. Measure performance of managers based on controllability and responsibility, which mean t op management should back out non-controllable variances before comparing actual to budget. For instance, companies such as Allstate, Fujitsu, Nationwide Financial Services, Owens Corning, Sprint and Texaco, are compensating the managers for achieving measurable results (Banham, R. 2000). For example, when evaluate performance of production managers should back out the machine breakdown hours, because it was not under his controllability but is engineers responsibility. Besides that, provide incentive to managers who manage to generate an accurate budget, managers will tend to provide secret information to the budget, thus, it make the budget more accurate. In addition, Hope and Fraser propose a new management model to take the place of budgeting for control purposes. This new model is based on employee empowerment and alternative methods of performance management, which to suit the requirement of todays highly challenging environment (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007). Financial indicator such as, return on investment (ROI), residual income (RI) and economic value added (EVA). Non-financial indicator such as, benchmarking, balance-score card, customer satisfaction measures, defect measures, product quality measures, accident measures, machine downtime measures, delivery time measures and etc. Moreover, there is a new model which known as Beyond Budgeting was developed by two consultants, Jeremy Hope and Robin Fraser, in order to find and develop alternative tools to the planning and budgeting process (Abdullah N.B. 2008).This new model is based on employee empowerment and alternative methods of performance management (Libby T., and Lindsay M., 2007). Most of the organizations which are high profile companies, have abandoned the major annual budget preparation, the Beyond Budgeting Round Table (BBRT4) members realized that attempts to make incremental changes to improve the budgeting system by introducing zero-based, activity-based or faster budgeting are not solving the problems caused by the fast-changing business world (Abdullah N.B. 2008), but to change the underlying culture of contract, compliance and control embedded in the traditional budgeting. Beyond Budgeting model, BBRT have developed a generic model that is based on 12 principles to create a flexible a responsive management model with an underlying culture of responsibility, enterprise and learning. Companies that operate in a business environment that is market led, highly competitive and unpredictable, and in which intellectual capital is the key strategic resource; and which have already successfully implemented various management tools like the Balanced Scorecard, Activity-Based Management and Rolling Forecast, should be the ideal candidate for the Beyond Budgeting model. The BBRT is the combination of a new concept (beyond budgeting) and a community (round table). The BBRT community is an independent research collaborative that shares its knowledge across its global network through conferences and workshops. Source: Abdullah N.B. 2008. Chapter 3: Scenario of Corporate Planning and Budgeting in a rapidly changing environment. These 6 principles (Table 1.a) concern creating a flexible organizational structure in which authority is devolved to employees. The following 6 principles (Table 1.b) deal with designing an adaptive management process for a flexible organizational structure. Table 1.b: The 12 Beyond Budgeting Principles and Practices Source: Abdullah N.B. 2008. Chapter 3: Scenario of Corporate Planning and Budgeting in a rapidly changing environment. Conclusion Budgeting, despite being proven to effectively act as one of the building blocks of management control system, was commonly viewed as a restriction of companies flexibility and competitive ability. Yet, despite various criticisms, budgets are in fact alive and well, rather than becoming obsolete, most organizations use a traditional budget because they are easy to put together and simplify coordination of budget assumptions across different departments. This is the simplest method of budgeting. But, indeed, with a traditional budgeting, company might be underperformance. In order to be more competitive in today challenging world, adopting advanced budgeting approaches is needed as it is focus on empowerment employees as well as responsibility.

Universality of Death of a Salesman :: Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman's universality comes from its fundamental themes and ideas which will adhere to place and time period it is. They have the ability to connect with such a universal audience because they take into account human nature. We, as readers or viewers, of the play can connect with the concepts presented because they are part of our everyday lives. Let's start off with one of the major themes in the play, which is the pursuit of a dream. For Willy Loman, it is the American dream. His false notion of this dream, which he believes with firm conviction, if you are "well liked" and "personally attractive" you will do well in business and life. The American dream is something that can be pursued, but not the way Willy perceived it. For example, Chris Gardner, the successful owner of stock brokerage, went from being a homeless man sometimes sleeping in public bathrooms to opening becoming a multimillionaire. His rags to riches story, like many others, show hard work and dedicati on can help you achieve your goals. Thousands of people come into the U.S. each year, many of them with the hope of building a better life in the "land of opportunity." Dreams can vary. We all have dreams because we want to achieve more so we can have a better life, whether it is in terms of wealth, health, family, or happiness. However, even with dreams and achievements, we may not always be able to get what we desire. Willy Loman was unable to see this. Even with defeat staring at him, his denial as well as his inability to face it, blinded him from accepting the truth. Another thing that makes this play timeless is the idea that, regardless of who we are, each one of us is a salesman and we will continue to be salesman. For example, teachers sell their beliefs and ideas to their students. People aspiring for a job sell themselves to the employers. The same thing goes when applying for colleges or when finding a mate. So, in that sense, we have a little bit of Willy Loman in us making this connection we can relate to him and hope not to make his mistakes. Death of a Salesman is just as significant in this time period as it was in 1949 is because a common man is trying to make it in his world.

Philosophy of Gender Essay

Some people aspire for successful lives, but I think success is overrated. What I’m trying to do is living my life according to what I think is right. This means learning not only inside the classroom, but also outside. This is because I believe that education inside the classroom is very limited, which is why we should take the initiative to control our education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So I start my day by having breakfast. I also read the paper while eating. One must still be aware of the current political and social issues; we must never be isolated from society. These are the people’s issues, so we must not be isolated from what they are engaged in. We are working for a better society not for ourselves, but also for other people and the next generation, so we must be integrated with their issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After breakfast, I go to school. In school, aside from attending class, I talk to the personnel. I ask their opinion on issues. I ask how their lives are. Through this way, I get a perspective on how they think. It is very interesting because they are usually very outspoken. Sometimes, I learn so much more from them than the textbooks they make us read in class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After class, I sometimes do volunteer work. I treat this as my â€Å"other class.† It supplements what I learn in class, and sometimes I get to apply what I learned inside the classroom as well. This class teaches me a lot, from relating with other people to critical thinking. Then I go home. I eat, study, then read. I may not have a lot of stuff, but I do have a lot of books.   I love reading. This opens my mind to a lot of possibilities, as well as solutions. I also love reading about great odds being surpassed by ordinary people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For a democracy to work, I think the citizens should be proactive people. For this to happen, they have to be trained even while in school. And this would entail letting them take control of their education, planning their own curriculum, carrying out their own lesson plan. When one speaks of a rational state of consciousness, one is talking of the state when one’s mind is consciously doing something, like crossing the street. This kind of state requires one’s full attention. When one speaks of non-rational consciousness, it is when one’s mind is engaging in an activity that one’s mind can do subconsciously; its whole attention is not on the activity. Habits and learned behavior fall under this state. An example would be tapping one’s foot. And when one talks of the irrational state, it is the state of being unconscious, such as sleeping deeply. When in this state, one is unaware of what is happening. Have you had your heart broken? I have, once. I loved her, but she left me. Maybe she thought the world is a better companion. I do not know. It has been years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Her name was Lilith. She was a remarkable being, all magic and desire. She had hair that was like waterfalls cascading down to earth; fluid, wild, breath-taking, hypnotizing. Her body was like the hills and mountains of the earth, curvaceous and fertile. She also provided the   intellectual stimulation that I needed. In my youth, I was too arrogant and stubborn to see that.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I had asked Father for a mate. I was lonely, and I had no one to share my experiences of naming and taking care of the creatures Father put under my care. I also wanted someone who would complement my efforts of organizing the whole of Creation, listening intently, while serving me a delicious meal. So I told the Father how lonely I was.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He made a mate, and called it woman. I accepted her, and we lived together. I thought we were going to be happy together forever in paradise. I made her wait on me, serve me, obey me. I wanted her to only wander when I was with her. I wanted her to do all the domestic duties, because I was busy managing the Garden of Eden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We got along sometimes. Lilith, skilled with words, would contribute to my summary of what I did during the day, pointing out which names fitted the creature exactly. I thankfully used her suggestions, being inept with words, having been alone for some time. But mostly we fought day and night. We had different views on most things. She wanted to talk about how we feel; I could not successfully keep up with her analysis on why she is annoyed when the sheep just leaves its droppings lying around. She wanted to do things on her own; she could not understand that I was afraid of losing her, which is why I do not want her wandering off. She wanted the privilege of naming and managing the creatures in Creation; I could not make her understand that this was a job given to me, and she should try other activities in the Garden. She talked of how Eden could be made better; I would rather focus on the conditions now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So we fought. She would not do the things I told her were her duties as my wife. She said she wanted to do other things. She could not understand that her declining means undermining my authority. I know I should not have shouted at her and pulled her hair, but she made me angry. So when she left, I did not go looking for her. We have had disputes before, and though it is unlike her to not talk the problem over, I decided to pay no heed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But then, days after, she has not yet returned. So I told the Father of my concern. He sent messengers to her, but she would not yield. She would not come back to Eden, to me.

