Dan Brown’s Deception Point Review

Unless you live in a cave (I’m not judging) then you’ve probably heard of Dan Brown. If you haven’t heard of Dan Brown then you’ve probably heard of â€Å"The Da Vinci Code†. If you’ve heard of neither then I suggest you watch less TV and stop collecting porn from the internet. (I’m still not judging). I won’t blog on about how fantastic the Da Vince Code is (it really is) or how mind-blowing the concepts where (they really were) or offer my thoughts on the validity of Dan Brown’s research for the book (not enough time in the day). Nope. This is about one of his earlier novels: Deception Point.If you’ve not read it, then stop reading this puerile obfuscation of the written language (that’s this blog by the way) and go read it now. If you need a little tease (still not judging) then reads on†¦. (Please affect your best â€Å"Deep Movie Trailer Voice†). There are no direct spoilers here, but if you prefer not to know anything about this book, turn away now. Not looking at your computer screen now? That’s a bit silly. President Zach Herney is in trouble. He’s taking a beating in the polls for the forthcoming presidential election. A stoic supporter of NASA, he’s backed and funded from tax payers money a string of expensive NASA blunders.His rival, the ruthless Senator Sedgewick Sexton, is riding a wave of unrest from the American people he’s stirred by condemning the billions of tax payers money that’s been wasted on failed NASA projects and he’s all but guaranteed the presidency. As the situation gets even more desperate for the President, a new NASA satellite detects evidence of an astonishing object buried deep in the Arctic ice: a meteorite containing the fossilized remains of extra terrestrial life. The floundering space agency appears to have struck gold and will silence all their critics with their find.The President dispatches Senator Sexton’s daughter, NRO intelligence analyst Rachel to the Arctic to verify the find. She’s accompanied by a team of NASA and civilian experts, including the charismatic â€Å"Amazing Seas† presenter Michael Tolland. Their every move is watched by the mysterious Delta Force taking orders from â€Å"the controller†. However, things start to unravel quickly when Rachel uncovers that the object isn’t all that it appears to be. A shocking discovery that will plunge the country into controversy. Before Rachel can make her findings known she realizes that her discovery puts her life, and the lives of others in danger.Fleeing for her life with Michael Tolland and Corky Marlinson – a NASA scientist – in the dangerous Arctic conditions they have only one hope for survival: to find out who’s behind the deception. Back in Washington, the election grows closer and the stakes get higher. William Pickering, the NRO director is frustra ted with NASA’s regular security leaks which put their technological advances into the hands of the highest bidder. The NASA administrator, an ex-Pentagon man is fighting to keep NASA from being restructured as part of the governments intelligence community joining the FBI and the CIA.The President, taking advice from his sly senior advisor Marjorie Tench, prepares to tell the world of NASA’s discovery. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It is. Dan Brown has really done is research and although you’re entertained, you also learn a fair bit about the Arctic, meteorites and fossils. His technical detail is on par with Tom Clancy although it’s not as dry as some of Clancy’s work. His real flair is in involving the reader. This is a book that you won’t want to put down. Now, go read it.

The Evolution of the Mba

Reading List for Technology and Innovation Strategy: 463 – Management and Strategy, Kellogg School of Management Professor Shane Greenstein Students will be held accountable for all required readings. These must be read ahead of class discussion. Related readings are relevant background. These are included for the interested student. I highly recommend them for a fuller perspective on the topic. Topic 1: Basic Frameworks and Toolkits Topic 1a. Adoption and Evolution Required reading: Geoffrey Moore. Chapters 1 and 2, High Tech Marketing Illusion, High Tech marketing Enlightenment, Crossing the Chasm, Harper Business, 2006. Not in reading packet. Please purchase book. ) Rosenberg, Nathan, â€Å"Innovation’s Uncertain Terrain. † McKinsey Quarterly, pp. 170-185, Issue 3, 1995. In class video: Interview with Dan Bricklin, founder of Visicalc, from Triumph of the Nerds, An Irreverent History of the PC Industry, By Bob Cringely. Ambrose Video, RM Associates. 1996 Relat ed reading: Geoffrey Moore, To Succeed in the Long Term, Focus on the Middle Term, Harvard Business Review, July 2007. Wolter Lemstra, Vic Hayes and John Groenewegen, â€Å"Crossing the Chasm: the Apple AirPort. † Chapter 4 of The Innovation Journey of Wi-Fi: The Road o Global Success, Cambridge Press. Greenstein, â€Å"Virulent Word of Mouse. † And â€Å"An Earful about Zvi’s Email. † http://www. kellogg. northwestern. edu/faculty/greenstein/images/columns-older. html â€Å"Early Adopter, Enthusiast or Pioneer? A User’s guide to Technology Lingo. † http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ 1b: Capturing value in value chains: the basics. Greg Linden, Kenneth L. Kraemer, and Jason Dedrick, â€Å"Who Captures Value from innovation in global value chains? A Study of the iPod and Notebook PC. Industrial and Corporate Change, June, 2009. Greg Linden, Kenneth L.Kraemer, and Jason Dedrick, The Distribution of Value in the Mobile Phone Supply Ch ain Related reading Francesco Zirpoli and Markus C. Becker, â€Å"What Happens When you Outsource too Much? † SMR 374, Winter 2011. Topic 1c: Attackers’ advantage during diffusion Required reading: â€Å"The Crisis at Encyclopeadia Britannica,† Kellogg Teaching Case, Revised version, August, 2009. Joseph Bower and Clayton Christensen, â€Å"Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave† in (Ed) John Seely Brown, Seeing Differently: Insights on Innovation, Harvard Business Review Book, 1997See class page on Blackboard, under the Assignment folder. Related reading: John Hagel III, John Seeley Brown, Lang Davison, â€Å"Shaping Strategy in a World of Constant Disruption,† Harvard Business Review, October 2008. Greenstein, â€Å"Creative Destruction and Deconstruction. † http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/, October, 2004. Topic 1d: Installed Base and Standards Required Reading: Carl Shapiro and Hal Varian, Information Rules, Chapters 5, 6, 7 & 8. Recognizing Lock-in, Managing Lock-in, Networks and Positive Feedback, Cooperation and Compatibility, Harvard Business School Press, 1998. Not in case packet. Please purchase book. ) In class video: Interview with the founders of McAfee Associates, from Nerds 2. 0. 1, A Brief History of the Internet, Bob Cringely, PBS Home Video, 1998. Related Reading: â€Å"Bleeding Edge Mass Market Standards,† and â€Å"Bird Watching for Nerds: Splintering the Internet,† and â€Å"The Grocery Scanner and Bar Code Economy,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 1e: Attackers Advantage versus Installed Base: Microsoft and Netscape Required Reading: Browser Wars, 1994-98, HBS Case 9-798-094 In class video:Interview with Andreeson, Clark, Gates, Ballmer, Metcalfe, from Nerds 2. 0. 1, A Brief History of the Internet, Bob Cringely, PBS Home Video, 1998. Related Reading: Timothy Bresnahan and Pai-Ling Yin, â€Å"Standard Setting in Markets: The Browser Wars,† in Greenstein and Stango, Standards and Public Policy, Cambridge University Press, pp. 18-59. See class page on Blackboard, under the Assignment folder. Greenstein, â€Å"The Long Arc Behind Bill Gates’ Wealth, Part I and Part II,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 2: Systems and Platforms Topic 2a. Classic frameworks and new approachesRequired reading: Andrei Hagiu, Note on Multi-sided Platforms: Economic Foundations and Strategy, HBS Case, 9-709-484 Related reading: Michael Cusumano and Annabelle Gawer, Elements of Platform Leadership, Sloan Management Review. Spring 2002, (43) 3, pp 51- 58. â€Å"Gateway Economics,† and â€Å"The Lexicon of Network Economics,† and â€Å"Managing Complements,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 2b: Developing a multi-sided platform at Google Required reading: Google Inc, HBS Case 9-910-036 In class video: Hal Varian, Introduction to the Google Ad Auction, Made for YouTube. Related Reading:Andrei Hagiu and David Yoffie, â€Å"What’s your Google Strategy? † Harvard Business Review. R0904. Greenstein, â€Å"A Big Payoff,† â€Å"The Next Chapter at Google,† and â€Å"Did one invention lead to the decline of newspapers? † http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 2c: Entrepreneurial product development for a platform Required reading: â€Å"Developing an App for That,† HBS Case 9-711-415, August 2, 2011. Related reading: Bhide, Amar (1996). â€Å"The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer,† Harvard Business Review, HBS Reprint 96603-PDF-ENG â€Å"Google’s Android: Will it shake up the Wireless Industry in 2009 and Beyond? Case SM-176. â€Å"Gaming Structure,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 3: Commercialization Topic 3a: Commercialization Strategy Required reading: Joshua Gans and Scott Stern, â€Å"The Product Market and the Market for Ideas: Commercialization Strategies for Technology Entrepreneurs. † Research Policy, In class video: Interview with Rod Cannon, in Triumph of the Nerds by Bob Cringely. 1996 Related reading: Seabrook, J. , â€Å"The Flash of Genius,† The New Yorker. Greenstein, â€Å"Imitation Happens,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 3b: Merger for knowledge transfer: Cisco SystemsRequired reading: â€Å"Cisco: Early if Not Elegant (A) and (B), Darden Case, UV 1632. Recommended reading: Bunnell and Brate, Making the Cisco Connection, Chapter 6, The Benevolent Predator. Geoffrey A. Moore, 2008, Dealing with Darwin, How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution, Penguin Group, pp 100-109, 159-167, and 181 -191 Ironport, Stanford GSB Case, E-334. Topic 3c: Commercialization experiments: Markets for intellectual property Required Reading: â€Å"Intellectual Ventures,† Case 9-710-423, Related reading: Nathan Myhrvold, Funding Eureka! HBR article, March, 2010. â€Å"When Pate nts Attack. † Originally aired on WBEZ/This American Life on 7. 22. 2011. http://www. thisamericanlife. org/radio-archives/episode/441/when-patents-attack Davis, Lee (2008). â€Å"Licensing Strategies of the New Intellectual Property Vendors,† California Management Review Greenstein, â€Å"Smart Phone patents and Platform Wars,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 3d. Commercialization Experiments: Online without intellectual property. Required reading: RadioHead: Music at your own price (A) and (B), Case 9-508-110, 9-508-111Related reading: â€Å"Pandora Radio: Fire Unprofitable customers? † HBS case 5-610-078, April 2011. â€Å"Digitization and Value creation,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 4: Firm boundary and scope Topic 4a: Extending functionality: Intel Required reading: â€Å"Intel Centrino in 2007: A new Platform Strategy for Growth. † SM-156. Related reading: Shane Greenstein â€Å"Economic Experime nts and the Development of Wi-Fi. † Edited by Steven Kahl, Michael Cusumano, and Brian Silverman. Advances in Strategic Managements, V 29. Chapter 1, pp. 3-33. Emerald Group Publishing; Bingley, UK.Greenstein, February 2007, â€Å"The High Costs of a Cheap Lesson,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ 4b: Climbing the value chain Required reading Flextronics International, LTD, 9-604-063, April, 2010. HTC Corp. in 2012, HBS case 9-712-423, September, 2012. Related reading Greenstein, â€Å"Outsourcing and Two Views for Climbing the Value Chain,† http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 4c: User-contributed content Required Reading: â€Å"Wikipedia in the Spotlight,† Kellogg Teaching Case. August, 2009. Recommended Reading: â€Å"Wagging Wikipedia’s Long Tail. â€Å"Another Venerable Establishment Surrenders to Wikipedia,† and â€Å"The Range of Linus’ Law. † http://virulentwordofmouse. wordpress. com/ Topic 4d: Entrepreneurship and user participation Required reading: â€Å"Triumph of the Commons: Wikia and the Commercialization of Open Source Communities in 2009. † Kellogg Teaching case, October, 2009. Yelp, Case 9-709-412 MentorMob and the Reinvention of Learning, August, 2011. Related Reading: Eric Raymond, The Cathedral and the Bazaar, First Monday. www. firstmonday. dk See class page on Blackboard, under the Assignment folder. Foursquare, HBS Case 9-711-418

