Murra’s Is a Significant Work of Literature Essay

â€Å"Why is a play a significant work of literature? It is because the play presents enduring themes and ideas that continue to engage audiences.† The play Murra’s by Eva Johnson takes place between the late sixties and mid-seventies and focuses on one family and their struggle to come to grips with white Australia as they move from a fringe dwelling to life in the city This play was set at the time of the stolen-generation, which was when Indigenous Australian children were taken away from their families by British settlers and were forced to forget what little of their Aboriginal identity they knew, and live like â€Å"white people†. The ancestors of those people who were subject to the stolen generation still exist today that is why the ideas and themes that are conveyed in the play about the stolen generation continue to engage an audience particularly in Australia because the discrimination they experienced is still going on today and it might not ever go away. Throughout the play there are a number of themes and techniques showing and emphasising the treatment of Aboriginal people, how they lived, their thoughts and their opinions. The first theme displayed in the play is Gender. Gender is a social idea that creates roles and expectations based on people being either male or female. An example of gender is shown through the technique of characterisation. A significant character by the name of Wilba is characterised by the writer through dialogue and stage directions. He is seen as the dominant masculine figure of the family, greatly shown in scene one when he comes home carrying a bucket of water and food. The effect of the way Wilba is characterised emphasises the gender stereotypes that are very constant throughout the play. Another technique showing gender is costume. The women in Murra’s wear traditionally feminine clothing. For example mother Ruby comes home with a bag of dresses for her sixteen year old daughter Jayda to wear, as this is typical female attire. The expectations of the female gender are maintained through costume because what the women wear is stereotypical. Gender at the time was a significant issue, particularly within Aboriginal culture. Identity is a strong concept to most Indigenous Australians. It is a significant issue or theme in the play Murra’s. Identity is part of a link to culture. Due to government control at the time, Aboriginal identity was severely affected, illustrated by the families struggle to maintain it. Characterisation is used to show identity by the way Granny is characterised through her strong beliefs, shown in act one when she says; â€Å"Wudjella woman got different way to Gudjeri woman. They don’t have woman’s dreaming, special dance†. The effect of this is Granny is shown as a representation of the strong Aboriginal identity that the family cling to. Granny’s dying scene is another example of identity; this is shown through the technique of sound and lighting. â€Å"This is done to the music of the Didjeridu and Clapping sticks. At the end of the dance the lights slowly fade until the stage is totally black.† This symbolises her return to the earth and the traditional preparation of her body to return to the spiritual world of her dreaming. Granny’s death results in the metaphorical death of Aboriginal identity. Power is the ability to influence the behaviour of people and is a theme that is central to the play Murra’s. The characters within the play are very much affected by the power and authority that controls them, which essentially dictates the role of gender and identity of each character. One of the techniques used to show power in the play is setting. An example is â€Å"The year is 1970. The family have moved to the city.† This example shows that the government had the power to move them from the county where they were living to the city. Dialogue is another technique used to show power. An example is when Wilba says â€Å"I’m sick to the gut of their false promises of self-determination. Sick of their shit lies, their corrupt laws, their diseases and their gaols†¦ Yeah their chains, their chains.† The effect of dialogue within the play emphasises their strong opinions regarding the constant power struggle they are forced to deal with due to government control. The play Murra’s is a significant work of literature because the themes, gender, identity and power, to this day engage audiences as the issues displayed have still not been rectified and are highly controversial topics. The themes displayed are always present in society and are something that may never go away

Psychology Stress Coursework Essay

Stressed, unbalanced and permanently under pressure. This is how in the movie â€Å"Office Space† Peter, a programmer in a big software company, passes his days and therefore hates his bothersome job, his boss and his whole life. When seeking help in hypnosis the therapist dies suddenly and leaves him back in a state of total relaxation and casualness so that he neglects orders to do extra work at weekends, finds the courage to start dating the long admired girl next door, and surprisingly impresses some evaluation interviewers with his new coolness what ends up in unexpected promotion. In the new position he decides to strike back against his company by installing a virus-like software to invincibly transfer money from the company to their bank account together with his just fired friends Michael and Samir. By mistake, however, the plan gets totally out of control so that they fear their uncovering and decide to secretly return the money, which – after some confusion produced by mentally handicapped Milton who has been humiliated by the boss so far and therefore sets the whole office on fire – finally brings all of them to a happy life in relief, relaxation and harmony. But before that relaxation can ease his life, Peter is exposed to a variety of stressors (most of them having been discussed in our lesson) at the beginning of the movie. Most prominent are task-related job stressors. Peter is responsible for essential reports to fix millennium bugs in bank software and simultaneously works for eight bosses. This situation sets him under daily pressure when e.g. his boss asks him to deliver a report by the same day he didn’t even start working on by midday, or when he gets negative feedback from all his bosses for a single mistake. Together with high levels of monotony and the fact that he has almost no control on the type and amount of work he’s got to do within rigid deadlines, this situation is a constant source of psychological pressure and imbalance. Additional stress originates from physical stressors like the need to work in small and stuffed office boxes, disturbances by loud and annoying office equipment or by getting periodic calls from colleagues and bosses, like e.g. Milton, who permanently talks crab and even calls him on the phone for that. Further stressors can be identified as demanding and privacy-hostile working-time arrangements. When he for example tries hard to escape his boss on a Friday afternoon to not risk a â€Å"last-minute† weekend shift, but badly fails, one can imagine that the view of a boring and stressful Saturday at work is everything but relaxing. But even in his private life poor Peter is far from being relaxed and easygoing. When he for instance comes home to relax after a long day in the office, his neighbour can hear every single breath he does and they can talk to each other through the thin wall, which can be considered as a kind of social stressor within his own apartment. The same is true for his fear to talk to the waitress in his favourite lunch restaurant, who he always wants to invite for a date, but never finds enough courage to do so. All those stressors show obvious consequences and lead to clear symptoms of strain. While no real physiological strain in form of illness or injury is shown in the movie (although I’d be quite sure that he suffers from high blood pressure!), job-related and emotional signs of strain are heavily appearing. In his job, Peter reacts to raising stressors with lack of motivation and a clearly decreased satisfaction in both his professional and private life. Emotional strain can be identified in his general burnout symptoms and e.g. in dramatic loss of patience. The latter is nicely shown at the very beginning of the movie, when he is stuck in heavy traffic and tries to be faster by permanently changing lanes to the assumed faster one – which of course turns out to be a totally wrong strategy and makes him proceed even slower than an old and handicapped pedestrian on the sidewalk. To deal with his stressors, Peter applies several coping strategies in both problem-focussed and emotion-focussed manners. His activities to start work always late, to avoid real work as good as possible and to play computer games or surf in the internet instead, can all be classified as problem-focussed because they all are an attempt to change the stress producing conditions at work and make his daily routine more relaxed. The same is true for his regular and elongated coffee breaks with Michael and Samir, independently if there is the boss waiting or an urgent deadline approaching. On the other hand, his decision to undergo a hypnosis therapy is an emotion-focussed coping strategy, because it’s an internal process to change his attitude to stressful events, rather than changing the cause of stress itself. However, I believe those two categories of coping strategies are somewhat flexible and interfering, since a persons’ internal attitude towards a job can become a stressor itself by e.g. setting a person under additional pressure to fulfil certain tasks under high self-expectations. However, it was the hypnosis that finally brought substantial relief and relaxation in Peters life. Due to the – unplanned – fact that he stayed trapped in his hypnotized state, he managed to approach both his work and his private life in a very relaxed and cool way, and even when initially not expected by himself and his environment, led to an increase in his motivation, joy, brought him more credit in his professional evaluation and finally facilitated a relaxed and satisfied life. Even when the movie is clearly exaggerating at many points, the basic idea of how Peter is coping with the mentioned stressors is quite reasonable to me. In an office environment it is normally quite difficult to change tight work schedules, deadlines or an over demanding boss. For that reason, the attempt to minimize stress by e.g. keeping social contacts in coffee breaks or maintaining short resting phases during work seem to be helpful and applicable coping mechanisms. If by hypnosis or any other method, the relaxation of internal tension seems to be most reasonable to me. In real life changes will certainly never be as dramatic as shown in the movie, but reducing internal pressure can surely help to find a way back to a relaxed and balanced life, which doubtlessly can increase overall satisfaction, joy and motivation. This can by the way partially be supported by allowing aggressions against bothersome machines like the poor office printer in the movie†¦ I do believe that such behaviour can bring big relief sometimes!