Bad Eating Habits

Judging from the tidal waves of low-fat foods washing up on supermarket shelves and the proliferation of health clubs popping up in cities, one would think that America has become the land of the lean and the home of the fit. However, this is not the case at all. The obesity problem is rising to epidemic proportion. It is beginning to spawn health problems and is even growing everyday. There are more and more people who are acquiring bad eating habits because of a lot of factors. The problem has gone to alarming proportions and it is time that experts on nutrition join hands to look more closely at the causes of these bad eating habits.People need to be more conscious about their increasing weight. As one eats, one becomes aware of how he/she feels when satisfied. When one is full and stuffed, one must decide to stop eating whenever he/she hits the full mark. People hear a lot of advises and one very good advice is â€Å"If you eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are sati sfied, then your body will reach its optimal weight. † However, this might be easily said than done for the statistics of overweight people continue to rise.Because of rising health costs, food experts say that we are essentially subsidizing the food industry to peddle junk food to kids. This is not that easy though since regulation is not an ideal solution. Multi-national corporations like Unilever, Pepsi and Coke had all voluntarily changed their products and practices to respond to clamor for growing health concerns. There was the pressure on them to do their own regulation in coming up with better, healthier foods. It was even revealed that Unilever was asked to reduce trans-fatty acids in their products. Unilever’s response was dramatic.It eliminated them altogether (World Economic Forum). However, Dr. Marion Nestle feels that poor nutrition is the ultimate reason for obesity. Diets lacking calcium, phosphorus and other nutrients tremendously affect the weight gain or loss of a teen’s fat cells. Dr. Bedell, agrees with the findings. † Any family below the poverty level has an incredible amount of outside stress,† she said. † If there’s no education of nutrition, it’s a matter of surviving emotionally and physically. † (Gard MC, 1996). Concern is expressed over the person’s tendency to eat between meals.However, the choice of foods is much more important than the time or place or eating. Fresh vegetables and fruits as well as whole grain products are needed to complement the foods high in energy value and protein that adolescents commonly choose. Similarly, a special concern in cultures today is the amount of fat in the diet. This person in study who has a low budgeted food is not exempted. She virtually lives on fast-food meals, which contributes to the increased fat levels in their diet. The average adolescent, though, does not worry about getting enough protein.What is of more concern is t he vast number of adolescents who consume large quantities of fast foods such as French fries and burgers, that are not only high in protein but high in fat (Drake, 2006). To illustrate this further, statistics show the fact that the average teenager watches approximately 22,000 commercials – 5,000 of them for food products, the majority of which are high-sugar, high-calorie, and low-nutrition items. Research indicates that 67 percent of Saturday morning commercials are for sugared cereals, candy bars, and other sweets. Only 3 percent of TV food ads are for fruits and vegetables (Medical News Today).Considering that some members of the average family watch more than seven hours of TV per day, it is not surprising that contemporary research indicates that human development and behavior are affected by television to a degree far exceeding earlier judgments (Robinson, T. , 1999). Promoting healthy diet and exercise remains one of the most challenging goals in today’s mode rn world. REFERENCES Drake, L. (26 April 2006). The USDA Food Guide Pyramid: New and Improved? Gard MC, Freeman CP, (1996), The dismantling of a myth: a review of eating disorders and socioeconomic status.Int J Eat Disord (1996), 20(1):1-12. Medical News Today, (13 May 2004). 10% of the world’s children are overweight or obese and the figures are rising Article Retrieved Feb. 12, 2006 at: http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/medicalnews. php? newsid=8277 Reducing the Size of the Obesity Problem, World Economic Forum, Jan. 24, 2004, Retrieved Feb. 12, 2007 at: http://www. weforum. org/site/knowledgenavigator. nsf/Content/_S10222? open&industry_id= Robinson, T. Reducing children’s television viewing to prevent obesity: A randomized controlled trial, Journal of the American Medical Association 1999: 282: 1581-1587

Differences between New England and Chesapeake Colonies DOC essays

Differences between New England and Chesapeake Colonies DOC essays When the colonists settled America, many of them had different reasons, beliefs, and accomplishments to set for themselves. Whatever the reason, North and South, (New England and Chesapeake, respectively), evolved into two distinct societies, because of social, political, and economic reasons. Social life changed both colonies dramatically. First off, you have the New England settlers, who came to the Americas because of religious persecution in England and surrounding areas. As seen in Document A, John Winthrop states, We must knit together in this work as one man. This article basically defines the Puritan ways, and gave strength to the Puritans coming to the Americas. John Winthrop also states that their goal was to form "a city upon a hill", which represented a "pure" community, where Christianity would be pursued in the most correct manner. In Chesapeake, the reasons for coming to American werent because of the strict confines of the Anglican Church, it was because they were wealthy snobs and wanted even more. (by trying to find something valuable). Document F states that all everyone wanted to do was dig, wash, refine, and load gold. What a waste of time, because no one came out rich like the Spanish. Document D, a list of immigrants bound for New England, suggests family unity. Document E, however, for the Chesapeake, suggests no one thought for staying long, and well, that totally messed up things there. Also, more women came with the immigrants to New England. In Chesapeake, there must have been lots of schoolboy fights for girls. The religions were different (Puritanism in New England and Anglican in Virginia). Indians threatened both colonies, or thats how the colonists saw it. Massacring all the Indians wasnt right, but thats ok, we (Americans) were extremely stupid back then, but now, were only a slight level of idiocy. The Chesapeake, however, werent as violent with the ...

