Lowering The Legal Drinking Age - 1933 Words

Lowering of the Legal Drinking Age Research Paper Adults under 21 are able to vote, sign contracts, serve on juries, and enlist in the military, but are told that they are not mature enough to have a beer?, said Ruth C. Engs, a professor of Applied Health Sciences at Indiana University (Engs). No matter what is done, teenagers and young adults all over America are going to drink if they want to. The question is, why can t they start legally drinking when they enter adulthood? An alternative to simply lowering the minimum legal drinking age could be thought of, such as, having a learner s permit for responsible drinking for people between the ages of 18-21. In other cultures where the minimum legal drinking age is lower, there is not as large of a problem with drinking. Lowering the minimum legal drinking age would stop criminalizing a large amount of people for the minor crime of underage drinking, which on your record makes it hard for young people to apply for jobs or apply to coll eges. Underage Drinking in America Realistically, teenagers are going to drink no matter what. The minimum drinking age debate in America seems to primarily revolve around one issue: drunk driving. The increased minimum drinking age does not solve the problem of drunk driving in any real way, it just shifts drunk driving deaths into a slightly older age group. Additionally, because teenagers are afraid of getting caught drinking, many end up drinking large amounts of alcohol in shortShow MoreRelatedLowering The Legal Drinking Age903 Words   |  4 Pageshelp myself get a better understanding about how others feel about lowering the legal drinking age in the United States and to better understand what role alcohol plays in people’s lives. The first question I asked for in my survey, was what the participant’s age was. I used this question to see if there was a difference on how different generations felt towards lowering the legal drinking age. I was expecting more people ove r the age of 25 to take the quiz because I didn’t know if younger adults wouldRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age857 Words   |  4 PagesAs we know, the United States has the highest drinking age in the world. By 1988 the entire U.S had adopted the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act, which set the drinking age to twenty-one. However, in 1920 the United States banned the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcohol. This era known as the Prohibition sparked the popularity of hidden underground bars and events. The Prohibition Era is a prime example of how people did anything to intake alcohol and eventually this ledRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age1387 Words   |  6 PagesThe concerns about safety involving alcohol, including alcohol-related fatalities, â€Å"binge drinking†, and long-term health effects, will not be compromised by lowering the legal drinking age to nineteen in the United States. Activists who wish to raise the legal mi nimum age frequently discuss the ways that driving while intoxicated endangers countless lives every day in the United States, and is an increasing problem in model Europe as well. However, drunk driving increases will secrecy, not withRead MoreLowering The Drinking Legal Age872 Words   |  4 Pageshas its limit age that allows people to drink Alcoholic beverage. In the United States of America, most people are able to drink and purchase alcohol at the legal age of twenty-one. Unlike the United States, most countries around the world allow their citizen to drink alcohol under the age of 21. Many American wants the U.S. government to minimize the drinking legal (MLDA) from 21 to 18 so they will be similar to other countries around the world that allowed people to drink at the age of 18. DavidRead MoreLowering The Minimum Legal Drinking Age Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesBeer For Everyone! The debate of lowering the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) has been going on for decades in the United States. Those opposed, argue that the current MLDA is not efficient and counterproductive (Engs 1). One study indicated that thousands of lives under the age of twenty-one are lost each year to alcohol (McCardell 1). Underage drinking is an issue that persists, despite evidence suggesting that the minimum legal drinking age of twenty-one has lowered alcohol usage among individualRead MoreAlcohol: Lowering the Legal Drinking Age1900 Words   |  8 PagesAlcohol: Lowering the Legal Drinking Age Karita Lockwood Professor O’Quinn COM 323 October 29, 2012 Introduction Alcohol is a drink that is made from corn, barley or a beverage containing ethyl. There is currently an ongoing debate as to if the legal age limit for alcohol consumption should be lowered. Despite the dangers, everyday in the United States more than 13,000 children and teens consume alcohol. The age range between eleven and eighteen is the most influential period when youthsRead MoreLowering Legal Drinking Age Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesLowering the Drinking Age Half the United States population starts drinking at the age of 14.When you are 18 you have privileges like joining the army. (Mitch Adams Lowering the drinking age page 1) You can go to war and die for your country but you still can not enjoy an ice cold beer. (Mitch Adams Lowering the drinking age page 1) How is being 21 different from being 18? How does three more years of not drinking make you mature enough to drink? The longer you drink the more you start toRead MoreEssay on Lowering the Legal Drinking Age2090 Words   |  9 PagesHere in the United States, there is a law that prohibits youth 21 years of age and younger not to drink any alcohol beverages. However, in this country, anyone who turns 18 can sign up and be in the armed forces to protect the country. In the year 2001, war broke out between the Middle East and the United States and thousands of men and women were deployed to the Middle East to deal with the problem. While they were over there, the soldiers wou ld witness many things that civilians could neverRead More Lowering the Legal Minimum Drinking Age Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagesunderage drinking has become a major problem, especially on college campuses. But, underage drinking is not purely the root of all accidents related to alcohol. The real problem lies within the unsafe underage drinking habits amongst youth. There are ways that these alcohol-related accidents can be avoided. Several organizations have been created that are targeting a change in the legal drinking age laws. One key way to lower the risk of unsafe drinking is to lower the minimum legal drinking age fromRead MoreFavors for and Against Lowering the Legal Drinking Age771 Words   |  4 PagesFactors In Favor of and Against Khimley Young Critical Thinking and Problem Solving/ Hum 200 AOS Instructor Dr. Steven Mathews October 24, 2012 Lowering the Legal Drinking Age to 18: Yea or Nay Argument in Favor of Lowering the Legal Drinking Age The age of 18 is a transitional point in life. An 18-year=old can vote, marry, enlist in the military and buy cigarettes. To some it’s absurd that an 18-year-old can vote politicians into office and fight wars for the country but cannot

Othello, By William Shakespeare - 1115 Words

Shakespeare s complex play Othello holds numerous pressing issues within its intricate layers that seem to leap out to modern society. One such issue seen by many is the representation of women. Women within the play can be characterized as submissive possessions and temptresses. This ideology, though commonplace in this time period, appears controversial to the modern eye as we deconstruct the characters of this play. This dominate patriarchal society present within the setting merely conditions this belief further as it is prevalent within the characters dialogue. As Act 1 comes to a closure, the Duke after hearing both Brabantio’s protests and Othello’s justifications, proceeds in allowing Desdemona to accompany Othello to the city of Cyprus. Following this declaration Othello informs the Duke that he places Desdemona in Iago possession, ironic as he states he is a man of ‘honesty and trust’, for the journey to Cyprus, quote ‘To his conveyance I assign my wife’ (I.3.283). Desdemona, as Othello s wife, is dealt with as his ownership as his words suggest she is a product to be monitored and transported. Othello should not be singled out in this scene as after wishing his goodbyes the first Senator states, ‘use Desdemona well’ (I.3.288). With my grasp of understanding of Shakespearian English, this use of language seems to purely imply to ‘look after’ Desdemona though others throughout my research view this scene as â€Å"supporting the Venetian expectation ofShow MoreRelat edOthello, By William Shakespeare957 Words   |  4 Pagesinnocent person kills himself while not knowing the truth. The best example of that would be the play Othello by the great William Shakespeare. As little as a handkerchief could make a difference if it is a symbol for something. In the play Othello by Shakespeare, handkerchief is first introduced by Othello to his beautiful mistress, Desdemona, as a sign of their love. At the end of the play what gets Othello to take extreme measures by the location of the handkerchief. As the symbol of the handkerchiefRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn a historical time period where emphasis was shifting from religion to race and ethnicity, key indicators of differences that perpetuated into racial prejudice and racial ideologies are evident in Othello by William Shakespeare. Although racism was not fully formed at this moment in history, Othello can be interpreted as a representation and an exploration of this shift in ideology. In the past, before this change to ward racial differences, religion was the major segretory factor in signifyingRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare894 Words   |  4 Pagesthose that which occurred in Othello written by William Shakespeare. Throughout the play Othello, we see the struggles of a marriage that is not accepted by their society. Othello is a extremely cherished black general living in a primarily white community. The play begins with Othello secretly becoming married to a white woman named Desdemona. This reasons others who are white to become angry and excuse to dislike this black man further more than they already do. Othello is a downward spiral from loveRead MoreOthello by William Shakespeare790 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello makes numerous poor decisions due to his jealousy. Hitting Desdemona, trusting Iago, and killing Desdemona are among a few of the poor decisions that he makes. The word jealous can be defined as feeling or showing suspicion of som eones unfaithfulness in a relationship. Othello feels suspicious of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s relationship because of the lies that Iago tells him. Many people try to tell Othello the truth but he only believes the wordsRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1923 Words   |  8 Pagesdissatisfaction or complication is shown. Firstly in Othello love is presented as ephemeral and transient while atonement love is presented as unrequited and finally in cat on a hot tin roof love is presented as painful and troublesome due to unreciprocated feelings. The tragic plot of Othello hinges on the potential of the villain, Iago, to deceive other characters, above all Roderigo and Othello, through encouraging them to misinterpret what they see. Othello is prone to Iago s ploys seeing that he himselfRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare941 Words   |  4 Pageswas Williams Shakespeare’s play Othello which depicts the tragedy of Othello, a Morris Captain. What is different about Shakespeare play is that the tragic hero is the black Othello and the villain a white Iago. Therefore, Shakespeare depiction of Othello as a tragic character and Iago as a villain, challenges Elizabethan’s stereotypes regarding individuals of African descent. Shakespeare challenges the stereotypical â€Å"type –casting of the black man† in Elizabethan society by depicting Othello asRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1152 Words   |  5 Pages‘Othello’ was a tragedy of incomprehension at the deepest level of human dealings as no one in the play came to an understanding of himself or any of the surrounding characters. The play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare focused on tragedy through the anguish of the main character ‘Othello’ which lead to the suffering and death of numerous characters including himself. Appearance Vs. Reality challenged human dealings within the play ‘Othello’ as no-one came to see anyone’s true self and no-one seesRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pagesprofitable in condition of good and immorality. Othello is presented as good and Iago as evil, but Iago and Othello’s relationship also shares a distrust of their wives. The overall logical argument is based on love, jealousy and betrayal between two lovers that ultimately leads to their separation because of Iago’s evil plan. I am using this article to agree with Berry s view on how Iago separates two lovers just so he can take retaliation on Othello by manipulating everyone to unmasking their trueRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1140 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Othello† is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1603. In this play, Shakespeare features three major characters: Othello, Iago, and Desdemona. Othello, a black man, and Desdemona, a white venetian secretly eloped in the play. Iago shows racism and prejudice towards their relationship because of their skin colors. In the play, Iago says: â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a

