Perception in thought processes Essay

This paper seeks to explore the role played by perception in thought processes in an individual’s life. It also focuses on intelligence and the relationship between intelligence and cognition. Perception which is the process of acquiring, interpreting, selecting, and organizing sensory information influence thinking styles, thinking skills as well as the types of thoughts in an individual’s mind. The world of an individual begins by what is visible, imagined or told in a story about various issues and things in his or her immediate surrounding. When these things are assimilated by an individual, a response is ignited in the mind in the form of thought processes. (Bohm, D. 1994, p. 130). I perceive the current modern world as a place of creativity and competition and an arena where everybody is always pushing his or her way even if it is to the disadvantage of others. For instance, the industrialized nations continue to release greenhouse gases despite the world wide outcry on global warming. Due to these, I am always thinking of discovering something new that can push me a head of the rest in both competition and creativity. Most importantly, what is always in my mind is how to accumulate enough money in this capitalistic world where everyone is keeps to themselves. The egocentricity I encounter in my interaction with people has made me to think of ways on how to keep whatever I have to myself and a way from the selfish world. The characteristics of what I perceive as well as personal characteristics like my attitude, personality, motives, interests, past experiences and expectations affect the thought processes. Several definitions for intelligence have been developed by various researchers and scientists but there seems to be no consensus on the universally acceptable definition. According to Sternberg, J. R, Jean E. P. (2005), the definitions revolve around specific abilities which are pooled together to form general abilities as the parameters around which intelligence can be defined. Consequently intelligence can be defined as the ability to learn about, learn from, understand, and interact with one’s environment. These specific abilities are the reason for cognition which is the process of recognizing, interpreting, making judgments as well as reasoning; these involves perceptions, learning, memory, and decision making. The capacity for knowledge and ability to acquire it is a specific component of intelligence that can lead a person into judging a situation or an object. The capacity to reason and higher thinking coupled with ability to carry out an evaluation gives judgment as a product of intelligence. The ability to adapt to a new environment or to changes in the current environment dictates how an animal or human being will act on the information from its environment. Interpretation which is encompassed in cognition is as a result of the ability to comprehend the issue at hand and contrast and compare relationships that we face. Cognition can therefore be said to result from original and productive thought. Conclusion. What an individual perceives define the thought processes he or she is undergoing. Perception of the surrounding environment is what triggers the development of thinking skills and styles needed in response. Cognition is a consequence of specific abilities which are found in intelligence and they mostly occur together.

The Ethics Of Outsourcing At Mattel

In addition, this article will address how corporate culture played a role in the decision to outsource the manufacturing process to facilities, which were not following legal standards. Keywords Matter, corporate culture, ethics, Fraud, product safety. JELL Classification MIM. BRB / BRB / Introduction / Corporate culture is defined as the shared values and / beliefs of individuals within an organization (Statistics / and Satanist, 2009). Corporate culture is an important / span classmate/acceptances to examine when researchers attempt to explain unethical behavior within an organization.Previous research in the area has primarily focused on the positive aspects culture that is related to firm performance (Deal and Kennedy, 1982 Peters and Waterman, 1982 Dimension, 990). It is also important to considerer/ BRB / that the corporate culture can have negative impact knob / a firestorms operations if the culture supports unethical and / illegal activities. This study examines how one com pany, Matter, developed a culture which allowed the unethical and illegal actions of its suppliers to negatively affect its operations. R / BRB / fixated only on the low price of production of the Chinese suppliers. By allowing the quality standards to drop to potentially dangerous levels, Matter manageress / focused only on their own self-interests since their / pan classmate/spermatozoon was directly linked to the financial performance of Matter. Therefore, Matter managers ignored potential safety issues with the production of the toys in China since lower levels of production orb / BRB / higher costs per unit would have a direct impact knob / their total level of income for the year.As a result, Tiber / does not matter whether the lack of quality controls / were deliberate or not. Since Amateurism's name goes knob / the final product, its managers were accountable forbs / the actions of their suppliers (Hegiras and Sims, bribe / Shanghaiing and Vital, 1990 Granite, 2003). BRB / 1 . The first recall of toys / In 2006, 75 percent of all toys manufactured worldwide came from China. Within China, one province, Gudgeon, is the location of 5,000 of Chinaware's 8,BRB / span classmate/Spartan manufacturing plants.It is estimated that 1. 5 million workers are employed in Gudgeon toys manufacture (McLeod, 2006). Matter makes approximately 65 percent of its toys there. The corporation states tabor / BRB / it demands that the toys that are outsourced to other / manufacturers must comply with the safety standards / established by Matter. Raw materials that would beer / used by an outsourced manufacturer are first sent Toby / the Matter control facility in order to verify they matter / all safety standards.Matter has been manufacturing inborn / China since the first Barbie was made there in 1 959. BRB / The corporation has developed a number of longer / standing relationships with China manufacturers,BRB / which may have lead to more relaxed monitoring and / control of it s operations (Story, 2007). Furthermore,BRB / Matter was a major customer for these suppliers, so Tiber / should have absolute control over the manufacturing / recess as it relates to the level of quality and compliance with government regulations and standards.However, Amateurism's top level managers appeared to beer / BRB / On August 1, 2007, Matter had to recall almost 1. BRB / million toys that were made in China. Over 80 toys / contained potentially dangerous levels of lead in thebe / paint on the toys. A long time supplier of Matter had / span classmate/spanked non-approved paint pigment which violated Amateurism's and the toy industriously standards (Bugaboos, 2007). On August 2, 2007, Matter issued a press release in which it explained its course f action to correct the problem.Matter worked with the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies around the world to pull the toys off the shelves and halt the distribution of any toy that contained the unacceptable levels of lead. Robert Cocker, Chairman and CEO stated that liquored apologize to everyone affected by this recall, especially those who bought the toys in questioningly realize that parents / BRB / trust us with what is most precious to atmospherically / children. And we also recognize that trust is earned. R / Our goal is to correct this problem, improve orb / yester and maintain the trust of the families tabor / have allowed us to be part of their lives by acting / responsibly and quickly to address their conquistadors / (Matter, 2007). BRB / Sarah D. Satanist, Peter A Satanist, 2010. BRB / This recall was despite the fact that Matter was rabbet / of the potential lead hazard at least a month earlier,BRB / BRB / Problems and Perspectives in Management, Volume 8, Issue 4, 201 For / BRB / when one of the European retailers that sold Matter / products in early July discovered lead in some of its / toys.On July 6, 2007 Matter stopped production inborn / he factory, which they believe was the origin of thebe / lead paint. Commenting on the supplier using thebe / lead paint, CEO Chart stated that this was a supplier which had worked for Matter for 1 5 years and lectureships question somebody that just started making toys/ span classmate/sponsor slithered understand our regulations, they understand our program, and something went wrong. That Herodotus. It is a requirement established by Matter that those outsourced factories making Matter toys must use paint and other material from certified suppliers.As a result, Matter was not sure whether the manufacturer bustiest paint from bar / BRB / supplier who was not certified or whether the leader / paint came from a certified supplier. In 2007, BRB / percent of Amateurism's total revenues were based knob / the toys that were manufactured in their 11 factories in China which they owned and operated (Story, AAA). BRB/ 2. Why lead painter / Lead is added to paint in order to increase thebe / span classmate/sp anked in which the paint dries, to increase the durability of the paint and to enhance the ability of the paint to resist moisture which could cause corrosion (Wisped).Lead paint is also easier to apply on hard reface and can produce a richer / BRB / color than paint without lead. The net result is tabor / lead enhances how the paint is used in the production process, but the lead is not allowed to be added to the paints. Therefore, paint in which leader / has been added is sold ATA Custodianship's price of ennobler / third of the cost of paint that does not include leader / (Barbara, 2007). BRB / Matter had allowed the local suppliers to implement their own safety testing which resulted in the shipping of tainted toys from the factories in China / to children around the world.The suppliers had / darted to use cheaper paint which contained leader / to reduce manufacturing costs. The supplier tabor / made the toy Lee Deer Industrial Company was / investigated by the Chinese Governmen t for its / role in the use of tainted paint. The supplier stated / that it was cheated by its own paint supplier, whoop / sold Lee Deer Industrial the paint which included / the lead. Lee Deer Industrial claimed that they were / not aware that the paint was contaminated wither / span classmate/spangled (Zamias and Casey, 2007).The Chinese government banned Lee Deer Industrial from exporting any more toys until a full investigation was completed. The net result was that Lee Deer Industrial had to stop its operations, which led to the suicide offer / BRB / its founder Ghana Shogun. Amateurism's response in bar / press release to the suicide was that liquored were / BRB / troubled to hear about this tragic encephalitis is bar / personal misfortune not a corporate event. Any losses / of life is a tragedy and we feel for the family during / this difficult timorous (Cody and Joe, 2007). BRB / 3.The second recall / On August 14, 2007, Matter issued a second major / recall of toys manufact ured in China. The seconded / call include additional toys made with paint contaminated with lead as well as millions of other toys which have magnets which could become loose and / could be swallowed by children. An estimated / 436,000 toys were being recalled due to lead painter / An additional 18. 2 million magnetic toys were being / recalled after reported injuries and death of children / span classmate/Spanish had swallowed the magnets after they had become loose from the toy.Matter stated that the magnetic toy recall included 63 different varies of toys including such well known brand names as Pillory / Pocket, Batman, and Barbie. The lead paint recalled / toys included brand names such as the characters offer / Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and Disingenuous Carobs / (Story and Barbara, 2007). The senior vice-president of worldwide quality assurance at Matter, Jim Walter, stated that Matter had ldquostrengthenedrdquo its / three-point check quality system to ensure that toy s / with lead would not enter the marketplace.Thebe / three point system includes verifying that only certified suppliers of paint will be used to manufacture the toys, a mandatory testing of every batch of toys / produced, the tightening of quality controls including random inspections during the manufacturing process and the testing of every production run offer / completed toys (Barbara and Story, 2007). As was / the case with the first recall, a subcontractor was / used to supply the paint to Amateurism's contractor inborn / China.Hong Lie Dad supplied the paint to Early / Light Industrial which was not aware that the painter / had been contaminated with lead. Early Light had / been a contractor for Matter for 20 years. Matter / had used between 30 and 50 contractors in China / and many subcontracted out part of the production / process to a subcontractor. Lee Deer, the contractor / of the original Matter recall lost its license to export and subsequently went out of business (S tory and Barbara, 2007). Lee Deer had been a Matter / contractor for 15 years. R / Matter executive vice-president for worldwide operations, Thomas Deflowers, stated that Matter realized that there were continuing rising costs offer / production in China which was squeezing the profit / margins of the Chinese manufacturers. He stated / that Solution the last three to five years, yourselves seen / labor prices more than double, raw materials prices / bubble or transplanted think that thereabouts a lot offer / pressure on guys that are working at the margin Toby / try and save moneywort.However, Deflowers stated / that Matter does not take the blame for putting / downward pressure on the pricing of the toys despite the rising manufacturing costs. Quoin, absolutely endothelial insist that they continue to use certified / paint from certified vendors, and we pay for that,BRB / and horsepower perfectly willing to pay for deathward (Story,BRB / 2007). It was during this time period that t he Consumer Product Safety Commission (COPS) excused Matter of not following the mandated requirement / to notify the COPS within 24 hours after the company has made a decision to recall any products.Amateurism's CEO, Robert Cocker, admitted that Matter / did not follow the COPS requirement because thebe / should have the right to discuss the problems on BRB / their timetable because the 24 hour time limit sibs / unreasonable. The COPS had already fined Matter / twice since 2001 for knowingly withholding information regarding products that could create loquaciousness risk of serious injury or deathtraps (Casey and Passport, 2007). . The third recall / span classmate/Spanish following day, September 4, 2007, Matter announced their third major recall.It was recalling approximately 775,000 toys with lead paint which included a number of Barbie accessories. Amateurism's CEO, Robert Cocker, stated that Sequoia apologize again Toby / BRB / everyone affected and promise that we will contin ue Toby / focus on ensuring the safety and quality of our distributors / (Casey, 2007). In a letter to The New York Times,BRB / Cocker commented that liquors a father of four, I amber / intimately aware of the expectations of parents. Thebe / ant safe toys, and they want assurances that those / toys have been tested to make sure that threescore safe. R / Currently lead paint is topmost on apparentness minds. Birr / want parents to be assured that we are taking action heliport toys are overwhelmingly safe. To date, our lead-related recalls of toys produced in the past BRB/ span classmate/ expansions represent less than half of 1 of our production. Iroquois rather the number was chroniclers was a young man growing up in suburban Chicago, my father encouraged me to earn his trust through my actions rather than just talk about what I was going to do.Today, tell my children locoweeds, not wordbooks. And it sibs / BRB / on this principle that Matter will move forward. Weber / will earn ba ck your trust with our deeds, entrust wither / our wordbooks (Cocker, 2007). BRB / On September 1 8, 2007 a subcommittee of thebe / United States Congress announced that some of thebe / toys Matter had recalled contained 180 times thebe / allowable levels of lead in the paint. Therefore, upper / to 1 1 percent Of the paint was lead or 110,000 parts / per million.The federal law in the United States / allows only 0. 06 lead or 600 parts per million inborn / paint (Resoundingly, 2007). R / span classmate/spoon September 21, 2007, Amateurism's executive vicissitude for worldwide operations, Thomas Deflowers, apologized to China for harming the reputation of the toy manufacturers in China for the 17 million toys Matter recalled in 2007 not because of lead paint but because of flaws in the design of some offer / BRB / their magnetic toys.Deflowers commented tabor / liquated does not hold Chinese manufacturers responsible for the design in relation to the recalled magnet destroyed (Story Bibb). By admitting to a design flaw,BRB / Matter could face numerous product liability lawsuits / y biblically announcing a product defect.Debonairness's apology included taking full responsibility for the problem with the magnetic toys liquated takes / span classmate/spoonful responsibility for these recalls and apologizes personally to you, the Chinese people, and all of our customers who received the dessertspoonful's important for everyone to understand that the vast majority of those products that we recalled Were the result of a designer / BRB / flaw in Amateurism's design, not through a manufacturing / flaw in Chinese infrastructure's (Casey, Zamias and / Passport, 2007).The Chinese product safety chief, Libra / Changing, reminded Matter that liquidation large part offer / your annual profitableness from your factories inborn / Chancellorship shows that our cooperation is in thebe / interests of Matter, and both parties should value orb / cooperation. I really hope that Matt er can learn lessons and gain experience from these incidents and that Matter should improve their control masqueraders / (Olsen, 2007). BRB / 5.The consequences of the recall / In October 2007, shareholders filed a lawsuit against / span classmate/supplemental for withholding timely announcements of recalled products. The lawsuit alleged that top management at Matter produced misleading financial statements since they were PRI; to potential recall notices and yet did not make them known biblically until / BRB / months later. The lawsuit claimed that this has been bar / general practice at Matter for years.In addition, thebe / lawsuit charged Matter with breaching its fiduciary / duties by not abiding by the consumer protection laws / including the 24 hour notice statue. In addition, thebe / lawsuit claimed that executives at Matter were involved in insider trading by selling 33 million of Matter stock before the announcement Of the recalls / came public (Tab, 2007). In October 2009 , Matter / settled a consumer class action lawsuit for over BRB / million to pay to consumers, who had purchased thebe / toys containing the lead paint.The settlement willow / resolve 22 lawsuits that were filed against Matter and / its subsidiary Fisher Price and major retailers on behalf / of the millions of families who had bought Matter / products that had been recalled (Anderson, 2009). BRB / Therefore, it appears that the quality issue was deliberately avoided by many employees within Matter. This 181 BRB / BRB / supports the view of Miller and Thomas (2005),BRB / ho state that peer pressure of colleagues would / support and reinforce unethical behavior even if Tiber / is in violation of the individualism own personal / code of ethics.The net result of a corporate culture / that support unethical actions was that the employees, which developed, maintained and supported this type of culture would not be penalized for their / actions. The top level executives at Matter were / on ly indirectly Goddaughter's for their actions since thebe / continued to assign blame to the suppliers. It was / only after extreme pressure from stakeholders suburb / s the United States government, the customers and / the media that Matter finally Idquoadmittedrdquo that thebe / would take some responsibility for the unsafe toys. R / Bass and Streamside (1999) propose that top leveler / executives can manipulate the beliefs of their subordinates into believing their own altered state of reality. This could explain, in part, why it took sobs / long for Matter to react to the claims made by its / stakeholders. BRB / Conclusions / This case highlights a number of important concepts / related to unethical behavior within corporations. BRB / The actions by the top executives at Matter supporter / span classmate/Spanish belief that unethical actions influence the corporate culture of the firm.Through, the use of group norms at Matter, unethical behavior was not discouraged by top level managers and was actually / BRB / supported by the actions of the managers and their / lack of action with their suppliers. As Terrine,BRB / span classmate/sportsman and Brown (2000) state, top level executives must be both a moral person and a moral manager in order to develop an ethical leadership role within the firm.