Impact and value of Nest Essays

Impact and value of Nest Essays Impact and value of Nest Essay Impact and value of Nest Essay Consequence of Nests successes and failures Matt Rogers, the co-founder and UP at engineering once said, Before Nest, people didnt care about their thermostat. l He was probably right in the sense that unlike a lot of other technology or devices, the design and functions of thermostats havent really changed much during the last few decades. By coming up with its own thermostat featuring a unique and cool design, a user-friendly interface, a motion sensor, smart learning ability and long-term energy saving function, Nest manages to create a surprisingly huge impact on its customers and users, the society as a whole ND raise moral, ethical and legal issues that cannot be ignored as its business continue to expand. Influence on customers life According to online feedbacks from Nests customers, benefit brought by Nests thermostat when its working normally is obvious and superior to any of its competitors. Nests technology of auto-learning, auto-schedule and auto-sense give the device the ability to collect data from real world and combine it with virtual world algorithm so that the customers can always enjoy personalized and accurate in-door temperature control without bothering themselves to adjust thermostats manually. The air-wave technology calculates the precise time that the air-conditioner compressor can be turned off before reaching the desired temperature while still being able to maintain the target temperature afterwards with the cold air generated a short period after turning off. This not only provides customers with a room temperature much closer to the desired one, but also increases energy efficiency and reduces energy bill for customers together with the three technologies mentioned previously. 2 By partnering with energy companies and creating projects such as Rushing hour awards and seasonal savings,3 Nest is giving its customers a much lealer idea about their own energy consumption pattern, raising their awareness of energy saving, and provide them with the incentive to be consume energy more efficiently. In conclusion, with its disruptive innovation, Nest turned the zero-sum game between customers and companies into a win-win situation. Also Nests design-thinking process and its emphasis on user experience in its thermostat really changes consumers perception of home appliance and might even lead the future trend of home appliance designing. From now on, customers will have a much high demand when purchasing home appliances. Artistic appearance, smart self-control and even human-like personality might all be required, which are all product characteristics displayed by Nest. The reason for that is because even without the customers themselves noticing, Nests thermostat is actually introducing them into the world of Internet of everything. By using or Just knowing the existence of Nest thermostat, customers are enabled to expand their vision and understanding of connectivity from Just cell- phones, laptops to a much were range AT applications Ana turn Trot resistance to accepting and embracing the idea of appliance self-evolving. However with companies like Honeywell already introducing programmable thermostats long ago, why is Nest the one that attracts mass public attention and wins popularity among customers? The reason might be their focus on the user friendliness of their products. No matter how promising or important the idea of Internet of things is, its mostly Just an idea familiar to people working in hi-tech industry, in other words, geeks. For normal customers, they care much more about getting a functional, cool and easy to use product than getting a sophisticatedly designed one and spent a Eng time admiring its amazing technology or the exciting technology future it represents. Nests design of its thermostat manages to cross the huge gap between geeks and ordinary users by providing the end customers with only the benefits of Internet of things, eliminating most of the complicated technology training or explanation. The simplicity of nests design also shows in its installation, according to Nest three people out of four install nest in less then 30 minutes. 4 All these features educated the customers that people should not adapt to technology, instead, technology should adapt to people. However in terms of dealing with customer relationships, Nest is not doing a satisfying Job. From both Amazon and Nests own community, there are a lot of angry posts regarding the unsuitability of the thermostat,5 and most of them didnt seems to receive up-to-expectation customer service. No matter its a product sold in regions outside North America where the product cannot currently be supported or sold from Amazon but later turned out incompatible with the customers HAVE system, Nest all regard it as not the problem of the thermostat therefore refuses a return to the company directly. This strategy brings a lot of unnecessary trouble to customers and might not be really suitable for a startup still trying to expand its market share. Impact on society and ecosystem Nest is not only influencing customers, but also having an impact on the whole ecosystem it is in. Its partnership with several large energy companies benefits its customers by getting them rebates and access to new exclusive services such as Rushing hour awards and Seasonal Saving, 6 while in the meantime also helping energy companies to build a more environmental friendly image and attract more seers by giving Nest thermostat as a free gift to those who sign certain energy contracts. This breaks the conventional pattern of the industry supply chain existing for decades, in which most of the time energy companies have the biggest authority and apply one-way communication to companies at lower end of the supply chain. Nests thermostat and some of the technology it used is also influencing its competitors including Honeywell and Coble greatly. Just like Apples phone first released to the market, in terms of design Nests thermostat is quite a few generations more superior to its competitors products, therefore sets the future velveteen trend of this industry. When gradually eating up its competitors market snares, Nest Is also encouraging Its competitors to devote more Into Innovation Ana come up with more creative and competitive products like Honeywell WIFE smart thermostat,7 thus accelerating the developing speed of the industry. However resistance still exists, especially from its competitors. Honeywell patent lawsuit against Nest regarding seven patents infringement that is estimated to last for years is an obvious example. No matter whether Nest really used Honeywell patents or tot according to the law, it is clearly a competing strategy of Honeywell intending to distract the companys focus and scare the startup out of the market. From the point of view of both companies, there is really nothing more can be done previously to change the current situation. Once Nest step into the thermostat market with a new and competitive product, it is going to be sued. If Honeywell doesnt do it, other companies would. And for Honeywell, if it cannot release a more competitive product in a short period, then taking advantage of its large pool of patents is the best way to pep its current market leader position. However this is not necessarily a bad thing for the society. The lawsuit between these two companies grabs a lot of media attention and provides the opportunity for governments and society to reconsider the fairness of the patent law. If the current law good enough to encourage new innovations and protect the benefits of its owners while not being taken advantage of by patent trolls with abundant resources as business war tools and discourage valuable start-ups and their disruptive innovation? If it is not, what kind of amendments should be done to improve it? Nests relationship with HAVE manufacturing companies somehow needs improvement. Without really engaging in much cooperation with those HAVE manufacturing companies, Nests thermostat is not compatible with quite a few kinds of HVACs, thus excluding certain segments of customers out of its target market. It seems that Nest is trying to imitate what Apple managed to do, that is adopt close systems and in the end became the industry standard setter. However Nest is not Apple. Unlike Pod, Nest still have substitute products to compete with to win a large enough customer base, and with only one product in the whole industry ecosystem at and, the benefit it can provide its customers who are willing to switch to its standard is simply not enough. The impact Nest can have on the HAVE manufacturing industry might now be as big as it thought it could, and in the long term it might still have to provide more integration options. Nest also runs a very different business model compared to other home appliance companies. In terms of distribution channels, Nest is trying very hard to sell its products directly to its customers, building a more intimate customer relationship and ads-intermediating middle- man to some extent. Even now Nest is selling its Hermosa at Best Buy and Apple, these two official retailers are cleverly picked to maintain its brand image. So far the business model is quite successful in promoting the idea that Nest is something cool and unique and helped the company retain great media attention, therefore might also be adopted by a lot of following companies in the home-tech industry or even a wider range. However, though customers can pay more attention to tenet new cool demonstrates Ana SST nappy about it, it remains unknown whether it would be too much when all the home appliances adopt this business model and require customers energy to interact with very single company. Ethical, Moral and Legal issues Looking into the future of Nests technology and the emergence of Internet of things it represents, certain moral, ethical and legal issues have already been raised. One of them is the information privacy. With a sensor and WIFE connectivity, Nest can gather a lot of personal information about its users. For example, it knows its users energy consumption patterns, daily schedules, whether they are at home or not, or the number of people within the family. As the product and its technology continue to evolve, it might gather even more critical and personal data. These data has to be uploaded for cloud computing in order to provide better service, question is, who will be granted the authority to access these data? Wicked government agencies be allowed to use these data to find crime or determine criminals? On CONTROL TRENDS one of the floggers pictures an unrealistic but somehow representative future. In the year 2021, thermostats have been replaced by the Nest Domestic Constable, a smart device, affectionately known as AY, sold at the Apple store and Best Buy, that reports who is home, when they got there and what they ate. It includes energy paving features like: reporting that the mother left the water running while she brushed her teeth and that father fell asleep with the TV on. This family was sentenced to six months in green prison. 8 Though this is very unlikely to happen, it does show the possible future need of more developed law to regulate private information sharing. Though smart systems like Nest using auto-tune technology is bringing benefits to its users when functioning normally, it does sometimes make bad decisions that are undesirable. In the case of Nest the damage might Just be a too high temperature or running on cooling AC in the summer, which is not severe enough to raise serious attention. However as the technology continuing to develop, when the automatic systems are smart enough to be called artificial intelligence and more previously manual work is given to machines, what could be the consequence of bad automatically generated decisions then? Those might be much more serious than just the wrong temperature within the room. And when those accidents happen, who is going to be responsible for those consequences, the users, the system, or the company? A legal liability framework set by the government would also be in urgent deed when that future comes. To sum up, as a high-tech start-up, Nest has already been bringing positive impact to its customers, the echo-system it is in, and whole society with its superiorly design thermostat. However nothing is perfect, and Nest has also encountered several failures that can be improved in the coming years. But looking into the far distant future, what the company, its products and the idea of Internet of things are going to evolve into is really a question unknown yet really exciting , and their impact on the world will WA Itt De ever nee Day tile o

