Schopenhauer Analysis

Joon Shin Ms. Love A. P. Language & Composition 17 February 2010 O. C. E. #1: Schopenhauer’s Assumption In terms of the human mind, we are currently unable to make definite statements as to how it functions and what factors affect its learning. Arthur Schopenhauer was a man who believed that to read books was to limit self-thinking. In turn, he believed that limiting self-thinking was to limit any chances of expanding one’s intelligence. However, the influences written down in bound sheets of paper are no different from influences of the environment and the world in general. Schopenhauer states that â€Å"if a man does not want to think, the safest plan is to take up a book directly when he has a spare moment. † Yet, it is interesting to consider that to even process words on a page requires some use of the mind. People do not inherently accept every idea and proposition thrown at them when reading a book. They take the idea and process it, whether they end up agreeing or disagreeing with the idea. It is this process of reasoning that books invoke upon a person. Books do not tend to represent easy, acceptable ideas to people; books represent the area to philosophize, reason, and expose oneself to the unique and infinite ideas of the world. Schopenhauer’s biggest fallacy is his belief that the human mind is a mindless machine, taking in information without any consideration and analysis of the information. However, the primary function of a book is to force a reader to analyze the ideas it has to offer. If everyone were to accept all the various ideas circulating in our world’s library, then there would be no basis for debate and no conflicting ideas. Yet there are debates and there are arguments. The analysis of the ideas present in books lead to agreement, disagreement, and neutrality. Nonetheless, the reader rests upon a conclusion after the process of reasoning and logic. Linda Elder and Richard Paul once pointed out, â€Å"One cannot be an educated person without consistently learning through reading. † (Elder and Paul). This â€Å"learning† is from the process of constantly analyzing and processing ideas throughout the bound pages of information. As the mind is presented with new ideas, it strives to comprehend and build off of those ideas, adapting and changing its way of thinking constantly. A book can be thought of as a supplier of the raw and bare thoughts of the world. They do not specifically appeal to any of the five senses and thus, forces our minds to compensate by imagining those senses. A movie, on the other hand, gives us visuals and sounds that feed specific emotions and thoughts to the audience. The audience sees and hears what the director specifically wants him/her to see and hear. There is no room for creativity. There is no room for individuality to seep in. In fact, most would argue that movies are growing to have detrimental effects upon people in society. The political cartoon â€Å"Hollywood Trash† by Jerry Seltzer displays a boy being filled with the â€Å"trash† that â€Å"Hollywood† is dumping into him. This represents the state of mindlessness one adapts when absorbing the content in a movie. Because the mind is being spoon-fed ideas, it becomes reliant on the crutches that limit the senses and imagination. In a book, no direct image is being fed. Sounds are obsolete as well as physical touch. The only source of feed the reader has is the words on the pages. For example, when a reader sees the word â€Å"blue,† everything from the ocean to the color shirt they were wearing the other day fills his/her mind. Past memories, experiences, and events are all triggered by this word and culminate to form an expanse of images with no limits. This alone can stand as a reason why books force people to use their minds. It is at the level of sub consciousness. To even comprehend words on a page, the mind is brought to work at full gear, providing the images, sounds, feel, smell, and tastes that bring the book to life. In retrospect, we as humans are influenced by everything in existence. Whether we formulate original ideas or evaluate the ideas of others is regardless in our path of achieving knowledge and information. Our current world today is filled with advertisements and a growing population of electronics and artificial senses. That means that we are finding less use for our natural senses and imagination when we search for forms of entertainment. Schopenhauer says to find our natural influence and to enhance our thinking using the world around us. Unfortunately, the world around us is quite possibly a thousand times worse than the very books he is trying to denounce. Our minds are filled with influences and daily â€Å"trash† from entertainment businesses such as Hollywood. They are being fed the knowledge of the world rather than being forced to hunt for it. So perhaps it is preferable to turn back to the â€Å"detrimental† books and seek to expand our intelligence there. After all, the true learning readers inherit from books lies not in the actual information and ideas, but from the resulting process of reasoning and analysis of those ideas. We are not, as Schopenhauer expresses, stupid from learning. For it isn’t the feed of information from books that rusts our intelligence; on the contrary, it is our ability to respond and expand upon our learning that solidifies our knowledge and builds a base for our intellect to prosper. BIBLIOGRAPHY Lolita in Tehran, Gatsby Paul, Richard, Elder, Linda, Critical Thinking†¦ and the Art of Close Reading (Part I). Journal of Developmental Education 27 no. 2 36-7, 39 Wint. 2003 Seltzer, Jerry. Hollywood Trash. www. ParentsTV. org

Operations management case study Essay

Introduction Some of the most essential factors that can be used in the management of customers include order winning and order qualifying factors. Notably, these factors are very essential in ensuring that businesses carry out their activities in the most efficient ways. It is quite imperative for various organisations to understand the distinct aspects related to order winning and order qualifying factors in order to ascertain progress in meeting organisational goals and objectives. Admittedly, order winning aspects are the things that can directly be attributed to the success of a business. On the other hand, order qualifying factors are those that are considered as factors responsible for average level of highly competitive performance that can be accepted among customers. This section seeks to discuss the order winning factors and how they can be applied in small car business. Order winning factors include strategies that are used by companies in enabling internal operational aspects in orde r to create competitive advantage and achieve market success. In fact, order winning factors have to involve a combination and co-ordination of marketing and operation based activities. In fact, operation managers are the ones who are often responsible for ensuring that order winning and order qualifying aspects are introduced in order to enable orders win and acquire a larger market share in a specific market. For the case of small cars, it is quite important for marketers to ensure that they identify the demands by customers and work towards meeting their demands. An order winning factor would give the customers the reasons why they should purchase the cars and ensure that they get the value for their money. For a small car, the order winning factors would be elements such as performance, effectiveness of the design, availability, attractiveness, price, among other factors. In order to ensure that the customers purchase a product such as a small car, the marketers have to ensure that the factors are in line with the customer’s needs and wants. As  a matter of fact, the small cars have to be designed in a manner that would give customer value attributes to the customer and satisfy their needs. For instance, a small expensive car might be bought as a result of the prestige that comes with owning such a car. As a result, the customer’s social class might also be a great factor that makes a small car to be the winning order for them. The design process qualifying factors products have to meet the minimum standards in order to make the customers purchase the product. Process design diagram In the company Action Response, there are a number of wastes that have been identifies to be affecting the operations of the charity firm. Notably, there are a number of protocols that have to be followed in the company hence making the process of activities in the organisation to be longer than usual. One of the major factors that lead to wastage with ARAPU processes include wait time. In as much as the company receives overwhelming number of applications per day, it is quite critical for the company to ensure that wait time is reduced so as to provide adequate time for other activities such as processing of funds and creation of more opportunities to the company’s clients. The time spent waiting for the company’s response should be significantly reduced so as to ensure that the company works within the available time frame to take care of all its operations. Another factor that wastes time in a number of organisations is the processes. The use of a standard form in application of aid by either the potential aid recipients or their intermediary charities has made the application process take much longer than expected. As a result, there is wastage of resources in printing of forms that could rather be filled online using log in details given to every potential recipient and their intermediaries. With an IT system that is well-equipped, the company can work towards ensuring that it achieves its goals faster than normal through its IT experts. Sending applications through posts and fax takes longer time and makes the company handle bulky papers that could otherwise be turned into other uses. By employing several staff members with different roles, the company is overspending on labour. Alternatively, the company could employ qualified technology experts so that all the activities such as coding, filling, and data entry are done at a central place. In order to save time and avoid wastage of resources, the  company should ensure it works towards using the Deming process improvement cycle in order to achieve its goals. Evidently, using the cycle would involve the process of: Plan-under this section, the company should come up with the best plans that it can use to meet the demands of its potential aid recipients. This could be done by seeking more funds and ensuring that it carries out effective planning that would see the use of the funds done in an organised manner. The planning process would also involve coming up with goals and objectives that would be very crucial in creating efficiency within the organisation. Do- This stage involves implementation of all the ideas that ARAPU had noted in the planning stage. In fact, this is where much work lies as the company would process a number of aid applications as per the case study. Study- Under this stage, the organisation would ensure that it monitors the various outcomes that it got from the last two processes. It will also help in identification of problems and evaluation of the organisational success. Act- This step closes the cycle and mainly involves integrating any factor noticed in the entire process. The step also involves coming up with actions that could be used in ensuring adjustments are made to the goals. It might also involve reformulation of the organisational strategies so as to bring more donors on board. In order to gain the best results, the process should be repeated over and over again.

