Wednesday, October 30, 2019

'With reference to the serious case review, critically evaluate the Essay

'With reference to the serious case review, critically evaluate the failure of services in the case of Kyra Ishaq - Essay Example This report is based on making an assessment of failure of services in the case of Khyra Ishaq. The objective of the report is to highlight missed opportunities which could have resulted in better outcome and might have helped to save the life of Khyra Ishaq. The death of Khyra Ishaq was primarily suspected to be due to the failures of local services. The doctors across different activities were not in complete control of every fact as communication was hindered, misplaced or merely not commenced seriously. Any kind of significant decisions depend on individual services. In decision making, information sharing is a significant aspect and can determine the effectiveness of service provision. A significant number of neglected incidents related to the involvement by professionals have been observed in the death case of Khyra Ishaq (Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2012). The reason for such negligence was due to failure of proper administration to reach to the right divisions, failure to follow protection procedure and failure to undertake systematic evaluations to case closure, resulting in poor knowledge and information about the condition of Khyra Ishaq (Devon County Council, 2008). Domestic mistreatment is one of the vital aspects found in the death case of Khyra Ishaq. It was estimated that in 2010, about 200,000 children living in the households of the UK were characterised by high level of domestic mistreatment and violence (Radford, 2010). These issues were prevalent in the case of Khyra Ishaq. Reviewing the case of Khyra Ishaq reveals the fact that information regarding domestic mistreatment and violence was not understood or shared by respective social agencies. The evaluation of condition of Khyra Ishaq was not satisfactorily rigour and strict. Family and environmental issues and child-rearing capability components had received slight or limited regard from every department of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Anatomy and Physiology Ch. 1 Study Guide Essay Example for Free

Anatomy and Physiology Ch. 1 Study Guide Essay Anatomy the study of the form or structure and arrangement of body parts and their relationships Physiology the study of the functions of the body parts or structures and their relationships in maintaining life processes. Levels of Structural Organization The human body consists of levels of structural organization that are associated with one another. There are six levels of structural organization: I. chemical level It is the simplest level and it includes all of the chemical substances essential for maintaining life. These substances are made up of atoms. An atom is the smallest unit of matter. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Atoms combine to form molecules, which may be simple or complex. Different types of molecules combine to form or~anelles (little organs). Organelles are specific structures that carry out specific functions. 2. cellular level The cell is the basic unit of structure and function and of life. Cells vary in size, shape, and function and may contain many types of organelles. 3. tissue level Tissues are groups of similar cells that perform a specific function. There are four major types of tissues in the human body: a. epithelial tissue It is found lining body cavities and covers the surface of the body. It functions in protection, secretion, and excretion. b. connective tissue It is found on the surfaces of and in organs and tissues and functions in protection, support, and attaching organs and tissues to each other and to the walls of body cavities. c. muscle tissue It functions in the movement of body parts and organs, and in the movement of substances throughout the body. There are three major types of muscle tissue: (1) skeletal muscle It is found attached to and covering bones and it functions in body movement. (2) cardiac muscle It is located in the heart wall and functions in the contraction and relaxation of the heart as it beats. (3) smooth muscle It is located in the walls of internal or visceral organs and it functions in moving substances throughout the body. d. nervous tissue It is located in the brain and spinal cord, and extends to various tissues and organs. It functions in transmitting electrical or nerve impulses from the external and internal environments to the brain and spinal cord where it is interpreted and a response occurs. 4. organ level Organs are groups of two or more types of tissue working together to perform a specific function. 5. organ system level ~ sTstems are groups of organs that work closely together to perform a common function. There are eleven organ systems in the human body: 6. organismal level It is the highest level of structural organization and it consists of groups of organ systems working together to maintain body structure and function. Organ systems work together to maintain an internal environment that is fairly constant, stable, or balanced. This is referred to as homeostasis (to stay the same). Changes do occur, but within very narrow ranges or limits. Homeostasis Body parts or structures function efficiently in maintaining metabolic processes and when the survival needs are within certain limits or optimum levels. The survival needs include: water, oxyqen, nutrients, an appropriate bod~ temperature, and atmospheric pressure. Water is necessary for chemical reactions, excretion, and secretion. Oxyqen is required for many of the metabolic reactions that break down nutrients and provide energy. Nutrients provide energy for cells and cell processes. Bod~ temperature must be maintained within a certain range for chemical reactions and cell processes to perform efficiently. If the body temperature falls too low or increases too high, chemical reactions will slow down or may stop. Atmospheric pressure is the force of air on the body surface by the weight of air. It is important in breathing and in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs. To maintain homeostasis there are control mechanisms. Control mechanisms consist of three parts: i. receptor It responds to sensory stimuli from the internal and external environments. The information is sent along afferent pathways to the control center. 2. control center It consists of the brain and spinal cord which interpret and analyze the information and determine an appropriate response. Information is then sent along efferent pathways to the effector. 3. effector It consists of tissues, organs, or glands that perform a motor response to the original stimulus that was received by the receptor. The response involves a feedback mechanism. If the response slows down or inhibit~ the stimulus it is a neqative feedback mechanism. If the response speeds up or enhances the stimulus, it is a positive feedback mechanism. Most control mechanisms for homeostasis in the human body are negative feedback mechanisms.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

African Americans role of Television Essay -- essays papers

African Americans role of Television The roles African Americans play on television are not satisfactory. Though the roles have changed during the development of television, the current relationship is not representative of true African American people or their lifestyles. The question is how do the past roles African Americans play in television sitcoms compare to the current roles? How does this affect society’s perception of the African American in American culture? Throughout the history of television the roles and the representation of African Americans has developed with the changing cultural conditions. However, the representation of African American’s has not fully simulated into today’s society. What the average citizen views on his or her television does not accurately portray the African American’s influence on America. The early days of television held great optimism and hope for this new form of media as an avenue for African Americans to assimilate into white American culture. However, a pattern became evident, a pattern of type casting African Americans in roles which did not accurately and wholly portray the individual. A misrepresentation of African Americans became the common image on television. Variety shows initially promoted the new media as an opportunity for equal representation and communication between the races. However, a trend developed with African Americans often being â€Å"portrayed as custodians, maids, servants, clowns, or buffoons† (Crenshaw). The negative image, which was developed by these stereotypes, was perpetuated in the Amos and Andy Show. This television show began as a radio show featuring two white men portraying two comedic black men. When the show was transferred to television, two African American men were cast in the roles, acting as buffoons. The popularity of the show was overwhelming. This was the initial image of African Americans in television, which reached mainstreams Caucasian America and was the foundation for which future stereotypes were created. A new image of African American families was presented in the eighty’s with the Cosby Show. The Huxtable’s were a successful African American family with a life similar to the accepted and established Caucasian mainstream. This show was not accepted fully because it failed to represent the full cultural scope of African Americans. The current... ...After giving the presentation there were many different views coming from the audience which were not expected. The audience did not hold the same views presented to them. The point addressed was about how Will Smith was the buffoon on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. They did not feel Will Smith was acting buffoonish, they thought he just brought comedy to the show. The audience seemed to focus on black people acting white rather than black people acting ignorant. They brought up the character Carlton, and how he acted white. When asked the question how they knew he was acting white they said he went to an all white school and was influenced by the way they acted. The audience also said Will criticized Carlton for acting white. They excused Will's buffoonish actions by saying white people were also made fun of through Carlton's character. This brings up the question how do we know what is characterized as acting "black" or acting "white", and what makes a show a "black" show or a " white" show. Again these questions revert back to the fact television shows have embedded stereotypes in our society. This makes people believe there must be a typical "black" person and "white" person.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Educating ESME Comprehensive Reflection