Nick’s Development in “The Great Gatsby” Essay

Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, reminiscences of the summer he met Gatsby. He had just returned to America from WWI, where he had glimpsed everything from freedom to death. His horizons had been broadened significantly, so when he returned after the war, he felt stifled in the Midwest; thus his longing for the decadent and fantastic lifestyle of New York, but the problem with the fantastic is that it rarely has anything to offer beneath the surface. When he first arrives in New York, Nick is fascinated by the lives of the wealthy and the freedom they embody. However, as the novel progresses, he sees the impact of this behavior on the lives of others; he recognizes the atrocities that the elite of society commit toward those they consider beneath them. Daisy and Tom are too superficial and absorbed in living in wealth and Gatsby set himself a dream as a young child and has stuck to that throughout his life. Nick sees so many corrupt acts around him that he first tries to block them out, by acting artifical to fit in. However, once he realises that the people he is surrounding themselves with are liars and frauds, he begins to distance himself from them. The first obvious instance of this is when Gatsby is ‘watching over’ Daisy, and Nick narrates that â€Å"He [Gatsby] was clutching at some last hope and I couldn’t bare to shake him free. † This quote displays how Nick has given up on Gatsby and society’s superficiality and corrupt doings. This is one of the major instances of change in Nick’s life. By his thirtieth birthday, Nick realizes that this crazy, superficial lifestyle is not what he desires at all, and that he misses the wholesomeness of the Midwest. In this sense, Nick becomes rather representative of the 1920s: the turmoil and free living of the early part of the decade leading into the conservative 1930s. After witnessing the unraveling of Gatsby’s dream and presiding over the appalling spectacle of Gatsby’s funeral, Nick realizes that the fast life of revelry on the East Coast is a cover for the terrifying moral emptiness that the valley of ashes symbolizes. Having gained the maturity that this insight demonstrates, he returns to Minnesota in search of a quieter life structured by more traditional moral values.

Franchising Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Franchising Business - Essay Example It acts as a good source of income for the franchisor. It occurs through the regular payment of royalty fees, franchise fees, levies and funds from private labeling of products. Such funds form the capital backbone of the firm, hence an assured turnover of investments and profits. There is also a decrease in the operational, distribution and advertising costs. There is a surge in the money used for finance and development issues2. In addition to that, there is a massive reduction in the operational costs as one can simply have a small organization as compared to the absolute ownership of operational locations. There is a great uniformity of the work and services rendered a degree of consistency and an increase in productivity hence. There is a control system to facilitate and measure up the quality of services, otherwise known as quality assurance unit. Customer care and public relations are excellent leading to an increase in the overall sales. Furthermore, it ensures that the products are located in strategic places where consumers can easily access them. It increases the number of selling points through utilization of other people’s businesses. There is a faster expansion with an overall effect of reduced effect of competitors. From the utilization of the franchising system, the performance of a firm that has utilized the model in marketing the products is useful and better than the one having various branches. It is because people who have the motivation and the urge to increase the sales and the overall profits do the operations. It remains difficult to motivate managers to such extents.

