Proposals Presented For the Rectification of the Anomalies of Building Assignment - 1

Proposals Presented For the Rectification of the Anomalies of Building an Olympic Arena - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the first proposal calls for the acceleration in the pouring of seat gallery supports at an extra cost of  £130,000 but reduce the period by six weeks. This is highly critical and crucial in the sense that project management aims at finishing the project in the required time to safeguard the dignity of the company. The reduction in operation time would see the provision for time to repair the fracture while the workers are deployed to the infrastructure project to alleviate any labor cost loss. The second proposal takes into consideration proposal one with the inclusion of placing a double shift on the arena’s floor foundation task. A total cost of  £195,000 would be incurred with a relief of 9 weeks duration that would go a long way in ascertaining for the necessary time to repair the fracture and complete the project in time. Regarding the importance of the roof in the sense that many activities cannot commence until the roof is done, the use of three shifts, as well as overtime work, will mainly heighten the pace of roofing. This will see the roofing completion six weeks than scheduled at an extra cost of  £60,000. The option for overtime and shifts clearly shows the increase in the cost of production but in the real sense, it is safeguarding the company’s commitment to delivering its project undertaking on time. This would see it go a notch higher in the improvement of quality delivery and certainty.  

Legal Issues with Physicians Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legal Issues with Physicians - Term Paper Example As per the predictions of CMS, the expenses may further grow by 7.3% yearly. This year USA will spend 3.1 trillion USD on healthcare programs. Medical Malpractice The key area within the healthcare law is  medical malpractice. Professionally, the term is used for delinquency or associated with a person having less than the required skills in medical treatment or providing patients with medical services. The victims that fall prey to medical malpractice are eligible for compensation with regard to their physical injuries (Sage & Kersh, 2006). A physician at fault will be accountable for medical misconduct, provided that the patient, who faced the misconduct, has established that medical practitioner crossed the limits in which the practitioner is bound to work that may be set of rules/procedures of accepted standards. In this case, the person, who receives damage, should be compensated, since the physicians violated the set procedure of care that caused the injury (Sage & Kersh, 200 6). Hence, in order to protect oneself against the sizeable costs of such claims, the physician will definitely seek refuge in the physician’s malpractice insurance cover. It has been observed that physicians’ malpractice costs reach billions of dollars each year. This has further inflamed substantial costs of healthcare. As far as the specialties are concerned, 50 percent costs of medical services go to providers’ malpractice premiums. Many physicians found themselves on a tight rope as the trend of misconduct premiums raised, e.g., the â€Å"defensive medicine† by the way of methods and analysis administered by the physicians to the patients, although they were not necessary. The record of such attitude of a physician speaks for it and attracts malpractice compensation. Several studies in this respect show that big amounts are spent on defensive tests and procedures each year (Sage & Kersh, 2006). The misconduct accountability is able to be extendable t o hospitals and other such facilities. For serious damages, plaintiff patient may have the benefit to avail additional compensation. Hence, we have found that the complicated historical doctrine disallows the corporate practice of not permitting physicians to be employed. In the United States, the government does not allow the medical practitioner to practice medicine corporately, claimants might not be given the right to lodge medical malpractice claims under HMOs or hospitals where the doctors are not considered employees of the hospital (Sage & Kersh, 2006). In the remote past, it was a difficult task to track malpractices information with regard to the physicians. In the United States of America, the federal government is responsible for maintaining the desired data bank of practitioners at national level besides misconduct values about $20,000. For the purpose of secrecy, it is not in the reach of public. However, the details are being passed on to medical boards, hospitals, an d other organizations for their reference. Keeping in mind the great demand of patients for cited information, a number of states is in the process of legislation so as to make it easily available to all people involved. We may quote here the example of Washington State, which provides access to information about physicians through certain channels: a) insurance company claim records, b) Data Bank of the Nationwide Medicine Practitioners, and c) medical board. The Massachusetts State follows the suit of Washington Sta

