Learning from Failure Essay

Everyone strives for perfection, for most people failure is not an option. However, the reality is that failure is an unpleasant fact, each day, a person fails in his or her tasks, decisions and ideas and organizations fail in their strategies and policies. In this highly competitive and achievement oriented society, a failure in any aspect of a person’s life is construed negatively and stereotyped as a sign of weakness. Failures are indeed negative occurrences that involve the inability to carry out the desired objective or goal of the individual or organization (Cannon & Edmondson, 2005). Failures can be either large scale or small scale, and it can have far-reaching effects than mere criticisms. Small-scale failures are normal consequences of the individual’s actions and decisions form day to day, for example, not being able to come to work on time is a failure on the part of the employee. Being tardy is a negative behavior and failing to be punctual can directly affect the work performance of the individual; however, such tardiness can also have dire effects on the organization. Chronic tardiness results to missed hours of work per week and probably lesser output for the department or unit and the organization as a whole. Such a failure can be dissected and analyzed as a personal failure, but it has varied implications for the organization’s policies and performance. On the other hand, large-scale failures are highly sensationalized and have the potential to lessen the competitiveness and the trust that people have on their organizations (Nevis,   DiBella & Gould, 1995). F or example, Martha Stewart’s failure and fiasco in her business enterprise have led to criticisms and stigma and for that time, sales of Martha Stewart’s products were very low. Organizational failures are often not highlighted as a basis for learning; instead, it is covered-up and undisclosed to the public. Learning from failure is not a popular concept in the American reality. Failures have a negative connotation and it is not a thing that is shared to most people. Likewise, organizations steer from the issue of failure and find immediate solutions to such failures and problems without considering the possible learning that the failure brings (Nevis,   DiBella & Gould, 1995). For example, mass resignations of pilots in an airline company spell disaster, and the most likely action for the company is to reduce flights. Learning from failure dictates that the airline company should look into the reasons of the pilots for leaving the airline. The result of the survey would be used as basis to institute changes in their policies in order to address the concerns of the pilots and to prevent mass resignations in the future. Organizations however, try very hard to keep their failures from becoming public since it would not be good for their business but making failures public communicates that the organization is willing to accept their mistakes and further commit to the improvement of their policies and procedures to prevent and minimize the occurrence of mistakes (Cannon & Edmondson, 2005). Large-scale failures that reach the consciousness of the public become common knowledge and these are used as a learning tool for other individuals and organizations.   The stock market scandals have resulted to clearer and stricter guidelines in the stock market. Thus, failures are not entirely negative; instead, it has the potential for driving new information and concepts and in the development of better policies and guidelines for all. Learning is a process that occurs throughout life, and failures play an important role in facilitating learning. Without mistakes and failure, an individual would not be able to learn what is right and acceptable from what is wrong and unacceptable. Failure is as essential to life as learning; one cannot exist without the other. Learning does not occur in a vacuum, it utilizes whatever information, and knowledge is on hand. However, the best kind of learning is said to come from failures and mistakes as it provides concrete basis for differentiating what is positive and good from what is negative and bad (Nevis,   DiBella & Gould, 1995). At an individual level, workers sent on a training workshop to learn new skills in the operation of new equipments would only have a working knowledge of the new equipment. Actual operation of the equipment would test the knowledge of the worker and the amount of learning that he has gained from the training workshop. A failure on the part of the worker would lead to the inefficient use of the equipment, and identifying one’s mistakes and source of failure would result to more learning. At this point the worker can now identify which of his actions had resulted to the mistake and which actions would control for the effects of the mistake and what behaviors he should do to prevent the mistake from recurring. In terms of organizational learning, failures are also a rich source of information that could be used to improve and strengthen the strategies that they already have in place (Cannon & Edmondson, 2005). It is important for organizations to learn from their failures as it is a factual occurrence that reflect the true state of the organization (Carmeli & Sheaffer, 2008). For example, a miscommunication between departments can bring about significant problems and difficulties in the conduct of the organizations’ activities. The most likely reaction is for the department heads and managers to resolve the problems brought about by miscommunication, but if the organization wants to apply the concept of learning from failures, they should b able to identify the source of the miscommunication and in what channels the miscommunication occurred, then the organization should look into the communication patterns of the organization and take the necessary steps to ensure that the communication systems would be corrected to prevent miscommunications in the future. Even though learning from failures has been found to be a useful tool for increasing the efficiency of organizations and in cultivating a positive culture, one that is open to experimentation and failure, not many organizations have embraced the concept and continue to disregard the learning that could be had from failures (Nevis,   DiBella & Gould, 1995). In a discussion of why organizations fail to learn from failures, it was pointed out that organizations fail to utilize failures as rich sources of information because of the lack of critical thinking skills that would identify failures as an opportunity for growth (Carmeli & Sheaffer, 2008). Additionally, organizations does not take into account and monitor for failure, instead it is systematically removed and not dwelled upon. Another reason for not being able to learn from failures is the human tendency to reduce the effect or to cover-up the incidence of a failure. Even without undue pressure, individuals have the tendency to downplay failures and mistakes and for most to find excuses and blame the failure on the system, and other individuals (Carmeli & Sheaffer, 2008). It is important to recognize that failures present a learning opportunity for organizations and even for one’s personal life, and although it takes courage and a more open and willing perspective, it is not impossible to attain. References Cannon, M. & Edmondson, A. (2005). Failing to learn and learning to fail (intelligently): How organizations put failure to work to innovate and improve. Long Range Planning, 38, 299-319 Carmeli, A., & Sheaffer, Z. (2008). How learning leadership and organizational learning from failures enhance perceived organizational capacity to adapt to the task environment. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 44:468. Nevis, E. C., DiBella, A.J., & Gould, J.M. (1995). Understanding organizations as learning systems. Sloan Management Review, 36, 73-85.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Fifteen

