Can Terrorism Ever Be Justified - 1677 Words

Can terrorism ever be justified? Since the turn of the century, the postmodern world has seen increasing levels of political, cultural, military and socio-economic tumult, much of this due to a series of terrorist attacks on American soil and the resultant waging of Washington ’s â€Å"War on Terror†. Consequently, the nature of terrorism has come under intense media focus and is subject to immense debate, especially on its justification. Before engaging in such a debate one must first identify terrorism as an act of widespread violence, whether on the part of a state or individual, against another state or society, with the ultimate goal of forcing the latter party to cede to the formers demands – be they political or socio-economic. With such†¦show more content†¦In short, violence only begets more violence, nothing else, hence making terror totally unreliable as a means to an end. But, as with all controversies, the issue of terrorism has spawned a large number of devil’s advocates, and hence a member of arguments that terror is â€Å"acceptable† because it is â€Å"a natural consequence† of the actions of one nation upon others. Though highly repugnant to the humanitarians, these arguments do make for a convincing, if controversial, case. Terror must be accepted as the inevitable outcome of the damning legacy of colonialism that the First world has left on the Third, which was further exacerbated by Cold War machinations and power plans. Since the last century the vast majority of African, Arab, and Asian states have suffered under periods of debilitating colonial rule, and we find that the majority of terrorists have come from such impoverished nations. But their plight was forged into a cause for violence because of the First world ’s action In the Cold War. When we examine the methodology, tactics and weaponry of the international terror organizations, we find that they in fact had their origins in the First world! American and Soviet Cold War era weapons are the mainstayShow MoreRelatedMass Surveillance Is Not A Justified Method Of Governmental Intelligence Gathering1664 Words   |  7 PagesResolution: Mass surveillance is not a justified method of governmental intelligence gathering. We define the term à ¢â‚¬Å"surveillance†, as the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime, as does Merriam - Webster’s dictionary. We will have three main contentions. First: anti-terrorism, second: cost-effective, and third: it does not affect people. Contention One: Anti-Terrorism. Mass surveillance prevents terrorism in many ways. First, Mass surveillanceRead MoreA Brief Note On The Act Of Terrorism1688 Words   |  7 PagesAn act of terrorism. In itself, is neither moral, nor immoral - no act in itself ever is. Morality of an act is determined by the intentions of its perpetrators and by the circumstances under which it takes place. Killing is a morally neutral act, it is the intention of the killer and the circumstances under which the act takes place, that make it a crime of murder subject to a heavy punishment, an unfortunate accident , or an act of valour rewarded by a medal. In the course of warsRead MoreWhat Is Terrorism, Is It Wrong, And Could It Ever Be Morally Permissible?1530 Words   |  7 PagesIn Alison M. Jaggar’s paper â€Å"What is Terrorism, Why is it Wrong, and Could it Ever be Morally Permissible?†, she takes the topic of terrorism and tries to bring up information about it in a way to where terrorism can be discussed fairly and examined critically. Terrorism has been defined differently by various people, but many have voiced their concerns about this type of violence. Jaggar tried to develop an account (i.e., in-depth definition) of terrorism that would be consistent, precise, andRead MoreWar on Terror Essay1570 Words   |  7 Pagesmonths than ever before. In the months to come the only thing that was on the minds of millions was: Should we go to war? War is necessary for the survival of our country. Going to war with Iraq is a fight against terrorism. Many people believed that going to war with Iraq is unjust. Some bel ieve that there are other ways in looking at the situation. The war of September 11, 2001, is war justified? In the case of self-defense, it can be. This was not an act of war, but of terrorism. There wereRead MoreTerrorism : Killing Innocents For Noble Causes Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesTerrorism: Killing Innocents for Noble Causes Can you remember where you were on the fatal day of September 11, 2001? When people think of terrorism, the first thought is usually about that dreadful day. Terrorism is defined as, â€Å"Premeditated and unlawful acts in which groups or agents of some principal engage in a threatened or actual use of force against human or property targets† (p. G-23). Terrorists often uses violence or threat to advance their agenda or goal. Terrorism is very widespreadRead MoreGlobal Terrorism Is An Act Of Violence And Strategy971 Words   |  4 Pages Global Terrorism The rise on terrorism has dramatically increased in a diverse range of countries around the world. Within the last year, the world has achieved the highest number of attacks. Terrorism is an act of violence and strategy towards the government. One of the main purpose of terrorism is to not only add fear into the public, but also change the public’s eye. Now, global terrorism is a bigger issue that affects the world. Global terrorism does not just affectRead MoreAmerican Military Intervention Against Isis1048 Words   |  5 PagesWar Theory, this plan for American military intervention against ISIS is justified on moral grounds as it follows all three parts of the theory. This is supported by the current global state and Bush’s national security strategy from 2002. The first part of Just War Theory is Jus Ad Bellum—America has a morally righteous cause to go to war because it is motivated by defending civilians. Part of this is that a just war can only be taken by a legitimate authority, most commonly a state. Not only wouldRead MoreThe Ethics Of Warfare And Ethics1550 Words   |  7 Pagesis any ethical decisions when discussion about warfare. Are war ethical or not? Does war bring any resolution to the conflicts or it just bring more conflicts between nations and states? Have history of warfare demonstrate whether or not wars have ever resolve the initial purpose of the war? War ethics only defines whether the purpose of any war is right in order to initiate any conflict among nations. But history has proven that humans have always uses wars as a mean of resolving political, structuralRead MoreIs Torture justified?1704 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ ENGL 1301 Composition I November 9, 2013 Is Torture justified? What is torture? Basically, this is the action of physically or psychologically hurting a person without their permission and against their will. The torture has many goals such as obtaining a confession or information of the victim, revenge for an act committed by the victim or just for entertainment morbid and sadistic of the torturer. According to the 1984  United Nations Convention against Torture, the torture is: â€Å"anyRead MoreEssay on The war against terrorism976 Words   |  4 Pagesindividuals and organizations justify these acts of terror? These acts can be described as terrorist actions. Terrorism is a growing international problem. During the last twenty years, new terrorist groups have sprung up all over the world. Governments have had little success in their attempts to resolve issues in which terrorism is used. A major problem in discussing terrorism is establishing a generally accepted definition. Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of fear or force to achieve certain