The Channel Tunnel Engineering Project

The Channel Tunnel Engineering Project The Channel Tunnel (French: le tunnel sous la Manche), widely recognized as one of the worlds greatest civil engineering projects, is a 50.5km underwater rail tunnel connecting Folkestone, Kent in the UK with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in France under the English Channel. Even though it began construction in 1988 and was opened in 1994, the idea to have a cross-channel tunnel was first mooted more than 200 years ago but did not materialize due to political, national security and cost considerations. However, with the tremendous increase in traffic growth, better and alternative means of communication, convenience and speed was necessary and hence the need for an alternative transport route was clearly evident. The need for such tunnel was further compounded with Britain joining the European Community and the cross-channel traffic doubling in the last 20 years (leading to the project), reflecting improved trading between the Britain and rest of Europe. The Channel Tunnel would also be a ble to provide an alternative competitive link between the transportation systems of the UK and France, providing both speed and reliability to freight deliveries. With the strong endorsement from the governments of both sovereigns, the decision to build the Channel Tunnel was thus made. In April 1985, the British and French governments issued a formal invitation to potential tenderers for the fixed Channel link and eventually the contract was awarded to the consortium Channel Tunnel Group Limited- France Manche S.A. (CTG/FM) (later renamed Eurotunnel). The Channel Tunnel, with the governments intention that it be privately funded and there would not be any government assistance or undertaking, was a build-own-operate-transfer (B-O-O-T) project with a concession. The project organization is shown in Figure 1. In this contract arrangement, Eurotunnel would be the owner cum operator, which was being funded by the banks and shareholders. The governments of UK and France were represented by the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC), to which the Safety Authority and the Maitre dOeuvre (an independent technical auditor) would report to. The IGC would then make final engineering and safety decisions. TML (essentially split from CTG/FM so as to separate the roles of owner/operator and contractor) consisted mainly of five British contractors (Translink Joint Venture) and five French contractors (G.I.E Transmanche Construction) and would carry out the construction works for the Channel Tunnel in a design and build contract. Upon completion of the project, the British and French governments would award Eurotunnel a 55 (which was later revised to 65) year operating concession to repay the banks and shareholders. The Contract was officially signed on 13 August 1986 and the fixed rail was to be fully commissioned in 1993. The services offered by the Channel Tunnel include the Eurotunnel Shuttle (a shuttle service for vehicles), Eurostar passenger trains and freight delivery trains. TMLs contract was to design, build, and test and commission the fixed rail tunnel. The Channel Tunnel (Figure 2) was designed to have three concrete-lined bores approximately 50km long, with 37.9km undersea and the rest under land at either ends of the English (Cheriton near Folkstone) and French (Pas-de-Calais village of Frethun) terminals (Figure 3). Two of the running tunnels were designed to have an internal diameter of 7.6m while the third was a 4.8m service tunnel running midway between the two and connected to them via 3.3m diameter cross passages at 375m intervals. 2m diameter piston relief ducts connecting the main tunnels at 250m spacing were built to prevent the accumulation of differential air pressures and aerodynamic resistance. To facilitate operations and maintenance, four crossover caverns were built between the two terminals to allow trains to cross between the running tunnels. Two crossovers were laid close to the terminals while the other two were under the seabed , effectively dividing the tunnel into three approximately equal lengths. Figure 4 below shows the main phases of the project. Two separate rail tunnels were chosen instead of a single large twin-track rail tunnel because this could minimize construction risk while at the same time enhance operations, maintenance and safety. The diameters were finalized after design analysis, development and optimization studies, taking into consideration the operation and support, speed and cost of construction. The service tunnel provided access between the running tunnels during normal and emergency situations and was equipped with a guided transport system. It was also where the water and pumping mains run and functioned as a fresh air supply duct to the tunnels in normal working condition. In addition, the service tunnel would function as a lead tunnel during construction which allowed the workers and engineers to assess and ascertain the uncharted ground conditions before advancing the main tunnels. Basing on the existing geotechnical investigations, past tunneling expeditions and two additional geotechnical and geophysical surveys carried out by TML on the English Channel along the proposed tunnel line, it was ascertained that there was a distinct sub-unit of the Lower Chalk layer known as the Chalk Marl running continuously between the two terminals. Chalk Marl, made up of alternating bands of marly chalk and limestone, was found to be the best tunneling medium as it was essentially impermeable (due to its high clay content) and provided good short term stability under excavation, thus minimizing the number of supports required (Figure 5). It was designed to be bored in the bottom 15m of the Chalk Marl layer to minimize the ingress of water from the fractures and joints, but above the Gault clay which is susceptible to swelling when wet, imposing high stresses on the tunnel lining. The chalk marl strata dipped gently at less than 5o with smaller displacements of less than 2m d ue to faulting towards the UK side; whereas the strata dipped severely towards the French side (up to 20o) with much larger displacements of up to 15m (Gueterbock, 1992). Chalk at the French side was also harder, more brittle and fractured. This thus led to the use of different tunneling methods on the English and French sides. The seaward and landward bores for all three tunnels on the UK side began at Shakespeare Cliff. Construction traffic would enter the tunnel via a new inclined access (Adit A2) at the Lower Shakespeare site, while worker access was built via a shaft driven to the tunnel level from the Upper Shakespeare site (Gueterbock, 1992). Due to the fast construction time required and the relatively dry chalk marl at the UK side, it was assessed that the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) was most suitable for the UK tunnels. One feature of the NATM was the interlinking of design, construction method, sequence and plant and the success of this method depended on the continuous integration of these elements by the tunneling engineers. Six TBMs were used to drive the UK tunnels spanning a total distance of 84km. The TBMs were operated on an open-face mode with a front excavating section and a rear gripper unit which acted as a temporary anchor point when the cutting head drove forward at 1.5m inc rements (Anderson Roskrow, 1994). Excavation of the tunnel and erection of the tunnel linings were carried out concurrently. Depending on ground conditions, the thickness of the linings ranged between 380mm and 500mm. Expanded concrete lining was used for the UK tunnels where the unbolted lining was expanded against the excavated ground. Pads on the back of the lining allowed the formation of an annulus to be filled with grout to prevent water ingress (Byrd, 1996). Each 1.5m lining ring was made up of eight precast concrete segments with a key segment. Cast iron lining segments were only used in poor ground conditions. Over at the other side, the tunnel drives started at the shaft in Sangatte in France. Due to the highly fissured ground resulting in very wet conditions on the French side, a different type of TBM known as the Earth Pressure Balance Machine was used. The TBMs were designed to operate both in open and closed modes. Close mode is characterized by the sealing off of the machine from the spoil around it and the cutting head, thus keeping pressure on the dirt in front as it excavated and allowing the machine to work in the dry as the pressure in the machine was higher than the outside. The arrangement of seals on the TBM allowed it to withstand up to 10 atmospheric pressures. When the TBMs reached dryer and more favourable grounds, they could then switch to open mode. While precast sections were also used on the French side, the materials used were different owing to the different soil conditions: neoprene and grout sealed bolted linings made of cast-iron and high strength concrete (Ander son Roskrow, 1994). The French tunnels were made of six 1.4 to 1.6m wide segments plus a key segment. A total of 5 TBMs were employed on the French side, and the bores from the UK and France were to finally meet in the middle of the English Channel in the tunnel breakthrough phase. The Channel Tunnel project was huge by any standard, with a number of key factors that could potentially impact the parties involved: bi-nationality, private funding (thereby effectively transferring most of the financial risks to the contractors), schedule and cost. To stay attractive to investors and banks alike, the project had to meet the following priorities: minimum risk of cost overrun, minimum operating cost and maximum traffic revenue. It was recognized, from the outset, that the main challenge of the project was to resolve the logistical support associated with large scale tunneling and the fast-track nature of this project. The management, finance and technical challenges related to this project would be explored in the subsequent paragraphs. The first management problem encountered was the sourcing of the large number of manpower required for the construction of the Channel Tunnel. This was conducted against the backdrop of the booming construction industry where there was stiff competition for labour. As a result, TML scoured beyond France and UK for skilled labour including experienced engineers and tunnel miners. TML also set up a training scheme with Kent County Council and the Manpower Services Commission to prepare workers for the myriad of jobs available as the project progressed. The main constraint for sourcing talent was the high remuneration that accompanied them The second management challenge was to find a solution to dispose the huge quantities of spoil that boring 150km of tunnels would produce. The problem at Sangatte was solved quite easily as there was a suitable land dump near the construction site and spoil disposal was done by converting the tunnel spoil into a 50% slurry and then pumping it to the Ford Pignon dam above the site 3km away. However, there was very little space at Shakespeare Cliff and there was no suitable land dump nearby. Despite the fact that backfill amounting to 3.6M cubic meters of British spoil would be required at the later stage of construction, there was still a remaining 1.8M cubic meters of spoil that had to be disposed. Eurotunnel eventually found a solution which was to use the spoil to provide a flat area of land at the foot of the Shakespeare Cliff which would be landscaped and used for recreational activities. When environmentalists raised strong objections, Eurotunnel argued that huge logistical and traffic problems would result if the spoil were to be transported elsewhere. In addition, the spoil would be contained behind an expensive seawall of sheet piles and concrete designed to prevent the chalk fines from leaching into the sea. The constructed seawall, spanning 1795m long and up to 11.36m thick, was designed as a short term breakwater and a long term retaining structure. This land (made of spoil) was subsequently transformed into the Samphire Hoe Country Park. Another aspect of concern was the delivery of materials to the site. Whenever practicable, delivery was done mostly by rail (for speed and convenience) and the materials delivered include the precast concrete linings, sheet piles and aggregates. Next, another management challenge was the method of obtaining the large volume of concrete required. 442,755 concrete segments of the highest quality mixed from strong, un-reactive materials in 35 different sizes were required. They were designed to last 120 years subjected to loadings in the worst case scenarios under two separate limit states and had to resist seismic activities, be watertight and to maintain its structural integrity regardless of the loading type (Byrd, 1996). As it was apparent that no precast company could supply such segments to fulfill TMLs requirements, TML had to create its own precast yard at the Isle of Grain in Kent, producing segments of the strongest concrete. In addition, the decision to drive all the UK tunnels from a single worksite gave rise to complex logistics problems because it had to support five TBMs at any one time. They required 1000 precast concrete segments daily, together with other materials such as track, cables, pipes and vent ducts. Also, at least 18000m3 of excavated spoil had to be removed daily. This challenge was solved by the process of separation: personnel would enter the tunnel via the 110m deep shaft; spoil removed through Adit A1 on a 2400T/hr capacity conveyor and other materials transported on the five-line railway in Adit A2. Moreover, the three 50km-long tunnels had to be made an operational railway through the installation of catenary systems, cooling pipes, drainage, tracks among many others. Given the myriad of systems that had to be installed (e.g. 550km of drainage, fire and cooling system pipes, 1330km of cable fitted on the cable trays), TML had to manage more than 40 subcontractors competing for space on the tunnel delivery trains. The right equipment had to be supplied to the exact location at the right time; especially when the delivery trains take more than an hour to negotiate the deep ends of the tunnels and a missing item would have caused delay to the works. TML resolved this issue by running the tunnel works akin to a production line a materials controller was employed from the motor industry to ensure smooth work processes and led the coordination and planning efforts (Anderson Roskrow, 1993). Also, TML constructed 4 diagonal cross tunnels connecting the three main tunnels to allow the delivery trains to switch between the three during the services installation phase, thereby alleviating the difficulty of moving the materials and spoil to and fro the tunnel. Sourcing finances for the mega project was also one of the management challenges faced. Given that the initial estimation of the project cost to be around 5 billion pounds, a large amount of money was required to see the project through to completion. As the project had to be privately funded, Eurotunnel had to source beyond the national boundaries to secure investments. They therefore devised a financing scheme to help them tide the crisis: the scheme would provide for the cost of the tunnel to be financed by  £5 billion worth of bank loans, with additional  £1 billion equity from the owner, institutional investors and public offering. Preliminary equity financing would be raised in two stages (known as Equity 1 and Equity 2). Equity 1 worth  £47 million was raised by cash placement by the founding shareholders. Equity 2, worth  £206 million, came from both British and French investment institutions. They later came up with Equity 3, worth  £770 million, and raised it by w ay of public share offering through the Paris and London stock exchanges concurrently. The Channel Tunnel project was thus able to proceed. Perhaps one of the greatest management challenges was how to enable the French and British work closely together. Separated by 34km of sea, their cultures are very different. Moreover, the building codes and training (and thus the limit states of design) were different. It was a challenge bringing two different engineering styles together. To overcome this challenge, it was decided that both countries use their own design codes for their part of the channel. Gordon Crighton, a Scot, was brought in to lead the engineering team so that both the British and French would not have disagreements since both countries had good relations with Scotland. This enabled the engineering team to work cohesively together. When it came to the design parameters, both the French and the British had to compromise. For instance, the English wanted the service bore to be 4.5m in diameter, but the French wanted 5m. In the end they agreed to a diameter of 4.8m. Besides the need to overcome the challenges faced in project management, a number of technical challenges also had to be overcome. Firstly, keeping the machines on course was one of the most complicated technical challenges faced. While most tunnel miners use a high-tech satellite mapping system to chart the tunnel route, this system was not effective for the Channel Tunnel as it was too far underwater. Excellent and exact mapping was essential for if the British and French tunnels were to be misaligned even by a small margin, they would not be able to meet up as planned in the middle of the English Channel. Therefore, the engineers developed a high-tech laser guidance system. A red laser on the cutting head of the TBM would send a beam forward; hitting a control point which would relay the information to the computers onboard the service trains located behind the cutting head to help them stay on course. This system enabled both teams of TBMs to successfully stay on the intended cou rse and meet each other in the tunnel breakthrough. Another technical challenge was that the locomotives that were used to pull the tunnel lining segments and spoil trains broke down frequently under wet conditions. Under such conditions, the wheels of the locomotives lost traction and span on the slopes; and their electric systems were laden with salt moisture and often leading to malfunction and power failure (Byrd, 1996). Even though the locomotives were designed to be powered by a 500V DC overhead supply and the batteries were supposed to be recharged while moving in the underground development, they did not charge up due to the presence of water. This challenge was overcome by redesigning the locos. The locos weight was increased for better traction and much larger capacity batteries were installed. Improvements to the pantographs design were made. The increase in efficiency and lesser loco breakdowns made up for the corresponding increase in costs. Another technical challenge arose when the tunnels emerged from the underground tunnels up to the surface approximately 900 meters short of the terminals at the UK side. This was resolved where engineers employed three different tunneling methods to complete the tunnels via the difficult gault clay at Castle Hill. First, the NATM took the tunnel through the geologically challenging strata at Castle Hill; while at either side of the hill, cut-and-cover construction and top-down construction were used. Cut-and-cover work involved excavating the area and building the tunnel using RC boxes. Top-down construction (usually used in tight spaces) involved building the roof of the tunnel first before excavating the ground below it. The use of 3 different methods of tunneling within a short 900m stretch reflected the excellent engineering concepts used in this project. Fourth, following the geophysical and geotechnical surveys, the British anticipated that the soil stratum was mostly dry. They thus configured the TBM in open mode. However, they tunneled into unexpected micro-fissured chalk which was very permeable and very quickly incapacitated the TBM. Dry chalk started to give way to moist chalk and chunks of rocks started to fall from the crown and sides of the newly excavated bore (Andrew Roskrow, 1994). The circle was not sufficiently accurate from which the concrete lining could expand. Work was then stopped to ensure worker safety. Eventually, the TBM was modified in situ. A series of trailing fingers were installed behind the cutting head and spanned across the lap between the head and the last section of the lining (Gueterbock, 1992). These fingers, when sliding forward during boring, restrained the chalk while at the same time allowed the segments to be erected and grouted quickly. TML also applied extensive waterproofing to the machiner y and hoses to prevent them from further saltwater attack. Hence, the TBM started to make better progress and the delay was minimized. Other technical challenges and innovations include the removal of the TBMs that have completed the service tunnel. Stuck in the middle of the tunnel and under the sea, these TBMs were not able to move back up. While they could have been taken apart and removed piece-wise from the tunnel, it was undesired as this would incur high costs. This challenge was overcome by driving one of the TBMs slightly off the course of the tunnel and burying it into the chalk rock. This way, the other opposing TBM could drive forward out of the tunnel. The British TBM was the one chosen to drive off-course and buried. After it drove into the rock, it was sealed off and the tunnel wall was covered with concrete slab. The French TBM was thus able to move forward to the other side of the coast and be removed. This construction innovation enabled the contractor to save costs. For a project of this gigantic scale there was bound to be budget overrun and delays. The project entailed designing; building and commissioning the entire project in just seven years and be ready for opening in May 1993. This was not to be, as at the end of the project, the estimated budget overrun was 80% (total project cost reaching  £9.2 billion) and the official opening of the Channel Tunnel was May 1994, one year later then the contractual completion date. One cause of the delay was due to the passing of the Parliamentary Bill which was required for the commencement of the works. This was due to the objecting voices towards the building of the Channel Tunnel and the Bill could not be passed quickly enough. The delay took up most of the float that TML initially had and any further delay could severely impede the construction schedule. To overcome this difficulty, TML started preliminary site works like constructing the precast yard at the Isle of Grain and placing orders for the materials even before the Parliamentary Bill was passed. It also started a global search for manpower and engineering talents. Another cause of delay during the early days of construction on the French part was due to the financial collapse of one of the firms involved in building the TBM. However, the delay was reduced with the quick mobilization of the TBM at the huge Sangatte shaft which allowed the 400T TBM body to be lowered in one piece into the tunnel. On the British side, it was the unexpected wet ground conditions that caused the slowdown in tunneling works and resulted in a delay of more than 3 months. However, the engineers modified the TBMS by installing the trailing fingers behind the cutting head. Very soon the TBMs started to drive at record speeds. Third, the major cause of schedule delay was the dispute between TML and Eurotunnel. The contractors claim that Eurotunnel owed it  £1.45 billion for the ME systems installed in the tunnel was the main cause of dispute. This figure was more than twice the figure stated in the Contract, which Eurotunnel insisted that the sum owed was less than  £900 million (Byrd, 1996). The protracted legal battle between the two entities delayed the project. TML decided to finance its own works while Eurotunnel sourced for funds, which potentially would push the project completion date further back. In the end, Eurotunnel struck a deal with TML where TML would need to hit a series of milestones over the months in 1993 to handover the project to Eurotunnel by Dec 1993. In return, Eurotunnel would give an advance payment of  £235million to TML so that the latter would not run out of funds. This incentive enabled TML to push for progress and minimize delay. There were few causes of budget overruns. Firstly, the original start to completion duration was a mere 7 years, meaning that the project had to move from design development to completion in that length of time. As a result, many design problems (e.g. open mode TBMs used by the British) were not identified and resolved at the start of the project and no provisions were made for these provisions in the initial cost estimates. Eurotunnel thus had to source for additional funds for the project. Secondly, due to the competitive nature of the project, CTG/FM had to cut their cost estimates to the bare minimum in order to make a successful bid. This was made with the knowledge that the competing consortia would be evaluated on financial standing thus the rationale for lowering the profit margins. The subsequent cost increase was blamed on delays from the parliamentary process and early financing problems. Thirdly, the budget overrun was caused by the increase in costs and number of materials required for the project. Even though TML had planned to line the tunnel with cast iron segments rather than concrete in wet ground as they were more watertight, they had not expected the UK TBMs to also hit poor ground (contrary to geotechnical analysis results). The required amount of cast iron had already exceeded the total amount of cast iron originally estimated when this happened and cost increase was inevitable. TML tried to reduce costs by hastening the tunneling process and modifying the TBMs. While the project was delayed many times due to boardroom disputes and unexpected site conditions, innovative ideas were put into practice that helped to increase productivity. For instance, due to the poor ground conditions and water ingress at the UK side, TML had wanted to use cast-iron linings which at that time were already over-budgeted. However, innovative ideas led to the modification of the tunnel linings, known as hybrid linings where areas of high stresses would be taken by the iron while the bulk of the lining ring was still made of concrete. Not only did these linings save TML close to  £20million, it also reduced three months on the critical path. In addition, improvements and modifications to the TBMs were made, their lining erectors and spoil removal systems extensively changed, their electronic systems simplified and waterproofed. The TBMs performance improved tremendously and soon they were breaking world records for tunneling rates. Miners and workers were also i ncentivized for good work progress so that their morale remained high. Their pay was reviewed to remain market- competitive. Eurotunnel also formed a policing arm known as the Project Implementation Division to keep check on the construction progress and on TML to do more to stay on the scheduled timetable. The total death toll for this project was increasing at an alarming rate towards 1990. Safety at the construction sites were put under intense scrutiny. This prompted TML to embrace DuPonts safety practices and principles, and made a few innovations to its safety plan. Firstly, a series of mainly one-to-one audits were carried out by the foremen and supervisors on the workers at work. These were no-risk audits, and the auditee was encouraged to tell the auditor of his observed actions that were less safe than desired and was also encouraged to make safety suggestions. Completed audits identifying the auditor (but not the auditee) were analyzed by a senior line manager and summarized for the local line manager to identify trends and plan follow up actions (Byrd, 1996). As a result, many previously unidentified safety issues were found and subsequently resolved or mitigated. Secondly, safety prizes were awarded, through lottery, to individuals or team of personnel who managed to achiev e 25000 of accident-free work activity. Thirdly, poster campaigns were carried out to address safety issues such as track safety and proper PPE. These campaigns were complemented by other form of media such as safety notes in payslips, on site video presentations and toolbox briefings to all employees. These safety practices resulted in zero deaths for the next two years of construction. To conclude, the Channel Tunnel was a mammoth privately-funded project in its own right. It was of no mean feat for the completion of a project involving 2 countries separated by a sea 34km long and both being traditionally rivals. Even though it was completed a year late and at least cost overrun of at least 80%, the Channel Tunnel can still be considered a success, this in view of the management, technical and financing challenges faced by the parties throughout the project. Apart from the famous senior management battles and arbitration between the owner and contractor, it must be noted that the management and technical innovations led to an increase in productivity and should be used as a reference for future projects.