Man Is Known by the Company He Keeps Essay

Man is a social creature. None can live alone, away from the society of his fellow being, like shipwrecked Alexandra Selkirk who aspired for company in the lonely island. It is always very natural for him to seek the company of others. Even when all his immediate physical needs are met, he must have someone to talk to enjoy himself with. At home he has his near and dear ones by his side. But that is not enough. He must have other companions— friends to whom he can unburden his heart and with whom he can exchange his ideas and share his enthusiasm. Hence, we must intimately associate with others; we must do so that our friends may come to exert a great deal of influence over us, on our character and conduct. Man is by nature imitative, and he will often be led to imitate others. For good or for evil, others very often lead and guide us. They may mould our tastes and interest, and shape our character. We become good or bad as our friends are. For instance, if a man is virtuous and honest, he will by his speech and conduct inspire his friends with goodness and honesty. Similarly, if our friends are wicked, we may follow them do as they do and become wicked ourselves. Naturally, we cannot blame people if they judge us by the company we keep. The same boy shapes differently if placed in different companies. Furthermore, no companionship, at least no lasting companion ­ship is possible unless the parties have similar tastes and interests, likes and dislikes. It is like the magnetic affinity. A man who is bad in instinctively drawn to those who are similarly bad. It has been most truly said that birds of the same feather flock together. Here also the character of our companions is an index of our own character. If he does not show his dislike nor try to avoid uncongenial company, having found undeserving, he will surely, in course of time, become quite as bad as his friend. It is quite axiomatic that one who is virtuous will shun the company of those who are given to the ways of vice. He will try to make friends with those that are good and on the right path. Companionship thus is a positive factor not only in the formation of character but in the estimation of man’s true worth. It is at once an influence on character and a measure of one’s real worth. A man is often judged by the collective quality and identity of his group. Nobody will believe that a particular robber of the gang is honest. As we are drawn to men who feel and act like ourselves and we are influenced by them. An estimate of the moral character of an individual can easily by made in reference to that of his companions. He cannot be different from his friends. So we conclude that he is what his friends are. Just as one rotten mango spoils the rest in the basket, similarly one wicked man corrupts a lot of friends. In the choice of our companions, we must be cautious and careful because on this choice depends so much. Before we make friends with others, we must watch their conduct and know what kind of men they actually are. But as children do not know what is right and wrong, parents must see that boys and girls do not fall into evil company. This task should begin at school, — in the formative years of a boy or girl.

Fire Protection High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire Protection High School - Essay Example So that voltage be monitored in an electrical system, voltmeters and other electrical devices are used and are also checked in a given routine rounds. Elevation is a location or an area of the process equipment in relation to existing ground level and structures. This provide technicians with sufficient information about the equipment location. The data is important for them as they make rounds, catch samples, check the equipment, develop checklists and also when they perform startups and shutdowns. Moreover, equipment location drawings or plot plans points out the exact location of equipment with respect to the plant's physical boundaries. It also provide information regarding neighborhood. Included in location drawings is a loop diagram which traces all instrument linkages between the control room panel and the field instrument. Instrument such as air lines, some wiring connections at particular field junction boxes as well as front and connections control room panels are also included. P 261.

Food Journal Analysis #1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Food Journal Analysis #1 - Essay Example As for the rest of the food, which is only 1 yoo-hoo chocolate and 1 plain milk chocolate- the former is good for the body because it provides calcium, and was also the only dairy product I ate during the day, and the latter belongs to the fats, oils and sweets group, which is permissible to eat occasionally. Seeing as how I only ate one bar, the consumption of it is also alright. B. I did not consume the minimum number of servings for each of the food groups. In fact, that was the case in four of the five groups. I had the perfect amount of fruit, 2 cups per day, and a decent amount of grain, 5.1 oz equivalent, when the recommended amount is 7. However, as far as the vegetable, milk and meat and beans groups, I miserably failed to reach the minimum amount: I had 1.3 cups equivalent of vegetables out of the 3 recommended- a bit less than a half; I had 2.1 oz equivalent out of 6 recommended- about a third; and I had 0.2 cup equivalent of milk out of 3 recommended- one-fifteenth of the recommended portion. The reasons for this are simply because I didnt have enough foods of those groups- I didnt have enough vegetables because I ate a small portion of salad; I needed to consume a little more grain, which I could have done by eating another slice of bread or perhaps a small portion of corn flakes; I didnt nearly have enough dairy products, which I could have solved by drinking another glass or too of yoo-hoo chocolate and maybe eating some cheese with the bread; and I didnt have enough meat and beans, which I could have by eating some chicken or turkey or even more fish, and perhaps some beans too. D. My diet provided a certain variety of foods. I consumed foods from all food groups, but in very different quantities. I needed to consume much more food from the milk food group, the meat and beans group and the vegetable group, as well as having a bit more of the grain group, whereas I had the perfect amount of the fruit group. This could have been solved had I

Business Unleashed from A More Perfect Union Essay

Business Unleashed from A More Perfect Union - Essay Example From the issues of evolution, we find out how various forms of past occurrences managed to evolve into currently more sophisticated forms. The brain of mankind, managed to undergoes a transition that saw to it being more powerful and enabled mankind to develop the ingenious inventions which have transformed the world. By looking at the challenges made in the past, decisions could be made basing on these challenges. Solutions resulting from these decisions end up making the whole world a better place (Lasker 41). History created in the USA (United States of America) when president Barrack Obama became the first ever black president. Critics argued that his speeches were the catch point and what made him as famous. Through his eloquence, he was able to move masses, he was able to convince and influence the masses into thinking in line with his beliefs. Ronald Reagan came to be in February 1911. He went to college at Eureka College. He got his first job as the radio sports announcer and further proceeded to Hollywood that was in 1937. As an actor he made seen in fifty films and given the post in the movie as the president of the United Sates of America twice. During the 1950’s he further became a spokesman and worked for General Electric Co. He changed his political ambitions gradually from a democrat who was liberal to the republican who was conservative (Boller 87). He was later elected as the California governor in the year 1966 and successfully went for two terms. The current president Jimmy Cater in 1980 was succeeded by Ronald Reagan as Reagan was sworn in as the president of the United States of America in 1981. Immediately after being sworn as the president of the United States, he was assassinated and in the event endured some wounds. The reign of President Ronald Reagan adopted the aspect of the supply side economists. This was an attempt to try and encourage and initiate a rapid economical growth in the

Death and Dying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Death and Dying - Essay Example fficult to withdraw life sustaining treatment after it has started than to withhold life sustaining treatment from the start because once started, the hospital also assumes and shares the responsibility of withdrawing the treatment with the party that asks for it. Karen Quilan’s case provides evidence for it. The matter was complicated as the hospital challenged Karen’s parents’ decision legally. Having lost the case, Karen’s parents had to file another case in the New Jersey Supreme Court to finally have their wish granted. The risk that the patient would die upon withdrawal of the treatment makes this move very controversial and critical. When the treatment is not given from the start, the tendency of the life sustaining treatment to save the patient remains unjudged, so the party might get the benefit of doubt. I personally think that health care professionals should not give euthanasia even if the patient asks for it because it is essentially assisted suicide and is considered a sin in my religion. I have religious basis of having this

How Do Consumer Characteristics Influence Buying Behavior Research Paper

How Do Consumer Characteristics Influence Buying Behavior - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the quantity of purchase and the types of products in purchasing have come across the shifting in the consumer buying habits. On the contrary, previously marketers and organizations were able to comprehend the consumers buying behaviors and patterns through their experiences of selling the products to the consumers. However, firms and marketing decision makers lost direct contact with the customers with the augmentation of the market and organizations. Therefore, the consumer-buying behavior is one of the most significant aspects for the organizations in today’s time to be acquainted with the buying patterns and habits of the consumers so that they can focus on their products or services to the market. Since the consumer market profoundly depends upon the buying behaviors of the customers, therefore organizations should understand the market before developing or designing any marketing strategies. As a result, to the constantly ch anging buying patterns of the consumers, consumer research has become one of the imperative methods for the marketers and enterprises where they are spending millions of dollars for the study of consumer habits. Moreover, consumer research allows the marketers to gain more knowledge about the consumer behavior and their habits of buying a particular product or service. Furthermore, this research also makes the enterprise identify and recognize the responsibility of the customer towards the overall product that includes its features, price, advertising and several others over its competitors. The research will also lead to the surveillance that consumer enormously varies in age, income, education, taste and quite a lot of other factors. In addition, the consumer characteristics that influence their purchasing habits also include elements such as cultural, social, personal, and psychological characteristics. Therefore, the consumer research findings provide a great deal of assistance to the firms, as they are then able to determine the strong association between the marketing stimulus and the customer reaction.