Every teacher’s worst nightmare – that is the setting to which Madame (whatever you do don’t call her Mrs. ) Esme Raji Codell stepped into as her first job fresh out of college. In this sink or swim world Esme, unknowingly, became a lifeguard to thirty youngsters, as she seemed the only one who could protect the children from the rough waters that are inner city Chicago. Through studying her very candid and personal diary, I am awe stricken by her extraordinary display of pedagogy as she exemplifies what it truly means to be a teacher.Esme’s proficiency in her dealings with situations surrounding equity, creating a safe, relaxed and positive classroom environment, expectations as a teacher, gender, diversity learning, multicultural competence and accommodation are, at times, straight out of a teacher’s workshop. Some might argue with her protocol, as she is both sharp-tongued and downright stubborn, but none can call to question her motive or incapa city for complacency.As every teacher goes into the workplace, first year, or twenty-fifth, and despite any subconscious fear you might possess of the hideous class you might be challenged to educate, there is always a certain comfort in knowing that, regardless the case, you have the support of your administration to uphold most any rational expectation you place on your students. As the school year drew near, I’m sure this was the case even for Madame Esme, as she seemed eager to start her first year of teaching. She set her expectations high in all aspects and from day one seemed determined to see her students achieve accordingly.She maintained her ideals throughout the year, though, it becomes more evident that her superiors might not share such idealistic values. No case more true than is seen on May 4th. After trying to reach a male student, B. B. , who seems to be having behavioral problems related to his home life, Esme finds herself separating her student from a â₠¬Å"big pounding fight on the playground† (Codell, 1999). In the aftermath which followed, Esme receives a tongue lashing from B. B. in which he directly calls her a bitch. Outraged, Codell storms into the office of her incompetent principal, Mr.Turner, and continues to share with him her disgust of the issue. Full of remarks which any rational person would have left to thought, she gladly gave to Mr. Turner in words. Summoned up, her venting stood strongly on the fact that she didn’t get paid to be called names of that sort, and she both didn’t have to, and wouldn’t tolerate such. Reasonable†¦ justified†¦ maybe, maybe not? All the same, nothing in my (and hopefully anyone else’s) study of education could have prepared me, or apparently her, for his unprecedentedly repulsive response. â€Å"You don’t understand.They’re black†¦ It’s just the way black people are. The black child is different. They deal with so much . Drugs, gangs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Codell, 1999). How can one articulate the hopelessness of such a situation? I am deeply saddened at the thought that this is based on the account of a real conversation, which took place at a real school, concerning the expectations of real kids. Profound knowledge directly linked to the situation can be found in the Pygmalion Study (Rosenthal, 1992) where student achievement was found to be directly proportional to the expectations placed on them by teachers and administrators.Knowing that this was the standard set for students school wide, one may only speculate at the vast number of children who fell victim to such complacency and negativity. As I am only able to imagine how detrimental it must have been to Esme’s moral in that moment to hear such foulness reign down from your superior, I commend her in the highest fashion for the manner in which she handled herself before him. I only hope that I have the courage to stand so boldly should I fi nd myself under such circumstances. The months of April and May seem to be full of touching moments in Madame Esme’s first year.I found myself rather moved in taking stance from an omnipresent perspective. On tax day, Codell finds herself frustrated with Latoya, a young black girl in her class, seeing as it was the fourth consecutive day she had been a half hour late (Codell, 1999). Bound by her own pledge to professionalism in educating the kids she is so blessed to have, Madame shows sign that she might possess human qualities, after all, when she admits that she was inclined to yell at Latoya as she was becoming frustrated on having to repeat herself, consecutively.However, Esme is able to withhold her wit and refrains from doing so as she has vowed to talk and listen privately, as of late. Upon speaking with the student alone in the hall, Latoya calmly informs her that â€Å"they are in the shelter this week and [she] must drop her little sister off and take the train ov er†¦ it takes longer than [expected]† (Codell, 1999). Stepping back a moment to gain perspective, these are fifth graders. The same one where you look forward to daily recess freshly removed from the ideas that the opposite sex have ‘coodies’ and light up sneakers are cool.Remember? Oh, yeah! And you walk your sister to drop her off in the mornings before school and then jump on the inner-city Chicago train to get to school, yourself. As a teacher, you’re taught that your students will live very different lives and of the necessity to make accommodations accordingly. Students’ backgrounds cover a vast spectrum, and in order to achieve equity in your classroom, you must accommodate these students and cater to their specific needs so that, they too, have an opportunity to be successful.Latoya’s story, in particular, strikes me a little too close for comfort. In fact, it is unsettling to know that these situations are not the exception in su ch areas, but can be found, all too, commonly when the teacher takes a closer look. Is it because, like many, my childhood was so very contrasting to what you find, time and again, throughout the diary? I was pleased with the mild temperament in which Esme handled the situation. She made it clear that Latoya had done a good thing and that she appreciated it, followed by a means of accounting for any work that she might have missed.I find it especially significant that she reflected clearly reflected on the matter, and how close she had come to scolding the student who in all actuality, deserved praise. â€Å"I still burned with shame at the thought of what I almost said and at all the occasions I have spoken harshly† (Codell, 1999). These are words which should be heard as an echo in the minds of every teacher following his or her sharp tongue. As a boy, myself, I will attest based on my personal account that boys are in crisis.Though, I was clearly not in a state of mind to fathom it at the time, I (and most other boys alike) struggled with the restraints of public school. Sitting in a desk for an hour or so at a time with, but, five minutes to use up all of my energy in the hallways before my next bound session was rough to say the least. It is trying on a boy’s soul. Comprehending what the teacher is scribing on the board is the least of your worries, so paper folded in some fashion or another becomes a common means of passing time. Other days, it’s the kid sitting next to you.Meanwhile, you, likely those around you, are missing out on the entire point of being there – education. Esme seemed to have mastery understanding of this early on whether she fully knew the science behind it, or not. Though, she makes just a small note, a few words says it all. In what appeared to be Esme, merely, jotting down a few random observations for her diaries’ sake she hit on something rather insightful. â€Å"June 4th†¦ Kyle performs better in math if I let him stand on his head whenever he wants. † (Codell, 1999). Now what does this mean?The fact of the matter is, when you let boys get their raw physical energy out they are significantly more receptive to the idea of sitting at a desk and learning, as well as more proficient in doing so (Slocumb, 2004). Girls learning styles and general behavior are more in tune with the establishment of the public school system, when compared to boys. These are gender specific issues that you must be aware of in the classroom. As anyone who has ever been through grade school knows, being different can create a problem for you among peers, and a grand one at that.Whether that difference be the way you dress, your intelligence, speech patterns, race, ethnicity, customs, physical trait, the way you act or any of the other items which fall into such an infinite classification, that difference is enough to land you on the wrong end of someone’s jokes. While, we have l earned that regardless of their likeness, there are as many differences within groups of people as can be found between one another. Thus, there are no real grounds to single anyone out under the premise that they are different.However, this is a concept far, too, fetched for fifth graders†¦ usually. Early on in the year, September 27th, Madame Esme read the story The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes to her class. The plot of the tale is about a little girl who claims to have one hundred dresses, despite wearing the same one to school every day. After being teased, endlessly, the poor girl moves away. Then her peers come to find that she truly does own a beautiful hundred dresses like she had said†¦ one hundred drawings of dresses.The story is significant because following its closure, Ashworth, a boy in class stood up and whispered to Madame that he had something to share with the class. Esme speaks aloud to the class to give him their attention, as expected; then, she ad ds â€Å"I hope you will keep in mind The Hundred Dresses when he tells you. † Stuttering, Ashworth gets out â€Å"I†¦ I only have nine and a half fingers. Please don’t tease me about it. † (Codell, 1999). In her journal, Codell is quoted in describing the moment as macabre (Codell, 1999).After the silence which she captures eloquently, students speak out to defend him one after another with claims that they’ll kick anyone’s ass who says something. If you’ve ever witnessed someone publicly disclosing something truly personal about themselves such as this before, then perhaps you can grasp what a spectacular moment this must have been. As a teacher, you know this is a victory. This is one of those extraordinary moments that pay back to the nth degree, but can’t be found via pay stub on Friday. As a teacher, there’s not much that you can do here. This is, in a way, above you.You don’t create these moments, they happen . You do, however, create a safe, positive, comfortable environment where the students can relax and learn. Madame monitored the situation as best she could in the moment, but the true credit here, she began earning the first day when the students walked in. She earns it daily with her greeting, â€Å"Trouble Basket†, and word exercises as the students enter her classroom. Further, she is helping to break down the walls between individuals and helping them to come forth with their problems, all via her classroom environment.While we have gathered that we are all so, very, different in our many personal traits and attributes, gender, and even the background that we come from, the same holds true for our learning styles in the classroom. If there is any single thing which Madame Esme might have gotten most right, it must be her diversity in teaching styles. This is so intrinsically related to many principles of teaching associated with differences. Students learn in different w ays just as they do all others things differently and to varying degrees from one another.Esme has been deemed crazy over the course of the year for her outrageous methods including the way she dresses, herself, at times. In a list from June ninth, â€Å"†¦ we made light-up quiz games†¦ put on shadow puppet shows†¦ built an accurate castle†¦ had a bubble festival†¦ made sushi†¦ made video commercials†¦ had a book character masquerade party†¦ went to an outdoor Beethoven concert†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Codell, 1999). The previous is even an incomplete list of the interesting lessons she remembers doing. It doesn’t include any of the larger activities which she discussed in depth, over the course of her diary.The point is that the more diverse your teaching techniques, the more effective you are as a teacher. This is evident in the beginning of the same journal entry in which Esme notes that the results from her kids Iowa reading and math scores were the best in the school and virtually every student jumped at least one year in their performance from previous tests (Codell, 1999). What else do you say to this? Cliche as it may seem, â€Å"talk is cheap. † These results explain it all, as they are a testament to the effectiveness of diversity teaching and learning methods.In evaluating Madame Esme Raji Codell, one must understand that any findings would be incomplete so long as they didn’t include accreditation for her work regarding multicultural competence. In this country, we have had a real problem accommodating cultures other than our own. Oh, how quickly we forget that our nation was started by a diverse group whom had all made the voyage to the new land from their parent countries, alike. Over the last few hundred years, America developed foul sense of self pride which demanded others become like us. When in all actuality, it would be impossible to concretely define what we are.Thus, the justly concept o f multicultural pluralism and multicultural competence have since been born. Esme, the poster child for such innovative practices, exemplifies everything which the terms stand for. Madame wore a sari, a type of scarf, given as a gift to her by a student from another country (one of three) without much more thought than to show her gratitude, it seemed (Codell, 1999). The next day, she had four girls waiting on her, all dressed in customary fashion from the native land, seemingly inspired by the window of opportunity Codell had given them the day prior.In another instance, she allowed her female student to perform a cultural dance, which the student began without asking during class. Such was allowed. It was merely the girl looking to express herself and in the process everyone else enjoyed it. When studying the Mexican-American War Madame brought in a native Hispanic man to lecture on Mexico’s perspective of the war. This is multicultural competence. I commend her for, in the midst of her diversity teaching and learning styles, she includes these fine principles, which in turn, encourages cultural pluralism and combats assimilation of culturally diverse students.They are more fluently understood for their practices and, consequently, increasingly accepted among fellow students. In studying this diary†¦ this epic monologue†¦ this compilation of pedagogy†¦ I wonder now, What do you conclude from this? What is the one thing that you can take with you from this? It’s an answer so vast that it cannot be defined in this, mere, manuscript. What is my conclusion you ask? My conclusion is this: what more might I add that Madame Esme Raji Codell has not already taught us? In my eyes, she is the model for twenty-first century teachers in America. She is motivated to educate, not just teach.She is determined to succeed, rather than participate. She strives to make a difference, rather than be a part of the problem. And, may God have mercy on t he incompetent individual who stands in her way. These dispositions compiled with a hunger for knowledge, an inclination to reflect, a conscience to admit when wrong, and a sense of humor to laugh about it at the end of the day are the ingredients for success in the teaching profession. Such are the characteristics of a fine fifth grade teacher by the name of Madame Esme and such are the very reasons why her name will not be forgotten.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 14