Leadership and Direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and Direction - Essay Example These answers will provide the members of the team with added information that can be used in the decision making process. When performing brainstorming sessions that lead to lots of questions being asked one of the team members should serve the role of secretary to take notes about the topics been discussed in the meeting. The secretary should also record the entire meeting in order to document the meeting and the questions that were discussed during brainstorming. There are different types of questions that must be asked to ensure a project is appropriate for the organization. Some of the first questions that must be discussed are regarding the content and scope of the project. Is the project aligned with the organization’s mission and goals? A second very important concern is the finances of the project. Does the company have sufficient funds to undertake the project? The company must ask itself whether the firm has sufficient human resources available for the project. The firm must also ask itself if there is a need for the recruitment of new personnel for the project. During the planning phase two questions that must be asked are: The leader will know if the right questions were asked for the project based on the collective input of the entire team staff. Once the team concludes its brainstorming and question asking the leader must document the data and ask for a second opinion from other managers of the company including the general manger, controller, marketing president, COO, and CFO, and CEO of the firm. These members of the executive management team have vast knowledge about how to run a team project efficiently. Their input will validate whether the project manager performed his job adequately in regards to gathering the information necessary to proceed with the project. The project manager should discuss the meeting he or she had with the executive management team with the rest of the

Terry V.Ohio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Terry V.Ohio - Assignment Example constitution, every individual is entitled to privacy concerning their personal property and other effects. In the contrary, the Exclusionary Rule suppresses evidence in instances where proper protocol was ignored. Furthering that, in absence of a search warrant only emergency situations and plain sight can permit unreasonable search. I will detail my explanation on the application of criminal investigations and the justice system. The most fundamental role of the American justice system with its complicated process and procedures is to peace maintenance through dispute resolution. This is possible in the federal state through application of the law through specific persons or institutions. The state and federal constitution forms the supreme source of the applicable law with reference to the statutes and administrative regulations as other sources. In the constitution, the structure of the government, the definition and limitations of power in the protection of citizens from unlawful acts are outlined. The terry V. Ohio case decided in the United States Supreme Court set precedent on stop and frisk aspect. After this the next proof level was called the probable cause.This is where there is good reason or probability of linking an individual to a committed crime or involvement in a committed crime. Probable cause has seemed to be more significant in criminal cases because this is where individuals are searched and arrested depriving them of their liberty. Nevertheless, in civil cases the suspect’s property can be seized without denying them their liberty freedom. This argues the reason why the law enforcement agent or police officers need to have a probable cause when carrying out a search or undertaking an arrest. No absolute certainty is needed for an officer to make an arrest or search but a probable cause of suspicion. From practical experience the police officer, upon sensing a weapon may search the car suspected to

Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example Senses play an intricate role in an individual’s thinking. It is, therefore, vital to understand some of the weaknesses they exhibit, and how these weaknesses affect an individual’s thinking. The need to process sensory information is crucial in the growth and development of individuals (Marie, 2010). This paper will examine why individuals need not entirely believe in the accuracy of sensory information, and how this might affect the decisions they make daily. There are reasons why sensory information cannot be relied on entirely by individuals. How people interpret sensory information, is dependent on their judgement. People often choose to look at things in their surrounding objectively, even though, they try not to believe they do this. These psychological biases and cognitive factors make everybody choose what to believe. What one might perceive in one way, another may choose to look at it differently (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012). This creates a rift in the perception by individuals about their present situations. Another reason why it is hard to place trust in sensory information provided by the senses includes past experiences. How people interpret the immediate situation may be based on past experiences that led one not to trust their instincts (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012). This affects the decisions they might make regarding the given situation. Moreover, the environmental effects affect the interpretation of data. Communication, for example, may be distorted before reaching the intended party. This may be because of noise. These environmental factors affect our perceptions, hence; would not be right to believe entirely in sensory information (Barth & Giampieri-Deutsch, 2012). Repeatability is one factor that may contribute to an individual’s accuracy of sensory data. Senses being exposed to certain conditions on a regular basis may offer an individual accuracy during the interpretation of

Project Management - Scheduling, Resources, and Budgeting (U3DB) Essay

Project Management - Scheduling, Resources, and Budgeting (U3DB) - Essay Example For example, when individual activities are assigned relevant human, material or other resources, they are treated independently and concurrency of resource usage is not assumed. It is only when resources are placed alongside activities inside the schedule that their over or under utilization becomes evident. Scheduling alternatives present varying levels of resource usage and optimization. In this phase, over or under-allocated resources can be identified and their usage smoothed out using techniques such as resource levelling (Heldman, 2005, p. 271). Resource scheduling is also important in that it can determine whether the project can be completed within the specified end date in the schedule. The project manager may not have enough resources to finish tasks on the critical path in time despite optimization in allocation. Tradeoffs between costs and time of completing the project have to be taken using techniques such as crashing. Important budgetary and business decisions can be taken including hiring of additional sources, outsourcing or negotiating a reduction in the scope of the project (Richman, 2002, p. 117) . Multi-project resource scheduling requires project management capabilities at a different and a more complex dimension. Lead project managers typically take an enterprise level view of the project rather than at each individual project within it. Project control also takes a new dimension with individual project managers taking larger responsibility for their own domains and coordinating through effective communication with the core group managing the project (Barkley, 2006, p. 62). For example, if 5 aircrafts are being manufactured for a single airline simultaneously in a manufacturing facility, each aircraft unit would be a separate project together forming one larger multi-project for that order. Outsourcing can also take place in various forms. It can be inter-departmental

How to Differentiate Customers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How to Differentiate Customers - Essay Example Average Revenue: Businesses need to evaluate the average revenue earned over a period of time. From the accounts perspective, the management needs to check what is the current spending of the customer and what would be the projected revenue. Based on it the average revenue against a customer needs to be calculated. If average revenue is good or is very good then definitely the business should spend more time on the customer.Revenue Change Score: The annual changes in revenue are given the maximum weight where the management can analyze and comprehend the percentage change over the last fiscal years with the current year. The analysts need to study the increase / decrease in revenue to get the change graph. The analysts also need to forecast future revenue change based on current market scenario, customer relationship and other internal and external factors. Lewis (2005) stated that firms should identify their profitable customers and strategically plan their marketing based on custom er asset value. He also specified that the forecasting of the future value of customers is of paramount importance. The management can decide which customers should be allocated more time due to current net worth and prediction of future net worth.Current Relationship: The current relationship with the customer plays an important role in identifying the various parameters related to current revenue and future revenue projections. Customer relationship remains at the core of the entire business where a transparent., flexible and service orientation relation helps in gaining customer satisfaction. Reliability and confidence build up are important in ensuring future revenue and growth of the company. Conflict management should reduce any communication errors and help the firm project its growth plan. Technology Entanglement: Technology plays yet another important role in customer relationship management. Proper reporting, web conferencing and email management helps in communicating with the client. Log maintenance helps reduce communication issues. System integration helps the management in knowing what value additions are given to the customer and vice versa. This helps the organization to differentiate between the various customers and their net worth to the organization. Share of client: The share of outsourced work needs to be evaluated for the customer. There are a lot of instances where outsourcing is required and the business should assess it. Partnership: There needs to be a constant partnership with the customer with communication being a vital aspect of it. Constant

Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Essay Our campaign was a drugs campaign our main aim was to inform people on drugs and what effects it can have and to not stereotype drug users as they can be anyone. M2- Positive influences I felt our group were very well prepared as we had a good use of resources. This included plenty of leaflets to give out on drugs to inform people on the effectiveness on drugs. We also had a laptop with the Talk to Frank game on it available for people to play, and other drugs game activities that were available for people to take part in. We also gave out questionnaires and cakes which rewarded those for taking part. We also had plenty of space to set up the table and all the activities. This was important as not having enough space would have meant not being able to set up all the activities we made. We also, had plenty of time as we had a good time slot of 2 hours between 11 – 1 to implement the campaign. This gave more time for us to hand out questionnaires and inform and teach more people on the effects of drugs. We all took part equally in the campaign as we were involved in the stereotyping activity where we all attached signs to us asking â€Å"do you think I take drugs? where we asked people with regarding what we looked to like to whether we took drugs or not. Read more: Identify ways of working that can help improve partnership working  essay This involved us dressing up in particular clothes which seemed to be very effective rather than showing pictures of people. I believe we also taught lots to people as many people were shocked at the information gave to them especially about the â€Å"legal highs activity†. Negative influences I felt we didn’t all equally participate in preparation as the questionnaire and research I made were not used and a different questionnaire was made. This in effect made it seem as if my contribution was not necessary. I also, felt that I didn’t take part in setting up the campaign as the presentation tasks went to other group members. However, the campaign involved dressing up as characters and I believe that we all did a good job of dressing up except certain members of the group didn’t dress up as they should of as originally, we had the plan of someone dressing up in a suit to show that your appearance doesn’t affect whether taking drugs or not. This was important as not only were we raising awareness we were teaching about tereotypes. Also, the people that came to the campaign didn’t engage in all activities as we hoped as there was so many to take part in and so much information to give out. Also, our target audience were teenagers as there was evidence most drug users were around this age However, mostly adults came. I felt we had a limited audience and not as many people as we thought came to the campaign and a lot of the people had learning disabilities in which we weren’t prepared for and didn’t cater for. M3 – Ethical issues One of the main ethical issues in our campaign was confidentiality.  Confidentiality is important as during the campaign someone may come forwards and confide in you about drugs or there drug intake and it is important that confidentiality is not breached and that person’s name is not discussed and their privacy is kept. As we gave out questionnaires, they were kept anonymous so therefore, all information received from the campaign can be kept confidential as one of the questions was â€Å"Do you know anyone that takes drugs† which although this was a closed question it was quite personal and anyone answering might of felt uncomfortable if the questionnaire was to ask your name. This then links to safe guarding. During the campaign no one came forward with any information that could of lead them to be unsafe However, it was important that information we gave out was correct and that we weren’t giving false information which could lead someone to danger when taking drugs. This I felt we did successfully as all research given out was from drug websites such as Talk to Frank. Also, other ethical issues include choice and own beliefs. I believe that when giving out information we didn’t preach any of our own beliefs to anyone. It was completely factual. As this could of lead someone to feel uncomfortable as everybody has the right to choose whether they take drugs or not and if it is important that when teaching that you are not preaching your beliefs about people taking drugs as this could lead to offending someone who is taking them. Finally, it is important to not ask any inappropriate questions as this could lead to someone feeling uncomfortable. All personal questions that needed to be asked during our campaign were on an anonymous questionnaire which didn’t involve any questioning from anybody from our group. Therefore, making people feel comfortable in answering. Other questions asked by us were â€Å"do you think I look like the type of person that takes drugs? † as we were dressed up as characters. However, this question was asked after we explained that we were dressed up as characters as part of the campaign so people felt comfortable in answering without offending. Also, the question â€Å"would you like a cake? † for those who didn’t want to take part in any of the activities. D2 – During our campaign we gave out questionnaires after people took part in the activities. However, only 32 people answered the questionnaire. According to the questionnaire 22 people out of 32 knew someone who takes drugs that left only ten people who didn’t know anyone who took drugs. According to the Shropshire star â€Å"16 local Shrewsbury men had a powerful and overbearing’ influence on others in the drugs chain and was said to be taking ? 15,000 a month from the trade. † â€Å"Phoenix Car centre was aware of the extent of drugs operation and played significant part in getting drugs to the street of Shrewsbury under orders from other people. Some of these men are parents to teenagers in Shrewsbury and therefore, it is possible that some of the people that filled out the questionnaire knew these men. http://www. shropshirestar. com/news/2013/03/03/how-police-smashed-shropshire-drugs-cartel/ Also, 28 out of 32 people were made more aware of the effects of drugs after the campaign whereas only 4 people didn’t. This could of meant that they already knew about the effects drugs had on someone or they didn’t feel out campaign gave much information on the effects drugs have one someone. However, more than three quarters did find out more about the effects of drugs which is positive. This could suggest that existing campaigns aren’t using the correct technique as we did to inform people on the effects of drugs. Talk to Frank is a website that only offers online information and a call centre in which people are able to access to talk about drugs. However, although our campaign used most of the Talk to Frank information we implemented it in a different way which was more effective to informing people on the effects of drugs. â€Å"Since 2011 the Talk to Frank website has had a 6% increase in feedback† Therefore, It could suggest that people are using the website a lot more than previously. This could be why some people didn’t learn anymore about the effects of drugs and as our campaign was implemented directly through explaining we were able to teach more people about the effects. http://www. clear-uk. org/talk-to-frank-is-back/ 29 out of 32 people found out more information about drugs after the campaign was implemented. This meant that only 3 people didn’t learn anything from the campaign. This could have meant that they already knew or that our campaign wasn’t very informative. However 29 people did find it informative, which is more than 3 quarters of the people that were involved. Therefore, I feel as though our campaign did inform people well. Also, when questioned how useful the campaign was statistics show that 19 people thought our campaign was really good 11 people thought it was good and only 2 people thought it was average. And nobody felt our campaign was poor or really poor. Therefore, more than half thought out campaign was really good and useful and the rest thought it was good or average. This is positive results. Overall, our campaign results are very positive. This means that our campaign was very beneficial. I feel that our campaign went really well due to the positive feedback that we got of the audience. This is proved with results from our questionnaire which we gave to the audience to get their personal opinions on how well our campaign was to them. When giving out the questionnaire I felt we were present and observant when the questionnaire was filled out. Therefore, I feel that the results we got back from the questionnaire may be slightly warped due to people not wanting to be judged or questioned about their answers if they were negative as although it was anonymous it was very overt. Other campaigns use the questionnaire online and get feedback from the public, such as the Talk to Frank website and if I were to do the campaign again I would allow people to step aside to fill in their questionnaire and ask them to put it into a box I feel this covert way of gathering information is much better as it gives the public privacy which makes them able to write down their real thoughts and opinions about the campaign and not put answers to be polite. However, I felt our campaign nformation was as good as Talk to Frank as we had the talk to Frank games available and we were able to use a good range of information from the Talk to Frank website to bring awareness about the effects of drugs. http://www. talktofrank. com/? gclid=CLf-1dOy6bcCFQ3KtAod_Q4AnA A National campaign launched by the Australian government in 2011-2012 also used public speaking and posters to communicate to the public about the awareness of drugs and it was also very effective for them. They also collected results from their campaign on how it affected certain people and how it has made a difference for these certain people, how they’ve become more aware of drugs and the dangers, how they now feel about drugs and if they would ever attempt to take drugs. Which is slightly different from our campaign questionnaire but it is still the same method of gathering information and still very similar to the way in which we implemented our campaign. http://www. drugs. health. gov. au/internet/drugs/publishing. sf/content/campaign4 This proved very good in some aspects as there has been an increase in showing that drugs are harmful and helping people avoid using drugs which is very similar to our campaign in the fact it is bringing awareness by showing that drugs are bad and harmful by looking and there effects. Also, other statistics show that more adults are talking more to their children about substances after the campaign which again is bringing awareness and also p romote two way communications.

Electrodiagnostic Changes in Patient With Multiple Sclerosis

Electrodiagnostic Changes in Patient With Multiple Sclerosis Abstract Although demyelination along the axons is the main manifestation of Multiple sclerosis (MS), peripheral nervous system (PNS) could be affected potentially too. In some studies PNS involvement is estimated to be more than 50 percent in MS patients. Accordingly, objective tests to confirm the severity of PNS involvement might be crucial in patients management. Modern technological advances lead to innovation of computerized electrodiagnostic (EDX) techniques in recent years. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) provide reliable data about neuropathies. Although the frequency of PNS involvement varies in different population of MS patients, recognizing clinical and subclinical PNS impairments in MS patients is important for the treatment. Introduction Among the central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorders, multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease which is the most common form of neurologic impairments in young adults (1). Myelin destruction is the main pathophysiology of MS which is an immune-mediated process and leads to plaque formation in patients` central nervous system (2). MS symptoms evaluation is based on musculoskeletal dysfunction and stiffness. MS disease onset is almost in the third or fourth decade of patient’s life. It is estimated that over 2 million people suffer from MS all around the world and half of the MS global population live in Europe (3). The International Panel on the diagnosis of MS defined the diagnostic criteria of MS in 2000 which was revised in 2010(4, 5). Although demyelination along the axons is the main manifestation of MS, peripheral nervous system (PNS) could be affected potentially in MS. PNS axonal destruction might occur in a considerable percent of MS patients (6). Changes in nerve conduction velocity (NCV) parameters could demonstrate MS by electrodiagnostic assessment of peripheral nerve. About 5% of MS patients develop peripheral nerve impairment and changes in NCV (7). PNS involvement in MS might be associated with malnutrition or drug toxicity, so its diagnosis is important in patient with MS. Pathology studies about MS in recent years have shown that gray matter involvement and brain atrophy might happen in the early stages of the disease in addition to white matter demyelination (8). In Pogorzelski et al. study the rate of nerve impairment in MS patients PNS is estimated to be 74.2% (9). Warabi, et al. demonstrated that 10.3% of MS patients revealed changes in NCV and about half of the patients with PNS disorders might have two involved nerves (10). MS diagnosis has three parts; patients history and information, clinical, and paraclinical examinations. These steps could raise the accuracy of diagnosis and result in narrowing the differential diagnosis (3). In recent decades peripheral and generalized neuropathies have become common; neurological examinations in neuropathies are essential, but not enough and do not have sufficient diagnostic accuracy. Accordingly, objective tests that could confirm the severity of neuropathies might be crucial in patients` management. Modern technological advances lead to innovation of computerized electrodiagnostic (EDX) tools in recent years. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) provide reliable data about neuropathies (10). Motor nerve conduction examinations have been performed on a mixed nerve with motor and sensory axons. In these types of studies stimulations have been conducted on a specific part in each course (11). Depolarization induced with electrical pulse has produced action potentials in axons. Induced evoked potentials in motor axons move into distal and proximal direction from the stimulus point (12). Action potentials would be transferred from neuromuscular junctions in milliseconds all over the muscular fibers. These electrical activities along muscles fibers have been detected as compound muscle action potential (CMAP) (13). Various variables could be measured from CAMP such as latency, amplitude, area under the curve, duration, and motor conduction velocity. By measuring the amplitude and area of CAMP, the frequency of induced action potentials in muscle`s fibers could be estimated and thereby count of axons would be stimulated (14). Discussion There are some suggestive nerve conduction criteria for axonal distraction, like decreased distal evoked CMAP or SNAP; proximal reductions might happen due to demyelination impairments (15). Form different studies it can be concluded that in most of the axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathies there is statistical correlation between slow conduction in motor or sensory nerves and amplitude reduction (16). SNAP/CMAP amplitude in some cases could distinct between axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathies (12). In Table 1 elctrodiagnostic assessment of PNS in MS patients is shown. Table 1: Elctrodiagnostic assessment of peripheral nervous system in MS patients *Expanded Disability Status Scale In various studies, elctrodiagnostic tests have been established as reliable methods to detect the subclinical peripheral nerve conduction disorders. Significant amplitude F-wave disturbance might be related with hand spasticity in SP.MS (22). Some studies demonstrated the presentation of PNS involvement in MS as sensory abnormalities, whereas others consist on both sensory and motor disorders. It seems that peripheral neuropathy in MS affects motor neurons particularly and peripheral abnormalities might be result from central demyelination (18). On the other hand the role of peripheral demyelination events in MS peripheral signs and symptoms has not been identified completely. Number of factors could explain the changes in nerve stimulation responses in MS patients. Delayed recovery cycle might lead to impairment in supernormality. Gender, age, temperature, and immunomodulatory treatments in MS might have an impact on nerve stimulation responses. Na+/K+ ATPase pump dysfunction result from metabolic changes could lead to axonal membrane depolarization and recovery cycle disturbance. Change in temperature has a great impact on sodium channel kinetics and impress the action potential duration and amplitude (19). In feys, et al. study sensory conduction velocity was normalized after cooling, but motor conduction velocity was remained impaired after 20 minutes (23). Another theory for PNS involvement in MS is antigenic cross-reactivity, which might happen due to peripheral demyelination. It is obvious that gross demyelination in PNS does not occur in MS, and peripheral myelin has structural impairment in most cases and this could lead to create a resistant zone and intermodal leakage. Anti chondroitin sulphatase antibody, anti myelin associated glycoprotein antibody, and anti gangliosides antibody have been described in PNS involvement in MS (21). Electrodiagnostic tests for PNS involvement in MS patients could find evidence of minor PNS or fiber pathology in early stages (22). Although PNS involvement frequency in MS varies in different population, recognizing clinical and subclinical PNS impairments in MS patient is important.