Organisational Change Management Essay

Organizational Change Management encompasses all activities aimed at helping an organization successfully accept and adopt new technologies and new ways to serve its customers. Effective change management enables the transformation of strategy, processes, technology, and people to enhance performance and ensure continuous improvement in an ever-changing environment. A comprehensive and structured approach to organizational change management is critical to the success of any project that will bring about significant change. Fig I. Adapted from State of Oklahoma CORE Project Change Management Plan In any large implementation, the Project Team can expect to experience resistance and reluctance to change. The Organizational Change Management will provide the various stakeholder groups information about the project’s purpose, scope, benefits, timeline and training opportunities as well as how the individual job environment will change due to the implementation of the applications. The messages we will provide via this plan will be customized, based on the specific needs of each group affected by the project. It is the intent of the project team that this Organizational Change Management effort will lessen the â€Å"Production Dip† that is inevitable in any varied and complex project. 2. Objective †¢ Discuss the Organizational Change Management team and explore ways Organizational Change Management can work with Apps Delivery †¢ Cover Organizational Change Management tools †¢ Explain Organizational Change Management metrics 3. Organizational Change Management Scope – Overview a. Stakeholder Management The impact of organizational change imposed by implementation of a project should always be taken into account. To promote a successful delivery, identify who will be affected by the business process and technology changes that the project will cause. 1* For each stakeholder, determine their degree of support for the project and their influence on the organization. Develop a plan for how to build greater support among those with the most influence. 2* Identify stakeholders’ current and target level of project awareness. Ensure that stakeholders have an accurate understanding of the goals and anticipated impact of the project. 3* Assess your organization to identify enablers and challenges to implementing the project 4* Enroll stakeholders to participate in initiatives and to advocate/facilitate change. b. Communication Good communication is the lifeblood of any project. It is essential that the Project Manager provide timely and high quality information about the project to all stakeholders. It is equally important to listen to the stakeholders. Actively solicit their feedback and then respond constructively. 5* Identify the stakeholder groups in your project (e.g., senior management; end-users; sponsor) 6* Develop a communication plan that specifies who will get what information at what time, in what format and through what means of delivery (See section on Communication below) 7* Monitor feedback and respond in a constructive manner Discuss and record lessons learned throughout the project. Use them to improve how the next project may be carried out. c. Training Many IT projects fail because the user community receiving the product of the project (or the IT group responsible for maintaining it) does not receive adequate or properly focused training. It is important to understand the training needs of each stakeholder group, develop targeted training activities, and deliver content with the appropriate method. A good training plan will serve as an effective road map for training activities. d. Stakeholder Objectives An Audience Assessment will help you to determine the best feedback channels for each identified stakeholder group. It is important to understand the major questions and concerns that these groups may have, so that adequate attention can be paid to correcting misunderstandings, filling in the gaps, undoing rumors, etc. If you understand what the potential barriers to acceptance are, you will be better prepared to take proactive action to eliminate them. On the basis of these data, the project team will take appropriate steps (e.g. meetings with stakeholder groups, set up an information web site, distribute a newsletter) to alleviate the concerns of our Stakeholders and ensure that additional difficulties with perceptions about the project do not arise. These actions are detailed in the project’s Communication Plan. 4. Communication Objectives Effective strategic communication is the key to successfully implementing large-scale organizational initiatives. Interview your major stakeholders and find out what information they need. Based on this information, establish a formal Communication Plan that spells out in detail who requires what information, how they will get it, who will provide it, and the means and timing of all regular communications including reports, meetings, postings on web sites, etc. Consider every means of communication at your disposal to get the work out about the potential benefits, timing and training opportunities associated with your project. Make the Communication Plan available to all stakeholders, and be open to modifications in it as your needs change. Communication is the glue that binds internal and external stakeholders to the vision, mission, goals and activities of the project. Effective communication engages the hearts and minds of all stakeholders by facilitating movement along the continuum presented below. Fig II. Taken from State of Oklahoma CORE Project Change Management Plan 5. Training Objectives As stated earlier, training may be a crucial component of your Organizational Change Management Plan. Especially where business process is changed or new skills are required, it is paramount that employees be fully prepared before they are expected to perform new duties. The following steps will help you establish a training program appropriate to your project: Review your organization’s policies and procedures and determine which of them may require modification. Work with the organization to help them adapt to the changes. Learn the impact your project will have on individual jobs and workflow. Where impact is substantial, ensure that focused training is available. In the tables that follow, record the groups relevant to your project, their specific training needs and information about the training materials and facilities that you will use. Establish an appropriate curriculum. It is possible that the same material should be presented in very different ways depending on the background and skill level of the audience (e.g. business staff may require a less technical presentation than IT staff). Find or develop well qualified trainers. Create a plan for the post-implementation training support that may be required as new employees come into the organization, or as existing employees change jobs.) The project is expected to require significant modifications in the organization’s workflow and policies. So that the employees will be properly prepared when the new system comes on line, the project team has conducted extensive analysis of training needs. Based on this, the team has produced a plan that should smooth the way to a successful implementation. Steps taken include the following: a. Perform and Analyze the Results of a Job/Workflow Impact Analysis This system implementation will result in changes to business workflow. These changes will have a significant impact on the skills required of some of the people who will use the new system. In order to ensure that adequate training is provided, the project team performed a gap analysis between skills available and skills required, as follows: 8* Identify those positions (i.e. jobs) affected by the new system 9* Used specific tasks to link positions to new workflows (i.e. linked tasks required in the workflows to tasks performed as part of individuals’ jobs). 10* Noted those tasks that have changed. 11* Listed the skills required to perform each task 12* Determined if existing employees already have the skills needed to perform the new or changed tasks 13* Have arranged for training where skill gaps exist 14* Mapped positions to components of the new system 15* Are taking steps to ensure that each individual receives training for the components they will use 16* Will modify recruiting profiles to reflect new skill sets b. Provide the Organization with Information Necessary to Prepare for Upcoming Changes 17* Reviewed the policies and procedures of each major group in the organization that will be impacted by the new system (e.g., divisions, departments, etc.). 18* Identifed those policies and procedures that will change as a result of the new system. 19* Provided a checklist of needed changes to each organizational unit. 20* Assist organizational units in development of plans to adapt to the changes. c. Develop Curriculum and Content It proved necessary to develop very focused training programs for the various stakeholder groups in this project. Therefore, the training team has tailored the curriculum (topics covered, reference and other training materials used) and the content (specific information to be delivered) for each group. The training will be provided in settings appropriate to the content and group responsibilities (e.g., Technical group in the computer room; office personnel in a training room). The training team has paid serious attention to methods of delivery, and as a result while most employees will receive classroom presentations, certain groups will receive hands on training. In addition, several Powerpoint-based presentations will be made available on the project web site as a means of distributing key information about the project to all stakeholders. The following list was used as a guide in development of this training program: 21* Staff will receive training on new business processes prior to technology training, in order to help understanding and acceptance. 22* Advance arrangements have been made for all facilities and equipment required for training. 23* The training team will hold overview sessions with employees to explain conceptual differences between existing system and the new system. 24* Focused hands-on training will be provided where it can be expected to have significant impact. 25* Given the extensive nature of this implementation, the training team has developed module-specific curriculum outlines with learning objectives, agendas, materials, instructors, etc. 26* Training materials will be made specific to each audience. 27* We will use the train-the-trainer method as a means of cutting cost and also ensuring that training can be made available in the future. 28* The training team plans to develop job aids (checklists, workflow summaries, etc.) for use after rollout. 29* The training team w ill conduct surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of training. The organization will use this information to improve the training program in future implementations. 6. Training Plan Strategy Identify different audiences who require training Conduct training needs assessment and skill gap analysis Document requirements for the training team –Training development Schedule Prepare managers and supervisors to coach their employees through the change Develop Transition plan Train Organization resources 7. Organizational Change Management: Approach and Resources For best results, the entire project team and all new users of the system should adopt the role of Change Agent for the project. Following are some of the tools identified for Organizational Change Management to be effective in a large and complex implementation project. Review these tools with the project team. Select those that will provide the most benefit to your project and summarize how you intend to use them.

Mental HEALTH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mental HEALTH - Essay Example Case Facts Toni is a 22 year old student who completed secondary school successfully and moved to a university in a suburban community. In the final year of the course, Toni began to complain to his course tutor that the course was becoming stressful. Her performance fell and she cut down on the hours she used to spend studying. At home, Toni became more reclusive and she began to miss lectures and spend long hours in isolation. She refused to leave her bedroom and began to express paranoid delusions about things that are non-existent. She began to complain about how terrible life was and began to argue for a life outside the normal. Toni became less concerned about what she ate and she seem to be going through serious anorexia. She took up strange practices and has said she is not interested in living in a modern setting anymore. She has began advocating for strange beliefs and teachings and in one of her conversations with a group of friends she expressed interest in the Afterlife and how she longed to get into that arena. Toni's mother recently saw that she had visited a suicide forum on her computer and she also saw a note which she suspected to be a suicide note. Framework of Treatment â€Å"Mental health is the adjustment of human beings to each other and the world around them with a maximum effectiveness and happiness† (Basavanthappa, 2007). ... There are several policies in the UK that supports mental health and a healthy emotional and mental life for all. The Human Rights Act of the UK which came to force in 1998 provides rights for all people. These rights cover the right to life and the right to important privileges in different elements of social life. Also, the Department of Social Security came up with the Opportunities for All in 1999. This programme guaranteed rights for all members of the society including people with disabilities like mental challenges. It sought to eliminate discrimination and encourage a better life for all these different people in society. According to the New Horizons Strategy of the UK government, the following pointers and indicators mark the wider framework of mental health in the UK and is to be worked at by the year 2020. The first point is to improve the mental health of everyone in Britain. This end is to be attained by eliminating discrimination, promoting early diagnosis and treatmen t as well as the provision of specific treatments for individual cases. The 2020 framework of the UK also focuses on stakeholders and supporting them to attain the best results in mental health. Also, the framework seeks to promote accessibility of mental healthcare (Department of Health, 2009). Although this policy is not in operation, it is being developed and targets are being pursued by the various stakeholders. In most cases, mental health cases are initiated by a third party who notices that the patient has issues (Cohen, 2011). This is because most patients with mental health problems fail to realise the severity of their problems whilst others totally deny it. There is a major debate between cognitive behavioural therapy and how it should be done. This conflict

Should Local School Boards be Allowed to Ban Books from School Research Paper

Should Local School Boards be Allowed to Ban Books from School Libraries or Block Access to Select Internet Sites - Research Paper Example The threat of censorship  is much greater than it appears at first glance.† (Brenyo, 2011, p.544) The issue of censorship is also witnessed in high school publications, where a perennial power tussle exists between â€Å"student journalists decrying potential violations of their free speech and administrators who point to their responsibility to protect the welfare of the student body.† (Jenco, 2008, p.1) While bans and censorship of scholarly content might be warranted in exceptional circumstances, the high incidence of issuing of bans and curbs in the country is not acceptable. The rest of this essay will present supportive arguments for this thesis. In the tussle between student journalists and school authorities, the latter claim that they need to cross-check the content in order to take legal and financial responsibility for the publication. Moreover, screening the paper in advance enables them to tone down inflammatory rhetoric used by students. To ease the tensi on between student bodies and educators, â€Å"newspaper advisers educate their administrators about First Amendment laws as they apply to student journalism and that the newspaper staffs, in turn, use their freedom responsibly. It's important for a democracy, important for society, important for learning of students to know they have a voice and are expected to be responsible within the law but also be given opportunity within the law to demonstrate they can handle that.† (Jenco, 2008, p.1) The first and foremost reason for not allowing books to be banned is the law. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States says the â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† (Stewart Jr., 2007, p.552) Hence, those who ban books invo ke breaches of law at several places. Not only does it amount to respecting the views of a religion in public institutions, but also prohibits free exercise of freedom of speech. It also breaks the spirit of the First Amendment by objecting to what is a peaceful assembly of students in the classroom. Books by Charles Darwin and his supporters are the most frequently prohibited items in school libraries, due to the exposition on theory of evolution they contain. Apologists for banning these books should remember that their action is unconstitutional by virtue of breaching the First Amendment at several places. There are other legislations and case verdicts that stipulate the extent of intellectual freedom citizens can avail. The 1982 Supreme Court case Board of Education is one such; others include the Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico case and the 1988 Supreme Court case Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier. The verdict in the Pico case stated that an educatio nal institution is not permitted to ban a book from its library just because its administrative board disagrees with the content of the book. The Hazelwood case allowed reasonable restrictions on content, mandated exacting criteria for imposing the same. But it is an unfortunate turn of events that subsequent courts have not respected the spirit of Pico and Hazelwood judgments. Instead, they have been providing a