On Friday Winfield took Damon and me to get fitted for a custom suit. A visit to Pinotto's Tailoring might have been fun at some other point in my life – as it had been the night I went shopping with Lexi in New Orleans. Pasquale Pinotto was a master of his craft, descended from a long line of tailors to kings and queens of Europe. With his pince-nez glasses and chalk and measuring tape around his neck, he could have been someone out of a fairy tale. I enjoyed trying to speak the few words of Italian I knew to him; he took pleasure in it as well, though he corrected my accent. Damon, of course, pretended that he only wanted to speak English now that he was in America – which is how he got around the tailor's delight at meeting a fellow countryman. â€Å"Look at this.† Damon held up a bolt of scarlet red silk to his face. â€Å"We could have our jackets lined with it. Doesn't it just bring out the color in my lips? Or†¦ Lydia's neck?† He moved it to the side, just about where the fang wounds would have been on him. Winfield looked confused. â€Å"She has taken to wearing scarves around her neck, lately. Is that what you mean? It's dashed peculiar – she never used to.† Damon flicked him a quick look, a flash of surprise and annoyance so fast only I caught it. It was interesting that Mr. Sutherland noticed the subtle changes occurring around him, even if he was ultimately powerless against Damon's compulsion. Although any safety the rich old man had was in staying completely ignorant of my brother's schemes. I leaned against the wall for support, tension exhausting me. I felt claustrophobic among all the rolls of expensive fabric and labyrinthine rooms of mirrors and sewing machines, as trapped in that room as I was in my life. Mr. Sutherland made his way to a chair to rest his ponderous bulk. He seemed a touch fidgety – he kept reaching for his cigar, but he was not allowed to smoke one of his famous cigars in the atelier, as the smoke would ruin the fabric. â€Å"Now here is some cloth I am thinking you will like,† Signor Pinotto said, presenting us with black wool crepe so fine and soft it might have been silk. â€Å"I get it from a tiny village in Switzerland. They work†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Leave the cloth to me,† Winfield said, twirling an unlit cigar in his hand. â€Å"I know the business. Let the young men pick out whatever style they want.† Damon started looking through the jackets, pulling one out and holding it against him to see how it fit. â€Å"In this morning coat and that black crepe, we'll look like real creatures of the night,† Damon observed. â€Å"Don't you think so, Stefan?† â€Å"Yes, yes we will,† I agreed stonily. â€Å"Here, try this on.† Damon tossed me a smaller version of the jacket. Dutifully, I took off my own and put it on. The jacket fit me well except for being too big in the shoulders and chest. Damon was distracted by the tailor and Winfield, discussing patterns and linings and buttons. It occurred to me in that moment that I could leap out the window and run away. Would my brother actually carry through on all of his threats? Would he really kill the Sutherlands – or worse? But then I thought of the message in blood and realized I would never let the world find out the answer to that question. I wanted no more deaths on my conscience. â€Å"Is that the sort of thing young men prance around town in these days?† Winfield asked, frowning at my jacket. â€Å"I've never really been a – what did you call it? – ‘creature of the night.'† Damon gave him a cold smile. â€Å"Never say never.† And then Damon was suddenly standing next to me in front of the mirror, buttoning up his jacket and fluffing out the tails. Very assiduously he fixed mine as well. â€Å"Well, would you look at that,† he said to our reflections, putting an arm around my shoulders. â€Å"We could almost be brothers.† â€Å"We were brothers at one time,† I hissed so quietly that only Damon's highly tuned ears could hear. â€Å"Though you are now as alien to me as the devil himself.† â€Å"Eh?† Winfield looked up. â€Å"You do resemble each other a little. The†¦ hair. And the†¦ face.† He waved a hand vaguely at us. Then he smiled widely. â€Å"I'll have a whole set of matching grandchildren! Dozens of them, dandling on my knees.† Damon grinned. â€Å"Absolutely. I plan on having a large family, Mr. Sutherland. It's important that my bloodline goes on.† â€Å"You're really pushing it,† I said. â€Å"I haven't even started,† he whispered, smiling. â€Å"Oh really? Then what was that message you left for me in blood?† I said. Damon's forehead crinkled. â€Å"Message?† â€Å"Actually, I rather like the scarlet.† Winfield held a bolt of the fabric in his hands, and didn't seem to notice the tension in the air. â€Å"It's perfect. Damon DeSangue – bloodred, or of blood, right?† Damon looked surprised. I was taken off guard, too. â€Å"I speak four languages, boys,† Winfield said with a bit of a growl in his grin. â€Å"And can read another four. I-tal-ian is just one.† So Sutherland wasn't quite the buffoon he appeared to be. There were layers in him, and of course there had to be for such a successful businessman. â€Å"And speaking of languages, ho bisogno di vino, something to wet my throat. I brought something from my own cellar, a fantastic amontillado. Care to join me?† â€Å"I really could drain a good Sutherland dry just about now,† Damon said gamely, clapping me on the shoulder like our future father-in-law did. I slumped in despair. When we'd first become vampires, I'd wanted nothing more than to spend eternity with my brother. But now I couldn't wait to be rid of him.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Legend of Romulus and Remus Essays

The Legend of Romulus and Remus Essays The Legend of Romulus and Remus Paper The Legend of Romulus and Remus Paper Romulus and Remus were twin brothers. Their father was Mars, the God of War; their mother was Rhea Silvia, a vestal virgin and daughter of the King, Numitor. Numitors brother, Amulius, had taken the throne from him and had forced Rhea Silvia to become a vestal virgin so that she would not have any children who might try to take back the throne. When the boys were born, Amulius seized them, put them into a basket and threw them into the river Tiber. He hoped that they would drown. However, the boys were rescued by a she-wolf who fed the babies with her own milk and cared for them. A shepherd called Faustulus saw the wolf with the baby boys. He took them home to his wife. They called the boys Romulus and Remus. When they grew up the boys became shepherds like Faustulus. One day they had a fight with another group of shepherds. Remus was arrested and sent to Numitor as a prisoner. When Numitor heard the story he realised that Remus was his grandson! He told Romulus and Remus what had happened to him and their mother. For revenge, Romulus and Remus attacked their Uncle Amulius and killed him. After that, Romulus and Remus went to live with their grandfather in Alba Longa, but they got bored and missed the countryside where they grew up. They decided to move back to River Tiber where Faustulus had found them and build their own city but the twins argued over where the city should be built. Romulus wanted to build it on the Palatine Hill and Remus wanted to build it on the Capitoline Hill. In the end they built two cities. Unfortunately, the arguing did not stop. They kept teasing each other about their cities. Remus teased his brother about the height of his city walls, saying they were too low. In the end the two cities went to war and Romulus won. Romulus became king of his new city which was called Rome in his honour.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Essay Sample on the War on Terror Deterrence or Compellence