Notes- Shareholder Remedies Free Essays

Pages 552-565: Compulsory Liquidation Remedies 1. Introduction * Deficiency of current law: (1) despite introduction of statutory derivative action, formulation is unclear and scope is uncertain (2) focus on single act/transaction rather than whole picture/pattern/period (3) remedies are directed to particular transaction and confined to restraint of conduct, Recovery of property or ordering of financial compensation * Statutory remedies fall into 2 categories a. Compulsory liquidation remedies courts can order winding up of company if: – court is of opinion that it is just and equitable that company be wound up s461(k) – directors acted in affairs of company in own interest, not interest of members a whole, or any other manner that appears to be unfair/unjust to other members s461(e) – affairs of company are being conducted in manner that is oppressive or unfairly prejudicial to or unfairly discriminatory against a member or in manner that is contrary to interests of members as a whole s461(f) – act/omission or proposed act/omission by or on behalf of company or a resolution or proposed resolution of a class or members of the company was or would be oppressed or unfairly prejudicial to, unfairly discriminated against a member(s) or was or would be contrary to interest of members as a whole s461(g) b. We will write a custom essay sample on Notes- Shareholder Remedies or any similar topic only for you Order Now emedies for oppression or injustice: Pt2F. 1 wider range of remedies to oppressed/injustice refer to wk 11 last page 2. The just and equitable ground a. History and broad scope of the remedy * just and equitable that company be wound up s461(k) traced back to English Act of 1848 * History p 553-555 b. Re Tivoli Freehold Ltd [1972] VICSC—applying just and equitable rules to wind up co: (i) just and equitable give court a wide discretion which must be exercised judicially (Baird vHenry Lees 1924) question of fact: all circumstances to be considered (ii) facts rendering it just and equitable to be wound up: more than one category may be applied in relief – determine best fit iii) regard to changing circumstances and developments in relation to company practices including relevant changes in law (iv) just and equitable to be wound up if it engages in acts which are entirely outside what can be fairly regarded as having been within the general intention and common understan ding of member when they become members (v) wound up due to failure (Galbraith v Meito Shipping CO 1947): failure not evidence by discontinuance of business activities- even if for a lengthy time. TEST of failure: ‘business w/in objects of incorporation should have become at least in the practical sense ‘impossible’ (vi) prime source for ascertaining intention and common understanding of members i the company’s memorandum of association which among other things states its object HELD: equitable and just to be wound up. c. Ebrahimi v Westbourne Galleries Ltd [1973] * FACTS: Def via general meeting voted to remove pl from office as director. Pl petitioned to wind up co on just and equitable grounds. * LAW: Where acts show a dissolution of partnership between them, a winding up may be ordered, use of ‘just and equitable’ in partnership act supports this * Rights of members governed by articles of association and have contractual force- court can dispense parties from obligation where they have been excluded from management * Exception: prove that exclusion was not made bona fide in the interest of the company * Elements for just and equitable wind up i. ssociation formed or continued on basis of personal r/ship involving mutual confidence (usually found where pre-existing partnership in turned into a limited company ii. an agreement, or understanding, that all or some of the shareholders shall participate in the conduct of the business iii. Restrictions upon the transfer of members’ i nterest in the company so that if confidence is lost one member is removed from management, he cannot take out his stake and go elsewhere HELD: wind up: exclusion of pl was not for best interest of company as whole Application of quasi-partnership analogy in AUSTRALIA * 3 groups of decisions indicate scope of the clause for subjection legal rights to ‘equitable considerations’ arising from understanding b/wn corporators 1. A. Re Caratti Holdings Ltd: constitution gave its governing director power to acquire shares of other members at nominal value which they were originally issued power against a particular shareholder, although formally valid is sufficient grounds to apply order for wind up under the clause B. Kokotovich Constructions pty ltd v Wallington: winding up order made at the suit of a minority shareholder whose small shareholding was granted on formation of company, under sole proprietor, in recognition of ‘moral partnership’ founded upon a pre-existing intimate business relationship- winding up justified by continuing animosity between parties and risk of further oppression and limited nature of the company’s activities 2. City Meat CO pty Ltd: all company members where members of a single family who’d acquired shares via inheritance court held that majority shareholder ‘consistently ignored the rights, expectations and obligations’ of petitioners’ branch of family- wind up 3. Re Dalkeith Investments Ltd: shares in co divided equally b/wn former spouses and their daughter company was a ‘partnership in corporate form’= wind up 3. Directors acting in their own interest * s461(e) permits making of winding up order where directors have acted in affairs of company in their own interest rather than interest of company as a whole, or in a way that was unfair or unjust to other members * OBJ TEST: whether directors have acted in own interest etc or otherwise unfairly/unjustly * 461(e) compliments 461(f) and (g) a. Re Cumberlands Holding Ltd 1976 1. directors’ not limit to whole board act unanimously, ONLY met where shown that the effective majority has acted in it s own interest or in the interest of one or more of those board members or even where on directors by some means caused his will to be carried into effect by board with result of personal interest being preferred 2. ‘directors’ same application in (e) 3. ‘affairs of the company’ wide interpretation, not limited to business/trade but encompass capital structure, dividend policy, voting rights, consideration of takeover offers 4. ‘own interest’ acted in interest of another company of which they are also directors/shareholders 5. ‘interest of members as a hole’: debate over interests of majority and minority directors preferred interest over that of significant section of members not apply preferred interest over one or more or perhaps some significant section of the members applies 6. appears’ doesn’t carry much weight 7. ‘unjust or unfair’ discussed elsewhere b. Re Weedmans Ltd [1974] * The directors, othe r than the independents, failed to observe the requisite standard of commercial morality * Effect of failure: reacted unfairly and unjustly against other members * They could have had the allotment set aside, but didn’t ask for that feature so in absence of a case for relief under Pt2F. 1 there is no other remedy before the justice other than to wind up. Pages 122-130: Insolvency * Winding up * Voluntary administration * Receivership * Creditor’s scheme or arrangement (loan default) 1. Voluntary administration * Pt5. A: provides an inexpensive procedure capable of being implemented swiftly and flexibly and offering alternative options for creditors for dealing with financially trouble company * Outcomes available: a. co will resume operation w/ deferred/reduced debt burden under deed of company arrangement approved by creditors b. secured creditor will exercise right to appoint receiver to obtain repayment of its debts by disposal of company assets and who will effecti vely displace the administrator while doing so c. Creditors will vote to put company into liquidation * Voluntary administration is usually initiated by company itself where directors resolve that: a. In their opinion the company is insolvent or likely to become insolvent at some future time AND b. nd administrator of the company should be appointed s435A * While under administration, administrator has control of company’s property and business s437A * Powers of other corporate officer (i. e. directors) are suspended and may not be exercised except by written approval of administrator s437C(1) * Company officers are not removed from their offices by appointment of administrator s437C(2) * Administrator must be a registered liquidator who is independent of that company ss448B 448C * C company is solvent ONLY IF able to pay all its debts as and when they become due and payable s95A(1) * Otherwise it is insolvent s95A(2)- test . :. ook at cash flow not balance b/wn assets and li abilities * If director of company in financial difficulties allows it to continue to trade and incur debts while insolvent, they may be personally liable for losses sustained by creditors ss588G s588FA * Voluntary administration offers directors safe harbour from future insolvent trading liability but with loss of control of company affairs, property and operations to administrator s437A-D * Administrator may be appointed by company s436B or by secured creditor who is entitled to enforce a charge over whole or substantially the whole of the company’s property s436C * Administrator to notify secured creditor of their appointment as soon as practical the next business day s2405A(3) * w/in 13 business days of administrators appointment, a substantial charge may enforce its charge, usually by appointment of receiver or other agent s441A * if substantial charge opts to enforce charge by virtue of higher power than administrator may supplant the administration s442D(1) * IF the su bstantial charge must enforce charge in relation to all property of company subject of it and does not have the option of appointing receiver to some small part only of the company’s property, if they wish to over override power of administrator s441A(1)(b) ‘all or nothing’ (Harmer report) * If no substantial chargee or opt not to enfore charge, there is a general moratorium upon action/proceedings against company and its property by creditors and owners or lessors of property used by company ss440A-D and F * Moratorium provides a period for investigation and collective assessment of option w/out scramble for individual recover.. expectation for proceedings to commence before the administration’s commencement or in espect of perishable property ss441F-Gs * During admin there us a stay of enforcement of guarantees given by directors or their relative of a libality of their company without the leave of the court s440J * As soon as practice admin’or mu st investigate the company’s business, property and financial circumstances s438A * w/in 5 business days appoint committee of creditors to consult with s436EF * at this first meeting, creditors may also replace the administrator with person of own choosing s436E(4) * w/in 21 days of appointment, admin’or must convene meeting to decide future of company s439A (28days for Christmas and Easter periods) * with the notice ofthe meeting, admin’ore muyst report to the creditors about company’s business, property and financial circumstances s439(4)(a) * at the meeting creditors may resolve: company execute deed of company arrangement specified in resolution, administration should end and company return to control of its directors company be wound up s439C * admin’or report must include statement of opinion and if deed of company arrangement is propose must include report * resolution is passed at meeting of creditors it is decided on the voice unless deman d a poll reg5. 6. 9 * deed of company arrangement might treat groups of creditors differently from order of application of assets under winding up, likely to prompt an application for its termination by court s445D * deed of company arrangement must preserve the priority available to employee creditors in a winding up unless employees agree to waive their priority – court may approve alteration of priorities if deed ensures same/better outcome for employee creditors result than from a wind up 444DA * if creditor accept deed then admin’or draws up deed for execution by co and deed admin’or within 21 days of resolution s444A-444B * voluntary admin end once company become subject to deed of company arrangements s435C(1)(b), (2)(a) * creditors right to indemnity and unaffected where debt is released by acceptance of terms of deed of co arrangement s444H * deed binds all unsecured and secured creditor, owners, lessors of prop used by co who voted for deed, the compan y, its officers, shareholders s444D, G * court may order that secured creditors etc who voted against the deed are nonetheless bound by it wgere enforcement of their rights would have material adverse effect on achievement of deed’s purpose and their interest will be adequately protected s444D(2), (3) 444F * court may declare deed void or validate it despite contravention Pt5. 3A, s445G * Pt 6D. 2 obliged disclosure obligations do not apply to equity for debt swap * Admin’or’s statement must indicate statement is not a prospectus . :. contain less info than prospectus s708(17A) * Court may alter times, the way in which deed operated in relation to a particular co s447A(1) where provisions are being abused the company is solvent s447A(2) * Order wind up power to supervise co under administrator or under deed of co administration s447E Receivership * Securities given by companies to lenders commonly grant the lender right when a defined act of default occurs to ap point a person to take possession and control either of a particular asset or group or assets or whole property. * Court may appoint receiver to protect particular property or funds of the company under s1323(1)(h) * ‘controller’ refers to a receiver, receiver and manager, mortagagee in possession or its agent s9 * Where receiver is appointed by court, directors’ powers over property are suspended and revive only upon termination of receivership Winding up a. Appointing of liquidator and its consequence winding up process leads to liquidation of co and termination of registration and existence – made by court order or voluntary s491(1) by members – voluntary wind up= unavailable where insolvent – requirement of resolution at separate meetings of members and creditors s491 497; creditors will appoint the liquidator and control the liquidator’s conduct – if 2nd meeting under voluntary admin and resolve to wind up.. moves to credit ors voluntary winding up procedure s446A * Etc p 128 b. Order of application of company assets p128 – after the liquidator has realised the assets of the company, the funds are applied to discharing the claims of creditors – rule: ‘all debt and claims in winding up rank equally and if the property of the company is nsufficient to meet them in full, the must be paid proportionally s555 * Priority of debt and repayments where property available for repayment of creditors is insufficient for certain unsecured loans s561 * Unsecured claims are given priority in that they must be paid sequentially s556, 558 (i. e. liquidation expenses, wages, superannuation etc. * W/in each debt of each class ‘all debts are equal’ rule applies s559 c. Recovering property and compensation for benefit of creditors p129 * Pt 5. 7B structure for recovery of property or compensation for benefit of credit of an insolvent company — complemented by Pt5. 8A in relation to a greements/transaction to avoid payment of employee entitlement * Pt5. B s588FE : avoidable transactions where entered into w/in specific time of winding up * S88FF: if voidable transaction – liquidator must seek court order concerning those transactions and orders releasing the company from debt and orders varying the terms of agreement or declaring them void/unenforceable * p129 d. Schemes of arrangement: used by company facing the prospect of insolvency to restructure its debts, typically through compromise of creditors’ claim// initiated by court order that meeting of creditors be convened for approval of explanatory statement to be sent with notice of meeting s411, 412 * Compromise must be approved by court after application to it s411(4) How to cite Notes- Shareholder Remedies, Essay examples