MS. TERWILLIGER WAS WAITING in the lobby when Julia and I returned to the dorm. â€Å"Seriously. Do you have a tracking device on me?† I asked. Julia took one look at our teacher's serious expression and quickly made an exit. â€Å"Just excellent timing,† Ms. Terwilliger replied. â€Å"I understand you have news.† â€Å"Surprisingly, yes.† Ms. Terwilliger's face was hard as she led me back outside to more privacy and yet another top secret outdoor meeting. These days, she hardly resembled the scattered, hippie teacher I'd met when I first started at Amberwood. â€Å"Tell me the news,† she ordered. I told her about Alicia's call, and her dismayed expression didn't really inspire me. I'd kind of hoped she'd reveal some amazing, foolproof plan she'd secretly been concocting. â€Å"Well, then,† she said once I'd finished. â€Å"I suppose I'll have to go out there.† â€Å"I'll go out there,† I corrected. She favored me with a small smile. â€Å"You've done more than enough. It's time I step up and deal with Veronica.† â€Å"But you sent me to that place before.† â€Å"When we weren't even sure where it was or what she was doing there. This time, we have an eyewitness confirming she's there right now. I can't waste this opportunity.† She glanced at a clock near the door and sighed. â€Å"I'd go tonight if I could but haven't made the necessary preparations. I'll start working on them now and go in tomorrow evening. Hopefully I won't miss her again.† â€Å"No.† The defiance in my voice surprised even me. I didn't contradict teachers – or any kind of authority – very often. Okay, never. â€Å"She eluded us before. Let us scout it out. You don't want to tip your hand yet, just in case something goes wrong. You'll be ready tomorrow night? Then let us go in the day . . . I mean, provided someone could get me out of school. . . .† A little of that tension faded, and she laughed. â€Å"I suppose I could do that. I hate that I keep putting you in danger, though.† â€Å"We passed that point a long time ago.† She couldn't argue against that logic. I made arrangements for Adrian to pick me up the next day – after first scolding â€Å"Jet† for giving out â€Å"Taylor's† number. When morning came, Ms. Terwilliger was true to her word. I'd been excused from classes for a â€Å"research trip.† The thing about being a star pupil was that none of my teachers had any problems with me skipping classes. They knew I'd get the work done. I probably could've taken the rest of the semester off. During the drive, I told Adrian that I'd managed to score a trip to St. Louis in order to pursue Marcus's daunting task. Adrian's expression grew darker and darker, but he stayed silent on the matter. I knew what a conflict it was for him. He didn't like Marcus. He didn't like me taking on this potentially dangerous mission. However, he also trusted me to make my own decisions. Contradicting me or telling me what to do wasn't in his nature – even though he secretly may have wanted to. His only comment was one of support. â€Å"Be careful, Sage. For God's sake, be careful. I've seen you pull off some crazy shit, but this is extreme, even for you. You're probably the only one who can manage this, but still . . . don't let your guard down, even for a moment.† When I told him about how I was hoping to use Ian to get more in-depth access, Adrian's troubled look turned to one of incredulity. â€Å"Hold on here. Let me make sure I'm following this. You're going to seduce some guy to help you with your espionage.† Seduce Ian? Ugh. â€Å"Don't jump to conclusions,† I warned. â€Å"I'm just going to try to use his feelings for me to get what I want.† â€Å"Wow. Cold, Sage. Very cold.† â€Å"Hey, now.† I felt a little indignant at the accusation. â€Å"I'm not going to promise to marry him or something and then dump him later. He wrote me about going to dinner when I'm there. We'll have a nice time, and I'll try to talk him into letting me tour the facility. That's it.† â€Å"And ‘talking him into it' doesn't involve putting out?† I glared at him and hoped he could see me in his periphery. â€Å"Adrian. Do I really seem like the kind of person who'd do that?† â€Å"Well – † He stopped, and I suspected he'd held back from some snarky comment. â€Å"No, I suppose not. Certainly not with a guy like him. Did you get a dress?† Here we were again, Adrian randomly jumping topics. â€Å"For dinner and the service? I've got plenty.† â€Å"I guess that answers my question.† He seemed to wage a great mental battle. At last, he said, â€Å"I'm going to give you some advice.† â€Å"Oh no.† He looked over at me again. â€Å"Who knows more about male weakness: you or me?† â€Å"Go on.† I refused to directly answer the question. â€Å"Get a new dress. One that shows a lot of skin. Short. Strapless. Maybe a push-up bra too.† He actually had the audacity to do a quick assessment of my chest. â€Å"Eh, maybe not. But definitely some high heels.† â€Å"Adrian,† I exclaimed. â€Å"You've seen how Alchemists dress. Do you think I can really wear something like that into a church service?† He was unconcerned. â€Å"You'll make it work. You'll change clothes or something. But I'm telling you, if you want to get a guy to do something that might be difficult, then the best way is to distract him so that he can't devote his full brainpower to the consequences.† â€Å"You don't have a lot of faith in your own gender.† â€Å"Hey, I'm telling you the truth. I've been distracted by sexy dresses a lot.† I didn't really know if that was a valid argument, seeing as Adrian was distracted by a lot of things. Fondue. T-shirts. Kittens. â€Å"And so, what then? I show some skin, and the world is mine?† â€Å"That'll help.† Amazingly, I could tell he was dead serious. â€Å"And you've gotta act confident the whole time, like it's already a done deal. Then make sure when you're actually asking for what you want that you tell him you'd be ‘so, so grateful.' But don't elaborate. His imagination will do half the work for you. â€Å" I shook my head, glad we'd almost reached our destination. I didn't know how much more I could listen to. â€Å"This is the most ridiculous advice I've ever heard. It's also kind of sexist too, but I can't decide who it offends more, men or women.† â€Å"Look, Sage. I don't know much about chemistry or computer hacking or photosynthery but this is something I've got a lot of experience with.† I think he meant photosynthesis, but I didn't correct him. â€Å"Use my knowledge. Don't let it go to waste.† He seemed so earnest that I finally told him I'd consider it, though I had a hard time imagining myself wearing anything like he'd described. My answer satisfied him, and he said no more. When we reached the bed-and-breakfast, I put on the brown wig so that we could be Taylor and Jet again. I braced myself as we approached the door. â€Å"Who knows what we're walking into?† I murmured. I'd been very brave while speaking to Ms. Terwilliger, but the reality that I might be going right up to an evil sorceress was sinking in. I had yet to develop the ability to sense magic in others, so I could very well be taken by surprise if she had a way to hide her appearance too. All I could do was have faith that Adrian's spirit and Ms. Terwilliger's charm would mask me. If Veronica was there, we'd just seem like an ordinary couple. I hoped. Alicia was reading another magazine when we walked in. She still sported the same hipster glasses and clutter of gaudy necklaces. Her face lit up when she saw us. â€Å"You're back.† Adrian's arm immediately went around me. â€Å"Well, when we heard Veronica was in town again, we wanted to come see her right away. Right, honeydew?† â€Å"Right,† I said. At least he was going with healthier nicknames today. â€Å"Oh.† Alicia's sunny smile dimmed a little. â€Å"She just left.† â€Å"You have got to be kidding,† I said. How could our luck be this bad? â€Å"So, she checked out?† â€Å"No, she's still renting out the Velvet Suite. I think she was just running errands. But. . . .† She turned sheepish. â€Å"I may have, uh, ruined the surprise.† â€Å"Oh?† I asked very carefully. I felt Adrian's hold on me tense, but there was nothing romantic about it. â€Å"I couldn't resist. I told her she might have some unexpected visitors soon. Good visitors,† she added. â€Å"I wanted to make sure she didn't stay out too long.† â€Å"That's very nice of you,† said Adrian. His smile looked as strained as mine felt. In trying to â€Å"help† us, Alicia might very well have ruined everything. What did we do now? I was saved from an immediate decision when a middle-aged woman walked through the door. â€Å"Hello,† she told Alicia. â€Å"I wanted to get some information about hosting a wedding here. For my niece.† â€Å"Of course,† said Alicia, glancing back and forth between all of us. She looked a little flustered over who to help, and I was quick to jump in. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Since we're here, can we look at the Bunny Suite again? We can't stop talking about it.† Alicia frowned. â€Å"I thought you were going to the coast for your anniversary?† â€Å"We were,† said Adrian, following my lead. â€Å"But then Taylor was thinking about Cottontail the other night, and we thought we should reconsider.† I had to give him credit for jumping in and going along with the story I was making up on the spot. Of course, you'd think he'd remember the name of the fake rabbit he had created. â€Å"Hopper,† I corrected. â€Å"Is the Bunny Suite still vacant?† he asked. â€Å"We can just take a quick peek in while you help her.† Alicia hesitated only a moment before handing over a key. â€Å"Sure. Let me know if you have any questions.† I took the key and headed toward the stairs with Adrian. Behind us, I could hear the woman asking if it'd be okay to set up a tent in the backyard and how many hot plates the inn could hold before it became a fire hazard. Once we were on the second floor and out of earshot, Adrian spoke. â€Å"Let me guess. You want to go prowl through the Velvet Suite.† I rewarded him with a grin, pleased that he'd guessed my plan. â€Å"Yup. Pretty good idea, huh? Hopefully Alicia will be distracted for a while.† â€Å"I could have just compelled her,† he reminded me. â€Å"You're using too much spirit already.† I found the Velvet Suite and put the key in the lock, hoping Alicia had given us the master key and not one specifically for the Bunny Suite. When she had shown us around last time, she'd only used one key. A click told me we'd lucked out and wouldn't have to use any metal-burning chemicals today. We'd seen the Velvet Suite during our last visit, and for the most part, it looked the same. Velvet bedding, velvet-covered furniture, and even velvet-textured wallpaper. Only, this time, the room wasn't in the pristine and unoccupied state as before. Signs around the room showed recent use. The bed was unmade, and the scent of shampoo from the bathroom indicated a shower not too long ago. â€Å"Alicia might have been wrong about Veronica checking out,† said Adrian. He opened drawer after drawer and found nothing. In the closet, he discovered high-heeled shoes tucked into a corner and a belt on a hanger – things that might be easily missed with frantic packing. â€Å"Someone left here in a hurry.