Essay Sample on the War on Terror Deterrence or Compellence Introduction: A War on Terror is a difficult thing to define, due partly to its vagueness and its unsparing use as a rhetorical device to justify any military action perpetrated by the U.S post-9/11. If it had to be defined in the way it seems to have been intended, it could be as a set of actions aimed – or purported to be aimed – at eliminating or reducing terrorism in the world. The word terrorism is generally defined as the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear through violence or its threat. To understand whether the War on Terror is deterrence or compellence or neither there has to be a stipulated definition of deterrence and compellence. Deterrence is the threat of force made by an actor with the aim of preventing an adversary from engaging in a particular course of action; whereas compellence is the threat of force made by an actor with the aim of compelling an adversary to undo something already done or begin a particular course of action . Is the War on Terror Deterrence or Compellence? The War on Terror has some characteristics that resemble deterrence. One of them is the adversarys desire to engage in an undesirable (to those who wish to deter) action. However, since both sides present a very different picture of reality, of their own intrinsic goodness and the others intrinsic badness, it is almost impossible to determine with certainty whether the adversary does in fact intend to do what copious propaganda efforts attempt to convince people that they do; making it epistemically safer to judge whether one side perceives the other as being about to engage in the feared action, rather than whether they are objectively about to engage in that action. An important adversary in this case is al Qaeda, and the U.S has shown its belief in al Qaedas intent to execute the undesirable actions (terrorism), and has done much to emphasize this intent: were engaged in a global war against an enemy that threatens all civilized nations. Our enemies have openly declared that they are seeking weapons of mass destruction, and evidence indicates that they are doing so with determination. Through this strategy, al Qaeda and its allies intend to create numerous, decentralized operating bases across the world, from which they can plan new attacks, and advance their vision of a unified, totalitarian Islamic state that can confront and eventually destroy the free world. The Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies have demonstrated their willingness to kill Americans (emphases mine) Other similarities to deterrence that are displayed by the War on Terror are the demonstration of American military ability and willingness to use that ability, which serve many purposes including establishing credibility; and statements of the intent to punish terrorist attacks, which have been made explicitly and implicitly. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be regarded as implicit reminders of the punishment awaiting those who threaten American power, as well as demonstrations of American military prowess, though they have had their limitations in serving those purposes. Explicit statements of American willingness and physical capability have been made in public addresses, for example: we will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not withdraw from the fight, until this threat to civilization has been removed. Explicit acknowledgment is made of deterrence as a strategy in the War on Terror, but it is merely one of many strategies included in the war, not a description of the war itself: A new deterrence calculus combines the need to deter terrorists and supporters from contemplating a WMD attack and, failing that, to dissuade them from actually conducting an attack. Has it Succeeded? Whether the War on Terror has worked for its stated purposes – American defense and making the world freer and more peaceful – would depend upon whether the U.S is safer now than it was prior to its launching, and whether any part of the world is freer or safer as a consequence. According to their own National Intelligence Estimate America is not safer . By tying up their resources in Iraq and Afghanistan, they reduce their own credibility. The War on Terror may be regarded as something of a failure in those regards. Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other places directly effected by the War on Terror have also not been liberated. The undemocratic Musharraf regime has been supported; Iraq has become more violent, captured Iraqis have been tortured and terrorism has become more rampant there. Relations with Iran are deteriorating, and many in the world fear the U.S more than terrorism. In those regards too the War in Iraq seems to have been a failure. The War on Terror as Defensive: The War on Terror is a preventive defensive strategy. This involves deterrence/compellence but is not limited to it, as many of the strategies it encompasses fall outside the rubric of deterrence/compellence. For example, trying to prevent funds reaching terrorists, democratizing as much of the world as possible and using economic rewards are parts of the War on Terror, but are neither compellence nor deterrence. The strategy for combating terrorism is divided into five components: advancing democracy, preventing terrorist attacks, denying sanctuary to terrorists, denying terrorists control over nations and building institutions to help combat terrorism . The second is ostensibly preventive defense, the third may be interpreted to be so as may the fourth. The first and the fifth do not involve merely the use of force, and do not fall into the categories of defense, compellence, deterrence or swaggering. It is plausible that the war is aggression mixed with defense, with the pretext o f being entirely defensive. This would be supported by the observation that one and possibly another war has been initiated by the U.S without provocation, and statements have been made casually that show a willingness to disregard the sovereignty of other states, national integrity and human rights . Conclusion: The War on Terror overall does not appear to be compellence or deterrence, but defense mixed with aggression; while some of the moves within it – namely the war in Iraq and Americas increasing hostility toward Iran – are deterrent. The war in Iraq is a case of failed deterrence, though the motives and outcomes in the situation are complex. American actions in the War on Terror are acting as demonstrations of power in some respects, as well as weakening in others (loss of soldiers, vehicles, fuel, money etc.). They might be instilling fear in some actors in the world, but are also arousing hatred and anger among others, many of whom are not easily intimidated.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Trans Isomer Definition

Trans Isomer Definition A trans isomer is an isomer where the functional groups appear on opposite sides of the double bond.  Cis and trans isomers are commonly discussed with respect to organic compounds, but they also occur in inorganic coordination complexes and diazines.Trans isomers are identified by adding trans- to the front of the molecules name. The word trans comes from the Latin word meaning across or on the other side.​Example: The trans isomer of dichloroethene is written as trans-dichloroethene. Key Takeaways: Trans Isomer A trans isomer is one in which functional groups occur on opposite sides of a double bond. In contrast, the functional groups are on the same side as each other in a cis isomer.Cis and trans isomers display different chemical and physical properties.Cis and trans isomers share the same chemical formula, but have different geometry. Comparing Cis and Trans Isomers The other type of isomer is called a cis isomer. In cis conformation, the functional groups are both on the same side of the double bond (adjacent to each other). Two molecules are isomers if they contain the exact same number and types of atoms, just a different arrangement or rotation around a chemical bond. Molecules are not isomers if they have a different number of atoms or different types of atoms from each other. Trans isomers differ from cis isomers in more than just appearance. Physical properties also are affected by conformation. For example, trans isomers tend to have lower melting points and boiling points than corresponding cis isomers. They also tend to be less dense. Trans isomers are less polar (more nonpolar) than cis isomers because the charge is balanced on opposite sides of the double bond. Trans alkanes are less soluble in inert solvents than cis alkanes. Trans alkenes are more symmetrical than cis alkenes. While you might think functional groups would freely rotate around a chemical bond, so a molecule would spontaneous switch between cis and trans conformations, this isnt so simple when double bonds are involved. The organization of electrons in a double bond inhibits rotation, so an isomer tends to stay in one conformation or another. It is possible to change conformation around a double bond, but this requires energy sufficient to break the bond and then reform it. Stability of Trans Isomers In acyclic systems, a compound is more likely to form a trans isomer than the cis isomer because it is usually more stable. This is because having both function groups on the same side of a double bond can produce steric hindrance. There are exceptions to this rule, such as  1,2-difluoroethylene, 1,2-difluorodiazene (FNNF), other halogen-substituted ethylenes, and some oxygen-substituted ethylenes. When the cis conformation is favored, the phenomenon is termed the cis effect. Contrasting Cis and Trans With Syn and Anti Rotation is much more free around a single bond. When rotation occurs around a single bond, the proper terminology is syn (like cis) and anti (like trans), to denote the less permanent configuration. Cis/Trans vs E/Z The cis and trans configurations are considered examples of  geometric isomerism or  configurational isomerism. Cis and trans should not be confused with  E/Z  isomerism. E/Z  is an  absolute  stereochemical description only used when referencing alkenes with double bonds  that cannot rotate or ring structures. History Friedrich Woehler first notice isomers in 1827 when he discerned silver cyanate and silver fulminate share the same chemical composition, but displayed different properties. In 1828, Woehler discovered urea and ammonium cyanate also had the same composition, yet different properties. Jà ¶ns Jacob Berzelius introduced the term isomerism in 1830. The word isomer comes from the Greek language and means equal part. Sources Eliel, Ernest L. and Samuel H. Wilen (1994). Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds. Wiley Interscience. pp. 52–53.Kurzer, F. (2000). Fulminic Acid in the History of Organic Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 77 (7): 851–857. doi:10.1021/ed077p851Petrucci, Ralph H.; Harwood, William S.; Herring, F. Geoffrey (2002). General chemistry: principles and modern applications (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. p. 91. ISBN 978-0-13-014329-7.Smith, Janice Gorzynski (2010). General, Organic and Biological Chemistry (1st ed.). McGraw-Hill. p. 450. ISBN 978-0-07-302657-2.Whitten K.W., Gailey K.D., Davis R.E. (1992). General Chemistry (4th ed.). Saunders College Publishing. p. 976-977. ISBN 978-0-03-072373-5.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Ask week 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ask week 6 - Essay Example Explicate some of the benefits associated with the use of informal organization. Although informal organization is argued to promote and to continue social cultural values of the organization, it can also lead to negative attitudes between employees. Explain ways through which informal organization can lead to this effect. How do people who refuse to transfer knowledge to others in an organization affect the running of the organization? What are advantaged accrued from mentoring and knowledge transfer within the organization? The current formal setting within the organization affects decision making processes. It is apparent that the organization can be termed as a family business entity. In what ways is this scenario a barrier in paving way for successful and effective decision making processes? It can be argued that in order to resolve the land problem, this formal organizational structure needs to be challenged. In what ways can this structure be challenged? Do you see the use of informal organization playing a critical role to this

Statistical coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Statistical - Coursework Example Beta is the gradient of the model line. Nonetheless, for ADM, BLT, AV, CPG and RIO Company, there was no significant beta to explain the market risk since t-statistic was less than the critical value. Generally, alpha, the constant, illustrated how much worse or better the company performed than CAPM predicted (negative alpha illustrated how much worse the fund performed and vice versa). The quality of our model was illustrated by our R2. While an R2 of 1.0 would imply that our model fit the weekly data perfectly (100%) and that the performance of the funds were explained by their risk exposure, as estimated by beta, this was not the case as evidenced in different R2, s in the Table 1. According to Reilly & Brown (2012), variation of stock returns is the concern of any shareholder. As such, most models are not interested in finding out the most convenient way of determining stock return but to see which macroeconomic factors determine the variation of stock return. CAPM is a simple model that is perceived on sound reasoning, some of the assumptions that look like the model are unrealistic. Rather than simply just broadening an existing theory, Albright, Winston & Zappe (2009) propos this concern by giving a completely different model: the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT). Being the opposite of CAPM, the current developed APT starts with the assumption that arbitrage opportunities should not be found in perfect financial markets. This thought is a little bit restricted than those needed to develop the CAPM. Bruns (2013) claims APT starts by assuming that there are n factors, which cause asset returns to significantly differ from their expected values. Secondly, it adopts systematic risk (beta). CAPM considers systematic. This has been assumed in other return models, like the dividend discount model (DDM). Systematic or market risk is a fundamental variable because it is one does not see it therefore cannot be