Literary Utopian Societies Essay examples -- essays research papers f

Literary Utopian Societies â€Å"The vision of one century is often the reality of the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nelson 108). Throughout time, great minds have constructed their own visions of utopia. Through the study of utopias, one finds that these â€Å"perfect† societies have many flaws. For example, most utopias tend to have an authoritarian nature (Manuel 3). Also, another obvious imperfection found in the majority of utopias is that of a faulty social class system (Thomas 94). But one must realized that the flaws found in utopian societies serve a specific purpose. These faults are used to indicate problems in contemporary society (Eurich 5, Targowski 1). Over the years, utopian societies have been beneficial in setting improved standards for society. By pointing out the faults of society, improvement is the most likely next step. Citizens should take advantage of utopian literature in order to better future societal conditions (Nelson 104). Because it is impossible to create a perfect society in whi ch everyone’s needs can be met, society must analyze utopias in order to improve their existing environment. Plato’s Republic was the first â€Å"true† work considered to be utopian literature. In fact, the Republic influenced almost all later text written on the subject of utopia (Manuel 7). Although the Republic was one of the most influential works in utopian literature, the society that it represented also had many obvious flaws. First, Plato’s utopia had a distinct class system (Morely iii, Bloom xiii). The privileged class that ruled the society also enforced censorship in order to keep control over the Republic (Manuel 5). To perform all of the lowly tasks of the society, a system of slavery was enforced (Manuel 9). In addition, different forms of propaganda were used to keep the citizens in check (Manuel 5, Bloom xiv). The political and economic systems, in which the wealthy class controlled all the funds, were extremely restrictive (Mumford 4, Bloom xiii). With the society being in opposition to change, it would have obviously failed. A static society, in which propaganda is used to promote the State, disrupts the creative thinking process. And, without the creative thinking process, intellectual growth as a whole also slows (Mumford 4, Benz 3). Yet another famous Utopian society that appears to thrive on the surface is that of Sir Thomas More’s Utopia. More’s society was ... ...us. Brave New World. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1932. Kateb, George, ed. Utopia. New York: Atherton Press, 1971. Manuel, Frank E., ed. Utopias and Utopian Thought. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1966. Morley, Henry, ed. Ideal Commonwealths. New York: Kennikat Press, 1968. Mumford, Lewis. The Story of Utopias. New York: The Viking Press, 1962. Nelson, William, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Utopia. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Taragowski, Henry W. Utopia. 6 Jan. 1999 . Thomas, John L., ed. Looking Backward 2000-1887. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1967. Utopia and Utopian Philosophy. Ed. Jon Will. 1999. Utopia Pathway Association. 6 Jan. 1999 . Validation of Electronic Sources Phillip Benz received a Master’s Degree in English Literature and currently teaches in France. Philip Coupland is a professor at Warwick University. Jon Will is the Vice President of the Utopia Pathway Association. Henry Taragowski is a professor at Xavier University. Peter Fitting is the Chairman of the Society for Utopian Studies.