Competitive Strategies of Pizza Cub-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Competitive Strategies being invoved by Pizza Cub in their Business Operation. Answer: Introduction In the current business scenario, contemporary business organizations are gaining their competitive advantages by operating in various diversified sectors. Among all the potential business sectors, food and beverage sector is one of the most potential sectors. This is due to the reason that, food and beverage sectors cover a huge area of diverse food culture around the world (Davis et al. 2013). Moreover, in the present era of globalization, people around the world are having the access of different food culture, which is being effectively tapped by different business organizations operating in this sector (Govil Rashmi, 2013). However, the current business scenario is much competitive than it was a decade ago. Thus, business organizations have to gain competitiveness in the market in order to stay ahead in the competition. Pizza club is one of the leading organizations offering diverse range of pizza in New Zealand. They are comparatively new in this sector compared to their global competitors. However, with their diverse product portfolio catering to varied tastes of the customers helped them to target and attracts the customers effectively (Fernhaber Patel, 2012). However, in the recent times, they are facing challenges in maintaining their operational facilities across New Zealand. Thus, they are in the need of an effective competitive strategy in order to stay ahead in the competition and to enhance their business potential. This report will discuss about the competitive strategies being involved by Pizza club in their business operation. Different models including Porter generic strategies and SWOT will be discussed in this report in order to evaluate the competitiveness of them. Accordingly, recommendations will be provided, which will in turn help the organization to enhance their operational effectiveness. Internal analysis The internal analysis of pizza club will be done in order to gain an understanding of the competitive strategies being followed by them (Tanwar, 2013). Porter generic strategic model will be used in order to analyze the strategies of pizza club. Porter generic strategies Differentiation strategy This model states about three competitive strategies namely focus, cost leadership and differentiation. According to this model, involving these three strategies will help the business organizations in gaining competitive advantages in the market. The first dimension states that, initiation of the differentiation strategy will help the business organizations in offering distinctive and unique products in the market, which will help them in staying ahead in the competition (Banker, Mashruwala Tripathy, 2014). In the case of pizza club, the basic products that they are offering are same as their competitors. However, they have initiated the differentiation strategy in terms of their service delivery and product variation. According to the official website of pizza club, they are offering vast range of pizzas ranging from vegetables, chicken, meat and seafood. Moreover, differentiation is being initiated by them in terms of their service such store ambience, home delivery in less time and more area coverage. Thus, offerings of more flavor and variants are helping them to provide their customers unique experience among the competitors in the market. Cost leadership The next dimension is having the cost leadership in the market. According to this strategy, business organizations having cost leadership in the market will enable them to offer their products to their customers in lower prices. Thus, the more affordable will be the cost of the products, the more market area they will be cover with having more number of target customers (Valipour, Birjandi Honarbakhsh, 2012). In the case of pizza club, they have initiated the process of cost leadership by sourcing their raw materials locally. Local sourcing of the raw materials helped them in reducing the cost involved in producing the end products. Eventually it helped them to offer their products in competitive process, which enhances their competitiveness in the market. Moreover, on the other hand, the reduction in the cost of production will increase the profitability in their daily operation. Thus, initiation of the cost leadership is helping pizza club in gaining competitiveness in the market. Focus Focus strategy is very much beneficial for the beneficial and effective for the contemporary business organizations such as pizza club. This is due to the reason that, majority of the contemporary business organizations has their own target market and according to the taste and preference pattern of the target customers, they offer their products in the market. In the case of pizza club, they are not offering niche products in the market and thus they do not have any niche marketing strategies (Wilson et al., 2012). However, due to the fact that they are catering to the customers of New Zealand, thus their product portfolio is being designed and offered accordingly. The flavor and variants of pizzas and other food products are being offered according to the local food culture and taste. This strategy helps them in effectively meeting the requirement of the local customers, which in turn are the target customers for pizza club. Effectiveness of competitiveness of pizza club Thus, from the above analysis of the competitive strategies being involved by pizza club, it is being seen that, they are involving all the three generic strategies in their business operation. Moreover, it is also been seen that, initiation of the above discussed strategies are helping them in catering their target market effectively along with offering the products at lower prices (Chakrabarti Mitchell, 2013). However, there still some challenges and future threats that may be faced by them in their business operation. Thus, SWOT analysis will be involved in the following sections in order to determine the challenges and opportunities of pizza club. SWOT analysis Strengths One of the key strengths being identified is the brand value gained by pizza club in the short span of their operation. This is due to the reason that, the service ambience, products variants and added facilities have helped them to target their customer more effectively (Wang Tzeng, 2012). This in turn helped them to gain positive word of mouth in the market. This positive brand value will be helpful for them to further penetrate in the existing market and to enter in the new market. As given in the official website of pizza club, they are having huge variety of products to be offered to their customers ranging for the vegetarian and non vegetarian customers (Chen Cui, 2013). Thus, they are being effective in targeting in different taste and preference pattern of the customers. Sourcing of raw materials from the local suppliers is helping them in reducing the cost of sourcing raw material along with having the access to the fresh raw materials. Thus, reduction in the cost of production enables them to offer their product in more competitive prices (Ben-Daya, Asad Seliaman, 2013). This is helping them in catering and reaching out to more number of customers. Weaknesses One of the key weaknesses for pizza club being identified is the lower brand value compared to the global brands. This is due to the reason that, pizza club is being originated just a few years ago and gradually they are developing in the market. However, on the other hand, the global brands in this sector are having huge brand value, which further helps them to attract more customers. Thus, in the current competitive scenario in this sector, pizza club is facing difficulty in competing with their global competitors. Pizza club is having their market coverage only around the major cities in New Zealand. On the other hand, their global competitors are having more market penetration with having global brand profile (Ross, 2013). Thus, it is difficult for pizza club to cater and reach out to vast number of customers compared to their competitors. Limited market coverage is also limiting their business potentiality in the market. In addition, having no global brand value is refraining them to effectively penetrate in the existing market as well as in the new market. As discussed earlier, one of the key competitive strategies being involved by pizza club is the lower priced products. Thus, due to the initiation of the lower price of their product portfolio, the profit percentage for them is lower compared to their competitors. This is creating challenges for them in investing further to expand their market coverage. Opportunities Currently, pizza club is operating in any foreign countries however; entering in the global market will provide huge opportunities for them. This is due to the reason that, entering in the global market will help them to attract more number of customers along with enhancement in the brand value. Currently, they are catering to different flavor and variants of pizza for their existing customers (Chernev, 2012). However, with the increase in more flavor and variants, they will be able to cater and reach out to more number of customers by meeting diversified requirements. Thus, the size of the target market will get increased. Another key opportunity for them being identified is the diversification policy. According to the concept of diversification, pizza club can also enter in related sectors to their existing business line (Bowen, Baker Powell, 2015). For instance, pizza club is currently offering variants of pizzas for their customers. However, initiation of different product line such as different other snacks items will help them to increase the diversity in the target customer base. In addition, it will also help them to reduce the business risk being associated with single product line. Threats Food and beverage sector is facing rapid influx of new entrants both in the market of New Zealand as well as in the global scenario. Thus, threat of new entrants is increasing rapidly for pizza club (Porter Heppelmann, 2014). Thus, with more increase in the competition, the business potentiality will gradually decrease for them. Taste and preference pattern of the customers is one of the key factors being considered to gauge the potentiality in this sector. However, in the recent time, the taste and preference pattern of the customers are changing rapidly and this is causing threat for the future growth of pizza club. This is due to the reason that, it will be difficult for pizza club to frequently change their product offerings according to the change in the taste pattern of the customers. Global customer awareness is increasing regarding the ill effect of the fast food around the world (Servaes Tamayo, 2013). Thus, being operating in the fast food sector, pizza club will face the challenge to attract new customers. Moreover, this awareness of the customers is rapidly increasing, which will have negative impact on the business potential of pizza club. External analysis Apart from the internal analysis of pizza club, external analysis will also be done in the following sections. PESTLE analysis will be used in order to evaluate the external factors being faced by them. Political environment Political environment in New Zealand is stable and business friendly due to the change in the government policies according to the change in the business scenario. Moreover, the political regime in New Zealand is also favorable for the newly incorporated organizations such as pizza club. They are also availing the financial benefits due to the sourcing of locally produced raw materials. Thus, the political environment in New Zealand is favorable for their business (Kelsey, 2015). However, rapid change in the political scenario will have negative impact on their business. This is due to the reason that, change in the political scenario may also change the regulations in the country. Economic environment New Zealand is a developed country and thus the average purchasing power of the customers is high and favorable for pizza club. Moreover, with having lower rate of unemployment in New Zealand, pizza club is having good market opportunity. However, with the increase in the inflow of the foreign direct investment in the country, the competition is increasing with the increase in the global competitors in the market (Alfaro Charlton, 2013). In addition, challenges such as economic rescission may also be faced by them, which will reduce the business potential of pizza club. Social environment The brand image and value that is being gained by pizza club is helping them in attracting more customers in their existing market. However, the recent development in the market of New Zealand regarding the rising awareness among the customers about the negative impact of the fast food is posing challenges in the market growth of pizza club (Carter et al., 2012). Though, the current business scenario for them in New Zealand is huge due to the high level of fast food consumption of fast food of the customers. Technological environment Technology is rapidly evolving in the food and beverage sector and thus it is important for pizza club to cope up with the change. However, one issue that they are facing is the rapid inflow of the updated technology in this sector (Bigliardi Galati, 2013). This is due to the reason that, small and new entrants in the market such as pizza club will not have capital to cope with the rapid change in technology. Thus, their global competitors are having more updated technologies compared to them, which further attracts the customers. Legal environment There are various legislations and regulations regarding the food safety and standard. Thus, it is important for pizza club adhere to these regulations. In addition, it is also important to train the employees in maintaining the food safety and standards. Environmental factors In the current scenario, customers are more conscious about the environment. Thus, it is important for pizza club to initiate green strategies in order to attract their customers (Toniolo et al., 2013). However, their global competitors are having more effective green strategies such as recycling the packages. However, it will be difficult for pizza club to initiate due to the involvement of huge capital. Conclusion Thus, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that, pizza club is having various competitive advantages in the market such as local sourcing and product variants. However, there are various issues being identified, which are creating barrier in effectively competing in the market. One of the key issues being identified is the lack of capital. This is due to the reason that, pizza club is a new entrant and thus they are not having the access of huge capital. In addition, another issue that they are facing is the limited market coverage along with lack of brand image compared to its global competitors. Recommendations Pizza club should opt for crowd funding in order to increase the access of more capital. Initiation of the crowd funding will help them to gather more fund from the market easily. This will help them to invest in innovative ideas, which will further help them to enhance their competitive advantages. Another recommended step will be the entering in the global market. Currently, pizza club is operating in the market of New Zealand, which is limiting their market potentiality. Thus, they should enter in the market of neighboring countries such as Australia. This will help them to enhance their business performance along with enhancing the brand value. The last recommendation will be the initiation of the healthier food items in the market. This will help them in effectively targeting the health conscious customers along with gaining competitive advantages in the market. Initiation of healthier products will create distinctive image of them among their target customers. References Alfaro, L., Charlton, A. (2013). Growth and the Quality of Foreign Direct Investment. InThe Industrial Policy Revolution I(pp. 162-204). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Ben-Daya, M., Asad, R., Seliaman, M. (2013). An integrated production inventory model with raw material replenishment considerations in a three layer supply chain.International Journal of Production Economics,143(1), 53-61. Bigliardi, B., Galati, F. (2013). Innovation trends in the food industry: the case of functional foods.Trends in Food Science Technology,31(2), 118-129. Bowen, H. P., Baker, H. K., Powell, G. E. (2015). Globalization and diversification strategy: A managerial perspective.Scandinavian Journal of Management,31(1), 25-39. Carter, M. A., Dubois, L., Tremblay, M. S., Taljaard, M. (2012). Local social environmental factors are associated with household food insecurity in a longitudinal study of children.BMC public health,12(1), 1038. Chakrabarti, A., Mitchell, W. (2013). The persistent effect of geographic distance in acquisition target selection.Organization Science,24(6), 1805-1826. Chen, Y., Cui, T. H. (2013). The benefit of uniform price for branded variants.Marketing Science,32(1), 36-50. Chernev, A. (2012). Product assortment and consumer choice: An interdisciplinary review.Foundations and Trends in Marketing,6(1), 1-61. Banker, R., Mashruwala, R., Tripathy, A. (2014). Does a differentiation strategy lead to more sustainable financial performance than a cost leadership strategy?.Management Decision,52(5), 872-896. Davis, B., Lockwood, A., Pantelidis, I., Alcott, P. (2013).Food and beverage management. Fernhaber, S.A. Patel, P.C., (2012). How do young firms manage product portfolio complexity? The role of absorptive capacity and ambidexterity.Strategic Management Journal,33(13), pp.1516-1539. Govil, S. K., Rashmi, J. (2013). Globalization of markets.Advances in Management. Kelsey, J. (2015).The New Zealand experiment: A world model for structural adjustment?. Bridget Williams Books. Porter, M. E., Heppelmann, J. E. (2014). How smart, connected products are transforming competition.Harvard Business Review,92(11), 64-88. Ross, D. F. (2013).Competing through supply chain management: creating market-winning strategies through supply chain partnerships. Springer Science Business Media. Servaes, H., Tamayo, A. (2013). The impact of corporate social responsibility on firm value: The role of customer awareness.Management Science,59(5), 1045-1061. Tanwar, R. (2013). Porters generic competitive strategies.Journal of Business and Management,15(1), 11-17. Toniolo, S., Mazzi, A., Niero, M., Zuliani, F., Scipioni, A. (2013). Comparative LCA to evaluate how much recycling is environmentally favourable for food packaging.Resources, Conservation and Recycling,77, 61-68. Valipour, H., Birjandi, H., Honarbakhsh, S. (2012). The effects of cost leadership strategy and product differentiation strategy on the performance of firms.Journal of Asian Business Strategy,2(1), 14. Wang, Y. L., Tzeng, G. H. (2012). Brand marketing for creating brand value based on a MCDM model combining DEMATEL with ANP and VIKOR methods.Expert Systems with Applications,39(5), 5600-5615. Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., Gremler, D. D. (2012).Services marketing: Integrating customer focus across the firm. McGraw Hill.