Marriott Corporation Essay

Each of these aspects of the financial strategy support Marriott’s growth objective, except for the repurchasing of undervalued shares, which is not based on feeling of significant undervaluing of the stock by the market, but based on an internally generated intrinsic value of the company. Marriott’s cost of capital estimation process involves consideration of debt capacity, cost of debt and cost of equity. This data, plus consideration of capital structure and effective tax rate, is then applied to the Capital Asset Pricing Model, using the U.S. Government 10-year bond as the risk-free rate and the spread between the S&P 500 composite and the U.S. Government 10-year bond rate. Beta is based on the last five years of monthly return data. The resulting corporate WACC is 10.22%. However, new investments in the different divisions requires the application of a hurdle rate that reflects the business risk of that particular unit, rather than the overall   corporate hurdle rate, which is primarily applicable to corporate capital expenditures, such as headquarters and IT support systems. The table below summarizes the WACC for each Marriott division based on its mix fixed and floating rate debt, capital structure, and applicable unlevered beta for its industry. Introduction Marriott Corporation is diversified company in the lodging, restaurant and contract services. Its lodging business unit consisted of managing the operation of 361 hotels of a variety of star ratings. Its restaurant business unit ran and owned a handful of fast food and diner chains. One of the perennial challenges that Marriott management faced was the close integration of its financial strategy, growth objectives, determining the appropriate hurdle rate for investments, and how to add a capital cost component to incentive compensation plans. Marriott’s Financial Strategy The overall objective for Marriott’s vice president of project finance, Dan Cohrs, was to support the company’s growth objective in being the most profitable company in its lines of business. To support this growth objective, Marriott developed a financial strategy that consisted of four tactics – manage rather than own hotel assets, invest in projects that increase shareholder value, optimize the use of debt in the capital structure, and repurchase undervalued shares. Manage Rather than Own Hotel Assets Marriott would develop hotel properties and then sell them off to investment partnerships. Its typical deal would consist of it being granted a long-term contract to operate and manage the property on behalf of the owner, where it receives 3% of revenues as compensation and 20% of profit over and above a specified return for the owner. If you wanted to maximize growth and shareholder value, this was a more prudent approach to being in the lodging business because the company wouldn’t be held down by large amount of debt associated with these properties and it eliminated a lot of long-term market risk. If a hotel went under, Marriott’s risk was limited to the portion of debt that it guaranteed instead of the entire amount. Therefore, this tactic supported the company’s growth objective because it did not tie up huge amounts of investment capital in fixed assets and allowed it to focus on activities and projects that could generate significant revenue growth. If Marriott could make a hotel very busy, it only had to make small increases in staff to accommodate large increases in business. Plus, its profitability would accelerate once it was able to clear its property owner’s return requirement. By being service oriented, Marriott greatly reduced the capital intensity of its lodging business unit. Invest in Projects That Increase Shareholder Value Technically speaking, this is a tactic espoused by every company. Marriott purposed to only invest in NPV positive projects based on the hurdle rate appropriate for the type of investment. The pro forma cash flows for investment opportunities were developed at the division level using corporate templates. This provided consistency in methodology while allowing for variation in unit specific assumptions. This will also support the company’s growth objective because it promotes Marriott getting the best results for its investment funds to maximize the value created by the projects it invests in. It also means that projects in riskier areas have to be that much profitable to generate the NPV to make an investment competitive versus alternative investments in less risky units. Optimize the Use of Debt in the Capital Structure Marriott used a targeted interest coverage ratio to determine its optimal use of debt instead of a debt-to-equity ratio. Because this approach bases debt capacity primarily on financial operations instead of market capitalization, it is supportive of growth by limiting debt based on near term financial performance rather than the ups and downs of the capital markets. Repurchase Undervalued Shares Marriott calculated its own valuation of its stock called its warranted equity value. Whenever its stock price went below the warranted value, Marriott would buy back stock. This tactic does not support growth because Marriott is using an intrinsic value of its stock to supersede the market value of the stock, which is the best indicator of the value of a publicly traded company. The company also assumed that this was the best use of cash and debt than investments. Although companies have used debt to repurchase stock, it is usually to try to â€Å"game† the system and improve the profitability related financial ratios by reducing the amount of total equity and the number of shares outstanding. Three more legitimate reasons for Marriott to buy back its stock would be mitigate the impact of stock dilution due to the exercise of stock options used as incentive compensation; to disburse excess funds to shareholders without the tax penalty associated with dividends; or to cheaply remove stock when the market it trading it at a steep discount to historical trends when the company is performing well. Buying back stock when it falls a small amount below an intrinsic value does not contribute to growth and those funds could have probably been used in a profitable, value-increasing project. Marriott’s Cost of Capital Estimation Process Marriott uses the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) to determine its corporate hurdle rate, as well as estimate the hurdle rates for its different divisions. The process begins with the company determining its debt capacity, cost of debt and its cost of equity, also being a function of the amount of debt. After determining the corporate level cost of debt, it allocated a portion of that debt to each of the business units to facilitate their unit hurdle rates. Each unit had a different debt weighting and cost of debt. Marriott annually updated its cost of capital for making investments. It does make sense for Marriott to determine a hurdle rate for its different business units because it is a diversified company, even if it is related diversification. Its business units carry the business risk of the industries they inhabit, regardless of the corporate make up of Marriott. To make the best use of Marriott funds and maximize value, Marriott has to take into account the risk associated with each unit’s projects. Having a hurdle rate for each business unit eliminates bias in project selection that would occur if it used the corporate hurdle rate. Marriott’s Corporate Weighted Average Cost of Capital In its use of the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) formula below, Marriott uses its long-term debt to total capital ratio (total capital = total assets – current liabilities) for its debt weighting. Cost of Equity To determine the cost of equity, Marriott used the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), which relates the returns for a single stock against the excess returns for the market over the risk-free rate. Marriott has a target debt percentage in capital of 60% for the company. Its 1987 debt percentage is 58.8% for which a beta of 1.11 was calculated based on the past five years of monthly returns. The average corporate tax rate for the past five years is 43.7%. The target debt percentage in capital is 60% and is treated as the debt-to-value ratio. For the target percentage the beta must be unlevered and then relevered based on the equation below. This produces a relevered beta of 1.135. The market risk premium is based off of the spread between the S&P 500 composite returns and long-term U.S. government bond returns of 7.92%. The risk-free rate is 8.72% based on the 10-year U.S. government bond maturity rate. Using the CAPM equation below, this produces a cost of equity of 17.71%. Cost of Debt Marriott has fixed and floating debt. Its projected mix will be 60% fixed debt and 40% floating debt. Overall, Marriott has estimated that its debt risk premium is approximately 1.30% above U.S. government debt securities. Fixed rate corporate debt is going to be consistent with 10-year maturity U.S. government debt and the floating rate debt is going to be consistent with 1-year maturity U.S. government debt. The 30year debt is not applicable because Marriott manages rather than owns the hotel properties it manages. The resulting weighted cost of debt is 9.29%. Debt Type Corporate or Firm Level WACC By applying Marriott’s corporate cost of debt and cost of equity from the previous sections, we calculate a WACC of 10.22%. Which Investments Can the Corporate Hurdle Rate by Applied To? The corporate or firm level hurdle rate cannot be applied to all projects because of the bias it presents when business units have less or more risk than the company as a whole. However, there are investments to which the corporate hurdle rate would be applicable. That would involve any capital expenditures on behalf of the corporate parent, including buildings, as well as enterprise resource systems and any other support systems that serve all three business units. For example, the three business units should be using the same system to do financial reporting and accounting. If Marriott only used the corporate hurdle rate for all investments, in the long-run, it would do poorly because the rate would cause the company to invest in projects that are too risky and avoid projects that could increase company value. Basically, Marriott would be worth a lot less than it otherwise would have if it didn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to its hurdle rate for different projects in the business units. Or worse, it could go out of business or be acquired by a competitor that had a more rational approach to its project selection process and was able to buy Marriott with the value it had created. Cost of Capital for Individual Divisions The process that Marriott employs to determine the corporate hurdle rate can also be applied to its different divisions. For the lodging and restaurant divisions, the cost of equity can be determined by using the weighted average unlevered beta for a group of peer companies and then relevering the beta for that division’s leverage circumstances. Contract services will require a residual approach for determining its cost of capital. Peer groups were used to calculate weighted average unlevered betas for the groups, using 46% as the highest marginal corporate tax rate for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1987. For the lodging and restaurant divisions, the same risk-free rate and market risk premium was used. Although both divisions own long-lived assets, they are closer to 10-year versus 30-year assets, other than any facilities owned. As for the lodging and restaurant properties, the bulk of the capital investment is made in renovation, updating or modernizing hotel properties and updating of the restaurants. For example, Marriott will periodically update the furniture, dà ©cor, color and amenities at the properties it manages to keep them competitive. This is a regular part of the business, so long-lived assets in those properties would be replaced anyway. This even occurs in restaurants, although less frequently. Contract services would also operate its long-lived assets in the same time frame. To determine the cost of equity for the lodging division, a group of peer companies were gathered and key data related to capital structure, revenue and beta was compiled to calculate a weighted average unlevered beta for the group. That beta was relevered based on the lodging divisions projected debt percentage in capital of 74% as the debt-to-value ratio for the operating unit, resulting in a cost of equity of 20.13% To determine the cost of equity for the restaurant division, a group of peer companies were gathered and key data related to capital structure, revenue and beta was compiled to calculate a weighted average unlevered beta for the group. That beta was relevered based on the lodging divisions projected debt percentage in capital of 42% as the debt-to-value ratio for the operating unit, resulting in a cost of equity of 19.08% With the cost of debt and cost of equity relative to its industry, the restaurant division cost of capital is equal to 13.45%. Contract Services Division To calculate the cost of capital for the contract services is more complex because there aren’t any publicly traded peer companies to compare against and privately held firms either do not report their results or do not report results compliant with the financial reporting requirements of publicly traded companies. Based on the projected mix of fixed and floating debt, the cost of debt for the contract services division is estimated at 10.07% A residual approach will be required to determine the cost of equity for the contract services division according to the formula below using the unlevered betas, weighted by identifiable assets. Solving the formula for ÃŽ ²C will provide us with the last piece of information needed to calculate its cost of capital. This results in an unlevered beta of 0.610. Based on the projected capital structure of the division, it levers to a beat of 0.839. With the cost of debt and cost of equity applicable to this business unit, the contract services division cost of capital is equal to 11.33%. Conclusion There are already many assumptions made in a traditional cost of capital calculation for a single-industry company. When a company is diversified, like Marriott, it cannot use a single corporate cost of capital for making investment decisions. It must make decisions for each division according to the business risk faced by that business unit because the level of risk varies from industry and that must be accounted for. Otherwise, a firm will engage in biased decision-making, if they use discounted cash flow and net present value for making investment decisions because a single hurdle rate will inflate the value of some projects, while lowering the value of others. Epilogue To stay competitive and generate the most value that they can for shareholders, companies review and update their strategies. Marriott Corporation is no different. Not long after the time period associated with this case, Marriott began to take dramatic steps to maximize shareholder value. First, the company sold is restaurant operating division in 1990 (White, 1989). The competition from industry leaders was too intense and rapid expansion would have required a lot of additional capital. Subsequently, the company would go through multiple spinoffs. In 1993, the company spun off Marriott International, which managed and franchised hotels and retirement communities (Marriott International, 2012). The remaining company changed its name to Host Marriott Corporation and owned many of the properties managed by Marriott International. In 1995, Host Marriott Corporation spun off some of the contract services business with the name Host Marriott Services. This allowed Host Marriott Corporation to focus on its real estate assets. In 1998, Marriott International spun off its management services business in a merger with Sodexho to create Sodexho Marriott Services. Later that year, Host Marriott Corporation spun off is senior retirement real estate business as Crestline Capital Corporation. At the end of 1998, Host Marriott Corporation converted into a real estate investment trust called Host Hotels & Resorts (Marriott International, 2012). The last spin off conducted by Marriott International occurred towards the end of 2011, where it spun off its time share operating segment as Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: VAC). Marriott International is only involved in lodging now and reorganized into four lodging divisions – North American Full-Service, North America limited-service, International Lodging and Luxury Lodging. In terms of the financial strategy outlined by the Marriott Corporation in 1987, that strategy continues in Marriott International. It doesn’t own the properties. It just manages and franchises them. At the end of fiscal year 2011, its debt-to-market value ratio is 0.1579. The company appears to be attempting to minimize the amount of debt it uses. The cost of debt is approximately 5.485% and the cost of equity is approximately 11.44%. Marriott International’s WACC, based on 2011 financial statements is 10.12%. References Marriott International (2012). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved from http://investor.shareholder.com/mar/sec.cfm?DocType=&DocTypeExclude=&Sort Order=FilingDate%20Descending&Year=&Pagenum=4 Marriott International (2012). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from http://investor.shareholder.com/mar/faq.cfm White, G. (1989, December 19). Marriott to Sell Its Restaurants, Focus on Hotels : Services. LA Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1989-1219/business/fi-598_1_marriott-s-bob-s-big-boy