† My hopes plummeted. In accidentally revealing our â€Å"surprise,† Alicia had apparently scared Veronica into skipping out on the room. We found no sign that Veronica would actually return, and as Adrian had said, she seemed to have taken off quickly, based on the kinds of easy-to-forget things that were left behind: a razor in the shower, a bottle of perfume on the bathroom counter, and a stack of takeout menus on the nightstand. I sat on the bed and sifted through the menus, not really convinced they'd tell me much. Chinese, Indian, Mexican. Veronica had diverse tastes, at least. I reached the bottom of the stack and threw them on the ground. â€Å"She left,† I said. I couldn't hide from the truth any longer. â€Å"That idiot Alicia tipped her off, and now we've lost her again.† Adrian sat down beside me, his face mirroring my dismay. â€Å"We'll find her. We've slowed her down by hiding the others. Maybe it'll buy us time until the next full moon so you can scry again.† â€Å"I hope so,† I said, though I wasn't optimistic. He brushed aside the wig's hair and turned my face toward him. â€Å"Everything's going to be okay. She doesn't know about you.† I knew he was right, but it was hollow comfort. I leaned my head against his shoulder, wishing I could fix everything. That was my job, right? â€Å"All that means is that someone else could suffer in my place. I don't want that. I need to stop her once and for all.† â€Å"So brave.† He gave me a small smile. His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of goose bumps appeared. How did he keep doing this to me? Marcus – who made every girl in the world swoon – had zero effect on me. But one whisper of a touch from Adrian completely undid me. â€Å"You could give Castile a run for his money,† he added. â€Å"Stop that,† I warned. â€Å"Comparing you to Castile?† â€Å"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it.† His hands were too dangerous, as was being with him on a bed. Terrified I might be kissed again, I jerked away, and the sudden movement caught him by surprise. His fingers got tangled in my hair, as well as in my two necklaces, which resulted in him snapping both chains and nearly pulling off the brown wig. I quickly caught the garnet before it could fall off, but the cross slipped away. Thank God I'd kept the important one on. â€Å"No more kissing,† I warned. I refastened the charm and straightened the wig. â€Å"You mean no more kissing unless it's a romantic place,† he reminded me. â€Å"Are you saying this place doesn't scream romance?† He nodded around to our tacky velvet surroundings. He then picked up the small cross and held it in the air, growing thoughtful as he studied the way the light played off the gold surface. â€Å"You gave this to me once.† â€Å"And you gave it back.† â€Å"I was angry.† â€Å"And now?† He shrugged. â€Å"Now I'm just determined.† â€Å"Adrian.† I sighed. â€Å"Why do you keep doing this? The touching . . . the kissing . . . you know I don't want it.† â€Å"You don't act that way.† â€Å"Stop saying that. It's obnoxious. Next you'll be saying I'm ‘asking for it.'† Why did he have to be so infuriating? Okay . . . I hadn't really sent a clear message back at the sorority. Or Pies and Stuff. But this time I'd done better. â€Å"I just pulled away. How much more direct do I have to be?† â€Å"It's not your actions, exactly† he said. He still clutched the cross in his hand. â€Å"It's your aura.† I groaned. â€Å"No, no, not that. I don't want to hear about auras.† â€Å"But I'm serious.† He shifted over and stretched out on the bed, lying on his side. He patted the bed near him. â€Å"Lie down.† â€Å"Adrian – â€Å" â€Å"I won't kiss you,† he said. â€Å"I promise.† â€Å"How stupid do you think I am?† I said. â€Å"I'm not falling for this.† He gave me a long, level look. â€Å"Do you really think I'd assault you or something?† â€Å"No,† I said quickly. â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Then humor me.† Warily, I lay down on my side as well, facing him with only a few powerful inches between us. An enraptured, slightly distracted look appeared in his eyes. He'd given himself over to spirit. â€Å"Do you know what I see in you now? The usual aura. A steady golden yellow, healthy and strong, with spikes of purple here and there. But when I do this. . . .† He rested a hand on my hip, and my whole body tensed up. That hand moved around my hip, slipping under my shirt to rest on the small of my back. My skin burned where he touched me, and the places that were untouched longed for that heat. â€Å"See?† he said. He was in the throes of spirit now, though with me at the same time. â€Å"Well, I guess you can't. But when I touch you, your aura . . . it smolders. The colors deepen, it burns more intensely, the purple increases. Why? Why, Sydney?† He used that hand on me to pull me closer. â€Å"Why do you react that way if I don't mean anything to you?† There was a desperation in his voice, and it was legitimate. It was hard for me to talk. â€Å"It's instinct. Or something. You're a Moroi. I'm an Alchemist. Of course I'd have a response. You think I'd be indifferent?† â€Å"Most Alchemist responses would involve disgust, revulsion, and holy water.† That was an excellent point. â€Å"Well . . . I'm a little more relaxed around Moroi than most Alchemists. Probably this is just some purely physical response driven by hormones and years of evolution. My body doesn't know any better. I'm as susceptible to lust as anyone else.† There was probably a book about that or at least an article in Cosmopolitan. The hint of a smile played over his lips. He was fully in tune with me again. â€Å"No, you aren't. I mean, you are, but not without reason. I know you well enough to realize that now. You're not the kind of person who's ‘susceptible to lust' without some emotion to back it.† He moved his hand back to my hip, sliding it down my leg. I shuddered, and his face moved closer to mine. There was so much in his eyes, so much desire and longing. â€Å"See? There it is again. My flame in the dark.† â€Å"Don't kiss me,† I whispered. It was the only defense I could muster. If he kissed me, I'd be lost. I closed my eyes. â€Å"You said you wouldn't.† â€Å"I won't.† His lips were only a breath away. â€Å"Unless you want me to.† I opened my eyes, ready to tell him no, that it didn't matter what my aura allegedly said . . . this couldn't keep happening. There was no emotion backing this desire, and I tried to cling to my earlier argument. I was so comfortable around Moroi now that clearly some primal part of me kept forgetting what he was. This was a base instinct. I was simply having a physical reaction to him, to his hands, to his lips, to his body. . . . He caught hold of my arm and rolled me over. I closed my eyes again and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his lips touch mine, not quite a kiss, just the barest brush of – The door opened, and I flinched. Alicia stepped inside, gasped, and put a hand up over her mouth to cover a shocked squeal. â€Å"O-oh,† she stammered. â€Å"I'm so sorry . . . I . . . I didn't realize . . .† Adrian and I jerked away and sat up. My heart was ready to beat out of my chest, and I knew I was blushing. I quickly patted my wig and was relieved to feel it was still in place. He recovered his voice more quickly. â€Å"Sorry . . . we kind of got carried away. We started checking out the other rooms and decided to, uh, try them out.† Despite his sheepish words, there was a smug look on his face, the kind you'd expect from a guy who'd just made a conquest. Was it part of the act, or did he really think he'd gotten away with something? Alicia looked as uncomfortable as I felt. â€Å"I see. Well, this room's occupied. It's – † She frowned and did a double take. â€Å"It's Veronica's. It looks like she left.† I finally managed to speak. â€Å"That's why we thought it was empty,† I said hastily. â€Å"There was nothing in here.† Alicia thankfully seemed to have forgotten about our compromising position. â€Å"That's weird. She didn't formally check out. I mean, she paid in advance in cash, but still. It's so strange.† We made a hurried escape of our own after that, once again feeding Alicia lines about how we'd be in touch. Neither of us spoke much when we got in the car. I was lost in my own thoughts, which were equal parts frustration over Veronica and confusion over Adrian. I refused to acknowledge the latter, though, and opted for my usual tactic. The sooner that moment was forgotten, the better. I was pretty sure I could keep telling myself that. Some part of me – nearly as snarky as Adrian – suggested I pick up a book on denial the next time I was in the self-help section. â€Å"Another dead end,† I said once we were on the road. I texted Ms. Terwilliger: V's gone. No need for action. Her response came a few minutes later: We'll keep trying. I could practically feel her disappointment through the display on my phone. She wasn't the only one. Adrian seemed particularly melancholy on the drive back. He responded whenever I spoke, but it was clear he was distracted. When he dropped me off at Amberwood later that night, I found everything mercifully quiet. No crises, no dangerous missions. It felt like it had been ages since I had a moment to myself, and I curled up on my bed, taking solace in the ordinary tasks of homework and reading. I fell asleep with my face on my calculus book. I experienced one of those nonsensical dreams that everyone has. In it, my family's cat could talk, and he was driving Adrian's Mustang. He asked me if I wanted to take a road trip to Birmingham. I told him I had a lot of homework to do but that if he wanted to go to Fargo, I'd consider it. We were in the middle of negotiating who'd pay for gas when the dream suddenly dissolved to blackness. A cold feeling swept over me, followed by a feeling of dread that rivaled the time Adrian and I had faced down Strigoi in his apartment. A woman's laughter rolled around me, foul and sickening, like some sort of toxic smoke. A voice came out of the darkness, echoing in my mind. She's kept you well hidden, but it can't stay that way forever. You can't conceal power like yours forever. I've caught your trail. I'll find you. Hands suddenly reached out of the darkness for me, wrapping around my throat and cutting off my air. I screamed and woke up in my own bed, surrounded in books. I'd left the light on, and it chased some of the dream's terror away. But only some. Sweat poured off me, making my shirt stick to me. I touched my neck, but there was nothing wrong with it. The garnet hung in place but not my cross. No need to fear a dream, I thought. It didn't mean anything, and really, with everything going on lately, it was a wonder I didn't have nightmares more often. But thinking back on it, I wasn't so sure. There had been something so terrible and real about it, a horror that seemed to reach into my very soul. I didn't want to sleep after that, so I made a cup of coffee and tried to read again. It worked for a while, but somewhere around four, my body couldn't take it anymore. I fell asleep on my books again, but this time, my sleep stayed dream free.