Class is Policy,Law,Ethic.....Topic is Policy Boundaries Research Paper

Class is Policy,Law,Ethic.....Topic is Policy Boundaries - Research Paper Example In this context, nurses leader hold both the qualities and capacities of employees as well as managers. These requirements define the element of the working relations within the institution. This provides the need to define the policy boundaries for the issue of nurse management strategies to apply in the institution. Historically, the issue of leadership pertains to an emergent relationship among the nurses within a relatively sensitive field. The quality of healthcare achieved within the nursing facility matters a great deal considering the sentimental value attached to nursing practice. Since the time of Florence Nightingale, the most compassionate and successful nurse of historical times, to the current nursing fraternity, the profession continues to evolve remarkably with respect to the nursing management capacity and working relations. The success of nursing leadership style determines the consequential achievement and utilization of available resource of labor in delivering services. As a nurse practitioner, I realize the need for understanding the capacity of leadership from a personal experience. In this practice, I had the opportunity to serve under various nurse leaders that managed the facilities I worked within. In this course, I encountered the leadership of nursing institution from the perspective of a compassionate, team-spirited nurse leader, and that of an authoritarian leader who managed and drove all aspects of decision making without regard for the other staff. These leadership styles in their application within the current working space of the nurses caused various observable features that create the need to evaluate leadership styles as applied by nurses within the management capacity of the nursing institutions. The observable trends in the nursing facilities experiences both aspects of leadership styles with respect to the contextual

West Africa the Atlantic Slave-Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

West Africa the Atlantic Slave-Trade - Essay Example As an outcome Africans were taken to North America, Central America, South America and Caribbean to offer slave labor in gold and silver mines and agricultural plantations growing crops such as cotton sugar and tobacco (Rodney 125). The tarnished commerce of the human being persisted for more than 400 years since the Atlantic slave trade did come to an end in the late 1870’s. Atlantic slave trade was systematized in Europe and about the huge profits made by countries such as England and France. Africans journey from Africa to America across Atlantic Ocean was a terrible one. Africans were crowded like sardines on the slave ships of the Atlantic full of oppression and brutality which they replied nobly (Rodney 125). The precise number of how many Africans were taken from their families to be sold as slaves is not known, but it is estimated that 15 million slaves reached the American continent and the Caribbean island because of Atlantic slave trade. The number of slaves who left Africa soil was much higher than 15 million since some were killed during the brutal process of acquiring the slaves and also some died on board. By the 19th century, there was a modification as people who took the leading role in ill-using Africa. The European Countries themselves were inactive in the slave trade; in its place European who had established themselves in Brazil, North America and Cuba were the ones who planned the trade. America had gained independence from the Britain and it was the new nation of United States of America which played the greatest role in the last 50 years of the Atlantic slave trade, by taking back slaves at a greater value than ever before (Rodney 126). In order to be in a commerce relationship with West Africa, most of the European countries decided to up factories on the coast. A factory in the trading language of the West African coast was a place where European and African products

Industry Briefing Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Industry Briefing Paper - Essay Example Modern market is highly competitive in nature. Each and every competitor is competing very hard. Managers around the world are facing lots of issues regarding placing their products in the market. Proper product placement gives significant competitive advantages to any company. In this paper, a detailed discussion will be done about the different factors related with product placement. It will be a step by step discussion. The paper will include critical analysis about product placement, review of related literature, key issues. At the end of the paper suitable recommendation and conclusion will be given. In the appendix, examples of two case studies will be given. Reflective analysis also will be done. This paper will help the Marketing Director of Bio-gloss to place their hair care products in the market. It will act as a clear guideline for the company to attract the attentions of young, fun loving girls. This paper will help the company to stand out of the competitions and will e nable to place their products uniquely. In this section of the study different product placements theory will be discussed in the context of Bio-gloss. Theories will be discussed are Buying Association Theory, Brand Association Theory and Brand Salience and Recall. According to buying association theory, buyer’s decision making process related with hair care products of Bio-gloss will start as soon as young girls are exposed to the products. The process will start with the customers having an indirect awareness or weak associations with the products of Bio-gloss. In this stage with the help of proper product placement the organization must turn the attentions of their targeted customers towards them. It is very important for the company to develop brand name, familiarity with the different products of Bio-gloss. It is also important for the company to influence the purchasing behaviours of targeted customers. How one targeted customer of Bio-gloss is being exposed to the

Nancy Pearcey Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nancy Pearcey - Coursework Example The structure of the text adds quite little to the effectiveness of the text. For one, the paper lacks coherence and full of philosophical jargons at the expense of information. This also interferes with the general flow of the paper. However, if the paper was intended for specific audience like philosopher, it has a positive standing, but it is not presentable for general exhibition based on grammar and lexical jargons. Personally, reference to a subject in the essays and use of proper amount of vocabulary may make the paper coherent therefore increasing the readability of the paper The summary for the fundamental premise of ethics by Percey is almost perfect as she also indicates point from different thinkers such as Johnson, Harris, and the rest to prove her point about ethics, epistemology and science. She proves that science disapproved ethics. She also explain how ethics is based on idealization such as free sentient, and uncaused behavior, while the scientific world has no uncaused event Do you believe that there is a culture clash? If so, who is winning? Why? Consider how entertainment and news media, education, religious organizations, the courts, and each individual’s gut feeling on the matter influence how they see this issue. 13. Put NOMA in your own words. You can draw a diagram or picture of this if you want. Give an example of NOMA. How many scientific disciplines would easily fit into this paradigm? Where wouldn’t it work? (If you use an example of ethics rather than religion, explain why ethics must coincide with religion.) The non-overlapping magisterial is a very practical concept as science and religion attempt to use deferment methods to realize a common goal or knowledge. It is therefore healthy to argue that the few scientific disciplines will find a home in NOMA. For example, biology, chemistry and physic all emphasize nature. However,

The key to a lasting marriage. A literature review Essay

The key to a lasting marriage. A literature review - Essay Example With the onslaught of industrialization however, the institution seems to have lost the respect and honor that was accorded to it with the result that divorce rates are on the rise. This paper discusses the respectable institution of marriage as a literature review of academic peer reviewed journal articles that discuss the key to a happy and successful marriage while relating to the discipline of psychology. I would like to start this literature review by discussing the financial aspect of marriage by reviewing a journal article that discusses how a change in the income level of a wife may affect the marriage. The article titled "Changes in wives' income: Effects on marital happiness, psychological well-being, and the risk of divorce." by Rogers and DeBoer. The article tries to answer "what happens in marriages in which wives have increased their income Does subsequent marital happiness improve or worsen Does the psychological well-being of husbands and wives increase or decline Does the risk of divorce increase, or is it lessened" (Rogers) This article is a good starting point as in today's modern world it is very much a norm that both husband and wife are working. Hence this article relates to a key aspect of modern married life. As per the article the authors found that a significant increase in a married women's income doesn't have any significant effects on their husbands. However the article does make us realize that a married man is comparatively less happy when his wife's percentage contribution to total family income increases. Nevertheless as per the article the chances of divorce is not significantly affected by the change in this percentage. Although the authors suggest that the increase in relative Income does on the contrary indirectly lower the risk of divorce by increasing the wife's martial happiness. To get to these results the authors used date from a sample of 1,047 married individuals (not couples) in medium-duration marriages, taken from a survey that begun in 1980 and continued to 1997. The authors have used structural equation modeling to gauge the discussed impact from 1980 to 1988. Final analysis was based on analysis using information of how these changes affect the risk of divorce between 1988 and 1997. I feel that although this article was fully researched but further research also needs to be conducted on the consequential affects on married life when the same females who had experienced a rise in income, experience a decline or a total loss of income. My second choice for the literature review is an article by Arturo Roizblatt, and other authors on long lasting marriages in Chile that was published in the Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal. The article discusses the Chilean segment of a study that included Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and the United States of America with respect to long-term marriages. The study aimed to identify the main reasons for couples surviving for a long term while identifying their characteristics. The article also aimed at to prove if there could be an

Budget paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Budget paper - Essay Example 132). With a strategic plan in place, what the organization needs is a budget – a detailed quantitative plan to guide its operations in the near future. The aim of this paper is to develop a strategic plan and a budget for an academic institution, specifically Cornell University, utilizing different factors such as demographics, affordability, financial aid, consortiums and collaborations, intercollegiate athletics, community involvement, and standards and accountability. Cornell University was founded in 1845 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White (Cornell University 2009). It is the â€Å"federal land-grant institution of New York State, a private endowed university, a member of the Ivy League/Ancient Eight, and a partner of the State University of New York. It has been described as the first truly American university because of its founders revolutionarily egalitarian and practical vision of higher education, and is dedicated to its land-grant mission of outreach and public service.† (ibid.) As of fall of 2007 the number of enrollees totaled 20,833 with 65% comprising undergraduate registrants. Of the total number of undergraduates (13,510), 51% are male and 49% female. A total of 31% of the enrollees come from New York, followed by 17% from Middle Atlantic origins and 10% from the Far West. The number of students receiving need-based grant aid was 6,008. In addition, 70 financially independent students received need-based aid. Of the tot al number of degrees granted (6,068), a total of 57% or 3,467 comprise bachelor’s degrees, followed by 1,713 or 28% master’s degrees. At Cornell, a collaborative culture is enhanced through several identified areas of excellence, to wit: Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Sustainability, Humanities, Ithaca - Weill Cornell Initiatives, International Programs, Law and Technology, and Information Science. Students are encouraged to be of service in their local community by easy