Friday, October 18, 2019

Go or No-go Decisions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Go or No-go Decisions - Assignment Example Fuzzy-gate concept helps manufacturers know whether they are going in the right direction of new product development or they need some changes or improvements. A firm should make the decisions regarding product development at both stages of the development, which include before development and during development. The reason for before development is that when the firm will be making appropriate decisions before developing the product, it will be able to manufacture right product for the customers. Similarly, when the firm will evaluate its decisions according to the market business during product development, it will be able to achieve desired results from the product. Essay Answer: 2 The techniques, which a company can use to attain speed in a new product project, include proper management of organization, intensifying resource commitments, designing for speed, preparing for rapid manufacturing, and preparing for rapid marketing. The techniques, which can be used in proper managemen t of organization while bringing a new cosmetics division in an established skincare company, include use of a good idea, properly analyzing customers’ demands, encouraging and protecting team, and clearing tracks in shared supporting departments. Similarly, some techniques for intensification of resource commitments include integration of channel members and use of parallel engineering. In case of design for speed, some good techniques include rapid prototyping, computer-aided design, and design-aided manufacturing. In case of preparing for rapid marketing, use of rollouts and facilitating trial purchasing are good options for a firm to attain speed. Some risks included in speed to market approach include improper analysis of the market, improper analysis of the customers’ demands, and development of an improper marketing strategy. Essay Answer: 3 New product ideas hold great importance in the process of new product development. ABC Company needs many ideas to select the best ideas for the product development. The department of new product development should look at the ideas generating from various sources, such as, employees, customers, research and development, competitors, distributors, psychologists, and outside sources. The department can collect valuable information from these sources because all of these sources play an important role in the overall process of product development. Sources, such as, competitors, research and development, employees, and outside sources can make the manufacturers aware of the needs and demands of the market regarding any specific product. Lead users are the people who use the product developed by the company. The role of lad users is very important in the development process because they can give the exact idea regarding what actually is demanded and expected by the intended users of the product. Therefore, manufacturers need to consider the opinion of led users while developing new products in order to ach ieve success in market. Essay Answer: 4 Social responsibility must be a key initiative because it builds a positive image of the brand in the minds of the customers. Being the new product development manager of motorized scooter, I will incorporate social responsibility to protect the environment as much as possible. I will develop an eco-friendly motorized scooter, which will have no noise and pollutant emissions. I will use the concept of green marketing to

Health Promotion Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Health Promotion Practice - Essay Example From the overweight children, 25% had been classed as obese and prone to chronic disease and disabilities. The likelihood of obesity having multiple predictors for illness is high. The escalation of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and a variety of other co-morbidities before or during early adulthood is expected to interfere with the normal life of the obese child. Sleep apnoea, arthritis and other disorders of bones, joint disorders and cancer have also been associated with obesity. Low self-esteem is another significant problem and may require appropriate psychological approach. A shorter life expectancy is inevitable in addition. The issue having become a global one, it is really urgent that measures are taken to prevent overweight and obesity. A collaborative effort on a war footing needs to be undertaken to find a rational solution. Where previously the issue was descriptive of children from wealthy families, recent discovery has been made that economy and geography have little t o do with the obesity. With all this in mind, I opted to join MEND, a program working for reversing the child obesity issue on an international basis. Epidemiology The problem is caused by a â€Å"mathematical† difference in the intake of energy as calories and expenditure of energy. Increased intake could be more than the needed requirement for the bodily functions. This could cause obesity. Similarly if the expenditure of energy in the form of exercise is not possible, an accumulation of fat again occurs in the body. This accumulating fat causes obesity and overweight. Either the intake has to be reduced or the expenditure increased to balance the calories being utilized in the body. The obesity is measured as the BMI or body mass index in the project. This is the ratio of the weight in kilograms to the square of the height in metres. Overweight and obesity have been defined as leading health indicators by the Healthy People 2010. This programme intended to reduce the child hood obesity incidence by 5% in the US. The significance of the issue in Wales Wales has had its fair share of the problem following the recession. The Welsh Health Survey had indicated that 3% in children under 16 were classified as obese. (Brindley, 2010). Wales held a high position in the childhood obesity league, with nearly one in five children being classed as obese. As a possible result of the recession, more families were looking or switching to cheaper foods which tended to be more processed and contained high levels of salt, fat and sugar (Brindley). The number of adults classed as overweight or obese had been increasing gradually over the last ten years. These results were from the annual survey. Health experts in Wales were raising concerns over children’s long-term health should obesity continue to rise unchecked (Brindley). The significance of the issue in Wales had motivated the government to plan strategies for containing the problem. For all of these reasons, the UK government set up the MEND program to decrease the incidence of these problems and protect the children’s health so that they live a healthy life. Furthermore, it was in the financial interest of the government to fund these health promotion programs as preventive work with childhood obesity was far cheaper in the long run. Dealing with the costs of health care of obesity-related health conditions could be expected to show shocking skyrocketing figures. Health promotion included activities which were

Thursday, October 17, 2019

MARKETING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

MARKETING - Assignment Example hey are planned to help bring relief to working families at the start of the new school year, and also to encourage people to shop in their local stores and spend money. This study looked at the customers and their view of the tax holiday. It aimed to find out if the tax holiday influenced the decision to shop or not, and to identify what kind of customers were most influenced. The research approach used was a survey and there is a copy of the questionnaire attached to the article. It has two parts. The first part contains demographic questions, and the second part contains Mall questions. The questions are very simple, mostly requiring only a few words, and the second part uses two questions with 7 point Likert scale. The sample size is 710 shoppers entering a shopping mall in 2004. The contact method used is defined as â€Å"mall intercept survey† which means that university students were used as researchers to distribute the survey. They intercepted the shoppers and asked them to complete the questions. There was a small $3 dollar voucher reward for completing the study. Because of the nature of the shoppers in Texas, the survey was available in English and Spanish. Mogab, John W. and Pisani, Michael J. â€Å"Shoppers’ Perceptions of the State Sales Tax Holiday: A Case Study from Texas.† American Journal of Business, Fall 2007, 22 (2) pp. 45-56. Available online at:

Personal paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal paper - Essay Example While growing up, I had a deep desire within me to pursue and advance my career in film production. This instigated my desire to advance my studies in high school and college. At some point, I was unable to full attain my goals until now when I discovered this internship. I must admit that this internship has changed my perception as a film producer in the marketplace. In my internship, I have learnt that my career is more of a personal experience than being taught in the classroom. I have gained great insights on entertainment industry specifically about film production. My experience in this internship has adequately prepared me to understand what is required to shoot a film or a commercial. I have been motivated to apply in different placements such as TV Board and MN film. I am privileged to understand the things that take place when shooting a film such as the best location to make the movie, the equipments required, and the funding just to name a few. In life, mentors cannot be underestimated in that they help many people understand their personal and career goals. Craig Rice has been a great mentor in my career in that he has equipped me with skills and abilities that help one to become a competent film producer. With this, I am ready to face the modern world that value films and commercial adverts. When we first met, Craig promised me that he would usher me in my career as a producer. Since I met him, I have discovered more about myself especially in the arena of film production. I have expanded my knowledge in the film production by ensuring that I am challenging myself. This internship has been a tremendous opportunity to integrate practices and theories that I learnt in high school and college. I have studied a lot of practice in my classes, and even applied some to application. However, this internship has changed my role as an observer to being more of an active participant in the field. My experience has challenged my theoretical base in the class room in that I practically utilized what I have been taught in the classroom to the field. My knowledge in film production has increased from one level to the other. As previously mentioned, I have learnt how to make a film or a commercial and the best location that suit the production process. I have developed some principles in my work. In essence, I have obtained these principles from my personal experiences in school, in the workplace, and life. The intern has helped me understand what my weaknesses and strengths are in given situations. Understanding what works for me has expanded my skills in my area of professionalism. I have moved into another phase of learning where the focus differs from learning the work to understanding and learning how to perform the task effectively. This internship has helped me to acquire new skills and abilities, and I am now grateful since I can think about skill development in broad terms. Internship is an opportunity for a student to measure thei r learning in class to the actual work. The knowledge and skills acquired from the class can be applied in the field and will effectively help a student succeed in their work (Frederick and King 8). The greatest importance of attending an internship is to understand the real issues inherent in the field, as opposed to the theoretical learning in the class. It is more of a practical class that is not learnt in a learning institution. Skills are acquired, which help the intern to handle similar situations in their jobs.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

MARKETING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

MARKETING - Assignment Example hey are planned to help bring relief to working families at the start of the new school year, and also to encourage people to shop in their local stores and spend money. This study looked at the customers and their view of the tax holiday. It aimed to find out if the tax holiday influenced the decision to shop or not, and to identify what kind of customers were most influenced. The research approach used was a survey and there is a copy of the questionnaire attached to the article. It has two parts. The first part contains demographic questions, and the second part contains Mall questions. The questions are very simple, mostly requiring only a few words, and the second part uses two questions with 7 point Likert scale. The sample size is 710 shoppers entering a shopping mall in 2004. The contact method used is defined as â€Å"mall intercept survey† which means that university students were used as researchers to distribute the survey. They intercepted the shoppers and asked them to complete the questions. There was a small $3 dollar voucher reward for completing the study. Because of the nature of the shoppers in Texas, the survey was available in English and Spanish. Mogab, John W. and Pisani, Michael J. â€Å"Shoppers’ Perceptions of the State Sales Tax Holiday: A Case Study from Texas.† American Journal of Business, Fall 2007, 22 (2) pp. 45-56. Available online at:

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Financial Accounting. Relevance and Reliability Dissertation

