Investigate Challenges in the Classroom (3) Coursework

Investigate Challenges in the Classroom (3) - Coursework Example The problem of multilingual classes especially has risen in the last decade because of intensive emigrational rates. Thus kids whose home language is not English have started filling kindergarten classes. The very first question that has become actual is how to reform class curriculum and methodic of education in order to provide the ESL (English Second Language) students with the same social and academic level as English native speakers get. Although, elementary school teachers claim that before getting to academic English and more professional levels of education in multilingual classes they first face the problem of misunderstanding of regular English and disability of students to speak normally even basic everyday English (Spycher 2009). Thus the problem becomes even more complicated: how to translate and teach foreign ESL kids English language so that it would be possible to move on to more academic education? Also, studies on two Puerto Rican kindergarteners revealed that often the educational result that kids get at kindergarten gets erased when the kids get involved into their natural cultural environment at home (Volk 1997). Because it turns out that every day teachers should remind the kids what they have learned yesterday. The reason for this is that often parents either don’t want to maintain American education for some reasons or simply can’t help their children with learning, for instance, English language, because they are lack of knowledge. Moreover, there are situations when parents are against American education because they believe it ruins their kids’ national identity (Volk 1997 p.25). Some teachers from Bright Futures prekindergarten in rural Peoria County, Illinois found out that the problem of understanding English is secondary because the main thing in multicultural and multilingual classes is to teach children how to be loyal to different cultures,

Kaiser Wilhelm II and The First World War Essay Example for Free

Kaiser Wilhelm II and The First World War Essay The British postcard illustrates Kaiser Wilhelm II in a bath, where he is about to grab a bar of soap labelled Europe, with a caption quoting He wont be happy till he gets it. This suggests he is willing to use force to capture Europe. Wilhelm is wearing a military helmet and has a greedy expression on his face, which gives us the impression he is willing to fight for what he wants. Sources B and C both differ, but both of them agree that Wilhelms attitude towards the war was very violent. In source B, Wilhelms speech seems to be taken over by his emotions: anger, aggression, passion and lots of determination. He refers to certain phrases such as take no prisoners, must be destroyed and ruthless violence. Words such as these show us that he wants trouble. However in source C, there is more talk of peace. It seems to be a more subdued and more thoughtful speech. I was always a supporter of peace. But then he goes on to say how peace has its limits. And he can no longer just look on, but must draw the sword! This giving the final conclusion that Kaisers attitude towards the war has not changed since 1900 although he has become more diplomatic. This postcard may be biased, as the British whom were about to go to war with him produced it. Britain wanted to portray him in as much negative light as possible, therefore this postcard might not be truthful. But using my own knowledge, I know that Kaiser Wilhelm II was an aggressive man who came from an aggressive country and to control Europe was his sole ambition. Also, Britain was aware of Wilhelms objectives and to some extent holds him responsible for the Moroccan Crises. They therefore have a good reason to portray him in this way. The Kaiser was a warmonger and caused the Great War. The evidence given in the sources supports this statement and also disagrees with it. Source A clearly supports this view. The cartoon shows Wilhelm greedily snatching Europe, along with the war helmet, which indicates war. Source B backs this statement too. There is no sign of peaceful man in his speech. In this he says he wants Germans to acquire a similar reputation as Attilas Huns did in the fifth century. Attila was the King of the German tribe the Huns who ravaged Eastern Europe. But there is talk of peace in his later speech (1913), although this hopeful thought is dampened by the indications of war Must draw the sword. However, using my own knowledge I know that the Great War was not only the fault of Wilhelms, there was many other reasons. In my opinion, rivalries were the main factor, which brought about the First World War. Without rivalries, no one would have a cause to start a war. There were many rivalries; Britain and Germany; France and Germany; Austria-Hungary and Russia and Serbia and Austria. These rivalries helped to cause war between the powers of Europe because they all wanted to fight for one reason or another. Another factor was alliances. With alliances, everyone was dragged into war, whether they liked it or not. In this case, it couldnt be avoided. And lastly, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was the catalyst. This gave Austria a perfect opportunity to declare war on Serbia. With this, Austria and Serbia were at war along with their allies. It caused great destruction as most countries were involved. This is proof that the Kaiser did not cause the Great War, as you need two countries to have a war. Cause the war he did not, but a warmonger he may be.

African Creation Stories :: African Culture Creation Tales Essays

African Creation Stories There are many similarities among most African creation stories. Likewise certain differences are also noticeable. For example, I chose four creation stories to make the comparisons between them. The first one is "An African Cosmogony." Here, Bumba is the creator. He created nine living creatures, after vomiting the sun and the moon, from which all other animals emerged. The second one, "An African story of the Creation of Man", is a story among the Shilluks of the White Nile which basically explains the different complexions among the various races on Earth. They believed Juok molded all men of earth while he wandered the earth creating the rest of the world. White men were created from white sand which Juok found in the land of the white. Red or brown men were created out of the mud of the Nile in Egypt. Black men were created from black earth found in the land of the Shilluck. According to this creation story, man was given all necessary parts to function. Each part had a reason f or being. For example, Juok gave man arms in order for man to work. The third one, "God and the Five women" states the myth of the origin of earth, fire, water and woman, from the Thompson Indians of North Pacific Coast. This creation story states that Earth was created by Old One or Chief. He came down from the upper world in a cloud and created five Perfectly formed young women. To each of them he asked what they wished to be. The first one wished to be "bad". The second one wanted to be "good". The third one wanted to become Earth. The fourth one wanted to become Fire. And the fifth one became water. Finally, the fourth story, "Creation by Thought" states that man was created out of a thinking process by which he first created the Earth and then created man in resemblance of himself. The Earthcreator designed man out of clay. He gave man mind and thought, tongue, soul, and the ability to talk. All of these features came about out of a thought process. In all these stories there is a chief creator. One god, or creator, is in charge of populating the Earth and making men. Two of these stories have similar concepts in relation to the creation of men. Men being created out of clay is similar in the "Creation by Thought" story and "An African Story of the Creation of Man".