Symbolism and Motifs in the Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

Symbolism and Motifs in the Great Gatsby Essay In chapter one, we are introduced to Nick Carraway, who describes himself as non- judgemental and tolerant. Throughout the book Nick is the non-reliable narrator . He is an observant third party throughout the book and gives the readers a close-up and exclusive angle on the story. This can often come across as a very bias point of view from Nick. In chapter one, ‘’the green light’’ is introduced, this is probably one of the most important symbols in The Great Gatsby. Green is the colour of hope and it first appears when Gatsby stares across the bay towards a green light at the end of a dock. In chapter two, one of the key symbols used in the book is ‘’this is a valley of ashes- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take like forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of ash-grey men, who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air’’ (pg 26). I think the ‘’valley of ashes’’ represents something that is dark and lifeless, with the fire ashes representing death and destruction, possibly foreshadowing bad things that are to happen. I also think that the phrase ‘’transcendent effort’’ has a meaning of own fault, and that it didn’t take much effort for them to get in the situation instigated to happen in this second chapter, and that all the factors of the lifestyle they are living such as the glamour and the money and the parties is the result of a careless and vulnerable way of the living in the 1920s. Colour is also used here to emphasise destruction and darkness with the gray surrounding around them indicating the hopelessness of their situation. But above the grey land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic- their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face but, instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a nonexistent nose†¦But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. ’’(pg26) I think this passage is intended by Fitzgerald to come across as the eyes of God looking over the world. This could also link to Nick who is throughout the book the observant third party of the entire goings on. He is the only person in the book who knows what is fully going on in the book, yet i don’t think he understands the motives and reasons that have driven each of characters decisions. ‘The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic’ This also represents the idea of god watching over them. The blue colour is also used to show Corruption of spirit in the wasteland is also symbolized by the colour blue, which represents the destruction of reality. I Think the ‘Valley of ashes’ and ‘eyes of Doctor T.  J Eckleburg are linked strongly both be influenced by the idea of god watching what is going on. Another meaning for blue is fantasy. Gatbys blue gardens and his house let people escpae from reality. Gatsbys parties were always filled with dreams and illusions. Colours are used greatly throughout to symbolise all sorts of different things. White is used a lot suggesting purity, innocence and honesty. Nick considers himself to be one of the only truthful and honest people he knows and when he attends one of Gatsby’s parties for the first time, dresses in a white flannel suit. Fitzgerald suggests through the point of view of Nick that other characters wear white yet inside they are rotten and immoral. In Chapter three, Nick Carraway is at one of Gatsby’s parties and finds the drunken Owl Eyes in Gatsby’s huge libraries full of books. This shows that Owl eyes finds substance within Gatsby, simply because he has real books and in 1920s many people had book covers in which they kept different things. I think this means that there is more to Gatsby than it first seems and this also appeals to Nick who then i think becomes curious and slightly suspicious of Gatsby’s character. The eyes also seems to repeat the motif of the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg.. At this particular party, â€Å"the bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden. † Champagne is â€Å"served in glasses bigger than finger bowls. † I think that this links to excessiveness which is a very repetitive motif in the first 3 chapters, with characters, such as daisy for example, acting way over the top and putting on a show . Still, although the bar is crowded, â€Å"Gatsby was not there. † The fact that he does not drink sets him apart from guests like Owl Eyes who boasts of having been drunk â€Å"for about a week now. Prohibition, the law of the land, is ignored. This represents and symbolises the carelessness of the generation who attend Gatsby’s parties. Overall, the first three chapters I invite the reader for think about what is going to happen, there are many clues and hints given throughout by foreshadowing. I think Fitzgerald is clever to use Nick as an observant third party as well as an un-reliable narrator as I think it allows the reader to create their own points of view on what is going and what the characters currently introduced are like as well as take nicks bias accounts of events into perspective as well. The symbolism used in the first three chapters adds depth to the story making it not only about a story but creating a purpose to all the little details Fitzgerald has added to make characters, such as Gatsby for example, more mysterious as well as the story line. Colours play a huge part in the first three chapters and are very relevant to the storyline and colours change throughout the book like the characters change also.

Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health

Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health Abstract Solid Waste Management is perhaps one of the most important element constituting the environmental health and sanitation of urban developing sector. The management system has several components which are integrated as well as interdependent thus the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire system is affected when any of its functional component fails or does not perform up to the level mark of operation. Karachi metropolis has been growing in population and expanding in area since mid 1800s. The present estimated population has reached over 18 million with approximate daily generation of solid waste reaching quantities up to 9000 tonnes. There are 18 municipal administrative divisions (TMA) and in addition 4 cantonment areas in Karachi which are responsible for managing solid waste in their respective jurisdictions. Prior to administrative devolution (2001) Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) was responsible for the management of solid waste of the entire city. It is estimated that nearly 80% of the municipal solid waste is being collected and transported to the two designated disposal sites as proper sanitary landfill sites are yet to develop. Hence there has been an improvement in the waste collection and transportation system since 90s when only 2/3rd of the municipal waste was managed. The transportation mechanism is through garbage vehicles using either hauled or fixed container system employing crew for mechanical or manual loading. The number of garbage vehicles is inadequate and due to comparatively long haulage to disposal sites there are certain problems of frequent vehicular maintenance and high fuel costs. The role of informal sector in collection of waste from streets and removal of recycling items from the solid waste stream is significant. However this unaccounted component needs to be acknowledged and integrated in the formal solid waste management system. Hospital waste is another significant component to have environmental and health impact on the urban society. In Karachi around 30% of the total MSW may be regarded as of hospital origin out of which 0.6 tons per day is infectious. At source segregation practice is exercised at most hospitals and laboratories with few large private and public hospitals having their own in-house disposal facilities, incineration units. City district government has also facilitated centralised incineration operation for public and private hospitals (health care units) through private contract having a capacity of 1000 kg/hour. Improvement schemes have been proposed for Karachi solid waste management system. There is a need to adopt engineered approach in the redesigning of existing system such as; community bins and receptacles have to be designed and constructed for adequate storage capacities according to the generation rates, collection frequencies and safety requirements to control disease vector, over spilling and check unwanted access of waste-pickers. In most of the towns street sweeping operations have been mechanised and done by machinery operated by vehicles. Construction of Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) at number of locations within the city will cut the cost of transportation of waste to disposal sites as long haulages will be reduced. Material processing, recovery of recyclables, compaction, volume reduction, and increase in density will enable transportation of waste to disposal sites / landfills via long vehicles (bulk transport), minimising transport/traffic and environmental pollution re lated issues. Development of disposal sites into proper sanitary landfill sites are being considered and appropriate budgeting and planning is underway. Integration of informal (micro level) and formal (macro level) waste management system is envisaged to be a plausible working solution for an efficient and sustainable system achieved through integration of primary collection system and waste recycling adopted from informal system. It may be concluded that solid waste management system is undergoing a change over time due to constructive approach, positive policy and decision making. However more concrete steps are to be taken beyond planning stage. The impact of SWM on the environment and aesthetics of Karachis urban scenario have been significant due to growing and expanding city and also owing to administrative transformations occurring over decades. The shortcomings in the SWM system of Karachi are being gradually met and it is envisaged that if the political will is sustained it will soon meet its present requirements as well as shall be able to cater the future demands of the city. Introduction The title of this research paper is very profound, diversified and intricate when addressed particularly in context to the demographic features of the Karachi metropolis, quantities and characteristics of solid wastes, the prevailing issues of management system and practices of solid waste disposal in the city. Though it is difficult to encompass and comment on all the aspects in detail but an attempt has been made to highlight the most critical issues and recommend possible measures for improving the existing solid waste management system. Statement of the Research Problem Solid waste management (SWM) is an integral component of urbanisation and infrastructure development of cities and becomes more essential and critical in the domain of mega cities which are rapidly growing and expanding. The planning and design of solid waste management system which comprise of its components; storage, collection, transfer, transport, processing and disposal requires detailed studies, extending from physical surveys, demographic and socioeconomic data collection, solid waste generation estimates and characterisation analyses, various options for processing and disposal and finally technical and financial analysis for implementation and operation of the system. The present study is limited to defining basic components of SWM system that are functioning in Karachi. The problems and issues of the existing SWM of Karachi need to be identified with the suggestions of possible solutions for the improvement in functioning and effectiveness of the system. Hypothesis The hypothesis of the issue of solid waste management of Karachi can be expressed as sustained deficit in meeting the physical requirement of resources due to unprecedented growth in urban population resulting in uncontrolled and increasing quantities of solid waste continuously requiring restructuring of the management system, procurement and reallocation of physical and human resources and development of infrastructure which has not yet been achieved due to lack of priority and financial constraints. Significance of the Research The paper provides an overview of the general aspects of solid waste management in urban sector. The case study of Karachi shall be discussed in context to the functions of the SWM components and their infrastructure in effective removal and disposal of solid waste. The issues and problems associated with the management, operations and policy making is highlighted which will be significant to serve the purpose of this research document as well to serve as a baseline for further research in the area. Research Methodology The adopted methodology is simple yet comprehensive in defining and achieving the objectives of the research. The research statement has been laid so as to address the problem, issues and objectives of the research study. The scope of the study has been clearly delineated based on the objectives of research. A brief review of relevant literature encompassing scope and its research has been undertaken leading to identification of paramount issues with an analytical approach to problem solving in solid waste management. The conclusion outlines remedial measures, solution and recommendations for an integrated approach to Solid Waste Management in Karachi. Historical Background and Existing Scenario A substantial increase in the solid waste production, particularly municipal solid waste (MSW) has been observed over the past few years from nearly 6,600 tons per day in late 90s to 9,000 tons/day of solid waste being generated in the city of Karachi in 2005 (KSDP 2020). For over a half century, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has been administering the management of municipal solid waste of Karachi. After the devolution of the administrative structure in August 2001, the above service fell under the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK). Solid Waste Management within the City District is the combined responsibility of CDGK, the Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and Union Councils. Present City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has 18 towns and altogether 178 union councils. Each union council is responsible for providing waste collection services to an average of 9,500 households which is considered to be an ideal load for the management of municipal solid waste efficiently and effectively within its jurisdiction. In addition, the Cantonment Boards, Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Steel Mills carry out their own waste collection and transfer. The key agencies responsible for collection are the TMAs, who either use their own equipment or contract private sector operators in managing and operating the primary collection system. In many low income areas community based organisations (CBOs) are active in collection from households and transfer of MSW to community bins or katchra kundi. Also in many areas sweepers are operative and have organised to collect garbage from residences, neighbourhood and communal streets. Few high-income areas have house-to-house colle ction organised by appropriate garbage vehicles that transport refuse to disposal sites. There is an average population of about 560,000 coming under town administrations that are responsible for collecting and transporting solid waste to designated landfill site. District government is liable to provide and develop landfill site(s) for the city of Karachi at appropriate locations. It should also manage and operate those sites. Presently, there is as such no sanitary landfill site for Karachi. Only couple of designated pieces of land have been allocated for dumping of solid waste on daily basis. The CDGK is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the two official open disposal sites at Jam Chakro and Gond Pass each 35 km from the city centre. Any landfill developmental activity or standard sanitary operation practice on these dumping sites is yet to be carried out. it is estimated that of the total household solid waste generated daily within the City District around 4,500 tons is lifted and of this, not more than 2,000 tons makes it to one of the two designated city landfill sites actually open dumping sites. The remainder is either recovered for recycling (an estimated 1,500 tons per day) or is disposed of by burning or by illegal dumping into open drains or onto roadsides or open land (an estimated 1,400 tons)[1]. It is estimated that some 55,000 families depend on the informal solid waste recycling industry for their livelihood and with more than 1,000 operating units that the industry is worth some Rs 1.2 Billion per annum[2]. Hospital (infectious) wastes are co-disposed with the regular solid waste stream. The availability of incineration facilities is on a very limited scale hence most hospital waste is co-disposed with general waste, representing a significant health risk. Onsite incineration facility is available in 3 to 4 major hospitals operating in public and private sector. However CDGK has facilitated collection and incineration facility to hospitals through private contractor(s) operating at one or two incineration plants[3]. Literature Review Concept of Solid Waste Management The source of waste; the producer, its generation; quantities, volumes and characteristics of wastes all are essential to determine and critical for the designing, planning and operation of solid waste management system. Definition of Solid Waste It includes all types of semi-solid and solid waste arising due to human or animal activity as well as due to natural calamity(s) that is useless / undesirable / unwanted or regarded as discarded material requiring removal and subsequent disposal. Usually if not removed from the source of generation or disposed off properly may of potential hazard to environment (life and property). Waste is a relative term i.e. for one it may be useless or unwanted but for someone it may be a useful item (a commodity recovery, reuse, recycling) Defining Solid Waste Management It is the integration of various activities associated with solid waste into well defined and coordinated manner to optimise the use of human, physical and economic resources and to prepare for the future needs. Solid waste management are the principles and practices comprised of effective management tools applied to different components of solid waste processes which include; collection, storage, transportation, treatment and safe disposal. A comprehensive definition of SWM may be given as: It is a discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to public attitudes. There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely-used concepts include: Waste hierarchy refers to the 3 Rs reduce, reuse recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products throughout their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the market price of the product. Extended producer responsibility is meant to impose accountability over the entire lifecycle of products and packaging introduced to the market. This means that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture. Polluter pays principle (PPP) is a principle where the polluting party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste. Hierarchy of Solid Waste Management in Karachi Metropolis As defined above waste hierarchy means classification, according to the facet of desirability, of waste management strategies. The strategies could be to reduce waste or to reuse, recovery waste or intention to recycle waste, the 3 Rs of waste management. Another recent strategy is to rethink or review the present system for an improved system. Whatever the classification, the main and sole object of waste management is to treat and dispose waste completely or minimize it from the environment, to safeguard the health of the community. Concurrently, the supplementary object is to extract maximum benefits from the waste by turning it in to a useful product. In case of Karachi these elite goals are still to be defined and strategies laid as the primary task of cent percent collection of solid waste and its disposal i.e. providing waste management services to entire metropolis area is yet to achieve. Waste Source Reduction and Segregation No information from official sources is available on this subject. There is no scheme launched by the solid waste management department of the district government to promote waste reduction of municipal solid waste at household level neither citizens are encouraged to segregate the waste into recyclables or non-recyclables at source. However public in their own interest for some financial gain with collaboration and cooperation of informal sector domestic commercial waste producers segregate and sell their disposable or recyclable waste items to door-to-door collectors kabadis. Similarly, industries sell and dispose their waste to middle dealers and recyclers. Also a large volunteer force of waste pickers on mobilised on streets is operational as scavengers. These are mainly self employed labour of Afghan origin who collect recyclables from streets, community bins and open areas on daily basis sale to middle dealer to onward sale to recyclers. Hence a very strong system of waste rec overy from general solid waste stream and subsequent recycling exists in the informal sector which is playing its part in the management of solid waste and reducing the burden on the overloaded formal sector of SWM but unfortunately its role has neither been recognised nor acknowledged. Integrated Solid Waste Management System It is a methodology for solid waste management applied to all of the activities associated with the management of societys waste. The term integrated implies that the activities are interdependent and inter-related so as to formulate a comprehensive and effective waste management system. Integrated Solid Waste Management may be defined as: It is the selection and application of suitable techniques, technologies, and management programmes to achieve specific waste management objectives and goals. The basic aim of the integrated solid waste management is to manage solid waste in a manner that meets public health and environmental concerns and the publics desire to reuse and recycle waste materials. Hierarchy of Integrated Solid Waste Management A hierarchy (arrangement in order of rank) in waste management can be used to rank actions to implement programmes within the community. The integrated solid waste management hierarchy used may be sequenced as; Source reduction, Recycling, Collection Waste transformation and Disposal ISWM programmes and systems should be developed in which the elements of hierarchy are interrelated and are selected to support each other. The Functional Elements of Solid Waste Management. The Functional Elements of a Waste Management System may be classified as those activities which take place within the system to meet the targets and objectives defined for the effective management of the solid waste. The components are those which are acquired and or physically developed (work force, infrastructure facilities, resources, etc.) to facilitate the functions of the SWM system. The typical functional elements of SWM in an urbanised developed sector may be listed as follows: Waste generation Waste handling and separation, storage and processing at source Collection Separation and processing and transformation of solid wastes Transfer and transport Disposal Waste Generation It encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal. It is important in waste generation to note that there is an identification step and that this step varies with each individual waste. At present waste generation activity is not very controllable, however, it is expected that more control will be exercised over waste generation in future. As already mentioned that waste generation phenomenon is dependent upon the demographic characteristics of town or city particularly the changing demography i.e. the population due to growth and expansion with modernisation and urbanisation process. Solid Waste Generation in Karachi In case of Karachi the devolution of city administration in towns though ease off the administrative bottle necks to certain extent particularly in context to management of public services but with solid waste management which is more or less demographically controlled system the magnitude of the problem is not much reduced. It would therefore be appropriate to present the generation rates municipal solid wastes of different towns of Karachi in perspective of their respective populations for certain year of study and projected likewise. As established the quantities of solid wastes depend upon the demographic characteristics and its composition is highly variable factor attributed to socioeconomic features as well as waste management practices. The overall composition of solid waste determined at household level is given as follows: Estimated Per Capita Waste Generation Rate in Karachi According to survey carried out in 2005 waste generation rate is estimated as 0.3 to 0.5 kg/capita/day. It is to be understood that generally the waste generation rate depends upon a number of factors such as: Income level of waste producer Socioeconomic and living style Festive occasions Waste management policies and programmes Awareness education about environment and waste concerns Sources of waste generation in Karachi In case of Karachi, sources of waste generation may be categorized as under: Domestic Commercial, Green wastes Hospital Industrial The types of wastes or garbage generated are: household, commercial, institutional and street sweepings. On the basis of nature of waste it is classified as degradable (organic), non-degradable (recyclable / non-recyclable). The estimated figures given in the SWM document of Karachi Master Plan 2020 draft report 2005 are as follows: Major markets where organic waste is generated are: Vegetable market: 100 ton per day, Empress market: 70 tons per day High-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 60% Garden Waste: 12% Recyclables: 8% Low-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 40% Garden Waste: 5% (max) Recyclables: 15% The solid waste generate that is recovered at; Household level, Community bin level (prior to transfer / transportation) and Disposal site Waste Handling and Separation, Storage and Processing at Source Waste handling and separation involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Separation of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. The best place to separate waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Processing at the source involves activities such as compaction and yard waste composting. Collection Collection includes not only the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, but also transport of these materials, after collection to the location where collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be materials processing facility, a transfer station, or a landfill disposal site. In small cities, where disposal sites are nearby, the hauling of wastes is not a serious problem. In large cities, however, where the haul distance to the point of disposal is often greater than 15 miles, the haul may have significant economic implications. Where long distances are involved, transfer and transport facilities are normally used. Collection and Transportation of Solid Waste in Karachi Stages of collection of garbage is from house hold to community bin sites, (kachra kundi) and then to disposal sites. This is done in the following ways: Stage 1: From house MSW is collected by private sweepers and resident brought to temporary storage / communal waste transfer facility i.e. community bins. Stage 2: From dust bins municipality vehicles transfer and transport solid waste to disposal sites OR to unofficial dumping ground (Primary transportation, 2-3 trips a day which by definition are long trips) Problem Analysis This is the most uneconomical way of SWM because the haulage is extraordinarily long and several vehicles have to make this long trips several times a day. Hence due to shortage of infrastructure and physical human resources with handling of large quantities of waste required the SWM becomes inefficient in handling, transporting and disposing waste effectively. The following problems arise in Karachi in primary collection: Poor attendance of sanitary workers. Estimated number of employed sanitary workers employed in CDGK is 12000. Gradual decrease in number of community bins (4100), as a large number of garbage containers Katchra Kundi are in the workshop for repairs. Haphazard accumulation of garbage on streets, in open spaces and in drains. Uncollected waste usually finds it way in sewers, is eaten by the cattle, or left to rot in the open, or burnt on roadsides 15 to 20% garbage vans remain out of order. Total number of waste vehicles estimated is 560. Landfill sites are situated at long distance ranging from 10 to 70 km (up down) Hardly 300 to 400 trips of garbage vehicles are off loaded daily at landfill sites out of 1500 trips. Transfer and Transport This involves two steps; the transfer of waste from the smaller collection vehicle to the large transport equipment, and the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site. The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station. Although motor vehicle transport is most common, rail cars and barges are also used to transport waste. The two systems for transfer and transporting solid waste through roads comprises of hauled and stationary container system. Transfer and Transport of Garbage in Karachi Past Experiences In mid 90s an experiment of using train carriages was done for hauling MSW of Karachi by the name of Garbage Train project. The project was launched by defunct KMC in 1995-1996. Garbage from Saddar, Lyari and other adjacent areas was brought to Wazir Mansion Railway station for onward transportation to Dhabeji through railway. The system ran for about 4 to 5 months. Rs 27 Million were spent on the project. The system failed due to: High charges levied by railway authorities Wagons provided by the railway authorities were obsolete (not in good service condition) No proper infrastructure for loading unloading of garbage could be developed at transfer stations. Processing and Recovery of Solid Waste It includes the recovery of separated materials, the separation and processing of solid waste components, and transformation of solid waste that occurs primarily in locations away from the source of waste generation. The types of means and facilities that are now used for recovery of waste materials that have been separated at source include kerbside collection, drop off, and buy back centres. The separation and processing of wastes that have been separated at source and the separation of commingled wastes usually occur at a materials recovery facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities, and disposal sites. Processing often includes the separation of bulk items, separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, size reduction by shredding, separation of ferrous metals using magnets, volume reduction by compaction and combustion. Transformation processes are used to reduce the volume and weight of waste requiring disposal and to recover conversion products and energy. The organic fraction of MSW can be transformed by a variety of chemical and biological processes. The most commonly used chemical transformation process is combustion which is used in conjunction with the recovery of energy in the form of heat. The most commonly used biological transformation process is aerobic composting. The selection of a given set of processes will depend on the waste management objectives to be achieved. Processing of Organic Waste in Karachi An experiment A compost plant was established in the early 80s by a private contractor in North Karachi which remained operative for a short period and then was closed down due to following reasons: Supply of non-segregated refuse, gradually damaged the plant. Heavy operational losses. Gained favour during import of plant machinery and also acquisition of land for installation of the plant, as such there was not much financial stake of the contractor was involved. Deployment of untrained and unskilled staff. Non-cooperation from the municipal administration (informal sources). Disposal of Solid Waste It is the final functional element in the solid waste management system. Nowadays, the disposal of wastes through landfill or land-spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected transported to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residues from the combustion of solid waste, compost, or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities. A modern sanitary landfill is not an open dump; it is an engineered facility used for disposing of solids on land or within the earths mantle without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety. Landfill or more specifically sanitary landfill is an engineering term, which may be defined as: An engineered facility developed on a designated piece of land that principally receives waste as a fill over a period of time until the designated area is fully utilised. The development and operation of facility is usually cost effective while maintaining appropriate health, safety and environmental standards. Sites for Solid Waste Disposal in Karachi Only two official landfill sites available and are in use in the city are: Jam Chakro near Surjani Town (500 acres) Gondpass near Hub river Road (500 acres) In addition to the above two marked sites, CDGK also acquired Dhabeji Landfill site (3000 acres) through notification of 2006 for the purpose of landfill operations in 2007 but the operations could not commenced due to administrative and financial constraints. Earlier the project of the Transfer and Disposal of Karachi City through Garbage (Kachra) Train started in mid 90s which used open and closed cargo wagons to transfer collected MSW from garbage transfer station (Wazir Mansion) hauling it to Dhabeji site for open dumping / disposal. The project was also not successful and ceased due to administrative issues and financial