A Midsummer Nights Dream

In the Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare is one of William Shakespeare's masterpieces, exploring all aspects of love and friendship. With the help of key figures such as Lysander, Demetrious Helena, Hermia, he is trying to fill the way to love with obstacles, but if he is firm and loyal, he / she You can challenge obstacles that lead to success. As Lysander stated, The process of true love was never smooth. The story of love presented in the drama experienced a difficult situation, but in the end truth love won by true victory of love It will be recognized. Midsummer Night's Dream: Overnight in the world clash with William Shakespeare's magical comedy 'Midsummer Night's Dream', the four worlds meet in the magical forest. The myth of the Athenian Duke was summoned by a deadly Aegus to solve an argument on the eve of his wedding with the recently defeated Queen Amazon. Hermes' noisy daughter Hermia refused to marry a man who was engaged by her father, obsessed dummy. - Shakespeare's Dream and Fairy 'Midsummer Night's Dream' The theme of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream theme was withdrawn from the civilized and reasonable city of Athens and its law, jumped into the forest, Please follow the desire in their mind - or in some cases libido William  · Shakespeare's Night A Midsummer Night's Dream One of the themes recurring in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is the time the main action takes place in the play. In this case, there are several words directly related to the topic that appears many times in the entire script. - Movie analysis of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Michael Hoffman oversaw William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, a fascinating new edition of Shakespeare's wonderful comedy. It has dangerous medicines, fairies and strange romance. This is a wonderful overnight story that an evil spirit makes the world of love a reality. First of all, I must clarify that I have never really thought about the Midsummer Night's Dream. Midsummer Ni ght's Dream is a movie based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Midsummer Night's Dream is more like a fairytale than most Shakespeare's works. Because the characters in the movie are not so serious, they are like fairy tales, so I prefer midsummer night dreams than other Shakespeare films. This plot is complicated and not easy to understand. The character pack (aka Robin Goodfellow) provides a comedy effect that you think is necessary to make movies more enjoyable and fun. Another good factor of Midsummer Night's Dream is music. It reflects the emotions and emotions of the character and also brings comedy effects at the right time. Without music, movies are more complicated, as music has to guess the emotions and emotions that you express for you. I think that this movie can be thought of as a comedy and a love story. Actors are also very good A Midsummer Nights Dream Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the most memorable love dramas written by William Shakespeare. The play contains four main characters: Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander and Demetrius fighting for the love of Helena Hermia were covered with Oberon, the king of a fairy tale, and his servant Puck It was. This juice makes four lovers fall in love with each other. Even without knowing that their behavior is controlled by medicine, the irony of the lovers fall in love for the necessary reasons. Midsummer Night's Dream: Overnight in the world clash with William Shakespeare's magical comedy 'Midsummer Night's Dream', the four worlds meet in the magical forest. The myth of the Athenian Duke was called by a deadly Aegus to solve an argument on the eve of his wedding with the Queen Amazon who recently defeated. Hermes' noisy daughter Hermia refused to marry a man who was engaged by her father, obsessed dummy. - Shakespeare's Dream and Fairy 'Midsummer Night's Dream' The theme of Shakespea re's Midsummer Night's Dream theme was withdrawn from the civilized and reasonable city of Athens and its law, jumped into the forest, Please follow the desire in their mind - or in some cases libido William  · Shakespeare's Night A Midsummer Night's Dream One of the themes recurring in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is the time the main action takes place in the play. In this case, there are several words directly related to the topic that appears many times in the entire script. - Movie analysis of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Michael Hoffman oversaw William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, a fascinating new edition of Shakespeare's wonderful comedy. It has dangerous medicines, fairies and strange romance. This is a wonderful overnight story that an evil spirit makes the world of love a reality. First of all, I must clarify that I have never really thought about the Midsummer Night's Dream. Midsummer Night's Dream is a movie based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's D ream. Midsummer Night's Dream is more like a fairytale than most Shakespeare's works. Because the characters in the movie are not so serious, they are like fairy tales, so I prefer midsummer night dreams than other Shakespeare films. This plot is complicated and not easy to understand. The character pack (aka Robin Goodfellow) provides a comedy effect that you think is necessary to make movies more enjoyable and fun. Another good factor of Midsummer Night's Dream is music. It reflects the emotions and emotions of the character and also brings comedy effects at the right time. Without music, movies are more complicated, as music has to guess the emotions and emotions that you express for you. I think that this movie can be thought of as a comedy and a love story. Actors are also very good A Midsummer Nights Dream Midnight night's dreams Some optimists are comparing dreams of love and happiness, but Shakespeare's ingenuity shows a turbulent nightmare. When thinking about the carnival the audience just saw at the end of the play, Puck comes up to finish the confusion. If our shadow is committing a problem, thinking about this, if you patch everything, you have these faint and spare themes are no longer victory, not a dream. The audience properly terminated the script in a state of confusion chaotic, leaving as ambiguous as possible during performance. Midsummer Night's Dream: Overnight in the world clash with William Shakespeare's magical comedy 'Midsummer Night's Dream', the four worlds meet in the magical forest. The myth of the Athenian Duke was summoned by a deadly Aegus to solve an argument on the eve of his wedding with the recently defeated Queen Amazon. Hermes' noisy daughter Hermia refused to marry a man who was engaged by her father, obsessed dummy. - Shakespeare's Dream and Fairy 'Mi dsummer Night's Dream' The theme of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream theme was withdrawn from the civilized and reasonable city of Athens and its law, jumped into the forest, Please follow the desire in their mind - or in some cases libido William  · Shakespeare's Night A Midsummer Night's Dream One of the themes recurring in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream is the time the main action takes place in the play. In this case, there are several words directly related to the topic that appears many times in the entire script. - Movie analysis of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Michael Hoffman oversaw William Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, a fascinating new edition of Shakespeare's wonderful comedy. It has dangerous medicines, fairies and strange romance. This is a wonderful overnight story that an evil spirit makes the world of love a reality. First of all, I must clarify that I have never really thought about the Midsummer Night's Dream. Midsummer Night's Dream is a mov ie based on Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Midsummer Night's Dream is more like a fairytale than most Shakespeare's works. Because the characters in the movie are not so serious, they are like fairy tales, so I prefer midsummer night dreams than other Shakespeare films. This plot is complicated and not easy to understand. The character pack (aka Robin Goodfellow) provides a comedy effect that you think is necessary to make movies more enjoyable and fun. Another good factor of Midsummer Night's Dream is music. It reflects the emotions and emotions of the character and also brings comedy effects at the right time. Without music, movies are more complicated, as music has to guess the emotions and emotions that you express for you. I think that this movie can be thought of as a comedy and a love story. Actors are also very good

Housing for Aboriginal Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Housing for Aboriginal Australia - Essay Example Indigenous architecture necessarily identifies with the otherwise inexplicable participatory and consultative design methodologies (Memmott, 2008). Such methodologies or techniques are presumed to be not-so-well calculated or inarticulate though. Australian aboriginals have been known for their indefatigable behavioral tendencies in relation to habitat building efforts (Glascott, 1985). Despite their indigenous qualitative outcomes, a series of deficiencies too has been noted by analysts. The following dimensional analysis of the Australian aboriginals' abode building experience illustrates the whole process of community house building efforts of an indigenous community and their related outcomes (Vulker, 1990). The impact of indigenous culture on the design and construction processes of abodes or dwellings has received much wider attention, especially with emphasis on indigenous people's gregarious behavioral tendency. The community feeling or congregational behavior in indigenous communities such as aboriginals has been investigated with reference to many other aspects though it has very little been studied with reference to their effort to build structures for living (Trewin and ABS, 2006). Indigenous culture of Australian aboriginals has been necessarily associated with their community living experience that presupposes societal interaction at each and every level of social transformation. For instance the aboriginal houses built at Broken Hills in Mutawintji have communal living rooms, bigger cooking areas for preparation of hunted animals, dormitory-like bedrooms and huge compounds (www.heritage.nsw.gov.au, see Appendix).For instance despite the larger impact of migration on these cul tures, still these indigenous populations have managed to remain relatively uninfluenced by exogenous forces of change. However the dichotomy between the traditional culture and the contemporary culture being absorbed by them cannot be emphasized too much. Under exceptional circumstances this dichotomy can be taken to identify a clash of sorts, viz. the contemporary culture might seek to influence the traditional culture to such an extent that societal transformation of the indigenous populations would acquire a heterogeneous element of identity (Flood, 2007). Thus Australian aboriginals have recognized the all too important dichotomy to be a phase just preceding the fluid situation (Burke, 2004). In fact Australian aboriginals have seen how their own culture in housing design and construction has been influenced by the contemporary culture of the heterogeneous diversity. This is an inevitable influence on structure, design and materials. (2). Indigenous design dimensionIndigenous populations like the Australian aboriginals have particularly been able to develop their own design parameters and above all the participatory and consultative paradigms that have been essentially associated with such design processes occupy a still more significant place. Australian aboriginals have been noted for their exotic structural design perspectives in housing (Read, 2000). While autochthonous design traits persist to a greater extent there are also some exogenous characteristics that permeate through the design and construction process. For instance desp

Land lord and tenant law(english law) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Land lord and tenant law(english law) - Essay Example Under Section 8, (1), where as per the agreement between the landlord or the Tenant, or as decided by the Court, specified repairs need to be carried out, and in cases where the initial repairs need to be carried out by the landlord, due to the inability on the part of the tenant to carry out the said repairs with regard to the tenancy, the landlord, in such cases, shall be privileged to claim: 3. This payment shall be made either in instalments, or in any other method agreed upon by the parties mutually or by the Court. (Ministry of Justice: The U.K. Statute Law Database: Statutory Tenancies arising under Part I : provisions as to repairs during period of statutory tenancy ) As mentioned earlier, the responsibility of the tenant and the landlord with regard to the repairs of the dwelling house, during the period of statutory tenancy shall be as covenanted, or as determined by the Court. The matters that need to be considered would be: 3. 1. The amount to be included as payment of the accused tenant's repairs, and paid off by the landlord for the determination of the costs 2. The estimated costs that have been incurred by the landlord. 3. Whether payment for the accrued tenant's repairs should be made by instalments or through any other mode of payment, and, in the event it is made through instalments, the amount of yearly instalments, the 1st instalments due and the periodicity of instalments. 4. It shall also be made known whether there are any other obligations, with regard to repair of dwelling house during the period of statutory tenancy, other than relating to the payment of initial repairs, and if so , the nature of such obligations. (Ministry of justice, The U.K. Statute Law Database : Statutory tenancies arising under Part 1 : Provisions as to repairs during period of statutory tenancies : Under Section 9, if it is the Court that has to determine what the initial repairs need to be, the sum determined by the Court, shall be done with the permission of the landlord and the tenants, and shall not exceed "what is required to bring the dwelling-house into good repair or the carrying out of any repairs not specified by the landlord in his application as repairs which he is willing to carry out" (Ministry of justice). Further, good repairs has been construed to mean the repairs needed to make good the structure and furnishings, taking into account the useful life, construction and area, in which the premises lies. Further, it has been laid out that Court shall not impose any repair liability on the tenant, without his consent. Further under Section 9 (4), the law does not require that the place needs to be kept in a higher condition of repair, than that what expected to be, post the initial repairs, and in the absence of any agreement, in a better condition than it was when the Court had determined the liability of repair to be imposed. Coming to the aspect of this case study, it is seen that Mr Razor, who is the owner of Focal House has requested Mr. Shabby, the tenant, to

In what ways did the early Christians Ecumenical Councils develop the Research Paper