Is Obamas Strategic Nuclear Arms Control Policy Sound Politics Essay

Is Obamas Strategic Nuclear Arms Control Policy Sound Politics Essay Since the day Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hit by the first and only nuclear bomb to ever be used in the world history, world countries understood the evil implications of such weapons. From that moment, nations have been trying to sustain the stability of those mass destruction weapons through organizations, treaties, systems, etc. that have dated back to 1946. One of the most influential people who work hard with regards to solving such problems is President Barak Obama. Obama has been working on this issue since he took over presidency due to the serious problems between the U.S. and Russia regarding this subject from the times of President Bush. Nevertheless, Obamas real motivation came when North Koreas launched a long-range rocket that could be used as a missile. Therefore he gave a speech in Prague calling for a nuclear-free world. President Obama pledged that the U.S. will reduce its nuclear stocks within the next four years. Moreover, he assured the public that the U.S. will also strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and penalize any countries that attempt to violate the rules or laws established in the treaty. This is why, in the year of 2010, a year from his speech, President Obamas administration settled particular standards. Thus the Nuclear Posture Review was released, in which the objectives that President Obama wanted to fulfill were met. President Obama identified the Nuclear Posture Review as a method that will prohibit nuclear proliferation, prevent the use and distribution of nuclear arms, and reduce the possibility of the formation of nuclear terrorism. Nonetheless, the Nuclear Posture Review was considered very controversial worldwide. Even though the U.S, one of the worlds superpowers, issued the review, it was being opposed by many nations that believed it to be a utopian dream that will never be realized. In this essay, I am going to be discussing the negative effects that nuclear proliferation has on society. Also, I am going to examine the efforts President Obama exerted towards seeking a solution for this matter. In addition to that, I will note all the progress President Obama accomplished throughout his campaign, and all the barriers he had to overcome to reach where we are at now. On the other hand, I will mention how the world reacted to such a policy and whether or not they decided to adopt it. Finally, I will be discussing whether or not this arm control policy is sound and sufficient. Introduction: Nuclear proliferation is a term used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons. There are two types of proliferations. The first is vertical proliferation, which refers to the increase in the number of stockpiles of nuclear weapons, improving the technical sophistication or reliability of weapons, or developing new weapons through research programs in states that already possess nuclear weaponry. The second type of proliferation is horizontal proliferation, which refers to nation-states or non-state entities that do not have proliferation system, but are acquiring nuclear weapons or developing the capability and materials for producing nuclear weapons through research programs. After the First atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, world countries knew that a divinely dreadful power was unleashed. Therefore, countries started to cooperate together, to place restrain orders on nuclear weapons and on the nations who posses them. As early as 1946, the organization now known as the International Atomic Energy Agency was established to limit the use of nuclear energy to peaceful purposes only. However, the effort to constrain nuclear arms has been a rather slow progress throughout the 1960s; the period of the cold war between the U.S. and Soviet Union. During the cold war people lived with the knowledge that their world could be erased in a single flash of light by a nuclear war. However, we are now in the 21st century, and the cold war has come to an end. Nevertheless, the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up since thousands of the weapons used back then still didnt disappear. Also, more and more nations have acquired those weapons, and have the knowledge to build even more nuclear bombs. Hence, although there is an existing global non-proliferation regime, many nations still violate the rules. Also, the fact that terrorist nowadays want to buy, build, or steal those weapons is affecting the security of the nation and peace of the world, and in return, affecting the world high politics. President Obama understands that these weapons are the ultimate tools of destruction. For no matter were an explosion occurs there is no end to its consequences. Since the U.S. is the only nuclear power to have ever used a nuclear weapon, President Obama believes that his country has a moral obligation to act upon and stop this phenomenon. He wants nations to join together and work towards a world without nuclear proliferation. To do so, he is leading a regime that aims for peace and security in our world! This strategy needs patience, persistence, and commitment to become a reality. Thus, President Obamas commitment is seen; I am standing for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear (YouTube Contributors, 2009). Chapter One: President Obama Calls for Reduction in Nuclear Arms On Sunday April 5th 2009, in Prague, President Obama launched an effort that would aid the world to make nuclear weapons obsolete, calling them the most dangerous legacies of the Cold War (YouTube Contributors, 2009). In his speech, Obama considered this strategy the aim of the 21st century. Thus, he urged nations to get rid of their nuclear weapons and stop researching and developing new types of nuclear weapons and means of warhead delivery. He also encouraged an end to Cold War thinking and promised to reduce the nuclear stocks in U.S. within the next four years. The choice of Prague for such a speech carried strong symbolism, and President Obama didnt ignore it. Decades of communism were toppled in Czechoslovakia through the 1989 Velvet Revolution. Thus, President Obama praised the Czechs for helping bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot. President Obamas speech was mainly driven by North Koreas launching of a long-range rocket in defiance to the international community, which took place earlier that day. Since the launching process was widely condemned by the U.S. and international officials. During his speech, President Obama targeted his comments at one point directly at North Korea, and declared that North Korea broke the rules by testing a rocket that could be used as a long-range missile. Such a launch emphasizes the urgency of the denuclearization agenda. Hence, President Obama pledged to work with partners for the denuclearization of North Korea at a summit with leaders of the European Union in which President Obama called for a swift and joint statement condemning North Koreas actions. Moreover, President Obama addressed another potential nuclear issue in his speech. He warned Iran and presented it with a clear choice to join in the community of nations and earn its right to peaceful nuclear energy, on the condition that it ceases its nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Otherwise, it may continue to refuse to meet its international obligations and face increased isolation. He also mentioned that the U.S. would proceed with development of a missile defense system in Europe as long as there is an Iranian threat of developing nuclear weapons. Once that threat is removed, he promised that the driving force for missile defense in Europe would be removed. However, this issue remains a very sore point between Russia and the U.S. since they are not in full agreement on what to do about the existing nuclear weapons in North Korea and the potential nuclear weapons in Iran, especially since Russia is being lenient with Irans nuclear program. On the other hand, President Obama coupled his call for a nuclear-free world with an assurance that the U.S. would not individually give up its nuclear weapons. President Obama also outlined several concrete steps toward a nuclear-free world. One of which was ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban on testing nuclear weapons, which the U.S. would aggressively seek, and called for a global effort to secure nuclear material. He also noted that the U.S. would host a summit within the next year on reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons! However, The U.S. would still need major help form all the nations worldwide to reach such goal. Additionally, President Obama reinforced his speech by mentioning that he signed an agreement to begin negotiating in Moscow, a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to reduce warheads and stockpiles with his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev. The treaty, which will take place at the end of the year, aims for cutting their respective nuclear arsenals to 1,500 each. President Obama also discussed the solutions that will include preventing the production of more nuclear weapons, and seeking a new treaty. Such a treaty will terminate the manufacturing of fissile materials used in nuclear arms, thus diminishing the purpose of nuclear arms in the American national security strategy, negotiating a new international treaty, and strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. President Obama promised that the U.S. would seek strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation treaty by providing more resources and authority for international inspections and mandating. Since, any country that would violate the rules of the treaty would face real and immediate consequences, including automatic referral to the UN Security Council. At the end of his speech, President Obama addressed people who argue that the spread of these weapons cannot be stopped, and that human-kind are destined to live in a world where more nations and people possess the ultimate tools of destruction, stating that Such fatalism is a deadly adversary. For if we believe that the spread of nuclear weapons is inevitable, then we are admitting to ourselves that the use of nuclear weapons is inevitable (YouTube Contributors, 2009). Chapter Two: President Obamas Nuclear Posture Review Former government officials, nuclear weapons experts, and leaders of arms control organizations representing more than one million Americans have sent a letter to the President, urging him to fulfill his April 2009 pledge to put an end to Cold War thinking and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy (YouTube Contributors, 2009). In the letter sent to the White House on February 1sr 2010, the group called on the president to ensure that the new policy advances the highest security priorities, such as preventing terrorists or additional states from obtaining nuclear weapons, reducing global stockpiles, and moving toward a world without nuclear weapons. However, in 2010, a year from his speech, and after much internal wrangling, President Obamas administration has settled on a clever and well-prepared standard, thus releasing the Nuclear Posture Review, which is a legislatively mandated review that determines U.S. nuclear strategy, policy, force posture, and capabilities for the next few years. It is consisted of 72 pages that review the program, and help the public understand some of its finer points and details. The review has policies that meet the objectives President Obama wants to accomplish. Thus it is consistent with President Obamas commitment to listen, learn and lead. Additionally, The Nuclear Posture Review also explains how the United States will sustain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent for the United States and its allies as long as nuclear weapons exist. While the Nuclear Posture Review was meant to inform the debate on NATO nuclear policy, it does not explicitly address the subject. In fact, the Nuclear Posture Review states, any changes in NATOs nuclear posture should only be taken after a thorough review within and decision by the Alliance. The United States is considering basing the future of nuclear arms in Europe, and is committed to making the majority of their decisions through the use of the NATO processes. Nevertheless, the  Nuclear Posture Review states that the U.S. is now set to reinforce its long-standing negative security assurance by implying that the U.S. would not use or threaten to use nuclear arms against nations that lack nuclear weapons, and non-nuclear weapons nations that are part of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and are obedient to their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, which they have remained in compliance with. Thus, this studied declaration is intended to highlight the security benefits of fully adhering and complying with the NPT and encourage non-nuclear weapon states party to the Treaty to cooperate with the U.S. other interested parties to adopt applicable measures to strengthen the non-proliferation regime. However, The U.S. has the right and will only consider attacking or threatening a country if it develops significant chemical, biological, or conventional weapons that pose a threat to the U.S. or its allies. This part of the treaty actually assures other countries that they should always be inferior to the U.S. militarily and returns everyone to square of the arms race among countries. The  Nuclear Posture Review also leads to the removal of an entire class of nuclear weapons distribution systems The Nuclear-Armed Tomahawk from the arsenal. And called for further Russian and American nuclear arms reductions. On the other hand, President Obama identifies the Nuclear Posture Review as a method that prohibits the use of nuclear proliferation, and nuclear arms, and reduces the potential of the acquisition of nuclear weapons or the materials and knowledge by individuals or non-state entities, often termed terrorists, to produce nuclear weapons. Stating that the latter point is the most urgent priority, especially that the technology needed to construct a nuclear weapon has been known, and is being rabidly spread between nations. Thus, terrorists could build their own nuclear weaponry, which would threaten global safety and well-being. All in all, President Obamas new review restricts the role of nuclear weapons in the U.S. security strategy, and shifts both the U.S. and Russia towards a more stable strategic connection at lower levels of nuclear arms. The review is framed to support action for the immediate next steps with regards to a world without nuclear weapons, which were outlined in his Prague speech; the strengthening of the NPT, the entry by force of the CTBT, the accelerated action in order to secure nuclear weapons-usable material, and the conclusion of a new strategic weaponry treaty. Chapter Three: International Responses Domestically, the concept of the Russian and U.S. post-Strategic Arms Reduction Talks to decrease the number of launchers in both countries to 1500 each, were rather refuted by U.S. officials. Particularly because it was a smart move from Russias side, that is unfair to the U.S. Especially because the Russian Launchers will drop significantly within 8-9 years from 680 launchers to 270 launchers, simply as a result of aging and expiring of the system! Therefore, military leaders stated that President Obama should be very careful about moving towards a low launcher numbers strategy because it would provide major advantages for the Russian Federation, but major disadvantages for U.S. strategy. Some experts believe that it is possible to completely eradicate nuclear weapons, and such a program that will drastically cut the worlds negative atomic arsenal carries support from scientists worldwide. Also, a recent examination that conducted by researchers from all around the world was issued as a special of  The Nonproliferation Review on key foreign governments responses to the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, proved that contrary to the popular belief, President Obamas policy considerably influenced a number of countries nuclear diplomatic doctrines, and produced significant progress toward a safer nuclear world. An example was Russias nuclear doctrine. Which was revised to allow nuclear options only in the case of which they are used in response to attacks that threaten the existence of their state. Moreover, at last years NATO summit in Lisbon, NATO governments settled to address concern by offering to negotiate with the Russian government for reductions or elimination of sub -strategic nuclear weapons in an upcoming arms-control agreement. Perhaps the primary short-term achievement of President Obamas new policy was that it stopped the erosion of the 2005 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, yet later on suffered an unfortunate hindrance when the international community was unable to reach an agreement that was in favor of the nonproliferation regime. This failure was blamed on the Bush administration by numerous nations. By contrast, at the May 2010 NPT Review Conference, the signatories to the treaty welcomed the reductions announced by some nuclear weapons states, praised new and improved International Atomic Energy Agency safeguard inspection protocols, and underscored the importance of international discussions on multilateral control of sensitive nuclear fuel facilities. One political scientist reported  that this outcome would not have been imaginable if it not for President Obamas open-mindedness regarding the aim towards a nuclear-free world, and the implementation of a nuclear stance that helped US move towards acheiving that objective. On the other Hand, Some overseas governments such as India and China still view the new posture with skepticism, and its statements about nuclear weapons reduction as a mere rhetoric. Accordingly, Chinese officials expressed concerns  that in the future, conventional weaponry enhancements might make the U.S. more likely to threaten China. Moreover, an Indian commentator called  the new U.S. doctrine more posture than review. However, that kind of reaction was only encouraged when U.S. officials strayed from President Obamas declared policy. Also, former President Chilton insisted that future generations would depend on nuclear arms for the survival of the U.S. A phrasing that is deeply inconsistent with President Obamas stated goal. Thus, it is critical that the President Obamas administration maintain high discipline within the military and government bureaucracy concerning this issue. In the run-up to 2010 Senate ratification of New START, President Obamas administration ordered an increases in financial-banking for the nations nuclear laboratories in order for them to preserve the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal without nuclear testing in the future. This program added integrity to President Obamas frequent declarations that the U.S. requires a nuclear deterrent as long as other states have nuclear weapons. I also think that in order to further enhance the credibility of President Obamas pledge to work towards creating a world free of nuclear arms, the administration should also demand further diminutions in U.S. nuclear arms beyond those enforced by the New START agreement. Conclusion In conclusion, we can see that the world is obviously facing a growing threat from nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism, and President Obama is one of the few influential people that decided to adopt this security dilemma, and attempted to fix it. However, I personally think that this could not be a one-man-show since such a strategy needs to be supported worldwide, especially by countries that posses those weapons. Therefore, nations must recognize that nonproliferation is a two-way street, and that progress can only be achieved by a truly global coalition. Hence, a noticeable success in preventing further nuclear proliferation would require building bonds and links between countries to maximize cooperation. Also, such an aim would take an extended period of time to be realized. Thus making it a long-term goal that countries should join hands to achieve. Hence, I think that in the meantime nations should seek to reduce the numbers of nuclear weapons, yet not eliminate them completely since this gives the U.S. a sense of security; knowing that if invader attacked, they would have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Indeed, every country is opting for peace in the world. However, some might privately have weapons stored, waiting for the right opportunity to exploit first world countries, and be considered a superpower. Hence, the greed and thrive for power is also considered a major barrier in the way of President Obamas strategy. Countries are selfish, and place their own needs and well-being above anything else, thus preventing them from thinking straight and cooperating with others to achieve what is best for global welfare. Finally, it can be noticed that President Obamas Prague speech aimed high, but the Nuclear Posture Review leaves the U.S. nuclear policy at square one. All in all, I think Obamas strategy is not sufficient enough for eliminating nuclear threats since there is no guarantee that countries will want to follow in the footsteps of the U.S. and In order to fully realize the promise of a world without nuclear weapons, President Obama and his team must do more to change outdated Cold War thinking and reduce the U.Ss reliance on nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, we should praise President Obama for his continuous efforts and time spent trying to solve this dilemma. President Obamas strategy is a major step, paving the road to a world without nuclear weapons.