Part Three Chapter V

V Ruth stood alone in her lamp-lit sitting room, continuing to grip the telephone she had just replaced in its cradle. Hilltop House was small and compact. It was always easy to tell the location of each of the four Prices, because voices, footfalls and the sounds of doors opening and shutting carried so effectively in the old house. Ruth knew that her husband was still in the shower, because she could hear the hot water boiler under the stairs hissing and clanking. She had waited for Simon to turn on the water before telephoning Shirley, worried that he might think that even her request about the EpiPen was fraternizing with the enemy. The family PC was set up in a corner of the sitting room, where Simon could keep an eye on it, and make sure nobody was running up large bills behind his back. Ruth relinquished her grip on the phone and hurried to the keyboard. It seemed to take a very long time to bring up the Pagford Council website. Ruth pushed her reading glasses up her nose with a trembling hand as she scanned the various pages. At last she found the message board. Her husband's name blazed out at her, in ghastly black and white: Simon Price Unfit to Stand for Council. She double-clicked the title, brought up the full paragraph and read it. Everything around her seemed to reel and spin. ‘Oh God,' she whispered. The boiler had stopped clanking. Simon would be putting on the pyjamas he had warmed on the radiator. He had already drawn the sitting-room curtains, turned on the side lamps and lit the wood-burner, so that he could come down and stretch out on the sofa to watch the news. Ruth knew that she would have to tell him. Not doing so, letting him find out for himself, was simply not an option; she would have been incapable of keeping it to herself. She felt terrified and guilty, though she did not know why. She heard him jogging down the stairs and then he appeared at the door in his blue brushed-cotton pyjamas. ‘Si,' she whispered. ‘What's the matter?' he said, immediately irritated. He knew that something had happened; that his luxurious programme of sofa, fire and news was about to be disarranged. She pointed at the computer monitor, one hand pressed foolishly over her mouth, like a little girl. Her terror infected him. He strode to the PC and scowled down at the screen. He was not a quick reader. He read every word, every line, painstakingly, carefully. When he had finished, he remained quite still, passing for review, in his mind, all the likely grasses. He thought of the gum-chewing forklift driver, whom he had left stranded in the Fields when they had picked up the new computer. He thought of Jim and Tommy, who did the cash-in-hand jobs on the sly with him. Someone from work must have talked. Rage and fear collided inside him and set off a combustive reaction. He strode to the foot of the stairs and shouted, ‘You two! Get down here NOW!' Ruth still had her hand over her mouth. He had a sadistic urge to slap her hand away, to tell her to fucking pull herself together, it was he who was in the shit. Andrew entered the room first with Paul behind him. Andrew saw the arms of Pagford Parish Council onscreen, and his mother with her hand over her mouth. Walking barefoot across the old carpet, he had the sensation that he was plummeting through the air in a broken lift. ‘Someone,' said Simon, glaring at his sons, ‘has talked about things I've mentioned inside this house.' Paul had brought his chemistry exercise book downstairs with him; he was holding it like a hymnal. Andrew kept his gaze fixed on his father, trying to project an expression of mingled confusion and curiosity. ‘Who's told other people we've got a stolen computer?' asked Simon. ‘I haven't,' said Andrew. Paul stared at his father blankly, trying to process the question. Andrew willed his brother to speak. Why did he have to be so slow? ‘Well?' Simon snarled at Paul. ‘I don't think I – ‘ ‘You don't think? You don't think you told anyone?' ‘No, I don't think I told any – ‘ ‘Oh, this is interesting,' said Simon, pacing up and down in front of Paul. ‘This is interesting.' With a slap he sent Paul's exercise book flying out of his hands. ‘Try and think, dipshit,' he growled. ‘Try and fucking think. Did you tell anyone we've got a stolen computer?' ‘Not stolen,' said Paul. ‘I never told anyone – I don't think I told anyone we had a new one, even.' ‘I see,' said Simon. ‘So the news got out by magic then, did it?' He was pointing at the computer monitor. ‘Someone's fucking talked!' he yelled, ‘because it's on the fucking internet! And I'll be fucking lucky not – to – lose – my – job!' On each of the five last words he thumped Paul on the head with his fist. Paul cowered and ducked; black liquid trickled from his left nostril; he suffered nosebleeds several times a week. ‘And what about you?' Simon roared at his wife, who was still frozen beside the computer, her eyes wide behind her glasses, her hand clamped like a yashmak over her mouth. ‘Have you been fucking gossiping?' Ruth ungagged herself. ‘No, Si,' she whispered, ‘I mean, the only person I told we had a new computer was Shirley – and she'd never – ‘ You stupid woman, you stupid fucking woman, what did you have to tell him that for? ‘You did what?' asked Simon quietly. ‘I told Shirley,' whimpered Ruth. ‘I didn't say it was stolen, though, Si. I only said you were bringing it home – ‘ ‘Well, that's fucking it then, isn't it?' roared Simon; his voice became a scream. ‘Her fucking son's standing for election, of course she wants to get the fucking goods on me!' ‘But she's the one who told me, Si, just now, she wouldn't have – ‘ He ran at her and hit her in the face, exactly as he had wanted to when he had first seen her silly frightened expression; her glasses spun into the air and smashed against the bookcase; he hit her again and she crashed down onto the computer table she had bought so proudly with her first month's wages from South West General. Andrew had made himself a promise: he seemed to move in slow motion, and everything was cold and clammy and slightly unreal. ‘Don't hit her,' he said, forcing himself between his parents. ‘Don't – ‘ His lip split against his front tooth, Simon's knuckle behind it, and he fell backwards on top of his mother, who was draped over the keyboard; Simon threw another punch, which hit Andew's arms as he protected his face; Andrew was trying to get off his slumped, struggling mother, and Simon was in a frenzy, pummelling both of them wherever he could reach – ‘Don't you fucking dare tell me what to do – don't you dare, you cowardly little shit, you spotty streak of piss – ‘ Andrew dropped to his knees to get out of the way, and Simon kicked him in the ribs. Andrew heard Paul say pathetically, ‘Stop it!' Simon's foot swung for Andrew's ribcage again, but Andrew dodged it; Simon's toes collided with the brick fireplace and he was suddenly, absurdly, howling in pain. Andrew scrambled out of the way; Simon was gripping the end of his foot, hopping on the spot and swearing in a high-pitched voice; Ruth had collapsed into the swivel chair, sobbing into her hands. Andrew got to his feet; he could taste his own blood. ‘Anyone could have talked about that computer,' he panted, braced for further violence; he felt braver now that it had begun, now that the fight was really on; it was waiting that told on your nerves, watching Simon's jaw begin to jut, and hearing the urge for violence building in his voice. ‘You told us a security guard got beaten up. Anyone could have talked. It's not us – ‘ ‘Don't you – fucking little shit – I've broken my fucking toe!' Simon gasped, falling backwards into an armchair, still nursing his foot. He seemed to expect sympathy. Andrew imagined picking up a gun and shooting Simon in the face, watching his features blast apart, his brains spattering the room. ‘And Pauline's got her fucking period again!' Simon yelled at Paul, who was trying to contain the blood dripping through his fingers from his nose. ‘Get off the carpet! Get off the fucking carpet, you little pansy!' Paul scuttled out of the room. Andrew pressed the hem of his T-shirt to his stinging mouth. ‘What about all the cash-in-hand jobs?' Ruth sobbed, her cheek pink from his punch, tears dripping from her chin. Andrew hated to see her humiliated and pathetic like this; but he half hated her too for landing herself in it, when any idiot could have seen †¦ ‘It says about the cash-in-hand jobs. Shirley doesn't know about them, how could she? Someone at the printworks has put that on there. I told you, Si, I told you you shouldn't do those jobs, they've always worried the living daylights out of – ‘ ‘Fucking shut up, you whining cow, you didn't mind spending the money!' yelled Simon, his jaw jutting again; and Andrew wanted to roar at his mother to stay silent: she blabbed when any idiot could have told her she should keep quiet, and she kept quiet when she might have done good by speaking out; she never learned, she never saw any of it coming. Nobody spoke for a minute. Ruth dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed intermittently. Simon clutched his toe, his jaw clenched, breathing loudly. Andrew licked the blood from his stinging lip, which he could feel swelling. ‘This'll cost me my fucking job,' said Simon, staring wild-eyed around the room, as if there might be somebody there he had forgotten to hit. ‘They're already talking about fucking redundancies. This'll be it. This'll – ‘ He slapped the lamp off the end table, but it didn't break, merely rolled on the floor. He picked it up, tugged the lead out of the wall socket, raised it over his head and threw it at Andrew, who dodged. ‘Who's fucking talked?' Simon yelled, as the lamp base broke apart on the wall. ‘Someone's fucking talked!' ‘It's some bastard at the printworks, isn't it?' Andrew shouted back; his lip was thick and throbbing; it felt like a tangerine segment. ‘D'you think we'd have – d'you think we don't know how to keep our mouths shut by now?' It was like trying to read a wild animal. He could see the muscles working in his father's jaw, but he could tell that Simon was considering Andrew's words. ‘When was that put on there?' he roared at Ruth. ‘Look at it! What's the date on it?' Still sobbing, she peered at the screen, needing to approach the tip of her nose within two inches of it, now that her glasses were broken. ‘The fifteenth,' she whispered. ‘Fifteenth †¦ Sunday,' said Simon. ‘Sunday, wasn't it?' Neither Andrew nor Ruth put him right. Andrew could not believe his luck; nor did he believe it would hold. ‘Sunday,' said Simon, ‘so anyone could've – my fucking toe,' he yelled, as he pulled himself up and limped exaggeratedly towards Ruth. ‘Get out of my way!' She hastened out of the chair and watched him read the paragraph through again. He kept snorting like an animal to clear his airways. Andrew thought that he might be able to garrotte his father as he sat there, if only there was a wire to hand. ‘Someone's got all this from work,' said Simon, as if he had just reached this conclusion, and had not heard his wife or son urging the hypothesis on him. He placed his hands on the keyboard and turned to Andrew. ‘How do I get rid of it?' ‘What?' ‘You do fucking computing! How do I get this off here?' ‘You can't get – you can't,' said Andrew. ‘You'd need to be the administrator.' ‘Make yourself the administrator, then,' said Simon, jumping up and pointing Andrew into the swivel chair. ‘I can't make myself the administrator,' said Andrew. He was afraid that Simon was working himself up into a second bout of violence. ‘You need to input the right user name and passwords.' ‘You're a real fucking waste of space, aren't you?' Simon shoved Andrew in the middle of his sternum as he limped past, knocking him back into the mantelpiece. ‘Pass me the phone!' Simon shouted at his wife, as he sat back down in the armchair. Ruth took the telephone and carried it the few feet to Simon. He ripped it out of her hands and punched in a number. Andrew and Ruth waited in silence as Simon called, first Jim, and then Tommy, the men with whom he had completed the after-hours jobs at the printworks. Simon's fury, his suspicion of his own accomplices, was funnelled down the telephone in curt short sentences full of swearwords. Paul had not returned. Perhaps he was still trying to staunch his bleeding nose, but more likely he was too scared. Andrew thought his brother unwise. It was safest to leave only after Simon had given you permission. His calls completed, Simon held out the telephone to Ruth without speaking; she took it and hurried it back into its stand. Simon sat thinking while his fractured toe pulsated, sweating in the heat of the wood-burner, awash with impotent fury. The beating to which he had subjected his wife and son was nothing, he did not give them a thought; a terrible thing had just happened to him, and naturally his rage had exploded on those nearest him; that was how life worked. In any case, Ruth, the silly bitch, had admitted to telling Shirley †¦ Simon was building his own chain of evidence, as he thought things must have happened. Some fucker (and he suspected that gum-chewing forklift driver, whose expression, as Simon had sped away from him in the Fields, had been outraged) talking about him to the Mollisons (somehow, illogically, Ruth's admission that she had mentioned the computer to Shirley made this seem more likely), and they (the Mollisons, the establishment, the smooth and the snide, guarding their access to power) had put up this message on their website (Shirley, the old cow, managed the site, which set the seal on the theory). ‘It's your fucking friend,' Simon told his wet-faced, trembling-lipped wife. ‘It's your fucking Shirley. She's done this. She's got some dirt on me to get me off her son's case. That's who it is.' ‘But Si – ‘ Shut up, shut up, you silly cow, thought Andrew. ‘Still on her side, are you?' roared Simon, making to stand again. ‘No!' squealed Ruth, and he sank back into the chair, glad to keep the weight off his pounding foot. The Harcourt-Walsh management would not be happy about those after-hours jobs, Simon thought. He wouldn't put it past the bloody police to come nosing around the computer. A desire for urgent action filled him. ‘You,' he said, pointing at Andrew. ‘Unplug that computer. All of it, the leads and everything. You're coming with me.'