Detroit Electric Essay

1. What organizational structure do you believe is being used to produce Detroit Electric vehicles? Detroit Electric concentrates theirs efforts on research and development of the motor, vehicle design, marketing and distribution. The company does not produce cars; the actual manufacturing of cars is outsourced. From the case I conclude that technology design is the core business of Detroit Electric. Technology changes rapidly and therefore Detroit Electric has to be flexible in conditions of change and uncertainty. Technical excellence and efficient use of resources is the key to compete and to avoid wastage as the cost of R&D is high. Based upon the above observation, I believe that the organizational structure used is the matrix model. 2. How has differing organizational structures influenced the pace of development between these two companies? Ford and Detroit Electric are both car companies. The major difference is that Ford manufactures cars whereas Detroit Electric does not. Ford’s organizational structure will most likely resemble other manufacturers’ structure, i. e. functional departmentalization. A major disadvantage of this structure is that because specialists are working with and encouraging each other in their areas of expertise and interest, organizational goals may be sacrificed in favor of departmental goals; hence, the inability to coordinate efforts amongst competing department to achieve the goal of producing electric vehicles. Detroit Electric’s matrix structure on the other hand gives the organization the flexibility to respond to challenges faster in conditions of change and uncertainty; hence their relative pace (fast)in developing electric cars. 3. What issues may arise from this cooperative arrangement of international companies? The first issue is control. How does Detroit Electric ensure that their exact specifications are followed by their licensees? Regular audits will have to be conducted and these audits are costly. Who will bear responsibility if problems arise (faulty products) due to failure of any of its licensees do not follow procedures? The second issue is differences in objectives. For example, Detroit Electric’s performance and quality standards objectives may differ from their licensees.

Edward Estlin Cummings Essay

Edward Estlin Cummings was born on October 14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to academic parents who early on encouraged him to develop his creative gifts (Everett). His was a happy childhood; he grew up in a spacious, sunny house, his neighborhood was full of children who roamed the nearby woods and played baseball during summer or skated on a local pond in the winter (Berry, 8). When he grew up, he acknowledged the impact his parents had on him, stating that it had been â€Å"my joyous fate and supreme good fortune† to belong to such family (Berry, 8). According to Reef, Estlin once said â€Å"I did not decide to become a poet – I was always writing poetry (5)†. He did not originally start writing in the form for which he is best known today. When he was young, he wrote poetry and produced pencil drawings. His love of language was encouraged by his mother, who made up word games to encourage his creativity (Blanchard and Falcetti, 58). At the same time, his poetry is filled with descriptions and images of nature, natural elements, and natural processes (Parekh). He took his father’s pastoral background and used it to preach in many of his other poems (Eich). Estlin graduated from Harvard for his BA and MA studies. His travels took him to different places around the world. When war broke out between US and Germany in 1917, Estlin joined a Red Cross unit in France as an ambulance driver (Reef, 29). There, he and a friend were imprisoned on suspicion of espionage (www. poets. org). This experience resulted in his novel, The Enormous Room. He also traveled throughout Europe, where he met poets and artists including Pablo Picasso. He divided his life between Paris and Greenwich Village, and later between the Village and his New Hamsphire farm (Schmidt, 85). He became widely known as a whimsical and experimental poet (www. who2. com) whose radical use of â€Å"form, punctuation, spelling and syntax, abandoning traditional techniques and structures created a new, highly idiosyncratic means of poetic expression (www. poets. org)†. In addition, the landscape of New England with its animals, fields and forests influenced his poetry and infused it with images from the natural world (Shuman, 318). As Shuman succinctly point out: His poetry combines a child’s enthusiasm for the wonders of the natural world with a sophisticated adult’s wariness of official positions and conventional thinking (311). One such poem is the wonderful in just- . The poem quite simply is about the beginning of a new season: â€Å"in just-/ spring. † In this poem, Estlin â€Å"coins words, alters punctuations and invents his own typography. Thus, the poem itself represents creativity and how it spring from the earth (Phelan)†. The poem then continues on to paint a picture of Spring and embodies the themes of innocence and childhood. This poem in particular embodies his view, where Estlin himself explains: In so far as a human being is an artist, skies and mountains and oceans and thunderbolts and butterflies are immeasurable; and art is every mystery of nature (314-15). in Just- spring when the world is mud- luscious the little lame balloonman whistles far and wee and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it’s spring when the world is puddle-wonderful the queer old balloonman whistles far and wee and bettyandisbel come dancing from hop-scotch and jump-rope and it’s spring and the goat-footed balloonMan whistles far and wee e. e. cummings WORKS CITED Berry, S. L. â€Å"E. E. Cummings. † Indiana: The Creative Company, 1994. Blanchard, Mary Loving, and Cara Falcetti. â€Å"Poets for Young Adults. † New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006. Cummings, E. E. â€Å"100 Selected Poems. † Atlanta: Grove Press, 1994. Cummings, E. E. â€Å"Commentary on Life and Art by E. E. Cummings. † New York: October House, 1965. â€Å"E. E. Cummings. † Academy of American Poets. 12 Dec 2008. â€Å"E. E. Cummings. † A Who2 Profile. 12 Dec 28. < http://who2. com/ask/eecummings. html> Eich, Marty. â€Å"E. E. Cummings Biography. † 12 Dec 2008. Everett, Nicholas. â€Å"E. E. Cumming’s Life. † March 2001. Modern American Poetry. Dec 2008. < http://www. english. uiuc. edu/maps/poets/a_f/cummings/cummings_life. htm> Parekh, Pushpa N. â€Å"Nature in the Poetry of E. E. Cummings. † Spring Volume 3 1994: 63-71. Phelan, Julie. â€Å"Poetry analysis: in Just- by E. E. Cummings. † 12 Dec 2008. Reef, Catherine. â€Å"E. E. Cummings: A Poet’s Life. † New York: Clarion Books, 2006. Schmidt, Michael. â€Å"The Great Modern Poets. † London: Quercus, 2006. Shuman, Robert Baird â€Å"Great American Writers. † New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2002.

Bend It Like Beckham Essay Example

Bend It Like Beckham Essay Example Bend It Like Beckham Paper Bend It Like Beckham Paper Dont be misunderstood by title! Bend it Like Beckham actually has little to do with David Beckham. The main character of the film is an eighteen-year-old Indian girl, Jess who lived in West London. Jess lived in a traditional Sikh family, which her parents expect her to become a top solicitor and marry a nice Indian boy as soon as possible. But Jess herself would rather kick a football with her friends than be dolled up in make-up and clothes. She had a strong passion for football and idolised David Beckham  One day, Jess amazing soccer potential was spotted by Jules, an British young girl who, as Jess did was soccer-mad. Jules then invited Jess to join the Hounslow Harriers, the local girls football team. Jess swiftly agreed without the permission from her parents. Jess and Jules soon became best friends. While Jess kept her playing in the football team a secret from her parents, Jules mother was worried that her tomboy daughter would not be able to score a boyfriend and even thought that she had become a lesbian.  To add insult to injury, Jess sister Pinky was dead set on marrying her boyfriend on the day which clashed with a crucial match for Jess team. Jess was then forced to face with choosing to upset her team or her family. Her choice was soccer. Sneaking out in the middle of her sisters wedding to attend the match. With the splendid performance of Jess and Jules, their team won the match, and was even provided with a scholarship to America to play as a professional footballer while studying in university.  In the end, Jess family finally realised that what Jess really want was playing football, there was point forcing her to do things she did not like. And the best friends went to America to finally fulfil their dreams to become a full time footballer. Unfortunatly she comes from a very strict Indian family who feel that playing football is a waste of time the rest of the story is relatively stereotypical, but the nature of the film means that you dont really notice. The story, using very amusing and differing characters, pokes fun at the Indian lifestyle in comparison to that of the English lifestyle and sexism and sexuality in football, and it does it very, very well. For all you football fans out there, (and I know there is a few of them! ) you will enjoy this film, there are many football related jokes which had me splitting my sides, but dont be discouraged girls his is a real girl-power film which will really make you feel good. Overall it is really hard to say anything bad about this film, the only thing i could really see was the predictable storyline, which weve already seen in East is East, etc. However its a really well-produced British feel-good film, which the public seems to eat up nowadays, (eg. Billy Elliot, Full Monty) and the public should eat up this one, especially as it follows all the hype of the World Cup, and the fact that it is indeed a very good film See it!