Films that were enjoyed and disliked :: essays research papers

Films that were enjoyed and disliked   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The DVD The Movies Begin by Kino video is a testament to the early beginnings of film history. The series outlines man’s earliest attempts to create visual representations of the world around them, with great success. There are many short films on the disc that range from real events to staged minute long â€Å"stories.† There are some films that are enjoyable on levels of artistic creativity, while others lack motivation and are tedious (despite their short length).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film that sticks out most in terms of creativity is Georges Melies’ A Trip To The Moon (1902). This film chronicles the short but adventure filled flight of men to the moon. They make a large steel vessel, and travel to the moon where they encounter hostile alien beings. The film gave early audiences the fantasy of what was at the time impossible. This was primarily because of the use of special effects and a creative set design. This happened to be the result of Melies’ work as a magician. He also made use of editing to aid in his visual interpretation, making the audience believe that the aliens mysteriously evaporated after being hit with an umbrella. Melies also created a structure that was comprehensible. A simple venture into space; aliens and danger; escape to earth. This seemed to represent the three-act structure comparable to today’s films. All these elements created a landscape most audiences had never envisioned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another short film that warrants mention for simple creativity yet has underlying political tones is Ferdinand Zecca’s The Golden Beetle (1907). This film uses special effects as its main draw, showing a man enticed, then killed by a beautiful woman (beetle). Color tints on the film gave it an unusual look, as the woman appears to have an aura of gold around her body. The film’s climax sees the demise of the man in a fiery death. This was most probably the result of the cultural attitudes toward women during this period. The film suggests that a woman could be mysterious and alluring, yet simultaneously destructive and overwhelming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One film that was pioneering in its technical attributes was the Lumiere brothers’ film Leaving Jerusalem By Railway (1896). This was a short film where the camera was at the rear of a train as it pulled away. This was revolutionary for the period because it took the camera away from the common stationary position somewhat, creating a tracking shot.

Art and History Displayed at the Pompeii Exhibition at LACMA Essay

The Pompeii exhibition at LACMA was an astounding visualization of history. The exhibition provided all sorts of objects; from sculptures, glass figures, painted art, and more. These art pieces specify the kind of life that was taking place in the Bay of Naples during the second century. As we know the cities around the Bay of Naples, which include Pompeii and Herculaneum, became tourist attractions when the cities were excavated after they were buried from the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. However, the comprehension of how the art pieces made their way into the museum is just a little fact of the history behind them. With this exhibition we are able to feel like we are back in time and living in the exhilarating time of Pompeii. At the start of the exhibition we are presented with various busts and sculptures of certain, and presumably famous, figures. It is when we see the sculpture of Aphrodite (see Fig. 1) that we start sensing the significance of the exhibition. These sculptures were the norm during the second century in the Bay of Naples, and by viewing the intricate details in each art piece we understand how worthy each work meant to each of the artists. The sculpture of Aphrodite portrayed a serene greeting to the exhibitors. She stood in the middle welcoming us with a soft and warm smile. Through this sculpture we view how the Pompeii artist was following the Greek perception of the human body such as what we see in Polykleitos’ sculpture, Doryphoros; Aphrodite stands with the weight shifted on to her left foot portraying the cross balance of the human body. Once we appreciate the first art room we are then presented with various pieces of the gardens that were found around the Bay of Naples. In, w... ...hristen Kobke were on display including The Forum at Pompeii. The Forum painting depicts a tragic scene of Pompeii as it sits torn and destructed. Novels and photo albums also are displayed at the end of the exhibition. However, one of the last sculptures on view, Nydia, The Blind Girl of Pompeii (see Fig. 4), provides us with the fact that many people were truly inspired by the great tragic story of Pompeii. The sculpture of Nydia expresses the sadness and horror that many had experienced during that time. The Pompeii exhibition featured a number of objects, and how these objects were showed to the public presented a story. We were welcomed by the people into the home and gardens. Later we were given our parting with the photo albums and illuminated Pompeii art. This exhibition shows how much information and history can be presented in a few pieces of art.