Create a piece of drama about homelessness to educate our audience

The first thing I did was research about homelessness at home. I found out from my homework: Why people become homeless, some of the reason I found out: Finding suitable housing and unemployment Relation breakdown 39% Heavy drinking 21% Losing job 18% Having no money to pay for housing 13% Around a quarter have mental health problems Around a half have drink problems. It was important to do this research because it helped give us more idea’s and know more about the issue of homelessness. This then helped us decide in our performance why we would become homeless. I found out all different reasons why people become homeless and we decided all of us would use one of those reasons. I also did a mind map in class for the possible idea’s why someone would become homeless and what we could use in our performance. Possible ideas The first thing we did was get into groups and did 3 still images based on homelessness to give us idea’s and to help us understand the types of things to include in our performance. The first still image was of 2 different women one with money and a family and another having an abusive husband. Our second was the women with the abusive husband getting beat up, which caused her to become homeless. Then the third one was the women on the street, homeless and the other women and her children seeing her helping her. In my group we discussed our ides and decided to develop them. We then used our mind map and research to help us get an idea. We all sat down and discussed our ideas. Some of our ideas were to become homeless because of domestic abuse, being evicted or being abandoned by parents. We did have some problems, we had a lot of people in our group so it was harder to work and focus. We overcome them by listening to each other. This also helped us improve our work by giving us more ideas to work with, .e.g. Dying because of being homeless, and being abused by father which we used. Also we could make our performance longer. What worked well in our performance was our still images at the start some of us have our hands over our face to show being afraid. We also used levels. Then we came out of our freeze frame and said what we were a victim of. We did this because it shows our audience that there is all kind of different reasons why people become homeless, and it’s not their fault. We also used vocal singing, Juliana and Hannah sang because of you which went well with the theme. The physical theatre we used worked well also when Sophie, Juliana and Callum repeated their movements (when the mother found out about the father abusing his daughter). It showed that the abuse is being repeated over and over again. Sophie also used mimetic gestures. Also when the father (callum) went to punch the mother (Juliana) he used slow motion which was effective because it would have caught the audience’s attention. It was good when we all repeated (after Juliana said â€Å"Don’t say a word†) â€Å"you heard her don’t say a word†. We repeated this 3 times because it was more effective than saying it once. Also I and 2 other’s in my group (Chloe and Nikky) spoke out of character to show how my character felt and it helped the audience understand the characters better about why they were homeless. We also did thought tracking. In our performance we also used a narrator this helped tell the story of what was going on. The narrator told the audience about the abuse that was happening to the child so the audience new exactly what was going on. Also our performance was non-naturalistic so it was different from everyone else’s and made it better. At the end of our performance we had statistics which really help inform the audience about homelessness. I think our performance would have been better if we added more scenes and made it longer. Also if we practiced a bit more so we don’t forget bit of our performance. We could have put a scene in to show how horrible and unpleasant it is to live on the streets. We could have added more drama skills. It would have been better if we included a video about homelessness in our performance. I think our performance did inform the audience because our performance showed that there are lots of reasons why people become homeless. It showed how you become homeless and it’s not the type of people you always think that become homeless. We also included statistics which informed the audience what type of people are homeless and what percent it is. We also informed the audience that’s its children and teenagers that can become homeless not just adults. Our target audience was 13-18 year olds, to raise awareness to children about the issue of homelessness. I think it did suit our target audience because our performance showed what types of people are homeless and why they become homeless. We also had a role-play in our performance about 3 teenagers living on the streets so it would be easier for the target audience to relate to them. Also they can understand what’s going on because there not too young. In my performance we showed them about being abused and not having anyone help you, so they understand that it’s not someone fault if they people homeless. In Abby Smith’s group I thought what work well was she used a narrator which really helped tell the story. Also what worked well was the choral speaking and slow motion they did. I think she could improve by focusing and practicing more also adding more drama skills and making her performance much longer.

porn on the net essays

porn on the net essays Why is the Internet so enticing for pedophiles? Its created easily accessible stimulation for child molesters. Anybody can download pictures in complete anonymity. They do not have to make any kind of human contact (Trebilcock 102). There may be definitions to describe pornography, but they do not truly examine the destruction, degradation, and the pathetic nature of the concept. The word pornography is more destructive than one might believe. It would fit perfectly into Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomons essay entitles Cheap Thrills. The essay talks about the influencing images of music, video and television. The computer is becoming more and more influencing because of the internet these days. The problem with this type of material today is it is assessable on every computer that is connected on-line to the Internet. Pornography should be eliminated on the Internet so that impressionable individuals can not access the degrading Al Gore says Some say that we should refrain from action, that all action to block childrens access to objectable content amounts to censorship. To them I say, blocking your childs access to objectionable Internet content is not censoring thats called parenting( Simons B10). Eliminating pornography on the net will help to decrease the large amount of pornography users, which will decrease crime. Dr. Victor Cline, from the University of Utah, conducted a study regarding serial murders and rapists. He observed users developing a four-step pattern with pornography. The first step in his study was the addiction. The serial murders and rapist claimed that at first they become addicted to the material. Dr. Clines study didnt stop there. The serial murderers and rapists claimed to continue on with their addiction. They increased to the next step of Dr. Clines observed patterns. ...

Gasoline Prices Essays - Petroleum Politics, Commodity Markets

Gasoline Prices Essays - Petroleum Politics, Commodity Markets Gasoline Prices The price of gasoline is a major interest to almost everyone in the country and almost everywhere in the world. It seems that every month and sometimes more frequently, gas prices are either spiking or dropping, never staying stable. Gasoline prices are affected by many factors, including the price of crude oil in the world market, supply and demand for gasoline, local market competition, temporary supply interruptions, government regulations, or taxes. Gasoline is produced by a distillation process where crude oil is heated and fumes are captured and converted into many products such as kerosene, jet fuel, and gasoline to name a few. Therefore the price of crude oil, which is extracted from oil wells beneath the earths surface, is a major factor in gas prices. The five leading oil-producing countries and their approximate shares of the world supply of oil are: Soviet Union 21%, Saudi Arabia 17%, The United States 15%, Venezuela 4%, and Mexico 4%. These five countries made up 61 % of the worlds oil production back in 1980. Even though The United States is a major producer of oil, it does not make them self-sufficient. The United States uses more oil than they can produce and must look towards foreign countries. An organization called O.P.E.C. controls approximately four fifths of the worlds oil reserves in the non-communist world. The United States is forced to deal with O.P.E.C., not only in its own interests, but also in the inter est of its allies and in the interest of maintaining peace. The former Soviet Union may now have an interest in selling some of their oil that they have a tremendous amount of. O.P.E.C. which stands for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is made up of 13 countries: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Qatar, Indonesia, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, and Gabon. O.P.E.C. was founded in Baghdad, Iraq in September of 1960. It was organized in response to oil producing countries that did not consult with the Middle Eastern oil states before lowering their crude oil prices. The producers feared that other countries would establish monopolies. The aim of O.P.E.C. was to create a universal price between the countries, in order to ensure peace between oil producers throughout the world. O.P.E.C. also wanted to provide its members with technical and economic support in times of need, since not all the countries were completely stable. The headquart ers were initially set in Geneva, but were later moved to Vienna in 1965. O.P.E.C.s goal was to establish firmly unified prices amongst their members, but the organization was not always successful. In their quest for control over the world market of oil production, they have ran into several obstacles and setbacks. O.P.E.C. has barely survived being eliminated due to internal conflicts amongst its members. Since O.P.E.C. almost has a strangle hold on the worlds oil supply, The United States is extremely concerned with the areas instability. The Middle East and the Persian Gulf area, where most of the members are located, are extremely prone to wars, both civil and cross borders, plagued by religious battles, and positions of power are frequently overthrown, making it hard for any stability to come out of the area. Any time there is chaos in the Middle East, The United States thinks back on memories of other troubles in the Persian Gulf area: the Arab oil embargo in 1973-74, the Iranian revolution in 1979-80 and Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait in 1990. (1) The area is also vital to our allies, who would be crippled without Gulf oil, whose livelihood we are dependent on. In 1973 O.P.E.C. raised oil prices 70%. The dominant Middle Eastern members of O.P.E.C. used succeeding price increases as a political weapon aimed at Western nations in retaliation for their support of Israel against its Arab neighbors in the so-called Yom Kippur War of October 1973. Prices were accordingly raised another 130% at the Tehran conference of December 1973, and a temporary embargo was placed on the United States and the Netherlands at the same time. Other prices increases followed in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1980, which ultimately raised the price of a barrel of crude oil from United States $3.00

History of American Economic Growth in the 20th Century

History of American Economic Growth in the 20th Century As the American economy matured in the 20th century, the freewheeling business mogul lost luster as an American ideal. The crucial change came with the emergence of the corporation, which appeared first in the railroad industry. Other industries soon followed. Business barons were being replaced by technocrats, high-salaried managers who became the heads of corporations. By the start of the 20th century, the era of the industrialist and the robber baron was coming to a close. It was not so much that these influential and wealthy entrepreneurs (who generally personally owned majority and controlling stakes in their industry) disappeared, but rather that they were replaced with corporations.  The rise of the corporation triggered, in turn, the rise of an organized labor movement that served as a countervailing force to the power and influence of business. The Changing Face of the Early American Corporation The largest early 20th-century corporations were much larger and more complicated than the commercial enterprises that came before. To maintain profitability in a changing economic climate, American companies in industries as diverse as oil refining to whiskey distilling began to emerge in the late 19th century. These new corporations, or trusts, were exploiting a strategy known as horizontal combination, which granted those corporations the ability to limit production in order to raise prices and maintain profitability. But these corporations regularly ran into legal trouble as violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Some companies took another route, employing a strategy of vertical integration. Instead of maintaining prices through control of the production supply as in horizontal strategies, vertical strategies relied on obtaining control in all aspects of the supply chain required to produce their product, which gave these corporations more control over their costs. With more control over costs came more stable and protected profitability for the corporation. With the development of these more complicated corporations came the need for new management strategies. Though the highly centralized management of previous eras did not entirely disappear, these new organizations gave rise to more decentralized decision-making through divisions. While still overseen by central leadership, divisional corporate executives would eventually be given more responsibility for business decisions and leadership in their own piece of the corporation. By the 1950s, this multi-divisional organizational structure became the growing norm for large corporations, which generally moved corporations away from reliance on high-profile executives and solidified the fall of the business barons of the past.  Ã‚   The Technological Revolution of the 1980s and 1990s The technological revolution of the 1980s and 1990s,  however, brought a new entrepreneurial culture that echoed the age of tycoons. For instance, Bill Gates, the head of Microsoft, built an immense fortune developing and selling computer software. Gates carved out an empire so profitable that by the late 1990s, his company was taken into court and accused of intimidating rivals and creating a monopoly by the U.S. Justice Departments antitrust division. But Gates also established a charitable foundation that quickly became the largest of its kind. Most American business leaders of today do not lead the high-profile life of Gates. They differ greatly from the tycoons of the past. While they direct the fate of corporations, they also serve on boards of charities and schools. They are concerned about the state of the national economy and Americas relationship with other nations, and they are likely to fly to Washington to confer with government officials. While they undoubtedly influe nce the government, they do not control it - as some tycoons in the Gilded Age believed they did.