Andean Worlds Free Essays

Justin Currie Professor Hinde History November 25th, 2010 Andean Worlds 1. Kenneth J, Andrien. Andean Worlds: Indigenous History, Culture, and Consciousness under Spanish Rule. We will write a custom essay sample on Andean Worlds or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1532-1825. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2001. Print. In his book, Andean Worlds: Indigenous History, Culture and Consciousness under Spanish rule. 1532-1825, the author, Kenneth J. Andrien, examines the Spanish invasion of the Incan Empire (called Tawintinsuyu) in 1532.This invasion brought cataclysmic change to the entire Andean region, resulted in the complete collapse of the empire and the deaths of most of the citizens through war and pestilence in later years. What had once been the proud and content citizens of the most advanced, powerful and large Empire in the Americas had their worlds completely turned on their heads, nobles and peasants alike became slaves in the Spanish conquistadors â€Å"encomiendas† while they were forced to basically watch their entire way of life crumble around them. The author, Kenneth Andrien, is as fit a man as any to write a book about the Andean world and its unique way of life before and after the Spanish invasion. He is currently a professor at the Ohio State University where he teaches many undergraduate and graduate courses in Latin American history and Atlantic World history. He has also written four other books and published journal articles on early South America in addition to Andean Worlds. He is also currently a member of the editorial boards of the Colonial Latin American Review and the Anuario de Estudios Americanos.These credentials make him a very knowledgeable man when it comes to Latin America. Chapters one and two focus on the Incan Empire or Tawantinsuyu before the Spanish conquest. Chapter one is more specifically about the different perspectives you have to take into account when discussing Incan history because while there are oral histories there is a complete lack of a written language and as such, historians must rely on either word of mouth or arrangements of knotted strings, called quipu, which the Andeans used to record their census data, contents of state warehouses and the numbers of taxpayers. They were also used to record basic information about significant events such as battles and dynastic events. There are problems with the quipu though, such as the fact that they are knotted strings which can easily fray and become damaged over time, rendering them useless to historians. Chapter two meanwhile focused on Tawantinsuyu before the Spanish invasion. It goes into great depth and discusses the political climate, how the empire functioned, the fall and eventual takeover of the empire by Francisco Pizarro and his conquistadors.This chapter was interesting because it pointed out that really one of the only reasons that the Spanish had such an easy time of it when they invaded the Empire was because a huge, five year civil war that completely crippled the empire had just ended. As such this made the empire very susceptible to invasion and interference because of the many indigenous tribes that had backed the wrong brother Huascar, were still angry and looking for payback.In fac t the new Sapa Inca, Atahualpa was on his way to Cusco to claim his throne when he heard of the tiny Spanish force led by Francisco Pizarro and decided to go and see, a fatal choice. The chapter also goes into great detail about the forming of the empire and how in only a few generations (1438-1532) it had become the most powerful, largest and advanced empire in the New World. Chapters three and four focus on Tawantinsuyu as it was after the Spanish had conquered the empire and subjugated it.Chapter three mostly talks about the early years of the Spanish conquest and how tough it was for them. During the first three years of their invasion and occupation they were already facing a massive rebellion led by the Spanish sponsored Manco Inca Yupanqui who managed to field an army of nearly 200,000 men. The Manco Inca began this rebellion because of the treatment he received from the Spanish which included several beatings and the seizure of his coya.After the failure of this rebellion the chapter goes on to describe the Years of Turmoil and Crisis during which Francisco Pizarro and his deputy Diego de Almagro had a large and drawn out war that resulted in the deaths of both of them. The chapter also describes the results of disease brought about by the Spanish, the implementation and eventual failing of the encomienda system, the implementation of the New Laws which led to a war between the Viceroy Blasco Nunez Vela and the Pizarro Clan and the resurgence of central authority under Viceroy Fransico de Toledo. By the early 19th century however crown authority was almost completely gone again. Chapter four describes the Colonial Socioeconomic Order of Peru. European-style markets were slow to catch on in Peru because the Conquistadors mostly just divided most indigenous communities into encomiendas which did not change much from the pre-existing Incan system but drained surplus production. The discovery of massive gold and silver deposits however led to an expansion and integration of regional market economies and the formation of what became known as The Trunk Line.The Trunk Line, as described by James Lockhart, was essentially a railroad of â€Å"trunk lines† and â€Å"feeder lines† that went through many of the major Andean cities all the way up to Panama where the precious metals were shipped to Spain. As can be expected the communities along the line were drawn into the typical Spanish markets. The chapter also talks of the settlement of the empire by a large amount of Eu ropean settlers which was made possible thanks to disease wiping out many of the people living in these areas. Chapters five and six are about the Andean culture and society under colonial rule and Religious conversion and the imposition of orthodoxy. Chapter five begins with the account of the aged indios ladino Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala who in 1615 with his young son took a manuscript he had been writing for over 30 years. This manuscript was remarkable in that it was written in both Castilian and his native Quechua. What is so remarkable about this is that the Incan language never developed an alphabet and it was not until 1560 that a Castilian-Quechua dictionary was released.Under colonial rule Spanish friars opened schools that taught Castilian which was the most common language in Spain. Spanish arts and Andean arts merged which lead to a distinctive culture that was neither Andean nor European. Indios Ladinos were indigenous people who had learned Castilian as well as their native tongue. They were the frist people of true mixed cultures and were extremely important because they were able to serve in many important jobs and showed the coming together of two cultures even when they had been born when Tawintinsuyu existed.Chapter six focuses on the spiritual conquest of the Andean world which although it was incomplete led to huge cultural and religious changes. Although the people accepted the trappings of Christianity such as the feasts, rituals, music, dances and prayers they viciously clung to their traditional rites and refused to give them up. This annoyed the clergy to no end and two factions developed with their own views on how to snuff out idolatry. These sides were forcible conversion that used egal campaigns to crush idolatry and the moderates who believed the continued beliefs to be religious error and though education was the sure way to combat them. Chapter seven covered the rebellions that rocked the empire and the continual resistance of the Andean peo ple while under Spanish rule. After the Spanish captured the capital of Tawantinsuyu, Cusco in 1533 they slowly tried to stamp out native resistance. The beginning of the Manco Inca’s rebellion began four long years of war that resulted in the Sapa Inca retreating to a fortress at Vilcabamba.The Spanish tried to negotiate with the Sapa Inca’s successors Sayri Tupac and Titu Cusi since the rebel state remained an extremely dangerous threat to the fragile Spanish territory, especially during the periodic civil wars that rocked the Spanish. Eventually Viceroy Fransico de Toledo launched a major punitive expedition that resulted in Vilcabamba falling and the capture and eventual execution in 1572 of the last king Tupac Amaru I.Resistance and rebellion did not end with the fall of Vilcabamba however as there were periodic small scale protests and revolts during the 17th century. The Bourbon Reforms in the 18th century fostered rebellions that had the potential to completely destroy the Spanish position in the new world. The major one was an uprising of native and mestizo peasants against the Bourbon reforms in the Spanis h Viceroyalty of Peru. While Tupac Amaru II, the early leader of the rebellion, was captured and executed in 1781, the rebellion continued for at least another year under other leaders. After this rebellions continued from the 1780s until eventual independence in the 1820s. Andean Worlds by Kenneth J. Andrien is an excellent book if you wish to understand and learn about the Spanish conquest of Tawantinsuyu. By drawing on his own research and the contributions from scholars in many disciplines, the author offers a masterful interpretation of Andean colonial history, one of the most dynamic and creative fields in Latin American studies. How to cite Andean Worlds, Papers

Christopher Luxon CEO Air New Zealand †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Explain On Christopher Luxon, CEO, Air New Zealand? Answer: Introducation Leaders have been the people who have been helping themselves and others in performing the right things. They are responsible in setting the directions, building an stirring vision and creating something innovative. Leadership takes into account the mapping out where one desires to go to win as an organization or as a team. At the time of setting of the direction, leaders need to make use of their skills in management for guiding their people in the right direction for reaching the right destination in a smooth way. One such man has been the Air New Zealand CEO, Christopher Luxon who has been a great learner over the years. He has been well passionate about learning things from other organizations while holding on to the own style of his airlines. A democratic leader, who takes into account the input made by others although the amount of degree might vary. Everytime there has been an issue, the CEO has let everyone know about what he thinks about the particular situation and let othe rs put forward their ideas on how they think the company should go about it (Lussier Achua, 2015).. Air New Zealand has drawn explicit response to the ethical issue from the Royal New Zealand SPCA. There was an ethical issue regarding the inclusion of pate de foie gras on its in-flight menus. Pate de foie gras is a conventional delicacy of Europe that is being produced through the standard force-feeding of the ducks, a practice that has been globally fated by the advocates of animal welfare. The CEO of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon was quick to decide along with others that foie gars would no longer be on the menu list of Air New Zealand. As being an ardent follower of ethical practices, Luxon was quick to issue a policy statement in the strategy of its Food and Wine that such products would be excluded even in the near future. The action was decisive and the response was quick from the office of CEO that impressed the Royal New Zealand SPCA. It is ethical in the sense that if Air New Zealand would have continued with that in their menu, the overseas passengers would have gain ed an intuition that such barbaric acts are accepted by New Zealanders (Bottery, 2016). According to Christopher Luxon, it is important to be in ethical in business that creates a positive impact on the customers. Luxon has never been authoritative in his works and decisions, a reason for his success at Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand has been working hard on the sustainability framework as part of its long commitment in helping change the success of New Zealand. CEO Christopher Luxon exposed the structure along with the initiatives in factor of sustainability. The CEO stated that the success of their business is being inter-linked to the success of New Zealand- Air New Zealand needing a tough and affluent New Zealand and in turn, New Zealand needing a triumphant and prosperous national airline. Luxon have been the main man behind setting out the corporate sustainability framework and the ways it would chip in to the success of a super-changing New Zealand. The social and economical support of the structure are mainly supported by six key areas- the people of the airlines,; the communities it have been operating within, science, nature and carbon; sightseeing and trade and endeavour (Rangan, Chase Karim, 2015). Christopher Luxon has been a true leader taking the insights of his staff and customers in delivering the actions under the framework of sustainability. At Air New Zealand, under the strict eyes of CEO Christopher Luxon, the airlines have been committed towards the highest standards of environmental liability and ethical demeanour. In case of social responsibility, New Zealand Chief Executive Officer, Christopher Luxon is a firm believer that business has a vital role to play in the society and in solving the issues related to sustainability. Professionalism of CEO, Christopher Luxon has played a major part in the success of Air New Zealand. His professionalism has been the reason for big earnings of the airlines. At the time when Qantas and Virgin Australia have been tapping its airline shareholders, Air New Zealand under Christopher Luxon was building in assurance about the sharp course in revenue in the same period. At the time when Luxon joined in s the CEO of Air New Zealand, its share price stood at $ 1.20. His professionalism took the price to $ 1.640, seeing a gain of around 26.7 per cent, making it one among some of the top performing stocks. At one time Air New Zealand was making loss around $ 2 million a week. Luxon played part in taking the airlines out of the loss-making course. He played a major part is connecting his market developmental experience in associating local sales force to the international organization (Miley et al., 2016). He made the move of aliening with Cathay Pacific and Japanese airlines i n getting rid of any sort of cost duplication. His coming into CEO shook up the whole compant in leveraging the business scale and shifting it from a structural business unit to a more functional structure. Troublesome passengers of airlines are the ones who make headlines, but then at certain times it can be the staff as well who misbehaves. One of the former flight attendants Jennifer Kilpatrick lost her proposal to get back her job after she had been fired following a sequence of bad behaviour during a return flight to Rarotonga. This is certainly not the way, a flight attendant should behave when on flight full of passengers. It sends out a bad message to the passengers and tarnishes the goodwill of the company. Kilapatrick was found shouting at the fellow staffs, acting in a rude way to the passengers and failing miserably to execute her tasks. Things certainly got out of hand, until the captain took the step of standing Kilapatrick down. It was the best decision that has been made by the company under the CEO, as it would not have been an ethical practice on the others part if Kilapatrick would have continued to work despite being behaving that way. Ethical practice at workplace m eans right and fair treatment for everybody that is part of the organization (Anderson Cohen, 2015). It can be concluded that Christopher Luxon has been excellent for Air New Zealand. It is for him that the company has reached new heights. His leadership has been the major fact that has injected a lot of positivity among the Air New Zealand employees that is evident from the market share and the stock prices of its shares. A good leader is always desirable by any sort of organization Reference: Anderson, G., Cohen, M. I. (2015). Redesigning the identities of teachers and leaders: A framework for studying new professionalism and educator resistance.education policy analysis archives,23(85), n85. Bottery, M. (2016). Not so simple The threats to leadership sustainability. Management in Education,30(3), 97-101. Lussier, R. N., Achua, C. F. (2015).Leadership: Theory, application, skill development. Nelson Education. Miley, K. K., O'Melia, M. W., DuBois, B. L. (2016).Generalist social work practice: An empowering approach. Pearson. Rangan, K., Chase, L., Karim, S. (2015). The truth about CSR.Harvard Business Review,93(1/2), 40-49.