Alfred Stieglitz Essays (1798 words) - , Term Papers

Alfred Stieglitz Alfred Stieglitz was an influential photographer who spent his life fighting for the recognition of photography as a valid art form. He was a pioneering photographer, editor and gallery owner who played pivotal role in defining and shaping modernism in the United States. (Lowe 23). He took pictures in a time when photography was considered as only a scientific curiosity and not an art. As the controversy over the art value of photography became widespread, Stieglitz began to fight for the recognition of his chosen medium. This battle would last his whole life. Edward Stieglitz, father of Alfred, was born in Germany in 1833. He grew up on a farm, loved nature, and was an artist at heart. Legend has it that, independent and strong willed, Edward Stieglitz ran away from home at the age of sixteen because his mother insisted on upon starching his shirt after he had begged her not to (Lowe 23). Edward would later meet Hedwig Warner and they would have their first son, Alfred. Alfred was the first of six born to his dad Edward and mom Hedwig. As a child Alfred was remembered as a boy with thick black hair, large dark eyes, pale fine skin, a delicately modeled mouth with a strong chin (Peterson 34). In 1871 the Stieglitz family lived at 14 East 60th street in Manhattan. No buildings stood between Central Park and the Stieglitz family home. As Stieglitz got older he started to show interest in photography, posting every photo he could find on his bedroom wall. It wasn't until he got older that his photography curiosity begin to take charge of his life. Stieglitz formally started photography at the age of nineteen, during his first years at the Berlin Polytechnic School. At this time photography was in its infancy as an art form. Alfred learned the fine arts of photography by watching a local photographer in Berlin working in the store's dark room. After making a few pictures of his room and himself, he enrolled in a photochemistry course. This is where his photography career would begin. His earliest public recognition came from England and Germany. It began in 1887 when Stieglitz won the first of his many first prizes in a competition. The judge who gave him the award was Dr. P.H. Emerson, then the most widely known English advocate of photography as an art (Doty 23). Dr. Emerson later wrote to Stieglitz about his work sent in to the competition: It is perhaps late for me to express my admiration of the work you sent into the holiday competition. It was the spontaneous work in the exhibition and I was delighted with much of it, (Bry 11). The first photographer organization Alfred joined while still in Berlin, was the German Society of the Friends of Photography. After returning to the United States 1890, Stieglitz joined the Society of Amateur Photographers of New York. These experiences would later help him in years to come. By 1902 Stieglitz had become the authority in his chosen field. Stieglitz found that his achievements were not enough to win recognition for photography. Finally in 1902 he founded an entirely new photography group of his own, the Photo Secession. The focus of the Photo Secession was the advancement of pictorial photography. Stieglitz being the leader gathered a talented group of American photographers headed toward the same common goal, to demonstrate photography as an art form( Lowe 54). This was the first of many Photo Secession shows through which Stieglitz set out and demonstrated photography as an art. Their first Photo Secession exhibition was held at the National Arts Club in New York. Photo Secession shows were supported by galleries all over the world as well as Stieglitz's own gallery. All these events were reported in Stieglitz's weekly magazine Camera Work, which Stieglitz founded, edited, and published in fifty volumes from its beginning in 1903 until its end in 1917. Although the Photo Secession group never dissolved, it gradually diminished as an organized group. Stieglitz continued to show new photographic work when he believed it was important. It was all part of his fight for photography, but the battleground and the participants had changed. In 1917 when Stieglitz was 54 years old Georgia O'Keeffe arrived in New York (see pict.1). This event would change Stieglitz's life forever. Stieglitz at first didn't know Georgia personally but showed her pictures at his gallery 291. They would later meet during one of Georgia's shows. Soon after they meet, Alfred took Georgia up to the Stieglitz home at