Basic Elements in Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Basic Elements in Research - Assignment Example On the other hand when conclusions about societies, groups and nations are made through evidences gathered from individuals then it gives rise to individualistic fallacy (Frankfort-Nachmias, 2008). 6. Write three researchable hypotheses, identifying their independent, dependent, and control variables. Clearly indicate the expected change in the magnitude and direction of the dependent and independent variables. A relationship that can be defined by variables in addition to those mentioned in the hypothesis is called a spurious relationship. Control variables are used to experiment that an observed relationship between dependent and independent variables is actually influenced by the independent variable mentioned in hypothesis (Frankfort-Nachmias, 2008). Co-variation is defined as those characteristics which are common in the two related variables, for instance, individuals with higher income have better lifestyle. This helps the social scientists to conduct research and determine whether the characteristics of one research variable are related to the characteristics of other variables (Frankfort-Nachmias, 2008). 9. when we speak of direction in social science research, what do we mean? What is the difference between positive and negative relations? What is meant by magnitude and by zero versus perfect relations?   When we speak about a particular direction in social science research we refer to the variable relationships which are either negative or positive. A positive relationship defines that when the value of one variable increases then other values also increase. Contrary to this a negative relationship explains that if value of one variable increases then all other values decrease. Magnitude defines the positive or negative co-variation of variables. The lowest magnitude is called zero relation and highest magnitude is known as perfect relation (Frankfort-Nachmias, 2008). Hypotheses are

Is the way Socrates founds the city in speech,especially the role of Essay - 1

Is the way Socrates founds the city in speech,especially the role of the guardians,compatible with 5th Century Athens How about Sparta or any other city or nat - Essay Example Thesis The role of the guardians bears resemblance with functions and duties of rulers in the 5th century Athens and can be compared with the role of communists in soviet Russia and Communist China. The guardians in The Republic bear resemblance with rules of ancient Athens. The most important political principle of Platos ideal state is rule by an enlightened elite, highly trained and educated for the role and endowed with a philosophical turn of mind that presumably assures the wisdom of their policies. Platos commentary is principally concerned with the training and duties of this elite class, the Guardians. In fact, Athens had a whole host of officials, for the most part annually selected boards of magistrates, each devoted to an aspect of social regulation. Magistrates shared some of the duties involved in policing Athens, their role and function will only indirectly be a concern of this work. Interpreted more narrowly, policing also describes the work of an organized police force, a disciplined, professional corps, whose duties include enforcing the law through investigation and prosecution and ensuring public order. The Guardians themselves are divided into two major gro ups. The larger group (sometimes referred to in the texts as "Auxiliaries") includes civil servants and a permanent military force, skilled in the art of war and dedicated to the task of defending the state from external enemies. In ancient Athens, there was social division: the military would be charged with keeping civil order within the state as well. The most important virtue of these Guardians is courage. However, those rulers who show a gift for rational and philosophical contemplation are eligible to become Rulers, who are charged with making the important policy decisions that the lower orders of Guardians will then carry out and enforce. In a direct response to what he saw as the corruption and decadence

Verbal Communication (Communication) Research Paper

Verbal Communication (Communication) - Research Paper Example My friend got agitated by the description of my present status. He thought it was a deliberate attempt from my part to become a superior in front of him. Immediately, he started to tell more about his job at Dubai. He told me that he was getting around $ 20000 as salary alone per month in Dubai along with company vehicle of an E class Benz and a Porsche Villa near to a beach in Dubai. Even though he was an aluminium fabricator, he told me that he is working as an Estimation manager and only because of his efforts his company got projects worth millions of dollars on every week. I have double checked the information provided by him about his job, with another friend who is working at present in Dubai. He told me that the other fellow is still an aluminium fabricator working for $ 1000 per month as salary. In my opinion, my friend thought that I was deliberately trying to ridicule him by giving false data about my present status. Moreover the salary which I am getting at present in my home country was unimaginable and intolerable for him. The misinterpretation was not caused by any language barrier or another language issue. This misunderstanding has occurred merely out of the misinterpretation of my intentions by my

The integration of supply chain activities in an organisation always Assignment

The integration of supply chain activities in an organisation always has a significant impact on the bottom-line performance of a manufacturing organization - Assignment Example In today’s business climate, adaptability and agility are primary due to the ever-changing strategies that are always aimed to attract potential customers to significantly increase the profitability of an organization. For an integrated supply chain to be termed as of quality, it must be open to functional shift ability (Delfmann, 2007). Functional shift ability in this case describes the process of assigning functional responsibility to members of the supply chain best positioned to perform those functions at the lowest overall cost or in the shortest period of time (Wisner et al, 2009). One of the renowned international Companies known to follow this strategy is the Coca Cola Company that is known for its tremendous wide array of soft drinks. The purpose of this paper is to provide insightful information about the imperativeness of effective supply chain management in terms of performance enhancement and optimal utilization of resources (Jacoby, 2010). The information is to facilitate decision-making in various institutions pertaining to the integration of supply chain management including Coca Coal Company that is adopted in this study. The concept holds the capacity to enhance the competitiveness of companies in diverse sectors through effective streamlining of production processes that enables companies to prod uce unmatched products in terms of quality. A supply chain is an integrated process where a number of various business entities such as the manufacturers, distributors, retailers and suppliers work together in an effort to acquire raw materials, convert the raw materials into specified final product and deliver the final products to retailer (Ray, 2003). An efficient supply chain management is designed specifically to meet customer’s demands as well as satisfying the customer as practiced by Coca Coal Company. Giannoccaro (2013) indicates that supply chain is characterized by the flow of products, information and

The Impact of Strategic Alignment on IT Projects Essay

The Impact of Strategic Alignment on IT Projects - Essay Example Governing information technology is one of the most critical issues facing governments today. Henderson and Venkatraman [2] argues that Information Technology (IT) can deliver no value without carefully planning to achieve the potential of IT implementation with business goals. Such concern is a focus of many business executives today [3, 4]. The concept of the Strategic Alignment perspectives is used as a systematic measurement tool to better achieve the mutual linkage between business and IT strategies. This paper sheds light on how Strategic Alignment perspectives have an impact on the success of government IT projects. The subject frames the general contribution of this paper. Organization strategy, knowledge, decision-making, Enterprise Architecture (EA) and public value are among key perspectives that are examined to enhance organization performance. The current SA perspectives is then analyzed in a local Australian Council context in which these perspectives are most appropriately used and the appropriate practices for IT value is recommended to be used in public policy. An Australian Council is responsible for a city's basic needs like garbage removal, planning of the town, and parks. The focus on an Australian Council was chosen due to the simplicity of this type of governance. Henderson and Venkatraman [2] define Strategic Alignment as 'selecting appropr... Henderson and Venkatraman [2] define Strategic Alignment as 'selecting appropriate alignment perspectives for achieving business objectives'. Reich & Benbasat [9] defines alignment as the degree to which the information technology mission, objectives, and plans support are supported by the business mission, objectives, and plans. Luftman [4] defines business IT alignment as applying IT in an appropriate and timely way in harmony with business strategies, goals and needs. Kearns & Sabherwal [10] argue that in order to improve organizational performance, achieving Strategic Alignment between business and IT is essential. Others argue that firm's failure to realize the potential value of IT is due partially to the absence of Strategic Alignment [2, 11, 12]. In 2007 Chan and Reich [3] published an annotated bibliography of alignment which listed over 150 articles. The current concept of the Strategic Alignment models in some ways reflects and accommodates a long history of research and practice concerning the most effective means of linking business and technology strategies. However, it is important to measure this alignment, and to quantify its effectiveness. Responding to a call for a more comprehensive alignment measurement, many models have been developed. For example the Critical Success Factors (CSF) model developed by Rockart [13] is one of the earliest models that link the use of IT to the organizational objectives and its strategies. The CSF is still widely used today. The Strategic Grid model, developed by McFarlan [14], addresses four quadrants: support, factory, transition, and strategy each of which represents a situation for the company. This model explains how IT is related to strategy and business operations in a company. The

The integration of supply chain activities in an organisation always Assignment

The integration of supply chain activities in an organisation always has a significant impact on the bottom-line performance of a manufacturing organization - Assignment Example In today’s business climate, adaptability and agility are primary due to the ever-changing strategies that are always aimed to attract potential customers to significantly increase the profitability of an organization. For an integrated supply chain to be termed as of quality, it must be open to functional shift ability (Delfmann, 2007). Functional shift ability in this case describes the process of assigning functional responsibility to members of the supply chain best positioned to perform those functions at the lowest overall cost or in the shortest period of time (Wisner et al, 2009). One of the renowned international Companies known to follow this strategy is the Coca Cola Company that is known for its tremendous wide array of soft drinks. The purpose of this paper is to provide insightful information about the imperativeness of effective supply chain management in terms of performance enhancement and optimal utilization of resources (Jacoby, 2010). The information is to facilitate decision-making in various institutions pertaining to the integration of supply chain management including Coca Coal Company that is adopted in this study. The concept holds the capacity to enhance the competitiveness of companies in diverse sectors through effective streamlining of production processes that enables companies to prod uce unmatched products in terms of quality. A supply chain is an integrated process where a number of various business entities such as the manufacturers, distributors, retailers and suppliers work together in an effort to acquire raw materials, convert the raw materials into specified final product and deliver the final products to retailer (Ray, 2003). An efficient supply chain management is designed specifically to meet customer’s demands as well as satisfying the customer as practiced by Coca Coal Company. Giannoccaro (2013) indicates that supply chain is characterized by the flow of products, information and

Letter for Dean (a sort of petition letter) Essay

Letter for Dean (a sort of petition letter) - Essay Example I have tried to change my major three times, but the main reason I did not succeed was the GPA that I earned from past universities, although the first time I tried to change my major for spring quarter in 2006, my GPA in the Ohio State University was over 3.4, but my accumulated GPA, including my scores from KyeMyung University was about 2.7. My chosen career is accountancy, and in order to become a well-defined accountant, I need to achieve a strong business education from Fisher College of Business. I have family members and close relatives who have worked as accountants in Korean Internal Revenue Service and other public accounting firms, and I have watched with interest, all the current accounting issues such as Sarbanes Oxley Acts and M&A for many well known companies. I want to become an accountant because I have a deep passion for the profession, and an innate talent for finding mathematical errors and hidden mistakes. I am willing to make sacrifices to realize my ambition to become an accountant, which is being hindered because of my past GPA. My short term goal has been achieving a degree from Fisher College of Business and I intend to later go for a Masters program in Accounting, to complete my education. I feel that an accounting degree from the FCOB will be very useful not only in the United States but also in Korea. Sir I really wish you would consider my application, and I would be very grateful if my request is granted. Yours