Impact of Culture and Other Macro Factors on the Marketing of Products Essay

Impact of Culture and Other Macro Factors on the Marketing of Products as Well as Insight into Market Attractiveness and Entry - Essay Example International marketing can be defined as application of marketing principles outside the domestic market which include similar functions like conception, promotion and distribution of products and services in order to satisfy market demands as well as organisational objectives (Papavassiliou and Stathakopoulos 1997). Generally, international marketing is confused with terms like global marketing and export but these terms are different. (Appendix 6) Market Segment Analysis Market segment analysis provides a comprehensive analysis of the children’s market. Segmentation of the market is the process through which market can be defined and accordingly subdivided into various segments whose needs, wants and demands are similar in nature (Ernst & Young's 2011 Russia attractiveness survey 2011). It is very useful in international marketing because it directs the way for designing the marketing mix according to the expectations of the target market. There are few companies which are big enough to fulfil the varying demands of the entire market. However, most of the companies prefer market segmentation into several segments and opt for the one or more than that whose demand it can easily fulfil (Retail and FMCG sector in Russia 2011). In relation to today’s children, it can be said that they have their own lifestyle which is largely affected by their surroundings, background and education. Children’s segment itself forms a huge market for books, video-games, garments, accessories and even for magazines (World of toys 2011). And, Russia is witnessing growth in all these sections (Mintel 2012). In every country of the world, this segment is rapidly growing. This segment is important because it not only affect children but also their parents, schools and day care centres because they are the ones who either buy for them or provide them with money to buy. Three or four decades ago, no-one could consider children as a customer but now the market scenari o has entirely changed and children form a big consumer market (Levitt 1983). There is variety of products and services are available for which children are segmented as huge market potential. Both retailers and wholesalers view them as viable market hence involved in child-focused advertising (Donthu, N., 1998; Belluz 2010). In today’s rapid changing business scenario, children are forming most lucrative market as they are three markets in one. Firstly, they have their own needs and desire and purchasing power too through their pocket money. Secondly, they influence, persuade or ask their parents to buy for them which are another form of market and thirdly, in future they themselves emerge as consumers hence marketers cultivate them. Size of children’s market is growing because of the rising world population (Anon 2010; Usunier and Lee 2009). Macro-environment analysis The target market for the magazine is children. Magazine is entertainment in the form of reading and children from the age of 6 develop good reading skills hence the age group of 6 to 14 will be mainly targeted. Large size of market increases the potential of Russian children’s market for the international marketer (Solomon et al. 2009; Sloman 2007). In addition to this, the political environment of the country is stable and under the presidential-ship of Putin the country has transited from communist state to market economy. Though, Russia is not considered as free economy for doing business yet its position is continuously

Impact of slavery on the lives of african americans during the Essay

Impact of slavery on the lives of african americans during the pre-civil period - Essay Example The history of the African-American in the United States during the pre-civil period (1860) has been shaped by â€Å"slavery† that not only shaped the lives of the African-American people but also the identity of the entire American nation since ‘slavery’ as a socio-political and economic institution Slavery as a legal institution had existed in North America for more than one hundred years before the United States was founded in 1776. But it continued in the South until the 13th Amendment of the US Constitution was passed to abolish slavery in 1865. In the United States, slavery was first practiced in Virginia, one of the former English Colony in 1619. Slavery as Accepted in the US Political Sphere: The Slave Codes Slavery in the US Constitution The Abolitionists often claimed that the US Constitution (before the passing of the 13th Amendment) was â€Å"a slave document created by slave owners† (Berkowitz and Moran). Indeed the truth of the abolitionistsâ €™ claim was first revealed in the â€Å"Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787† published by James Madison. Madison’s documents show that US democracy during those years was orientated, not by any humanitarian interests, but by the core political interests of both the Northern and Southern States. The Three-fifths Compromise Since slavery was economically profitable in almost all of the southern States and the pro-slavery southern Delegates wanted to be benefited from â€Å"increased representation in the House and the Electoral College†, the southerners wanted the slaves to be counted for enumeration. Meanwhile the northerners partially driven the contra-slavery motive as well as the motive to reduce the southern dominance, wanted to count only the free inhabitants of the states. Thus the Three-Fifths Compromise came into being declaring that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted. The aftermaths of the Three-fifths Compromise we re such that the southern delegates began to dominate the Presidency and the Congress until the defeat of the south in the Civil War. Such dominance of the southerners further allowed them to manipulate the judicial and political power to exploit the African-American labor and thus the conditions of the African-Americans deteriorated. The 1793 Fugitive Slave Act One of the most mentionable events during the Southern Dominance in the Congress is the passing of the â€Å"1793 Fugitive Slave Act†. Since according to this Act any state including contra-slavery northern ones was bound to return a fugitive slave to its owner, slaves lost even their last escape from the inhuman exploitation of the slave-owners. Though the consequent 18o8 Law stopped international slave trade, interstate slave trade within the national territory continued. The effect of the 1808 Law was in favor of the anti-slavery northern states. Though the subsequent Missouri Compromise in 1820 brought the balance of power between the antislavery and pro-slavery factions of the United States, providing the northerners with the opportunity to dominate the House of Representative, slavery continued in the south. Dred Scott Case in 1854 and its Impacts The Dred Scott Case in 1854 can be considered as a milestone in the history of the African-American slavery in the United States. A close analysis of this case render a picture how slavery had shaped the African-Americans’ lives. The final decision of the Dred Scott Case was: since Scott was a black, he was not a citizen and he did not have the right to sue his master in the court. Slavery: Racism, Discrimination and Second Class Status The Scott Case infers that slavery in the United States had shifted its basis from war to color and from indentured servitude to slavery as a constitution supported practice of discriminating and depriving a group of people from their rights in

W.E.B. Du Bois Philosphy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W.E.B. Du Bois Philosphy - Essay Example In 1909, Du Bois was chosen to be among the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois had strong philosophies that advocated for the blacks to be given leadership roles and ways to finish class and racial prejudices. He campaigned for political action and for the civil rights agendas using the Crisis magazine to inform the black Americans. Social change is one of the philosophies of Du Bois that is revealed in the NAACP: Rise of the Crisis, Decline of the Wizard that was published by David Levering Lewis. Du Bois argued that individuals could accomplish social changes by creating various small groups of the college educated blacks that he referred as the Talented Tenth. The leader believed that the Negro Race would be saved by their exceptional men like all the other races. He noted that the issue of education among the Negroes was first dealing with the Talented Tenth. Du Bois noted that dealing with the best in their race would provide guidance to the masses away from death and contamination of the worst (Lewis, 35-38). The philosophies of Du Bois were expressed in the early issues of the Crisis Magazine when the leader stated that his main objective was to state facts and the arguments that display the danger of racial discrimination particularly the way it was manifested towards the colored people. The crisis magazine derived its name from believes of Du Bois who was the editor, that it was a critical time in history for the advancement of men. Du Bois expressed his philosophies when he decided that the editorial page would stand for the privileges of men, regardless of their race or color, for the utmost ideals of the American democracy, and for reasonable and persistent efforts to achieve the rights and apprehend the ideals (Rabaka, 50-55). Booker T. Washington was another great leader among the black community in the late 20th century who had various disagreements with Du Bois