Free Essays on Philosophy My View

â€Å"What is Philosophy?† -My View- This semester I have learned that philosophy is many things to many people. From a means of influencing thought and behavior, to a looking glass into the soul, philosophy is a discipline of critical thinking, human interaction, and speculation. Philosophers attempt to answer age old human questions such as, â€Å"Where did we come from?† and â€Å"Where are we going?† However, a thinking mankind yearns for more than just history explained and reliable predictions of future, we want to know what makes a â€Å"good† life, what is beauty, what is justice, and how might we live our lives in a most satisfying way. And since the answers to such questions are based in perspective, one must be willing to examine the foundations of perspective in order to reach an unbiased, true answer. This is where the field of philosophy comes in to its own. Most would agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what differentiates one eye from another? Simply put, we see things as we know them to be, whether we just think we know them innately, as the young man Socrates met outside the courthouse knew piety, or we have devoted considerable thought to, such as Descartes’ â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† philosophy helps us to legitimize the knowing of all things, and by knowing all things we know the one thing we have true power over, our way of life. Our way of life always seems to come down to the decisions we make, and the decisions we make always seem to come down to our perspective. Where do we get our perspectives? Our perspectives are our philosophy, we have learned experiences that shape our outlook, and in turn how we look at and deal with life itself. The eyes we behold with can only see things we focus on, how and why we focus on things is the fod der for the ! philosopher’s cannon. This semester we have studied many different philosophers, with as many different philosophies, but one common th... Free Essays on Philosophy My View Free Essays on Philosophy My View â€Å"What is Philosophy?† -My View- This semester I have learned that philosophy is many things to many people. From a means of influencing thought and behavior, to a looking glass into the soul, philosophy is a discipline of critical thinking, human interaction, and speculation. Philosophers attempt to answer age old human questions such as, â€Å"Where did we come from?† and â€Å"Where are we going?† However, a thinking mankind yearns for more than just history explained and reliable predictions of future, we want to know what makes a â€Å"good† life, what is beauty, what is justice, and how might we live our lives in a most satisfying way. And since the answers to such questions are based in perspective, one must be willing to examine the foundations of perspective in order to reach an unbiased, true answer. This is where the field of philosophy comes in to its own. Most would agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what differentiates one eye from another? Simply put, we see things as we know them to be, whether we just think we know them innately, as the young man Socrates met outside the courthouse knew piety, or we have devoted considerable thought to, such as Descartes’ â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† philosophy helps us to legitimize the knowing of all things, and by knowing all things we know the one thing we have true power over, our way of life. Our way of life always seems to come down to the decisions we make, and the decisions we make always seem to come down to our perspective. Where do we get our perspectives? Our perspectives are our philosophy, we have learned experiences that shape our outlook, and in turn how we look at and deal with life itself. The eyes we behold with can only see things we focus on, how and why we focus on things is the fod der for the ! philosopher’s cannon. This semester we have studied many different philosophers, with as many different philosophies, but one common th...

Definition and Examples of Appeal to the People

Definition and Examples of Appeal to the People An argument (generally considered a logical fallacy) based on widespread opinions, values, or prejudices and often delivered in an emotionally charged way. Also known as argumentum ad populum. Appeal to the majority is another term often used to describe a large number of people in agreement as  a valid reason or argument. Appeal to the People Mark Antonys famous funeral oration [see synchoresis, dubitatio, paralepsis, and kairos] over the body of Caesar in William Shakespeares Julius Caesar (act 3, sc. 2) is a brilliant example of mob appeal. . . .This magnificent speech helps us see, again, how an argument can be turned away from reason and toward emotion through the cunning introduction of irrelevancies. When the audience is a large group, the enthusiasm stirred up can reach powerful proportions which can bury the real question at issue. Through tactics like sarcasm, suggestion, repetition, the big lie, flattery, and many other devices, . . . mob appeals exploit our irrationality. (S. Morris Engel, With Good Reason. St. Martins, 1986)The public buys its opinions as it buys its meat, or takes in its milk, on the principle that it is cheaper to do this than to keep a cow. So it is, but the milk is more likely to be watered.(Samuel Butler, Note Books)The argumentum ad populum used in democratic political rhetoric can make political argumentation appear to be reason-based when it is not and subvert and undermine reason-based deliberation in democratic political argumentation. (Douglas Walton, Criteria of Rationality for Evaluating Democratic Public Rhetoric, Talking Democracy, ed. by B. Fontana et al. Penn State, 2004) The Direct and Indirect Approach Nearly everyone wants to be loved, esteemed, admired, valued, recognized and accepted by others. The appeal to the people uses these desires to get the reader or listener to accept a conclusion. Two approaches are involved: one of them direct, the other indirect. The direct approach occurs when an arguer, addressing a large group of people, excites the emotions and enthusiasms of the crowd to win acceptance for his or her conclusion. The objective is to arouse a kind of mob mentality.   ​In the indirect approach the arguer aims his or her appeal not at the crowd as a whole but at one or more individuals separately, focusing on some aspect of their relationship to the crowd. The indirect approach includes such specific forms as the bandwagon argument, the appeal to vanity, and the appeal to snobbery. All are standard techniques of the advertising industry. (Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 11th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) In Defense of the Appeal to the People [N]ot only is the appeal to popular sentiment or opinion of the type associated with the traditional argumentum ad populum a nonfallacious kind of argumentation in some contexts of dialogue, it is a legitimate technique and can be an important part of constructing a correct and successful argument.(Douglas N. Walton, The Place of Emotion in Argument. Penn State ​) Also Known As: appeal to the gallery, appeal to popular tastes, appeal to the masses, fallacy of mob appeal, ad populum

LGBT clients Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

LGBT clients - Essay Example This is important considering language has a history of being used to oppress and discriminate the LGBT community. Moreover, every person has a right to live an entirely functioning and emotionally healthy life regardless his or her gender identity and expression. The importance of understanding the terminologies to use when addressing a LGBT client, does not only show respect but also contribute to LGBT client’s self acceptant and Council’s competence in handling LGBT clients. There are several advantages in understanding the language and terminologies as a LGBT councilor. The first advantage is that such knowledge help in creating a welcoming environment for the LGBT persons and people close to them by establishing a counseling space that affirms LGBT person’s identity (Burnes et al, 2009). For example, a councilor may intentionally have LGBT-positive magazine in his or her counseling office and waiting rooms. The second advantage could be acceptable language help achieve an open, informative and fruitful discussion with a client on their experience. By doing so the councilor is able to assist the client overcome any potential inbuilt negative attitudes of themselves and their loved ones. Third advantage is that constan t use of acceptable language ensures that the counselors’ own perception or knowledge about LGBT does not interfere with his or her work. Lastly, understanding the LGBT’s languages makes it possible to acknowledge the diversity among LGBT people. For example, LGBT persons from different race, age or religion will use different terminology to refer to the same thing. There are a number of terms that the LGBT persons generally prefer being referred to and those they term abusive. The firs term one should avoid when referring to LGBTs is homosexuals, instead, use words such as, gay people, lesbians, or gay man. This is because homosexual is a clinical term that tend to

Ethics Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics Reflection Paper - Essay Example The stakeholders are any persons dealing with the company directly and indirectly from its work force, clients and the general public in which the organization operates. The organization ensures the development of ethical guidelines and standards, and its implementation followed by each and every member of the organization. This can be done through training and cultivation of an ethical culture, which would enable the satisfaction of each and every stakeholder. Good ethical principles in an organization increase customer satisfaction and retention translating into better financial standings at all times, with healthier profit margins. There is also better retention of employees and customer confidence from the public and regulatory authorities, which is suitable for business. High ethical standards can be achieved through strategic planning and development of an ethical oriented business culture. This is through training and reinforcement of ethical codes of conduct by policies and r egulations in an organization. Corporate social responsibility has become an integral part of the business organization strategic planning tool. ... CSR plays a crucial role in the long term premeditated setting up of a business in the recruitment and retention of competitive employees (Habisch, 2005). An exemplary corporate social responsibility policy that focuses on stakeholder satisfaction improves an organization’s perception by potential recruits and employees, which also boosts productivity and efficiency in organization operations. Strategic planning in managing potential risk from corruption, health scandals and environmental accidents has been the greatest task in business organizations (Eisingerich & Ghardwaj, 2011). A crisis can bring reputable organizations down from the effects of lost customer confidence, which results in low sales. However, social responsibility policies implemented to prevent any scandal emerging in an organization helps in strategically avoiding this. Corporate social responsibility also gives an organization a competitive edge over its competitors in the international markets through cus tomer satisfaction and loyalty. Comprehensive customer responsibility policies also open up more markets through fewer legal hindrances to operate. This is because governments are increasingly giving health safety and environmental conservation priority when licensing new organizations. Discuss how your ethical perspective has evolved throughout the UOP MBA program The MBA program has changed my ethical perspectives approach to management, obligations to self, society, and means to achieve personal and organizational goals. Ethics and social responsibility training expose people to different and varied ways of decision making, management, and strategic

PR Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

PR Strategy - Case Study Example Continued advertising after a purchase gives the customer public acknowledgment of his wise choice, and tends to eliminate or reduce cognitive dissonance. The customer is reassured and resold. Repeat business is the avenue to continued success, and post sale financial services often the course to repeat business. The objective of PR is to guide consumption decisions in an objective manner, aggregate mass demand so that financial services can be stabilized and supported. It can foster interfirm coordination and linkages of investors and clients. The objective of PR is to perform the necessary functions of informing and persuading, which are both complementary and conflicting. The former includes media, appeal, advertiser, copy, theme, and layout. The latter, containing the individual differences of people and their psychological, social, and economic situations, intervenes between the sender and the receiver of marketing information. The organizations publics are diverse involving potential target clients and economists, financial institutions and banks. Thus, the PR campaign will concentrate on the professionals willing to buy primary and secondary residence. For this target audience, social learning also includes a well-structured set of interpersonal communication strategies that operate almost in tandem with mass media to give target audience members support for trying the recommended behavior and further reinforcement for maintaining the behavior. The second market segment will involve retirees purchasing a primary or secondary residence. This more focused emphasis on behavior change requires utilizing the mass media up to and including the modellng of recommended new behavior, whereas mass media were utilized in the persuasion/learning effects model to generate awareness and interest. The third group will involve families and individuals purchasing recreational properties. Also, the PR audience will involve financial professionals and brokers, investors and other financial institutions interested in this type of services. The aim is to attract international attention to the brand and inform the public about services and opportunities proposed by McBride. PR communications have meaning to the extent that an individual's predisposition or experience permits him to see, hear, or read them. The main geographical are of the activity are Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota states. The main attention will be paid to communications process concerned with the dissemination of stimuli and their perception, impact, use, and effectiveness (Hollensen, 2007). Media Release McBride Financial Advisors, LLC is one of the leading financial services providers proposing unique solutions and services to diver target audience. Out strength is low cost mortgage services based on the state-of-the-art technology. We treat every client as a friend and a part of out company helping to fulfill their dreams and life expectations. Recent years, international investment in financial assets is especially sensitive to changes in investors' expectations, including expected exchange rate devaluations that can spark massive outflows of funds. Indeed, during financial crises,