Understanding Prejudice Essay Example for Free

Understanding Prejudice Essay What exactly is the meaning of prejudice, and what does being prejudiced mean? Prejudice is a big word with a very deep meaning. Indeed, a lot of people may not know the true sense of it and how it affects people in the society. People live in a world that is full of prejudice. It is considered as one of the negative social phenomenons and one of the main sources of problems in the world. Prejudice denotes making or predisposition to make a decision or judgment before one becomes aware of the relevant truth of a certain case or scenario. For instance, people may have heard others saying things about a certain group of individuals such as â€Å"all black people are†¦. ,† â€Å"all white people are†¦. ,† â€Å"people in third world countries are†¦,† etc. (Breen, 2006). People may think that prejudice only refers to racial prejudice that is usually directed towards people with light or dark skin. However, I have learned that prejudice has a deeper meaning than discrimination against people of a certain race or color. Rather, prejudice can also be a result of one’s gender and geographical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Every person also has his or her own way of being prejudiced. For example, one can judge somebody by the way he or she dresses and talks or even by his or her appearance. Thus, prejudice can come from different sources such as peers, parents, school, and public organization. At the same time, it can also be directed to various types of people. There are also many different kinds of prejudice that exist in our society today. Some of them may be observed in school, at home, or even in the television. For this reason, discrimination, racism, sexism, and other forms of social problems exist in the world we live in. Hence, it is not fair and also very sad that prejudice is a widely pervasive phenomenon in the world. (Breen, 2006). It is always inevitable to become prejudiced. There are a lot of reasons why people become prejudiced. It is a fact that one can learn it from home; parents often do not recognize that they are being an example to their children. If parents are prejudiced, then it is most likely that the child will also become one because that is what he or she observes from his or her parents. Children may also become prejudiced if parents directly teach or tell the former to perceive somebody or some things in the society in a certain way. That is why at a very young age, many children start to become prejudiced already and start to judge people and things by what they believe and think of them. They also become prejudiced due to the environment that they grow up in, the school and the neighborhood that they get involved in or witnesses. The media also plays a role in influencing people to become prejudiced. The effect on prejudice of television shows and films is very substantial. There are just so many ways on how people can become prejudiced, and it is very alarming that it has become one common source of misunderstandings, fights, and disputes all over the world (Breen, 2006). It is very hard to stop prejudice; however, it can be lessened if people would try not to be judgmental on simple things that they see and observe in their environment. Proper or right education must be imposed to children especially at home and in school in order to stop prejudice and so that people will eventually look at one another without making negative judgments. On the other hand, it would be very difficult to stop this social phenomenon as prejudice has become already part of the society. In conclusion, prejudice is an attitude that is based on generalizations and stereotypes. It is very astounding how easy it is for an individual to become prejudiced on somebody or something. Nevertheless, prejudice is merely a kind of thinking or a feeling in an individual’s mind. While people will never abolish the existence of prejudice in the society, it can be lessened and prevented if everyone will just start to cooperate and make an effort in reducing it. I believe that working hand in hand toward a common objective or goal can bring different groups of people all together, regardless of their age, race and sex. Reference Breen, R. (2006). Real Life Issues: Prejudice. Great Britain: Trotman Company Limited.

Importance of supply chain management

Importance of supply chain management Introduction Supply chain management is a method of moving materials and associated information effectively and efficiently within inter and intra organisations. To get this task done in the desired way, use of e-business applications is essential. Supply chain management includes the coordination of the organisation involved in the supply side activities with the customers who are receiving the products (Chaffeey, 2009, pp 331). Supply chain management starts with identifying the resources and linking them with the processes which commence with the sources of raw materials and continues until the delivery of the items done through the end consumer. A supply chain activity differs from companies to companies but they provide the benefits of specialisation of process and the economy of scale (Trkman et al, 2007). Importance of supply chain management: An improved supply chain adds superior value to the organisations operation which ultimately gives superior value proposition to the end user for which efficient customer response (ECR) is crucial because ECR deals with the demand management which is required for satisfying the demand of customer by quickly and effectively applying product assortment strategies, rapid introduction of the new product and marketing communication by reducing stocks and delivery time (Chaffeey, 2009, pp 335). Elements of supply chain management: The way the knowledge and flow of information is processes and its outcomes received along with protection of intellectual property are important part in a supply chain strategy. Knowledge here is the information that the organisation has accumulated through years of experience and applying them for planning and   implementing strategy. The improvement in the processing technology of computers and advent of softwares like MS outlook, Lotus Notes that have facilitated the arrangement of discrete information in a logical and useful manner, these abilities give rise to the concept of knowledge and information management which is crutial for effectively managing the supply chain. For an organisation which is highly influenced by customer needs and expectations for them knowledge management is of great significance in two main areas that are customer intelligence and new product innovation as during supplying to customers there are multiple touch points in the organisation where customer interacts with it, Therefore the ability of an organisation to reap information about the customers behaviour and choice on this touch points proves to be a critical wealth of information which helps in customer retaining and growing customer value. In contrast with the new product innovation, the knowledge which flows across the suppliers, customers and market factors by sharing it across the supply chain leads to innovation and increased involvement of supplier in the innovation process  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  (Croom, 2005). Benefits of adopting Electronic Supply Chain Management: The Following improvements can be found by adopting the e-business supply chain management: Cost performance: by improved productivity and lower input prices Customer Service: by providing service quality Process capability: by maintaining consistency in quality Productivity and dependability: by increased control of material flows along the supply chain (Tan, 2001) Supply chain management involves improving the internal processes, but also processes performed in conjunction with suppliers, distributors and customers. It also provides great opportunities to improve product performance and deliver superior value to the customers. As a result supply chain management can dramatically have an impact on the profitability of a company through reducing operational cost and increasing customer satisfaction and so loyalty and revenue (Chaffey, 2009, PP335). Supply Chain Models: The supply chain model from the system viewpoint can be seen as involving the following processes: attaining resources or inputs, transforming the resources/inputs into outputs that is the product/services and lastly delivering the outputs to the end customers. In terms of e-business the supply chain can be optimised to provide better and efficient delivery while minimising the cost. Push and Pull supply chain model: Push supply chain: These involves delivery of product/service to passive customers. The objective of this model is optimising the process while attaining cost effectiveness and efficiency. The features of this model are development of new products, data integration, minimised technology utilisation, longer cycle time and the large inventory. Pull supply chain: This involves value delivering to end customers. This supply chain includes active customers who encourage improved quality and value of products/services. The model emphasise and identifies the requirement of customers by carrying out market research for developing and improving the products. The supply chain focuses on delivering value while reducing cost. Upstream supply chain: Disintermediation: This involves directly buying from the supplier. This results in lesser costs and reduced cycle time. Reintermediation: This involves business to business exchange of the products. Downstream supply chain: Disintermediation: This involves direct selling to customers, while incurring reduced cost of sales and enhanced cycle time. Reintermediation: This involves competition in newer markets by business to business transactions.   Shell chemicals: Shell chemicals is one of the largest petrochemicals producers in the world who supplies the bulk material to the large industries for the manufacturing of industrial and the consumer goods. It is very crucial for such an organisation like shell to have a well planned and controlled Supply chain management. Issues: Prior to the adoption of electronic supply chain management in shell, everything was managed manually that involves lot of time consuming activities. Due to this time consuming process there was a threat that a customer might bear a lack of important ingredient at plant time. Hence to tackle these kind of problem companies maintain safety stocks to avoid shortage, it involves cost to maintain any safety stocks. Supply chain process: SIMON: In 1995 shell has adopted SIMON (Shell Inventory Managed Order Network) system that acts as a Electronic data interchange initially for managing the downstream supply chain. Soon after its success in downstream it was applied to upstream process. SIMON facilitates supplier to get anticipated demand, calculate stock and track shipment status for which customer needs to input three kinds of data, that are current stock level, estimated demand for stock and location, timing and quantity for the shipment details.   Elemica: In the year 2005, shell updated itself by implementing Elemica in its supply chain that was founded by around 22 leaders of the chemical industry. The major benefit to adopt Elemica was standardisation. It offers value to their customers by automation of the processes in the business. For instance the buying and selling of chemicals and then expand the value of that connection by making the new marketing channels and efficiency opportunities by means of our web solutions and supply chain offerings (Elemica, 2010).   Integrated Supply chain: Elemicas revolutionary and new business network completely links the operational base, while eliminating the hurdles of transaction and communication between the processes. Flawless accessibility and transparency of the supply chain provides the power of efficiently carrying out the operations and removing access personnels, assets and inventory. Elimica utilises a standard format in its integrated supply chain structure, which is also favourable for organisations existing in similar industries.   Process: The supply chain Elimica records and maintain inventory and sales forecast on daily basis, that helps in analysing customer satisfaction. This is further collaborated with the ERP system of the Elimica hub (). Global reach and connectivity: Elimicas founders happen to be the most renowned and established leaders in the global industry. This provides an international base for business, that helps in drawing the attention of both buyers and sellers. This phenomenon further builds up an opportunity to develop relations with new customers. Elimica acts as a facilitator for business transactions on this global platform. Security: Elemica has adopted several measures to protect accessibility and data flow. This helps in safeguarding the transactions of customers/participants. Strict data protection measures, encryption technology and transparent firewalls are features of security offered by Elimica. The policies and processes are regularly checked to meet the security standards. Conclusion: After critically evaluating the supply chain management of Shell chemicals, it was found that the benefits of adopting Elemica is seen in the form of improvement in supply chain management that includes reduced cost resulting in cost efficiency, improved quality resulting in customer satisfaction, increased capability of process and increased productivity and dependability. Ultimately these improvements fuelled the profitability of the company. Recommendation: While dealing with the decisions regarding the implementation of e-business in the process of supply chain, companies should look for the strategy that is most appropriate for the unusual processes combined with the blueprint of the operation. It is mainly important for those small organisations which cannot invest huge money at particular time period. Managers should carefully consider coherence between the internet tools to adapt choices in terms of integration with customers and supplies. The internet can support and facilitate information sharing, both in collaborative or in market-type relationships, or can be used to support closer integration (system coupling) with the partners (Cagliano et al, 2005). Prior to a client switching to a new SCM system there should be adequate testing to see if the system meets the clients requirements. When a standard supply chain template is modified to suit a customers requirements, particular care should be used in the implementation and provider firms should be very insistent that client forms follow the providers implementation methodology (Sridharan et al, 2005 ). Reference: Croom, S.R (2005), The impact of e-business on supply chain management, International journal of operations and production management, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 55-73. Chaffey, D (2009) Supply chain management E-business and E-commerce management. Harlow. Prentice Hall,PP 331 Chaffey, D (2009) Supply chain management E-business and E-commerce management. Harlow. Prentice Hall,PP 335 Cagliano, R., Caniato, F. and Spina, G. (2005) How companies are sharing their supply chain through the internet International Journal of operations and production management, Vol15 No.12, pp1309-1327. Elemica (2010) Supply chain [Online]. Available from: http://www.elemica.com/solutions/elemica-solutions.html Accessed on [15/03/2010]. Sridharan, U.V., Caines, W.R., Patterson,C.C (2005), Implementation of supply chain management and its impact on the value of firms, Supply chain management: An International Journal, Vol10 No. 4, PP 313-318. Trkman, P Stemberger, M.I Jaklic, J and Groznic, A (2007) Process approach to supply chain integration, Supply chain management: An International Journal, Vol12 No.2, pp 116-128. Tan, K.C. (2001), A framework of supply chain management literature, European Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 39-48.