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Example for Free

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula Essay Stability in the Arabian Peninsula region has been a concern for the United States for some time now. AQAP poses a direct threat against the U.S. and U.S. interests of Stability and Security in the Arabian Peninsula. This instability and threat is why I have chosen the AQAP as the FTO to research making the next attack. The AQAP comes from the merging of the al Qaeda cells from Yemen and in Saudi Arabia. There are approximately one –two hundred members, with thousands of supporters. The merger took place in January 2009, due to the success of the Saudi Arabian government in destroying al Qaeda’s infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. AQAP is a subsidiary of the al Qaeda, whose center of gravity is in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but works independently of its parent organization. Since formation occurred, they are responsible for a number of attacks on the â€Å"West† and are considered responsible parties of the â€Å"UPS and FEDEX cargo bombing attempts† (Kurczy, 2010). They were deemed a terrorist organization on December 14, 2009, by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. (Gerstein, 2010). Prior to the formation of AQAP, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Those attacks include: the 1993 attack on World Trade Center, 1998 suicide bombings of Embassies, the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, and the 2008 car bombing outside the U.S. Embassy in Sana’ killing 19 people including 6 of the terrorists (Poland, 2005 ). AQAP has claimed to plan on targeting oil facilities, tourists, and security forces in the future. It is believed though that AQAP provided spiritual guidance by U.S. Citizen Anwar al Awlaki to U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was the gunman behind the 2009 Ft. Hood killings and the December 2009 attempt to down a passenger airline to Detroit. Responsible parties to these terroristic events are said to be that of the top five â€Å"key leaders† of AQAP. These men include are in order of their rank from the top spot of leaders to the last. 1. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, aka the bomb maker. He is believed to be the creator of the bombs intercepted in October last year on cargo planes. 2. Anwar al-Awlaki, aka the chief ideologue. He is suspected of being part of three unsuccessful terrorist attacks to include the Fort Hood Shootings (Bryant, C., Kasinof, L., 2010), bombing attempt on airliner jet on Christmas, and the Times Square bombing on May 2. 3. Said Ali al-Shihri, deputy chief of AQAP. He is suspected of participation in  September 2008 US Embassy attack and the kidnapping of nine missionaries in June 2009 according to Fox News. 4. Qasim al-Raymi, military commander. He followed Osama bin Laden’s lead on media releases â€Å"building an ever-more sophisticated propaganda arm for al Qaeda in Arabian Penin sula† (Kurczy, 2010). 5. Nasir al Wuhayshi, head of AQAP. Known as the personal secretary of Osama bin Laden (Kurczy, 2010). Most of AQAP is made up of fighters that returned from Afghanistan during the Russian invasion and fighters that have been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They lure new recruits who are sympathetic to al Qaeda and have animosity towards the U.S. and western nations. The recruiting pool is vast in the region with fighters fleeing Iraq and Afghanistan and relocating to Yemen and Somalia. Both countries have weak central governments that are conducive for lawlessness in the region and have vast ungoverned territory. Government cooperation with American counter-terrorism efforts has historically been spotty and portions of both populations are hostile to the United States. (Kerry, 2010) AQAP aims to overthrow the Yemeni government for its support to the U.S. and its offensive operations against al Qaeda. The group also emphasizes its global ambitions and desire to target western interests within the region. Additionally, AQAP has stated it will focus on cutting supply lines of western nations supporting Israel and looks to expand its influence throughout the region (Boucek, 2010). The animosity against the western nations continues to grow, as does the technology and ideas for new weapons. The newest information is that a poisoned perfume plot against religious and government officials was prevented due to arrest of 149 al Qaeda suspects. This is just an example of the creativity AQAP has come up with. Last summer the country’s Deputy Interior Minister had been attempted to be assassinated by a bomber with the weapon in his anus (Rawnsley, 2010). These weapons are just the newest form used by AQAP. Yemen has emerged as a major staging base for al Qaeda and other likeminded groups for attacking American targets within Yemen as well as to reach targets outside of Yemen including the United States. U.S. officials have warned that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was a growing threat even before the failed 2009, Christmas Day airline bombing attempt (Kerry, 2010). In February 2009, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair stated that, â€Å"Yemen is reemerging as a jihadist battleground and potential regional base of operations for Al Qaeda  to plan internal and external attacks, train terrorists, and facilitate the movement of operatives.† (Rollins, 2010). The threat coming from AQAP is greater than the threat coming from al Qaeda’s central leadership located in Pakistan. AQAP is increasingly a more pressing concern for U.S. national security. AQAP has relative freedom of movement in the Arabian Peninsula and region which allows for its ability to increase its ranks through recruitment as well as its ability to train new recruits. Additionally, AQAP has also shown its ability to influence other like-minded individuals to conduct attacks to our homeland with little to no warning. AQAP has proven it has the means and capability to attempt to conduct attacks globally although it has yet to be successful. It is only a matter of time before they possess the ability and trained personnel that are able to conduct something equal to or greater than the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. AQAP poses a direct threat to the U.S. and U.S. interest of stability and security in the Arabian Peninsula. AQAP is capable of every threat that has been uttered against the US and western countries. The US as well as the other western territories that are considered allies against AQAP, can end or at least moderate the terroristic threat by â€Å"interdicting terrorists, disrupt their planning, restrict their travel, reduce the flow of financial (EO 13224 signed 9/23/01) and material support to terrorist groups, and enable partner governments to assert control over weakly governed territory where terrorists find sanctuary† (US Department of State, 2005). The Antiterrorism Assistance program is a well used deterrent against FTO’s such as AQAP. The AQAP became a bigger threat than al Qaeda, and the instability and security issues within the Arabian Peninsula are threats we must contend with. With the knowledge and training gained since the imperative attacks on American soil in 2001, we can deter and detain these terrorists and protect our homeland and allies. The ideologies and animosity against the US and other western nations are targeted towards the recruiting of others who sympathize with al Qaeda. Preemptive and retaliatory methods are other forces to use to impede the AQAP’s threats and/or attacks. It is also noted in the Country Reports that by American’s helping partner nations in the quest for improving their abilities to detect and prevent terrorist activities this will clearly enhance the overall security of all nations (US Department of State, 2005). References Boucek, Christopher (2010). Terrorism out of Yemen. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved from http://carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=viewid=41705 References Bryant, C., Kasinof, L. (2010, October 29). Suspicious UPS, FedEx packages raise new concerns about Al Qaeda in Yemen. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost CPJ. (2008, April 15). Iraq: Journalists Abducted 2003-09. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Committee to Protect Journalists: Defending Journalists Worldwide: http://cpj.org/reports/2008/04/abducted.php. Gerstein, Josh (2010). Clinton named Al Qaeda Yemen as terror group. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/0110/Clinton_named_AlQaeda_Yemen_as_terror_group_a_month_ago.html Kerry, John (2010). Al Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia: A ticking Time Bomb. Committee on foreign relations United States Senate. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2010_rpt/sfrc-aq.pdf Kurczy, S. (2010, November 2). Five key members of Al Qaeda in Yemen (AQAP). Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Poland, J. (2005 ). Understanding terrorism: Groups, strategies, and responses 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Rawnsley, A. (2010, December 7). Danger Room Whats Next in National Security. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from Wired: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/al-qaedas-latest-weapon-poison-perfume/ Rollins, John (2010). Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy. Congressional research Service. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/R41070.pdf US Department of National Security. (2006). The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. Washington DC: USDOS. US Department of State. (2005). Country Reports on Terrorism 2004. Washington DC: US Government.