In what ways did the early Christians Ecumenical Councils develop the Churchs understanding of Jesus - Research Paper Example The first Ecumenical Council known as Nicea, dates 325 AD. It was summoned by Emperor Constantine the great. This meeting was called to resolve the Arian controversy. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, held that Jesus Christ was created by God and was denying Christ’s divinity. He argued that if Jesus was born, then there was a time he did not exist. However, during this meeting, the Nicene Creed which formulated that Jesus is divine, as the father, and was with the father from the very first moment of creation was adopted. Sunday was fixed as the date for celebration of Easter. This first part of the creed enabled the church and the entire Christian fraternity understand the divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. The Constantinople I Ecumenical Council which dates 381 AD was called by Emperor Theodosius who sought to establish teachings on the unity of the holy Trinity and the complete Manhood in Christ. This meeting confirmed the teachings of Nicea and expanded the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is also fully divine; thus the trinity has one divine nature but three distinct â€Å"persons†. The Council condemned Macedonius’ teaching that the Holy Spirit was not a person, but simply a power of God. This second part of the creed defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit and the concept of holy trinity. This became the base of Christian faith (Thomas, 92). During the third Ecumenical Council convened at Ephesus in 431 AD, the Council condemned the doctrines of Nestorios, Archbishop of Constantiple, who over-emphasized the human nature of Christ at the expense of his divine nature. He taught that the Virgin Mary gave birth to a man and not God. On the contrary, the Ecumenical Council adopted that Mary is the mother of God and Jesus has both divine and human nature, but in his one person. The Council also proclaimed that Lord Jesus Christ,

Business Communications Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Communications - Assignment Example Employee Concerns ïÆ'Ëœ Segregate and classify technical support staff according to educational background, length of service, and skills in addressing technical support and client concerns. Those who had been with the company for more than five years should address more advanced concerns of clients regarding technical difficulties and problems being encountered. Those who are newly college graduates and have been with the company for less than one year should address basis inquiries and client concerns. The entry level technical support staff should therefore receive more training on issues regarding technical support and customer service satisfaction. Those who had been with the company for more than 5 to 10 years should be evaluated for promotions to supervisory or managerial positions. ïÆ'Ëœ Implement regular performance evaluation that would be the basis for promotions or sanctions, as needed. Those found to be consistently friendly, accommodating, and assists clients and colleagues must be promoted and rewarded. Those who are found to be rude should be sanctioned (reprimand, warning) and be subjected to further training on technical support and customer service, as needed. ïÆ'Ëœ Provision of rewards and promotions; as well as sanctions and penalties, would address issues such as rushing out as soon as the workday ends and failure to address and endorse clients’ concerns.

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Essay

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Culture and People They Encountered with the Aztec - Essay Example The modern appreciation of historical facts gave birth to a thorough analysis of the events of the past and what the Western historians were at times unable to point out or those that were dismissed. Essentially, there were things that must be taken into consideration. â€Å"The conquistadors caught a fleeting glance of a civilization with a theology and symbolism as complex as contemporary Catholicism† (Fagan, p.343). The full understanding of any story must involve weighing in all possible accounts of what took place. It cannot be limited to an assertion inferred as fundamental facts. The same goes for a deeper understanding of the Conquistadors arrival and their colonization of the Aztecs. Limiting to the Spaniards’ accounts and personal inclinations gives rise to bias so that revisiting the available accounts of the natives must be integrated. This illuminates any historical reading to have an impartial assessment to reconcile facts from fiction. What Bernal Diaz pr ovided in â€Å"The True History of the Conquest of New Spain† was a personal account of the battle with the Aztecs. It was a vivid narration that aims to disclose the true occurrences of the battle to provide for a more genuine description to put to rest all other claims proliferated by others. It contained detailed descriptions of the practices of the actual encounter. The most graphic were the practices of the natives on their captives, â€Å"with stone knives they sawed open their chests and drew out their palpitating hearts and offered them to the idols that were there, and they kicked the bodies down the steps, and Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off the arms and feet and flayed (the skin off) the faces† (Diaz, n.p.). The autobiographical account described the cannibalistic practices of the natives. The cries of the people on the destruction of their city, though veiled through the words of Diaz, seem to be valid reason for their anger. The people soug ht for the reconstruction of what they have lost. Diaz, as Wyman noted in her introduction came from a more deprived background wherein his venture into foreign land was for personal gain. The mind of a soldier and his hardships primarily regulate his point of view. The brotherhood among soldiers and their sufferings would be most palpable to him. This is apparent in the account as a strict narrative of a battle. This particular endeavour was the principal reason for his ascent into the social strata which maintains his courageous stance amidst the difficulties. Inadvertently, Diaz divulged Aztec practices such as how women helped the men by making their crude weapons including the preparation of the stones for their slings and in the sounding of the devices. In contrast to the narrative of Diaz, Hernan Cortes presents to the monarchy a descriptive account of the city of Temixtitlan under Moctezuma. He illustrates a place filled with life and vitality. It is one where there are soci al centers filled with economic growth. The market is filled with products and various trades. There are also specialized shops such as apothecaries and an indication of medicinal application including the sale of much sought after herbs and spices. â€Å"This Province is in the form of a circle, surrounded on all sides by lofty and

In what ways did the early Christians Ecumenical Councils develop the Research Paper

In what ways did the early Christians Ecumenical Councils develop the Churchs understanding of Jesus - Research Paper Example The first Ecumenical Council known as Nicea, dates 325 AD. It was summoned by Emperor Constantine the great. This meeting was called to resolve the Arian controversy. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, held that Jesus Christ was created by God and was denying Christ’s divinity. He argued that if Jesus was born, then there was a time he did not exist. However, during this meeting, the Nicene Creed which formulated that Jesus is divine, as the father, and was with the father from the very first moment of creation was adopted. Sunday was fixed as the date for celebration of Easter. This first part of the creed enabled the church and the entire Christian fraternity understand the divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. The Constantinople I Ecumenical Council which dates 381 AD was called by Emperor Theodosius who sought to establish teachings on the unity of the holy Trinity and the complete Manhood in Christ. This meeting confirmed the teachings of Nicea and expanded the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is also fully divine; thus the trinity has one divine nature but three distinct â€Å"persons†. The Council condemned Macedonius’ teaching that the Holy Spirit was not a person, but simply a power of God. This second part of the creed defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit and the concept of holy trinity. This became the base of Christian faith (Thomas, 92). During the third Ecumenical Council convened at Ephesus in 431 AD, the Council condemned the doctrines of Nestorios, Archbishop of Constantiple, who over-emphasized the human nature of Christ at the expense of his divine nature. He taught that the Virgin Mary gave birth to a man and not God. On the contrary, the Ecumenical Council adopted that Mary is the mother of God and Jesus has both divine and human nature, but in his one person. The Council also proclaimed that Lord Jesus Christ,

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Essay

Compare and Contrast the Spaniards' Attitudes toward the Native Culture and People They Encountered with the Aztec - Essay Example The modern appreciation of historical facts gave birth to a thorough analysis of the events of the past and what the Western historians were at times unable to point out or those that were dismissed. Essentially, there were things that must be taken into consideration. â€Å"The conquistadors caught a fleeting glance of a civilization with a theology and symbolism as complex as contemporary Catholicism† (Fagan, p.343). The full understanding of any story must involve weighing in all possible accounts of what took place. It cannot be limited to an assertion inferred as fundamental facts. The same goes for a deeper understanding of the Conquistadors arrival and their colonization of the Aztecs. Limiting to the Spaniards’ accounts and personal inclinations gives rise to bias so that revisiting the available accounts of the natives must be integrated. This illuminates any historical reading to have an impartial assessment to reconcile facts from fiction. What Bernal Diaz pr ovided in â€Å"The True History of the Conquest of New Spain† was a personal account of the battle with the Aztecs. It was a vivid narration that aims to disclose the true occurrences of the battle to provide for a more genuine description to put to rest all other claims proliferated by others. It contained detailed descriptions of the practices of the actual encounter. The most graphic were the practices of the natives on their captives, â€Å"with stone knives they sawed open their chests and drew out their palpitating hearts and offered them to the idols that were there, and they kicked the bodies down the steps, and Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off the arms and feet and flayed (the skin off) the faces† (Diaz, n.p.). The autobiographical account described the cannibalistic practices of the natives. The cries of the people on the destruction of their city, though veiled through the words of Diaz, seem to be valid reason for their anger. The people soug ht for the reconstruction of what they have lost. Diaz, as Wyman noted in her introduction came from a more deprived background wherein his venture into foreign land was for personal gain. The mind of a soldier and his hardships primarily regulate his point of view. The brotherhood among soldiers and their sufferings would be most palpable to him. This is apparent in the account as a strict narrative of a battle. This particular endeavour was the principal reason for his ascent into the social strata which maintains his courageous stance amidst the difficulties. Inadvertently, Diaz divulged Aztec practices such as how women helped the men by making their crude weapons including the preparation of the stones for their slings and in the sounding of the devices. In contrast to the narrative of Diaz, Hernan Cortes presents to the monarchy a descriptive account of the city of Temixtitlan under Moctezuma. He illustrates a place filled with life and vitality. It is one where there are soci al centers filled with economic growth. The market is filled with products and various trades. There are also specialized shops such as apothecaries and an indication of medicinal application including the sale of much sought after herbs and spices. â€Å"This Province is in the form of a circle, surrounded on all sides by lofty and