Comparing and contrasting marketing activity Essay

Comparing and contrasting marketing activity - Essay Example ortant observation that the experts make is that the reach of the end customers of today has increased by huge extent, thanks to the factors like globalisation and liberalisation. The international geographical border are almost non – existent in terms of trade and finance and the revolution brought in by inter – net has enable citizens to purchase goods or services within a few clicks of the computer mouse from any part of the world. The other important thing has been the information flow. The end consumers are informed like never before and it is this factor that distinguishes between the identical products and services. There is little doubt that marketing is the life blood of business. However good the product or service might be, if it cannot be sold in the market and revenue earned; every effort falls flat. The process of marketing is truly a dynamic one and depends largely on each and every minute changes in the buying behaviour or the related environment of the target group of customers. Today, with the boom in the service sector, the impact of marketing activities are more felt. The report analyses various activities of a marketing process namely product mix, positioning, price mix, communications and distribution of two segments i.e. high - street fashion and convenience foods. In other words, the report focuses upon the marketing mix of the two segments that operate in the similar market. The report basically deals with the market of the United Kingdom i.e. the economies of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The economy of United Kingdom is one of the most affluent among the world economies, being the sixth largest economy in the world and the third largest in the whole of Europe. The chosen companies for the report in this market segment are the famous fashion brand ‘Paul Smith’ and the leading convenient food store ‘Spar’. Both the companies are catering to the markets of the United Kingdom for quite a long time now and have

Religion and Spirituality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion and Spirituality - Essay Example   Americans are guaranteed the right to believe anything they wish by the U.S. Constitution including their own religious belief of creation, but it forbids these suppositions to be taught in public school science courses. Advocates of instructing creationism universally desire to impose their beliefs across a broad range of students of widely varying philosophical backgrounds. Their continuing efforts have persuaded some American schools to teach creationism, or intelligent design theory, instead of or along with evolution. These actions have initiated numerous debates among school boards, state legislatures, and parents. The constitutional concept of the separation of church and state is advantageous for religion. In this case, it ensures that religious instruction will be taught by appropriately trained church personnel and parents and it prevents governmental intervention into religious matters. It also makes certain that school classrooms remain welcoming to all cultures and r eligions. The government can neither promote nor oppose particular religious beliefs or doctrines according to the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. The Constitution does not impede religion by disallowing creationism to be taught. Instead, it guarantees religious freedoms by protecting individual rights to worship. The idea of creation is undeniably religious doctrine. The government, therefore, cannot promote it in classrooms as science without infringing on the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has held that instructors may not teach that humans were created by God and must present only scientific explanations for the history of life. Creationism cannot be presented as scientific fact.  Ã‚  

Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis Research Paper

Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis - Research Paper Example These economies experience some degree of vulnerability in the international market. The third segment of countries in the gulf region consists of the countries that have high demographic pressure, low functioning social safety nets and low levels of economic growth (Sharif, 2006). Social and economic crises within these countries have hindered their economic growth and they have been exposed to the rages of financial crisis. There are fewer countries in the third group than in the first and groups, but these countries are worse affected during the financial crisis. The countries in the third group include Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, Djibouti, Comoros and Somalia. These countries received very little international support during and even after the crisis ended. Hence, the governments of these countries have been serious measures to improve the banking and financial systems in their own countries. Islamic banking in the contemporary finance world The banking industry in the gulf region has passed through a period of major improvements over the period of last five years. Over the years, Islamic banking industry has matured and has become a viable competitor of the conventional commercial banks operating in the Middle East as well as in the South East Asian countries (Koldertsova, 2010). At the global level, the banking system of the gulf region has increased in importance. The Middle East acts as the core launch pad for the promotion of the system of Islamic banking in the Western financial markets and business culture. The following section has been devoted to the study of the changes that have taken place in the banking industry in the gulf region after the global financial crisis. Changes in Gulf banking industry after global financial crisis Technological... Conclusion The effects of the financial crisis have to be considered by the policy makers while making plans for the future and improving the management systems internal to the organizations. It is important that banking and financial sector of the gulf economies have to be transformed and integrated in to the main stream financial system of the globe. It is, therefore important that the challenges in these economies are identified and the future prospects are determined with reference to the resources available to the economies for dealing with the challenges. In this regard, past experiences regarding failure of the banking industry have to be truly accounted for. The system of Islamic banking has spread from the gulf region and entered the practice of banking of the other developed countries in the world, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada (Venardos, 2006). After the financial crisis, this system has become more concerned about the ethical values o f financial transactions and has simultaneously increased its flexibility; so as to compete with the conventional interest based financial system. As a whole, the banking and finance industry in the gulf region has undergone certain developments and has become an exemplary finance practice in the global market (Khan and Bhatti, 2008).