Financial Accounting. Relevance and Reliability - Dissertation Example Financial information of any company is presented in financial statements. Financial statements are the main components of company’s annual report. These statements need to have fairly representation of the financial details which is responsible for the decision making process of the investors, suppliers, creditors etc. relevance and reliability are two most important characteristics of financial statements of any organizations. These two factors determine the quality of financial statements. The main purpose of the financial reporting is to provide fairly valued and audited financial details of company for its stakeholders. According to these settlements the actual; worth, performance, profitability, growth rate etc are determined. So, a financial statements needs to be relevant to the valuable decision making requirements of the users. Depending on financial statements, millions are invested to companies by the investor daily. So, relevance and reliability of financial state ments are very essential to the users of financial statements. Purpose of the financial reporting There are two broad purpose of financial reporting, external and internal. External purpose includes the investment decision making by the shareholders and potential new investors of a company, credit rating analysis of company by the credit rating agencies and also by the creditors like banks and other financial institutions, suppliers, government and regulatory bodies like taxation department of government. Internal purpose of financial reporting is to make a standardized record of the financial activities by a company so that it can evaluate its performance at the end of a quarter or a financial year. From the evaluation of the financial statements the companies make decision and develop strategies or change strategies and activities for the next quarter or the next financial year. Financial reporting provides information to the investors, creditors, suppliers so that they can assess the timing, amount and uncertainty of a business entity’s performance in terms of future cash inflow and cash outflow. The elements in financial statements are very important to analysis the ability to generate net cash inflow by a business. This is one of the important characteristics of a business which directly influence the return on the investment of the existing investors of a business and it is also the key important factor to the potential investors by which they are generally influenced to invest in company. Financial reporting is the important part of the valid contract between a stakeholder and an organization. The stakeholder may be any individual or other institutions who are directly or indirectly related to a business entity. A financial report must needs to accomplish some key important factors or characteristics of a business. The main factor is the business is making profit and loss and the amount of profit or loss. Secondly, how much assets the company has to cover its liability and the quality of the assets the company. Third, financial statements provide information about the source of the capital that the business use and efficiency of the business in terms of effective use of the capital so that it can generate substantial return of capital used. Net cash flow of a business is directly influence the return for the investors of a business so it is another important factor of a business which financial stateme

Monday, October 14, 2019

Band of Brothers Essay Example for Free

Band of Brothers Essay The book title, â€Å"Band of Brothers,† by Stephen E. Ambrose is a book that shares the risky undertaking and hazardous experience that the United States Army had to go through in World War 2. Bravery is an understatement when describing the men of East Company’s personalities. The book really helps the reader describe the relationships and friendships that were either directly or indirectly developed as a result of going to war. From the extremely brutal training, to the depths of enemy territory, these men developed a brotherhood that only can come about as a result of extreme situations such as preparing and training for war, as well as World War 2 itself. This book not only describes Easy Company but other military veterans or active service members can relate to the situations described in the book. First of all, the book’s title describes things very accurately. Like most military divisions, Easy Company which was a part of the 101st Airborne Division in the Army, had to go through an exhausting basic training course in Camp Toccoa in Georgia. This alone is going to establish bonds and friendships among the young men participating in this training, whether they are looking for a buddy or not. Much of Easy Company already had an unspoken brotherhood before they even came into basic training. Many of these men had grown up in the terrible time of the depression and many of them had something in common. During Easy Company’s time in basic training, they not only had to compete with their selves, but with other militaries. â€Å"A day or so before leaving Toccoa, Colonel Sink read an article in the Reader’s Digest that said a Japanese Army battalion had set a world record for marching endurance by covering 100 miles down the Malayan Peninsula in seventy-two hours. (p. 28)† Colonel Sink wanted to top the Japanese’s achievement so he ordered his men to do better. This was a very miserable journey and test for Easy Company but they accomplished more than the Japanese Army had. War in itself is a competition but this book also examines with detail, the miniature competitions that occurred during World War 2. This march helped bring the soldiers together even closer and it also gave them the confidence and conditioning they needed to go into the brutal battles of World War 2. Most importantly, trust develops between these men because they are confident that they have well trained soldiers going into battle with them and not people that are going to drag their feet. â€Å"They were prepared to die for each other; more important, they were prepared to kill for each other (Pg. 1). The first battle which was the invasion of Normandy proved to be an eye opener that would just only strengthen the bond and brotherhood that Easy Company had. The pure terror of landing in Normandy and facing the Nazi German in a low vision area was at this point, the ultimate test to see if the training they bared in Camp Toccoa was good enough. With bullets flying and loud bangs disrupting their hearing, many of the men could not locate the rest of the group. Winters helped to organize and reunite a few men so they could have a better chance against the Germans by sticking together. Even though men were lost, Lieutenant Winters proved in a small victory that Easy Company was a highly trained group of soldiers that could get the job done in defeating the Nazis. Winters achieved this with a small group of soldiers as well. â€Å"The attack was a unique example of a small, well-led assault force overcoming and routing a much larger defending force in prepared positions (Pg. 84). † Even though this gruesome battle was an eye opener to the horrors of war, Easy Company’s soldiers were described as confident, had a will to survive and a sense of pride.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