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India Assignment

Advantages of Establishing a Chemical Production Plant in Bhopal India - Assignment Example The researcher states that each foreign country has its own statutory safety and environmental guidelines which could affect the success or failure of a manufacturing company. As an engineer who has been a successful corporate manager for a chemical production company, I have written this report to guide the management before establishing at least one production company in Indonesia within the next ten years. Based on the gathered ethical and legal issues in each target country, recommended solutions on how we could effectively decrease the risk of losing the large sum of money due to the difference in business and cultural practices will be tackled in details. Expanding the business in Bhopal India could offer the business more competitive advantages as compared to its competitors. Aside from the relatively low cost of labor, other operational necessities such as raw materials, electricity, taxes, and transportation costs are also competitive. Basically, the cost savings that the co mpany can get out of establishing a chemical plant in Bhopal or Kazakhstan will enable the company to sell the finish products at a more competitive price without the need to sacrifice its quality. As a chemical manufacturing plant, it is but ethical for plant managers to learn more and train employees regarding the socially and legally accepted staffing policy, health and safety management, the health and social consequences of establishing the chemical plant close to a densely populated geographic area, the toxicity of chemicals being manufactured at the chemical plant, and the proper way of handling and disposing the chemicals. Â  Likewise, it is equally important for the plant managers to develop proper emergency response strategies and train employees on how to cut down the harmful effects of these chemicals in case of emergency. All these are necessary in order to avoid unnecessary law suites which can be filed against the company.

Marketing Principles and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Principles and Practice - Essay Example The company satisfies customers and gives back to the community and the environment. Also, Starbucks persists to be profitable and it is expected to do well at least in the near future. They live by a strict, slow growth policy completely dominating a market before setting its sights further abroad. This strategy has gained them the advantage of being one of the fastest growing companies in the country amidst rivals trying to compete in the market. The strategy for Starbucks is formulated based on the visions of Shultz which aims to reinforce the caring, philanthropic image of the corporation show concern for its employees and society. These values today make Starbucks a leading organization in the country. Starbucks’ core identity is the business that it does i.e. Selling Coffee. It is basically known for its fine blended premium coffee and coffee related products. This image is actually discouraging for non-coffee drinkers since they would not go to Starbucks. However by developing new and exciting products, it aims to diversify its product range to juices and other edibles to widen its customer base. The company was started by three Seattle entrepreneurs in 1971 selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store. A marketer, Howard Schultz, was hired to be the manager of retail and marketing who brought new ideas to the owners, but was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. He wanted to create a top-quality management team which he did by buying off top executives from other well-known corporations. The company suffered losses for the first two years, but Schultz stood his ground and did not surrender his long term integrity and

Marketing Opportunity of Kralogie Germany Essay

Marketing Opportunity of Kralogie Germany - Essay Example Aside from expanding its coiffeur's network, the company should consider entering into a contract with its tie-up coiffeurs not to sell other hair care products like Wella and Sebastian. Â  It is also possible for the company to keep its distance closer to the consumers by allowing the product to be sold in hair salons, hyper- and supermarkets, health and beauty outlets, and throughout the different malls in Germany. Â  Also, the price of the product is considered to be very expensive on the part of the consumers. Considering that Wella and Sebastian are very active in selling hair care products, KÃ ¨rastase should make the price of its products competitive. Â  KÃ ¨ralogie’s product advantage over the other hair care brands is the fact that KÃ ¨ralogie products are known for its ability to tackle hair related problems such as dandruff. This gives the product a medicinal image. Â  Since the majority of its existing customers are females between the age brackets of 35 to 65 and are earning their own personal income, the company should start using fresh and famous personalities in advertising KÃ ¨ralogie products. Based on several reports, using famous personalities in advertising hair care and other related products could effectively increase the company’s annual sales. Since the quality of KÃ ¨ralogie products has been proven effective in treating hair related problems, the company could use sophisticated and good looking individuals with long hair to advertise the medicinal effects of KÃ ¨ralogie. Â  Q3 The recommended selling price for KÃ ¨ralogie products is basically the purchase price for the product plus a 100% markup. Considering the current competition in the hair care market, do you think it is still possible to apply the same pricing method today? Explain the reasons for your answer. Â  

Marketing Principles and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Principles and Practice - Essay Example The company satisfies customers and gives back to the community and the environment. Also, Starbucks persists to be profitable and it is expected to do well at least in the near future. They live by a strict, slow growth policy completely dominating a market before setting its sights further abroad. This strategy has gained them the advantage of being one of the fastest growing companies in the country amidst rivals trying to compete in the market. The strategy for Starbucks is formulated based on the visions of Shultz which aims to reinforce the caring, philanthropic image of the corporation show concern for its employees and society. These values today make Starbucks a leading organization in the country. Starbucks’ core identity is the business that it does i.e. Selling Coffee. It is basically known for its fine blended premium coffee and coffee related products. This image is actually discouraging for non-coffee drinkers since they would not go to Starbucks. However by developing new and exciting products, it aims to diversify its product range to juices and other edibles to widen its customer base. The company was started by three Seattle entrepreneurs in 1971 selling of whole bean coffee in one Seattle store. A marketer, Howard Schultz, was hired to be the manager of retail and marketing who brought new ideas to the owners, but was turned down. Schultz in turn opened his own coffee bar in 1986 based on Italian coffee cafes, selling brewed Starbucks coffee. By 1987, Schultz had expanded to three coffee bars and bought Starbucks from the original owners for $4 million. His intention for the company was to grow slowly with a very solid foundation. He wanted to create a top-quality management team which he did by buying off top executives from other well-known corporations. The company suffered losses for the first two years, but Schultz stood his ground and did not surrender his long term integrity and

Rationale, Treatment, Objectives Essay Example for Free

Rationale, Treatment, Objectives Essay The group has decided to teach this age group because the group believes that in this age group, the minds of the children are still very curious and retention can be increased because of their curious nature. The group has seen this topic as an important lesson to tech to children because we are human being and we need to know what is going on in our body. So we can understand what we need to eat and what is harmful to our body. We also need to know the process and we need to know how can we keep our body healthy. The group has also decided that the medium to be used for this project will be the E-Module, because it has the capacity of stimulating more than one sense of the body (hearing and sight). As discussed in previous lessons in DEVC 40, the more senses we stimulate, the more information is retained. Also, the E-Module format is more participatory, making the learner a part of the learning process. It is an interactive format, meaning learner participation is a must to proceed. It also makes learning more fun for the learner, therefore encouraging the participants to learn and get more out of the module. So this module can be very useful especially to the slow learners. They can learn while enjoying and as we all know, kids like colorful things and interactive type of learning rather than mere lecture. Finally, given the right hardware, the E-Module is accessible any since it can be put in a CD or it can be uploaded to the internet. This means the material can be viewed by anyone with a computer, or with anyone who has a connection to the internet. Treatment: The E-Module will be done using google chrome browser because it is an instant flash player. The E-Module will have a home page where the Digestive system is displayed. Links will then be displayed in one of the sides of the screen, probably on the top or the left side. These links will specify the topics that are to be discussed within the lesson. When the learner clicks on a link, he will be navigated to a page where the introduction to the topic is shown. To proceed, the student must click on the arrow next link. At the end of each sub-lesson, a brief summary will be presented. After this, the student will be given the option of continuing with the â€Å"normal† flow of the lesson or go back to the home page to choose a topic that the learner wishes to take or just continue clicking on the next tab until the final lesson is reached. At the games section, there will be games and one of it will serve as quiz. The quiz will be a traditional question and answer type or a game. At the end of the module, credits will be shown. Objectives: After viewing the E-Module, the participants must be able to perform the following: a. State at least four parts of the digestive system and its function. b. Explain in at least two sentences on digestion process. c. Identify at least six correct answers on quiz.