Judiasm Essays - Book Of Exodus, Bo, Torah, Israelites, Moses

Judiasm Judaism was a parent of Christianity, and we probably know more about it than any other religion, excluding our own, right off the top of our heads. The ancestors of the Jews, called the Israelites, established a kingdom in Canaan-the land of Milk and Honey. The Israelites first began to see themselves in a special relationship with their God at about 1000 B.C.E. God had selected them to be a Chosen People. God had offered the Chosen People a covenant, or special agreement. In this covenant, the Israelites promised to worship only God, and in return God promised them preservation throughout history and the land of Canaan. Canaan was later called Judah, Israel, and Palestine. Central to the understanding of the Jewish convenant is the prosperous herdsman who heard and followed God's call, Abraham. Abraham answered God's call and led his family from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan. Abraham mad a son, Isaac, and a grandson Jacob who also inherited the convenant. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were called the patriarchs, or the founders of Judiasm. Moses, being one of the great religious leaders in history, God revealed his name Yahweh to him. Yahweh means ?to be? in Hebrew. The events recorded in Exodus indicate that through Moses a new and deeper understanding of God was revealed. The worship of Yahweh was unknown before Moses. The Israelites as a whole began to realize that the God of Moses was a very ?jealous God,? who would not tolerate worship of any other god. As the book of Exodus opens, we find that the Israelites are slaves in the land of Egypt. Exodus became the heart and soul of Judaism. Moses is the key character in Exodus and one of great religious leaders in history. The Exodus story is one that is very touching. The persecution of the Jews in the 1930's was horrible and will be remembered forever. After being crushed in the economic disaster in the Great Depression and being totally defeated in WWI, the time was perfect for Hitler to take anti-Semitism, or hatred for Jews-to a whole different level. Jews all over became victims of Hitler's awful laws such as those in Poland, Europe, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Germany. It was an awful time for the Jewish people and in camps all over Germany and Poland Jews were being murdered by starvation, disease, beating, mutilation, infection, gassing, and burning. Six million Jews, or about one-third of the entire Jewish population of the world was completely wiped out. Only fifty thousand Jews remained after the war. The faith of the Jewish people was tested greatly during the Holocaust. The vivid living faith of the Jewish people is shown through their mant festivals and celebrations throughout the year. Besides the Sabbath observance, the Jewish year is filled with yearly festivals. They are all based on the Jewish lunal calendar. Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish new year, which is celebrated in October, opens ten ?Days of Awe?. There is a celebration at the beginning and end of the two days. Yom Kippur is the ?Day of Atonement?. It is considered the most holy day of the year and is the closest to repentance. Five days after Yom Kippur, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkoth, is celebrated. This is a week long feast in the fall celebrating God's presence when the Israelites were in the desert. The Rejoicing of the Torah closes the Sukkoth. Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights and is celebrated in December. It commemorates the restoration of the Temple after it was destroyed by the Syrians. Purin celebrates Esther's success to find a plot to massacre all Jews in the Persian Empire. One of the most important spring holy days is Pesach, or the Passover. There are many special foods associated with this holiday, especially those served at the seder (ceremonial meal). Fifty days after the Seder, the feast of the Pentecost which remembers the giving of the Law of Moses fifty days after the Passover. The Jewish calendar year is filled with many feasts and special ceremonies. There are three branches of Judaism. Orthodox Judaism is the oldest and largest of the three branches. It has the full tradition of Judaism. It calls itself the ?Torah-True Judaism? because of its strict adherence to the law of Moses. This stance seems to influence and shape tis approach to theology. The second branch of Judaism is Reform. The Reform branch is extremely liberal and call their houses of worship ?temples? and have begun to ordain female rabbis. They believe that the Mosaic law should not be

Chechen Rebels essays

Chechen Rebels essays In the course of Russian history, there has been one territory that has caused a lot of controversy. The area is Chechnya, which is located in southwestern Russia near Dagestan and Georgia. Most of Chechnyas population is Muslim and doesnt like the rule of the Christian Russians because of the practice of Islam in that area. Russia first took over Chechnya in the 19th century and immediately found resistance there. The resistance has lasted over time and reached a high point in the 1990s, and violence is still going on now. Recently there has been a paramilitary group in Chechnya that are extremists and want independence for Chechnya. This group is much like a terrorist organization. Although people are pressing for peace, it looks like the fighting will continue. The first invasion of Chechnya was in the 1830s by Czar Nicholas I (Johnson, 2000: Infoplease.com Timeline of Key Events in Chechnya). He met fierce resistance and many bloody battles where fought. However the Russians were victorious. In 1859 Russia had conquered their land and incorporated the Caucuses into their territory(Johnson, 2000: Infoplease.com Timeline of Key Events in Chechnya). Russia took Chechnya in a time of Russian Imperialism, and they took Chechnya by force and pressed a government and religion on the people that they did not agree with(Johnson, 2000: Infoplease.com Timeline of Key Events in Chechnya). The difference in ethnicity and religion will be the fuel for all of the blood that is to be split up to current day. There was peace for a short time until the early 1900s. In 1917 during the Russian Revolution Dagestan and Chechnya declared their independence from Russia (Johnson, 2000: Infoplease.com Timeline of Key Events in Chechnya). Bolshevik troops were sent in to occupy the area. The occupation period lasted for 6 years. In 1923 the Bolsheviks reclaimed Da...

Mark Twains Top 10 Writing Tips

Mark Twains Top 10 Writing Tips Widely regarded as the greatest American writer of his time, Mark Twain was often asked for advice on the art and craft of writing. Sometimes the famous humorist would respond seriously, and sometimes not. Here, in remarks drawn from his letters, essays, novels, and speeches are 10 of Twains most memorable observations on the writers craft. 10 Tips From Twain Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.Use the right word, not its second cousin.As to the Adjective: when in doubt, strike it out.You need not expect to get your book right the first time. Go to work and revamp or rewrite it. God only exhibits his thunder and lightning at intervals, and so they always command attention. These are Gods adjectives. You thunder and lightning too much; the reader ceases to get under the bed, by and by.Substitute damn every time youre inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.Use good grammar.Damnation (if you will allow the expression), get up take a turn around the block let the sentiment blow off you. Sentiment is for girls. . . . There is one thing I cant stand and wont stand, from many people. That is, sham sentimentality.Use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write Englishit is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; dont let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.Write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for. Sources:1. Quoted by Rudyard Kipling in From Sea to Sea (1899) 2. Fenimore Coopers Literary Offences (1895) 3. Puddnhead Wilson (1894) 4. Letter to Orion Clemens (March 1878) 5. frequently attributed to Twain, but the source is unknown 6. Fenimore Coopers Literary Offences (1895) 7. Letter to Will Bowen (1876) 8. Letter to D. W. Bowser (March 1880) 9. Mark Twains Notebook: 1902-1903 10. Mark Twains General Reply

Some questions to answer in a half page Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Some questions to answer in a half page - Article Example His pranks were smart and funny. Instead of accusing Nixon of misdeeds, Tuck made him look foolish with his pranks. Nixon really could not defend himself against the pranks as he could have against a direct attack on the same issues. Tuck outsmarted Nixon. I think that is funny, because too many politicians take themselves too seriously. Assignment #2:(1/2 page) How did Vince Foster die and do you think the Clinton's were involved? Vince Foster committed suicide a few months after becoming a lawyer during Clinton’s first administration. He was very respected as a lawyer in Arkansas before coming to Washington D.C. After the Wall Street Journal ran a few scathing reports on Foster, he became depressed. His family had remained in Arkansas, so he was alone. I do not believe the Clinton’s were involved in his death. His depression came from coming to the hostile environment from a place where he was highly respected. Washington politics made him depressed, but the Clintonâ €™s did not have anything to do with that. Assignment #3:(1/2 page) Tell me your opinion about why USA invaded Iraq?, 5 reasons. I believe the USA invaded Iraq for several reasons. The first was arrogance. Bush made some demands of Hussein which were not met. If Bush would have realized or understood Hussein and his tribal background, he would never have tried to corner Hussein. I believe Bush thought there were weapons of mass destruction (WMD). After realizing quickly there was not any, Bush’s arrogance kept America in Iraq. Fear led the invasion of Iraq. The fear that radical Muslims could attack America again after 9/11 made the USA invade Iraq. The unsuccessful hunt for Osama bin Laden made the Bush Administration invade Iraq. They wanted to make Americans feel safe by waging a war on terrorism. Finally Bush invaded Iraq for political reasons. He wanted to keep his political ratings high. If he was seen as soft, Republicans would ditch him like they did the more libe ral McCain. Assignment #4::(1/2 page) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/cheney/view/ Watch the entire video and give me one paragraph about it : This video is scary. It shows how close America is coming to a tyrannical society all in the name of fighting terrorism. Cheney believes that the safety of America should come at the cost of losing some of our basic rights. He does not think the Constitution should dictate to a president. The last time I checked only the Supreme Court could determine or interpret the Constitution, not the vice president. Mistakes were made in ignoring the signs of 9/11 before it happened. However if we use 9/11 as an excuse to limit freedoms for Americans, or discriminate against Muslims, Bin Laden has won. Even if not one more American dies, any loss of our freedoms because of 9/11 and men like Cheney makes Bin Laden a winner. Assignment #5:(1 page) Watch the following video. http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1515141.htm Tell me what "Peak Oil" is? When do you think gas will reach: $5.00/gallon $7.00/gallon $10.00/gallon Does government need to address this problem and what should the response be? .. .. Peak Oil is the oil being pumped right before the decline. Peak Oil is between the new oil that pumps out from pressure and the oil manually pumped out with water. The oil worldwide is being used more than is being produced. The video said that 1981 was the last time more oil was pumped than was being used.