Negligence Definition Essay Example for Free

Negligence Definition Essay A failure to behave with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. The behavior usually consists of actions, but can also consist of omissions when there is some duty to act (e.g., a duty to help victims of ones previous conduct). OVERVIEW Primary factors to consider in ascertaining whether the persons conduct lacks reasonable care are the foreseeable likelihood that the persons conduct will result in harm, the foreseeable severity of harm that may ensue, and the burden of precautions to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm. See Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Physical Harm  § 3 (P.F.D. No. 1, 2005). Negligent conduct may consist of either an act, or an omission to act when there is a duty to do so. See Restatement (Second) of Torts  § 282 (1965). Five elements are required to establish a prima facie case of negligence: the existence of a legal duty to exercise reasonable care; a failure to exercise reasonable care; cause in fact of physical harm by the negligent conduct; physical harm in the form of actual damages; and proximate cause, a showing that the harm is within the scope of liability. Negligence is an actionable tort. This means that if one persons carelessness causes another personal injury, the injured party may sue to recover damages (money) for his or her injuries. The idea that a person can sue for negligence is a relatively new phenomenon, only about a century old. The reason for negligences late recognition is because common law traditionally recognized only intentional torts; that is, it held parties responsible for injuries that were the result of intentional acts. It was irrelevant that the actor did not intend to injure anyone, much less the injured party, but it only needed to be shown that the actor intended the action that caused the injury. In these cases, evidence of who caused what injury was affirmative, direct, and fairly objective. The concept of permitting someone to recover damages for injuries caused by someones lack of action or failure to do something was a revolutionary concept. Since its recognition as an action in tort, negligence has become a major source of very large jury awards. It is the root of all product liability cases. When  people complain about our legal system and the outrageous verdicts being awarded nowadays, they are speaking about negligence. Originally, negligence was recognized by the courts as part of the common law. Over time, as causes of action became more numerous and as damages became larger, various efforts were undertaken to limit the appeal of negligence lawsuits. The doctrine of contributory negligence eventually evolved, in some states, into a system of comparative fault that permitted recovery on a completely relative scale. Thus, in an accident one could be 90 percent at fault for ones own personal injury and still sue to recover the 10 percent of the damages suffered that were caused by the other party.

Poverty and Social Justice

Poverty and Social Justice Abstract This paper looks into the issue of poverty and social justice. The paper shows the contribution of poverty to social injustice. This is done by examining a social organization which fights poverty. This paper examines the City Team Ministry one of the many organizations which is helping to reduce poverty. The beneficiaries of the organization are interviewed to shed light on the issues of poverty. The questions used in guiding the interview are appended. SECTION I City Team Ministries was started by Lester and Pauline Meyers in 1957. It began as a feeding program. Four years later it expanded to include women in its feeding program and still later in 1069 merged with another ministry to bring on board homeless and troubled youths. In 1983 it changed its name San Jose Rescue Mission to City Team. In 1987 the churches in Philadelphia invited the City team to start national expansion to the East Coast. This was to serve the greater Delaware valley. The City Team Ministry records that this was the period that the full long term recovery program for men was started. Further the website claims there were continued increase in the number of the children and women who suffered from abuse, addiction, crisis pregnancy, abandonment and homelessness. To bring on board the women and children the city team ministry launched three programs three programs: heritage home and house of grace in San Jose and well baby program Philadelphia. The programs caused a l ot of changes in the lives of the women ands children (City Team 2010). The City Team International was launched in 1997 in an effort to broaden the City Team. In 2007 the name was changed to New Generations International. The New Generations International is specifically concern with training, equipping and coaching national leaders in 38 countries. This division cares people through the provision of compassionate services such food, clean water, education and medical services (City Team, 2010). The City Team Ministry has a disaster response team which started in 1989. The first beneficiaries of this team were the victims of the Loma earthquake. Afterwards the team has responded to and sheltered the victims of the Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in 2004. Since 2005 the response team has developed a four phase framework specializing in the long term recovery of communities affected by the major disasters (City Team, 2010). The mission statement of the ministry is, In obedience to Christ, passionately transforming individuals, their families and communities throughout the world (City Team Ministry para. 4). The programs which are offered by the organization are as follows: rescue missions, mens recovery programs, youth outreach, family programs and church advancement. These programs will be explained in a detailed way in the course of the paper (City Team, 2010). Section II I carried out an interview on clients served by the City Team Ministry. The interview was carried out after obtaining permission from the ministry authorities. Six classes of people were interviewed one from each program offered by the City Team Ministry. The fist person interviewed was a beneficiary of the rescue mission. This program is designed to offer a hot meal and a safe nights sleep. The program offers temporary emergency care to the homeless. A young man who had just been released from prison was one of those beneficiaries of this program who was interviewed. He has an Islamic background and was headed to the streets after being released but bounced into the agents of the ministry who enrolled him in the program. For the sake of this paper he will be called 1A. The second person to be interviewed (2B) was a black man an addict of drugs. He was a beneficiary of the men recovery program. He was not homeless but had been driven to the streets after being left by his wife who was the bread winner. The man in desperation turned to abuse of drugs. The program agents enrolled him in the program and slowly he was making some progress in recovering from drug use. The third interview was carried out on a group of street kids. These kids had an arrangement with the City Team Ministry whereby they met every Saturday and Wednesday. In the meetings they hold bible discussions and are groomed to become better citizens. These kids operate under the youth outreach program. Some of the have already being taken off the streets and are attending schools. The kids are of various backgrounds. The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family program. This program offers basic needs like clothes to the families which can not afford the basic needs and view them as luxuries. The last person interviewed was a lady around the age of thirty who had been abused and was pregnant. She was taken in under the womens programs where she was taken care of through her pregnancy.   Section III This section presents the results of the interviews carried out above. The interviews were guided by the questions appended in the appendix. The interviews focused on how the clients have experienced social injustice as a result of poverty. Through the interview it was also possible to assess how the macro conditions of the society may have impacted upon the poverty experienced by the clients. Person 1A: Education The first interview carried out on person 1A who had just been released from the prison having been charged with mugging. He was a sharp young man aged 27 years who answered the questions succinctly though he was well educated having just attended the elementary level education. He could not continue with studies because he could no longer depend on his family which actually needed his help for sustenance. He therefore pulled out of school to help his  Ã‚   family meet the basic needs of life. Education which is a basic had turned out to be a luxury for him. This is one incident which clearly shows how poverty can easily cut short and change basic needs like education into a luxury irrespective of whether one is willing to continue studies or not. Some macro condition of the society can equally contribute to making the access of these basic services a challenge (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). According to the National Academic Press (2001), The U.S. system of education finance is characterized by large disparities in funding and opportunities (National Academic Press para 1). This disparity makes attaining education in some region to be expensive. Expensive education coupled with poverty makes education almost unattainable. The property tax is basically used to sponsor the education at the district level. This means that a poor district will equally be unable to fund its schools leading to disparity in education among the districts. Another macro environment factor which may contribute to insufficiency education and therefore poverty is the attitude of some communities. Education is not taken seriously by some people especially in regions which have large numbers of poor inhabitants (National Academic Press, 2001). Person 1B: Medical Care The second person to be interviewed is labeled person 1B. This man was a victim of depression which led him to drug abuse. He had part ways with his wife who used to provide for the family and could not take care of himself therefore resorting to the streets. He looked as a man who was well built before. Before joining the men recovery program with the City Team Ministry he could not afford medical care being unemployed. He was sick on several occasions as he narrated but could not afford medical care. From the interview, the main reason he gave for not getting something casual job to work on was his ailing status. He also made claims that he could not secure a job in his status of health. The interview with person 1B brings into limelight the issue of the access to health insurance. Health insurance is only accessible by those who are employed. Once ones job is no more and being not in position to submit the required periodical premiums the coverage is frozen and attaining medical care becomes hard. With the exception of such programs as Medicare and Medicaid it becomes extremely hard for the poor people to access medical care facilities (Cellini, McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008).   Street Youths: This was the third interview which carried out. Some street kids who are beneficiaries of the youth outreach program volunteered to give information about their lives and the program they were enrolled in. The program offers a combination of youth activities and mentorship to youth especially those who are affected by the street ways of life such as drugs. From the interview carried out it was found out that the youths mostly lacked a source of direction and mentorship. Most of the youths interviewed under this interview group were willing to work on any casual job. A close cross examination showed that they lacked the presentation skills which would be quite necessary if they were to win the confidence of those they would work for. Under this interview some macro conditions came into play (Kirst-Ashman, 2008). The first which was quite noticeable was the community. Some employers are likely to avoid employing individuals from some communities because of stereotypes which might be associated with them. For instance not all employers will be willing the street youths work for fears that they may steal from the workplace and cause some kind of conflict. The youths were mentored on presentation skills through the program offered by City Team Ministry. Family The fourth interview was carried out on a family which is a beneficiary of the family programs. This program is designed to help poor families have an access to basic necessities. This is done in form of giving the families quality second hand appliances, clothes and furniture. This has gone a long way to raise the standard of living of the families in the family programs. The family which were interviewed were able to live a comfortable life and invest money businesses which they could have spend buying the basic home necessities. Having a comfortable home environment is a basic for a family to concentrate on developing itself. This is quite significant especially for the parents who wish to see their children having a smooth life. From the family interview it was realized that children in a comfortable family set up are less likely to fall sick and have a potential of performing better in the schools. This interview implicated that comfort at homes is a necessity which is vital in helping families fight poverty in by creating peace of mind. This helps the family members to maximally concentrate in their duties.    Abused Lady The last interview was on a lady who was an orphan staying with uncle. The uncle sexually abused her for some times after which she decided to run away after learning about the women programs at the City Team Ministry. During the interview the lady appeared tormented by the acts of her uncle. She could not report the uncle to the police because she dependent on him for the payment of her college fee. When she could not bear it any more she run way terminating her studies and later realized that she was pregnant. The interview brought to surface the social injustice which silently takes place without anybody being aware of them. In this case poverty created a forum which an elderly person advantage of and exploited a young person. Poverty could not allow the lady to report the person for fear that she could lose her college sponsorship. Section IV This section will look at the issues of poverty at large. According to Anup Shah (2009) the poverty is caused by both individuals and governments. He examines this in a global perspective. He starts by analyzing the causes at individual levels. Being lazy and making poor decisions are the two reasons he gives which contribute to poverty. This is true but the he fails to talk about the victims of circumstances who find being born in poor families where despite any wise decisions made it takes a lot time to escape poverty. This happens to most of the children born in the ghettos of America. They start life with no basic education and nothing as a heritance. With no education and no money wise decision almost become a vague idea though not in most cases. Street musicians have been known to rise from dust but it should be noted that this may not happen to everybody born in the street (Anup Shah 2009). Anup Shah (2009) also brings in the issue of the corruption and unwise government policies. Corruption is predominantly responsible for poverty in the third world countries. In the U.S. government decision may make some region poor. For instance the federal government should come in to aid those districts which are in a position to support their own schools (Anup 2009). NCLB Act is one way the federal government is doing that but there should be more efforts to ensure that all the school age going kids are included especially in   the poor regions. The government should adapt a friendly way of drug war techniques. Instead of just hundreds of youths to prisons they should find a way keeping these youths busy (Cellini McKernan Ratcliffe, 2008). Conclusion Poverty and social injustice are two issues which seem to go hand in hand. Poverty creates a gate for many social injustices to be committed. This is so because poverty seems to handcuff the power of the people involved from shouting and demanding for their rights. Despite the many non governmental organizations which are fighting poverty across America, t he government has a responsibility in changing some of its policies which seem to foster poverty. References Anup, S. (2009). Causes of Poverty. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty Cellini, S, McKernan, S. Ratcliffe C. (2008). The Dynamics of Poverty in the United States: A review of data, methods, and findings. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 27(3), 577-605. City Team. (2010). City Team Ministry. Retrieved on 4th February, 2010 from: http://www.cityteam.org/about/programs/ Kirst-Ashman, K. (2008). Human Behavior, Communities, Organizations Groups in the Macro Social Environment: An Empowerment Approach (2nd Ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Thomson. Kissane, R. (2008). Teaching and Learning Guide for: Assessing Welfare Reform, Over a Decade Later, Sociology Compass 2(3), 1115-1126. National Academic Press. (2001). Equity and Adequacy in Education Finance. Retrieved on February 4, 2010 from: http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6166page=1 Appendix (interview questions) 1st interview (to person 1A) Do you view education as basic need? Given a sponsorship can you go back to school? How do you think would you be if your family had enough money? What could you have avoided if you had enough money? 2nd interview (to person 2B) Give us your story? How has the men recovery program helped you? What do you think has kept you in poverty 3rd interview (to the street youths) What are doing to get out of your current situation? How have you benefitted from the youth outreach program? 4th interview (family) How is the family program helping you to fight poverty? 5th interview (abused lady) Why did you give in to be abused?