GeoStrategic Importance of Pakistan

GeoStrategic Importance of Pakistan Geo- Strategic means importance of a country or a region as by virtue of its geographical location. Geo political is defined as, stressing the influence of geographic factors on the state power, international conduct and advantages it derives from its location. Pakistan is located at a region which has a great economic, political and strategic location. It has been the hub of great activities for the past twenty years. Stephen Cohn describes this importance While history has been unkind to Pakistan, its geography has been its greatest benefit. It has resource rich area in the north-west, people rich in the north-east. Pakistan is a junction of South Asia, West Asia and Central Asia, a way from resource efficient countries to resource deficient countries. The world is facing energy crisis and terrorism. Pakistan is a route for transportation, and a front line state against terrorism. Pakistan has witnessed the intervention of three great powers Britons, U.S.S.R and U.S. Its significance is further enhanced during the cold war when it became the alley of the U.S policy of containment of U.S.S.R and now the post cold war era has witnessed its significance politically after the event of 9/11. Pakistans Geographical Location: Pakistan is located in southern Asia. It is located between 24 and 36.5 Northern latitude and between 61 and 75.5 eastern latitude. The area of Pakistan is estimated at 803,940 square kilometers. Pakistan is the bridge between South Asia and South West Asia. Towards the North western part of Pakistan there lies Afghanistan. Pakistans boundary with Afghanistan is about 2,250 kilometers long. In the north, it runs along the ridges of the Hindu Kush (meaning Hindu Killer) mountains and the Pamirs, where a narrow strip of Afghan territory called the Wakhan Corridor extends between Pakistan and Tajikistan. This strip is about 16 to 25 kilometers long. The boundary line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is called Durand Line and it was drawn by Sir Mortimer Durand in 1893 and he was the foreign sectary of British India and was acceded to by the ameer of Afghanistan that same year. It was not in doubt when Pakistan became independent in 1947, although its legitimacy was in later years disputed periodically by the Afghan government as well as by Pakhtun tribes straddling the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. On the one hand, Afghanistan claimed that the Durand Line had been imposed by a stronger power upon a weaker one, and it favored the establishmen t of still another state to be called Pashtunistan or Pakhtunistan. On the other hand, Pakistan, as the legatee of the British in the region, insisted on the legality and permanence of the boundary. The Durand Line remained in effect in 1994. In the northeastern tip of the country, Pakistan controls about 84,159 square kilometers of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. This area, consisting of Azad Kashmir (11,639 square kilometers) and most of the Northern Areas (72,520 square kilometers), which includes Gilgit and Baltistan, is the most visually stunning of Pakistan. The Northern Areas has five of the worlds seventeen highest mountains. It also has such extensive glaciers that it has sometimes been called the third pole. The boundary line has been a matter of pivotal dispute between Pakistan and India since 1947, and the Siachen Glacier in northern Kashmir has been an important arena for fighting between the two sides since 1984, although far more soldiers have died of exposure to the cold than from any skirmishes in the conflict. From the eastern end of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, a boundary of about 520 kilometers runs generally southeast between China and Pakistan, ending near the Karakoram Pass. This line was determined from 1961 to 1965 in a series of agreements between China and Pakistan. By mutual agreement, a new boundary treaty is to be negotiated between China and Pakistan when the dispute over Kashmir is finally resolved between India and Pakistan. The India-Pakistan Border, known locally as the International Border (IB), is the international boundary between India and Pakistan that demarcates the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat from provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Pakistan borders India in the East. The border resulted from the Partition of India in 1947. The Line of Control (L.O.C) separates The Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan administered Azad Kashmir. Wagah, the ceremonial point of crossing between India and Pakistan lies along this border between the Indian city of Amritsar and the Pakistani city of Lahore, and is within close distance of both cities urban sprwal. The boundary with Iran, some 800 kilometers in length, was first delimited by a British commission in 1893, separating Iran from what was then British Indian Balochistan. In 1957 Pakistan signed a frontier agreement with Iran, and since then the border between the two countries has not been a subject of serious dispute. To the South of Pakistan , Arabian sea and Indian ocean are located. The costal belt of Pakistan is about 700 kilometer. Pakistan significance is enhanced as it located near the Persian Gulf from where 65% oil of the world is produced. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: 500 BC , one of the worlds first great civilizations began to develop in the Indus Valley in what is now Pakistan.Ruin of Harrapa and Mhenjo- Daro , were the two major cities of the civilization, show that both were large and well planned. By about 1700 BC, the Indus Valley civilization had disappeared. Experts dont know why it collapsed. During the next several thousand years, many people from southwest and Central Asia came into the region that is now Pakistan. About 1500 BC, a Central Asian people called Aryans came through the mountains passes to the Punjab region. In time, they settled across almost all of india. The Persians conquered the Punjab during the 500 BC and made it part of the huge Achmenid empire. In 236BC, Alexander the great took control of most of what is now Pakistan, a few years later, the emperor Chandra Gupta Mauriya made the region, part of Mauriyan empire. The Mauriyan Empire began to break up about 230BC. Greeks from the independent state of Bacteria in Central Asia then invaded the Indus valley, they established kingdom with capitals near the present day cities of Peshawar and Rawalpindi. About 100BC Scythians from Afghanistan came into Baluchistan and Sindh. In time they conquered the Indus region. The Parthian, who in turn was conquered by the Kushans of Central Asia, replaced Afghans. The Kushans ruled what is now Afghan. Pakistan and northwest India from about AD 50 mid 200s. They controlled the trade routes from China to India and the Middle East, Peshawar, the kushan capital, became the major commercial center. During the mid 300 the Indus valley become part of the Gupta Empire which had expanded westward from northeastern India, Huns from Central Asia conquered the empire in mid 400s. The coming of Islam, In AD 711,Arabs Muslims sailed across the Arabian sea and invaded Sindh bringing Islam to the region, Beginning about AD 1000 Turkish Muslim invaded Northern Pakistan from Iran. The Turkish ruler Mehmood of Ghazni established a Muslim kingdom that in time including the entire Indus Valley. Lahore become the capital of the kingdom and developed into a major entre of Muslim culture. In 1206, most of what is now Pakistan became part of the Delhi Sultanat, a Muslim empire that included Northern India. The Delhi Sultanat lasted until 1526, when Babar a Muslim ruler from Afghanistan, invaded India and established the Mughul Empire. By far Sher Shahs greatest legacy is the modern Grand Trunk road which ran from Bengal to Attock, however some claim it ran right up to Kabul. Along the way Baulis and Sarais were constructed which are the equivalent of Modern day Service stations. Some 450 years later, an incompetent ruler of Modern Pakistan also fancied going down in History as Sher Shah Suri. The result, a road though one of the best in the world but a white elephant for the Pakistani Nation.