IBM casestudy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

IBM casestudy - Case Study Example The success of Dell over IBM can easily be attributed to the fact that Dell attempted to exploit a market niche which was hardly considered as future market prospect by the IBM. As mentioned in the case study that the mangers at IBM often considered new opportunities for innovation as a distraction from their core business activities thus limiting themselves to only those opportunities which corroborated their existing strengths. Inability of the senior management to reward and look for new and strategic opportunities and rather reward short term results. Though, short term results play a critical role in keeping the organization is momentum however, it is really critical that the organization and its management must develop the skills and aptitude to reward the long term strategic building of the business. Large organizations such as IBM therefore lack the ability to focus on thinking beyond what they are good at and focus more on achieving the near term results. Large organizations are also often pre-occupied with their existing markets and demand patterns observed in existing markets may serve as a satisfying factor for them. A higher and consistent demand from existing markets therefore is one of the reasons why large organizations fail to create new businesses because short terms strategic business targets are often achieved from existing markets rather. This however, also indicates that the large organizations often become complacent and stop looking for new opportunities. It is also important to note that the strategic financial objectives of the firm may be different as compared to growing organizations. Since large organizations often pass through their maturity stage therefore they focus on achieving sustainable profit targets rather than taking actions to drive higher P/E values. Since cash flow patterns are more predictable for mature organizations therefore the need to drive higher value by creating new opportunities. Ability

Eddies death Essay Example for Free

Eddies death Essay In a view from the bridge, the theme of justice is consistent throughout, particularly at the end. The five main points I am going to talk about in this essay are Alfieri and his monologues, Eddie phoning immigration on the cousins, Marcos hatred towards Eddie at the end of the play, leading swiftly on to Eddies death. Other words associated with justice are vengeance, betrayal and revenge. Starting with Alfieri and his monologues, we can see that, being a lawyer, Alfieri values the law, more than justice. We can see this when he says most of the time we settle for half and I like it better, by this, we can see that when he says settle for half he means that the written law may not always act in favor of justice, yet it is better to follow the law than to take it into your own hands. He says that he likes it better like this, which also supports this, he sees that when people go against the law to assert justice, it can lead to conflict and death, which he does not support. Alfieri also says Justice is very important here, the keywords in the quote are important and, evidently, justice, they show how meaningful justice is in the neighborhood in which the play is set, which subtly informs the audience of an ongoing theme which is to be raised at some point in the play, maybe more than once. This prepares the audience for coming conflicts because when one thinks of justice, like Alfieri, they know it can lead to conflict and death, therefore creating dramatic tension. In addition, Alfieri says Only God makes justice, which further supports the quote above, suggesting that Alfieri is a strong believer of the law, and that people should not take justice into their own hands, that is Gods job. This may lead the audience to believe that Alfieri believes in fate, whats meant to be is meant to be, and if that one person deserves justice, God will serve it to them. Moving on to the next point, Eddie phoning immigration on the cousins. Eddie says, Give me the number of the immigration bureau, using the imperative give me, like an order, rather than asking politely for the number suggests to the audience that Eddie is making an irrational move, out of spite, maybe, because of his anger towards the cousins. Throughout the play, Eddie shows his status as high and powerful, trying to force this onto the cousins, too. When the cousins arrived, his status was knocked, and because of his delusions about Rodolpho being gay, he subconsciously created divides in his relationships with Beatrice and Catherine, because they were not seeing what he thought he saw. This angered him, and lead the audience to believe that, by turning the cousins in, Eddie thought he was rightfully serving justice, when, in fact he was purely making a selfish move to reclaim his status and have his relationships with Beatrice and Catherine restored. Furthermore, Eddie later says, after having had Marco spit in his face, Ill kill you for that you son of a bitch. By using the threat, Ill kill you suggests that Eddie wants to get revenge on Marco for embarrassing him in public, and deliberately lowering his status. The language and tone that Eddie uses is both violent and aggressive, which are also key traits and features of someone seeking justice. An example of this in everyday life are stories like 9/11, where a group of terrorists believed that had been wronged, they therefore committed an illegal act, driving two planes into the twin towers and consequently claiming the lives of hundreds of innocent people in a violent and aggressive manner. In their minds, however, the terrorists thought they were claiming their justice on the world who they believed had been unfair to them. Eddies story is like this in the way that he felt his status fading, he felt betrayed by Beatrice and Catherine for not backing him up, so, by phoning immigration on the cousins, he felt he was serving his justice, they would be deported back to Italy, and he would reclaim his status in the house he shares with Beatrice and Catherine. In his mind, he felt the victims, Rodolpho and Marco were getting the justice they deserved, when, in fact, they were completely innocent, Eddie had only deluded himself with his obsession that Rodolpho was gay, and his love for Catherine that he made the irrational decision of turning the cousins in. Another story of revenge like this, is in Hamlet, when his fathers ghost came to him, telling him that Claudius had poisoned him. Hamlets swears revenge, and does so violently and aggressively, killing Polonius, the eavesdropping court chamberlain. Several events occur, leading to a duel between Polonius son, Laertes, and Hamlet. This example also supports Alfieris view that revenge can lead to conflict and death, because the result of the duel ends with the death of Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet. Marcos hate towards Eddie, is similar to that of Laertes towards Hamlet, whose actions lead to the death of Polonius, Laertes father, and Ophelia, Laertes sister, who loved Hamlet but was driven to madness by his actions and died by drowning. Eddies actions, phoning the immigration bureau on the cousins lead to Marcos hate towards Eddie. Marco says That one! He killed my children! That one stole the food from my children! , he says this because once he is sent back to Italy, he will no longer have a job and will no longer be able to provide for his children. Because of this, Marco, like Laertes, wanted to get revenge, and spat in Eddies face, embarrassing him in front of the whole neighborhood. Marco also says In my country, he would be dead by now. He would not live this long, this suggests that although his action of spitting in Eddies face was, while being degrading towards Eddie, was actually quite minimal, because this quote suggests that, given the chance, Marco would have killed Eddie for betraying his family. Marco feels that this would be the rightful punishment for Eddies actions. Consequently, later in the play, Marco gets his wishes. When him and Eddie confront, a fight is initiated and Eddie pulls a knife. Eddie yells You lied about me, Marco. Now say it. Come on now, say it! , this behavior by Eddie is completely out of spite and is irrational anger, he is so obsessed with his opinions about Rodolpho, and further angered by the previous events when the immigration officers showed that he is using provoking language and tone which leads Marco to lunge, screaming Anima-a-a-a-l! and resultedly leads to Eddies death. The word animal is lengthened and is shouted in action. Marco is so angered by Eddie and is so taken over by emotion that he lunges towards Eddie and kills him, therefore avenging him for what he has done to his family. These points effectively highlight some of the main events in the play that are related to the theme of justice. They show that justice was a theme not only brought up once, but consistently throughout the play. Justice is evidently a main theme in the play, and, without it, would result in a boring play with no proper story. This shows that justice is an effective theme and keeps the audiences attention because it creates tension and therefore, interest.

Audubon and Dillard :: essays research papers

Audubon and Dillard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A small child views a painting, giggling to his mother how it looks like an elephant soaring throughout the galaxy. An hour later a middle age man views the exact painting only to acknowledge the abstract painting as a collage of miscellaneous shapes and colors. This view is much like the comparison between John James Auburn and Annie Dillard passages, revealing opposite and similar aspects on the subject of birds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Auburn’s passage inhabits a sense of seriousness and monotone. Incorporating direct details such as his departure from his house on the â€Å"banks of the Ohio† and observing pigeons fly â€Å"north-east to southwest† reveals his scientific train of thinking. By him pinpointing each step of his experience of watching birds, it displays how his mind functions and distinguishes situations. Show casing his down to earth tone, Auburn delivers a step-to-step encounter with the birds flying high above him. Auburn describes the flock of birds â€Å"like a torrent† that made a sound â€Å"like a noise of thunder† that came by with such a â€Å"compact mass†. Auburn’s passage consists mainly of scientific observations but the word incorporations towards the end of the passage are significant components which assist in portraying a poetic and metaphoric language. By Auburn incorporating this poetic feel, it displays his exhil aration and pure amazement of theses specimen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Annie Dillard portrays her thoughts differently in her passage, incorporating a poetic sense that is carried through out the entire passage. Dillard describes the birds she is viewing as â€Å"transparent† and that they seem to be â€Å"whirling like smoke†. Already one could identify that Dillard’s passage has more of poetic feel over a scientific feel. This poetic feeling carries through the entire passage, displaying Dillard’s total awe of these birds. She also incorporates word choices such as â€Å"unravel† and that he birds seem to be â€Å"lengthening in curves† like a â€Å"loosened skein†. Dillard’s word choice implies that he is incorporating a theme of sewing. As she describes these birds she seems to be in awe and by using a comparison of sewing she is reaching deeper inside herself to create her emotions at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the light of the day certain objects seem different, we don’t take notice of the simple things and rush to accomplish are every day tasks.