Fashion and Rebellion In The 1960s

Fashion and Rebellion In The 1960s What are the main differences between subculture and counterculture and what do they tell us about fashion and the rebellion in the 1960s? I shall be studying about the difference between subculture and counterculture and what they tell us about fashion and rebellion in the 1960s. I shall do this by looking at the way how the 1960s influenced the generation of the hippies era in relation to fashion, music, media and photography. I am going start by exploring the definition of subculture and counterculture. Culture is the way, the forms, in which groups handle the raw material of their social and material existence. (Clarke et al, 1975: 10) Subcultures are sub-sets smaller, more localised and differentiated structures, within one or other of the larger cultural networks. (Clarke et al, 1975: 13) both references from (Populism, Jim McGuigan, Chapter 3, Youth Culture and Consumption, pg95) The 1960s were an immense time to be young. Youth culture and youth fashion, had begun to take shape in the fifties, blossomed as never before. Hippies culture became very popular in the 60s after the Beatniks.Hippie culture, with the new interest in vegetarianism, the environment and peace, proved ready not just for revival but for a permanent place in this endless youth culture. (Post Modernism and Popular Culture, Angela Mcrobbie, pg.159) As of Stuart Hall, he saw the hippy movement as an identification towards poverty. It was also politically informed in the sense of being determined to create an alternative society. This subculture was therefore able to develop an extensive semi-entrepreneurial network which came to be known as the counter-culture. (Post Modernism and Popular Culture, Angela Mcrobbie, pg.143, Subcultural Entreprenuers) Hippies popularised kaftans, Macrame bags and Afghan coats. the flares of the late 1960s widened out to bell-bottom proportions before high-waisted straight trousers and platform soles stepped into view. (Speak the Culture, Britain, Be Fluent In British Life and Culture, Neil Thomas, ThoroGood, Pg.253) The distinct style of hippie are mainly colourful and floral wear, a lot of accessories such as headbands, rings, necklaces and earrings, usual would wear flip flops for footwear. Carnaby street was where they would all shop, Hippie Land that is what I would call it. Summer of Love was associated with the hippies, known as the Swingin 60s Carnaby Street in 1966. During the 60s, Lord John was the hippest store. (Fashion of a Decade, The 1960s pg.41) This is where Twiggy comes in, famous model, with her long lashes, big eyes and bob, she became the British style icon of the 60s. Made it big for wearing the mini-skirt. And to this day she has brought a new life to fashion for the older person as they relate to her and connect her to Marks and Spencer, which has made profit to them. A new style then came into sight, by a new group of teenagers which they called Mods. The Mod style were inspired by the beatniks and from American fashion. The well known designers at that time were Mary Quant, Zandra Rhodes and Barbara Hulanicki. Mary Quant introduced Britain to mini-skirts, and that made a huge impact in fashion in the 60s. The mini-skirt was mainly worn by the young, most of the audience were shocked, others saw this as free will. Zandra Rhodes influenced by pop art, with her unconventional clothes and pink hair. Rhodes sold some of her first textiles work to Marion Foale and Sally Tuffin. Associated with pop art during this decade were artists such as Andy Warhol, the fact that this movement was unrealistic, the audience were interested from the use of expression and abstract, which made people feel free, this is how the hippies were seen as. Pop art became the parcel of fashion, which made clothing more fun and colourful. Barbara Hulanicki opened a clothing store with her husband in the early 60s, she later became known for the garments she had designed for Cathy McGowan, the TV presenter for the music show Ready, Steady, Go. Till this day these three designers are the icons of modern fashion. Retro fashion is always coming back with new and fresh looks. Many contemporary designers now such as Anna Sui, Diane von Furstenburg, Erdem are influenced by the hippie culture. Music in the 1960s has made a big impression in the lives of youth culture. They still have an appeal to old and young, they were the ones mainly responsible for the change in music and social change from the war and 50s onwards. For example, the Beatles, which created Beatlemania their style was a start of a new era, having long hair with long beards, Lennon known for wearing the granny glasses, this is where the Beatniks were introduced, which then led to the hippy movement. Elvis Presley known as the King Rock and Roll. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. The Glastonbury Festival, would have varieties of artists, in an open field, which lasts up to 3-4 days, usually visited by hippies during the 70s when it was first held, the festival was an excuse for sex, drugs, socialising with others. And to this day The Glastonbury Festival is still a successful event. This is where technology comes in, it is rapidly progressing from records to cassettes, to cassette tape walkman, to cds, to cd walkmans, to mp3 players such as Ipods,mobile phones. Also being able to download music from the internet illegally, this is causing music stores, such as HMV to close down shops, due to not enough sales to keep the business afloat. During the 60s, youths from under 25 years of age regularly visited the cinema as entertainment before TV became more popular. Also it was another excuse to socialise with others when they take a visit to the movies. The theatre was also popular for the upper age group as a form of entertainment. Photography plays a big role in fashion advertisement in a form of magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, which introduces the upper working-class to upcoming fashion trends, which is currently still happening today with many more magazine options to choose from such as Dazed and Confused, ID etc. Fashions and faces: Beaton, Bailey and Rankin As Britain pursued its passion for photojournalism in the mid 20th century a more affected genre of photography also evolved, set to explode in the 1960s. It embraced fashion, advertising and high society (in short, beautiful people) and found its outlet in magazines like Vanity Fair, Harpers Bazaar and Vogue. Cecil Beaton bore the torch with staged, glamorous images of Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn and the Royals from the 1920s through to the 60s. (Speak the Culture Britain Be Fluent in British Life and Culture, Neil Thomas, ThoroGood, pg.245) To conclude, I have discovered that the subculture of hippies in the 1960s, were free spirited, peace loving, rebellions against war, and also introduced a fashionable trend that are still current in some societies. What I think about the difference between subculture and counterculture is that subculture is the identity of an individual. You can show your personality through clothing, the music you listen to, where you get together in the environment, the region of a culture. E.g. When you think of Camden, you automatically think of punks and rockers. Notting Hill Gate, the Notting Hill carnival comes to your mind. Where as counterculture, as seen as the political part of the culture i.e hippies. A subculture is the way of defining and honouring the particular specification and demarcation of special or different interests of a group of people within a larger collectivity. (Culture, Chris Jenks, pg.10)

In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke Essays -- Philosophy essays

In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke I wish to defend and support John Locke's "The Causal Theory of Perception" because it is a logical argument with many useful applications. Primarily, this argument allows us to make more objective judgments about the world we perceive - it allows us to more accurately see reality by telling us how to separate the object itself from our own opinions or qualitative value judgments about the object. However, just the fact that a particular theory is useful does not mean that the theory itself is correct, even though that might be the motive for trying to prove its correctness. Therefore, I must also address George Berkeley's argument, put forth by his character Philonous in Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, that "to exist is to be perceived." To tackle Berkeley's argument, I will take Hylas and Philonous's Tree Argument. This is a nice variation on the common riddle of "If a tree falls in the middle of a forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Philonous is trying to prove that everything that exists is perceived, and therefore exists only in the mind. If this is true, then nothing exists without the mind, and it is therefore pointless to distinguish between primary and secondary qualities as Locke does. Philonous challenges Hylas to conceive of any sensible object that exists without the mind. Hylas responds with the idea of a tree existing by itself, independent of, and unperceived by, any mind whatsoever. Philonous then points out that this is a contradiction - conceiving a thing that is unconceived. However, these two riddlers are failing to take into consideration one crucial element - time. Now, I intend to prove that ... ... Locke gives another good illustration with his flame example. A flame can have a definite temperature - a primary quality of something that exists. It can also have warmth - a secondary quality that we see in the object that is closely related to the primary quality, but is a value judgment. And there can be the perception of pain - an idea which exists only in the mind, independent of the flame, even though associated with it. If one accepts these ideas, one has a useful tool to help oneself be objective about a certain thing. If we remember these distinctions, then we can identify and separate from each other those qualities which exist in the object itself, those judgments we make about those qualities, and those ideas we have independent of an object. Separating primary qualities from secondary qualities allows us to more accurately perceive reality. In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke Essays -- Philosophy essays In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke I wish to defend and support John Locke's "The Causal Theory of Perception" because it is a logical argument with many useful applications. Primarily, this argument allows us to make more objective judgments about the world we perceive - it allows us to more accurately see reality by telling us how to separate the object itself from our own opinions or qualitative value judgments about the object. However, just the fact that a particular theory is useful does not mean that the theory itself is correct, even though that might be the motive for trying to prove its correctness. Therefore, I must also address George Berkeley's argument, put forth by his character Philonous in Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, that "to exist is to be perceived." To tackle Berkeley's argument, I will take Hylas and Philonous's Tree Argument. This is a nice variation on the common riddle of "If a tree falls in the middle of a forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Philonous is trying to prove that everything that exists is perceived, and therefore exists only in the mind. If this is true, then nothing exists without the mind, and it is therefore pointless to distinguish between primary and secondary qualities as Locke does. Philonous challenges Hylas to conceive of any sensible object that exists without the mind. Hylas responds with the idea of a tree existing by itself, independent of, and unperceived by, any mind whatsoever. Philonous then points out that this is a contradiction - conceiving a thing that is unconceived. However, these two riddlers are failing to take into consideration one crucial element - time. Now, I intend to prove that ... ... Locke gives another good illustration with his flame example. A flame can have a definite temperature - a primary quality of something that exists. It can also have warmth - a secondary quality that we see in the object that is closely related to the primary quality, but is a value judgment. And there can be the perception of pain - an idea which exists only in the mind, independent of the flame, even though associated with it. If one accepts these ideas, one has a useful tool to help oneself be objective about a certain thing. If we remember these distinctions, then we can identify and separate from each other those qualities which exist in the object itself, those judgments we make about those qualities, and those ideas we have independent of an object. Separating primary qualities from secondary qualities allows us to more accurately perceive reality.