Are Safe-Haven Laws A Good Idea? Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Pap

Are Safe-Haven Laws A Good Idea? Debi Faris recently made the sad drive, again, from her home in Yucaipa, California, to the Los Angeles County coroner's office to retrieve the body of a baby boy who had been left by a dumpster. Ms. Faris, her husband, Mark, and others laid baby Jacob (who was named by the police officer who found the child) to rest in the Garden of Angels, a small portion of a local cemetery the Farises established for abandoned infants in 1996. With the help of donations, they bought 44 plots four years ago. Baby Jacob was the 45th abandoned child buried there, forcing them to look for new space among the tombstones. "I never thought in our lifetimes we'd use them all," said Debi Faris. Due to the increasing numbers each year of abandoned babies in our country, law makers are starting to pass laws designed to protect abandoned babies. According to a survey of media reports conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 65 newborns were abandoned in public places in 1991, and that number rose to 108 by 1998. Experts can't explain why the number of abandoned babies is increasing, the only thing they see is that these people leaving their babies appear to be desperate and totally ignorant of what could be done for their babies. Babies are found alive, and sometimes dead in dumpsters, parking lots, woods, and rivers. In 1999, Houston, which leads the country in this phenomenon, reported 13 incidents in a 10-month period. Three of the babies were found dead. Many states have enacted or are actively considering new "safe-haven" laws to prevent such tragic abandonments. These laws allow a woman to leave her baby at a hospital, medical clinic, police or fire station anonymously, mostly with no... ... In the next year after the law going into effect, 33 babies were abandoned in Texas, most at hospitals, while 14 were left in dangerous situations. This year the number remains the about the same, but there were five cases reported in which women bore children elsewhere and then dropped them off at a hospital or firehouse. Three of those women said they had been prompted to do so by the law. I feel that these abandoned baby laws should be passed by every state. Saving just one more baby's life is all that matters. We shouldn't let babies continue to be thrown in dumpsters because people are worried about them not having medical backgrounds. The value of a baby's life is so much greater than the concerns arisen over the laws. The laws are well intentioned, and are the best way to help babies that are destined to be abandoned whether there are safe-havens or not.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 12