What would You do if YouI won 200 million dollar lottery Research Paper

What would You do if YouI won 200 million dollar lottery - Research Paper Example While most individuals believe they would relish this opportunity, it’s been noted that many of these people end up facing considerable problems in their lives because of the sudden influx of money (Veneziani). I recognize if I suddenly won 200 million dollars I would make the best use possible of it. In winning 200 million dollars one of the first things I would recognize is that I need to preserve some sort of structure within my life. Past lottery winners have even gone as far as keeping the jobs they held before winning the lottery (Celezic). While I don’t believe that I would keep working the same job I would attempt to preserve many of the aspects of my current life. In these regards, I would continue to live in the same town. I would also work at keeping the same group of friends. Rather I would implement my money to stay within the general structure of my current life, but enjoy it in fantastic ways. For instance, I would buy a much larger house, with a pool, an d an excellent view. I would then throw large parties at this home. This way I would be able to keep some semblance of my current existence, while enjoying the thrill of the million-dollar prize. Another important element of winning a million dollars is making safe investments. .

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Case Study Example Gram Vikas, an NGO which was founded with an aim to take care the sanitation and water facilities in rural areas. It was established with the motive to serve the society and enhance overall development of rural areas in Orissa. The executive director of the organization is Joe Madiath who can be considered to be a social entrepreneur. Within few years Joe has been able to bring forth some drastic changes in villages across Orissa. This organization was established with non-profit motive where the major focus of the founder was to spread equality amongst villagers and to change their lifestyle. It was a distinctive approach towards entrepreneurship as organizational members desired to work along with village members. The factors that affected villagers were indebtedness and alcoholism. These conditions needed to be eliminated by the organization so that they can incorporate changes in the location. This non-profit organization also started their program on bringing in electricity in t he villages. Their bio gas project was the first initiative towards this program. However unlike other entrepreneurial approaches Joe and his team members did not keep the project bounded within the system but spread its concept amongst all employees. This organization had even kept the facility that if their employees was able to establish bio gas project in other villages and if it proved to be successful then they would be their owners. Such approaches are not observed in any other form of entrepreneurship and this is because the major aim of such organizations is much above protecting their core values. The main distinctive factor of Gram Vikas approach was that it started improvement from bottom level of the rural living system. It believed that equality is important in making such projects successfully and hence focused on involving all the village members. This NGO started its journey with widespread bio gas projects