SWOT Analysis Carvel Corporation

SWOT Analysis Carvel Corporation 1) Analysing Your Business The basic design school model most closely associated with the name of Andrews is a prescriptive conception. It is intended as a practical guide for dealing with a complex environment in which there are external as well as internal contexts relevant to the enterprise. The approach is best encapsulated in the SWOT model (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), probably the most commonly applied method in strategy making. It is often reproduced in à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ow charts which separate out the key steps in strategy making. SWOT analysis is a technique specifically designed to help with the identification of suitable business strategies for an organization to follow. It involves specifying and relating together organizational strengths and weaknesses and environmental opportunities and threats. In practice this is often an activity that is not carried out well. It is all too easy, having identified all the important points, not to know what to do with the data generated. Many organizations evaluate opportunities utilizing an analysis framework referred to as a SWOT. SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. The ultimate goal of a SWOT analysis includes, on one hand, the matching of vital operational strengths with major environmental opportunities. On the other hand, it provides a basis for improving weaknesses or at least minimizing them and avoiding or managing environmental threats to operations. Ideally, a SWOT study helps identify a distinctive competence, something the organization does exceptionally well. There is one format for evaluating internal strengths and weaknesses in light of external opportunities by considering the application of major organizational resources. Each factor-capacity, personnel, marketing, finance, and management-is rated in relation to an opportunity on a quantitative basis. This approach is used to analyze resources as strengths or weaknesses in relation to opportunities in the organiza tions environment. For each strength and weakness identified, strategy implications are drawn. Analysis of strengths and weaknesses flows logically from the identification of the resources relative to the opportunity. From the information gathered from the external analysis, we seek to establish which influences represent opportunities, and which are, or might develop into, threats. When these are considered alongside the internal strengths and weaknesses, we are able to construct a swot statement. A swot statement is a summary of the internal and external analyses. The swot factors are not strategies; they are observations resulting from the previous analyses. The strengths and weaknesses are based on the internal analysis of an organization and the opportunities and threats are based on the analysis of the environment which is external to the organization. One key distinguishing characteristic between the strengths and weaknesses on the one hand and the opportunities and threats on the other is the degree of control that managers may have. With the internal strengths and weaknesses managers can often exert control whereas with regard to the opportunities and threats, managers are less likely to be able to control such factors. If for example the organization has strong balance sheet strength) this will have resulted from managerial decisions. If, instead the organization is seen as being over-staffed (a weakness), managers can address the issue through reducing staff numbers. Conversely, by way of example, changing government policies, product changes by competitors or a war breaking out (all of, which might produce opportunities or threats to an individual organization depending on the circumstances) are beyond the control of managers. The SWOT represents a position statement stating where the organization is at the time of the analysis in relation to its environment. It is not the strategy itself and should not involve making statements about what should be done next. Instead it provides a firm platform for planning for the future of the organization, i.e. formulating the strategy which is the next stage in the strategic process. In presenting the SWOT a number of rules should be followed: Too much detail should be avoided so that the key points can be clearly seen. Keep each point short and to the point so that an overview can quickly be gained. The detailed justifications for the points presented in the table should be presented separately. Many of the points presented in the SWOT may be relative rather than absolute and consequently a matter of some judgement. Thus it is difficult to say at exactly what level a high level of financial gearing becomes a weakness or a share of a particular market becomes strength. The SWOT should not concentrate solely on hard facts (such as financial measures or market growth statistics) that can be measured or proved. Softer factors such as organizational culture or the leadership skills exhibited by managers may be more difficult to measure but they are nevertheless important for organizational performance. The analysis should prioritise and combine points. The most important points should be shown first and points that are not key or strategic in nature should be excluded. In some cases it may be necessary to combine smaller points to make one large overarching point. For example, if a SWOT is partly based on a financial analysis of an organization which indicates a strong financial position, the SWOT should not have individual points on high level of profitability, low gearing, adequate liquidity, etc., for to do so would confuse the presentation. The point presented in the SWOT should be that is that the organization has a strong financial position. The justification for making such a point would be provided by the assessments relating to profitability, gearing liquidity and so on. The process sometimes involves an additional stage of condensing the strengths, weaknesses; opportunities and threats (SWOT) into a survey of the key issues. These are the most pressing or most important elements of the SWOT statement those which require the most urgent action or which the strategy should be particularly designed to address. Once we have established the organizations internal strengths and weaknesses, and its external opportunities and threats, the challenge becomes to select a strategy that will address the weaknesses and threats whilst at the same time, will build upon its strengths and exploit its opportunities. It is important to understand that a detailed internal and external analysis is a necessary pre-requisite for the SWOT information it emerges from the internal and external analyses. The second stage in the strategic process involves taking the important information gathered from the strategic analysis and using it to make an intelligent and informed selection of the most appropriate course of action for the future. It is at this stage that we come to appreciate the importance of the strategic analysis. If we have gained insufficient or flawed information from the analysis, then we cannot be sure that the strategy selection we make will be the right one. Selection therefore begins with an examination of the strategic analysis. Once we are acquainted with it, we normally generate a list of the options open to the organization, paying particular attention to how each option will address the key issues. After this, we evaluate each option using a number of criteria. Finally, the most appropriate strategic option is selected. A strategy is a plan that integrates an organizations major goals, policies, decisions and sequences of action into a cohesive whole. It can ap ply at all levels in an organization and pertain to any of the functional areas of management. Thus there may be production, financial, marketing, personnel and corporate strategies, just to name a few. If we look specifically at marketing then there may be pricing, product, promotion, distribution, marketing research, sales, advertising, merchandising, etc. strategies. Strategy is concerned with effectiveness rather than efficiency and is the process of analysing the environment and designing the fit between the organization, its resources and objectives and the environment. The strategic process refers to the manner in which strategy is formulated. There are several approaches. First, the rational approach, making use of tools such as SWOT analysis and portfolio models. Second, the flexible approach, which employs multiple scenario planning. The creative approach reflects the use of imagination in planning. The behavioural approach reflects the influence of power, politics and personalities. And finally, the incremental approach is based on small adjustments or changes to previously successful strategies. 2. COMPANY HISTORY Carvel Corporation had one of the oldest and most endearing histories of all the ice cream companies in the U.S. In 1934 Tom Carvel, a Greek immigrant, parlayed a flat tire on his ice cream truck into what would become a multimillion dollar franchise business. As the story had it, after a flat tire forced Tom Carvel into an abandoned parking lot one summer afternoon in 1934, Mr. Carvel quickly realized he could sell far more product in a stationary location than he ever could in the streets of Hartsdale, NY. Mr. Carvel soon borrowed $100 and opened the first Carvel Ice Cream store. Mr. Carvel used a combination of fresh ice cream and innovative products and manufacturing techniques to establish himself as the local, family-oriented ice cream parlor in the New York City area. In 1947, Mr. Carvel franchised his first store and proceeded to become one of the pioneers in fast food franchising. In fact, it was only after Tom Carvel refused his partnership offer that Ray Kroc used Mr. Carvels store design as the model for his McDonalds chain. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, the gravely voiced Mr. Carvel used his folksy and savvy style to dominate the greater New York area. By standardizing procedures and providing franchisees with exclusive product designs and marketing material, Mr. Carvel expanded all along the East Coast. By the early 1980s, there were over 800 Carvel stores in operation along the East Coast and in some Midwestern states such as Ohio and Wisconsin. Included in the company chain were over 40 stores in California. However, by the mid 1980s, the recess ion and the strain on Tom Carvel to manage his business began to take its effect on the franchise. Sales and quality control began to decline, and events forced Mr. Carvel to consider changes. In 1989, at age 88, faced with diminishing sales and increasing store closures, Tom Carvel reluctantly sold his company to Investcorp, aBahrainian-based investment banking group. The Investcorp strategy centered on acquiring previously gainful companies whose profitability had diminished in recent years due to recession. Following that strategy, between 1988 and 1992 Investcorp had purchased Macys, Sax Fifth Avenue, Tilecorp, and Carvel. By infusing new capital and bringing in a new management team headed by CEO Steve Fellingham, the former president of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Investcorp focused on growth and revamping Carvels listless image. Management was forced, however, to walk a fine line between creating a new, vibrant image for Carvel and alienating long-time, loyal customers who had grown up with Mr. Carvels occasionally awkward but always folksy style. In 1992, Carvel introduced the Ice Cream Bakery concept to its customers. Under this program, the company continued to offer long-time favourites such as Cookie Puss and Fudgie the Whale, but also introduced a new product line that featured specialty cakes and novelty ice cream treats for special occasions. By focusing on creating Carvel ice cream as a bakery dessert item, Carvel hoped to reduce both the cyclical sale pattern of the company and the perception that an ice cream cake was only for special occasions. To this end, Carvel instituted its current mission statement: Working together, we will make Carvel the leading choice for unique, quality frozen desserts by consistently exceeding customer expectations. In 1993, the company initiated its grocery store program in which Carvel displayed its own dedicated freezers in the bakery departments of supermarkets up and down the East Coast. By 1994, in the face of industry-wide declines, Carvel decided it was time to bring its Ice Cream Bakery to the Peoples Republic. 3. PRODUCT LINE Carvel Corporation offered a wide variety of ice cream products. The companys fundamental product, though, remained its soft serve ice cream and fountain line. Included in this category were: cups and cones shakes floats sundaes hard ice cream-soft ice cream that is frozen in the shock box in tubs so that it can be scooped and served as traditional ice cream. In order to promote the everyday nature of the business, though, management had introduced 4. COMPETITION Carvel Beijing faced a very fragmented market in Beijing. Generally speaking, several domestic and international companies had penetrated the market and achieved moderate brand awareness. However, no brand had yet to break from the pack and establish itself as the market leader in ice cream. The following breakdown describes the most dominant of these fragmented players: Walls was a Holland-based company and one of the market leaders in Europe and Australia. In Beijing, Walls product line was limited to cups, cones, and various other novelty treats. Mainly, their distribution was limited to roughly 3,000 rollhards from which they sold novelty ice creams, namely cups and cones. Walls was also available in several supermarkets. As one of the first western ice creams in Beijing, Walls still enjoyed the benefits of its first mover status. Beijing customers still considered Walls to be the preeminent Western ice cream in Beijing, simply due to breadth and duration of its presence. On average, Walls sold its products for  ¥4, but recently it had raised its prices to  ¥5. It was estimated that Carvel had taken much of its market share from Walls. Buds was a San Francisco-based ice cream company that enjoyed a wide presence and brand awareness in Beijing. Although only a regional brand in the U.S., in China, Buds enjoyed the reputation of being the pre-eminent American brand because it was the first American brand to appear in the PRC. To date, in a country where consumers still prized a companys tradition and longevity, both Baskin Robbins and Carvel had not yet been able to dispel Buds image. Like Walls, Buds did not have any retail store outlets. Instead, Buds sold only from nearly 600 rollhards scattered throughout Beijings markets and supermarkets. Buds only produced cup and cone products, and its prices matched those of Walls. Small cups were  ¥4.2, hard ice cream was  ¥6, and pints sold for  ¥23. Baskin-Robbins represented the most significant long term competition to Carvel Beijing for several reasons. First, Baskin- Robbins was Carvels chief rival in the U.S. and its products enjoyed more national brand awareness than Carvels. Secondly, Baskin- Robbins was the only competitor in Beijing that produced an all ice cream cake and had retail stores in which to promote them. Finally, Baskin-Robbins had a longer and broader presence in Beijing and appeared to have the positioning strategy that Carvel had targeted. Baskin-Robbins presence was mainly limited to its two retail stores. Like Carvel, Baskin- Robbins offered its customers a true ice cream parlor experience. While Carvels cakes were of better quality, Baskin-Robbins relied on its tradition of hard ice cream cones and fountain products to drive sales. Currently, Baskin- Robbins charged  ¥9 for a single scoop ice cream cone and  ¥107 for a cake comparable to Carvels small round. Baskin-Robbins did not have any wholesale outlets at this time. 5. SWOT ANALYSIS (S)trengths Carvel had the best ice cream cake in Beijing and one of the best ice creams. Carvel had received positive reviews from its customers. Training and operations had progressed well and the company was ready to increase production. (W)eaknesses Vaguely defined management roles and objectives hampered definitive marketing policies. Inability to source inputs locally continued to hamper the bottom line. Too many potential customers still did not know of Carvel Beijing. (O)pportunities Carvel was looking into involving the foreign embassy community in its sales promotions as a means of increasing both sales and potential outside business contracts. The approaching summer allowed Carvel to have a seasonal grand opening to reintroduce the brand to first time customers. Wang Mengs offer to use 6,000 New Continent vendcarts offered Carvel the opportunity to increase greatly the brands exposure at minimal cost. (T)hreats The cash flow and sales problems threatened to scuttle the proposed business plan for 1995. The competition, including Wang Meng, were quickly realizing the potential of ice cream cakes in Beijing, and Carvels competitive advantage in this area would be challenged. The dynamic political and economic environment in China presented inherent uncertainty. Beijing residents enjoyed a wide variety of dessert products. Besides ice cream products, there were numerous bakeries that offered a variety of traditional Chinese-designed cakes and pastries. These flour-based cakes were richly designed with traditional Chinese figures and styles and sold on average from  ¥100 to  ¥250 for an ornate wedding cake. Other traditional treats included pastries with a sweetened jelly or fruit paste filling. Chinese also enjoyed various types of traditional dried fruits, and they often ended each meal with a platter of fresh fruit and tea. There were also many styles of Chinese and Western candies. Furthermore, a traditional sweet treat called suan niu nai literally meaning sour milks), a yogurt-like product, was sold throughout the city for  ¥1.5. Chinese of all status enjoyed suan niu nai at all hours of the day, but it was more closely associated with the less affluent segments of society. Finally, the growth of McDonalds, Burger K ing, and Kentucky Fried Chicken had presented Carvel with other possible substitute products. More and more consumers were trying these fast food giants own desserts, such as apple pies, shakes, and their own ice cream cups and sundaes. In short, there were a wide variety of dessert and snack treats from which Chinese consumers could choose. What concerned Phil Fang, though, was that all these alternative treats were cheaper and more widely recognized than his product line. 6. CONCLUSION Having done this analysis, Fang had to plot his strategy for the rest of 1995 and beyond. More important, he had to make some very tough decisions on where he wanted to position Carvel Beijing as it entered its first and, arguably, most important summer in Beijing. Among the most pressing issues he had to face were: how to price the product: competitively or as premium product how to design and position the cakes: as American products or as more traditional Chinese products how to confront the financial problems: with short term or long term policies how to respond to Wangs vendcart proposal how to produce the mix: as the original American mix or as a less sweet mix more appealing to traditional Chinese tastes What complicated these decisions were the problems associated with a multinational joint venture: issues of personality, culture, and the joint venture agreement itself. In the end, though, it was Phil Fang who would have to overcome these challenges and seize upon the unique chance to create the first truly national brand of ice cream in the Peoples Republic of China. A good strategy is designed to fit organizational capability with environmental opportunity. It is best summarized by the SWOT approach and has very close links with the case study approach pioneered by the Harvard Business School. This school sees strategy as based on the classical approach. It is the rational product of a senior manager, usually the chief executive officer, consciously and deliberately à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ nding a à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t between the internal strengths and weaknesses of an enterprise and the external threats and opportunities it faces. A strategy is viewed as an explicit, simple and unique conception. Formulation precedes implementation and is separate from it. There is often a range of options from which the strategy to be implemented is chosen. The one which provides the best à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t or best design is chosen. Changes from Macro Environment Many changes from the macro environment have the potential to cripple even the best of strategies and must therefore be wa tched. Managers should note any changes in the environmental factors cited above as conducive to innovation. Potential changes in exchange rates, especially unanticipated large ones, central bank policies that raise interest rates, and taxation laws, along with demographic and sociopolitical changes, all have the potential to impact firm strategies. Managers should examine them carefully for potential threats and opportunities. In particular, they should examine the potential impact of changes in tax policies concerning the Internet. This analysis of a firms current performance, appraisal of its business model, appraisal of its competitors business models, analysis of industry attractiveness, assessment of its macro environment, projection of the evolution of the Internet, and a forecast of its environmental changes is sometimes called a strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