Behind and history of blood diamonds Research Paper

Behind and history of blood diamonds - Research Paper Example The trade of blood diamonds has been the cause of 4 million deaths. In the 1990s, before relevant steps were taken to curb the problem, conflict diamond trade amounted to be between 3.7-20 percent of the total global diamond trade (â€Å"Blood Diamonds†). It was during the end of 1998 and the beginning of 1999 that the UN began to approach the issue of blood diamond. The UN together with relevant NGOs began to create general awareness regarding blood diamonds among policy makers, media and public representatives to inform them about the gravity of the issue. The UN subsequently passed resolutions such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 1173  and  United Nations Security Council Resolution 1176 to ban the trade of illegal diamonds in Angola. However, these resolutions had little effect on prominent warlords. Trade of Blood Diamonds continued to occur in Angola. The UN then commissioned the Canadian ambassador, Robert Fowler to investigate the issue further. Fowler’s investigations resulted in the Fowler Report in 2000. This report helped form the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. Under the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, it is illegal to trade diamonds in any country where the diamonds are not in officially sealed packages. Furthermore, criminal charges are to be imposed to anyone caught trading in illegal diamonds. However, the biggest shortcoming of the Scheme is that it does not protect Blood Diamond trade from corrupt officials who are willing to officially stamp the diamonds for a certain fee. The definition of blood diamond is also limited in this process (Bates). It is argued that the Kimberley Process needs to be revised even as some claim that this process is a step in the right direction (Grant, 393). Others are completely against the process by claiming that the scheme only supports nations and businesses

Knowledge Workers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Knowledge Workers - Essay Example The Singapore example throws ample light on the situation arising with knowledge workers. Singapore was a manufacturing economy until changes in economy began taking shape in the last decades of the 20th century. Countries such as China, India and Korea emerged with better skills to manage the changes in economy (Judy, Richard W; 2002, p32). "In Singapore, most of its policies and practices are centred towards the incorporation of technology . This implies that majority of their employees receive very little attention. What this does is that employees are not motivated to improve. They do not tap all their potential and end up underperforming" (Smith, Carolyn; 2010). The Singaporean example highlights the need to maintain an open policy to changes so that changes could be incorporated when needed. The mindset even in the management was not conducive to change because of the working culture that prevailed at the critical time (Smith, Carolyn; 2010). Changes did take place, but rather slowly. The government changed the Ministry of Labor to Ministry of Manpower. Once the steps to reforms were introduced at the top level, the rest of the changes happened in due course. Changes in economy happened when the Singaporean government looked to emigrants from Canada, the United States, China, India, Malaysia and other growing economies to make up for the shortage in skilled knowledge workers. "In May 1997, the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness (CSC) set out to critically assess Singapore's economic competitiveness in the early twenty-first century, taking into consideration global trends and development of existing and emerging competition. The CSC was tasked to identify the problem areas and propose appropriate strategies and policies with a view to maintaining and strengthening Singapore's competitive position" (Judy, Richard W; 2002, p32). The CSC decided to "develop in the next ten years into an advanced and globally competitive knowledge economy, with manufacturing and services as the twin engines of growth. In a knowledge economy, the basis for competitiveness will be the capabilities and intellectual capital to absorb, process and apply knowledge" (Judy, Richard W; 2002, p33). With aging economy and culture, it was not possible for Singapore to transform their economy without importing manpower skilled in intellectual applications. The importance of knowledge workers is currently felt because of the exponential growth of information technology. This growth has left a vacuum and this vacuum can be filled involving knowledge workers (Davenport, Thomas H; 2005). There cannot be any doubt that the knowledge worker occupies a privileged position as worker. Classified as a knowledge worker, he or she is supposed to be knowledgeable in his or her stream and capable of handling a project that come under his or her capabilities. Indeed, the situation is such that

Career management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Career management - Essay Example This is attributed to tightened global economy where everybody is need of an employment opportunity. Many people find themselves staking up jobs with minimal career requirements. As they get deeper into these miscellaneous jobs, their career objectives fade until they lose the passion to have a career. This has been the case in many nations. However, human resource analysts argue that the economic conditions have forced people to abandon their career to look for other jobs with minimal requirements. The increasingly unemployment rates have also played a major role in making people abandon their careers (Zunker, 2005). For instance, in Greece many people have moved away from the country to look for employment opportunities in other countries. In foreign countries, these individuals do not stick to their current career but look for the most available employment opportunity. However, human resource analysts say that these are not reasons enough for people to abandon their career for men ial jobs. People should be responsible for the growth of their careers regardless of the economic conditions (Nathan & Hill, 2005). The major questions are why should people be responsible for their own careers and what are the advantages of growing ones career. An argument by Grant (2009) claims that people should ensure that their careers grow with each step of their professional life. Human resources specialists argue that, individuals are responsible for their own mishaps when it comes to seeking for employment. Many organizations administrators say that many people fail during interviews because they lack depth in their respective careers. Over the years, the quality of interviewees has dropped significantly which begs the question if career objective s are being abandoned. If individuals would strive to expend the depth in their careers, many people would find employment in the expending industrial industry. To prove this point, the global industrial market has over the past 5 years grown by about 13 percent (Grobler, 2005). With the growing industrial industry, it would be obvious to assume that employment opportunities would be available in these hubs. However, this is not the case as many people around the globe are in need of jobs. Many organization opt the use of machinery as their output tools. This is mainly attributed to the fact that people don’t have the depth in their careers that would drive the industry towards its success. If people could take responsibility and build their careers effectively, the human resource demand in the industries would return rise to the expected heights. Another reason why people should take responsibility of the careers is to maintain the economy growth. Behind the success of all global commercial giants there are personalities responsible for this success. However, the quality of these personalities has diminished in years. Individuals still at the helm of commercial giants are of old age since there is no such quality in the young generation. The quality of management skills required to run large companies has been a difficult thing to find. Many organizations have opted to retain the ageing administration. If this trend goes on, 10 years from now we will have companies with no appropriate management teams. In an argument by Werner (2008) this has been caused by the young generat

Gender and Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender and Language - Essay Example The farmer did get his drink but with an enormous lecture on the benefits of self-help. Is there a meeting point where members of the opposite sex could meet and communicate intelligibly There is the possibility. However, the possibility could come with a heavy rejoinder. The woman may ask for complete modification before seeing the set. The problem does not lie with the woman or the man. The problem is the age-old communication that has different people saying different things but understanding little. The man hardly will say anything. The woman has said all she wanted and also ensured that the cake remain with her. The husband, a listless individual, said little or nothing and scarcely knew the cake that existed. The problem is not with the man who does not talk or the wife who has not only told her version but included her husband's as well. The problem is in understanding the genders. Man is made to say something or nothing. Woman, on the other hand, is made to talk her head off. It does not matter if the man is not listening. Women are primarily different from men. You can have a bunch of women all talking together. You would not know who is talking and who is listening. But the conversation goes ahead in full blast and nobody is tired. This is because women are attuned to each other in such a way that makes listening easier. Women are also more thorough and systematic. ... A woman will dive deep within the ocean to explore the seabed. The man will hardly scour the surface if he finds nothing of value in the ocean. Language By and large, women are soft spoken and observant. Comparatively, men are brash and may not even know what they are talking about. Consider this: Woman (to her child): Honey, did you have breakfast Child: No mum, not yet. Woman: What would you like to have Scrambled eggs or cheese sandwich Child: Cheese sandwich Woman: I will have it ready by the time you finish your bath Now let us have a man talk to the same child. Man: Good morning! Child: Good morning, dad! Man: Have you had breakfast Child: No! The conversation stops. The man knows the breakfast will be served by the child's mother. He does not bother carrying on with the conversation. Now let us go to a more aggressive scenario. This concerns a wife-beater and the victim. The victim is in a more advantageous position because her conscience is clear. Because her conscience is clear she is in better position to think and speak clearly. The wife-beater normally lacks sense and is laden with guilt. The victim has the option to face off. The wife-beater has no such option. In this scenario who is better of Is it the wife-beater or the victim Under the gaze of a third person, the wife is better of. The man will crouch for safety if his actions come under the glare of a third person. Gender and Language If seen in the right perspective, gender and language form fluent, complementary roles between the opposite sexes. It shows the man as the strong and caring personality as against the slender and dependent role of the woman. It is quite natural for man to be strong and supportive and for the woman to be