Liberal Democracy. Why are elections so important for liberal Essay

Liberal Democracy. Why are elections so important for liberal democracy - Essay Example Elections and democracy are complementary to each other. Free and fair elections are central to promoting liberal democracy. The cosmopolitan nature of the United Kingdom society has made people devise means of having organized electoral systems that are fully representative. The intention of the electorate is to consolidate their civil rights and freedoms. These electoral systems are established through either direct or indirect means of picking representatives into the House of Commons. The electoral system must avoid irregularities and guarantee the wishes of the majority while respecting the rights and the voice of the minority. The strength of the electoral process guards against unnecessary tensions (Robinson 2010). This is the essence of reviewing the parliamentary electoral system in the United Kingdom to make them representative and free. A liberal democracy like the United Kingdom thrives through democratic elections. A general election is a vital decision making process in which the people decide whom to entrust with power. Modern liberal democracies like the United Kingdom use elections to fill vacancies in the executive, parliament and the judiciary. The word election comes from a Latin word Legere meaning-choose. The essence of general elections is to change leadership and express the wishes of the citizens on key matters. Modern liberal democracies like the United Kingdom have the electoral systems which yield the best results. The most popular democratic systems are both presidential and parliamentary systems. The United Kingdom used the parliamentary system. The liberties include the freedom of speech, religion, right to private property and privacy. Liberal democracy has safeguard against majoritarianism which hurts the minority. In a liberal democracy, elections must be free and fair (Johnson 2001). The electorate must have a choice of political parties, which differ in policies and views. In a liberal democracy, voting is by secret ballot. T his ensures that voters do not feel pressured (Robinson 2010). Elections are crucial in liberal democracies because the parliament and the government are chosen by and accountable to the voters. Liberal democracies demand that elections be regular (Dunleavy & O'Leary 2000). This gives the electorate a chance to review their leaders and make changes during the election year. The government must call for a referendum on key issues that affect the lives of people directly (Williams 1998). In liberal democracies, election results must be respected since they represent the demands of the people (Diamond & Platter 2006). As a result, the power transitions must be peaceful, and this ensures economic stability. In the United Kingdom, the European court of human rights ensures that civil rights are enforced. Democratic elections guarantee equal opportunities and a fair justice system in liberal democracies (Williams 1998). The government must be limited and open to the public (Dunleavy & O'L eary 2000). Democratic elections give the people power to securitize the government in liberal democracies. The constitution gives the citizens the right to access state information if it does not compromise the security situation of the country (Robinson 2010). Democratic electoral process guarantees free media, which is not controlled by the state. This means that the media must give neutral coverage to all the political activities in the country, and at the same time criticize any the government freely (Diamond & Platter 2006). In the United Kingdom, the electoral system is free and fair. The law demands that balloting in the UK be secret, in addition to universal suffrage of, eighteen and over. The country has a number of political

ETH501, Business Ethics, Mod 4 Case Assignment Essay

ETH501, Business Ethics, Mod 4 Case Assignment - Essay Example ation is presented to us in the rejection of the promotion test results by the New Haven CT for its fire department due to the lack of minority representation. This paper aims to understand the managerial and organizational performance consequences resulting from a demographic representation in the workforce. After carefully analyzing the arguments and evidences available, a conclusion shall be made on whether organizations should indeed undertake a demographic approach in determining the composition of their workforce. Representation is one of the basic tenets of social justice especially in a society priding itself of civility. Morality and ethics dictate that all members of society should have the opportunity to contribute to the development process. Power should be distributed and not confined to a few for democracy to persist. Carroll (1990) formalizes these concepts to two principles: the Golden Rule and the Disclosure Rule. The former takes root in religion and history and states that ‘if one wants to be fairly treated then one should treat others fairly too’. The Disclosure Rule states that if you are comfortable with decisions after asking yourself if you would mind if others were aware of them, the decision is probably ethical. Velasquez (1996) states that the respect for fundamental rights emanates from the principle of Rights Approach where people should be given the right to self-determination and adequate opportunities to do so. Public service organizations will find these ethical and moral obligations as enough motivational reasons to adapt demographic representation in the workplace. Nonetheless, idealistic principles can often be disregarded by prejudiced preferences and operational requirements. This is especially true in business settings where the desire for production, operational efficiency and sales volume often take priority rather than moral and ethical obligations. Adapting a demographically representative workforce must have

Conquest of Ireland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conquest of Ireland - Essay Example The course of history took a deep change when in 1155 Pope Adrian IV issued a bill to the counselor of Henry IV. This bill issued by Pope Adrian gave the current powers of loyalty to Henry II who was the King of England. It also gave him the power to enter the territory of Ireland and conquer it. However while Pope Adrian gave Henry IV all the powers he made sure that Henry IV abided by the bill he passed. The church was given the supreme power and the government there took a change in its policies. Centralized government was promoted in the lands of Ireland after Henry IV took over. But the task of conquest was not easy for Henry IV as he had to take help from different nobles belonging to Ireland. Dermot MacMurrough had an important role to play in the conquest of Henry II.2 He was known to be the king of an Irish state named Linster. As MacMurrough was the king of the Irish state he had total power over the trade activities happening in Linster. And these trade activities helped h im to develop a good relationship with Henry II. However after a passage of time MacMurrough was forced to go in exile by the other nobles living in the Irish state. This made MacMurrough seek the help of Henry II to enter his territory of Linster again. And as the internal structure of the Irish state was in a jeopardy Henry II took the benefit of the situation. MacMurrough was granted troops by Henry II to conquer his state Linster but in the form of a recommendation. This recommendation given by Henry II urged a person known as Strongbow to provide MacMurrough with his army. But when MacMurrough asked for support from Strongbow he gave such conditions to MacMurrough which were not acceptable to him. And thus he moved ahead without the support of Strongbow. However he gained the support of different nobles and moved into the land of Ireland with a very small army in 1167. In the beginning the conquest was proved to be quite successful but as he moved ahead the enemies brought in f orces which could not be stopped. At this moment MacMurrough was aided by other allies to be victorious again in the campaign. MacMurrough's army consisted of a very small amount of people, but these people were known to be well equipped and brave. This army helped MacMurrough gain access to the old state of Linster and he was once again pronounced the King of Linster. Soon after he broke a deal which he had previously made with his enemies and this proved to be costly for him as the enemies were charging on him with a great force. Seeing the situation MacMurrough realized that he did not have adequate equipment and soldiers to fight a large army and requested Strongbow again to conquer Ireland. Strongbow with a large army marched towards the state of Ireland and emerged victorious in conquering Dublin. Soon after the conquest he established the rules and ethics of an Anglo Norman colony in the states of Ireland. After the death of MacMurrough, Strongbow was also named as the King o f Linster.3 On the other hand all these invasions were being closely monitored by King Henry II. He realized that England was surrounded by a number of enemy countries which were France and Spain. And now as Ireland was going under the control of Anglo-Normans Henry II realized the danger. The thought of being surrounded by a number of enemies through out the territory of England made King Henry II conquer Ireland. As King Henry II

Research paper in Internet Activism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research paper in Internet Activism - Essay Example Thus besides entertainment, such information is critical for education and informative purposes. The use of social networks has particularly had diverse impacts on the populations’ perceptions of relative social themes. The objectivity and reliability of relative information has been in most cases compromised by the subjective nature of the contributions made by various factions of the society. Most importantly, this tendency has had direct impacts on the social ties that the society holds in high regard. Through face-book, you-tube, my space and other social networks, important information has been relayed to populations across the globe. Apart from educators, activists have employed social media to reach various factions of the population and communicate important issues to these. Through these, they have been able to understand and appreciate the views of the global populations about emergent social issues. Perhaps the most critical information pertains to that relating to sensitive issues that affect the populations in different ways. Besides being instrumental in informing the public, these social networks have in most cases undermined the credibility of the information relayed across. It is against this background that this paper provides an explicit review of internet activism in light of the Kohn 2012 video. To address inherent concerns, it greatly relies on secondary research. The internet has become the latest technological tool through which information is passed on to the population within the shortest time possible. According to research, it only requires a single click to publish important information about emergent issues and concerns within the society. It is pervasive as exemplified by Giridharadas who cites the Kenyan Ushahidi initiative stating it has â€Å"been used in India to monitor elections; in Africa to report medicine shortages; in the Middle East to collect reports of wartime violence; and in Washington† (Giridharadas, 3). Through social networks, this is visible to a diverse population who have subscribed to the relative services. Likewise, these are able to present their views on the particular issue within the shortest period possible. It only requires access to internet and knowledge about its use to utilize this facility. The first world countries have taken immense practical steps to ensure that their populations have access to the electronic infrastructure. Although the third world countries such as Kenya and Uganda have not readily succeeded in enhancing the use of internet, use of phones has really been useful. According to Zuckerman â€Å"the most important activist technology of the last five years is the mobile phone â€Å". Specifically, the use of Short Text messaging provision has been important in information dissemination in third world economies. Through this, populations are able to communicate useful insights regarding wide ranging issues to a diverse population base. The lau nch of Kony 2012 video in March, 2012 triggered various arguments and controversies about the credibility of use of social media in activism. Initially, the intention of this online video was to raise awareness about the leader of Lord’s resistance army, Joseph Kony. Towards the end of the video, viewers were requested to help in different was to capture the war lord so that he could face the law. The video spread so fast and within six days, it had been viewed by a significant one