Numbing Creams for Tattoos

Numbing Creams for Tattoos Some tattoo artists will say no. Others will say yes. There are many factors to consider when getting a tattoo and obviously the amount of pain you must go through for that tattoo will vary. Old school tattoo artists are of the mind, that you must earn your tattoo with the pain you go through to get the tattoo. This is a pretty outdated way of thinking. Many factors play into how much a tattoo will hurt. One important factor is where the tattoo will be located on your body. Areas such as the outer arms, outer legs, upper back and upper chest are not very painful for tattooing. Other areas such as the lower back, inside the arms, or legs, near elbows and knees, along the spine, along the ribs, the lower front torso are all considered to be more painful areas. The feet and ankles are definitely more painful than other areas. This applies also to inside the wrist and hands. Best Practices Effective Pain Management For Botox Patients Since first introduced to the medical community in 1989, as a treatment for eye muscle disorders, administering of Botulinum Toxin Type A: Botox and similar neurotoxin injectables, has now become the most popular non-invasive aesthetic medical procedure performed worldwide. However, as physicians strive to make aesthetic medicine procedures more comfortable for their patients, a cold war of sorts has emerged regarding the use of topical anesthetic and ice during injectable procedures. Through a survey of expert practitioners the following best practices for the use of topical anesthetic and ice emerges. The critical factor to minimizing discomfort and bruising is technique. However, based on a patients tolerance, topical anesthetic can be used to minimize, but not extinguish, the pain associated with subcutaneous injections. Ice is generally considered the best tool to minimize bruising. Other tools in the physician arsenal to minimize pain are size of needle (32 gauge is recommended) and ensure minimal volume is injected (e.g. dilute the Botox at 2.5 cc per bottle =4u/.1 cc). Finally, for a select group of physicians and patients, ice and topical anesthetic completely take a back seat to a gentle hand. Best numbing cream How Much Does it Cost to Remove a Tattoo? We are all taught that tattoos are forever so you should be darn sure that the tattoo design your are getting inked on your skin that you will be able to live with it for the rest of your life. With that being said the above statement isnt necessarily true. Tattoos in a sense are forever but if you have the money and can endure the pain of getting a tattoo removed by a laser you can always go down the route. However, getting a tattoo removed by a laser doesnt always mean your tattoo will be gone forever. You can develop some scarring where the tattoo was and more than likely you will be able to still faintly see the tattoo, not unless you get it covered up with another tattoo. But if that is the case make sure you dont make the same mistake again and be 200% sure that the new tattoo design you are getting is something you can live with for the rest of your life. The tattoo removal business is ironically booming right now. So you should not have a hard time finding a facility to remove your unwanted tattoo. Now for the facts about laser tattoo removal. Insurance will not pay for these procedures and one session will not make your tattoo mistake go away. Often it takes up to 8 to 12 very painful sessions to complete the tattoo removal process. Now for the cost, it typically cost anywhere from $50 to $100 per square inch of course some places charge more. If you want numbing cream to help with the pain that is an extra $75 per session. Also if you tattoo is colored you will be charge more as well as colored tattoos are harder to get rid of. Lastly, you have to wait 8 to 12 weeks between sessions. So the moral of this story is, dont make the tattoo mistake in the first place. Think long and hard about your tattoo design and the location you want your tattoo and stay away from lovers names. Its best to keep the its forever in your mind. Numbing cream for piercings and tattoos How Much Does It Hurt To Get A Tattoo? Pain is part of getting a tattoo. For some people the pain is even an important part of the experience because it allows them to more fully connect with their physical existences. Regardless of your attitude about the pain of the tattooing process, you are certainly interested in how much it will hurt as you anticipate your first tattoo. The first thing for you to understand is that pain is subjective. This means that people feel pain in different ways and cope with it according to their own abilities. For example, if you are particularly worried and nervous about pain, then you are preparing your brain to interpret the pain in a strongly negative way. You may have heard of people referring to their pain tolerance. Some people say they have a high tolerance to pain and others are quite aware that they have a low tolerance for pain. Much of your tolerance for pain will derive from your mental preparation for the experience and your acceptance that getting the tattoo will hurt. Painless tattoos The Secret of Painless Tattoos Have you ever dreamed about making a tattoo? Surely, you have had a desire to decorate your body with an interesting and meaningful picture, but you hesitated. Now you have such an opportunity! Nowadays in order to apply a tattoo it is not always necessary to visit a tattoo salon, it is enough to use the possibilities of such graphic editor as Adobe Photoshop. It offers you a way to change your photo image without any pain and without breaking your moral and aesthetic principles. It allows to apply pictures, preserving the skin structure and the treatment of light and shade, thanks to its special tools. Besides, this program can help you to play a trick on your friends! You just apply a tattoo on your photo and everybody will believe, that it is realistic. Strongest topical anesthetic Laser Skin Treatment Removes Acne Scars For those with very severe acne who may not want to risk the side effects of Accutane there are acne laser treatments available. These treatments can be very expensive but can be very effective in treating the worst cases of acne. There are 2 popular types of lasers used in treating acne: Best tattoo numb Getting Your First Tattoo? Getting your first tattoo is not the same as getting your first hair cut. Both may be for vanitys sake but with a tattoo, pain accompanies it. Pain is relative. It really varies from one person to another. But there are other people who have a low pain threshold. Many who are contemplating to get a tattoo ask most about the pain. The degree of pain is often times the issue. How much does it hurt? Cream that numbs skin Laser Treatment to Zap Acne Scars Many innovations have been made in recent years towards healing acne scars and removing acne itself, including Smoothbeam laser treatment. These lasers have been very effective in not only temporarily removing acne, but most importantly eliminating acne scars, which can often remain permanently even after acne is no longer a major problem! While there are tons of methods and products available for getting rid of acne, the scars that are left are often a much tougher problem, so this kind of innovation is a welcome treat for acne sufferers. Cream that numbs the skin Painful Tattoo Places Useful Information! While getting tattooed is always somewhat painful, some places will hurt more than others. Read this to find out where the most painful tattoo places are. Getting tattooed on areas where there are lots of nerves, little fat and where the bone is close to the skin, will hurt more than other places with more padding. Here is a list of some of the most painful tattoo places: Behind the ear: Many people get tattoos behind the ear. This is a very painful place to get tattooed, because of the many nerves and little padding. People are often surprised of how painful these tattoos can be. The good thing about these tattoos, is that there is not much room there so the tattooing process wont last that long. Ankles: Many women get ankle tattoos. These are sexy and cute and nice to show off in the summer. Because of the little padding, these tattoos can hurt a lot as well. Toes: A popular place for women to get tattooed is on their toes. As with ankle tattoos, these are nice to show off in the summer, but are also one of the most painful tattoo places because of the near bones. Toe tattoos are obviously quite small though so getting the tattoo wont take that long. Ribs: This is one of the most painful places to get a tattoo, especially if youre a skinny person. Some other painful tattoo places include the lips, back of the neck, lower back and obviously the pubic area. The tolerance level of people vary greatly though, so getting tattoos on typical painful tattoo locations may not be that big of a problem. The pain factor also depends on the tattoo artist, since the distance and speed of the needle can vary. Benzocaine cream Benzocaine is a broadly used local anesthetic often used in various forms and preparations of topical pain relievers. It is widely available as topical creams, but can also be found as sprays, oral gels, capsules among other forms. Benzocaine eases pain by blocking sodium from passing electrical signals to the pain receptors which trigger the sensation of pain. It also discovers use as a fish tranquilizer, as part of anti-inflammatory drugs and even as an essential component in certain desensitizing condoms. Best numbing cream for tattoos Dr. Numb is a Numbing Anesthetic Cream Dr. Numb is a NON-OILY topical anesthetic cream(creme) that contains purest Lidocaine and Prilocaine, the highest amount allowed by Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Numb is the only water-based numbing cream on the market. Dr. Numb doesnt interfere with the ink or the skins elasticity, making it safe to reduce the GREAT PAIN of Tattooing, Body Piercing, Laser Tattoo Removal, Laser Hair Removal, Waxing, Permanent Cosmetics and other Minor Surgical Procedures. Dr. Numb is voted as the #1 numbing creams by tattoo artists and cosmetic professionals around the world. Topical anaesthetics Many alternatives to deliver anesthesia have developed over the last decades. Dispensation of topical anesthetic to manage pain associated with procedures such as laceration repair may avoid the need for infiltrative local anesthesia injections and associated pain from the injections. Topical anesthetic also keeps away from the risk of wound margin distortion that exists with infiltrative injection administration. Countless dosage forms exist (eg, gels, sprays, creams, ointments, patches) and provide the clinician with accurate options for application under a variety of circumstances. Topical anesthetics reversibly block nerve transmission near their site of administration, thereby producing temporary loss of sensation in a limited area. Nerve signal conduction is blocked by decreasing nerve cell membrane permeability to sodium ions, possibly by challenging calcium-binding sites that control sodium permeability. This change in permeability takes part in decreased depolarization and a n increased excitability threshold that, eventually, prevents the nerve action potential from forming. Dr. numb] In 1989, Dr. Brian Smith, at the New York Childrens hospital, was faced with a dilemma of children that had certain conditions such as mitrovalve disorder. With these conditions, it is prohibited to administer general anesthetics to put them to sleep before surgery. Therefore, Dr. Brian and his team made a historic discovery of the first numbing cream that is strong enough to do open surgery without pain. Over the years, the cream was perfected and took on the official name of Dr. Numb. Now, Dr. Numb is being used worldwide in different industries, such as: in professional sports, cosmetics, laser industry, waxing industry, immunization industry and tattoo industry. Dr Numb is the strongest skin numbing cream in the market today. Through the years, it has proven effective in minimizing the pain that comes with surgical procedures. It is also a favorite companion of laser treatments, tattooing, body waxing. Dr Numb numbing cream is very effective in numbing the skin for preparation in any type of procedure. Dr. Numb is proven to numb the skin for more than three hours. It is easy to apply and releases the numbing effect for at least three hours. Tattoo cream numb Before You Get a Tattoo A tattoo is forever. If you decide that you want a tattoo, know exactly what you want before you find a studio. After you have decided, you will need to find the right artist to do the work. Choose someone with a good reputation or someone whose work you have seen on your friends or other people. Remember, just because a tattoo parlor is in business doesnt mean it is maintaining safety and sterility precautions. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that gangrene, syphilis, tuberculosis and HIV are just a few diseases you could contract from contaminated instruments. To avoid these risks, ask to see a state license and accreditation from The Alliance of Professional Tattooing (or a similar organization). Look for basic equipment like germicidal soap, needle buckets, proper disposal containers, packaged gauze with the sterility intact and disposable gloves. The studio should also be equipped with an autoclave, a device that pressurizes instruments and kills viruses or bacteria. Finally, look for single-use or disposable needles (single-use are preferred). What to Look for The analgesic cream 14 is the preferred method used according to patentstorm.us. This cream includes an analgesic ingredient (with about 5-15wt% of analgesic concentrations, compared to the 10-60wt% of the standard analgesic range). The analgesic cream 14 also has an anti-inflammatory ingredient, such as aloe vera gel, which is about 50wt% of the cream, and has either a small amount or no capsaicin ingredients that would irritate the skin. Other main ingredients include the linoleic ester concentration (1-10 wt-%) and methyl salicylatem (10%), with the rest of the ingredients being at about 5 wt-%, or at the usual range for creams. Best numbing cream for waxing Reduce waxing pain? Yes you can! The first time getting waxed in an area hurts the most and does get less painful each time after. Hard to believe when your hair has just been ripped out for the first time, but its true. Dr.numb review What is Dr. Numb? Dr. Numb contains lidocaine, medications that have been used for many years as anesthetics in medical and dental offices. Dr. Numb contains these medications in a cream form and is used as a numbing cream that would numb the skin. For example, when getting a tattoo you will feel no pain . Pain is caused by the stimulation of pain receptors at the ends of nerves. The stimulation causes sodium to enter the nerve ending, which causes an electrical signal to build up in the nerve. When this electrical signal is big enough, it passes along the nerve to the brain, where the signal is interpreted as pain. Dr. Numb work by temporarily blocking this pathway of pain signals along nerves. Dr. Numb does this by stopping the sodium entering the nerve ending at the site of the pain. This prevents an electrical signal building up and passing along the nerve fibres to the brain. Numbing tattoo cream Most Painful Tattoo Locations Its commonly known that getting a tattoo hurts. Your skin is being pricked repeatedly with a needle, and youre not allowed to move. That alone is enough for some to consider getting a tattoo as tantamount to torture. For others with a considerably high-level of pain tolerance, the deed may just be a simple discomfort. Though the level of pain depends on the individual pain threshold, there are specific areas of the body where getting a tattoo proves to be incredibly more painful than other body parts. The rule of thumb is that areas where there is a dense concentration of nerves, or there is no layer of fat between the skin and bone, are the most painful locations for tattoos. Numbing creams for waxing Bikini Wax Tips Contrary to what the name suggests, a Full Bikini Wax is actually not a complete removal of hair down there. Instead, it involves removing all the hair around pubic area, except those directly in the Mound of Venus, also known as the mons pubis. Why leave hair in? For most folks, its because that part of the skin is considerably more sensitive than the rest of the pubic area. Waxing it can mean too much pain, particularly for some people who are more sensitive to the sensation. If youre not familiar with the pubic mound, its that part of your crotch area the consists largely of fatty tissues, right above the pubic bone. It forms the front of the actual vulva. Yep, its that area that shows up bulging during camel toe shots. In case you opt for this a Full Bikini Wax due to extra sensitivity of your pubic mound, do note that you can still trim the hair in that area. Most women I know who are afraid to get waxed there, choose to either shave or cut down the hair there instead. After all, its the hair there that usually catches female excretions, so a close trim helps makes sure that it stays clean. Waxing numbing cream Waxing has been around for a long time and is still one of the best methods for removing unwanted hair from many areas of the body. Here are some techniques that can minimize the pain associated with waxing. Difficulty: Easy Instructions Step 1 Take a anti-inflammatory pill two hours before you plan to wax to minimize the pain. Or drink coffee or a caffeinated drink before you plan to wax for the same effect. If neither of those appeal to you, and youre of legal age, take a shot of your favorite liquor! Step 2 Numb the area before waxing by applying an Dr.Numb Step 3 Pull the skin tight where the hair is growing. For example, if you are waxing your eyebrows, pull the skin on the brow bone towards the ear to tighten the skin, allowing the wax strip to adhere to the skin. Step 4 Pull the strip off quickly in the opposite direction the hair grows. Step 5 Apply a cold, damp towel immediately to the skin after you pull the strip off anesthetic for tattoos If you have a tattoo that you do not like, then perhaps you should consider removing it. There are many options available to you, so make sure you investigate them thoroughly. Many people have one that they love and cherish however there are others that want to get rid of their tattoo. Perhaps it was not done correctly, or it no longer has the same meaning as it had before. Perhaps it reminds the individual of a time that they choose to forget, such as affiliation with an organization or with a gang. Regardless of the reasoning, there are several ways you can remove a tattoo that are safe Many people choose to get laser removal to get rid of the particular unwanted item. The technician will use a laser to burn the ink, turning it into tiny fragments which are cleared away through your body. If you go several times, the laser can really penetrate and remove deep layers or ink. However, this can really damage your skin and can cause scabs and even scars. Many people believe that laser removal is very painful and very expensive. Depending on where you live, session costs can range from three hundred to one thousand dollars and you may need several sessions to get the results that you actually want. What to take before tattoo i guess i already found the best ever numbing cream for my tattooing sessions i really thanks DrNumbs numbing cream,, actually ive just tried it once before,, but when i proven its really effective and very safe, now Im not worried about the pain in my tattoo sessions, i got already the confident every time Im going at the tattoo shop,, other things why i really trust DrNumbs numbing cream,, because its contains 5% lidocaine the highest amount allowed by food and drug administration.. DrNumb voted as a #1 numbing cream by the tattoo artist around the world..And also it is the only one water-based numbing cream on the market!!it is also medically tested and resonably priced.. Got to know more about this product you may visit their website at http://www.drnumb.com/ . What to use to numb skin If you are attempting to wax your body at home and have extremely sensitive skin, there are several ways that you can numb your skin without a doctors care. Although over-the-counter numbing creams, sprays and gels only last temporarily, they can help you avoid the pain that may be associated with cosmetic procedures such as eyebrow tweezing or hair waxing. All numbing creams, sprays and gels are not right for everyone, and if you have extremely sensitive skin, test the solution on the inside of your arm before using on your face or any other sensitive areas of the body. Purchase Numbingcream at www.drnumb.com. Numbingcream is useful for numbing any skin area.