Implications of the Sahelanthropus Tchadensis (Toumai) Discovery Essay

Implications of the Sahelanthropus Tchadensis (Toumai) Discovery Compared to the complete history of life on earth, human history is relatively brief. The earth is billions of years old and living organisms probably appeared some two to four billion years ago. Many different kinds of animals have been inhabiting the earth for hundreds of millions of years. Early hominids which are human like creatures are thought to have originated just 5 million years ago and modern humans around 100,000 years ago. There have been a recent discovery that is now challenging the appearance of the early hominids. In the country of Chad which is located in central Africa scientists have recently made a discovery of a hominid skull. This skull was dated back to between 6 and 7 million years ago. The discovery was led by anthropologist Michel Brunet from the University of Poitiers in France. The find was named Sahelanthropus tchadensis and is nicknamed â€Å"Toumai† which means â€Å"hope of life† in an African language. The fossil find is an almost complete skull, some teeth, and a few fragments of the lower jaw. (Bower 2002) This fossil find is completely surprising and amazing. The remains that were found represent the earliest known member in the line of human evolution. This find could be the beginning of many which could completely change our current ideas of human evolution. This pushes back the dates of human history by 2 million years. If Toumai is truly a common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees this makes the molecular clock theory wrong. The molecular clock dates the divergence of humans and chimpanzees somewhere around 5 million years ago while the Toumai discovery suggests that is was 6 to 7 million years ago. (Bower 2002) Homini... ...of the same kind. This is only one very small link in the massive chain of human origin. Scientists need to continue to search the globe and make more new discoveries to further challenge the norm and uncover the truth of our history. Sources: Bower, Bruce. Evolutions surprise: fossil find uproots our early ancestors. Science News 13 July 2002; vol. 162, No. 2, P. 19. 4 April 2004 www.sciencenews.org Brunet, Michel. A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa. Nature 418, 145-151. 11 July 2002. 4 April 2002 www.ezproxy.ithaca.edu Paoli, Laurence. Toumai: Shaking our conceptions on the earliest steps of Hominid history. Science In Africa August 2002. 5 April 2004 www.scienceinafrica.com Whitfield, John. Oldest member of the human family found. Nature News Service/Macmillan Magazines 11 July 2002. 4 April 2004 www.nature.com

Interesting Person :: essays research papers

An interesting person should have lots of intrigues in his brain, and he should have a curious characteristic. So the adjective "interesting" seems to be the best word to describe me, there is no other better word. All of my old friends know I am a person who has lots of intrigues and happiness. In every important party, I am always invited to be the joker. For these reasons, I believe that I am the most interesting person I know. Interesting things were not strange to me when I was young. I still remember when I in primary school, I always thought about the difference between boys and girls. The most interesting matter was that why boys and girls went to different restrooms, and what was the difference of the 'equipment' inside restrooms. This question was always running around in my brain. Once I asked my father about it, but it might because my father grew up in a traditional Chinese family in which no one could talk about sex, his answer was " you will know when you get older!" which made me frustrated. Because I was extremely interested in this matter, so once I decided to switch the male-restroom card and the female-restroom card to see what would happen. The consequence was that no one knew how to use the 'equipment' in the switched restrooms. Finally, my class teacher who blamed me for tricking classmates told me about the differences between boys and girls. Till I entered high school, I still did not change my naughty characteristic. I have a very interesting experience to share with you: One time my brother drove me to school by his new Honda sports car, he drove faster by my request as I was going to be late. He stepped on the gas deeply and the sports car activated its V-tech function, in not more than 5 seconds, the sports car reached sixty miles per hour on the road supposed to drive thirty-five miles per hour at most. Unfortunately, we was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap hid somewhere on the road, and it measured our speed using radar and photographed our car. Two days later, I received a ticket for forty dollars and a photo of my brother's car. Instead of payment, I sent the police department a photograph of forty dollars. Several days later, my brother told me that he received a strange letter from the police department that contained a ticket for a hundred dollars and a photo of handcuffs.

Betrayal in Hamlet Essay

Betrayal is an act of disloyalty, treachery, violating trust, or breaching confidence. Betrayal is a reoccurring action in the tragic Shakespeare play, Hamlet. Many of the characters deceive one another as well as deny their own feelings, betraying themselves. The secrecy and dishonesty of Shakespeare’s characters show that the actions of humans do not always equate to their appearances in society. The interpersonal and person acts of deception in Hamlet contribute to Shakespeare’s theme of the duel nature of humanity. The most obvious act of betrayal in Hamlet is the murder of King Hamlet by his brother, Claudius. Shortly after the murder, Claudius marries Gertrude, the queen. This could be seen as an added betrayal on Gertrude’s part as well as Claudius’s. They quickly move on from the death of their husband/brother and do not mourn an adequate amount of time. To the public, the newly married couple appears happy and in control. In reality, they are both dealing with the guilt of their immoral actions as well as how their actions have affected Hamlet, who appears to have gone mad following the death of his father. Hamlet’s plot to act as though he is mad causes him to deceive and harm his family members and peers, primarily Ophelia. By denying his love for Ophelia, he leaves her confused and broken hearted. She didn’t understand why the man she loved was now acting as though he was disgusted by her and as if he never cared for her at all. Hamlet’s hasty actions continue when he abruptly murders Polonius, Ophelia’s father. This drives Ophelia into madness. Hamlet truly loves Ophelia, but she will never know because of his deceptive processes. When Hamlet denies his feelings for Ophelia he also betrays himself. He denies himself happiness and causes himself more pain than necessary. He focuses more on how he should appear to the public than on his own feelings. Hamlet also betrays his own feelings when he hesitates to avenge his father’s death. He does not accomplish what he wanted because he overthinks and overanalyzes. If he is wrong about his belief that Claudius killed his father, he would look terrible in the public eye. But in the process to become certain, he misses an opportunity to avenge his father. In conclusion, the characters in Hamlet are deceptive and dishonest. They portray the duel nature of humanity, to appear one way to the public and an entirely different way in private affairs. The characters’ acts of betrayal represent how they act out of the view of society.