Army Infantry Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Army Infantry Career - Essay Example Apart from the mere academic achievements, the leadership qualities count a lot in the infantry. The types of students required by the Army are those who are good athletes as well, with potentiality to shape into good leaders. If you decide not to serve beyond the agreed 5 years, there is lot of demand, scope and respect for the ex-Commissioned Officers. You are assured of senior positions in business, especially on the technical and security areas, and thereafter you will have no problems about supporting the family. Infantry Officers and men wear Army uniform according to the environment of their operation. The training is an all-environment training, such as mountain, desert, tropical and temperate. They are well trained to live off the land when then occasion arises. The training is intensive as well as extensive. That includes developing an ordinary individual into a tough Ranger/Officer in which they are trained to navigate, conduct clandestine combat missions in deserts, mountains, swamps and temperate terrains. You rise to different ranks that are part of the military hierarchy. Recruitment at the entry level, Ranger is through US Military Recruiters. They are fully conscious of their duties and obligations, dedicated to the basic values of their service; they are a hardworking lot and tough professionals. The job of the recruiter is to find and provide qualified volunteers for a particular branch or service. This is, and has to be straightforward because it is concerned with the most important aspect relating to the existence of the Nation, its security! Let us say, for the recruiter it is his business as well. Any business man wants his business to prosper. It is a number game also. When the pressure from the superior authorities is intense to get a fixed number of volunteers, and when sufficient eligible candidates are not forthcoming, the Recruiter then tries other alternatives. They plan

Fair is foul and foul is fair Essay Example for Free

Fair is foul and foul is fair Essay Fair is foul and foul is fair.(1,1,190) The total theme of Shakespeares play Macbeth. The three sisters, also known as, witches begin what will later unravel into many deaths and a concluding tragedy. Who is at fault for this domino-killing spree? No other then a pure evil mixture of the witches and their undercover sidekick Lady Macbeth. Hecate held a very important role in the murders of an innocent family, but then again its expected of evil. Macbeth proves that evil does have more power then good, but in the end what goes around comes around. All Hail Macbeth, that shalt be Kind hereafter. (1,3,194). This is the single line ignites all of the horrors throughout the play. Macbeth, before he met the witches was not a bad person. Macbeth was actually fighting rebels for the kings protection, not to mention in a very honorable position of Thane of Glamis. Macbeth, in the beginning had all of the qualities of an honorable gentleman who could become anything. This is all shattered with his ambition overrides his sense of morality (What are the influences). The witches made him feel that he will be kind and that it was his destiny. (Power). Macbeths life turned a total three sixty into the evil direction. The witches manipulated his thoughts, and images worked his mind. (Power). Of course they were only words that the witches gave, but keeping in mind what powerful beings they were presented to be in the era of Macbeth, they were considered to be able to: see into the future, make people fall ill with the use of spells and potions, as well as to kill anyone at any distance. They were also known to cause bad weather and storms, which the play had begun with, (Macbeth: Witchcraft). Duncans death was entirely the witches fault, they told Macbeth hed be king, basically giving Macbeth permission to kill. Obviously Macbeth felt that since it was in the future then it didnt matter how exactly he would become king. Macbeth decided to take action on himself and not wait around for his prize. Although Macbeth has considered killing Duncan in the past it is not certain that he would have actually committed the murder were it not for the witches fortune telling. (Response to Brians Paper). The downfall of Macbeths fortune is the witches never told him once you start, you will never be able to stop the killings. They didnt seem to mention that everyone is responsible for his own destiny, and once he kills for his first time, he has no choice but to continue to cover-up his wrong doings, or risk losing everything he has worked so hard for, (What are the influences). If the witches would have told Macbeth that king would cost him killing his best friend Banquo who give him the best advice when he said Were such things here as we do speak or have we eaten on the insane root that takes the reason prisoner? (1,3,195). He also refers to the witches at instruments, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betrays in deepest consequence. (1,3,196). Banquos basically smarter then Macbeth, obvious to why the witches referred to him as happier and greater then Macbeth. He noted that, why would these evil witches want to tell you things that will help you out. Its obvious that they will benefit from the situation somehow. Having Macbeths trust is one way, where they will be able to have great power. Banquo believes that evil brings consequences. A few of the consequences were partly Macbeth having to kill the drunken guards to cover up Duncans murder, then killing Banquo. Of course the witches werent all at fault, Macbeth had a very powerful Id on his hands as well. Her name is Lady Macbeth, someone who Macbeth considered his equal. They were happily married and living an ordinary life. Lady Macbeth could however possible be a witch herself. Its a fact that in a major textbook for witch hunters, Malleus Maleficarum, describes how witches are able to make men impotent, or even make their penises disappear. (Riedel). The reality of Macbeths penis disappearing at that time would most likely cause him suspicious of Lady Macbeth as a wife, but it is true that they did not have any children, thank god, and in those days, for a woman to not be able to child bare was very unacceptable. Lady Macbeth proves her evilness remarking I have given suck, and know how tender tis to love the babe that mils me. I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, has I so sworn as you have done to this. (1,7, 206). Lady Macbeth was right beside Macbeth in every action he took, urging him and playing on his insecurities. Lady Macbeth plays the key role as she removes her feminine caring feelings so she can push Macbeth to carry out the murder. (Power). Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that hes not a man if hes cant do it. She almost challenges his masculinity and bravery. If Macbeth wants to make her happy he would do as she says, which is Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent undert. (1,5, 202). The supernatural world will aid her in the hardening of her heart and make it possible for her to carry out her malicious plan. (Wyn). Lady Macbeth is more of a forceful push towards the murder. The witches are the security behind the murder, for they tell Macbeth that he will be kind, and Lady Macbeth acts more of a catalyst, harassing Macbeth and forcing him to carry out the murders. (Power). There is only one witch that has a name. She is Hecate which means she who works from afar. (Something Wicked This Way Comes) Hecate, playing only a small role in Macbeths play is at fault for Macduffs familys murders. Hecate, being displeased with all of the negative actions Macbeth has been causing, especially since she was not apart of the evil that was going around. How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth in riddles and affairs of death; and I, the mistress of your charms, the close contriver of all harms, was never called to bear my part or show the glory of our art? (5, 1, 237). Hecate decided to give Macbeth some new apparitions. These apparitions were to bring Macbeth to his tragedy and downfall. Hecate, even in the rise of bringing evil to someone evil, still caused harm and death to the innocent. Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife. (4,1,244). Of course taking everything the witches say one hundred percent seriously the first thing Macbeth did was get revenge on Macduffs family since he was not to be found to kill. It is all Hecates pure joy for the game of evil that that unfortunate scene happened. Other then Macduff, Hecate did help to put an end to Macbeth with apparitions that allowed him to let down his guards and making him very accessible to death. In conclusion all of the deaths in Macbeth were at the faults of the witches, and his wife. The witches prophesies were intentionally ambiguous, and their alliteration and rhymed couplets with which they spoke their omens, contributed to the effect of instability and confusion in their words. (ClassicNote). Thus having Macbeth believe that he was to be kind in the first place. They could have meant something totally different, that he may have been a different type of king, in a different country. Macbeth didnt really positively know what kind of king or where or anything, he just jumped on assumptions, and did what he had to do to get there. Macbeth stepped on everyone in the play below himself and deceived everyone around him. Macbeths wife played on the role of a powerful woman figure in the household, she was only thinking of herself and everything she would gain by being married to the king, but underestimated the power of guilt. Guilt played the key role in another small factor, which lead Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to their graves. The theme of this play foul is fair and fair is foul ends in death.