Introduction to Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Introduction to Critical Thinking - Essay Example e of cancer is highly reported on men as compared to women since men are likely to be affected 3 times as compared to women (AGNEW, GILCHREST & BUNKER, 2005). Age bracket highly affected are those between 45 and 54 of age. Many cancers are caused by the ultra-violet radiation as this tends to suppress the immune functionality and the aging. Basing on the above fact about cancer there is an issue that tomatoes protect the skin against skin that would later prevent it against cancer infection (DELMAS, JANNIN & LATRUFFE, 2005). In this regard, this is the issue that I have chosen to discuss on in my paper. It is worthwhile noting that ultra-violet radiation from the sun exerts aging and carcinogenic effects on the skin through the oxidative stress, inflammation and damage of DNA. Due to these facts, there has been a lot of desire to find out more on skin cancer by the scientist community in using antioxidants from plant foods to protect against these damages. Through use of animal study, photo-protection has been demonstrated. This was achieved by use of variety of antioxidant supplements that involved green tea catechins, proanthocyanadins, resveratrol, and silymarin (SUN-WATERHOUSE, 2011). These substances are antioxidant. In addition, they are also able to absorb ultra-violet rays from the sun when applied typically, more so enable repair of damaged DNA and also reduce inflammations. Pink and red fruits such as tomato, grapefruit and papaya are thought to have lycopene a carotenoid antioxidant which is well known for its prostate cancer protective effects. This is usually of high content in well cocked tomato products such as tomato pastes. Lycopene is well known to be a very powerful antioxidant that is vitro which is a known to prevent or repair the damaged DNA that could lead to cancer development. Moreover, lycopene stimulates the production of antioxidant enzymes and hinders signals that could lead to development of tumours. Through recent research, it

The Problem of the New Century Essay Example for Free

The Problem of the New Century Essay This essay will analyze the impact that social media has on teenagers all around the world. More specifically, this essay will guide the reader through three of the most striking repercussions that result when teenagers abuse these types of media: cyber-stalking, poor interpersonal relationships, and bullying. From Facebook to MySpace to Twitter to Tumblr, these sites undoubtedly provide both positive and negative consequences to our world’s youth†¦ The question is: Do the negative outweigh the positive? â€Å"Home alone! I love this! And the ‘rents won’t be back ‘till 6!!!† You may think that a post like this on a social networking site should not be harmful at all. After all, you’re just letting your friends know what you’re up to! However, online stalkers and pedophiles may use this seemingly benign piece of information for more malicious ends. According to a 2007 Pew Internet Research Report, over half (55 percent) of teens now use online social networking sites. (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith Zickuhr)[1] The latter have diminished one-on-one interactions and have simultaneously provided an easy, impersonal way to harass people without any apparent immediate consequences. It is true that social networks such as Facebook and Twitter enable friends to keep in touch and can be used to â€Å"document school research, promote artistic talents and experiment with other forms of content creation.† (Hall)[2] However, along with these benefits come some serious risks: especially since these sites are extremely addicting. The excessive use of social networks, especially by teens, has brought upon severe effects on society that should n ot be taken lightly: cyber-stalking, poor interpersonal relationships, and bullying. When analyzing this topic, one must point out that, as a consequence of their excessive use of social networks, teens have become the main victims cyber-stalking. First off, unsuspecting, naà ¯ve teens are less conscious about conveying personal information that most adults would never give away to strangers. An actual case of cyber-stalking against young adults occurred when, in accordance with the Justice Department of the United States, â€Å"an honors graduate from the University of San Diego terrorized five female university students over the Internet for more than a year. The victims received hundreds of violent and threatening e-mails, sometimes receiving four or five messages a day. The graduate student, who has entered a guilty plea and faces up to six years in prison, told police he committed the crimes because he thought the women were laughing at him.† (Easttom)[3] Furthermore, when teens give away information in social networking sites, they are not only putting themselves in great danger but also involving their families. Last but not least, teen bloggers are an extremely easy target for these online stalkers. A study of sixty-eight random web-blogs written by teens of ages 13-17 by the Northwestern University revealed that â€Å"teen bloggers often willingly give away all their personal information putting them in high risk and making them easy target for cyber stalkers.† (Leopold) It is evident that teens and young adults are more liable to disclose more personal information online, making them easy targets for stalkers. The fact that cyber-stalking doesn’t involve direct contact might create the erroneous illusion that it is milder than actual physical stalking. Nonetheless, this could not be more wrong. As the Internet (and social networks) becomes a more fundamental part of our daily lives, cyber-stalkers are using it to access our personal information. Without the excessive use of these sites, would cyber-stalking such an eminent issue? It is our unfortunate dependence on these sites that make us so vulnerable an d more prone to be victims of such a frightening issue that grows larger every single day. It is understandable that teens depend on social networks to keep in touch with friends who they do not see regularly. However, the fact that 91 percent of teens use social networks to maintain friendships with friends who they already see frequently causes some degree of concern. (Frazier)[4] This is concerning because the dependence in social networks is detrimental to society, seeing as it creates poor interpersonal communications. When people communicate through a computer or cellphone screen, they lose one-on-one social contact skills. Comments and opinions conveyed through the Internet tend to be less tactful, too. Badoo These disadvantages can lead to a degradation of conversations and to misunderstandings, which could easily be avoided by just taking the time to talk in person. Also,†¦ less friends.. Social Net. Moreover, when teenagers spend so much of their time online, they fall into a dysfunctional lifestyle were vital activities such as sleeping, exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, keeping up with school, and spending quality time with friends and family become subordinate to using their computers or cellphones. In 2003, researchers at the City University of New York conducted a study regarding the effects of at-home computer use on young children. They found that young children who excessively used the computer (for over 8 hours a week) spent significantly less time playing sports or taking part in beneficial outdoor activities. They were also found to have substantially heavier body mass index.â €  (Frazier)4 Kids are said to be the future, but if this is happening to our world’s kids, what does that say about the world we are aspiring to build? Amongst all effects of the use of social networks, bullying may be deemed as the most troubling one. Thanks to the impersonal manner of online interactions, people tend to say (or type) things they normally would not say in person. Considering this, one may say that teenagers online have the urge to feel â€Å"cool†, accepted, or even admired. Though they may not be as cruel in person as they are online, the pressure of having to stand out drives many of them to bully fellow teens that may have a less dominant personality. For instance, bullies may publicize private instant messages, text messages or e-mails, post threatening messages or photos that will cause embarrassment and, most commonly, spread rumors. Even though some victims may ignore this harassment, this is not the common case. Most of the kids who have b een bullied online take desperate measures to put an end to their humiliation. As a consequence, most of the targets, who are usually emotionally unstable, choose a permanent solution to this temporary problem: suicide. For example, there is the case of Megan Meier. She was a 13-year-old girl who had self-esteem issues but was, overall, content with her life. It all started when a cute boy by the name of Josh Evans befriended her on MySpace. They started messaging each other, but Evans’ compliments soon turned to insults. Then, suddenly, Megan got a message from Evans saying â€Å"I dont know if I want to be friends with you any longer because I hear youre not nice to your friends†. Then, the Evans started posting public comments calling her fat and a ‘slut’. â€Å"The stress and frustration was too much for Megan, who had a history of depression. Tina Meier, her mother, discovered her daughters body in a bedroom closet on Oct. 16, 2006. Megan had hanged herself and died a day later.† (Good Morning America)[5] Afterward, it was discovered that Josh Evans never existed. This was a fake account that Megan’s ex-best friend created with the help of her mother in order to â€Å"get back† at Megan for some rumor that she had allegedly spread. They claim that they did not mean for Megan to commit suicide. But this is not enough. Megan is gone now thanks to cyber-bullying, and nothing can replace her. All in all, the conclusion is evident: social networks, like everything in life, are only beneficial to certain extent. When these enable people t o track you down, one should surely realize that it has gone too far. When these start replacing inter-personal relationships, one should realize that it has gone too far. When these take over your life, driving you to the point of wanting to leave this world, one should realize that it has gone too far. Luckily, we are not too late. We still have time to turn off those computers and cell phones, go outside, and take a deep breath of fresh, real air. After all, what W. Clement Stone once wrote is very true: â€Å"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success- or are the holding you back?† Bibliography Lenhart, Amanda. Purcell, Kristen. Smith, Aaron. Zickuhr, Kathyrn. (2010, February 3). Social media and mobile Internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 from http://web.pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf Hall, Sharon Hurley. (2012). Life123.org. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://www.life123.com/parenting/tweens-teens/social-networking/issues-with-teens-and-social-networking.shtml Easttom, William. (2012, February 1). Cyber stalking, fraud, and abuse. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://www.pearsonitcertification.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1825167seqNum=4 Leopold, Wendy. (2006, February 19). Study finds teen bloggers at risk for cyberstalking. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 from http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/nu-sft021706.php Frazier, Karen. (2011). Are Social Networks Harmful to Society?. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 from http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Are_Social_Networks_Harmful_to_Society Good Morning America (2007, November 19). Cyber bullying led to teen suicide. Retrieved October 23rd, 2012 from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3882520page=2 [1] Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social media and mobile Internet use among teens and young adults. Retrieved October 22nd, 2012 (See Bibliography) [2] Hall, S. (2012). Life123. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [3] Easttom, W. (2012, February 1). Cyber stalking, fraud, and abuse. Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [4] Frazier, K. (2011). Are Social Networks Harmful to Society? Retrieved November 1st, 2012 (See Bibliography) [5] Good Morning America (2007, November 19). Cyber bullying led to teen suicide. Retrieved October 23rd, 2012 (See Bibliography)