Angels Demons Chapter 66-69

66 Chinita Macri was mad. She sat in the passenger's seat of the BBC van as it idled at a corner on Via Tomacelli. Gunther Glick was checking his map of Rome, apparently lost. As she had feared, his mystery caller had phoned back, this time with information. â€Å"Piazza del Popolo,† Glick insisted. â€Å"That's what we're looking for. There's a church there. And inside is proof.† â€Å"Proof.† Chinita stopped polishing the lens in her hand and turned to him. â€Å"Proof that a cardinal has been murdered?† â€Å"That's what he said.† â€Å"You believe everything you hear?† Chinita wished, as she often did, that she was the one in charge. Videographers, however, were at the whim of the crazy reporters for whom they shot footage. If Gunther Glick wanted to follow a feeble phone tip, Macri was his dog on a leash. She looked at him, sitting there in the driver's seat, his jaw set intently. The man's parents, she decided, must have been frustrated comedians to have given him a name like Gunther Glick. No wonder the guy felt like he had something to prove. Nonetheless, despite his unfortunate appellative and annoying eagerness to make a mark, Glick was sweet†¦ charming in a pasty, Briddish, unstrung sort of way. Like Hugh Grant on lithium. â€Å"Shouldn't we be back at St. Peter's?† Macri said as patiently as possible. â€Å"We can check this mystery church out later. Conclave started an hour ago. What if the cardinals come to a decision while we're gone?† Glick did not seem to hear. â€Å"I think we go to the right, here.† He tilted the map and studied it again. â€Å"Yes, if I take a right†¦ and then an immediate left.† He began to pull out onto the narrow street before them. â€Å"Look out!† Macri yelled. She was a video technician, and her eyes were sharp. Fortunately, Glick was pretty fast too. He slammed on the brakes and avoided entering the intersection just as a line of four Alpha Romeos appeared out of nowhere and tore by in a blur. Once past, the cars skidded, decelerating, and cut sharply left one block ahead, taking the exact route Glick had intended to take. â€Å"Maniacs!† Macri shouted. Glick looked shaken. â€Å"Did you see that?† â€Å"Yeah, I saw that! They almost killed us!† â€Å"No, I mean the cars,† Glick said, his voice suddenly excited. â€Å"They were all the same.† â€Å"So they were maniacs with no imagination.† â€Å"The cars were also full.† â€Å"So what?† â€Å"Four identical cars, all with four passengers?† â€Å"You ever heard of carpooling?† â€Å"In Italy?† Glick checked the intersection. â€Å"They haven't even heard of unleaded gas.† He hit the accelerator and peeled out after the cars. Macri was thrown back in her seat. â€Å"What the hell are you doing?† Glick accelerated down the street and hung a left after the Alpha Romeos. â€Å"Something tells me you and I are not the only ones going to church right now.† 67 The descent was slow. Langdon dropped rung by rung down the creaking ladder†¦ deeper and deeper beneath the floor of the Chigi Chapel. Into the Demon's hole, he thought. He was facing the side wall, his back to the chamber, and he wondered how many more dark, cramped spaces one day could provide. The ladder groaned with every step, and the pungent smell of rotting flesh and dampness was almost asphyxiating. Langdon wondered where the hell Olivetti was. Vittoria's outline was still visible above, holding the blowtorch inside the hole, lighting Langdon's way. As he lowered himself deeper into the darkness, the bluish glow from above got fainter. The only thing that got stronger was the stench. Twelve rungs down, it happened. Langdon's foot hit a spot that was slippery with decay, and he faltered. Lunging forward, he caught the ladder with his forearms to avoid plummeting to the bottom. Cursing the bruises now throbbing on his arms, he dragged his body back onto the ladder and began his descent again. Three rungs deeper, he almost fell again, but this time it was not a rung that caused the mishap. It was a bolt of fear. He had descended past a hollowed niche in the wall before him and suddenly found himself face to face with a collection of skulls. As he caught his breath and looked around him, he realized the wall at this level was honeycombed with shelflike openings – burial niches – all filled with skeletons. In the phosphorescent light, it made for an eerie collage of empty sockets and decaying rib cages flickering around him. Skeletons by firelight, he grimaced wryly, realizing he had quite coincidentally endured a similar evening just last month. An evening of bones and flames. The New York Museum of Archeology's candlelight benefit dinner – salmon flambe in the shadow of a brontosaurus skeleton. He had attended at the invitation of Rebecca Strauss – one-time fashion model now art critic from the Times, a whirlwind of black velvet, cigarettes, and not-so-subtly enhanced breasts. She'd called him twice since. Langdon had not returned her calls. Most ungentlemanly, he chided, wondering how long Rebecca Strauss would last in a stink-pit like this. Langdon was relieved to feel the final rung give way to the spongy earth at the bottom. The ground beneath his shoes felt damp. Assuring himself the walls were not going to close in on him, he turned into the crypt. It was circular, about twenty feet across. Breathing through his sleeve again, Langdon turned his eyes to the body. In the gloom, the image was hazy. A white, fleshy outline. Facing the other direction. Motionless. Silent. Advancing through the murkiness of the crypt, Langdon tried to make sense of what he was looking at. The man had his back to Langdon, and Langdon could not see his face, but he did indeed seem to be standing. â€Å"Hello?† Langdon choked through his sleeve. Nothing. As he drew nearer, he realized the man was very short. Too short†¦ â€Å"What's happening?† Vittoria called from above, shifting the light. Langdon did not answer. He was now close enough to see it all. With a tremor of repulsion, he understood. The chamber seemed to contract around him. Emerging like a demon from the earthen floor was an old man†¦ or at least half of him. He was buried up to his waist in the earth. Standing upright with half of him below ground. Stripped naked. His hands tied behind his back with a red cardinal's sash. He was propped limply upward, spine arched backward like some sort of hideous punching bag. The man's head lay backward, eyes toward the heavens as if pleading for help from God himself. â€Å"Is he dead?† Vittoria called. Langdon moved toward the body. I hope so, for his sake. As he drew to within a few feet, he looked down at the upturned eyes. They bulged outward, blue and bloodshot. Langdon leaned down to listen for breath but immediately recoiled. â€Å"For Christ's sake!† â€Å"What!† Langdon almost gagged. â€Å"He's dead all right. I just saw the cause of death.† The sight was gruesome. The man's mouth had been jammed open and packed solid with dirt. â€Å"Somebody stuffed a fistful of dirt down his throat. He suffocated.† â€Å"Dirt?† Vittoria said. â€Å"As in†¦ earth?† Langdon did a double take. Earth. He had almost forgotten. The brands. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. The killer had threatened to brand each victim with one of the ancient elements of science. The first element was Earth. From Santi's earthly tomb. Dizzy from the fumes, Langdon circled to the front of the body. As he did, the symbologist within him loudly reasserted the artistic challenge of creating the mythical ambigram. Earth? How? And yet, an instant later, it was before him. Centuries of Illuminati legend whirled in his mind. The marking on the cardinal's chest was charred and oozing. The flesh was seared black. La lingua pura†¦ Langdon stared at the brand as the room began to spin. Angels & Demons â€Å"Earth,† he whispered, tilting his head to see the symbol upside down. â€Å"Earth.† Then, in a wave of horror, he had one final cognition. There are three more. 68 Despite the soft glow of candlelight in the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Mortati was on edge. Conclave had officially begun. And it had begun in a most inauspicious fashion. Half an hour ago, at the appointed hour, Camerlegno Carlo Ventresca had entered the chapel. He walked to the front altar and gave opening prayer. Then, he unfolded his hands and spoke to them in a tone as direct as anything Mortati had ever heard from the altar of the Sistine. â€Å"You are well aware,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"that our four preferiti are not present in conclave at this moment. I ask, in the name of his late Holiness, that you proceed as you must†¦ with faith and purpose. May you have only God before your eyes.† Then he turned to go. â€Å"But,† one cardinal blurted out, â€Å"where are they?† The camerlegno paused. â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"When will they return?† â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"Are they okay?† â€Å"That I cannot honestly say.† â€Å"Will they return?† There was a long pause. â€Å"Have faith,† the camerlegno said. Then he walked out of the room. The doors to the Sistine Chapel had been sealed, as was the custom, with two heavy chains on the outside. Four Swiss Guards stood watch in the hallway beyond. Mortati knew the only way the doors could be opened now, prior to electing a Pope, was if someone inside fell deathly ill, or if the preferiti arrived. Mortati prayed it would be the latter, although from the knot in his stomach he was not so sure. Proceed as we must, Mortati decided, taking his lead from the resolve in the camerlegno's voice. So he had called for a vote. What else could he do? It had taken thirty minutes to complete the preparatory rituals leading up to this first vote. Mortati had waited patiently at the main altar as each cardinal, in order of seniority, had approached and performed the specific balloting procedure. Now, at last, the final cardinal had arrived at the altar and was kneeling before him. â€Å"I call as my witness,† the cardinal declared, exactly as those before him, â€Å"Christ the Lord, who will be my judge that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.† The cardinal stood up. He held his ballot high over his head for everyone to see. Then he lowered the ballot to the altar, where a plate sat atop a large chalice. He placed the ballot on the plate. Next he picked up the plate and used it to drop the ballot into the chalice. Use of the plate was to ensure no one secretly dropped multiple ballots. After he had submitted his ballot, he replaced the plate over the chalice, bowed to the cross, and returned to his seat. The final ballot had been cast. Now it was time for Mortati to go to work. Leaving the plate on top of the chalice, Mortati shook the ballots to mix them. Then he removed the plate and extracted a ballot at random. He unfolded it. The ballot was exactly two inches wide. He read aloud for everyone to hear. â€Å"Eligo in summum pontificem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he declared, reading the text that was embossed at the top of every ballot. I elect as Supreme Pontiff†¦ Then he announced the nominee's name that had been written beneath it. After he read the name, he raised a threaded needle and pierced the ballot through the word Eligo, carefully sliding the ballot onto the thread. Then he made note of the vote in a logbook. Next, he repeated the entire procedure. He chose a ballot from the chalice, read it aloud, threaded it onto the line, and made note in his log. Almost immediately, Mortati sensed this first vote would be failed. No consensus. After only seven ballots, already seven different cardinals had been named. As was normal, the handwriting on each ballot was disguised by block printing or flamboyant script. The concealment was ironic in this case because the cardinals were obviously submitting votes for themselves. This apparent conceit, Mortati knew, had nothing to do with self-centered ambition. It was a holding pattern. A defensive maneuver. A stall tactic to ensure no cardinal received enough votes to win†¦ and another vote would be forced. The cardinals were waiting for their preferiti†¦ When the last of the ballots had been tallied, Mortati declared the vote â€Å"failed.