Ms Project Essay Example for Free

Ms Project Essay In the previous lesson, the initial resource assignments were made for our project. But we need to learn how to make adjustments to how those resources are used. It is important that you read every part of this lab carefully, if not twice. Working with Effort-Driven Scheduling How a task reacts to the addition and removal of resources is defined by the scheduling method and the task type settings. In MS Project, the default scheduling method is effort-driven scheduling. Effort-driven scheduling extends or shortens the duration of a task to accommodate changes to resources but doesnt change the total work for the task. Work is the amount of effort, or number of hours, resources put into a task. The total work for a task is determined by the duration estimate for the task and the initial resource assignment using the following formula: Work = Duration * Units For example, say you give a task the duration of one day (or eight hours based upon a normal working day). If the initial resource assignment is two units (200%) of a particular resource, the total work for the task will be 16 hours. 16 hours = 1 Day (8 hours) * 200% As resources are added or removed after the initial assignment, the amount of work is not recalculated, but redistributed among the resources. In other words, the duration is recalculated, not the work: Duration = Work / Units So if you assign two more units of the previous resource or two different resources, the total work remains 16 hours; however, the 16 hours is now redistributed among the four resources (16 hours divided by 4 units equals 4 hours of work per resource). The duration is now . 5 days (4 hours). .5 Day (4 hours) = 16 hours / 400% Effort-driven scheduling assumes that the more (or fewer) resources you assign to a task will decrease (or increase) the duration of a task. If I can use more people, I can get done faster. The key to effort-driven scheduling is when you make that first assignment (when you press assign or press enter when entering resource assignments), that is when the amount of work is calculated and never changes when you make additional assignments or subtract resources. This effect is very important to understand! Lets demonstrate this effect. 1. Log onto Windows. 2. Open your completed file MyLab2_XXX. mpp. (or use the MyLab2_XXX. mpp file from Doc Sharing) Check the addendum at the end of this lesson to make sure your beginning file is correct. 3. Save as MyLab3_XXX. mpp, where XXX are your initials. 4. Make sure you are in Gantt chart view and your table is the task entry table. 5. From the View tab and the Task Views group, click Other Views and then More Views. 6. The More Views dialog box appears (figure 1). Select Task Entry and then press Apply. Figure 1 7. You will notice that your screen splits into two separate windows or panes again. 8. The top window or pane is your Gantt chart view with the entry table. The bottom pane is known as the task form window and contains many different formats. The default format you are looking at is known as the resources and predecessors detail view. We will use different detail formats in this window in coming labs. For now, remember this is the task form window. 9. In the top pane, click on task #3, Inventory Current Equipment. Notice in the lower pane, the resource assignment you made from the previous lab, Systems Administrator. Remember that you initially assigned two units of this resource. The duration you gave this task was 3 days (or 24 hours). When you made the assignment, the initial scheduling then calculated the work. Given the formula, work equals duration times units, 24 hours times 2 units equals 48 hours of work and that is what is in the work column for that resource. 10. Also notice the box Effort driven (next to the Previous button) is checked. That means that this task is using effort-driven scheduling. Also notice the textbox below it labeled Task Type and the phrase Fixed Units. We will be returning to this box shortly. 11. Again, making sure you have clicked on task #3, open the Assign Resources dialog box from the Resource tab (the one with the faces). 12. Change the number of units of the resource Systems Administrator to 300%. (Either type in 300 or use the up arrow and then press enter). (Figure 2). Figure 2 13. Notice in the lower pane the units of the resource changed to 300% and the work remained at 48 hours, but notice the duration of the task: it changed to 2 days. Why? Taking our formula that work equals duration times units, when we make any change after the initial calculation of work, work is not recalculated, but the duration is! Therefore (using our algebraic knowledge), duration is equal to work divided by units, or 48 hours divided by 3 units equals 16 hours or 2 days. Got it? Also remember the 48 hours is the cumulative amount of work for the three units. 14. But what happens if we now subtract some of the units? In your Assign Resources dialog box, change the units of Systems Administrator to 100%. What happened? Your work is still 48 hours, but since there is only one resource the duration is recalculated for 6 days (48 hours divided by 1 unit equals 48 hours or 6 days). 15. Change the units of resource for Systems Administrator back to the original 200%. Your duration should return to the original 3 days. 16. Since this was the same resource, what would happen if we added a different resource? 17. Click on Systems Analyst and make an assignment of 100%. (Click Assign button or Press Enter). 18. You should now see in the task form the name of Systems Analyst appear and in the work column the 48 hours of work is now distributed evenly among the three resources (2 Systems Administrators and one Systems Analyst), but it still totals 48 hours. The duration is now 2 days, because each unit will be working 16 hours or 2 days. 19. Close the Assign Resource and Keep this assignment of the Systems Analyst to this task. (Duration for project is now 40 days). Effort-driven scheduling can be turned off for individual tasks (or all tasks when you first created a project in the Tools Options Schedule). When effort-driven scheduling is turned off, total work increases (or decreases) when units of different resources are added (or subtracted) from the task. To see this effect: 1. Click on task #4, Assess Current Department Needs. In the lower pane (in the task form), make sure the Effort driven box is unchecked. . Press the OK button to effect the change. (You must do this! ) 3. Making sure youve clicked in the task #4 in the upper pane. 4. In the lower pane, add one unit (100%) of the Systems Analyst and one unit (100%) of the Systems Manager to this task and press OK. 5. Notice the duration remains at two days, but each of the units is assigned the same amount of work (16 hours). You would do this if you know each of your resources is doing different work within the tasks duration and they are a different resource. (See figure 3). Figure 3 6. Keep these assignments for this task. . But what if we turn off effort-driven scheduling, but add additional units of the same resource? What happens? Here is where it can get confusing and you must reflect on what is happening behind the scenes and the effect task type has on scheduling. 8. Click on task #7, Research Products and Services. Your task form should show the resource Systems Analyst, 50% under the Units column and 28 hours of work (50% of 7 days/56 hours, is 28 hours). 9. Make sure the Effort driven box in is Unchecked the task form and click on OK. 10. Change the 50% to 100%, and click OK. What happened? Notice the work stayed at 28 hours (in other words, work was not recalculated), but the duration changed to 3. 5 days! We would have expected that work should have been recalculated to 56 hours and the duration to stay the same. 11. Keep this assignment. The task type setting also has an effect on how tasks are scheduled. There are three task types: Fixed Units, Fixed Duration and Fixed Work. Using one of these types, any variable in the standard equation of Work = Duration * Units can be controlled. When Fixed Units task type is used (and it is the default), the duration of the task is affected. Fixed Unit tasks are also called Resource-driven tasks. Assigning additional units of the same resource will decrease the schedule, not the work! Therefore, work remains at 28 hours, but duration is recalculated by dividing the work by the new number of units (28 hours divided by 1 equals 28 hours or 3. 5 days). To help you, here is a table to explain the effect of effort-driven with fixed unit task type: Example: Task X has a duration of 2 weeks, and initial resource assignment of one unit of Resource A, and therefore an initial total work of 80 hours. Fixed Unit With Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 1 week| 200% of Resource A| 40 hours each 80 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 1 week| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 40 hours 40 hours 80 hours total| Fixed Unit Without Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 1 week| 200% of Resource A| 40 hours each 80 hours total| Add one unit of diff erent resource (B)| 2 weeks| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 80 hours 80 hours 160 hours total| At this point, this all seems very confusing I assure you. Actually, fixed units sounds like a bad term for this task type. But if you notice from the table, the key is really effort driven. If a task is effort-driven, the philosophy says that the more resources, regardless of being the same resource or a different resource, work remains the same, but the duration will be affected. If a task is not effort-driven, but a fixed unit or resource-driven task, duration will only be affected if you add or subtract the number of units of the same resource! But what if you want to ensure that the duration of a task never changes? You can control that by changing the task type to Fixed Duration. Lets see that effect: 1. Keep the assignment you just made on Task #7 (100% of Systems Analyst), and now click on task #9, Issue RFPs. The resource assignment is the Project Manager. The duration is 7 days therefore work has been calculated as 56 hours of work based upon 1 unit (100%). 2. In the task form in the bottom pane, change the task type to fixed duration by choosing from the pull-down men, and check the effort-driven box). (Figure 4) Figure 4 3. Press OK to effect the change. 4. Add the Financial Officer (100%) to this task and press the OK button. What happened? Figure 5 The Project Manager and Financial Officer are both assigned 28 hours worth of work over 7 days. If a task has the task type Fixed Duration, the duration of the task remains the same (fixed) when resources are added or removed; however work for each resource could be allocated differently depending on whether it is the same resource or a different resource. Here is a chart of how effort-driven scheduling could affect the workload of a resource (but not the task duration) when designating a task type of Fixed Duration: Example: Task X has a duration of 2 weeks, and initial resource assignment of one unit of Resource A, and therefore an initial total work of 80 hours. | Fixed Duration With Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 2 weeks| 200% of Resource A| 80 hours each 160 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 2 weeks| 50% of Resource A 50% of Resource B| 40 hours 40 hours 80 hours total| Fixed Duration Without Effort Driven| Duration| Units| Work| Add one unit of same resource (A)| 2 weeks| 200% of Resource A| 80 hours each 160 hours total| Add one unit of different resource (B)| 2 weeks| 100% of Resource A 100% of Resource B| 80 hours 80 hours 160 hours total| Lets try this table to see if we can predict the effect of our scheduling: 1. Make sure task #9 (Issue RFPs) is selected in the upper pane. 2. In the lower pane, Select the Financial Officer and press the delete key to remove the Financial Officer. Press OK. 3. The task form should show the Project Manager back to 100% assignment and 56 hours of work. 4. In the task form, uncheck the effort-driven box and press OK. 5. Making sure you are still on task #9 again. Add the Financial Officer and assign him back to the task (100%). What happened? 6. According to the above chart, if effort-driven is turned off and the task type is Fixed Duration, adding one unit of a different resource will not change the duration (it is still 7 days), but each resource will be assigned the same amount of work, 56 hours. (Keep this assignment as is). The last task type is Fixed Work. Fixed work means the total work for the task will remain the same when resources are added or subtracted. Only the duration and units are affected in a Fixed Work type task, but inversely. A Fixed Work task can only be effort-driven. To see this effect: 1. Click on task #10, Evaluate Bids. Notice that the Project Manager was initially assigned to this task for 100% or 40 hours of total work. 2. Change the task type to Fixed Work in the task form and Press OK. (Notice the effort-driven checkbox is grayed out). 3. Assign one unit (100%) of Financial Officer to this task. What happened? Notice the work stayed at 40 hours, but the work was distributed between the two resources and the duration was changed to 2. 5 days. Why is the duration 2. 5 days or 20 hours? Keep this assignment change). 4. Click on the task #13, Purchase Equipment. Notice we have assigned . 5 (or 50%) of the Financial Officer to this task. Since the initial duration was given as 4 days, 50% of 4 days is 2 days or 16 hours. 5. Change the task type of this task to Fixed Work. Press OK. 6. Change the percentage of the Financial Officer from 50% to 100%. What happened? Why did duration of the task change t o 2 days? 7. Change the percentage of the Financial Officer back to 50%. (Very important for the next section). Duration changed back to 4 days. Why? (Keep this ssignment as is). (Your project should now be at a total duration of 37. 25 days; if not, check previous instructions). 8. If it appears that Fixed Work is similar to effort-driven, you are not far off the mark. Again, all this is very confusing, I assure you, but hopefully it encourages you to think about your initial assignments and what affect adding or subtracting resources has on your schedule and workload. Another chart you can use to determine what changes in MS Project when you change task types and what is recalculated is: | | And you change†¦| †¦thenMS Project Recalculates this| If your Task Type is†¦| | Duration| Units| Work| | | Fixed Duration| Work| Work| Units| | | Fixed Units| Work| Duration| Duration| | | Fixed Work| Units| Duration| Duration| | Perhaps the best advice is the following: 1. Leave all tasks as effort-driven, fixed units unless the duration absolutely needs to remain fixed. Fixed durations are rare. Tasks such as waiting 1 hour after swimming may seem like a fixed duration, but can be best handled by using lag times. (Actually the above is really not a task). A better example of a fixed duration task would be driving a truck. If we estimate that to drive a truck from Seattle to Spokane will take about 4 1/2 hours, it does not matter how many drivers we assign to the task, it will still take 4 1/2 hours. 2. If you want to assign two resources (or people) to a task and each is doing different work, it is best to split the task into two tasks. For example, in the current project, we have assigned the Project Manager and the Financial Officer to the same task, Issue RFPs. If the Project Manager is working on the technical section of the RFP and the Financial Office is working on the financing requirements of the RFP, hen it is best to split Issue RFPs into two different tasks (such as Write Technical Requirements and Write Financial Requirements) and assign each resource to the task they are responsible. Resource Contours One other assumption made by MS Project when you assign a resource to a task: that work is evenly distributed throughout the duration of the task. For example, in our previous task, Purchase Equipment, we said that the Financial Officer would be devoting 16 hours over 4 days to complete the task. Those 16 hours are then evenly distributed over the 4 days (or 4 hours per day). This is known as a flat contour. A contour defines how scheduled work is distributed over the duration of a task. You can change this distribution or use several preset contours to a resource. To see this contour: 1. From the Task tab and in the Properties group, click on Details twice to remove the split. 2. You should now have just the Gantt chart view on your screen. 3. From the View tab and the Task Views group, select Task Usage. Your screen should look similar to figure 6. (You may need to use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars to get to the top of the table and to see the appropriate dates on the right). Figure 6 4. On the left you will see your tasks and under each task are the names of the resources assigned to the task. On the right are the work details in calendar form. 5. Move the divider between the left and right panes to the right of the Duration column. Expand the task name column so that you can see all of the information. 6. Using the right scroll bar, scroll down to the task, Purchase Equipment and click on it to highlight it. 7. Click on Financial Officer directly below. 8. On the Task tab and on the far right in the Editing group, click on the Scroll to Task button. 9. To the right, you will see the 16 hours evenly distributed over four days (4 hours per day). (Figure 7 ). However we can change that distribution manually. Figure 7 10. In the first cell that says four hours (make sure you stay in the same row as the Financial Officer, change the first day to 6 hours, the second day to 5 hours and the third day to 1 hour. (Figure 8) The fourth day we will not change. Figure 8 What we have done is created a custom contour, and while MS Project has preset contours, I recommend that you do these manually. Keep in mind, however, that your duration may change based upon the task type. At this point, return to the Gantt chart view. Save your file and print out the following reports: (use proper header/footer information) 1. Project Summary Report. 2. A Task Usage Report (under Workload category). 3. A Resource Usage Report (under Workload category). When submitting required printouts, if you are not bringing them to class, from the Print Preview Page, take a screen shot (in Windows lt;ALTgt;lt;Prt Scrgt;) of the report and paste the screen shot to a MS Word Document. Make sure to crop the screen to show only the report. After cropping, resize the image appropriately. If the printout is on more than 1 page, paste each page individually. Save the Word document containing printouts as Week_3_Printouts_XXX. docx (where XXX are your initials) and submit this file to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Checkpoint (From Project Information Statistics) Addendum Task Information for the Beginning of Lesson 3 Project Information Statistics at the Beginning of Lesson 3 When you have completed this lesson please save it as MyLab3_xxx. mpp and submit the file to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Also complete the following page and submit the Review Question sheet to the Weekly iLab Dropbox. Review Questions Name ____________________________ Answer the following questions (use MS Project help if necessary): 1) Define effort-driven? 2) Under what circumstances would you turn off effort driven scheduling? 3) Use a real-world example of when you would make a task as a Fixed Duration type task? 4) What is the formula for calculating duration? 5) What are the eight preset work contours (hint: In the Task Usage view right click on a resource name an open the assignment information box) and what are the procedures in applying them to a resource on a task? Turn in this sheet with your MS Project file to the Week 3 iLab Dropbox.