The voice was shrill, almost hysterical. Unbalanced, Rashel thought dazedly, looking around. The sound of her secret being yelled out loud stunned her. But just for an instant. The next moment she was moving swiftly between the rows of girls, looking for†¦ â€Å"Nyala!† â€Å"I know why you're here!† Nyala sat up tensely. She looked just as she had when Rashel had seen her last, cocoa skin, queenly head, wide haunted eyes. She was even dressed in the same dark clothes she'd been wearing the night they caught Quinn. â€Å"You're here because you were in on it all along! You pretend to be a vampire hunter-â€Å" â€Å"Shut up!† Rashel said desperately. Nyala was shouting loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door. She knelt on Nyala's bed. â€Å"I'm not pretending, Nyala.† â€Å"Then how come you're free and we're all chained up? You're on their side! You call yourself the Cat-â€Å" Rashel clamped a hand over her mouth. â€Å"Listen to me,† she hissed. Her heart was pounding. All the girls around her were staring and she expected to hear the cellar door open at any moment. â€Å"Nyala, listen. I know you don't like me or trust me-but you've got to stop yelling that. We may only have one chance to get out of here.† Nyala's chest was heaving. Her eyes, the color of dark plums, stared into Rashel's. â€Å"I am a vampire hunter,† Rashel whispered, willing Nyala to believe it. â€Å"I made a mistake letting that vampire go that night†¦ I admit it. But I've been trying ever since to put things right. I got captured on purpose so I could find out what was going on here-and now I'm going to try to get all these girls free.† She spoke slowly and distinctly, hoping Nyala could sense the truth of her words. â€Å"But, Nyala, if the Night People find out I'm a vampire hunter-much less the Cat-they are going to take me out and kill me right this minute. And then I don't think the rest of you have a chance.† She stopped to breathe. â€Å"I know it's hard to trust me. But please, please try. Do you think you can do that?† A long pause. Nyala's eyes searched hers. Then, at last, Nyala nodded. Rashel took her hand off Nyala's mouth. She sat back on the bed and they stared at each other. â€Å"Thank you,† Rashel said. â€Å"I'm going to need your help.† Then she shook her head. â€Å"But how did you get here? How did you find the club?† â€Å"I didn't find any club. I went back to that street with the warehouses on Wednesday. I thought maybe the vampire might come back. And then-somebody grabbed me from behind.† â€Å"Oh, Nyala.† Wednesday night, Rashel thought. The night Daphne saw Ivan carry in a new girl and put her on a cot. That girl was Nyala. Rashel put a hand to her head. â€Å"Nyala-I almost saved you. I was there the next night-when Daphne fell out of the truck. Do you remember that? If I had only known†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Nyala wasn't listening. â€Å"Then there was this whisper in my mind, telling me to sleep. And I couldn't move-I couldn't move my arms or my legs. But I wasn't asleep. And then he carried me into a warehouse and he bit me.† Her voice was detached, almost pleasant. But her eyes froze Rashel in place. â€Å"He bit me in the neck and I knew I was going to die, just like my sister. I could feel the blood coming out. I wanted to scream but I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything.† She smiled oddly at Rashel. â€Å"I'll tell you a secret. It's still there, the bite. You can't see it, but it's still there.† She turned her head to show a smooth unblemished neck. â€Å"Oh, God, Nyala.† Rashel had felt awkward trying to make gestures of comfort with Daphne, but now she didn't think. She just grabbed Nyala and hugged her hard. â€Å"Listen to me,† she said fiercely. â€Å"I know how you feel. I mean-no, I don't know, because it hasn't happened to me. But I'm sorry. And I know how you felt when you lost your sister.† She leaned back and looked at Nyala, almost shaking her. â€Å"But we have to keep fighting. That's what's important right now. We can't let them win. Right?† â€Å"Yes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Nyala looked slowly around her bed, then up at Rashel. â€Å"Yes, that's right.† Her eyes seemed to sharpen and focus. â€Å"I'm making a plan to get out of here. And you have to stay calm and help me.† â€Å"Yes.† Nyala sounded more definite this time. Then she smiled almost serenely and whispered, â€Å"And we'll get our revenge.† â€Å"Yeah.† Rashel pressed her hand. â€Å"Somehow, we will. I promise you.† She walked back to her cot feeling eyes on her, although nobody asked any questions. Her own eyes were stinging. What had happened to Nyala was her fault. The girl had already been on the edge, and because of Rashel, she'd gotten herself caught and attacked by a vampire. And now†¦ Now Rashel was worried about Nyala's sanity, even if they did manage to get off the island. She's right about one thing, though, Rashel thought. Revenge. It's the only way to wipe out the things that have been done to these girls. The fire in her chest was back-as if there were coals where her throat and heart ought to be. She let it harden her and burn away any stray thoughts of mercy for Quinn. Strange how she kept having thoughts of him, long after she'd made the resolution to kill him. â€Å"Is she okay?† Daphne said worriedly. â€Å"I remember her from the warehouse.† â€Å"I know.† Rashel took the lockpick and sat on Daphne's cot. She began to work at Daphne's shackles. â€Å"I don't know if she's okay. The vampires haven't been living in harmony with her.† She glanced bitterly at Fayth, who just looked back gravely and steadily. â€Å"Nobody thinks all the Night People are good,† Fayth said. â€Å"Or all the humans. We don't approve of violence. We want to stop it all.† â€Å"Well, sometimes it takes violence to stop violence,† Rashel said shortly. Fayth didn't answer. â€Å"But why was she calling you a cat?† Daphne asked. Rashel could feel Fayth's gaze on her. â€Å"The Cat. It's the name of a vampire hunter, one who's killed a lot of vampires.† Daphne's dark blue eyes widened slightly. â€Å"Is it you?† Rashel sprung a lock. Somehow, with these two girls staring at her, she didn't feel quite so brash as she had a moment ago. She didn't feel terribly proud of being the Cat. Without looking up, she said, â€Å"Yes.† Then she glanced behind her at Fayth. Fayth said nothing. â€Å"There's going to be more killing before this is all done,† Rashel said. â€Å"And I can't think of anybody who deserves it more than the vampires who brought us here. So you let me take care of that, and we won't argue about it. All right?† She sprung the other lock on Daphne's shackles. Daphne immediately stretched her legs luxuriously, then swung them to the floor. Fayth just nodded slowly. â€Å"All right, then. Listen. The first thing we've got to do is get these girls organized.† Rashel moved to work on Fayth's chains. â€Å"You're both good talkers. I want the two of you to go around and talk to them individually. I want to know who's going to be able to help us and who's still under mind control. I want to know who's going to be a problem. And I especially want to know who has any experience with boats.† â€Å"Boats?† Fayth said. â€Å"No place on this island is safe. We have to get off. There are four boats in the harbor right now- if we can just find somebody to handle them.† She looked from Daphne to Fayth. â€Å"I want you to bring me back at least two sensible girls who have some chance of not sinking a powerboat. Got it?† Daphne and Fayth glanced at each other. They nodded. â€Å"Right, boss,† Daphne murmured, and they started off. Rashel sat, weighing a chain in her hand and thinking. There was no need to tell Daphne-yet-that she didn't plan to ship out with the boats. Half an hour later Daphne and Fayth stood before her beaming. At least Daphne was beaming; Fayth was wearing that grave smile that was starting to drive Rashel crazy. â€Å"Allow me to introduce Annelise,† Daphne said, leading Rashel to a cot. â€Å"Originally a native of Denmark. She's done the race circuit in Antigua-whatever that means. Anyway, she says she can handle a boat.† The girl in the cot was one of the oldest there, eighteen or nineteen. She was blond, long-legged, and built like a Valkyrie. Rashel liked her at once. â€Å"And this is Keiko over here,† Fayth said in her simple way. â€Å"She's young, but she says she grew up around boats.† This one Rashel wasn't so sure about. She was tiny, with hair like black silk and a rosette mouth. She looked like a collector's doll. â€Å"How old are you?† â€Å"Thirteen,† Keiko said softly. â€Å"But I was born on Nantucket. My parents have a Ciera Sunbridge. I think I can do what you're asking-it's just the navigation that worries me.† â€Å"There isn't anybody else,† Daphne stage-whispered in Rashel's ear. â€Å"So my advice is we trust the kid.† â€Å"I think the navigation will be straight west,† Rashel said. She smiled reassuringly at Keiko. â€Å"Anyway, even the open ocean will be safer than here.† She gestured to Daphne and Fayth to come back to their corner. â€Å"Okay. Good job. You're right about trusting the kid; I don't think we have any other choice. We definitely need two boats for all these girls. What else did you find out?† â€Å"Well, the ones that are still under mind control are the ones that came with us,† Daphne said. â€Å"Juanita and Missy. And the one that might cause trouble is your buddy Nyala. She's not completely hinged, if you know what I mean.† Rashel nodded. â€Å"The mind control may be a problem-how long did it take to wear off the others, Fayth?† â€Å"A day or so after they came in. But that's not the only problem, Rashel. Annelise and Keiko think they can handle the boats-but not tonight. Not until tomorrow.† â€Å"We can't wait until tomorrow,† Rashel said impatiently. â€Å"That's cutting it way too fine.† â€Å"I don't think we have a choice. Rashel, all these girls are tranquilized. Drugged.† Rashel blinked. â€Å"How-?† She shut her eyes. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"The food,† Fayth said, as Rashel nodded in resignation. â€Å"I realized right off that there was something in it. I think most of the girls know-and they'd rather be tranquilized than think about what's happening to them.† Rashel rubbed her forehead wearily. No wonder the girls hadn't asked her any questions. No wonder they weren't all screaming their heads off. They were doped to the gills. â€Å"From now on we've got to keep them from eating,† she said. â€Å"They need clear heads if we're going to escape.† She looked at Fayth. â€Å"Okay. We wait. But that's going to make everything more dangerous. How often do they bring food in here?† â€Å"Twice a day. Late morning and around eight at night. And then they take us to the bathroom two by two.† â€Å"Who does it?† â€Å"Rudi. Sometimes he has another werewolf with him.† Daphne bit her lip anxiously. â€Å"Are we equipped for werewolves?† Rashel smiled. Holding her knife, she pulled the decorative knob at the end of the sheath. It came off, revealing a metal blade. She reversed the knob and stuck it in the end of the sheath, so the blade stuck out like a bayonet. The hard wooden sheath itself was now a weapon. â€Å"The blade is silver-coated steel,† she said in satisfaction. â€Å"We are equipped for werewolves.† â€Å"You see?† Daphne said to Fayth. â€Å"This girl thinks of everything.† Rashel put the knife away. â€Å"All right. Let's talk to everybody again. I want to explain my plan. When we do this tomorrow night, it's going to take cooperation and precision.† And, she thought, a lot of luck. â€Å"Chow time!† Rudi walked between the rows of cots, tossing packages from a plastic bag to either side of him. He looked, Rashel thought, exactly like a trainer throwing herring to seals. She scanned the aisle behind him. No other werewolf at the door. Good. It had been a long night and a longer day. The girls were dizzy from lack of food, keyed up, and getting more tense with each untranquilized hour. A couple of them couldn't seem to shake their first impression of Rashel-which had come from Nya-la's yelling. â€Å"Eat up, girlies. Got to keep up your strength.† A slightly warm foil package hit Rashel's lap, another hit the mattress. Same thing as brunch-hot dogs of the kind you get at a convenience store. Smeared with mustard and drugs. The girls had been surviving on the grapefruit juice he'd poured for them. As Rudi turned to throw a package to Juanita, Rashel rose smoothly from her cot. In one motion she leaped and came down right on target. â€Å"Don't make a sound,† she said in Rudi's ear. â€Å"And don't even think about changing.† She had his arm twisted behind his back and the silver knife to his throat. Rudi didn't seem to know how he'd gotten there. There were hot dogs all over the floor. â€Å"Now,† Rashel said. â€Å"Let's talk about jujitsu. This is what you call a proper hold. Resistance to it will cause serious pain and quite possibly a fractured joint. Are you getting this, Rudi?† Rudi wiggled a little and Rashel exerted pressure upward on his knuckles. Rudi yelped and danced on his toes. â€Å"Hush! What I want to know is, where is the other werewolf?† â€Å"Guarding the dock.† â€Å"Who else is on the dock?† â€Å"I-nobody.† â€Å"Is there anybody on the stairs or in the kitchen? Don't lie to me, Rudi, or I'll get annoyed.† â€Å"No. They're all in the gathering room.† Rashel nodded at Daphne. Daphne jumped out of her bed. â€Å"Remember-quick and quiet everybody,† she said, like a cheerleader who'd been promoted to drill sergeant. Rashel felt Rudi boggle as every girl in the room kicked off her covers and stood up free. â€Å"What the-what the-â€Å" â€Å"Now, Rudi.† Keeping his elbow trapped against her, Rashel exerted pressure again, moving him easily in the direction she wanted. â€Å"You go first. You're going to unlock the top door for us.† â€Å"Annelise and Keiko in front,† Daphne said. â€Å"Missy right here. Let's go.† â€Å"I can't unlock it. I can't. They'll kill me,† Rudi muttered, as Rashel moved him up the stairs. â€Å"Rudi, look at these young women.† Rashel swung him around so he had a good view of the prisoners behind him. They stood in one tense, dear-eyed, lightly breathing mass. â€Å"Rudi, if you don't unlock that door, I am going to tie you up and leave you alone with them†¦ and this silver knife. I promise, whatever the vampires do to you won't be worse.† Rudi stared at the girls, who stared back at him. All ages, all sizes, united. â€Å"I'll unlock the door.† â€Å"Good boy.† He fumbled getting the door open. When it was done, Rashel pushed him through first, looking tensely around. If there were vampires here, she had to change tactics fast. The kitchen was empty-and music was blasting from somewhere inside the house. Rashel gave a quick savage grin. It was a lucky break she wouldn't have dared to pray for. The music might just save these girls' lives. She pulled Rudi out of the way and nodded to Daphne. Daphne stood at the head of the stairs, silently waving the girls out. Fayth led the way with the Valkyrie Annelise and the tiny Keiko behind her. The other girls hurried past, and Rashel was proud of how quiet they were. â€Å"Now,† she whispered, pushing Rudi back into the stairwell. â€Å"One last question. Who's throwing the bloodfeast?† Rudi shook his head. â€Å"Who hired you? Who bought the slaves? Who's the client, Rudi?† â€Å"I don't know! I'm telling you! Nobody knows who hired us. It was all done on the phone!† Rashel hesitated. She wanted to keep questioning him-but right now the important thing was to get the girls off the island. Daphne was still waiting in the kitchen, watching Rashel. Rashel looked at her and then helplessly at Rudi's bushy brown head. She should kill him. It was the only smart thing to do, and it was what she'd planned to do. He was a conspirator in the plan to brutally murder twenty-four teenage girls-and he enjoyed it. But Daphne was watching. And Fayth would give her that look if she heard Rashel had done him in. Rashel let out her breath. â€Å"Sleep tight,† she said, and hit Rudi on the head with the hilt of her knife. He slumped unconscious and she shut the cellar door on him. She turned quickly to Daphne. â€Å"Let's go.† Daphne almost skipped ahead of her. They went out the back door and picked up the hiking path. Rashel moved swiftly, loping across the beaten-down wild grass. She caught up to the string of girls. â€Å"That's it, Missy,† she whispered. â€Å"Nice and quiet. Nyala, you're limping; does your leg hurt? A little faster, everybody.† She made her way up to the front. â€Å"Okay, Annelise and Keiko. When we get there, I'll take care of the guard. Then you know what to do.† â€Å"Find which boats we can handle. Destroy whatever we can on the others and set them adrift. Then each take half the girls and head west,† Annelise said. â€Å"Right. If you can't make it to land, do your best and then call the Coast Guard.† â€Å"But not right away,† Keiko put in. â€Å"Lots of islanders use ship-to-shore radio instead of telephones. The vampires may be monitoring it.† Rashel squeezed her shoulder. â€Å"Smart girl. I knew you were right for the job. And remember, if you do call the Coast Guard, don't give the right name of the boat and don't mention this island.† It was perfectly possible that there were Night People in the Coast Guard. They were almost at the bottom of the cliff, and so far no alarms had sounded. Rashel scanned the moving group again, then became aware that Daphne was behind her. â€Å"Everything okay?† â€Å"So far,† Daphne said breathlessly. She added, â€Å"You're good at this, you know. Encouraging them and all.† Rashel shook her head. â€Å"I'm just trying to keep them together until they're not my problem anymore.† Daphne smiled. â€Å"I think that's what I just said.† The wharf was below them, the boats bobbing quietly. The ocean was calm and glassy. Silver moonlight gave the scene a postcard look. Ye Olde Quaint Marina, Rashel thought. She loped to the front again. â€Å"Stay behind me all of you.† She added to Daphne, â€Å"I'll show you what I'm good at.† A few feet of rocks and sand and she was on the wharf. Eyes on the shack, knife ready, she moved silently. She wanted to take care of the werewolf without noise, if possible. Then a dark shape came hustling out of the shack into the moonlight. It took one look at Rashel and threw back its head to howl.