† He took the thread carrying all the ballots and tied the ends together to create a ring. Then he lay the ring of ballots on a silver tray. He added the proper chemicals and carried the tray to a small chimney behind him. Here he lit the ballots. As the ballots burned, the chemicals he'd added created black smoke. The smoke flowed up a pipe to a hole in the roof where it rose above the chapel for all to see. Cardinal Mortati had just sent his first communication to the outside world. One balloting. No Pope. 69 Nearly asphyxiated by fumes, Langdon struggled up the ladder toward the light at the top of the pit. Above him he heard voices, but nothing was making sense. His head was spinning with images of the branded cardinal. Earth†¦ Earth†¦ As he pushed upward, his vision narrowed and he feared consciousness would slip away. Two rungs from the top, his balance faltered. He lunged upward trying to find the lip, but it was too far. He lost his grip on the ladder and almost tumbled backward into the dark. There was a sharp pain under his arms, and suddenly Langdon was airborne, legs swinging wildly out over the chasm. The strong hands of two Swiss Guards hooked him under the armpits and dragged him skyward. A moment later Langdon's head emerged from the Demon's hole, choking and gasping for air. The guards dragged him over the lip of the opening, across the floor, and lay him down, back against the cold marble floor. For a moment, Langdon was unsure where he was. Overhead he saw stars†¦ orbiting planets. Hazy figures raced past him. People were shouting. He tried to sit up. He was lying at the base of a stone pyramid. The familiar bite of an angry tongue echoed inside the chapel, and then Langdon knew. Olivetti was screaming at Vittoria. â€Å"Why the hell didn't you figure that out in the first place!† Vittoria was trying to explain the situation. Olivetti cut her off midsentence and turned to bark orders to his men. â€Å"Get that body out of there! Search the rest of the building!† Langdon tried to sit up. The Chigi Chapel was packed with Swiss Guards. The plastic curtain over the chapel opening had been torn off the entryway, and fresh air filled Langdon's lungs. As his senses slowly returned, Langdon saw Vittoria coming toward him. She knelt down, her face like an angel. â€Å"You okay?† Vittoria took his arm and felt his pulse. Her hands were tender on his skin. â€Å"Thanks.† Langdon sat up fully. â€Å"Olivetti's mad.† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"He has a right to be. We blew it.† â€Å"You mean I blew it.† â€Å"So redeem yourself. Get him next time.† Next time? Langdon thought it was a cruel comment. There is no next time! We missed our shot! Vittoria checked Langdon's watch. â€Å"Mickey says we've got forty minutes. Get your head together and help me find the next marker.† â€Å"I told you, Vittoria, the sculptures are gone. The Path of Illumination is – † Langdon halted. Vittoria smiled softly. Suddenly Langdon was staggering to his feet. He turned dizzying circles, staring at the artwork around him. Pyramids, stars, planets, ellipses. Suddenly everything came back. This is the first altar of science! Not the Pantheon! It dawned on him now how perfectly Illuminati the chapel was, far more subtle and selective than the world famous Pantheon. The Chigi was an out of the way alcove, a literal hole-in-the-wall, a tribute to a great patron of science, decorated with earthly symbology. Perfect. Langdon steadied himself against the wall and gazed up at the enormous pyramid sculptures. Vittoria was dead right. If this chapel was the first altar of science, it might still contain the Illuminati sculpture that served as the first marker. Langdon felt an electrifying rush of hope to realize there was still a chance. If the marker were indeed here, and they could follow it to the next altar of science, they might have another chance to catch the killer. Vittoria moved closer. â€Å"I found out who the unknown Illuminati sculptor was.† Langdon's head whipped around. â€Å"You what?† â€Å"Now we just need to figure out which sculpture in here is the – â€Å" â€Å"Wait a minute! You know who the Illuminati sculptor was?† He had spent years trying to find that information. Vittoria smiled. â€Å"It was Bernini.† She paused. â€Å"The Bernini.† Langdon immediately knew she was mistaken. Bernini was an impossibility. Gianlorenzo Bernini was the second most famous sculptor of all time, his fame eclipsed only by Michelangelo himself. During the 1600s Bernini created more sculptures than any other artist. Unfortunately, the man they were looking for was supposedly an unknown, a nobody. Vittoria frowned. â€Å"You don't look excited.† â€Å"Bernini is impossible.† â€Å"Why? Bernini was a contemporary of Galileo. He was a brilliant sculptor.† â€Å"He was a very famous man and a Catholic.† â€Å"Yes,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Exactly like Galileo.† â€Å"No,† Langdon argued. â€Å"Nothing like Galileo. Galileo was a thorn in the Vatican's side. Bernini was the Vatican's wonder boy. The church loved Bernini. He was elected the Vatican's overall artistic authority. He practically lived inside Vatican City his entire life!† â€Å"A perfect cover. Illuminati infiltration.† Langdon felt flustered. â€Å"Vittoria, the Illuminati members referred to their secret artist as il maestro ignoto – the unknown master.† â€Å"Yes, unknown to them. Think of the secrecy of the Masons – only the upper-echelon members knew the whole truth. Galileo could have kept Bernini's true identity secret from most members†¦ for Bernini's own safety. That way, the Vatican would never find out.† Langdon was unconvinced but had to admit Vittoria's logic made strange sense. The Illuminati were famous for keeping secret information compartmentalized, only revealing the truth to upper-level members. It was the cornerstone of their ability to stay secret†¦ very few knew the whole story. â€Å"And Bernini's affiliation with the Illuminati,† Vittoria added with a smile, â€Å"explains why he designed those two pyramids.† Langdon turned to the huge sculpted pyramids and shook his head. â€Å"Bernini was a religious sculptor. There's no way he carved those pyramids.† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Tell that to the sign behind you.† Langdon turned to the plaque: ART OF THE CHIGI CHAPEL While the architecture is Raphael's, all interior adornments are those of Gianlorenzo Bernini. Langdon read the plaque twice, and still he was not convinced. Gianlorenzo Bernini was celebrated for his intricate, holy sculptures of the Virgin Mary, angels, prophets, Popes. What was he doing carving pyramids? Langdon looked up at the towering monuments and felt totally disoriented. Two pyramids, each with a shining, elliptical medallion. They were about as un-Christian as sculpture could get. The pyramids, the stars above, the signs of the Zodiac. All interior adornments are those of Gianlorenzo Bernini. If that were true, Langdon realized, it meant Vittoria had to be right. By default, Bernini was the Illuminati's unknown master; nobody else had contributed artwork to this chapel! The implications came almost too fast for Langdon to process. Bernini was an Illuminatus. Bernini designed the Illuminati ambigrams. Bernini laid out the path of Illumination. Langdon could barely speak. Could it be that here in this tiny Chigi Chapel, the world-renowned Bernini had placed a sculpture that pointed across Rome toward the next altar of science? â€Å"Bernini,† he said. â€Å"I never would have guessed.† â€Å"Who other than a famous Vatican artist would have had the clout to put his artwork in specific Catholic chapels around Rome and create the Path of Illumination? Certainly not an unknown.† Langdon considered it. He looked at the pyramids, wondering if one of them could somehow be the marker. Maybe both of them? â€Å"The pyramids face opposite directions,† Langdon said, not sure what to make of them. â€Å"They are also identical, so I don't know which†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I don't think the pyramids are what we're looking for.† â€Å"But they're the only sculptures here.† Vittoria cut him off by pointing toward Olivetti and some of his guards who were gathered near the demon's hole. Langdon followed the line of her hand to the far wall. At first he saw nothing. Then someone moved and he caught a glimpse. White marble. An arm. A torso. And then a sculpted face. Partially hidden in its niche. Two life-size human figures intertwined. Langdon's pulse accelerated. He had been so taken with the pyramids and demon's hole, he had not even seen this sculpture. He moved across the room, through the crowd. As he drew near, Langdon recognized the work was pure Bernini – the intensity of the artistic composition, the intricate faces and flowing clothing, all from the purest white marble Vatican money could buy. It was not until he was almost directly in front of it that Langdon recognized the sculpture itself. He stared up at the two faces and gasped. â€Å"Who are they?† Vittoria urged, arriving behind him. Langdon stood astonished. â€Å"Habakkuk and the Angel,† he said, his voice almost inaudible. The piece was a fairly well-known Bernini work that was included in some art history texts. Langdon had forgotten it was here. â€Å"Habakkuk?† â€Å"Yes. The prophet who predicted the annihilation of the earth.† Vittoria looked uneasy. â€Å"You think this is the marker?† Langdon nodded in amazement. Never in his life had he been so sure of anything. This was the first Illuminati marker. No doubt. Although Langdon had fully expected the sculpture to somehow â€Å"point† to the next altar of science, he did not expect it to be literal. Both the angel and Habakkuk had their arms outstretched and were pointing into the distance. Langdon found himself suddenly smiling. â€Å"Not too subtle, is it?† Vittoria looked excited but confused. â€Å"I see them pointing, but they are contradicting each other. The angel is pointing one way, and the prophet the other.† Langdon chuckled. It was true. Although both figures were pointing into the distance, they were pointing in totally opposite directions. Langdon, however, had already solved that problem. With a burst of energy he headed for the door. â€Å"Where are you going?† Vittoria called. â€Å"Outside the building!† Langdon's legs felt light again as he ran toward the door. â€Å"I need to see what direction that sculpture is pointing!† â€Å"Wait! How do you know which finger to follow?† â€Å"The poem,† he called over his shoulder. â€Å"The last line!† † ‘Let angels guide you on your lofty quest?' † She gazed upward at the outstretched finger of the angel. Her eyes misted unexpectedly. â€Å"Well I'll be damned!†