History of the Public Smoking Ban

History of the Public Smoking Ban The emergence of public smoking ban can be backdated to 1590 when Pope Urban VII threatened to excommunicate anyone who took any form of tobacco inside a church. Afterwards other European cities enacted smoking bans. Modern, countrywide tobacco ban was imposed in Germany during the rein of Adolf Hitler. In the sunset years of the 20th century, second-hand health related risks of tobacco smoking became more publicized. Coupled with restrictions on cigarette advertising and fear of revenue losses, the tobacco industry embarked on campaigns aimed at â€Å"tolerance and courtesy† to reduce the heightened tension between smoker and non-smokers, whilst eluding issues related smoking ban. Over the years, laws implementing bans on outdoor smoking have been enacted by many countries in various ways. The Irish government became the first country to do so. In one form or another, is also has been enacted in countries such as USA, Norway, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, South Africa, United Kingdom and Australia. The World Health Organization (1997) survey on tobacco control policies reported that a vast majority of countries numbering to 134 now have some form of restriction on smoking in public places. The underlying explanations cited for smoking bans in public places has often been safeguarding of the society from the its detrimental effects, which include increased risks of cancer, heart disease, and other acute and chronic diseases. The implementers have often put forward scientific evidence showing that tobacco smoking is harmful to the smokers and to those inhaling second-hand smoke. Air quality has often been advocated by the public one of the advantages of smoking ban. For this reason, the basis for smoking ban rationale relates to normative economics. Normative economics entails value judgements about â€Å"what the economy ought to be like† or what particular policy measures ought to be undertaken to achieve a desirable objective. Since normative economics looks into the appropriateness of particular aspects of the economy, it advocates for economic policies. In this case, the value desirable goal aims at reducing health care costs and improve productivity and create job opportunities, reduced risk of fire, cleanliness in places where food are handled, potential cutback on energy (decreased ventilation needs), reduced quantities of litter, make it easier for smokers to quit, and to promote healthier environments. Although restrictions attributed to smoking ban are primarily intended to reduce exposure to second hand smoke, it is most likely that there will be a reduction in smokers opportunity to indulge. This may lead to significant reductions in cigarettes smoked and consequently the â€Å"cost of smoking† Chaloupka and Warner (2000). In particular will be the smokers working or mostly spend most of the time within the Central Business District (CBD) of Nairobi where the smoking ban law is stringent as compared to the suburban. In Ireland, for example, it is said that approximately 7,000 smokers are thought to have quit in the first six months after imposition. What does this imply? First of all it is essential to acknowledge that cigarettes as products have inelastic demand. Tobacco is the raw product for cigarettes and contains nicotine an addictive substance that has no close substitutes. According to Curbing the Epidemic (The World Bank, 1999), elasticity of cigarette ranges on an average of (-0.4) though it varies from region to region, and from study to study. With this simple observation, it therefore implies that the total quantities of cigarettes consumed by each individual ‘continuing smoker will decline, ceteris paribas. This means, that there was an inward shift in demand for cigarettes after the implementation of the ban. Figure 2 demonstrates this implication of shift in demand. Before the enactment of the smoking ban, the consumers demand curve was D1 and the amount spent totaled to Kshs. 100.00 as depicted by the shaded area (OABF). After the enactment, the demand shifted to D2, hence the consumer total expenditure was Kshs. 50.00 as shown by the area (OACE). Economists have often referred to this phenomenon as non-price measures to reduce demand on cigarette. The imposition of smoking ban in the proximity of Kenyas county councils and municipalities includes all workplaces (private and public), businesses and public places (indoor and outdoor) with the exception of restaurants which have been obliged to designate special smoking zones. In the Nairobi for example, there are only three spots in the Central Business District (CBD) allocated smoking zones which do not sufficiently address the needs of all smokers. This ban comes in at the time when the tobacco manufacturing industry BAT Kenya Ltd. has been pushed to a threshold level as a result of tough regulation on advertisement campaign. What will the consumer do with the rest of the money saved? Since the consumer will be saving Kshs. 50.00, daily it will sum up to Kshs. 1,500.00 per month. This would definitely affect the cigarette position on the consumers budget line, assuming the income remains the same. In the Neoclassical economics, the goal of consumer behavior is utility maximization (consistent with maximization of net benefits). This means that the marginal utility of the last Shilling spent on the last cigarette will be equal to the marginal utility of the last Shilling spent on any ‘other good (equimargin principle). To get a better picture of this situation, let assume the following: Before smoking ban After smoking ban Income Kshs.30,000Kshs.30,000 Expenditure on cigarettesKshs. 3,000Kshs. 1,500 Amount spent on others Kshs.27,000Kshs.28,500 Table 1: Cigarette smokers budget before and after ban Figure 2 shows the smokers (consumer) budget line. Since the consumer is constrained by it the budget line, the new law will results into an outward movement along the budget line of the expenditure dedicated to smoking relative to what is spent on others. The implication is that the extra money derived from the reduction of smoking will be substituted and spent on others. This may at times result into some level of decrease in demand for inferior goods. Maybe the smoker will buy a gift for his wife or girlfriend, some items for himself, indulge in other activities such as beer drinking to divert from the affects of the smoking ban. In an interesting scenario would be where the consumer will be end up spending on expensive cigarettes since the consumer may want to maximize on utility. The smoking ban carries along with it requirements that the hospitality sector (hotels, casinos, bars and restaurants) has to designate regions for smokers and non-smokers. In addition it would be a not be a surprise to observe â€Å"no-smoking† and â€Å"smoking† related signs in these places. This will have a twofold effect which can also be viewed from the point of opportunity cost of smoking on businesses (due to the fact that the new decree is at times not adhered and may be up to the business to decide despite them knowing of the legal risks involved). One will be on the businesses that will follow the decree. These businesses may benefit from the fact that they may not lose on some non-smoking clientele base, but lose on some smokers who may avoid these places due to the pinching effect of the ban. The second would be businesses that would not completely adhere to the decree and may loose on clientele that may not appreciate the fact that they are not being ackno wledged, but gain from smokers who may feel that they are not being restricted. In general, economic loss will be experience in varying businesses in the hospitality sector. These include: The imposing of smoking ban will reduce pollution causing activities since the polluters, that is, smokers will be affected. This will result into increased levels of purified or cleanliness of the air. Unfortunately this does not come free. In economics any improvement linked to the environment has both benefits and costs to the society. There exists a trade-off between how much improvement is gained and how much money is used. This can be demonstrated by bringing together marginal benefits and marginal costs into one figure to provide some indication of the exchange and determine how socially efficient is the environmental improvement. What economists term as the socially efficient quantity of pollution† means that social benefits will be maximized when pollution is reduced to a certain point. Unfortunately, too much pollution reduction is too costly for us to undertake. In the case of smoking ban in Kenya, net social benefits can be determined by the difference between total benefit (TB) and total cost (TC): Why? For example in the demand and supply curve, consumer surplus is can be determined by the area above the market price (equilibrium) and below the demand curve, which is similar to our case above. The implications would be that there will be a positive social benefit as results of smoking ban and clean air due to movement from MC1 to MC2 This law will entail some long term implication in that it will prevent the youth from smoking at an early stage, as there will be lesser number of people exposed to the perils of smoking. Hence this will greatly benefit the society in terms of reduced levels of current and mostly essentially, the future generation. Furthermore, restrictions on smoking may change the perceived norms related to smoking by changing attitudes concerning the social acceptability of smoking (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1994). Evidence has shown that hospital admissions related to heart attacks the cases of dropped due to enactment of the ban. For example, after the smoking ban was imposed 2003 in Pueblo, Colorado USA heart attacked cases dropped by 27% while neighbouring towns where the ban was not introduced showed no change. Also a survey conducted in Scotland showed that smoking ban has some positive impact on health. The research revealed that massive health gain as a result of smoking ban. So not only will individual Kenyan smokers benefit in terms of better health (since some would quit while the continuing smokers will reduce indulging) but also potential second hand smokers (such as bar workers and those who spend considerable time with the smokers). Net social benefit (NB) = Total Benefit (TB) Total Cost (TC) NB = TB TC In economics, â€Å"net benefits are maximized where marginal benefit equals marginal cost (MB = MC)†. The same applies for socially efficient point that occurs where MB = MC and the point where they interact (MB and MC), maximum net social benefits is realized. This is demonstrated in figure 3 where as a result of the imposition of smoking ban MC1 shifts to MC2, causing the equilibrium to change from E1 to E2. Since smoking ban results to E2, then net social benefits is computed as: NSB = A + B + C C NSB = A + B Loss of revenue Loss of actual employment A decline in wages and salary payments Besides the cigarette manufacturers, the impact of a ban is expected to trickle down the industry chain. This includes the tobacco farmers. In Kenya, there are 300,000 farmers involved in growing of tobacco leaves, which means that there would likely be a reduction in revenue on their side. This will result into some of them halting the growing the tobacco leaves and looking for other substitution to their farming. The fear of being phased out is another determining factor on the future volumes (tobacco leaves) produced unless the tobacco industries takes alternative measures to increase it foreign exports and counter local market situation, hence ensure no decline in local quantities of tobacco leaves demand. It is obvious that the reduction of health risks will result into less expenditure that the government will spend of health care in the long run. This ensures improved productivity which will boost the production possibility frontier (PPT). Others benefits to the government include gains in terms of less energy used for ventilation needs and possibilities of increased investment. One would expect that the government revenue would be reduced from the drop in taxes gained from the manufacturing industries, tobacco farmers and the hospitality. Unfortunately this does not seem to be the case. In June 2007, a month before the enactment of the ban, the Kenyan government increased the â€Å"Sin-Taxes†. It seems that the government had counter measures of reducing any chances of future loss of revenue in anticipation of the ban in Junly 2007. For this reason, then it appears that the stakeholders (smokers and related industries) took the overall burden. However, the government will need to create more job opportunities for loss in employment. In addition, government will have to give subsidies to tobacco farmers since the new law will reduce their income and discourage them to continue farming. Since cigarettes contain the addictive substance called nicotine, some smokers may not be able to eventually quit. This may prompt the government to initiate surrogate smoking programs such â€Å"smoking cessation†. One would expect that the new law will impact on the valuation of the tobacco industries. This is definitely true since there was an initial drop in the stock price of BAT stock in the NSE immediately after the ban was enacted. According to The East African, it is estimated that the BAT stocks in the NSE lost Ksh3.5 billion ($48.6 million) in a period of one year. BAT share prices dropped from Kshs. 200 per share to Kshs. 165.00, the lowest during that trading period. In spite of this, today, the stock price has stabilized. This can be owed to the fact that the short run production was affected which led to market speculations of the uncertainty of the BAT in the long run. However, BAT did take counter measures of expanding its foreign market hence giving assurance of long run. Currently, according to Business Daily, so far the BAT shares at the NSE have been stable despite further series of smoking bans by other local authorities. This is consistent with economics of production wher e all the fixed factors of production are variable in the long run hence ensuring some level of return to scale just as BAT has done to ensure it stays in production. Contrarily, in the short run, a firm is only able to change the variable factors and not fixed factors just as the stock prices of BAT reflect in short run versus long run.

The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany :: European Europe History

The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany On February 13-14, 1945 the British Royal Air Force gave the final clearance to commence what would later become known as one of the greatest atrocities that has ever been commited against a civilian population. That night the RAF launched 796 bombers and 9 Mosquitoes which carried 1,478 tons of explosives in addition to 1,182 tons of incendiary bombs (Dear 311) which turned the city of Dresden, Germany into a virtual inferno. This attack included another strike by the US Air Force the following morning. The attack on Dresden was never a legitimate act of war, and its result was the terroristic mass murder of over 135,000 people. Bombing civilian targets in enemy territory became an open issue on March 30, 1942 when the Prime Minister's science advisor, Professor F.A. Lindemann (who later was recognized as Lord Cherwell) delivered to Winston Churchill a report which contained a strong argument in favor of striking civilian targets. Cherwell's report contained the final rationalization for the program Bomber Command was undertaking, and it would henceforth be paper-clipped to the plans of the bomber offensive. (Hastings). In his report, Lindemann estimated that forty tons of explosives detonated in heavily populated areas would destroy the homes of 4,000-8,000 people. The report also stated that there was a population of 22 million people in fifty-eight of the major cities in Germany. Lindemann claimed that a nation of refugees could be the result of strategic air attacks. It is wildly believed among scholars that the information cont.ained in this report was the basis of the attack on Dresden. Lindemann's figures were correct, but his thinking was immoral and inhumane. The people to whom his statistics referred so objectively were innocent civilians, more than half of them women and children. The assault upon them was nothing more that out-right murder. Any benefit gained by destroying these civilians. lives, families, and homes was countered ten-fold by the moral reprehensibility of such a clearly criminal act. The city of Dresden was a historic center of Europe, and was known world wide for its splendid architecture. It was the capital of Saxony, and located along the banks of the Elbe river. Dresden had very little industrial activity, and it was a target only once before in a small raid by the US Air Force in October of 1944. It was a city that was also known for its production of fine China, and its glorious museums (Dear 311).

The Uncertain Future of the Camera Cinemas :: Movies Films Theaters Essays

The Uncertain Future of the Camera Cinemas Nestled in the center of downtown San Jose sits one of the cities few cultural landmarks worth saving. The Camera Cinemas have been an institution since 1975. They serve as the unofficial home to San Jose’s small, but popular independent movie following. Unfortunately, they are at risk of being shut down for good if a new home can not be found in the next few years. This paper discusses the historical fight the Camera Cinemas have had to endure and what they must do to survive into the next century. They may be saving their best performance for last. Prior to 1975, there were no art movie houses in San Jose. The South of First Area (SOFA) Camera One currently resides in, was a red light district, home to prostitutes, porno theatres, and drug pushers. So what in the world was an art movie house doing in area like this? You could say the Cameras were ahead of their time, paving the way for what soon would be recognized as one of most culturally intellectual areas in the world. Because the closest art movie houses were 50 miles away, independent film fans looked to the Cameras as a source for entertainment in their own backyard. The Camera chain would expand in 1984 adding the Camera 3 theatres to their small but soon-to-be growing chain. It was during this time that the Cameras would start to receive top quality art and foreign films with the likes of those seen in San Francisco. The Cameras would eventually expand to four movie houses adding the Towne and Los Gatos Theatres. The relationship seemed like a match made in heaven; a s mall independent movie chain showing first run foreign and art films in the large and growing Silicon Valley. What could possibly go wrong? Much like everything else, too much of a good thing hardly ever goes unnoticed. The Camera Cinemas served as the only theatres downtown for nearly twenty years. So when the area started to flourish, big business started to open its eyes and take notice. With the opening of the brand new Pavilion Shops in downtown, AMC movie theatres looked to capitalize on an untapped market. In many situations, such as with department stores and supermarkets, competition can sometimes help to generate business. However, due to film zoning laws and the sheer commercial power of a chain like AMC, the Cameras stood to be jeopardized and ran out of business.