Psychology in American Beauty Essay -- Film Movies Papers

Psychology in American Beauty Have you ever seen a movie that just simply amazed you and almost disgusted you in a way. Well over this weekend my family and I decided to rent the movie American Beauty. This movie recently has won many awards for performances in acting and best role play. But that is not the reason we choose to watch American Beauty. We choose to rent this movie pending on the fact for me to write my final psychology paper on it. American Beauty struck me in very different ways some including feelings of disgust, truth and reality, but mainly it was filled with many social psychology terms. If you asked to pick a different movie to show and demonstrate the examples of certain psychology terms I don’t think I would have selected a better one. Some of the examples that I have decided to inform you about are ones such as love, discrimination, and social perception. But you will here plenty more about all the psychology factors and how this movie relates, also I provided other references such as the Internet and the dictionary. Well to begin she was very high in neuroticism, is a personal trait meaning an emotionally unstable person that people either learns from watching and observing from other people and is portrayed in the movie American Beauty. Lester’s wife is neurotic for a few reasons and the movie really shows a good example. She is so devoted to becoming successful that she dose not realize what is going on around her and starts to become distant. And when she dose not succeed she start to cry and beat herself up over it. Making her emotionally unstable. Her Attitude(a negative or hostile state of mind b : a cocky or arrogant manner ) towards Lester is also very negative. There are a few se... ... someone else’s house every day and we do not realize it. Also my parents were amazed at how the father may not have shown how much he really cared for his children and the same goes for the children’s aspect of the father but deep down inside there was plenty of love for each other just a lack of communication. I think this too happens in many American house holds , mine quite possibly being one of those families. To sum it all up this movie actually gave me a whole new outlook on life and family situations and I hope I was able to explain to you how the terms related from the movie and other references that I have chosen. I do plan to take another course in psychology next semester and hope that such projects as this one are assigned to me so I can further open my mind to things that I might have never even thought of watching or reading before it was assigned. Psychology in American Beauty Essay -- Film Movies Papers Psychology in American Beauty Have you ever seen a movie that just simply amazed you and almost disgusted you in a way. Well over this weekend my family and I decided to rent the movie American Beauty. This movie recently has won many awards for performances in acting and best role play. But that is not the reason we choose to watch American Beauty. We choose to rent this movie pending on the fact for me to write my final psychology paper on it. American Beauty struck me in very different ways some including feelings of disgust, truth and reality, but mainly it was filled with many social psychology terms. If you asked to pick a different movie to show and demonstrate the examples of certain psychology terms I don’t think I would have selected a better one. Some of the examples that I have decided to inform you about are ones such as love, discrimination, and social perception. But you will here plenty more about all the psychology factors and how this movie relates, also I provided other references such as the Internet and the dictionary. Well to begin she was very high in neuroticism, is a personal trait meaning an emotionally unstable person that people either learns from watching and observing from other people and is portrayed in the movie American Beauty. Lester’s wife is neurotic for a few reasons and the movie really shows a good example. She is so devoted to becoming successful that she dose not realize what is going on around her and starts to become distant. And when she dose not succeed she start to cry and beat herself up over it. Making her emotionally unstable. Her Attitude(a negative or hostile state of mind b : a cocky or arrogant manner ) towards Lester is also very negative. There are a few se... ... someone else’s house every day and we do not realize it. Also my parents were amazed at how the father may not have shown how much he really cared for his children and the same goes for the children’s aspect of the father but deep down inside there was plenty of love for each other just a lack of communication. I think this too happens in many American house holds , mine quite possibly being one of those families. To sum it all up this movie actually gave me a whole new outlook on life and family situations and I hope I was able to explain to you how the terms related from the movie and other references that I have chosen. I do plan to take another course in psychology next semester and hope that such projects as this one are assigned to me so I can further open my mind to things that I might have never even thought of watching or reading before it was assigned.