Strategy Implemented In Starwood Hotels And Resorts Tourism Essay

Strategy Implemented In Starwood Hotels And Resorts Tourism Essay To critically evaluate the strategy implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to the Environmental Concern: A Case Study of Element Hotel ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to critically evaluate the green initiatives implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts by introducing a green hotel chain, Element hotel. The author intend to assess to what extent the implemented strategies are all-encompassing in responding to environmental concern as one of major contemporary issue in todays hospitality industry. As the matter of fact that the global environment is severely affected by todays business, natural resources are predictably running out in next 50 years if no improvement is being made by all business. In the last decade, peoples awareness of environmental protection is significantly increasing. For instance, new emerging market of eco-conscious traveler and pressure from eco-ethic group act as the driven force to urge business companies rapidly launch environmental friendly program to support sustainability development. In this research, green initiatives implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts are critically examined basing on ISO 14001 model. The positivism philosophy with deductive approach will be adopted throughout the research. The author will critically review the literature related to environmental management. Secondary research will be used to investigate the green initiatives implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts with a case study focused on Element hotel, followed by a critical analyze on the strategies with application of ISO 14001 model. Last but not least, the author will assess to what extent the implemented strategies are all-encompassing in responding to environmental concern. The research has shown that Starwood Hotels and Resorts have successfully implemented comprehensive green initiatives by introducing a green hotel chain, Element hotel. The author suggests that further evaluation and improvement should be continuously carried out to strive be the leader in supporting sustainability development in hospitality industry. Moreover, the author advises that primary research should be carried out for future study in order to gain more generalized and specifically up-to-date result. TABLE OF CONTENTS _______________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND INFORMATION Background of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Element Hotel NECESSITY TO RAISE THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN LONG RUN Increasing pressure from ethical consumers New emerging market, Eco conscious traveler The impact of environmental problem onto hospitality industry AIM AND OBJECTIVES Aim Objectives THE ISO 14001 MODEL Environmental Policy Planning Implementation and Operation Checking and Corrective Action Management Review Continual Improvement RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHODOLOG Proposed Study Design Secondary Research Limitations 3.0 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 3.1 Environmental Policy 3.2 Planning 3.3 Implementation and Operation 3.4 Checking and Corrective Action 3.5 Management Review Continual Improvement CONCLUSION 5.0 REFERENCES 6.0 APPENDICES 1.0 INTRODUCTION __________________________________________________________________________ In the past few years, environmental issue has severely plagued hospitality industry (Pasiuk, 2006). The significant changes in global environment and climate definitely draw attention to all business. People start to think about how the mother earth can be saved from harm and the way to sustain hospitality industry. The popularity of eco-friendly hotel is closely related to the growing awareness of global warming (Guitierrez, 2008) and also the new emerging market segment Eco-traveler (Patterson, 2007). According to Forbes (2007, cited in Go Budget Travel, 2007), it stated that traveler with sense of eco-awareness is a new trends nowadays. Hence, many hotels and resorts make effort to launch wide variety of initiatives on green management (Enz, 2010). As a global leader in hospitality industry, Starwood Hotels and Resorts steps forward responding to the trend with action on building up its own culture of sustainability by introducing its innovation Eco-Friendly hotel chain called E lement (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010). The purpose of this report is to critically evaluate how Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to environmental concern by introducing a green hotel chain, Element hotel. In order to achieve the purpose, the author first highlights Eco-traveler as one of the mainstream in hospitality industry and identify the importance of taking environmental concern as a corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, the author is then illustrates the theoretical framework of ISO 14001 model and critically evaluates its application to the strategies implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to the contemporary issue of environmental concern. Last but not least, a brief summary and recommendation will be provided. BACKGROUND INFORMATION __________________________________________________________________________ 1.1.1 Background of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Element Hotel Starwood Hotels and Resorts grow to be a hotel behemoth through every effort made by Mr. Barry Sternlicht (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010). At the present time, Starwood is widely renowned as one of the luxury hotel chain worldwide. Starwoods fleet is currently owns and operates approximately 750 hotels under premium leading brands including Sheraton, Four Points, St. Regis, Westin, W brand, the luxury collection and notably its latest innovation product Element, in 80 countries over every continent (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010). Element hotel is a green hotel chain newly launched by Starwood Hotels and Resorts by the year of 2008 (Starwood Hotels and Resorts, 2010a). The inspiration is induced by travelers eco-etiquette. According to Savage (2008, cited in Press Release, 2008), most of the traveler adopts green routine at home however only a few of them do the same at the hotel. In response, Element hotels take the lead in going green. Element is built green to reduce from the ground up, as the first major hotel brand pursue U.S. Building Councils LEED Certification for every property (Press Release, 2008a), depicting the importance of the environment in todays world. Element is committed to provide the guest with a no-compromise, eco-chic experience and also as an easy way responsible to be eco-friendly without sacrificing guest experience, in addition, the element philosophy is to satisfy guests needs with the environment in mind (Elements hotel, 2010). Nowadays, Starwood is recognized as the environmentally friendly luxury brand within the hospitality industry (Rockmael, 2007). With the recognition of its remarkable green initiatives, the author is intended to critically evaluate the strategy implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to environmental concern. Green initiatives undertaken by Starwood Hotels and Resorts will be further elaborated in details by focus on the case study of Element hotel. Necessity to raise the importance of sustainability in the long run __________________________________________________________________________ Increasing pressure from ethical consumers It is not surprising to find that a significant growing number of large-scale corporate are experiencing an exerting pressure from consumer activist groups requiring betterment on the performance of both social and environmental aspect. An elevating level of these issues are gradually becoming mainstream and the consumers are commonly raising question about the general performance in terms of ethical, social and environmental of the service and product they consume. More enlightened companies treat these prompting changes as a golden opportunity of embracing social and environmental concerns integrated into their operation (Gupta, M.C., 1995). 1.2.2 New emerging market segment, eco-conscious traveler According to the research conducted by Green Hotel Association (2007), about 43 millions travelers in the United States are concerned about environmental consciousness in the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, referring to the survey done by USA Travel Association (2008), 54 million peoples search for companies that are concerned with the protection of local environment and incline to book travel arrangement with these companies. Korman (2008, cited in Press Release, 2008: 2) also agree that Todays consumers including guests who stay with us, corporate customers who select hotel providers and the development community who build our hotels are increasingly demanding green options when they select hotel brands. At the present time, eco-awareness is very popular in travel trends (Harding, 2010). And Chemla (2007, cited in Vora, 2007:1) also argued that now upscale travelers want to do whatever they can to be eco-conscious. The characteristics of eco-conscious traveler (refer to Appendix 1) can be concluded as lack of knowledge about environmental issue, however, they are keen to learn. Element hotel is tailor-made for eco conscious traveler, as Savage (2008: 1) stated that We know our guests want to be eco conscious, it is our job to make it easy for them. Eco-conscious traveler is defined as a person who yearns for making positive contribution while travelling with the companies that sustain development on environmental practices (Eco media group, 2010). With the emerging segment of eco-conscious traveler, in response many hotels and resorts started to launch green management program to emphasize their concern in environmental sustainability. Green initiatives are implemented into the hotel s operation to maintain brand image (Grant, 2007), reputation and remain competitive in the marketplace (Schulz, 2009). As Ryan (2006 :1) stated that Going green isnt necessarily about saving the environment, rather its about saving the business. All the undertaken green initiatives are viewed as marketing strategies helps to boost up the sales as well as the occupancy rate (Honey, 2008). According to the research conducted by Watkins (1994), the findings shown that about 71 percent of respondents would likely or extremely likely to stay in a hotel implemented with environmental strategy. Furthermore, in the case of The Sol Elite Falco Hotel, they recorded a significant growth of 15% in business after the adoption of environmental practices (Honey, 2008). 1.2.3 The impact of environmental problem onto hospitality industry In the past few decades, as a matter of fact that global population is dramatically escalating, it is not surpirsed to find that both rural and urban area are densely-populated. It leads to accelerating demand on not only living space but also resources to accommodate peoples physical need for basic living. Besides, with the promising stability of global economy, at the present time vast majority of people are capable to lead a better living, to pursue a quality of life. Driven by that reason, many businesses habitually utilize limited resource to fulfill the unlimited needs and wants from the consumer. In the meantime, the consequence is commonly neglected. Overusing resource on the mother earth, many negative impacts and problems can be severely affecting the society such as occasion of global warming, pollution and climate change. As Aldunce and Leon (2007:33) stated that disaster risk does not only exist because of the presence of a physical hazard, and it is compounded by the pr esence of vulnerable populations. In that sense, both direct and indirect impacts are possibly brought to hospitality industry. Greenhouse gases are the driven force to the elevating average level of temperature on the planet (Tisdell, 2008). It is resulted as rising sea level that leads to drastically changing of water availability geographically. Thats the reason why the weather is in instability correlated with the harvest of agricultural and the phenomenon of natural disasters happen more frequently in last ten years (Mckibben, 2007). Above mentioned circumstances are inevitably threaten hospitality and tourism industry (Kirby, 2007). For instance, in 2004, tsunami in Phuket (BBC News, 2009) brought relentless damage to the local community. The infrastructure and the landscape were completely destroyed. Phuket is as a renowned tourist destination with approximately 7 millions of tourist annually (TourismThailand Org, 2010). Tsunami was harshly hit the hospitality industry which is the mainstream sector in Phuket. Tsunami caused the local communities and business to spend large sum of money on reconstruction of the environment and infrastructure including numerous hotel property and facilitates. As mentioned, the changing climate is associated with the harvest of agricultural. It impacts on the reduction of the availability of agricultural thus the food cost raise up correspondingly. Likewise, due to water pollution, reduction of water supply leads to increasing price of water. As the result, hotels are undoubtedly affected with larger expenditure on acquiring water supply and food materials from the suppliers. To conclude, water and energy are the necessity to hotels daily operation. In the viewpoint of hotel, they would acquire this necessity to sustain the business at all cost. Consequently, hospitality industry should not hesitate and to take proactive measures to against the potential challenge and also encourage the sustainable development incorporated with environmental concern. Natural disaster is inevitably takes place, however, hospitality industry could strive to launch environmental management program to at least minimize the probability of its occurrence. 