gay dennis essays

gay dennis essays For several thousand years, Vietnamese Lunar New Year has been a traditional celebration that brings the Vietnamese a sense of happiness, hope and peace. However, in recent years, It also bring back a bitter memory full of tears. It reminds them the 1968 bloodshed, a bloodiest military campaign of the Vietnam War the North Communists launched against the South. The "general offensive and general uprising" of the north marked the sharp turn of the Vietnam War. Today there have been a great number of writings about this event. However, it seems that many key facts in the Communist campaign are still misinterpreted or In the mid-80, living in Saigon after being released from the Communist "re-education camp," I read a book published in the early 1980's in America about the story of the 1968 Tet Offensive. It said that the North Vietnamese Army supreme command had imitated one of the greatest heroes of Vietnam, King Quang Trung, who won the most spectacular victory over the Chinese aggressors in the 1789 counter-attack - in planning the 1968 The book quoted King Quang Trung's tactic of surprise. He let the troops celebrate the 1789 Tet Festival one day ahead so that he could launch the attacks on the first three days of the lunar new year while the Chinese troops were still feasting and not ready Those who claimed the similarity between the two campaigns certainly did not know the whole truth, but jumped into conclusion with wild imagination after learning that the North Vietnamese attacking units also celebrated Tet "one day ahead" In fact, the Tet Offensive broke out on the Tet's Eve - in the early morning of January 30, 1968 at many cities of Central Vietnam, such as Da Nang and Qui Nhon, as well as cities in the central coastal and highland areas, that lied within the Communist 5th Military Region.. The other cities to the south that included Saigon, were attacked 24 hours la...

Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Sexuality - Essay Example Furthermore, I will discuss sex and gender and the role gender plays in modern American society with a focus on the social implications being transgendered. What issues are raised by attaching a label to someone’s gender identity or sexual identity? Should we give labels to the gender identity of other people? Should the medical profession be engaged in helping people change their genders? I will conclude with a conclusion of the research explored here and discuss the ramifications of gender role construction today. Unlike sex, gender is artificially imposed and although based upon biological differences between men and women, gender is socially constructed. As a social construct, gender roles, behaviors, attitudes and expectations are created by society and enforced by social norms. The funny thing about gender is that we are led to believe that it is innate and something that we are born with. Accordingly, â€Å"children themselves become active participants in the gendering process by the time they are conscious of the social relevance of gender, typically before the age of two† (Kivel 2000). As I child I always felt that gender was natural but now I know that it is the product of social forces. As transgendered male Aaron Devor so eloquently points out in his ground-breaking and incredibly illuminating essay, â€Å"Gender Role, Behavior and Attitudes†, gender is created, acquired and constructed by the greater society at large. Sex has a biological basis and is predetermined at birth. Gender, on the other hand, is a social construction and gender roles and expectations are unique to each and every society.

Quantum mechanics of atoms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quantum mechanics of atoms - Essay Example This paper hence sets basis on the comprehensive and extensive discussion of the concepts behind this entire topic. It tries to bring out the general understanding as well as the practical application of this ultimate topic. Quantum mechanics of Atoms refers to the scientific study of smaller segments of scientific principles ascertaining on the behavioral properties of matter and their ultimate relations with energy based on the atomic scale as well as the subatomic particles [2]. The Classical physics describes energy and matter on a given scale that is recognizable to the human experiences such as the behavior regarding the astronomical bodies. It is the key element towards measurement for the greater part of the technology and modern science. However, scientists have since discovered the phenomena in both macro and micro worlds that cannot either be explained by classical physics. The Scientific Revolutions structure that often comes to terms with such limitations has led to major revolutions within the physics concept thereby creating a shift regarding the original paradigm involving the relativity theory and the quantum mechanics development [6]. This paper hence describes the way various physicists revealed various limitations of the classical physics as well as the development of the primary concepts regarding quantum concept that restored it in early 20th century decades. Quantum generally refers to the minimum quantity regarding any form of physical entity that is involved in a process of interaction. Light often behaves like particles at times and like waves in other respect. Matter thus refers to the particles including the atoms and electrons, and also tends to exhibit a wavelike behavior on the other hand. Some of the light sources that include the neon lights usually emit certain discrete light frequencies. The Quantum mechanics indicates that light as well as

Understanding Human Behavior is critical to organizations Essay

Understanding Human Behavior is critical to organizations - Essay Example Understanding Human Behavior It also forms a foundational block for the leadership skills of an individual. It is reported that it can be easier for one to understand others when he understands himself (Beach 28). This is usually referred to the people surrounding the individual. As a leader, one is required to portray a strong sense of self-discipline in order to attain the self-assessment values, which eventually leads to continuous improvement. The leaders should ensure that certain aspects are put into practice before engaging into other people’s affairs. The first aspect is the practice of what one preaches. This implies that leaders are expected to tell people what to do while at the same time do the same thing. They are expected to take ownership of the statements they give to people on the things they expect from them as they are expected to behave the same. Therefore, they are the ones to set these standards. The second aspect is based on the belief that change is always okay. It is good to make changes to the intended target if the leader is in a position of identifying the reason for having a different path (Millan and Melissa 51). These points can be useful in the implementation of the self-evaluation tools used by leaders individually or for the organization. If a leader decides to take a professional image, he should know that the implication is usually positive or negative. Leaders should be well equipped in knowing their weaknesses and strengths, which will help them as they take advantage of the whole concept. They will take their time on improving their weaknesses and using the skills, they have acquired to improve their strengths. This can be done by practicing their coaching skills at the same time implementing their mentorship skills. For a long time, scholars have been arguing in indicating the possibility of an individual being his own leader (Beach 36). This can be supported by the initiative that leaders are suppose to implement rules and helping their emplo yees under the same principles which guide them. This is difficult for many leaders as they are expected to take ownership of all the problems affecting the organization together with the people working in it. This helps the other employees to have self-management, which is comprised of self-leadership. This is the type of mechanism that majority of today’s leaders use in making decision for their workers in the organization. Another argument raised by scholars implies that this is applicable to all the leaders. However, this can be refuted as some leaders have a strong implication of themselves, which will have a different view in establishing their weakness or strength. This is applicable when attempting to look at the changes they are required to undergo. Another benefit of having a self-assessment as a leader is the readiness of production of ideas (Mawson 69). There are cases where individuals will have numerous ideas but will be unable to air them out to the public. Thi s situation is attributed to several factors such as being introvert, low self-esteem or being scared. On the other hand, a self-assessed individual will not accept and will brush them off before they initiate the ideas. Another argument that has always been raised in regards to self-assessment is the genetic association with the leadership skills. It is asserted that there is a strong interaction amongst genetic influence and leadership when it is a question of entrepreneurial skills and running of businesses.

The House of the Spirits

The House of the Spirits How is humour used to unravel the natures of the main characters and why is it used for the main theme of social injustice in Isabel Allendes The House of the Spirits and Ferdinand Oyonos Houseboy? Humour is defined as writings and other material created to make people laugh[1]. It has been used to grasp the attention of the readers, with its main purpose being to entertain. In both The House of the Spirits and Houseboy, humour has been used from the very beginnings of the novel to really acquire the concentration of the readers and keep them captivated.   Besides than adding vibrancy to the characters, humour might also serve to highlight key underlying themes in the literary work. The focus of this essay will be on how the writers have utilised humour to reveal the nature of the main characters, either by describing their characters actions in an amusing way or how their risibility provides indirect insights into how they perceive the world around them. It shall also address why writers incorporate this literary technique with main theme of social injustice in their works. In both the texts above, the writers have used humour from the very beginning whilst introducing their main characters; this usage engrosses the reader to develop interest in the character. The House of the Spirits begins with a dramatic opening in a church deliverance. Perhaps, why Allende chose to start the novel setting in a church could be to emphasize the importance of religion to the people of that particular region , but the bathos comes by an abrupt statement   by Clara: the voice of little Clara was heard in all its purity psst! Father Restrapo! If that story about hell is a lie, were all fucked, arent we The reader surely didnt expect to hear such a statement from a 10 year old girl. This shows us that Clara is very bold and forthright about her views as she is able to question what she is being taught in the church about hell. Many people simply believe everything they are taught through religion but certainly not Clara.  Ã‚   The language itself is very amusing besides the context. psst! the use of this onomatopoeia shows the disrespect for the Father as it undermines his status by   mocking him during a sermon. The highly inappropriate use of the word fucked in front of the public shocks everyone. This radical, carefree nature of hers is what brings about the humour in this piece thus it serves to be a very pertinent introduction to Clara and sets the platform for the reader to expect more unusual doings throughout the novel. Like Allende, Oyono introduces Toundi with humour. Toundi narrates of how he is proud to read and write and wants to copy the whites man custom of keeping a diary. This tells us that young Toundi is naive and filled with desire of learning a lot about the white men .The joy he gets by being literate tells us that this character is filled with promise in the future and determination. He is also revealed to be mischievous child as he had been making fun of father Gilbert but he is nonetheless the main character which undergoes metamorphosis over the course of the story. Thus humour has been successfully used to reveal the character traits, make them more colourful, interesting, lively and keep the reader engaged actively. Claras character in The House of the Spirits has been revealed further in the novel as the story progresses in various occasions, the humour usually comes out when she does something unusual and also to note is the fact that her strangeness was an attribute of her character: she is a telekinetic; is rarely attentive; she can predict futures, read dreams, and, lives a very introvert life but still she amalgamates the family together, and is extremely caring for others. The humorous bits of kinesthetic abilities, being rarely attentive (which itself is ironic as discussed later) are the key to understanding Claras character. When Esteban is shouting at Clara.Clara let him scream his head off and bang on the furniture until he was exhausted. Then inattentive as ever, she asked him if he knew how to wiggle his ears. Clara is being scolded by her husband and all she is concerned is whether he can wiggle his ears. This shows us Claras absent mindedness and care-free nature. It also serves to show us how Clara prohibits anyone from forcing her by offering resistance by being inattentive. She will never directly express her disgust but rather suppress it in a subtle manner. This shows us that her character is refined in the sense she does not have a strong body language or rebellious nature but still is very firm by not allowing herself to be oppressed even by her husband.. Again humour has been used to reveal her character trait. On the other hand, Toundi further reveals his character further when he first came to meet Father Gilbert. The Father would use to come to the village and toss little lumps of sugar like throwing corn to chicken. The use of little lumps of sugar, though is humorous, it also indicates how easily native Cameroonian people were converted to Christians in the hope of a better life, but later most of them would remain in poverty or be killed. Here humour has been juxtaposed with social injustice but to imply it in a more subtle way so as not to make the reader very sad with emotions. Toundi continues to describe how he too would fight for these lumps of sugar- and this tells us that Toundi is a boisterous kid who did not shy away from what he didnt like- but unlike Clara in The House of the Spirits ,he is willing to fight for it. It also reinforces the point made earlier about what allure white men especially Father Gilbert held for Toundi.