Starbucks Coffee Company Essay Example for Free

Starbucks Coffee Company Essay It’s an American global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world ahead of UK rival Costa Coffee, with 23,305 stores in 65 countries and territories, including 13,049 in the United States, 1,909 in China, 1,555 in Canada, 1,089 in Japan and 927 in the United Kingdom. Starbucks locations serve hot and cold beverages, whole-bean coffee. Most stores also sell pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and items such as mugs and tumblers. Starbucks. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the companys products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. Starbucks had been profitable as a local company in Seattle. By the time it expanded into California in 1991 it had become trendy. The first store outside the United States or Canada opened in Tokyo in 1996, and overseas stores now constitute almost one third of Starbucks stores. The company planned to open a net of 900 new stores outside of the United States in 2009, but has announced 300 store closures in the United States since 2008. How the organization is organized Starbucks Organizational Chart Identify the activities of the functional areas Functional areas: Each organization is radically different ways by the structures, rules, positions and recognized chains of dynamic structures in which the communications staff of the organization is divided into fixed and is expected instead to keep width according to requirement. The basic methods of the organization are the people on the basis of the methods  according to geographical areas of the product Human resources: In Human Resources, they’re all about their partners. They have more than 500 partners working in groups such as Staffing, Learning and Development, Total Pay (Comp and Benefits), Organizational Development and Human Services. Each of us is a strategic partner to the business – no matter if we’re in a generalist or more specialist role. Together, we build programs that help our partners around the globe become their personal best. Finance: In Finance, theyll have the opportunity to work with their retail operations, consumer products and i nternational businesses. Their team is a key part of continued growth and profitability. There are more than 500 professionals working in fields such as accounting, business unit finance, corporate development, finance services, internal audit, investor relations, tax and customs, treasury and risk management, and safety and security. Marketing: Starbucks has a team of over 200 developing the strategy for all customer touch points in a Starbucks store and in the digital space. This includes campaigns for their products (like a favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte) or digital marketing campaigns like social media, promotions, as well as programs like Starbucks Card, CRM, ecommerce and mobile (Digital Ventures). Whether it’s on a mobile device or in one of their stores, they strive to deliver genuine moments of connection with their customers while driving transactions. One innovative thing they’ve done recently is partner with Square to launch mobile payments in their retail stores. Costumer Service: The Customer Service team receives and shares feedback that helps the company stand apart and grow. They listen to their customers and respond in kind. They analyze information and provide insights so that they continue to create inspired moments around the world every day. Sales: The Starbucks Sales team wo rks with retailers all over the world to launch their products in places like grocery stores, airlines and school campuses. They even serve Starbucks Coffee at The White House, Pentagon and on Air Force One. Production: This group of people as a team for the products they produce. As each company has different departments and groups are divided by service. Describe the relations between them The relations between these functional areas you can see as a kind of tracking system. Because every department is helping the other one work, The Human Recourses arranges everything inside the company and the opposite of that one is the department Marketing, they are looking for information outside the company. Eventually the marketing department can help the customer service to improve their service and the Human Recourses can help the Sales department and Production work better. Al last the Finance keeps everything around the company in control if it’s about the outcomes or revenue or the labor costs of the employers. P4 Explain how their style of organization makes it possible for them to fulfil their purposes. The Starbucks Mission Statement: Today, Starbucks Coffee Company has published two mission statements, one for the company and one that defines their commitment to the environment: â€Å"To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time† – Starbucks Coffee â€Å"Starbucks is committed to a role of environmental leadership in all facets of our business.† – Starbucks Environmental Mission Statement How the Organization Starbucks works Toward Its Mission Starbucks works on a certain way to make their purposes work. This way requires a lot of planning and work. Below I mentioned how the organization is working to fulfil their purposes: Our Coffee – High quality has always been the passion of Starbucks coffee, and hard work has been done to maintain and improve that. Our Partners – Everyone who works for Starbucks are partners because they all share a passion to create a place where everyone is treated to a standard that includes respect and dignity. Our Customers – Although Starbucks holds customer satisfaction through quality-made beverages as important, they also focus on the significance of human connection. Our Stores – The Starbucks mission statement also focuses on making their stores a â€Å"haven† for people to go to whenever necessary. Our Neighborhood – Starbucks considers their  stores as part of the community it is in, and are very passionate about doing their part and being responsible about it. Our Shareholders – Starbucks believes that actions towards success rewards everyone involved in the company. Therefore, Starbucks is fully accountable to uphol d its principles to the benefit of everyone connected with Starbucks. Onward – The Starbucks Mission Statement page leaves this without an explanation – but for good reason. The future may be unknown, but Starbucks regards it as important, and all decisions and actions have to contribute to making a better future for Starbucks and all its partners. Starbucks history has shown that having values, and practicing those values, will lead to success. ( All this information according to the Starbucks site itself) Describe how two businesses are organize. Identify the activities of the functional areas , and describe the relations between them. The next organization I chose is Greenpeace About Greenpeace: Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization that wants to change attitudes and behavior and they want to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace by: (According to http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/about/) Accelerating an energy revolution to refer the number one threat facing our planet: climate change. Defending our oceans by challenging wasteful and destructive fishing, and creating a global network of marine reserves. Protecting the worlds ancient forests and the animals, plants and people that depend on them. Working for disarmament and peace by tackling the causes of conflict and calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Creating a toxic free future with safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals in todays products and manufacturing. Campaigning for sustainable agriculture by rejecting genetically engineered organisms, protecting biodiversity and encouraging socially responsible farming. Greenpeace is in 40 countries across Eu rope, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Greenpeace doesn’t want donations from governments or corporations but they get their money from contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants. How the organization is organized Identify the activities of the functional areas ( all this information according to the Greenpeace site itself) Human Recourses: The mission of the Human Resources (HR) department is to support Greenpeace’s strategic vision and goals by recruiting and retaining diverse, passionate and exceptional team members; providing proactive services that foster a friendly and collaborative work experience; administering policies and benefits that protect both staff and the organization; and promoting a strategic and interactive staff development program to aid staff in reaching their full potential. The Human Resources intern will assist the HR department in reaching its goals through a combination of administrative support, research and project work. Marketing: The Direct Marketing team is an integral part of Greenpeaces Development Department, and is responsible for the management of fundraising for monthly and one-time donors at the $1-$499.99 level. The Direct Marketing team works with several out-of-house vendors to coordinate the mailing and telemarketing cultivation and solicitation of these donors. The team is also responsible for acquiring new donors, and for testing new methods of acquisition. Finance: Finance, Greenpeaces finance program, instrumentally increases the financial and political work of Greenpeace by raise new members on the street. Members of the finance department give monthly donations which support Greenpeace, online actions, phone banking, events and more. The Finance team provides administrative support to the Frontline program by tracking performanc e, liaising with other departments of Greenpeace, organizing, checking and submitting Finance payroll. The Finance intern will work closely with the Frontline Operations Team, the National Canvass Director, the Frontline Project Director, and the Frontline Training and Recruitment Coordinator and will report to a member of the Frontline Operations Team. Describe the relations between them. Because Greenpeace is a non-profit organization they don’t really focus on having a lot customers and revenue. So they have a kind of basic system for their organization. The relations between the functional is thereby very close to each other. Namely The Human Resources takes care of the distribution into the company, That makes it possible that the people can do exactly there work what’s needed by the company. For example the marketing employers are so divided that they can do their work what is asked from the company. P4 Explain how their style of organization makes it possible for them to fulfil their purposes. Greenpeace purposes: Greenpeace has a couple purposes that they want to reach: Halt climate change. Greenpeace, like most environmental organizations, places fighting global warming at the top of its list Protect oceans. Greenpeace is perhaps best known for its campaigns to protect whales and other large aquatic animals from hunters and trappers Save ancient forests. Logging and clear-cutting of ancient forests drive species of plants and animals toward extinction and threaten the lives of people whose survival depends on the forests resources Achieve disarmament and peace. The world maintains an armory of 30,000 nuclear weapons, and several countries actively pursue the technology to develop even more. Reduce toxic materials in products. Many electronics and other products contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals that are difficult to dispose of and impossible to recycle. Encourage sustainable agriculture. Greenpeace believes genetically modified crops decrease biodiversity and pose a threat to the food supply. This purposes can only be reached if the organization works together with each other, so Greenpeace has clearly purposes so it’s easy for them to work towards something. Because the Greenpeace doesn’t accepts money from the government it’s important for them that they make the Marketing work good, because they have to inspire and motivate people to donate money and support the organization. Greenpeace is already doing a good job at that because they’ve reached a lot of their purposes already. Next up is the Finance department: They make sure that the company spends their money at the right  place so that they can full their purposes. It’s not only for their purposes but also for the employers who have to get paid eventually. Only on that way the can make the company work. Al last the most important part I think is the Human Resources the make sure that the Finance, Marketing, Production, Service departments are doing their job. And helps them furt her.