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES __________________________________________________________________________ 1.3.1 Aim To critically evaluate the strategy implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to environmental concern by introducing Element Hotel 1.3.2 Objectives To identify the environmental concern as a contemporary issue affecting Starwood Hotels and Resorts To review the literature related to environmental management and ISO 14001 model To identify the associated challenges and factors of environmental concern in hospitality industry To critically investigate and evaluate the strategies implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to environmental concern by using ISO 14001 model THE ISO 14001 MODEL __________________________________________________________________________ Source: EnviroManager (2009) Environmental Management Software; (http://www.enviromanager.net/index.htm) According to Latham (2007), an appropriate theoretical framework can be guidance for the research study thus enhances the efficiency. ISO 14001 model is renowned as a global green standard, therefore, it is being chosen by the author as a tools to critically evaluate the strategy implemented in Starwood Hotels and Resorts in responding to environmental concern. In-depth explanations and critical analysis of this framework will be carried out in the following session. ISO 14001 is recognized as one of the most noteworthy initiatives on sustainable development. It is an Environmental Management System (EMS) providing any organization a theoretical framework for effectively managing environmental responsibilities to facilitate its efficiency and better integration into business operation (Hansen, Mowen Guan, 2007). This model is clearly presenting the whole procedure towards effective environmental management. Moreover, continual improvement is particularly emphasizes within the process which indicates that it is an essential component contributing toward the success of environmental management. On the contrary, Plan, Do, Check, Act Model known as Deming cycle, is another approach of Environmental Management System. However, it is not adopted by the author as its simplified structure, relatively low accuracy and the process of continual improvement is not encompassed in the model. Most importantly ISO 14001 model is basically built on the Plan, Do, Check, Act model. Hotels that efficiently integrate an Environmental Management System into organizations operation can enjoy so many benefits. Nowadays, majority of consumers seeking guarantee they are sustaining and choosing operations that encourage protection of the environment. An Environmental Management System helps to uplift the hotels reputation, awareness of the public and creates an opportunity to develop new market segment, environmentally conscious consumers (Bill and Monaco, 1999). In general, hotel can facilitate efficiency and achieve reduction of operating costs through setting an unambiguous and realistic performance goals and objectives that hotel can put efforts towards. It also helps to increase competitiveness in global market, expand tactical advantage over non-certified competitors, meet consumer requirement and demonstrate commitment to quality (Anderson, 2000). Moreover, the potential economic benefit is surprisingly far more than enough to launch an Environmental Management Systems in the property (Tibor and Feldman, 1996). Environmental Policy Establishing an Environmental Policy is certainly requiring the participation of top management of the organization to deeply define the policy that is consistent with the span of an EMS and suitable to the organization (Johnson, 1997). According to Moore (2000: 14-6), Environmental Policy is the statement by the organization of its intentions and principles in relation to its overall environmental performance which provides a framework for action and for the setting of its environmental objectives and targets. The Environmental policy should be embodied with an obligation to continual improvement, prevention of all kind pollution and obedience to the legal requirements (Woodside, Aurrichio and Yturri, 1998). Lastly, this policy ought to be documented and published to the public before communicating with all the personnel working for or the representative of the organization. A comprehensible vision of the policy helps the management in planning activities. Planning An effective planning is necessary and a crucial process to determine an assessable organizational goal and offer guidance to fulfill the achievement (Johnson, 1997; Montana and Chamov, 2000). For that reason, the author recognizes the importance of Planning process in ISO 14001 model. Besides, the organization should be pragmatically stipulating the objectives with reference to both direct and indirect impacts deriving from previous management for instance reduction of water consumption. According to Block (1999; 1), Organization shall ensure that environmental aspects related to these significant impacts are considered when setting environmental objectives. Furthermore, environmental activities should be inclusively all-encompassing supplies, waste management and notably obligation of responsibilities (Rao, 2008). From the authors point of view, a comprehensive planning would drive the organization to the right direction on developing its culture of sustainability program in respon ding to environmental concern. Implementation and Operation In this stage, the author suggests that the roles and responsibilities of job task need to be clearly assigned to every employee in order to efficiently implement the environmental management system. Furthermore, senior management must employ a representative especially in charge of environmental management. Representative is responsible to extract report on the performance of EMS and potentially offer recommendation for betterment on a regular basis. Senior management is also responsible to ensure the availability of the materials which is needed for implementation and further improvement on EMS in the property (Tibor and Feldman, 1996). Specific practice is necessarily established to facilitate internal and external communication as regards to environmental issues, For instance, company report of its adopted environmental practice can be issued to the public to maintain continual communication externally thus raise up public awareness to the company (Culley, 1998). Continuous train ing and regular meeting is essentially held frequently to increase awareness of employee on environmental practices and its impact (Cascio, Woodside and Mitchell, 1996) consequentially to ensure that employees are completely understand the system and their roles within the EMS (Sullivan and Wyndham, 2001). Checking and corrective action According to Withcer, Chau and Harding (2007), the significance of checking is in relations to the long-run strategy and effectively manages organizations performance. Checking process helps to identify and ensure the environmental performance in terms of quality and standard of ISO 14001 model is on the right track and facilitate betterment to meet the purposed organizational goals. Corrective action should be undertaken appropriately to the magnitude of the problem as immediate measurements (Rao, 2008). Management review It requires senior management of the organization to evaluate the EMS to make certain the continuous capability, aptness and effectiveness. Evaluation is necessarily undertaken to promote further improvements. Also, management review can benefit an organization to experience more extraordinary environmental performance (Rao, 2008). Continual improvement Continual improvement is the methodical approach to recognize the potential problem, seek opportunity, establish measurement, collect data, and make comparison to the trend purposing to verify if the progress is smoothly ongoing toward the set objectives embodied in the environmental policy and planning (Johnson, 1997). According to Rao (2008:87), continual improvement helps to achieve the fulfillment of the urge for contributing toward sustainability. RESEARCH STRATEGY AND METHODOLOGY __________________________________________________________________________ This section provides the reader with better understanding on the research method that the author has been adopted throughout the research. The research design and data collection method is justified in this chapter. Proposed study design The purpose of this research is to find out how Starwood Hotels and Resorts is responding to the challenge of environmental concern, therefore the author will adopt positivism as research philosophy for this study. And the author will use deductive approach to test whether the organizations strategy is all-encompassing with the theoretical framework of ISO 14001 model. In order to achieve the research purpose, the author conducted secondary research to collect information on environmental issues theories and the strategies that the Starwood Hotels and Resorts put on practice. Primary research is not conducted for this report, because the author recognized there is a bulk of data was published online that is sufficient for the author to make analysis. The author decided to analyze the strategy the organization adopted by using a theoretical framework and academic theories related to green management.. Since the author can easily access the information required for the research, therefore, only secondary research is conducted. Secondary research Veal (2006) stated that secondary research enriches the reader with existing information which has already been collected. The author collected both quantitative and qualitative data on the organizations environmental-friendly strategies and literature of environmental issues. Information was sourced from the SHMS-UC library; where textbooks with hospitality-related topics are available; in addition, online articles and journals were sourced from the online database such as Emerald. Through the use of internet, the author can access a wider range of up-to-date information about environmental issues. 3.0 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS __________________________________________________________________________ In this section, an in-depth evaluation on how the Element Hotel responds to environmental concern with the application of ISO 14001 framework will be carried out. The green initiatives launched by Element Hotel will be elaborated and categorized into the process of ISO 14001 model. 3.1 Environmental Policy According to Element Hotels official website (2010), Element embrace the responsibility for continual environmental stewardship and are committed to integrating leading environmental practices and sustainability principles into the core business strategy. Element has focused on the conservation of natural resources, reduction on waste and pollution, betterment and enhancement of indoor environmental quality and raising awareness of environmental concern between employees, guests and local community (Element Hotels, 2010). Moreover, Element is committed to develop an economically responsible LEED-certified hotel concept that is promising a more sustainable future (Paasschen, 2008:1). In authors opinion, the statement of Element environmental policy is clearly showed the intentions and principles related to environmental practices by Element hotel and evidences of complying with legislation requirement. To contrast with the ISO 14001 model, Element hotel has developed a statement which is committed to green environment. The principles of the hotel are all about green. In addition, employees and customers can have a better understanding about the green strategies undertaken at the Element. In this section, the author strongly agrees that Element hotel has implemented the environmental policy successfully. Planning Element hotels are primarily introduced to the public by Starwood Hotels and Resorts as a strategic plan to against the challenges in environmental concern. The element philosophy is to satisfy guests needs while keeping the environment in mind (Element Hotels, 2010a). Element is actively make effort striving to minimize the environmental impact stemming from business activities and enhance continual improvement and innovation on practices. As McGuinness (2009) stated that elements efforts around green are great for the Earth and great for our guests. Element endeavors to launch green initiatives to diminish the operation cost as well as expend the market share by building up a reputable green image. The planning of green initiatives at Element are categorized into Reducing, Reusing and Recycling (Element Hotels, 2010a). At Element, departmental managers are participated in environmental management planning in order to fulfill different range of needs within each department, and establish a realistic and effective plan on environmental management. The author agrees that an accessible plan is essentials to provide employee a better understanding thus to take action properly following the proposed planning. In the planning process, the author mentioned the planning will establish an assessable organizational goal. The reducing, reusing, and recycling planning could help the hotel to achieve the hotels strategy which is to develop the green philosophy to the employees and customers. In the next section, the operations will be discove red in order to complete Elements planning. Implementation and Operation Element hotels score high marks from U.S. Building Green Council (USBGC, 2010), that indicates the significance of its variety of cost-effective green principle on the improvement of environmental sustainability. Element have launched a responsible business program to staff on seeking feedback. As Potts, Christenbury Wolak (1994: 41) mentioned that The hotel staffs are a key source of information, their input and suggestions for improvement are critical to implementation of a good plan. Feedback can make certain the inaccuracy and errors to be corrected before problem arise once again (Lancaster and Stanhope, 2004). Moreover, meeting holds in a regular basis in order to maintain staff awareness of the implemented environmental program at Element. The author suggests that social activities such as picnics and hikes or competition can be organized to encourage motivation and enhance communication within the workforce. Management can allow people to take ownership of certain project al so a means of motivation. In addition, suggestion boxes and reward staff for success in terms of introducing and educating the guest with on-site green initiatives. At Element hotel, a module on its comprehensive environmental policy is en-compassing in staff induction and also refresher training. Adequate Training is important to endow the staffs with necessary tools in order to maximize the benefits to staff member (Remenyi, 2007). Reduced water consumption According to Green Lodging News (2008), Element efficiency features saving 942,000 gallons of water per guestroom every year through the adoption of water conservation measures. Element implemented Grey water system which is any wastewater has been used within the property except toilet water can be re-used for watering plants and toilet water through filtering treatment. Dual-Flush toilet is installed in all guest room and public area that helps to lower water consumption up to 67%. Low flow shower heads and water-efficient faucet aerators also means to conserve water, all dramatically increase the efficiency and ease the burden of water supplies while giving the guest a great experience. Reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions Element conserve energy by launching energy conservation measures en-compassing an environmental friendly lighting system throughout the property supported by compact fluorescent light (CFL) and Light-emitting diode (LED), Energy-Star labeled appliances in each guest room and high efficiency ventilating and conditioning system. And the roof top is equipped with solar reflect panal that reflect heat from the sun so as to ease the burden on hotel air conditioning systems. Element also encourages the development of renewable energy technology through purchasing credits of renewable energy to compensate partial electricity consumption. According to Element Hotels (2010), 35% of the used electricity comes from renewable sources such as wind power at Element Hotel. Recycling by Element hotel is estimated to have already conserved enough energy to supply approximately 9 million households in United States (Press Release, 2008a). Improved indoor environmental quality measures Element hotel is in partnership with EcoLab for the implementation of Green Housecleaning practices, to encourage using environmental friendly cleaning products and facilitate day-lighting throughout the property by installing oversized window in every guest room (Green Lodging News, 2008). Smoking is strictly prohibited in and around the property to ensure good air quality. Furthermore, element hotel applies low Volatile Organic Compunds paints and carpets made of 100% recyclable materials. Traditional Do Not Disturb sign paper tag is replaced by the environmental friendly magnet (Press Release, 2008). Execution of waste management and Recycling At Element hotel, pa