War on Drugs = War on Terrorism??? Essay -- Essays Papers

War on Drugs = War on Terrorism??? The United States’ new claim in today’s world of propaganda and mind-warping media is that The War on Terrorism = The War on Drugs. Recently simple anti-drug slogans have been manipulated into aggressively and often erroneously exaggerated media assaults. (planetpapers.com) The United States claims that each person can help fight terrorism by choosing not to buy or use illicit drugs, and the government itself can help fight terrorism by implementing a more effective War on Drugs throughout the country. They claim that illicit drugs are the major monetary support of terrorist groups throughout the world, which in some respects is correct. Due to this claim, teenagers and drug users across the United States are seen as supporting these terrorists through their purchase and consumption of illicit drugs. The government has now stooped so low as to blame our own children for terrorism. The United States government’s claim, that if a person buys or uses illicit drugs then they are supporting terrorism, is outrageous and utterly false. President Bush claims, "It's so important for Americans to know that the traffic in drugs finances the work of terror, sustaining terrorists, that terrorists use drug profits to fund their cells to commit acts of murder. If you quit drugs, you join the fight against terror in America.† (peacecouncil.net) This is false because many of the illicit drugs being bought and consumed by the citizens of this country are being produced here in the U.S., so the purchase of these drugs cannot possibly be contributing to terrorism. Another reason why this claim is false is that many of the drugs being consumed in the U.S. are imported from count... .... advertisement and other propaganda to try and cover up their failures, and this should not be tolerated by the people of this country. Something needs to change and responsibility needs to be taken up. Bibliography Truth. Drugs and Terrorism. http://www.theantidrugwar.com. Hess, Michael. Mass Media Helps Distort Terrorism / Drugs Link. http://bbsnews.net/bw2002-02-05.html. 02/05/02 Coretnor. A War on Drugs Becomes a â€Å"War on Terrorism†. http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/4989.php. Sept. 27, 2002 Anonymous Stoner. A toke from the Superbowl. http://smokedot.org/story/2002/2/4/1834/18948. 02/04/02 Bovard, James. The Bush Administration’s â€Å"Drugs = Terrorism† Fraud. http://www.fff.org/comment/com0204f.asp. April 2002 Moeller, Emily. The "War on Drugs and Terrorism": Madison Avenue Enlists. http://www.peacecouncil.net/709MadisonAve.htm

Argumentative Outline Essay

With the advent of technology comes the increasing use of search engines for different purposes. Web search engines such as Yahoo! and Google are effective tools for internet research and finding web-based articles and information. Furthermore, hard-to-find and old written information may most probably be available over the internet through keying in on the search engine. This new trend can help create better opportunities and challenges in the field of academic research.b. Purpose: This paper seeks to present evidences that using web search engines for academic purposes are beneficial to students as online sources are readily available for reading and creating analysis. Additionally, definition of a web search engine, different types of academic search engines, and arguments on the benefits of using search engines for academic research are provided. c. Thesis statement: Academically, web search engines can help in doing research projects and create analysis on each research as searching for information over the internet can lessen the time and effort needed as compared to traditional research, thus, more time and effort will be spent on reading the online materials and in further analyzing the topic. II. Body a. Background Information i. Definition of a web search engine. A search engine is a tool composed of massive databases where an internet user can find information. It is composed of a computer program called spider, crawler, or bot, which searches through the internet to be able to collect the requested information (Jato and Oresiri 055-060). When specific keywords are searched, relevant information will be displayed on the results panel of the search engine. ii. Different types of academic search engines: These search engines are essentially useful for conducting researches related to academic studies and investigation. Academic search engines include Google Scholar (http://scholar. google. com) wherein all disciplines can be searched in several formats such as papers, articles, books, information retrievals (IRs), and open access materials. Advanced search options aid in limiting the searches for a specific author or publication. Another type of academic search engine is the Microsoft Academic Search (http://academic. research. microsoft.  com) wherein mostly sciences can be searched. Similar with Google Scholar, advanced search options can limit the searches by author, field of study, journal, and other related fields. This is for the purpose of finding the information in the quickest way as possible. The more filters are set, the more specific the search will be. There are still other academic search engines available online. b. Evidences to Support Claim i. Based on the results of the study conducted by Gary Small, a university lecturer at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Teena D. Moody, Ph. D. , a senior research associate at Semel Institiuite, and Susan Y. Bookheimer, Ph. D. , a psychiatry and bio-behavioral sciences university lecturer at the Semel Institute, the rising computerized technologies have the possibility that they have positive physiological effects and potential advantages for middle-aged men and women, as well as older adults. According to Small, brain activities are being stimulated through series of internet searching. The participants involved in the study showed similar brain actions when reading, but had also showed activities in areas which are related to complex reasoning (Claburn). c. Opposing View i. Nicholas Carr, questioned the implication of search engines in an individual’s mind through his article, â€Å"Is Google making us stupid? † From the article, he emphasized that Internet alters the mind. According to the researched performed by the University College London scholars, students who were accessing research sites to look for e-books, online journal articles, and other written information developed a â€Å"skimming activity† habit in which the researcher jumped from one source to another and did not actually read the article (Carr). III. Conclusion a. Using web search engines, it provides me more time for my analysis compared to using traditional research methods, because I can buy reading materials as fast as I have found them in the search engine. I don’t believe that technology will replace people in my career field, or that technology will replace the human element in any field. This is because human intelligence is still necessary in order to create such technology, and without it, the structure of the field will never be complete. The use of technology, for example in writing, is only used as a guide and as a way to save time to further work on writing rather than waste time looking for research materials that may or may not be useful for analysing the topic.

A Night of Suspense

I walked on briskly, trying not to look back. Somebody was following me. I could feel it. I continued to walk, counting my steps, making sure I didn’t step on any cracks; believe me, I'm not the superstitious kind, but, yet, I felt wary. Splat. A raindrop landed right on my nose and it dripped down my face. I hated the rain, every drop on your head feels like an egg that is being smashed on your face. I wiped the rain of my glasses with my gloves. One step, two steps, three steps. I stopped for a red light. Did I hear a fourth step?I must be imagining things. The image of a walking man turned green and I crossed the road and went into Adeline Street, where a huge wind hit me. It was such a cold wind, it gave me the shivers and for a second I gasped. I zipped up my leather jacket even higher, buried myself under my scarf, and continued walking. Though the scarf covered my whole face now, I was aware of a faint scent, smelling like rotten eggs, rotting bodies – frankly, a nything rotten. I looked around to see what it could be coming from.Surely the mailbox on the left couldn’t be the cause. It looked as it had just been painted and when I sniffed it, it was obvious it smelled the same as every other mailbox. What about the flowers on the right? I was just about to bend down to investigate this, when I saw something move from the right corner of my eye. About a tenth of a second later, something threw itself against my leg. I screamed and I would’ve kept screaming if I wouldn’t have seen the cat that looked up at me with shining eyes, looking as if it was sorry to have scared me.It was just a cat- I laughed nervously. I bent down and patted it on the head. I kept on walking through the endless street. 15 steps, 16 steps, 17 steps. I stopped. I heard a 18th step, and swivelled my head around; the curiosity was too much. A sudden gust threw my scarf up and into my face just as a shadow darted past me. I whirled trying to discern a solid shape but finding nothing but darkness. The night was cold†¦ colder than usual. I squinted as I looked about myself again, the icy mist stinging my eyes.I continued walking forwards, focusing on the rhythmic tap of my shoes of the concrete slabs that make up the pavement and was care to match my stride to width of each tile as to avoid the crakes that threatened to trip me. I glanced back again, my rhythm faltering as I looked out into the haze that made the world shimmer and warp. ‘I'm being paranoid' I told myself, working it into my steps like a mantra. Tap, tap, and tap. Not the the sound of my shoes by the sound of rain just as the fog had finally begun to lift. I groaned as the disjointed clatter of the sudden down pour disrupted my steps. Stop being paranoid† I said aloud to myself, frustrated by my own foolishness, huffing. â€Å"I don't think you’re paranoid,† someone whispered in my ear. Heart racing, I swivelled my whole body and whipp ed out my umbrella as defence. â€Å"Are you alright, mate? † the silhouette asked, placing a hand on my tense shoulder. â€Å"Yeah,† I muttered, relaxing a little, â€Å"thanks. † I walked on briskly home, not looking back once. *** As soon as I walked into my front door, I knew something was wrong. My wife, Melissa, had her head in her hands, blonde curls falling out of her usually-neat bun. â€Å"Hello, darling†¦! I chirruped, nervously. â€Å"What’s wrong? † I pulled a chair, and sat down next to her. I slowly took the envelope from underneath her elbow and opened it, wearily. What was written inside, still makes me shudder to think about it. It read â€Å"Roses are red, violets are blue, there is no escaping, I am going to get you. † â€Å"It’s a death threat. † Melissa whispered. â€Å"I’ve been getting them at work, and the children are getting similar messages on their MooshMonsters and Facebook profile. à ¢â‚¬Å"No, they must be hoaxes. You know from kids.. April fools? † I stammered, not sure what to do. Yeah,† Melissa whipped her nose on her sleeve and got up, â€Å"Do you want some tea? † I nodded, and folded up the message, written in a familiar handwriting, in red. This went on for weeks; Melissa and I kept getting similar messages and the kids online profiles were filled with the like. One night, after I put the children to bed, I heard a knock on the door. I called out to Melissa to open the door. The door kept on knocking. â€Å"alright, I’m coming, I’m coming! † I shouted, rushing down the stairs. As I opened the door, I saw a quick flash of red, and a big red parcel on the doorstep.I picked it up and glanced at the tag- it read ‘I am coming for you, there is no escape. A man who never embraces the thorn, does not deserve the rose. ’ I stepped outside and saw some children running, laughing. â€Å"Stupid, kids. Think this is funny, do you? † I slammed the door shut and sat down. I threw away the parcel, not even opening to see the contents. The following night, I was in bed, when I got a text from an unknown number. ‘I’m coming for you. Just you wait, you shall pay- in blood. ’ A sudden rage filled me with anger, as I stabbed at the keys to reply. â€Å"Who are you? What are you