Literary Analysis and Criticism of “The Tell-Tale Heart” Essay

Human beings have all experienced guilt, the consequence of committing a wrong, and the manipulation it has on decisions. In the short story â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† author Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates the theme that guilt is strong and has the power to overcome conscience; he uses characterization, the conflict, and symbolism to communicate this message. The characterization of the narrator most clearly shows this theme. In addition to Poe’s use of characterization, his decision to show the struggle the narrator endures with himself reveals the causes of the narrator to succumb to his guilt. The use of symbolism throughout the novel draws attention to the narrator’s guilt and his insanity. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is told by a first-person narrator who tells of a story in hope of convincing the reader of his sanity though throughout the story, he shows the strong control his guilt has over him and his mind, and ultimately proves his insanity. The narrator describes his plot to kill an old man whom the narrator didn’t hate, but who he desired to kill due to the old man’s â€Å"Evil Eye† (Poe 1). The old man’s eye was pale blue and covered with a film. It gave the narrator chills in his blood. The narrator began his plot to commit the murder. He crept into the old man’s room every night at midnight for seven nights, but finding the eye closed as the old man slept, the narrator couldn’t bring himself to commit the deed. The narrator described himself as being â€Å"never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before† he killed him (Poe 1). On the eighth night, the old man awoke to the sound of the narrato r chuckling as he was in the process of entering the room. When the narrator opened a gap in the lantern, the ray of light revealed the vulture eye. The narrator began to hear a sound which he believed to be the old man’s heart beating, and as the beating grew louder, the narrator’s anxiety grew which led the narrator to commit the murder by pulling the mattress over the old man. The narrator dismembered the corpse and buried them under planks of the flooring of the old man’s bedroom. The police arrived at the house, a neighbor having heard the old man’s scream during the murder, and found nothing out of place in the house. While chatting with the police, the narrator began again hearing the beating of what he believed to be the old man’s heart. The beating grew louder and louder, and no longer to able bear the sound, the narrator confessed to the police of committing the deed. The characterization of the narrator made the narrator’s insanity and sense of guilt vastly palpable. The narrator of the st ory is a first-person unreliable narrator as he is surmounted with insanity, and the reader is unable to know how much of the story the narrator tells is true. The characterization of the narrator helps prove his madness as well as his guilt, leading to his confession. He â€Å"strongly believes in the need for making methodical and calculated decisions but is eventually overcome by inexplicable psychological forces that stem from his irrational, unstable nature† (Historical Context 1). The narrator is spiraling into folly as he recounts the story of committing the murder of an old man. He begins the story saying that he is â€Å"VERY, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?† (Poe 1). The narrator admits to being nervous while committing the murder and now in the present. He doesn’t believe himself to be a madman as he tries to convince the reader of this by describing his reasons for murdering the old man and his precise and cautious steps he took throughout the murder. He explains being extremely kind to the old man as to trick him into never suspecting the murder. His precise plans included his slow and careful steps to enter the old man’s bedroom each night for eight nights before committing the murder without disturbing the old man in his sleep and the steps he took to conceal the corpse by accurately dismembering the body and hiding the parts under the floor board so as â€Å"that no human eye—not even his—could have detected any thing wrong† (Poe 2). The narrator’s reasons for killing the old man provide as much trivial proof of his sanity as his precautions do. The narrator â€Å"has no rational reason for wanting to kill the old man† (Chua 1). He declares to have desired to kill the old man as to rid himself of the old man’s vulture eye. The description of the old man’s eye as that of a vulture is the narrator’s attempt to defend his actions by comparing himself to a vulnerable being defenseless to an unsightly scavenger. The narrator claims, â€Å"Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye!† (Poe 1). The narrator declares love for the old man whom he brutally murdered and dismembered, chuckling at his cleverness in doing so. In an effort to divide the person of the old man from the old man’s allegedly evil eye, which prompts the narrator’s hatred, the narrator discloses his insanity. This delusional partition allows the narrator to be oblivious to the irony of claiming to have loved his victim. The first-person narration of the story helps reveal the narrator’s mental illness to the reader. â€Å"The particular standpoint from which the ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ is told provides the reader with insight into the major character’s motivation in carrying out the murder and in telling us about it† (Moore 1). The narrator speaks of â€Å"mortal terror† that the narrator says many nights at midnight â€Å"has welled up from my own bosom, deepening, with its dreadful echo, the terrors that distracted me† (Poe 1). â€Å"The reason for the crime lies exclusively in the narrator’s disturbed mind† (Moore 1). The narrator’s explanation of the murder reveals that he heard the beating of a heart, what he believed to be the old man’s heart. This beating heart twice caused him to act irrationally during the story as his actions were in hope of stopping the sound of the beating heart: it caused the narrator to finally commit the murder and it caused him to confess to the police. This shows his guilt he feels for killing the innocent old man as he confesses to the murder though he had clearly gotten away with it, as did his nervousness that he conveys that he is overcome with throughout the story. The conflict of the story helps to reveal the strong prevalence of guilt experienced by the narrator. The main conflict of the story is an inner conflict, character vs. himself, as the narrator struggles with his own disturbed mind. The narrator, after deciding to murder the old man due to his vulture eye, experiences the forceful sound of a heart beat. His struggles with himself cause him to kill the old man whom he loved. The narrator in the beginning of the story confesses to the reader that he suffers from a â€Å"disease† that apparently â€Å"sharpened† his senses, specifically his sense of hearing acute (Poe 1), in an attempt to rationally explain why he believed he heard the old man’s heart beating. The narrator attempts to fight his conscience while experiencing this sound, specifically when he tries not to confess the murder to the police and reveal the secret location of the corpse. The murder of the innocent old man causes the narrator to feel guilt such that he ends up confessing the deed in the end. A minor conflict is the conflict of the narrator vs. the eye which causes him to commit the deed in the first place. The vulture-like eye gives the narrator’s blood chills and vexed him so that he had to be rid of it. The narrator acts as a helpless creature to the powers of the eye. The narrator, in hatred of the eye, thus conceived the plan to murder the old man so he would never again be disturbed by the eye. Symbolism is ever so dominant in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart.† The most apparent symbol in the short story is the sound of the beating heart. The narrator believes the sound is the old man’s beating heart brought on by his nervousness on the eighth night and heard by the narrator due to his â€Å"disease.† The sound of the beating heart represents the guilt and remorse the narrator feels for committing the deed as it causes him to confess the deed to the police. The narrator’s growing agitation to the intensifying sound causes him to confess as he can no longer bear the sound, revealing his guilt. The narrator had clearly gotten away without suspicion of the police with the deed, but in the end, he was his own worst enemy as he admitted himself as the murderer. Another obvious symbol is the vulture eye of the old man. The narrator possesses the idea that an old man is staring at him with the Evil Eye and placing a curse on him as he gets chills in his blood. The narrator also obsesses over the eye as he desires to separate it from the old man as to spare the man from his aggressive response to the eye. The narrator reveals his incapability to distinguish that the â€Å"eye† is the â€Å"I,† or identity, of the old man (Chua 1). The eyes represent the spirit of human identity, which can’t be alienated from the body. The eye can’t be destroyed without bringing about the old man’s death. The watch that the narrator speaks of symbolizes time and the narrator’s obsession with time. Time is a very important factor in the story as it controls the narrator’s every move. The narrator routinely entered the old man’s room at midnight and described his actions as moving slower than the minute hand of the watch (Poe 1). The lantern that the narrator uses in his nightly routine in the old man’s bedroom represents the narrator’s hatred for the eye. The narrator sees the old man sleeping and with the eye closed, he’s unable to commit the murder. On the eighth night, the ray of light from the lantern reveals the Evil Eye, which is the narrator’s enemy, and sets off the narrator’s delusional hatred for the vulture eye, making him able to kill the old man. The theme of the story is that guilt is a powerful emotion that can cause one to succumb to their guilt, in this case, the narrator. All the carefully planned elements of the story work to create an overall unity, from the narrator’s denial of his insanity to his confession, the delusional conflict of the narrator, and the abundance of symbolism throughout the story. The heart symbolizes the narrator’s guilt and causes him to confess to the police. Even when no one knows one committed a bad deed, that person themselves knows of the deed, so they will have to live with the guilt and the consequences of their actions, or succumb to their guilt and confess. Works Cited Chua, John. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: The Twin and the Doppelganger.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 15 December 2009. . Moore, R. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: The First-Person Narrative Viewpoint in the ‘Tell-Tale Heart.’† eNotes: The Tell-Tale Heart. Ed. Penny Satoris. Seattle: Enotes.com Inc, October 2002. eNotes.com. 15 December 2010. . Poe, Edgar Allan. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart.† 2009 eNotes.com, Inc. Web. 15 December 2009. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart: Historical Context.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 15 December 2009. .