Reflective Analysis Of A Students Induction Week

Reflective Analysis Of A Students Induction Week Reflective Analysis has gained a high level of recognition in higher education, it is now used to structure students learning ability, Reflective Analysis as helped me to be able to analyse and assess current and past events, situation and experience. Ann Mathews (2007) state that it is a way whereby an individual turn out to be self independent so as to be able to solve problems the purpose of reflection depends on hypothesis, this deals with putting into practice all the achieved knowledge from academic and organisational environment, its also deals with the skills and ability that an individual has to pass these achieved information to someone else with the aim that the person with hit upon the information judiciously. Kolb (1975) state that when an individual comes up with ideas and re-assess old knowledge into learning however it also deals with turning or re-cycling old and new experience learnt into knowledge so as to use them for future purposes this is an important aspect when writing a report in higher education because it helps students to come up with new and old ideas on how problems are solved. These are what I attained while writing my applied management project: 1) Reflective learning helped me while writing my applied management project because I was able to come up with past and present experience and this aspect helped me in analysing all the necessary concepts on how to get and compile informations so as to achieve my aims and objective. 2) Reflective learning as also helped in turning my experience to learning, these has helped me to assess seriously all the process of learning and as also improve my learning experience academically. RECOLLECTION OF EXPERIENCE Now that the induction week is over, it is now time for me to commence with my dissertation, the induction week lasted for 1 week and it started on the 8th of February 2010 which was on a Monday although we were divided into two cohort and I was lucky to be part of cohort B, the first day of the induction was generally about the introduction to the unit which was given by Vincent Org and Peter Patrick, the second day was more interesting because Alan Bullimore and Peter Patrick talked about how to source for informations and referencing, on that same day we were all asked to form a group of seven to eight member and topics where given out to each group accordingly, on that same day Steve Briggs and Prof Brain Mathew talked about writing a report, Plagiarism and TurnitinUK, During this lecture we were told that the rest of the week will be a group discussion and we will be able to ask necessary questions about the topic from how tutors and we where also told that after the ends of the se induction week no one will be able to receive any help or assistance from any tutor. After the end of the induction week I realised that it was time for me to commence with my chosen topic although I came across a lot of challenges, this gave me a lot of concern because I was the only person in my group so I had to no one to exchange ideas with, I had to draw up a strategy to monitor my progress while I was busy writing on my chosen topic, I knew I had to start searching for relevant journals and articles which helped me a lot to understand what the topic was all about, I had no choice than to build up courage more over this is the finally stage that will determine if I would be awarded a master degree in Logistics Business and Management. Even though this is my second attempt, I knew I had to prove a point by making sure that I dont make that same mistake I made while I was writing my first chosen topic, while writing on my chosen topic I noticed some shortcomings which I realised that I had no choice than to tackle or find a solution to them. The follow were my sho rtcomings SHORTCOMINGS 1) Insufficient Fund: while I was writing on my chosen topic, I came across some relevant articles and journal online which were for sale and very expensive to purchase, this particular weakness was heartbreaking because at that particular moment I was not financially stable to purchase all the relevant journal and articles online. 2) Lack of understanding: Understanding the chosen topic was another challenge I faced while I was writing on my chosen topic, at first I had less idea about how to come up with relevant and necessary information and particularly the kind of information I need to include in the headings and sub-headings, I spent a lot of time on these before I figured out things. CORRECTION MADE 1) With the help of the learning resources centre, I was able to get more journals, articles, magazines, books and newspapers relating to my chosen topic, corporate social responsibility. 2) I had to call my sponsor about my present financial situation, I was given all the necessary support I needed, this really helped me because I had more opportunity to assess more journal, articles and books online. GROUP FORMATION On the 9th of February 2010, Vicent Org and Peter Patrick asked everybody in each department to form a group of seven to eight members, unfortunately I am just the only person in my group because this is my second attempt, there was no-one to relate or exchange ideas with, I had to some up courage within myself so that I would be able to accomplish my aims and objectives of coming to the university of Bedfordshire to study, I drew up a strategy which I used to check my progress while I was writing my chosen topic, I gave myself a target which I had to meet up with at the end of each day. LEARNING EXPERIENCE Although this is my second attempt that I am writing this same module (Applied Management Project), I have gained a lot of experiences both from my first and second attempt, writing a dissertation is a huge challenge so I had to apply all the necessary skills learnt from both past and present knowledge. These are the lessons learnt while writing on my chosen topic: 1) I have learnt how to be efficient and effective in problem solving and also produce a quality outcome. 2) I am capable of handle my own learning and career process efficiently and effectively. 3) I have learnt how to be self motivated and this as also improved my decision making skills, I can now work on my own without getting assistance from group members. 4) I have learnt how to manage my own time set a realistic target and monitor my progress while working on my chosen topic. 5) With the help of Alan Bullimore and Peter Godwin I have learnt how to search and retrieve important and relevant information from recognised sources. LESSON FOR FUTURE PROJECT 1) Time Management: Time management is an organised use of common sense tactic and planning, when writing or embarking on a project or dissertation, one should be cautious about time management because it basically deals with how and when to meet up with targets if it is used effectively and efficiently, time should be made for errors and corrections, I now see time management as a continuous process in life in other to achieve aim goals and objectives. 2) Self Management: Self Management is the actual process of utilizing time marginally and making a technical decision so as to achieve ones aims and objectives, before embarking on a project one as to have the following attributes: self confident, self reliance and self control, these qualities are very important while writing a project or before embarking on a project because they help during and after the research process. 3) Measuring Performance: When writing a dissertation, it is advisable for students to set up a realistic tactic or strategy which will be used to measure their progress while writing on their chosen topic, this lets students know if he or she is working as scheduled, these aspect helps to achieve the major aim of writing this project which is handing in the project or dissertation before deadline. 4) Risk Management: Risk Management is a process of minimizing risk not actually eradicating the risk but counting the loss before the situation occurs, while writing on my chosen topic I had to create the risk of set backs in my target so as to accomplish my mission or else I might have encountered obstacles which might cause delay or set back in my project. 5) Loss of work and Plagiarism: When writing a report or dissertation, it is necessary that all the vital informations and datas gathered are saved in a safe and secured place to avoid damage, furthermore while writing on my chosen topic I was careful about coping directly from authors, inaccurate referencing and chunking because It is a serious academic offence. PERSONAL ENCOUNTER The applied management project is a formidable tax; it has being a terrible experience for me because I had to write this particular module all over again, although the module as facilitated me in gaining more knowledge and also applying these gained knowledge to real life situations. I came across several complications while writing on my chosen topic, the first problem I came across was how to analyse and evaluate my chosen topic; since I was the only person in my group I had no one to exchange ideas and relevant informations with, I had to build up courage so as to achieve my aim and objective which is handing in a good report and rounding up the report two weeks before deadline so as pass my report to my brother to proof read so that necessary corrections can be made, furthermore other difficulties were sourcing for relevant journals, articles, newspapers and books but following all the informations gathered from the induction weeks I was able to draw up strategies on how to tackle this problems and to the best of my knowledge my strategies worked out fine. WRITING THE INTRODUCTION This is a very important part when writing a report or dissertation, I found it really difficult to start writing the introduction because it took awhile before I could apprehend what my chosen topic was all about, I had to go into a serious research so as to have a full idea about the topic, because I wanted a good and perfect report I came up with a strategy to guide me through the process of writing on my chosen topic, this strategy was really helpful since i used it to monitor my progress while writing on my chosen topic, it took me up to two weeks to round up this part, moreover because of my kind of topic I had a lot of informations to discuss on, despite the fact that I was struggling to round up this part I realized that I had some distractions which resulted to me relocating from Luton to Merseyside so as to achieve my key aim and objective of coming to the university of Bedfordshire to study. WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW This is the most complex part when writing a report or dissertation, I had to take my time to compile and gather informations since the literature review determines ones strengths and weakness on the chosen topic, furthermore this part of the report requires me to prove to the reader the kind of knowledge, facts and ideas that I have set up on the chosen topic, this part is a channel concept which consist of problems, issues and basically argumentative theories, according to my laid down strategy it took me up to a month to round up this part because I was checking and scrutinizing my work so that I dont get myself involve in plagiarism and chunking. WRITING THE ANALYSES AND DISCUSSION This part is another difficult aspect when writing a report, it entails evaluating, analysing and discussing all the relevant informations in the previous chapters, it took me one week to round up this part because it requires careful interpretation and discussion of each headings and sub-headings furthermore I make sure that all my arguments were logical and reasonable. Although this part was not really taxing because I was self-assured that I was on the right track. Although I came across challenges while writing the analyses and discussion but I was able to tackle it with the help of my laid down strategy and previous experience. WRITING THE CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Coming up with a reasonable and logical recommendation and conclusion was another taxing experience because it requires proper concise, clarity, consistency, accurate and objectivity, I spent a lot of time trying to round up this part so as to make my report interesting and attractive, I had to lay emphasis on all the literatures I studied and also explain how they justify or contradict each other, with the help of my laid down strategy it took me up to four weeks to round-up this part. CONCLUSION The process of writing this dissertation as been a great experience and achievement for me, even though this is my second attempt I have been able to motivate myself morally and academically on how to be efficient and effective in whatever I encounter in life, This module (Applied Project Management) is a vital aspect during the process of a masters degree programme, I have learnt all the necessary requirements, process, methods and structures of writing a standard and professional detailed report. In addition, through out my learning process at the University of Bedfordshire I have being able to develop my presentation skills, analyse and evaluate academic write-up, business issues and finally gaining a deep understanding about my course (Logistics and Business Management). Finally Applied Project Management is basically about the development of academic skill and ability.