Contemporary society Essay

Identify the principal agents who expose white collar crime in contemporary society. What factors motivate people to expose such crime, and what factors inhibit them from doing so? What specific policy measures can be adopted to encourage exposure of white collar crime? The principle agents who expose white collar crimes in contemporary society are informers, whistleblowers and investigative reporters. Informers would consist of the people like politicians who usually give information to receive a lesser sentence or the like for their own involvement. This is very popular here in IL where the politicians are tried and convicted and then become witnesses testifying against one of their fellow conspirators. These informants are motivated by their sense of self-preservation. However, they can be reluctant to tell as there may be a fear of retaliation to them or to their families. Also, there are whistleblowers who, in my opinion, are usually driven by moral and ethical values. These brave people are the ones who brought companies, like Enron, to the forefront. They are your everyday employees who see something wrong, and bring it to the attention of those who can enforce the laws that are in place. Moreover, they could be reluctant to tell anything due to fear of being blacklisted, loss of employment, or being ostracized among other negative reactions. Sometimes the negative social and financial repercussions outweigh the benefits of doing what is morally right. Last, there are investigative reporters. These professional bring issue to the forefront, when it appears that they are being overlooked by society. A good example of this is a news story that showed, at different construction sites, workers asleep on the job, wasting tax payer money. Another story involved politicians being investigated for giving contracts to friends and family. Investigative reporting is motivated by professionals who want to bring to the forefront the crimes of companies and government, but I believe that it is also driven by ratings. Some things can be shown because it won’t affect sponsorship, but some things are shelved for fear of losing corporate sponsorship. In order to encourage exposing white collar crimes, policies preventing the accusing from retaliating should be put into place. Also, some form of compensation should be met to those who risk their livelihood to do what is right. Not an excessive compensation, but compensation nonetheless. However, I do not believe anything will ever completely help. Companies will still be able to  blacklist and financially and socially ruin a whistleblower. It cannot be prevented. Also, they can still pull their money out of local stations. The companies have a lot power, and they are hard to fight. 6. How can corporations ensure that their employees behave ethically? Corporations can ensure that their employees behave ethically, by showing a good example of ethical behavior at the top. It begins with the CEO and senior management. If they display ethical behavior, the employees will follow suit. The work environment would become a do as I do vs. do as I say environment. Also, a clear and sound structured work environment is necessary. Internal controls need to be in place to create a check and balance system. This system would leave less room for unethical behavior. Last, continuous training on what is expected from the company and company policies would also be effective. A reminder on what is expected and accepted (or not accepted) is a good way to keep employees in line with company objectives.