Silencing the Left in Modern America Essay -- Essays Papers

Silencing the Left in Modern America â€Å"Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.† -- Natalie Maines on tour in England The crowd erupted in cheers. Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks band had just excited two thousand fans in a small London club with her anti-Bush statement, only one week before American forces entered Iraq. The Dixie Chicks finished their concert riding the high of their audience’s support. Little did they know the trouble these fifteen words would cause. When Maines and the other Dixie Chicks, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, returned to their hotel in London later that week, their manager received a call informing them that the Associated Press found out what they had said. Their manager consoled them, â€Å"†¦don’t worry. It’s going to blow over in three days.† But it didn’t. Unwittingly, the Dixie Chicks found themselves in a maelstrom of angry political and social debate. Their country music fan base, predominantly conservative Americans, felt alienated by their statement. Opposition came in many forms: on the Internet, on the radio waves, on television, from individuals, and from corporations. The size and nature of the hostility to the Dixie Chicks and other celebrities is unprecedented. The boycotts, censorship, and threats all point to an alarming new trend arising from the latest war in Iraq. During the 1950s, Americans held a deep-seated fear that all that they had fought for in World War II – namely, the freedom of the world from fascists – was being lost to the worldwide communist revolution. As a result, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was reestablished to monitor the behavior of radicals dangerous to the nation. Mostly us... ...john_lennon.html>. 15 November 2004. Kot, Greg. â€Å"Musicians’ protests of Iraq War create conflicts within industry.† Columbia Daily Tribune 30 March 2003 . Krugman, Paul. â€Å"Dixie Chicks and Clear Channel Communications†. New York Times. 26 March 2003. Lee, Zach. â€Å"Sticks and stones vs. opinions.† The Daily Cougar. Volume 68, Issue 124. 2 April 2003. Maguire, Martie, Natalie Maines, and Emily Robison. Interview with Diane Sawyer. Primetime Thursday. ABC. New York. 24 April 2003. â€Å"The Dixie Chicks Come Clean.† Entertainment. May 2003. â€Å"What Music Stars Are Saying About The War In Iraq.† Radio One Global . 26 November 2004. Wiener, John. Gimme Some Truth: The John Lennon F.B.I. Files. The University of California Press, Berkeley: 1999.

Summary Of 1st Phone Call From Heaven

The first phone call from heaven tells the story of a small town called Coldwater, Michigan. The story begins when one Friday a number of people started receiving a call from their loved ones who have already died saying that life after death is wonderful, that they are happy in heaven . Tess is contacted by her mother whom she had nursed during her illness, Katherine received a call from her sister to whom she had been so close until her death from an aneurysm, Elias Rowe is phoned by a man who blames him for his death, and Jack, the chief of police is contacted by Robbie, his son who got killed in Afghanistan.At first, those people who are receiving the calls hesitated to share the news with others for fear of mockery. Until, Katherine Yellin announces on their church congregation that she is receiving a call from her dead sister. The news spread instantly, some are convinced it’s a miracle, some said it’s a hoax but whatever it is made Coldwater the center of media a nd people’s attention. People are drawn to this town to be a part of this miraculous phenomenon. National news reporters are sent in to cover the story. The police force is increased to maintain order among the supporters and protesters and also phone demands increased.One man named Sully Harding, recently lost his wife and struggling to be a father to a young son, strongly believes that there is no such thing as miracle and it hurts him seeing his son, Jules waiting and hoping that his mother will call him soon. Driven by this event, Sully is determined to prove whether these â€Å"phone calls from heaven† is true or not. He begins to investigate on his own, Sully, working for a newspaper business, finds that working on print business provide access to information that just might find the missing link that ties all these phone calls together.It involves cell phone carriers, amount of time since death, and a few other things that are too similar to ignore. With the hel p of Elias Rowe and the young girl from town’s library, he learns a couple of facts that the calls only come in on Friday, and each recipient happens to have the same cell phone plan. Something isn’t right and Sully didn’t stop investigating until he figures out what it is. Sully soon uncovered the surprising truth, he learned that the calls that other people are receiving has connection on what happened the day his wife died.Sully was in the air force, he was flying in a fighter jet when he decided to make a pit stop to visit his wife. Upon landing on the airport he was given a poor flight instruction by a young traffic controller on a bad mood. Due to this poor instruction Sully’s plane collided with a small Cessna resulting on accident and deaths. Sully’s wife, Giselle, was speeding to the airport when he saw the smoke from the accident and panicked and the air traffic controller who causes the accident sped away and crashed on Sully’s wi fe that results death for both of them.The father of deceased air traffic controller, Elliot Gray, has military intelligence experience that he was able to destroy all the data that would have implication to his son, and put all the blame on Sully, causing his imprisonment. Afterwards, the father of the dead controller accessed voicemails of different people in order to put together words and phrases that would make it seem like a call from their loved ones from heaven. The call is actually aimed for Sully, it is out of guilt for the death of Giselle but he never got the call.After Sully confronts the perpetrator, he sped away from the perpetrator’s home with the news about the hoax but the snowstorm sent him off the road and onto the frozen lake. Then, his phone rang, it was Giselle, his wife telling him to get out of the car because the car is going to plunge in the ice. Sully did so just in time. Then, laying on the snowbank, he heard the siren of an ambulance. Someone had called 911, he was brought in the hospital and after he spoke with the chief police officer.He learned that the Horace called in the station saying that there is a dead man at his property and when the police arrived that dead man was Elliot Gray himself. At the end of the story, Sully has proven that the â€Å"phone calls from heaven† are hoax. Thus, when he thought that it was Giselle’s voice Elliot last manipulated he scrolls his phone and check the unknown number which he heard Giselle’s voice on the car accident and realized that the call was made an hour after Elliot’s death. Sully realized that after all, he got a real phone call from heaven.

7 Reasons You Didnt Get the Job

7 Reasons You Didnt Get the Job If you’re  searching for a new job, you want to be  sure you don’t  make any obvious mistakes that might keep you  from finding work- especially after spending a lot of time on job search sites. Although most people know it is a bad idea to cancel at the last moment or wear a running suit to an interview, smaller mistakes can also keep you from being considered. 1. You didn’t  proofread your resumeWith just one glance, a resume can tell a recruiter a lot about a job applicant. A resume that’s messy and contains bad grammar or typos is not likely to be taken seriously. You can fix problems with your resume by using an online grammar checker and rereading it carefully to look for mistakes. If you have a friend who is a whiz  at grammar and punctuation, ask him or her to look it over for you. Whatever it takes, make your resume as perfect as you can.2. Your resume is unfocusedDid you  write your  resume a year ago and are now just recycling it to apply for jobs? The days of using a general resume are over. Because hiring managers are busy people, they want to interview the best candidates for the job and not waste time on applicants whose qualifications aren’t a good fit. Rewriting your resume to include your qualifications that fit perfectly with the job description can get you that interview.3. You didn’t write a cover letterHiring managers go to the cover letter first before looking at an applicant’s resume. Even when applying for a position by sending your resume via email, you really need to include a cover letter. Many hiring managers won’t consider an application without one. Remember to include the reason you want the job in your cover letter, and don’t make it a mini copy of your resume.4. You went into the interview coldLet’s say you’ve been invited for a job interview. You’re feeling pretty confident at this point. But, overconfidence and lack of preparat ion has cost countless people a job offer. Do your homework. Job interviews normally consist of knowing about the company where you are applying, asking questions that are relevant, telling the recruiter why you are qualified and how you can be an asset in the job, and doing a follow up afterward.5. You cast  your net too wideOne mistake some job seekers make is not focusing on the type of job itself. Think about opportunities, not one particular job, and you can find yourself employed faster. Maybe you have your heart set on a job with the Widget Company, but you would have to start at the bottom and work your way up because there are no openings for someone with your qualifications. Focus clearly on the position you want to fill, and expend your efforts in that direction.6. You weren’t on timeTime matters when it comes to hiring managers. Showing up late for an interview reflects badly, as does showing up too early because it can make you appear anxious and make the inter viewer feel pressured. Do leave early to get to your interview about 10 minutes before it is scheduled, but find a spot to relax if you arrive before that.7. You got too personalMaking a personal connection with a hiring manager can be a good idea, such as sharing an interest in a ball team or certain things about the city. However, going overboard and supplying too many details about your personal life takes up the hiring manager’s time and may not reflect well on you. Rambling on, whether in a resume or during an interview, can leave a bad impression. If you do relate personal information, keep it in context with the job.After spending time searching classified job ads and sending in a resume, common mistakes made by a job applicant can cost that person a job. Just as knowing how to be a successful job applicant and sail through an interview is valuable information, knowing how to conduct a job search in a practical way is also. Instead of looking at countless job ads in di fferent locations, TheJobSearch does the work for you by sending you email alerts when jobs fitting your qualifications become available. Fill out your job interests and qualifications, sign up with TheJobNetwork, and that is all it takes.