Africa During Colonialism

Africa of course, would be colonized by the many Europeans. However, a lot of African groups/colonization would start too. They would start and older ones would be expanded. The slave trade had decreased due to British pressures and so Africa started trading more of other items with the rest of the world. This same thing was happening in Asia and the Middle East too. In South Africa, the Zulu kingdom would be formed, and in Western Africa, an Islamic caliphate, Sotto Caliphate would be formed. Many of these civilizations were being formed by a bunch of African peoples around the continent.At first, In Southern Africa, there were the Unsung people, Just farmers and cattle herders that existed for a very long time. Soon, however, a drought would strike, hurting their agriculture. This caused the end of the Unsung people. A military genius and leader, Shake Zulu would take control and create a new civilization, the Zulu people, who, compared to all other tribes In Southern Africa, was t he most powerful and formidable, because of its strict military drills and practice and they even used ox-hide shields. The Zulu warriors expanded their kingdom, by attacking many other tribes andInvading them, taking their cattle, children and women. Parts of the Zulu, they split off making their own military bands and they too did the same thing as the Zulu. Soon, this made so many new kingdoms going up all the way to Lake Victoria. As this increased, so did the number of refugees and terrified, depressed people from these To stop the Zulu tribe's growth and power, two kingdoms formed, Swaziland to the north and Lesotho to the east, which was made up of many refugees who came to those mountains there. Both Lesotho and Swaziland exist today.Shake successfully made a national identity and a nation in just 10 years of rule. He took all the young people in the nation and split them into deferent groups, called regiments, based on age. These people of the regiment lived with each other and they all celebrated Shake. Etc. They celebrated his rule and they were all heavily disciplined. Cow herds were a measure of wealth in this kingdom. Meanwhile, in the Western Savannah of Africa, there was a big religious struggle. Islam was prevalent over there. However, that was only In the cities and trade areas, ND not in the rural areas.The rural areas still followed regular customs. At first, Islam allowed people to mix their older beliefs with Islam. Now however, Psalmists started denying this idea of allowing them to have their customs and wanted them to follow pure Islam. They made a â€Å"holy war†, called Jihad, which made Assaults take over many rural and other new lands where they enforced Islamic laws and spread the religion. These Islamic retorts first took place in the Hausa states to northern Nigeria. A leader in the Hausa states, Susann Dan Food, called a lot of the kings there, unbelievers of religion or Islam and led people away from god.He led a Jihad on the King of Gobi, overthrowing him. A lot o f Muslims Joined to gather to spread Islam and spread it all around Hausa. All this Islam would come together to make a caliph under the capital city of Sotto, called the Sotto Caliphate. The Sotto Caliphate became a center for teaching Islam and reform. It added many new centers, quickly, to teach Curtain and Islamic subjects to boys. Many people were attracted to it because of the Sotto library, which was pretty huge. Muslims ere allowed people to follow their own religion but had to pay a special tax.They were not allowed to do their tribal dances and rituals and any who opposed the spread of the Jihad were killed, slaved or converted. The Sotto caliphate sent off tons of slaves for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, mainly women and children. Slaves mainly farmed, and so this allowed women to actually leave the home this time. Sotto not only sent a lot of slaves, but it also had a lot of slaves in itself too. In fact, it had more slave s than any other American commonly. Napoleon would come and fight in Egypt. This would last in Egypt as a great triumph for the Europeans and a great loss for the Egyptians.After Napoleon left Egypt from his losses, Muhammad All took rule. Muhammad All took rule of Egypt. He modernized and industrialized Egypt, making it follow a lot of the Western styles. He increased trade of Egypt. He brought a lot of education to Egyptians, and allowing them to replace the old aristocracy. He replaced all the European experts and sellers of products with Egyptians. However, one bad thing was, that he made a burden on the peasants to give military and labor service. The army and Egypt was making its own textiles, paper, weapons, military uniforms.Seeing this western movement, many groups in Egypt, of Islam mixed with this Western Culture. For example, European technical manuals were translated to Arabic. Small was the grandson of Muhammad All. He was more keen on westernizes than All. But his eff orts, in the end, would Just create a bunch of Egyptian debt to French and British banks. At first, in his first 10 years of rule, it was all good with a lot of wealth thanks to increased trade, more exports, new irrigation annals, railroads 800 miles, postal service and Cairo.However, after the American Civil War, exports went down again and debt would be one of the reasons for French and British partial occupation of Egypt. Ethiopia was Christian for 1 500 years. They too were trying to modernize themselves. Ethiopians Emperor, Terrors II of Ethiopia was the one who first started Westernizes and ordered a lot of weapon purchases from Europe and also encouraged some local maturating. One time, they even made cannon that could shoot a half ton shell with the help of Protestant missionaries.However, they tried to get some more weapons by holding British officials hostage and demanding for weapons, but the British would end up actually invading Ethiopia. Terrors would commit suicide t o prevent capture. Then the British would withdraw, and then King Haynes would take the throne. King Haynes took over a lot of the lost land of Ethiopia, except for one major land part, Shoo Kingdom, ruled by King Moonlike. The beginning events of Rupee's scramble for Africa were when France took over Algeria. Algeria originally was a major supplier of olive oil and grain to France.They even gave them grain to Napoleon to take over Egypt. Now, France still owed them for this and several disputes took place. The new French government wanted to show nationalism with an easy overseas victory. However, the struggle for Algeria would go on for 18 years, even after French government would be overthrown again. Bad al- Qatar was an Algerian holy man who led them against France but he would die, weakening and nearly ending their 18 year struggle. However, conflict in the mountains would take place for 30 years. Settlers would then come in and kill off 140,000 people.

Free Essays on Fighting Without Force

for love described in the Greek language. They are eros – a romantic love, phillia – the love between close friends, and then there is agape love. Agape is not loving someone because they are likable, but loving someone after they have done something wrong by hating the thing they did wrong not the person. (King, â€Å"The Power of Nonviolence†, Bloom and Breines, p. 16) With the nonviolent resistance movement, King believes that the universe is on their side and that just... Free Essays on Fighting Without Force Free Essays on Fighting Without Force Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-respected speaker and leader for the Civil Rights Movement when blacks struggled the battle of discrimination and segregation. He was a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led many blacks in how to fight for desegregation and to stop discrimination. One way he did this was through the power of nonviolence. He spoke out to blacks telling them that they could fight back without force. In Martin Luther King, Junior’s essay, â€Å"The Power of Nonviolence,† he discusses and reminds the black community what nonviolence is and what its effects are, and why to pursue it. It is a reminder that the reason blacks are pursuing the act of nonviolence is not to win victory over the white community, or to humiliate them but to gain respect and understanding. King states that the blacks fight against segregation and discrimination is not just a fight (white vs. black) but a fight between â€Å"justice and injustice.† This meaning it is not the individuals that stand before them they are fighting against but it is more or less the system. King summarizes this by saying that there, â€Å"†¦will be a victory for justice, victory for good will, a victory for democracy.† (King, â€Å"The Power of Nonviolence†, Bloom and Breines, p. 16) Also in the essay, King goes on to discuss that this battle is also for that one day the community will base their lives on love rather than hatred. He explains that there are three words for love described in the Greek language. They are eros – a romantic love, phillia – the love between close friends, and then there is agape love. Agape is not loving someone because they are likable, but loving someone after they have done something wrong by hating the thing they did wrong not the person. (King, â€Å"The Power of Nonviolence†, Bloom and Breines, p. 16) With the nonviolent resistance movement, King believes that the universe is on their side and that just...

Arctic Wolf or Canis lupus arctos

Arctic Wolf or Canis lupus arctos The Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) is a subspecies of the grey wolf that inhabits the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Arctic wolves are also known as polar wolves or white wolves. Appearance Arctic wolves are similar in build to other grey wolf subspecies. They are slightly smaller in size than other grey wolf subspecies and have smaller ears and a shorter nose. The most prominent difference between arctic wolves and other grey wolf subspecies is their all-white coat, which remains white throughout the year. Arctic wolves have a coat of fur that is specially adapted to the extreme cold climate in which they live. Their fur consists of an outer layer of fur that grows thick when the winter months arrive and an inner layer of fur that forms a waterproof barrier close to the skin. Adult Arctic wolves weigh between 75 and 125 pounds. They grow to lengths of between 3 and 6 feet. Arctic wolves have sharp teeth and powerful jaws, characteristics fitting for a carnivore. Arctic wolves can eat large quantities of meat which enables them to survive for the sometimes long periods between prey captures. Climate and Ecosystem Arctic wolves have not been subjected to the intense hunting and persecution that other grey wolf subspecies have. This is due to the fact that arctic wolves inhabit regions that are largely unpopulated by humans. The greatest threat to Arctic wolves is climate change. Climate change has caused a cascade of effects throughout Arctic ecosystems. Climate variations and extremes have altered the composition of Arctic vegetation which has, in turn, had a negative impact on populations of herbivores in the Arctic. This, in turn, has affected populations of Arctic wolf who rely on herbivores for prey. The diet of Arctic wolves consists primarily of muskox, Arctic hares, and caribou. Arctic wolves form packs that can consist of just a few individuals to as many as 20 wolves. The size of the pack varies based on the availability of food. Arctic wolves are territorial but their territories are often large and overlap with the territories of other individuals. They mark their territory with urine. Arctic wolf populations are present in Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. Their greatest population density is in Alaska, with smaller, sparser populations in Greenland and Canada. Arctic wolves are thought to have evolved from a lineage of other canids about 50 million years ago. Scientists believe that Arctic wolves were isolated in very cold habitats during the Ice Age. It was during this time that they developed the adaptations necessary to survive in the extreme cold of the Arctic. Classification Arctic wolves are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Amniotes Mammals Carnivores Canids Arctic wolf References Burnie D, Wilson DE. 2001. Animal. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 p.