Justice in movie Crash Essay -- Philosophy Analysis Crash Film Movie

Justice in movie Crash In the movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, John Stuart Mill's theories on Social Justice and Utility are depicted within the context of the 20th century. Haggis' representation of a multicultural society is one built on racism and inequality, which limits the social justice people can acquire. In this film prejudice and stereotyping are prevalent when discussing legal rights and moral rights. The social situation has profound impacts on the choices people make. This society's foundation is based on injustice, although in the end, justice is served through the concept of `justice of desert'. Social Justice prevails in society where legal laws are practiced and respected. It is considered unjust to: "deprive anyone of his [or her] personal liberty, his [or her] property, or any other thing which belongs to him [or her] by law" (Social Justice and Utility, pg. 168). In this movie there is an inconsistent application of legal laws, which is especially applicable to those individuals considered `foreign' or `immigrant'. The storeowner (no character name; played by Howard Fong) who immigrated to America has had experiences of racism, which made him distrust others; this shows through his interactions with people. The storeowner's legal laws were violated when he wanted to purchase a gun for his family store, in order to have protection against future robbers. Yet, he was prohibited from doing so, based his race and heavy accent. The owner of the gun store made degrading comments about his citizenship and his ability to speak English, and questioned his legal right to buy a gun. The storeowner obviously had been subjected to this type of hostility before, began quarrelling with the man in a d... ...just world. Now he could be charged with attempted murder and he has to deal with the fact that he almost shot a little girl. The charges would be laid by Daniel strengthening Mills theory, "evil from those to whom he has does or has done evil" (Social Justice and Utility, pg169). Justice has been achieved through justice of desert. This demonstrates to us that no matter how much your legal or moral laws are violated, what matters is how you as an individual react to the situation, justly or unjustly. This movie is centered around the notion that if you are a person of ethnic background, that alone is reason for others to forsake your rights, although in the long run justice will prevail Bibliography John Stuart Mill, "Social Justice and Utility" as cited in Solomon and Murphy, What is Justice?, pages 166- 169. Crash (2005) directed by Paul Haggis

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Essay

Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the poem "Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the 1930's. To many living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream had escaped their grasp. In this poetic expression, a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans' concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could aspire to be again.    Using a conversational style, the author allows the speaker and listener to interact with each other. The issue addressed is that America is not the democratic ideal of all of its people. The original speaker begins in a fairly common quatrain stanza; however, when the listener is allowed to respond, the stanzas become irregular indicating the passion felt as well as the urgency of the message. The listener's response contains the main idea of the piece, comparing the democratic ideal to the conditions of those who are victims because of race, age, or economic status. The author's careful use of alliteration in phrases such as "pushed apart" (19) and "slavery's scars" (20) emphasizes the struggles and alienation experienced by less fortunate Americans.    The speaker begins the narration by making a statement that America should return to the idealistic way it used to be: "Let it be the dream it used to be" (2). Then the narrator continues to relate nostalgically the longing for an America built on freedom and equality for all. This could be the dream of the author himself. Wagner states of the author, "Like his first masters Whitman and Sandburg, like his fellow black Toomer, and like so many other American poets of the period, Lan... ...tion in Depression" (Ramperstad 371). Commenting on this poem and its author, Langston Hughes, Ramperstad observes, "Perhaps his finest poem of the thirties combined his will to revolution with his Whitman-like nostalgia for a vanishing America." Hughes gives us a richer insight of American idealism, American realism, and what, "America will be!" (73).    Works Cited Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." _Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing_. 4th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1995. 723-24. Rampersad, Arnold. "Langston Hughes." _Voices & Visions: the Poet in America_. Ed. Helen Vendler. New York: Random House, 1987. 352-93. Wagner, Jean. "Langston Hughes." _Black Poets of the United States_. Trans. Kenneth Douglas. Chicago: U of Illinois P, 1973, 385-474.