Analysis of Bao-yu’s dream in Cao Xueqin’s ‘Story of the Stone’ Essay

The Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin is an animated, lively account of life in a large Chinese household in the mid-18th century Qing dynasty. It remains a fascinating novel for modern readers with its vivid and detailed descriptions of the minutiae of daily life – from clothing, food and interior design to education, marriage and death. For all its realism however, The Story of the Stone is not set entirely in reality. The very premise of the whole tale, that of a single rock left out of the goddess Nu-wa’s repairing of the sky, is one based on a magico-religious dream world. The rock is found by a Buddhist and a Taoist who take it down to the mortal world where it lives out a human life, that of Jia Bao-yu, before attaining Nirvana. Once a rock again, a Taoist copies the inscription on its surface †from beginning to end and took it back with him to look for a publisher†. Cao Xueqin’s emphasis on dreams can be seen in the alternative titles for his m asterpiece. A Dream of Red Mansions is the title by which the book is perhaps most commonly known. Twelve Young Ladies of Jinling is also a title suggested in chapter one. Both of these titles refer to the same dream. As David Hawkes explains, ‘hong lou’, red mansion, has the more specialised meaning of the residences of the daughters of rich men and thus, the young ladies themselves. The dream alluded to in these appellations occurs in the fifth chapter of volume one, The Golden Days. Cousin Zhen’s wife, You-shi, has invited the women of the Rong-guo house, accompanied by Bao-yu, round for a flower viewing party. Needless to say, Bao-yu soon tires and asks to take a nap. Rather than going back to the Rong mansion, the wife of his nephew, Jia Rong, leads him to her chamber to sleep. Bao-yu immediately drops off into a vivid dream world. He meets the fairy of Disenchantment who shows him to the Land of Illusion and into the Department of the Ill-Fated Fair. Within this department is housed the ‘Jinling, Twelve Beauties of, Main Register’, a record of the twelve most notable females in Bau-yu’s own province of Jinling. The fairy of Disenchantment allows Bao-yu to read the fates of the twelve girls as recorded in the form of four-line verses. Bao-yu can make little sense of what he reads. Later, the quatrains are expanded into a series of twelve songs entitled A Dream of Golden Days. While the words are sung by a troupe of entertainers, Bao- yu reads along with the manuscript. He still does not understand. Indeed, both the verses in the register and in the song-cycle contain allusions and metaphors not immediately obvious and not easily deciphered. Yet at a most basic level, they provide an outline of the fate of twelve principle female characters in The Story of the Stone. Their fate unfolds throughout the course of the five volume novel. The Golden Days therefore, is only the beginning. But, by the end of the first volume, to what extent have the women already prepared the way for their future course? The first verse in the Main Register is a joint record of Lin Dai-yu and Xue Bao-chai. These two young girls share the affection of Bao-yu and Grandmother Jia. In their own individual ways, they are both paragons. It seems odd therefore that they share only one verse between them. Hawkes puts forward the argument that Dai-yu and Bao-chai †represent two complementary aspects of a single ideal woman†. Evidence for this interpretation lies in the first two lines of their quatrain: One was a pattern of female virtue, One a wit who made other wits seem slow. The combination of wit, or intelligence, and virtue were ideal traits in a Qing woman of the upper class. Arguably it was Dai-yu who held the upper hand in wit while Bao-chai, with her †generous and accommodating disposition†, was the more virtuous. Although in the song-cycle there are two songs for Dai-yu and Bao-chai, it is not the case that one is dedicated to Dai-yu and one to Bao-chai. Albeit the second so ng is solely about Dai-yu, but there are references to both characters in the first song. The character ‘lin’ in Lin Dai-yu is made up of two tree radicals and has the meaning ‘forest’. ‘Xue’ in Xue Bao-chai sounds the same as the Chinese word for ‘snow’ while ‘bao chai’ can be translated as ‘precious’ or ‘gold hairpin’. Thus, the references come in the form of gold, flowers, snow and trees. Bao-yu is alluded to using jade or stone as he was born with a jade stone in his mouth. The first song, The Mistaken Marriage, refers to †the marriage rites of gold and jade†. This foreshadows the marriage of Bao-chai (gold) and Bao-yu (jade). The speaker however, still remembers the relationship between ‘stone and flower’. There is indeed, a special bond between Bao-yu and Dai-yu. Although Bao-yu, †a child†¦whom nature had endowed with the eccentric obtuseness of a simpleton†, fails to recognise it, Dai-yu is an intensely jealous character and resents any time he spends with Bao-chai and not her. Bao-yu struggles to understand the cause of Dai-yu’s mainly irrational sulks, yet always attempts to comfort her: Take kinship first: you are my cousin on Father’s side; cousin Bao is only a mother-cousin. That makes you much the closer kin. And as for length of acquaintance: it was you who came here first. You and I have practicaly grown up together†¦Why should I ever be any less close to you because of her? There is a profound love between Bao-yu and Dai-yu that seems to grow with the progression of the first volume. They share an understanding †so intense that it was almost as if they had grown into a single person.† The speaker suggests however, that later on Dai-yu (†that fairy wood†) dies. Thus, even a wife †so courteous and so kind† as Bao-chai is no substitute for the wife that Dai-yu could have been. Their marriage, even though †others all commend it†, is a mistake. This is succeeded by Hope Betrayed which deals specifically with the close relationship between Dai-yu (†a flower from paradise†) and Bao-yu (†a pure jade without spot or stain†). They are clearly meant for each other but the poem augurs future disaster. The pain heartache that stems from such an ardent love will all be in vain. In one sense these two poems pose an insurrmountable contradiction. Fate, the belief in which provides the premise for this entire dream scene, will have them be together but they are not. They are meant to be but cannot and this inability is portrayed as some kind of mistake, a going against the natural order. Is there then, even such a thing as fate? This question aside, it can be seen that, in the case of Dai-yu and Bao-chai, their journey has barely begun by the end of The Golden Days. Their relationship with Bao-yu is entirely platonic (physically at least) and, although it is perhaps assumed that one of them, most likely Dai-yu, will be be Bao-yu’s future bride, this is only hinted at in jest among the maids and is a source of great embarassement to Dai-yu. The second quatrain and the third poem can be interpretted as Yuan-chun’s fate. Yuan-chun, daughter of Lady Wang and Jia Zheng, is Bao-yu’s elder sister. The first two lines describe her, age twenty, leaving her family to live in the emperor’s palace as a royal concubine. As can be seen by the subsequent effort put into a lavish garden compund in honour fo her visit, this was a posi tion held in great esteem. Although out of modesty, Yuan-chun later changes the name, the setting for her reunion with her family within Prospect Garden initially bears the inscription ‘Precinct of the Celsetial Visitant’. Hence perhaps, the use of the phrase †pomegranate-time†. Hawkes stresses the †redness’ of the original Chinese text, the colour red being a symbol of good-fortune and prosperity. Although much of this sense has inevitably been lost in translation, the red skin of the pomegranate could perhaps be taken as emphasising the great advantages such a position could bestow on both concubine and family. The second half of the quatrain however, does not bode so well for the future. Although Yuan-chun is superior if not in beauty and intelligence then in success to her half-sister Tan-chun and her cousins, Ying-chun and Xi-chun (the †three springs†), her charmed life will come to an end †when hare meets tiger†. Hare and tiger refer to Chinese years. Thus, this prophecy specifies that the date of Yuan-chun’s death will fall at the end of a tiger year and at the beginning of a rabbit year. The third song, Mutability, again prophesises Yuan-chun’s departure from the Rong-guo household to the emperor’s palace. It goes on to describe her appearing before her parents in a dream to pay her †final duty†, forewarning again of her death. By the end of The Golden Days Yuan-chun has indeed left home to become a royal concubine. Although the location of the Jia clan in The Story of the Stone is questionable, it is clear that Yuan-chun and he r family feel cut off from each other in spirit if not by physical distance. Their reunion in chapter eighteen is an emotional one and although the emperor allows visits in the palace once a month, special permission must be granted for a once-yearly return to the family home. It is for this reason, †so far the road back home did seem†, that Yuan-chun will be forced to pay her final filial duties in a dream. (Hawkes points out that this dream sequence never in fact took place. He suggests that Xueqin used the material for this episode in chapter thirteen instead, when Qin-shi appears before Xi-feng in a dream.) Tan-chun, half-sister to Yuan-chun, one of the †three springs† referred to above and daughter of Jia Zheng and a concubine, is the subject of the fourth quatraine in the Main Register. She is †by far the most gifted of the three springs† as well as possessing a kind, generous nature. The first line, †Blessed with a shrewd mind and a noble heart†, is countered however, by the second, †Yet born in time of twilight and decay†. Although The golden Days is essentially a story set in the happy, carefree years of childhood, the bigger picture reveals a time of political and social upheaval, a sense of which permeates many aspects of the novel. Tan-chun’s prophesised marriage in the final two lines will thus perhaps be related to economic considerations. The marriage will clearly not be a happy one. The very title of the fourth song, From Dear Ones Parted, suggests the insuperable distance between Tan-chun and her home and her intense homsickness. The song has Tan-chun referring to †our rising, falling†, meaning the rise and fall of the Jia family. As a result of this, †each in another land must be, each for himself must fend as best he may†, again suggesting that the marriage will be one of economic convenience. Apa rt from allusions to her wit and good character, we learn little about Tan-chun in the first volume of The Story of the Stone. There are however, hints to be found as to her fate. In chapter 22, she attends Grandmother Jia’s riddle party. Asked to compose a riddle, the answer to Tan-chun’s is ‘a kite’. This image of a kite as associated with Tan-chun symbolizes her departure †a thousand miles† away, her flight from the nest. Her riddle also foreshadows her unhappiness once in the marriage: My strength all goes when once the bond is parted, And on the wind I drift off broken hearted. This description of drifting off in the wind ties in with the suggestion in the song that she will be taken to her new husband by boat †through rain and wind†. Like Tan-chun, relatively little reference is made to Shi Xiang-yun, the subject of the fourth quatrain and fifth song. She is the daughter of Grandmother Jia’s brother’s son. Orphaned as a young girl, she first lived with Grandmother Jia before moving in with her uncle, Shi Ding, and his wife. It seems from both the register and the song, that Xiang-yun is destined to find the man of her dreams, †a perfect, gentle husband†. But happiness will be fleeting: Soon you must mourn your bright sunâ€⠄¢s early setting. The Xiang flows and the Chu clouds sail away. The Xiang was a river flowing through the ancient kingdom of Chu. This was believed to be home to a goddess of lovers. But soon †the clouds of Gao-tang faded, the waters of the Xiang ran dry.† This suggests another calamity, perhaps the sudden death of her husband. There is no intimation of Xiang-yun’s fate in The Golden Days. The main scene involving her is one of comic relief as Dai-yu teases her about her lisp and Xiang-yun responds good-humouredly. The impression created is of a happy-go-lucky, lively young girl, quite a contrast from the rather intense and moody Dai-yu. This is best illustrated in Xueqin’s description of them asleep: Dai-yu was tightly cocooned in a quilt of apricot-coloured damask, the picture of tranquil repose. Xiang-yun, by contrast, lay with her hank of jet black hair tumbled untidily beside the pillow, a white arm with its two gold bracelets thown carelessly outside the bedding and two white shoulders exposed above the peach-pink coverlet, which barely reached her armpits. ‘A tomboy, even in her sleep!’ Bao-yu muttered†¦ The sixth woman included in the register is the only one of the twelve who is not a member of the Jia family. Adamantina nevertheless lives among them in Prospect Garden after Yuan-chun issues an edict stating that the garden is not to be closed up. She is a nun and this is reflected in the descriptions of her †otherworldliness† and her †grace and wit to match the gods† that set her †with the rest at odds. Nauseous to [her] the world’s rank diet.â⠂¬  Her final destination however, is clearly one of disrepute. In both the quatrain and the song, she ends up in the mud, impure and shameful. The fact that down here, †only wealthy rakes might bless their luck† suggests that Adamantina will end her days as perhaps a prostitute. By the end of The Golden Days however, she is still a nun who †looks down on common flesh and blood† The seventh of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling is Ying-chun, the eldest of the three springs. She is Jia She’s daughter by a concubine. With the arrival of Dai-yu and Bao-chai, the three springs are relugated to a secondary position in Grandmother Jia’s affections. Ying-chun is thus a rather underdeveloped character in The Golden Days. The sixth entry in the register and the seventh poem both suggest that she will be married off to a violent, unfaithful and cruel bully. There is no hint of this fate in the first volume of the novel. The Golden Days gives away equally little about the subject of the next quatrain and song, Xi-chun. Sister of Cousin Zhen and the youngest of the three springs, seems destined to seek release †from youth’s extravagance† and †to win chaste quietness and heavenly peace† by becoming a Buddhist nun. Wang Xi-feng on the other hand, wife of Jia Lian and cousin to Bao-yu, plays a far more prominent role in The Golden Days. She is a very strong character, a feminist role-model. She has all the qualities of the ideal wife with her managerial prowess and defere nce to her elders, and yet she always manages to be on top. This combination of cunning and virtue can best be seen in the chapters dealing with Qin-shi’s funeral. Having been relegated posthumously to the status of a Noble Dame, the funeral is a grand affair. The sheer cost and man-power involved is staggering and Xi-feng is put in charge of it all. Nevertheless, she manages it with †the decisiveness of a little general†. On the night of the wake, her maturity and superior social skills are further demonstrated when it is left entirely to her to do the honours. Xi-feng’s vivacious charm and social assurance stood out in striking contrast†¦She was in her element, and if she took any notice of her humbler sisters it was only to throw out an occassional order or to bend them in some other way to her imperious will. This can be juxtaposed with the episode in the next chapter when, after the funeral, Xi-feng, Bao-yu and Qin-zhong spend the night in the Water-moon Priory. The prioress Euergesia, catching Xi-feng alone, tells her the story of a benefactor of the priory called Zhang. He is desperate to call off his daughter’s engagement to the son of a captain in the Chang-an garrison. The captain however, is being thoroughly unreasonable and refusing to take back the betrothal-gifts. Euergesia beseeches Xi-feng to use her unfluence to get Jia Zheng to write a letter to General Yun asking h im to †have a word with† the captain because †It is hardly likely that he would refuse to obey his commading officer.† Xi-feng coyly turns her down until Euergesia questions Xi-feng’s ability. Xi-feng ‘relents’ and agrees to take part for the the not so small sum of three thousand taels of silver. Xi-feng is clearly fiscally-minded and savvy, never one to let an opportunity for profit slip by. The hush-hush manner in which this matter of the captain is broached also suggests that it is rather shady business. Yet, any qualms Xi-feng feigns to have about getting involved seem to be easily forgotten. Xi-feng is indeed, as the ninth song states, †too shrewd by half†. She is too focused on self-advancement but with the fall of the Jia family later in The Story of the Stone, Xi-feng’s plotting and manouevering will all come to nothing: Like a great building’s tottering crash, Like flickering lampwick burned to ash†¦ Although the exact nature of Xi-feng’s future is not specified, it is clear that it is not a bright one. She will, as the title of the ninth song says, be †caught by her own cunning†. Although we see none of her decline in The Golden Days, there are hints of a fall to come. When Qin-shi appears to her in a dream, she warn s Xi-feng of the future fall of the Jai family as a whole. She quotes a proverb: †The higher the climb, the harder the fall.† Could this be referring equally to Xi-feng as to the family? Is there a reason why Qin-shi appears before Xi-feng specifically? The tenth Beautiy of Jinling, interestingly enough, does not even appear in the first volume. Qiao-jie, daughter of Xi-feng, nevertheless has some sort of trouble ahead of her. It seems that no one will be spared pain and grief as the Jia family declines. The penultimate Beauty included on the Main Register is Li Wan, mother of Jia Lan. Li Wan was married to Jia Zhu, brother of Bao-yu. Jia Zhu died before the start of the novel as implied by the third line in the eleventh song, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the pleasures of the bridal bed† soon fled. The quatrain suggests that their son, Jia Lan, †her Orchid†, will be successful. The song goes further to describe the †awesome sight† of †the head with cap and bands of office on, and gleaming bright upon his breast the gold insignia†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Jia Lan will later pass the civil service exam and become a high official. It is perhaps slightly far-fetched but one of the few mentions of Jia Lan comes in chapter nine, set in the Jia clan school house. As for Li Wan, there is no hint that †the black night of death’s dark frontier lay close at hand.† It would seem that she tragically dies after her son’s appointment. Finally, there is Qin-shi, the twelfth Beauty of Jinling. She is the young wife of Jia Rong but dies of a mysterious unidentified disease half way through The Gol den Days. Of all the women, Qin-shi is the only one whose whole fate is played out in the course of the first volume. It does not, however, run according to plan. Both the quatrain and the song, The Good Things Have an End, explicitly express that she will hang herself. The most likely reason for her suicide is the family’s discovery of her incestuous affair with her father-in-law, cousin Zhen: Say not our troubles all from Rong’s side came; For their beginning Ning must take the blame. Indeed, there are indications of such intrigue. A drunken servant lets slip, in a fit of rage, †Father-in-law pokes in the ashes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The reader is clearly meant to take note of this comment, as Bao-yu subsequently questions Xi-feng as to it’s meaning. Xi-feng is quick in quashing any ideas Bao-yu may have on the subject and †terrified by her vehemence, Bao-yu implored her forgiveness.† There is obviously something to hide. Cousin Zhen’s hysterical reaction after her death is also a sign that their relationship was not as it seemed. He is inconsolable, proclaiming: †Now that she has been taken from us it’s plain to see that this senior branch of the family is doomed to extinction!† The poem accordingly, states that her death, †the ruin of a mighty house protended.† Qin-shi’s suicide does not however, take place and she instead dies of natural causes. A reason for this discrepancy is put foward by Hawkes. While Xueqin did originally have Qin-shi hanging herself †from painted beams†, a notation by one of the commentators on the original manuscript states that her †ordered† Xueqin to remove the scene. Xueqin reluctantly did so but, unenthusiastic about the change, failed to make the necessary alterations to the rest of the text. Having examined the fates of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling as expressed in the Main Register of the Department of the Ill Fated Fair and in the fairy of Disenchantment’s song cycle, it becomes immediately obvious that tradgedy lies ahead. With the decline of the Jia family will come a decline in the fortunes of each of the women. It is also clear that by the end of the first volume of The Story of the Stone the story has, in fact, barely begun. The Jia household is still powerful and rich, the child heros are still young and and insouciant, these are still the golden days.