Comparing Story Openings of Bleak House by Charles Dickens to The Outsi

At the opening of the story 'The Outsider', the writer Albert Camus places time in the wrong order. This creates the impression that we are seeing into the character's thoughts rather than a story being told to us. It works very effectively as the paragraphs are spontaneous and not in any form of order, thus creating a mental picture in our heads of one or two day?s worth of events, as if we were remembering them ourselves. This, however, does not apply to Bleak house. Dickens does not use any form of time, but instead decides to describe what is happening and makes the days, time, week or month irrelevant. It could be any day, but Dickens does not want time to be the focal point of his story. This is effective because our interest is drawn to the descriptions and happenings of the city. Surprisingly, both story start with short, improperly composed sentences, most of the time with little or no verbs. This works differently for each story. In ?The Outsider?, the short, blunt sentences arouse interest that forces you to continue reading, this is because the ?thoughts? of the character are rather cold and blunt about a situation that should be upsetting, for example ?Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday?, as the opening paragraph. The punctuation break up the sentence into emphasized words. Camus directs us to feel slightly disturbed by his descriptions of the events taken place and puts us in the position of psychologist, eager to hear what comes next, but wary of it also. In ?Bleak House? the short, improper sentences create a very descriptive picture of a cold, dark city, the blunt words mimicking the blunt feelings and people in the city. This is very effective as he uses the same words over again to emphasize the poin... ...he Chancellor and Chancery both being the cause and the centre of the fog, paralleling the weather with the situation. Fog is not a good thing in the court of Chancery and the narrator describes the Chancery as having a dark and unclear vision. They are not good at their jobs and the narrator calls the old Chancellor as being ?leaden-headed? or ?stupid? to emphasizing his views on that particular character. Both story openings, although composed differently, draw the reader in. Both author?s, Albert Camus and Charles Dickens, use a variety of techniques, which are all very effective when the author uses them to his will. Either way we get a clear and pointed view of the spot-lit aspects that the author wants us to focus on, and maybe sometime miss the subtle, important information between the lines that are not the centre of attention at that moment in the story.

Othello and Heroism Essay -- Othello essays

Othello and Heroism  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello the audience finds heroism exhibited not only by the hero, the Moor, but also by other characters in the drama.    A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, defines a woman character, Desdemona, as a hero in the play from the very outset:    There is perhaps a certain excuse for our failure to rise to Shakespeare’s meaning, and to realize how extraordinary and splendid a thing it was in a gentle Venetian girl to love Othello, and to assail fortune with such a ‘downright violence and storm’ as is expected only in a hero. It is that when first we hear of her marriage we have not yet seen the Desdemona of the later Acts; and therefore we do not perceive how astonishing this love and boldness must have been in a maiden so quiet and submissive. (191)    A character’s attitude toward the most fearful foe – death itself – is unquestionably a criterion for judging a heroic type from a non-heroic type. Helen Gardner in â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune† considers Iago’s wife Emilia to be a true hero of the play because of her fearless outlook on death itself:    Emilia’s silence while her mistress lived is fully explicable in terms of her character. She shares with her husband the generalizing trick and is well used to domestic scenes. The jealous, she knows,    are not ever jealous for the cause But jealous for they are jealous.    If it was not the handkerchief it would be something else. Why disobey her husband and risk his fury? It would not do any good. This is what men are like. But Desdemona dead sweeps away all such generalities and all caution. At this sight, Emilia ... ...y large and grand, towering above his fellows, holding a volume of force which in repose ensures pre-eminence without an effort, and in commotion reminds us rather of the fury of the elements than of the tumult of common human passion. (168)    WORKS CITED    Bradley, A. C.. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Penguin, 1991.    Gardner, Helen. â€Å"Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.                  

Does Credentialing Produce Effective Teachers? :: Education Educational Essays

Does Credentialing Produce Effective Teachers? Controversy regarding the relationship between the competence of teachers and the performance of their students causes some people to believe that the qualifications of teachers have no direct effect on their ability to teach efficiently. Others believe that poor student performance is directly caused by the teacher's lack of preparation. Thus the question: is teachers’ lack of preparation contributing to poor student performance on standardized achievement tests? This review contains information regarding teacher credentialing: what is a teacher credential, how is a multiple-subject credential obtained in California, emergency credentials, teacher credentialing is related to student performance, and teacher credentialing is not related to student performance. What is a teaching credential? Teacher credentialing is a process in which teachers become recognized by the state as competent and professional in teaching. There are many different types of credentials, a primary one being a multiple subject credential. According to Dr. Ruth Norton, a professor of education at Cal State San Bernardino, a multiple subject credential allows a teacher to teach all subjects in a self-contained classroom in grades K-12. In California, the multiple subject credential generally applies to grades K-6 because of the structure of the school systems; grades 7-12 generally emphasize single-subject credentials. How is a multiple subject credential obtained in California? In speaking with Jason Moore, an advisor at CSUSB PALS office, to obtain a multiple subject credential in California it is required to have a baccalaureate degree from a four-year university, passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) during their junior or senior year, and participate in a fifth year credential program. Currently, in the extended credential program, the Reading Instruction Competency Assessment (RICA) test is required and as of September 2000, the Math Instruction Competency Assessment (MICA) will also be required. It should be noted that California is the only state that requires the fifth year credential program. In addition, the state of California has a list of competencies of what every teacher should possess to be effective: creating and maintaining effective environments, planning instruction and designing a learning experience for all students, engaging and supporting all students in learning, understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning, assessing student learning, and developing as a professional educator. Emergency Credentials

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.