An Analysis of Representing Representation Essay -- Fried, Michael

The Studio of the Painter portrays the social and cultural position of the artist. The center group consists of a nude female model, a young peasant boy, and Courbet himself working on a landscape. To the left is a group of people who represent a cross spectrum of society and the various social classes; while to the right are some of the artist’s friends—including the well-known essayist Baudelaire. This painting, along with several others, was hung in Courbet’s Pavilion of Realism; the exhibit was created after Courbet refused to paint to the rules of the French Academy in order to be shown at the Exposition Universelles des Beaux-Arts. Rather than portraying a woman as the traditional allegory, Courbet uses her as the inspiration behind the landscape painting thus creating a connection between the standard female nude and nature. The painting has connections to the theory of absorption by Courbet portraying all of the figures being absorbed in their own thoug hts so that the viewer is being ignored and is rendered unnecessary. Like a play at a theatre, the scene portrayed can be seen as a theatre production being performed for the viewer and essentially makes the viewer believe that they are uninvolved. Overall, the painting is a statement of Courbet’s desire to go beyond traditional painting and viewer roles and create a new way of separating art from the collective eye. Michael Fried’s article Representing Representation focuses on the central group of Courbet’s Studio of the Painter as a â€Å"desire to reduce to an absolute minimum all sense of distance between [the] painting and beholder.† As his introduction, he states that he will compare the painter in the Studio to one of Courbet’s well-known self portraits—The Man with t... ...s from what he is actually trying to say and could frustrate a reader who just wants to learn about Courbet’s Studio. If Fried had covered only one of the topics that he writes about the essay could have been much stronger and more focused than what he has produced rather than a conglomeration of several ideas that the reader has to process in order to get the main idea of what the author originally set out to do. Fried’s analysis is well-written and well-supported and in the beginning he clearly sets out what he is going to cover, but overall it is a lot of information being covered in a portentous style that disconnects the reader from the writing—much like Courbet set to disconnect the viewer from the painting. Works Cited Fried, Michael. "Representing Representation: On the Central Group in Courbet's "Studio"." Art in America, September 1981, 127-133, 168-173.

Devil Slavery and Dr. Faust Essay

Devil Slavery and Dr. Faust In the essay from Dr. Faust’s â€Å"Community, Culture, and Conflict on an Antebellum Plantation†, she explores the balance of power between slave owners and their bondsmen, primarily, on the Hammond Plantation, Silver Bluff. She will focus on four areas of research, religion, work patterns, and payments/privileges, escape attempts/rebellion and external influences. She maintains that there was an intricate communal order among the slaves of the Silver Bluff Plantation. Using primary and secondary sources I will either verify or disprove Dr. Faust’s thesis. Dr. Faust has used the journal writings of James Hammond as her main primary source for her essay. I will use Dr. Faust’s essay for my secondary and writings from former slaves (primary) for my sources. As master of the plantation, Silver Bluff, James Hammond strived to gain complete control over every aspect of his slave’s lives. It was a struggle that spanned decades, and one he never fully realized. Through his journal entries we see the daily struggle for control, and the means he used to uphold his authority. They also show how the slaves resisted Hammond’s attempts while holding on to their own society. Dr. Faust shows through Hammond’s own words how he tried to control the slave’s religion by replacing Black worship with White belief. (pg. 220) He first tried by taking away all Black churches and forcing the slave to attend White churches. He then changed track by hiring traveling preachers for the slaves Sunday worship. In 1845 he built his own church on the plantation. He was admired for the conformity his slaves showed for the white social norms. However, his slaves had learned to show Hammond the behavior he wanted all the while still holding true to their own religious beliefs. Even after twenty years Hammond was still trying to eradicate the Blacks religion. â€Å"Have ordered all church meetings to be broken up except at the church with a white preacher. † (pg. 220) To have Silver Bluff run more efficiently, Hammond wanted more control over the work habits of his slaves. For the first year he stepped up the discipline in regards to inferior or slack work. His slaves not being used to the strong-armed policies resisted. Hammond responded with more beatings. Over time the slaves conformed somewhat as the physical punishment slowed. pg 221) A more efficient form of working was the gang method, so Hammond thought. This gang method took away what little independence the slaves had. No longer could they manage their own time. Hammond knew that by stripping the slaves of their right to order their own day he would have more control. Once again the slaves resisted, by doing inferior work. (pg. 221) Over time a quiet compromise arose, and to some extent wor k seemed to go back the way it used to be for the slaves. Hammond also instituted a system of rewards to go along with the punishments. He felt that by offering something the slave wanted/needed he would have that slave’s compliance that the slaves would work harder to obtain the reward. Here to, the slaves learned how to use this system for themselves. As punishment for a poor work season Hammond shortened the Christmas break but as his journal shows for December 26 â€Å"persuaded out of my decision by the Negros† (pg. 221) Like all plantations of the era, Silver Bluff had its share of escape attempts although no successful escapes were recorded. Through Hammonds writing Dr. Faust has devised a profile for the runaway. Most were young males without strong family ties. The weather played an important part in determining the length of time away. Female slaves only ran with their husbands or to their husbands. Once the slaves escaped they did not travel far, mostly stayed in nearby swamps. The plantation slaves would then help the runaways by giving them supplies. At first Hammond sent men with horses and dogs out to search for the missing slaves, but after awhile he chose to just let others catch them , wait for them to end up in jail or wait for them to return on their own volition. Here too Hammond set some ground rules. If the slaves returned on their own they only received three lashes for each day gone, where as on the other hand if they were forcibly brought back the punishment was ten lashes for each day off of the plantation. Hammond also realized that the runaways and those slaves left behind still held close bonds. Based on this he also punished those still on the plantation. With holding food rations and beatings hoping that the runaway would hear of it and return on his own. (pg 223) What Hammond was really trying to do was to create a micro-world on his plantation where he was in charge and all else where his minions. His greatest fear was interference from the outside. To combat that he cut his slaves off from the outside, forbidding them to go to town, or from inter-acting with neighbors or the steamboat people. (pg. 223) As the war approached, he worried about which side his slaves were on. He felt that they were becoming riled and uneasy. Thefts of goods appeared more common and Hammond thought his slaves demeanor was changing and not for the good. He could feel the loss of control slipping away as the cannon’s roar rolled over his Silver Bluff. The first primary source I chose was Sarah Fitzpatrick (1938) (Hollitz, Doc. ) Part of her interview dealt with the issue of religion. If they wanted to attend their own church they needed a pass to allow them off the plantation. Many slaves though attended church with their masters. The preacher in the white church would first tend to his white flock then after that service he would preach to the slaves. Telling the slaves that they must listen and behave their masters and by doing so they would surly get to heaven. They were also taught catechism. The slaves preferred to attend their own service for they would get joyful and loud and that was not allowed during the white man’s service. This experience of Sarah’s almost parallels what Hammond tried to do on Silver Bluff. I feel that this primary source supports Dr. Faust views on how religion was used as a tool to enforce the white man’s way upon the Black there by peeling away a layer of their culture. The story of Brer Rabbit Outsmarts Brer Fox (Hollitz, Doc. 10) I feel is an analogy for one of the slave’s survival mechanism. In this story Brer Fox stops Brer Rabbit on his way to church. Brer Fox is hungry and wants to eat Brer Rabbit. Thinking fast Brer Rabbit tells Brer Fox that there are hogs at the man’s house that would be better for his breakfast and if Brer Fox did not believe him, he would agree to be tied up till Brer Fox checked it out. Brer Fox found no hogs and the man let his dog loose on Brer Fox. The dogs hunted Brer Fox and ate him up. Brer Rabbit was set loose and thanked the dogs. I feel Brer Rabbit represents the slaves, Brer Fox is the master and the dogs can represent many things depending on the story’s use. They might represent freedom, the war, or Heaven. Brer Rabbit used cunning and trickery to outsmart Brer Fox. The slaves needed to learn how to put one face on for the master while keeping their true face concealed. They needed to learn cunning and trickery to outsmart their masters at times In my opinon the document also supports Dr. Faust’s essay. It shows how the slaves learned to use the reward system that Hammond put in place to their own advantage. Also by slowing work up to get what they wanted. I chose my next primary source, (Mary Reynolds, Dallas Texas, ASN) because she was a slave from the deep south. She tells of her life from the time she was born up till the time of her interview. She eemed proud of the fact that she knew her father and the he was a free man who chose to live as a slave for the love of her mother who was a slave. She describes her life as a slave as a harsh one. Being sold off because she was to close to the masters own child. When his daughter became ill and was told it was because his daughter was pining away for her Black friend the master relented an d bought Mary back to the plantation. She tells of working the fields, not having enough food or proper clothing. She tells of the beatings she received from Solomon the overseer and how he kept a tight rein on the slaves. She explains how the runaways are tracked down and then punished All these experiences mirror plantation life at Silver Bluff and so once again supports Dr. Faust’s thesis. What does not seem to support it though is Mary’s master allowed some of the slave’s culture. There were marriage ceremonies and there were funerals and allowed outside contact. The last document I chose was an interview of a former slave whose master was a Creek Indian. (Lucinda Davis Tulsa, Oklahoma,ASN). She tells her life story as if she were part of her master’s extended family not like she was a slave. She was well cared for, well fed and had clothes. Her only chore was to care for a young child. The slaves were allowed to marry and did not have to live on their master’s farm. When the war was over and Lucinda parents wanted her back her master freely gave her up and sent her back. Her hardships did not seem any worse than any member of her master’s family. This document does not support Dr. Faust’s thesis. Maybe it is because the slave group was smaller and mostly men. There was no strife so they did not bond as the slaves on Hammonds plantation did.