film Essays -- essays research papers

The film, El Norte, is a believable portrayal of a Guatemalan family’s struggles in the 1980s. The story is divided into three parts. The first part of the story takes place in a village in Guatemala. The Xuncax family is in danger when the father, an activist leader, helps organize the local workers. Because of the father’s activism and his attempt to preserve what rightfully belongs to them, he is murdered. The mother is then taken away by the army, never to be seen again. The brother, Enrique, and the sister, Rosa, are left behind in the village. They fear for their lives and share the hope of a better life in â€Å"the north.† They recall the stories told to them by their godmother. They viewed pictures and stories in an American magazine, Good Housekeeping, portraying images of the â€Å"American Dream.† So often, this image is presented in such a manner that many readers in the U.S. and in other countries get the message that this dream is easily attainable and close at hand. Rosa and Enrique are also seduced by this false presentation of the U.S. They believed this myth about life in the north, so they fled from their violent situation, only to trade their present set of problems for another kind of intensified conflict as undocumented immigrants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The director was careful to present a fictional story based on the real life struggles of undocumented immigrants. The authentic portrayal of the people and their story is powerful. The characters are no...

Friday, October 11, 2019

The Dark Knight Rises

Jaime Sulkowski 3-14-2013 Ms. Schmidt Copa 251 Dark Knight Rises Essay The Dark Knight Rises was one of the top movies in the year 2012. It is all about action and thrilling scenes throughout the movie. The main stars in this movie are Christian Bale as Batman, Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as cat woman, Gary Oldham as the police commissioner of Gotham, and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Blake. The hero in this movie is obvious Bruce Wayne who is also the Batman and the villain is Bane. The Dark Knight Rises is a narrative film.This movie is telling a fictional story using a series of events and other storylines throughout the film. The Cat Woman is introduced in this movie and it added another side story to the film. Bane the villain of this movie is trying to take over the city of Gotham. Batman must come back and help the city out from potential disaster. The Batman decides that the city of Gotham needs him to stop Bane from destroying the city. A quick summary of the main parts of th e movie are that there were several events during the movie that gave Bane more power and control and eventually was able to take control over the city of Gotham.The Cat Woman fools Batman into a trap with Bane and there was no way out for the Batman to go. He tries to fight Bane, but he was too strong for him. Bane takes Batman to where he once lived at during his childhood years. This place was referred to as â€Å"Hell on Earth† The Batman was able to gather his strength back from the help of two prisoners and he was able to escape from the prison by climbing up a steep wall out of the pit. He makes his return to the city of Gotham just in the nick of time. This is when the overall climax of the movie happens with a big battle between the Gotham police and Bane’s army of men.Batman gets to Bane at the city council building and they have another showdown between each other and this time it looks like that the Batman comes out on top, but Miranda Tate stabs the Batman in the stomach. Bane was then about to finish off the Batman, until the Cat Woman comes out of nowhere and shoots Bane to his death. She saves the Batman, which wasn’t a big surprise at all. Then they are able to chase down Miranda Tate and got the bomb, but there was no time to defuse it completely, so the Batman had o make a snap decision and flies the bomb away from Gotham and it explodes in the water miles away from the city. Everyone thought the Batman was dead. There is definitely some foreshadowing going on in this movie. In the previous batman movies there was some foreshadowing being done as well. In The Dark Knight Rises Morgan Freeman’s character mentions about the clean water project, but this is a project that is all about the bomb. It is an underground secret project that has been going on for quite some time.If the bomb got into the wrong hands there was a way that they could flood the underground area where the reactor is holding the bomb to prevent a disaster from happening. Also during the movie Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred mentions to him that he will not bury him if he ended up dying somehow. That is foreshadowing that the Batman is not going to die in this movie. It is also foreshadowing when Alfred tells Bruce Wayne that he will see him one day at a place in another part of the world with a wife and will not speak to him and go about his business.This scene actually comes at the end of the movie. The hero of the movie is Batman also known as Bruce Wayne. He has a few flaws and weaknesses that are shown throughout the movie. One weakness that he has is that he can’t find another true love after his loss of Rachel when she died in The Dark Knight. Another weakness is that he has a lot of emotions. He can’t stop thinking about his loved ones that he has lost and can’t put them aside and they are always on his mind. He will not allow anyone to know about the clear water project he is afraid that it wi ll leak out to the public.It is hard for him to trust certain people. On the human side of things he needs to knee brace to not limp around anymore. At the beginning scenes of the movie it would show Bruce Wayne using a walking cane to get around the house and other places as well. There are a lot of transitions going on in this movie and they make it occur all at the same time throughout the movie. I think it that the producers and writers of the movie did a great job with all of the transitions. There are many different storylines going on, but they all have some sort of link to one another.It made the movie more thrilling to watch though. It also made the plot of the movie more interesting. This film is told in a linear story with some flashbacks, which help the audience understand what is going on better. The trilogy of Batman though is one long movie if you think about it. It was done episodically. Christopher Nolan decided to break it down into three different movies. He did a fantastic job of leaving the suspense of what is going to happen in the next movie after each one had ended.The movie mainly shot on location, but some of it was also shot in studio. The movie was shot in the United States in the cities of Pittsburgh and New York. The movie was also shot in the city of London, which is in Europe and the city of Hong Kong in China. For the bonus part, I was able to notice the Point Park book store sign; it was near Lawrence Hall on the corner of Third Avenue and Wood Street. The camera was shooting up Wood Street. The football field scene was shot at Heinz Field home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which is located in the North Shore of Pittsburgh.I am pretty sure the dessert scene was shot in Hong Kong and the opening scene of the movie was shot somewhere in Europe. Towards the end of the movie when the Batman was taking the bomb to blow up away from the city, he was going over the Hudson Bay in New York towards the Atlantic Ocean. There are a few sub stories throughout this movie. They are the introduction of the Cat Woman, she starts out as an enemy towards Bruce Wayne/Batman, but in the end she becomes an ally.The next sub story is with Fox. He makes all of the Batman’s weapons and vehicles. He also helps run Wayne Enterprises. He has helped the Batman is all of the movies. Another sub story is Alfred who is Bruce Wayne’s butler. He does a lot for Bruce, but just can’t take it anymore and leaves Bruce fearing that he is going to finally fail and die. He does not think that Gotham needs him anymore and will just turn on him. A more important sub story would be the involving the officer Blake.He does not give up on believing in the Batman and towards the end of the movie it sets everything up for next movie, because Officer Blake is actually Robin, who will probably be Batman’s sidekick according to the Batman Trilogy. So it sets up an exciting way to looking forward to the next Batman movie. The last sub story that was in this movie was about Bane and Miranda Tate and how they knew each other from the prison at Hell on Earth. Bane turned out to be Miranda’s protector in jail and helped her escape from the prison.His mouth got destroyed during the struggle of her escape. So that is why Bane wears a mask to be able to control the pain. Bane is trained under the league of shadows. He ended up using Daggit to get into the tunnels and then turning on him. They try to destroy Gotham, but we all know what eventually happened to stop them from doing so. Christopher Nolan did another great job with this latest Batman film. There obvious has to be a sequel to the movie before this one which was called The Dark Knight, probably a good reason why this latest movie was called The Dark Knight Rises.He also did not want to leave the Batman as a villain and wanted to turn things for him and make him into more of a superhero. He also tried to show that evil can be taken down by the effor ts of people coming together and forgetting about the past. This is a heavy action/adventure movie, but still a powerful message can come from it though. The message he was trying to show is that evil can be taken down and forgiveness can be made for someone who may seem evil, but can actually turn out to be a true super hero if given the opportunity.