What is the best solution to preventing deaths from drunk driving this Essay

What is the best solution to preventing deaths from drunk driving this is a(problem solution) - Essay Example To start with, drivers who drive under alcohol influence have impaired driving skills. According to Duke University, drunk drivers show deviations from pure rational decision making (4). Driving under influence of alcohol makes many people fail to obey the traffic rules accordingly or even fail to see the road signs at all. This is because many of those drivers may have taken the alcohol for fun or out of stress. Those who consume the alcohol for the fun bit of it may start exercising funny driving habits like driving with loud music in the vehicles just for fun but, loud music can cause obstruction to the driver leading to accident. On the other hand, drivers who take alcohol as a way of relieving stress can unknowingly drive the vehicles at very high or extremely low speeds that can obstruct other road users leading to accident. Secondly, the road fatalities that result from drunk driving are alarmingly high calling for attention to solve the problem. Considering the number of road trips taken by people while driving under alcohol influence, the increased road fatalities are inevitable. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, â€Å"one out of every two thousand trips† are taken by drivers under alcoholic influence in America (1). This indicates the high probability of having road accidents caused by drunk drivers. Further, Mothers Against Drunk Driving state that someone gets killed in a drunk driving accident on an average of 53 minutes (1). The large numbers of deaths resulting from drunk driving indicate the seriousness of the problem to the society. However, despite the seriousness of the problem, there exists a viable solution that when implemented could result into zero alcohol related accidents. Incorporation of technology to assist deter drunk drivers from driving vehicles can minimize if not end the problem. Use of alcohol detection gadgets by police on road patrol and

The Impact of Leadership Styles on The Organisation Performance Abu Research Paper

The Impact of Leadership Styles on The Organisation Performance Abu Dhabi Municipality as a case study - Research Paper Example Leadership has been evident for as long as individuals have communicated and interacted; it is present in every culture regardless of social, economic, and political compositions. Leadership development in the public sector is not a new or distinct subject yet there has been a large gap between the actual leadership styles of public leaders on one hand and the needs and interests of the public on the other (Trottier, Wart, and Wang 2008). For instance, there have been considerable complaints regarding the commitment of public leaders toward the essential aspects of public service as well as the citizen’s interests. Consequently, this has resulted to a common response among the community with regards to the need for a certain type of leadership. Leadership plays a critical role in good public governance and should be effectively integrated into the government’s culture (Jaussi and Dionne 2004). ... Research Questions The current study then aims to answer the following primary questions: 1. What are the leadership styles demonstrated by leaders in the Abu Dhabi municipality? 2. What is the impact of such leadership styles on organisational performance among the Abu Dhabi municipality leaders? 3. What are the ways with which effective leadership can be demonstrated by leaders in the Abu Dhabi municipality? Research Objectives In relation to such questions, the study aims to address the following objectives: 1. To ascertain the leadership styles and characteristics among leaders in the Abu Dhabi municipality; 2. To examine the variables of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) such as transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership, and identify which of these types is/are most evident in Abu Dhabi leaders; 3. To identify the outcomes of leadership based on extra effort, effectiveness, and satisfaction among such businesses; and 4. To provide recommendati ons with regards to the suitability of leadership styles to the public’s interest in Abu Dhabi. Significance of the Study Effective leadership is a fundamental requirement for the public sector, such as those who perform government duties. A number of researchers have asserted that management, innovation, and initiative are not enough to handle unpredictable change that rapidly occurs. Furthermore, organisational procedures and policies do not produce favorable effects unless leaders are developed as they should hold the values and goals which empower workforce members and enable them to achieve success (Harms and Crede 2010). Leadership can bring about significant changes in the organisational life. Positive outcomes can be

Analyzing Level of Development in Hong Kong Essay

Analyzing Level of Development in Hong Kong - Essay Example It is of fascinating to see how Hong Kong has risen to become an economy that is now ranked along with the big wigs of fully developed countries. Development in this context is the maximum utilization of the resources within a given area or country(Haq, 1995). There are multiple universally accepted indicators on how well developed a country is which can either be based on economic factors such as GDP, GNI and PPP, or socio-indicators such as availability and efficiency of public services, provision of health services, accessibility of education among others (Haq 1995). Over the past century to date, Hong Kong has come a long way, for in the nineteen thirties she would have been categorized as an underdeveloped economy. By the start of the Second World War, Hong Kong was still a British colony. On the 25th December 1941, Japan seized her, and occupied the country until August 1945. At the time of the occupation, the Hong Kong economy suffered a great setback. There was rapid inflation and severe food shortages since the Japanese were preserving food for their army. In this harsh environment, there was little economic growth fostered, with advances coming almost to a standstill. In addition, the official currency, the Hong Kong dollar was outlawed and replaced by the Japanese Military Yen. By 1945, the population of Hong Kong had shrunk by half, down front the pre-occupation number of 1.5 million inhabitants (Tsang, 2004). In recent years, Hong Kong has faced challenges and drawbacks at a national level that have had negative impacts on her economy. In 2003, there was an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which led to a drastic decrease in the number of international tourists and a fall in the price of property by 66%.. The bird flu pandemic (H5N1), which had broke out on a full scale around the same time, but had been around for years led to the loss of poultry and chicken by the millions(BEAPA,2008). Another recent setback to the growth of the Hong Kong economy was the Asian financial crisis that occurred between the late part of 1997 and earl 1998. There was a collapse in the stock markets of some south East Asia, Hong Kong being one of them leading to a sharp depreciation in the value of their currencies. These had been preceded by the devaluation of the currencies of the economies involved. It took a while for Hong Kong to regain her momentum from this impediment (Gary,2003). factors that have worked in Hong Kong's favor towards development There are several factors that have fostered Hong Kong's rapid economic growth, one being that the Hong Kong market is friendly and liberal, thus she is quick to adapt to changes in international marketing trends. Her banking system has a rock solid base, she carries minimal public debt and sufficient foreign exchange reserves. These factors are coupled with a strong legal system and a staunch stand taken in fighting corruption (BEAPA, 2008). She has benefited from China's joining the World Trade Organization in that the latter markets her as a growing commercial hub with an amiable business environment,

Case Study Brand Ambassador Marketing Essay

Case Study Brand Ambassador Marketing Essay This project report projects the use of customers as the brand ambassadors by the company. The project argues that whether its feasible to make customers as its brand promoters or not. it will introduce you to the topic brand ambassador and then the pros and cons are cited. Brand ambassador  is a  marketing term  for a  celebrity  employed by a  company  to promote its products or services within the activity known as  celebrity branding. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the  corporate image  in appearance, demeanor, values and ethics. The Dictionary of Business Management defines a brand as: a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitor. Nowadays customers are exposed to thousands of voices and images on tv, newspapers, magazins, hoardings, banners, radio etc. these are the brand ambassador of the product. Every brand attempts to grab the attention of customer in order to inform them about the product and service. The challenge of the marketer is to find a hook that will hold the subjects attention. But nowadays company like mc-Donald, Sony, Uniliver etc has taken an innovative move by employing the real customers as the brand ambassador. Companies invest large sums of money to align their brands and themselves with endorsers. Overall spending on citizen marketing is growing and is expected to top $1 billion in 2007, up from $980 million in 2006, according to PQ Medias word-of-mouth marketing forecast. That number is expected to swell to almost $4 billion by 2011. Consumers are selected based on their devotion to a product and the size of their social circles. They are expected to tap into friends, family, groups and resources through conversations, blogs, live events and online social media. Their activities are measured by things such as online traffic, number of blog posts, reader comments and e-mail responses, and how many people participate in real-world events. These programs hire consumers, via incentives and rewards, to act as part PR agents, part sales reps and part evangelists. Often, these reps create their own branding gimmicks. In your view, in the Indian marketing context, is the concept of brand ambassadors likely to succeed? Justify your answer. Ans (a): Yes it will surely prove to be successful in the Indian society. The following reasons are:- It helps in increasing web traffic and conversations on social media sites by expressing their unfiltered thoughts, feelings about the product through tweets, status updates etc. Loyal customers are in a habit of talking about the product which they like most to their friends, relatives which indirectly promotes the brand and increases the sales. The power of customer story is such that it is able to influence a larger number of population as the people can relate themselves with the customer well. For ex dove has used this theory n uses its loyal customers as its brand ambassador. Customers can open doors faster than you can.: It becomes very difficult alone for the company to promote its brand products to each and every individual in the market. By making loyal customers as its brand ambassador it is making this possible. Customers can more quickly promote anything whether its negative or positive and other people listening gets influence spontaneously. It proves to be a big opportunity for the company to make customers as brand customers. After using a product customer immediately put up their sales radar as well as bogs or tweets.thus it prove to be helpful. Its genuine, its real, and it isnt marketing: Nowadays there are number of advertisements on television that it becomes very tuff to break through the clutter. By having a group of customers who are your brand ambassadors, you can  easily break through with an authentic voice  because it will sound different ultimately its humanization of your brand  at its best. The reality is that whatever customer said it will have a tone of genuineness in that. Many celebrity endorsers get unnoticed today inspite of the glamour factor added in it.so a new and innovative strategy for innovation is strongly needed to promote the products. Comment upon Sonys strategy of using brand ambassadors to launch its cameras. What can be the possible dangers of using this approach? Ans (b):- sonys strategy of using customers as brand ambassador is new and innovative step for promotion. Out of 2,000 applicants only 25 ambassadors were picked based on how much they planned on traveling and participating in sporting events. The winners were given a free camera and other equipment in October along with lessons on how to use them. Applicants who didnt make the cut got a thank-you note and a 20 percent discount coupon for the camera. They are encouraged to hand out discount coupons, show the camera to anyone who asks and blog weekly about their adventures on a dedicated Sony micro site. To avoid charges of deception, ambassadors are advised by marketers to openly reveal that theyre representatives. Sony decided that selecting brand ambassadors who like to travel, take pictures and blog would jump-start the launch of its news GPS camera. This is a product with emerging technology and we really need to let consumers see people using it, says Koba Kobayashi, director of digital imaging accessories at Sony. The Risks of Relinquishing Brand Control Fear of the rogue customer. Making customers as their brand ambassador can be a difficult proposition because companies are terrified that customers may turn on them and post anything which can prove to be negative. Although its very rare that the customer turn up against you, it can happen only if the firm is unable to provide satisfactorily product to customers. So it can prove to be negative only if there is lack of efforts from the company itself. Concern over losing a brand ambassador because they move on. It becomes a serious problem for the company if they stick on to one customer for brand promotion and he/she is unable to cater them because of time or any other issue. So it is preferable that the firm allow multiple customers to participate in a single channel so to avoid such issues. It becomes tough to mange a single transition. Fear of not controlling the brand message. A marketer can do is to influence brand messages and perception, but the reality is that its largely controlled by our audience. The customer word of mouth magnifies the society through social media or others. Because of social media customers have a voice and they can post their thoughts and feelings whether we empower them or not. Conclusion This concludes that the idea of employing real customers as brand ambassador proves to be beneficial and cost effective to some extent. Loyal Customers ambassadors need to be treated well as they are the one whose word of mouth proves to be good for the company.this strategy is helpful in grabbing the attention of thousands of customers as they find it real and can easily relate themselves with their words.