Donald Davidson Essays - Fiction, Characters In Hamlet, Literature

Donald Davidson Essays - Fiction, Characters In Hamlet, Literature Donald Davidson In Shakespeares Hamlet, there is a murder, and it doesnt say straight out who the murder is. There are no detectives on the case. No one within in the state is really questioning the murder of the King except for his son. It may not have all the customary qualities of detective story, but it does come across as a detective story in which Hamlet seeks to solve the mysterious death and to revenge for his father. In an ordinary, mundane, average crime the detectives try to figure out who the perpetrator or perpetrators are. This is not the case in Hamlet, the only evidence that comes across that the King was murdered was the ghostly figure who only appeared to be Hamlets father. In scene five of act one, Horatio says to Hamlet after Hamlet talked to the ghost that These are but wild and whirling winds. This questions the word of Hamlet by showing the he might be imagining things. Also, the new King and Hamlets mother think he is mad. There may have even been a question in Hamlets mind and that maybe why he delayed his revenge. This is where it appears to become a detective story. Hamlet has a hunch that his uncle, the new king, killed his father. Hamlet sets up a trap for the new king by watching his reaction to the play, which was based on the way the ghost told Hamlet he died. After that Hamlet may have had the final support to avenge his fathers death. The motive for the new king to kill Hamlets father was crystal clear. He married Hamlets mother after only two months. He obviously also became the new king as well. Hamlet had that support early and he seemed the only one to being a detective. What made it seem more like a crime and a detective story was the way Claudius made his moves. He tried to cover up his action very cautiously. The king had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern over look Hamlets transformation. The king says in scene two of act two, so by your companies to draw him on to pleasures, and to gather so much as from occasion you may glean, whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus that, opend, lies within our remedy. Hamlet does not make this easy for the king to get any information because he was either mad or acting mad, thats a decision that is up to the reader. There seemed to be two motives behind Hamlets play as well. The first reason was to see the reaction of the king. The second was maybe to put doubt in other people in the state or bring up the question that his father may have been murdered. Hamlet is very sneaky and smart like a detective. Shakespeares Hamlet may have not meant to be a detective story and certainly was different than the average one. Shakespeare puts a lot of questioning in this story. This seems to be a detective story, it can be questioned, but it does have the basic part of one. Hamlet plays the part of detective very well. There was a crime and there seemed to be a mystery to figure out. This is a well-written detective story that underlies a story about power, revenge, and deceit.

1968 event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1968 event - Essay Example Immediately after the incident, he was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to injury and was pronounced dead after an hour. He passed away at the age of 39 (History 2012). Over four thousand National Guard Troops were ordered into Memphis to control the situation and prevent its aftermath; however the gunman managed to run away and escape. A curfew was immediately imposed as the 550,000 shocked inhabitants of the city, came to terms with the shocking incident. According to police accounts, the tragedy led to sporadic violence in Harlem and Brooklyn followed by incidents of looting and hostilities against the policemen by the districts with a majority of African American populations (The New York Times, 1968). The suspect who played a pivotal role in the tragedy was later identified as James Earl Ray – a small-time criminal, an ex-convict and a known racist was apprehended by the U.S. authorities at the Heathrow Airport on June 8 1968. Bystanders and witnesses present at the event narrated various accounts which included some of them witnessing him fleeing from a boarding house with a suspicious bundle, near the Lorraine Motel. It was alleged by the prosecutors that he had fired from the bathroom in the Motel building (History 2012). He was convicted for the murder of Dr. King and was sentenced to 99 years in prison on May 10, 1968. Earl Ray consistently denied his involvement in the assassination. The hunt for the suspects was one of the most sensational events in the history of the United States, giving rise to various conspiracy theories, misleading the investigators. Various eye witness accounts were taken into consideration and millions of dollars were invested by the Federal government to arrest the key conspirator. The tragedy was one of the most significant events in history since Dr. King was the leader and pioneer of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S. and played a key role in the upliftment of the suppressed African

Reflection Paper on The Global Idea of the Commons by Nonini Donald Essay - 1

Reflection Paper on The Global Idea of the Commons by Nonini Donald - Essay Example Despite all the differences in terms of cultural and religious beliefs, the early colonists made a wise decision to band together no matter what, against the threat of Indian raids and harsh winters. They had decided to help each other for the common good of everyone on the new colonies. Inherent in the concept of interdependency is the idea that all kinds of resources are to be taken cared of, that good stewardship of these resources should be undertaken for young or succeeding generations to likewise benefit from. This applies to material resources in early human history, such as forest lands and the resources found within it, clean and safe drinking water from rivers and lakes for human use and agricultural applications, the mineral resources that can be extracted from beneath the ground and all types of flora and fauna. The idea is that each resource should be maximized and given enough time, to replenish itself such that it can be used again and again without threat of depletion; example of this is fishing. People are also aware of the need to conserve non-renewable resources like oil so everyone can benefit. The availability of common-pool resources have existed since time immemorial but this has been threatened since the Industrial Revolution came about and the rise of capitalism, in which greed and individualism became paramount. Previously, people had devised ways or means by which to manage these resource through social or institutional arrangements for the long-term benefit of everybody without necessarily depleting these resources and thereby can manage to avoid the so-called â€Å"tragedy of the commons† by unfettered competition. This was done mainly through their cultural, social and maybe even religious practices by which most natural resources are only held in trust, as stewards, for the next generations to come. This is proven even in the marginal ecological zones over

Wireless communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Wireless communication - Essay Example Unlike other previous forms of communication, wireless communication networks have increasingly gained popularity especially with the recent mode like 3G and 4G which have continuously improved data transfer and communication efficiency. Recent advances in technology have led to efficient satisfaction of the needs of consumers while ensuring that life is easier. The second generation GSM and its evolutional stages of GPRS and EDGE and third generation UMTS are discussed in detail to pave way in understanding the 4G technology. Wireless communication: 1G-4G cellular communication systems 1.0. Introduction Cellular mobile telephone systems development and deployment was triggered by the operational limitations of standard mobile telephone systems (Brand and Aghavami, 1). These limitations include limited capacity for service, inefficient utilization of spectrum and poor service performance. The communication of mobile phone occurs through a temporary distinct radio channel in order to communicate to the cell site. The cell site is contains several channels and each mobile talks to it through only one of the channels. The channels are characterized by a pair of frequencies which are used during the communication. The forward link transmits from the cell site to the users while the reverse link receives calls from users. The radio signal transmitted in early mobiles dissipated with distance and mobiles had to stay close to the base station in order to secure effective communications. According to Brand and Aghvami (1), moving mobile users were not sufficiently offered with an effective means of communication. Mobile radio service has its operations in a closed network with no access to the telephone system unlike the mobile telephone service that allowed interconnection to the telephone network. Traditionally, the mobile service structure included a single powerful transmitter that was located at a high spot to broadcast signals within a radius of up to about 50 km and the mobile telephones were attached to the transmitter (Brand and Aghvami, 2). Conversely, the introduction of cellular telephone system architecture involves placing numerous low-power transmitters within the entire coverage area and each covers a small area called the cell and using varying channels or conversions. The cellular telephone system allows a user to travel while making a phone call with no interruptions since they can use more than one base station. The application of the cellular concept in mobile telephone systems overcame interference problems and improved the efficiency of communication since the cells size was equivalent to the density and demand of subscribers in a particular area and was flexible to accommodate growing population’s demand and user density. Interference is overcame since a cluster can be reused in other cells while conversations can be handed off from one cell to the other and phone services maintained constantly as one moves between cells through handoff (Brand and Aghvami, 2). Cellular phone systems is characterized by four generations which are first generation or 1G, second generation or 2G, third generation or 3G and fourth generation or 4G. This paper explores cellular mobile system generations in terms of their capabilities, date of introduction, and comparison of inherent features. 2.0. First generation or 1G cellular phone systems The 1G cellular phone systems are characterized by the use of analog frequency modulation to facilitate the transmission of speech, frequency shift keying or FSK for signaling while FDMA or frequency Division Multiple Access for the sharing of assigned spectrum (Patil, Karhe and Aher, 614). The most

Financial statements Essay Example for Free

Financial statements Essay 1) Which of the following statements is true? 2) Notes to the financial statements include which of the following: 3) Which of the following financial statements is divided into major categories of operating, investing, and financing activities? 4) If the retained earnings account increases from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, then 5) If services are rendered on account, then 6) An investment by the stockholders in a business increases 7) Using accrual accounting, expenses are recorded and reported only: 8) A small company may be able to justify using a cash basis of accounting if they have: 9) Stockholders’ equity can be described as claims of 10) Common stock is reported on the 11) The Vintage Laundry Company purchased $6,500 worth of laundry supplies on June 2 and recorded the purchase as an asset. On June 30, an inventory of the laundry supplies indicated only $2,000 on hand. The adjusting entry that should be made by the company on June 12) On July 1 the Fisher Shoe Store paid $15,000 to Acme Realty for 6 months rent beginning July 1. Prepaid Rent was debited for the full amount. 13) Use the following data to determine the total dollar amount of assets to be classified as current assets. 14) Use the following data to calculate the current ratio. KoonceOffice Supplies Balance Sheet December 31, 2012 Cash $130,000 Accounts Payable $140,000 Prepaid Insurance 60,000 Salaries Payable 20,000 Accounts Receivable 100,000 Mortgage Payable 160,000 15) In horizontal analysis, each item is expressed as a percentage of the 16) When a change in depreciation method occurs: 17) Which of the following statements is true with respect to financial statement reporting for all cases when a company changes from one acceptable accounting method to another? 18) Which of the following would be considered a change in accounting principle? 19) From an internal control standpoint, the asset most susceptible to improper diversion and use is 20) A very small company would have the most difficulty in implementing  which of the following internal control activities? 21) The reconciliation of the cash register tape with the cash in the register is an example of 22) Deposits in transit 23) Which of the following items on a bank reconciliation would require an adjusting entry on the company’s books? 24) Notification by the bank that a deposited customer check was returned NSF requires that the company make the following adjusting entry: 25) Why do pension and mutual funds invest in debt and equity securities? 26) Which of the following is a debt security? 27) Reed Company acquires 80 Holmes 10%, 5 year, $1,000 bonds on January 1, 2012 for $82,000. This includes a brokerage commission of $2,000. The journal entry to record this investment includes a debit to 28) Reed Company acquires 80 Holmes 10%, 5 year, $1,000 bonds on January 1, 2012 for $82,000. This includes a brokerage commission of $2,000. Assume Holmes pays interest semiannually and the July 1 entry was done correctly. The journal entry at December 31, 2012 would include a credit to 29) A company that owns more than 50% of the common stock of another company is known as the 30) If a parent company has two wholly owned subsidiaries, how many legal and economic entities are there from the viewpoint of the shareholders of the parent company?

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay Cybercrimes can be defined as criminal activities which take place or occur within cyberspace. These crimes are common and ever increasing as cybercriminals continue to find new ways of taking advantage of unwary internet users (Mitchell, 2010). A frequently practiced form of cybercrime includes identity theft, which is the use of an individuals private details without their knowledge or approval (Ombudsman for Banking Services, 2009). This essay will discuss phishing as a form of identity theft with the use of various articles as examples to enhance the understanding of identity theft and phishing as cybercrimes. In addition, a criminological theory will be applied to identity theft in order to gain further insight into this particular cybercrime. Defining Cybercrime Cybercrime is used generally to describe a variety of illegal offences of which only a few are specifically associated with computers and the telecommunications infrastructure that supports their use. This specific crime type involves the utilization of digital technologies in the task of the offence or is specifically directed at computing and communications technologies, or is incidental to the commission of other crimes (Smith et al. 2004:7). Identity theft and phishing can be described as forms of cybercriminal activity. These crimes are defined as hybrid crimes. Hybrid crimes are those which can exist online as well as offline. Specifically, these crimes work with the worldwide scope that cyber environments provide (Muncie et al. 2010:77). Currently, cybercrime is an extremely profitable business and will no doubt continue to be for a very long time. The main reason for this is because many people are not aware of how rife it is and of how susceptible they are to the threat of this crime. The best possible way that consumers and corporations can protect themselves from cybercrimes and cybercriminal activity is to alert themselves and those around them with the use of awareness campaigns and also, people should make sure that their systems are protected with Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus software kits which have precise virus definition and regular software updates to decrease the risk of being under threat of cybercriminal activity (Microzoneg, 2009). Identity Theft Identity theft is defined as a crime that happens when someone wrongfully gains access to and uses the personal information of another individual in a way that involves fraud or dishonesty. Usually, this crime is carried out in order to gain access to an individuals personal funds. Victims of identity theft normally become aware when they note that they are frequently being charged for items that they never purchased, or when they realise that there has been an opening of a new credit card after viewing their credit reports (Jasper, 2006:1). Annually, 10 million consumers are the victims of identity theft. There are many ways in which cybercriminals can obtain an individuals personal information, and these are generally very cleverly disguised. Criminals can intercept personal information that is freely shared over the Internet and can also easily obtain information such as the victims account details by emailing them and falsely acting as their bank (Jasper, 2006:1-3). Because of the fact that individuals are so afraid that they will fall prey to cybercriminals, at times they do not think rationally when asked for their personal details. When provided the chance of being able to protect themselves, individuals will willingly give all the details needed if the bank requires them to do so. Thus, cybercriminals do not find it immensely difficult to obtain all the beneficial information that they need. Some examples of identity theft crimes are the run-up of costs on the victims credit cards, opening a new credit card account making use of the victims name, birth date and social security number, establishing a telephone or wireless facility using the victims name, opening a bank account and writing bad cheques on the account and obtaining employment by making use of the victims personal identity (Jasper, 2006:3-4). Phishing as a Cybercrime Phishing is a form of identity theft which includes the deceitful endeavour to gain the personal details of an individual with the use of text messages and emails. The criminal will act as the victims bank, for example, and will request personal information from the consumer (such as the PIN number) in order to gain access to the funds in the account. (Ramsamy, 2009) As explained before, the consumer makes it easy for the cybercriminal to gain access to their personal funds and resources as they are so adamant on keeping themselves safe from cybercrime that they very readily give out their information without thinking sensibly. Cases of Cybercrime Over the years, cybercrime has become much more frequent in nature. These cases can be found occurring throughout the world, and will probably continue to occur for a very long time as it is such a profitable business (microzoneg, 2009). Theft of Virtual Characters In the month of November 2009, a man was arrested for stealing virtual characters from a web based role-playing game. The man apparently obtained the log-in information for Runescape, reportedly the worlds largest multi-player online game, to embezzle their virtual characters. The article, published in The Times, states that the man who is from Avon and Somerset Area had already had a number of computer mistreatment offences on his criminal record (Ahmed, 2009). These types of crimes do occur quite often, as a similar case occurred in the Netherlands in 2008. Reportedly, a group of fourteen and fifteen year olds were convicted for the assault of a fellow Runescape player. The boys had threatened the player with a knife, pressuring him to give them a mask and an amulet within the game (Ahmed, 2009). Online gaming seems to be the cause of a lot of recent violent behaviours amongst youth, and the stealing of virtual characters may not seem to be such a tremendous crime, but thinking of all the time and effort that has been put into creating that specific character, this crime shouldnt be, according to Mark Gerhard, the chief executive of Jagex Games, treated differently to the theft of any other valuable possessions (Ahmed, 2009). Credit and Debit Card Information Hackings Another case of cybercrime was highlighted in May 2008, when a Mr Albert Gonzalez was arrested for one of the largest hackings in all of US history. The computer hacker aided with the theft of tens of millions of credit card numbers from major retailers (AP, 2009). He is reportedly going to be spending between 17-25 years behind bars as a result of the seriousness of this criminal offence. Gonzalez did, however, confirm that he had used a number of drugs and consumed large quantities of alcohol preceding his arrest. He admitted to using various narcotics such as marijuana, LSD and cocaine and he has also been said to have behavioural patterns which are very consistent with that of Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of autism (AP, 2004). According to Dr Barry Roth, a member of the defence commission, Albert was an internet addict who was often associated with awkwardness, had troubles when it came to connecting with people and had an odd fixation with machines and technology in general (AP, 2009). Because drugs and alcohol are so often associated with violent behaviour and aggressiveness, it can be said that they warp the minds of many people and cause them to do things that generally are not expected of them. Since Albert Gonzalez did make use of drugs and alcohol frequently, it could perhaps be said that it caused him to become fixated with technological things and the Internet specifically because it also gave a sense of escaping reality and, since alcohol causes people to believe they can do anything, could have led Albert to believe that he could steal money and still get away with it. With all crimes, the psychological and behavioural background of the offender needs to be taken into consideration. Military Computer Hacking In 2002 a man named Gary McKinnon was arrested for what is described as the greatest military computer hack of all time (The Sunday Times, 2009). McKinnon was allegedly blamed for $700,000 of destruction when he hacked into 97 military computers at the Pentagon and NASA and stole 950 passwords, as well as erased files from the Earle naval armaments post in New Jersey. McKinnon stated in an interview to The Sunday Times that he had not meant for the hackings to seem malicious, but that he was simply curious and wanted to find out information about UFOs. He also openly admitted that he sees himself as a nerd and a loner and that he used to drink beer and smoke dope while hacking into the military systems (The Sunday Times, 2009). This perception of himself could arise from the fact that Gary has Aspergers syndrome. This syndrome does not affect the mental intelligence of the person because the sufferer is in fact very intelligent, but it does leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable in social situations (The Sunday Times, 2009). This crime could leave Gary McKinnon spending 60 years in prison, which is a very high price to pay for simply being curious. Due to the fact that he has Aspergers syndrome and often resorts to drinking and smoking marijuana, it could be assumed that perhaps these elements wrongfully influenced him to engage in illegal activities, and in addition with his illness could have made matters even worse. Perhaps, due to his loneliness and inability to socialise, he resorted to finding company with the Internet and hacking to gain information that interested him. The Role of Gender in Cybercrime Generally, males are known to display higher rates of abnormal behaviour as compared to females. Although small, the gap between the rates of male and female criminal behaviour is constant. Historically, most forms of crime such as violence, aggressiveness, and freedom of speech were carried out by men, but with the case of cybercrime we cannot simply state that males perform these criminal activities more than females because there is not enough evidence of this; it has not been explored to a very great extent. However, a test done by a few undergraduate students concludes that existing theories of crime may apply similarly to males and females in predicting digital crimes (Morris, 2009:393-404). Criminological Theory Applied to Cybercrime A criminological theory that can be applied to the act of cybercrime is the theory of Routine Activities. This theory states that criminal actions take place when there is an intersection of space and time of a stimulated criminal, a desirable target and an absence of competent supervision (Cullen, 2002). The two important people who were responsible for the proposal of this theory are Larry Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979. Their theory is very strongly related to that of the Rational Choice theory. This is because both theories concentrate on the features of the crime as opposed to the features of the offender (DeMelo, 1999). The Routine Activities theory states that offences are linked to the nature of everyday patterns of social interaction (DeMelo, 1999). Felson and Cohen believed that changes in society had and is still leading to social disorganisation and thus to broader crime opportunities (DeMelo, 1999). In the cases of the cybercriminals, Albert Gonzalez, Gary McKinnon and the virtual character thief, this criminological theory is applied very well. They had begun their cybercrimes (hackings) with enthusiasm and determination, had found attractive targets to fulfil their desires, and had no one to tell them that it was wrong, illegal and could get them into a lot of trouble. Conclusion Therefore, it is quite clear that cybercrime is a rather serious crime and is continuing to increase in frequency as time goes by and society constantly changes. Also, the nature of these crimes is becoming more and more violent, especially amongst the youth of our world. Societies need to become more self-disciplined, and both offenders and victims need to be more aware of the dangers and consequences of these criminal behaviours, especially phishing and identity theft. Phishing and identity theft as forms of cybercrime can be classified under the Routine Activities criminological theory as they rise in frequency as society changes and a disorganised society opens up greater crime opportunities for offenders. Cybercrimes should not be taken lightly, and if not dealt with correctly, will continue to be on the rise for many years to come. Word Count: 2088