Global Business Plan for Yankee Candle Company Essay

Yankee Candle Company began in 1969, as penniless Mike Kittredge, age 16, melted crayons to form a candle as a Christmas present for his Mom. A neighbor, mesmerized by his fabulous creation, expressed her desire to purchase one of his candles; thus Yankee Candle Company was born. Mike used his parent’s basement, kitchen, and garage to produce his scented candles. Five years later, in 1974, Mike moved production into an old paper mill located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1998 Forstmann Little & Company partnered with Yankee Candle Company and began to publicly trade on the NYSE in 1999. Mike Kittredge sold his first candle to a neighbor for $1.36, in 1969 and in 2005 Yankee Candle Company’s total sales were $601,180,000. Mike’s humble beginning in the family home has grown into a â€Å"wholesale customer network of 16,400 store locations, a growing base of Company owned and operated retail stores (390 located in 42 states),†¦ direct mail catalogs, its websi te,†¦ international distributors, and to a European wholesale network of approximately 2,200 store locations†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2006) Yankee’s passion for fragrance has become a profitable entity with visions of continued global expansion. Yankee Candle Company has branded their product as long-lasting and strong in fragrance. Yankee has developed over 150 fragrances for their various candle products. Their product line includes jars, votive, tarts, wax potpourri, pillars, tapers, and tea lights candles. Yankee’s design is innovative and their scents are pleasant, relaxing, and rejuvenating. Yankee Candle Company’s design department is visionary in developing candles to accent modern dà ©cor and fragrances that appeal to its customers. Yankee will explore and introduce aromas that are common to the Greek culture as they expand into this new market. Yankee Candle will emulate their â€Å"passion for fragrance† and provide a wide variety of choices for its new customers in Greece. The Yankee Candle Company continues to build on the passion and creativity of Mike Kittredge; driven by a mission to warm hearth and home with the fragrances of life through excellence, innovation, and passion. Yankee has been dedicated to excellence throughout their 37 year history. A company spokesperson attributes their success to, â€Å"our vertically integrated  business model, which enables us to control most every aspect of our business, from product development to manufacturing to distribution to marketing and sales. This structure allows us to consistently provide high quality and innovative products†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2006) Yankee’s innovation is evident in their candles and accessory designs, which acclimate too various dà ©cor preferences and the expanding variety of fragrances, which appeal to its customers. Yankee Candle Company is driven by an intense passion to spread the fragrances of life around the world for all to enjoy. The product expansion into the Greek marketplace is another step towards reaching their objectives. Yankee Candle Company will expand its fragrances to blend in with the cultures of new markets. Yankee will continue to develop partnerships with established Company owned retail stores as venues for their products to be sold. The candle company has already established Yankee Candle  ® Europe with a 30,000 square foot distribution center in Bristol, England that provides Yankee products for approximately 2,200 stores. This distribution center will be used to export Yankee products to be sold by retail stores in Greece. The Yankee Company has decided to expand their markets and head out to the Country of Greece. We will be exporting our candle line product from the United States to Greece. The product expansion into the Greek marketplace is another step towards reaching their objectives. Yankee Candle Company will expand its fragrances to blend in with the cultures of new markets. Yankee will continue to develop partnerships with established Company owned retail stores as venues for their products to be sold. As Yankee Candle expands into new regions of the world, distribution centers will be built to service their wholesale store network. Where trade barriers, economical and political policies will allow. When expanding into new countries, Yankee Candle will establish an online shopping website to market and sell their products. Since 1994, the United States is part of the NAFTA organization between three countries. â€Å"The North American Free Trade Agreement, known usually as NAFTA, is a free trade agreement among Canada, the United States, and Mexico. NAFTA  went into effect on January 1, 1994. NAFTA is also used to refer to the tripartite trading bloc of North American countries.† www.wikipedia.org. Since the inception of the Eurpeon Union in 1957 six countries were a part of this union. Nineteen further states have joined in and creasted a successful union. Greece joined the EU January, 1981. The exchange and repatriation of funds risks the Euro’s exchange rate against the dollar, remains unstable. The low interest rates, increased competition in the banking industry, and continued growth in commercial bank lending; to raise bad debt and strong growth in consumer borrowing. Economic growth is forecast to slow in 2006 and 2007. The consumer price inflation slowed dramatically in Greece before its entry into pre-economic and monetary union (EMU) in January 2001 and was helped by other temporary measures. The economy of the United States is stable made up of natural resource, labor and manufacturing, and investments. The United States† has the largest and one of the most technologically advanced national economies in the world, with a GDP of 13.049 trillion dollars.† www.wikipedia.org. Consumers and producers have some decision-making that form the economy, but the government also has a powerful role on the effects of the economy. The economy of Greece â€Å"is growing fast after the implementation of stabilization policies in recent years. Greece remains a net importer of industrial and capital goods, foodstuffs, and petroleum. Leading exports are manufactured goods, food and beverages, petroleum products, cement, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.† www.wikipedia.org. Greece is global leader in shipping, which is the transportation of goods and cargo by land, air, or sea. Types of currency used through out the world vary from country to country and or by region. The Unites States of America official currency is the dollar, symbol: USD also known to be abbreviated by $. The US currency was adopted in 1785 by the United States Congress. The United States dollar is also known as a world currency; in 1985 $300 billion dollars were in circulation,  with two thirds being out side of the Untied States. Each year the amount of U.S dollars is being circulated around the world continues to increase. In comparison to the Untied States of America, Greece uses the euro as denomination of currency type, symbol â‚ ¬. Greece is part of the European Union also knows as the EU. What I found most interesting is the European Monetary Union has ceded control of monetary policy to the European Central Bank. Versus the Untied States taking control over their own currency. â€Å"The European Union has a large economy, probably slightly larger than that of the United States of America with a 2005 GDP of 12,865,602 million vs. 11,734,300 million (USD figures) (using nominal US Dollar GDP) according to the International Monetary Fund.† www.wikipedia.org. Greece’s relations with other countries in the region have been steadily improving. Greece is working with Turkey to resolve their disagreements, mainly with regard to Cyprus. Failure to resolve the division of the island of Cyprus may increase tensions between Greece and Turkey as the latter finds its bid to join the European Union partially dependent on success, but tensions rise sharply with Turkey over the issue of Cyprus. Greece is also assisting and improving relations with the economic development of the Balkans. The Balkans is now viewed by Greece as a greater threat to security than Turkey. Also, renewed instability in the Balkans leads to unrest in Greece and trade disruption. Political corruption is considered higher in Greece than many other European Union countries. Politicians are dependent on media with strong ties to business interests. There is a politicized, anti-globalization environmental movement in Greece which is increasingly complicated in its use of th e courts and the European Union to block large projects. United States culture is very diverse but due to the level of the American culture there are many integrated but exclusive subculture within the U.S. The subcultures differentiated by status, ethnic background, residence, religion or other factors that functionally combine the group and act jointly on each subculture member. The ethnic groups are White, Black, Asian, Amerindian, Alaska native, native Hawaiian, and other Pacific  islander. The various religion are Protestant, Roman, Catholic, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Baptist, and others. Lastly, the languages are English, Spanish, Indo-European, Asian, Pacific island and others. Let us not forget that the government type is constitution-based federal republic but strong democratic tradition. As a result, the subcultures have their own joint set of customs, attitudes, and values. Greece is a diverse culture partial by its place at the crossroads between the East and the West and by the various occupations endured by the Greek people throughout history. The Greeks are proud of their culture which is the definition of their national and ethnic belonging. The Greeks culture is made of their traditions, religion, music, language, food and wines. Some of the traditions and superstitions vary from one island to another. Many countries differ within a range of dimensions including social structure, language, religion, and traditions to name a few. The difference has important implications on marketing strategy of the product. The most cultural difference that has an impact would be traditions. Candle scent preference may differ from one country to another. The company may encounter resistance to some of its different scents or wax. The organization must careful research Greece cultural norms and understanding the difference between US and Greece. Cross-Cultural training (literacy) would be needed to make sure the company advertising or marketing strategy does not offend anyone in the other country. The candles should be affordable due to the unemployment rate within Greece; however the organization must make a profit consider the cost to export the candles within that country. Yankee Candle is aware of the culture difference between the US and Greece, therefore staffing would be important to the organization. The organization would provide their US employees with language and cultural training. Yankee understands that one of their vendors Berlitz has experience and knowledge in cross cultural and language training that would help assist the expatriates. Berlitz offers a variety of programs and has been in the  business for 128 years, more than 450 centers in over 60 countries. Berlitz offers online, adult, children and teen programs for cultural and language training including one-on-one sessions. The cultural and language training would be for the family as well. The cultural training would be for two days and 100 hours for language training, however if more hours are needed for language the company would approve this cost. The employees that are going on the international assignment would have other benefits including when they are expatriating back in to the US. However, the expatriates will receive just a  ½ day of cultural training and language will not be necessary. The US dollar is not equal to the same amount in most other countries. Hence, the company would pay an additional allowance to cover the difference. The cost of living may be higher in the other countries, as a result a housing allowance is provided to the employee. The company does consider the cost living in the US and then compare that cost to living in Greece. The education in Greece is not the same for US citizens. As a result, to the language barrier and cultural it may be very difficult for the employee’s children to attend the local school in the host country for that reason private schools or boarding school may be required. Consequently the company is aware of this and therefore would provide tuition allowance. Due to the cultural and language difference there are going to be diversity issues, so human resource has provided an open door policy. The open door policy would allow employees to express him or she concerns and human resource will try to provide a solution to the problem, if possible. Supply chain management is an important role for the success of Yankee Candle Company to sell scented candles in Greece. Supply chain is most effective for optimal resource use, minimum total cost, and maximum value to the customer. Decisions with in supply chain are to buy your product or make your own. Yankee Candle Company already produces its own scented candles and will be the same for candles being shipped overseas. The production will be manufactured in the Company’s 294,000 square foot facility in Whately, Massachusetts. As a manufacturer, the Company is able to closely monitor product quality and control production costs, which ensures high quality  products and maintains affordable pricing. Information has been gathered from the Greece from the candle business industry. This data will assist in forecasting how much product is needed for a three months supply to meet the supply and demand in Greece. Lead time for the initiation of Yankee Candle Company to enter the Greece market is 10 months. In turn this will give enough time to meet the three month stock supply. The information gathered from the Greece candle market will support the types of scented candles that will be produced to ship overseas. Lead time for the shipment to arrive at the distribution warehouse is three month’s; the life span of a candle is three years. Placing our product will be near or around the largest cities and ports in Greece. The largest and most important city in Greece is Athens, the capital with population based in 1991 of 748,110. The largest port in Greece is Thessalonà ­ki, with a population of 377,951. Also another large port is located on the North part of the Peloponnesus, is a major seaport, with 155,180 inhabitants. Other sizable cities include Là ¡risa (113,426), Irà ¡klion (117,167), and Và ³los (76,463). The ports and its population are important factors in knowing were to place the Yankee Candle Stores. These would be in areas in the region that have the most population and are easily accessible to Tourist from vacation boats that may doc on these ports. Promoting Yankee Candle Company in Greece would be similar as it is currently in the Untied States. Through its retail stores the Yankee Candle company would open in Greece, direct mail catalogs. To include a large market Yankee candle will also promote is U.S product through television commercials newspapers, bill board singes through out the larger cities of Greece, and through its own web page http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/retail.jsp. Promotion for this product will be introduced to all who wants to have special fragrances in their homes. Business will also be targeted to have fresh new fragrances for their offices. Candles are an excellent gift for all ages and for any special occasion. The middle class in Greece is the main target market Yankee Candle Company is promoting the scented U.S candle product. In 2005  the labor force in Greece was at 4.72 million compared to unemployment rate of 10.8% figures from www.cia.gov. These figures give Yankee Candle Company the green light to proceed with international distribution into the Greece market. Pricing the candles will be 30% above the sale price of a U.S product. This will ensure the costs of having a U.S product of seas. Yankee Candle’s has successfully developed and market new products and earn enormous returns. We have success springs for the fact that it has a vertically integrated business model, with the in-house expertise required to design, develop, manufacture, distribute and sell our candle products. Our vertically integrated business model acts as a powerful platform to support our product innovation initiatives. This business model included strong research and development activities, an experienced employee team, and a basis skill in test marketing our products. We collected these resources to research consumer interests and home decor buying trends, and then to create original candle designs, fragrances, accessories, gift sets, home fragrance merchandise, and personal care items that align with our findings. We then release this merchandise into our distribution channels in a way that permits us to seek and track consumer feedback. This process positions us to fine-tune our new pro ducts from performance, to packaging, to labeling, to pricing helping to maximize the potential for each item we develop to have a successful launch and widespread acceptance. Together, these efforts helped to drive sales, attract new customers and extend the appeal of the Yankee Candle brand. Once exporting was chosen as the mode of entry, Yankee Candle secured assistance from a company called, Export Trade of America; to learn about insurance, tariff, and tax laws involved in trading with Greece. Yankee Candle Company will face various legal challenges when exporting its candles into Greece, but the process will go much easier with the help of an export management company. Yankee will need to comply with employee laws and have knowledge about hiring, firing, and discipline regulations in Greece. They will need to be acquainted with their legal system and how those laws are enforced. Greece is a parliamentary republic with a president, who is heads the executive administration, a prime minister, who is head of the government, and a 300 seat legislature. The judicial includes a Supreme Court, regional districts, and prefectures to decide civil and criminal cases. There is a national police force as well as policing agencies from the European Union. As a member of the European Union, the EU laws supersede those of the individual member nations. Yankee Candle Company will need to be aware of the EU laws, enforcement, penalties, and necessary trade practices. The European Union could cause legal complications as the union adds new members, arbitrates disagreements among its memberships, and as competition increases in the global marketplace. There has been a longstanding relationship between Greece and the United States of America. The two countries have diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement ties. Greece and the United States, recently signed treaties â€Å"covering extradition and mutual legal assistance, which further strengthened this cooperation.† (2006) Trade between these two nations should proceed with success barring increased terrorism, war, or a terrific natural disaster that impacts the global economy. It is important for any company to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As Yankee Candle employees examines their organization they listed the following as company strengths; strong business model, long-lasting candles, well-branded product, variety of fragrances, adaptability of product to various cultures and dà ©cor, strong financial backing, increasing profitability, expanding marketplace, efficient manufacturing and distribution process, and an innovative product development. Yankee Candle Company’s weaknesses include; rising cost for manufacturing and distributions, technological skills, single manufacturing center, adapting products to various cultures and customs, and material shortages. There are several opportunities that must be pursued to maintain profitability; increase presence in the global marketplace, expanded online shopping options, adapt fragrance choices to new markets, build foreign manufacturing and distribution center, and add accessories to their product line. There are many threats to the existence of Yankee Candle Company  including; competition’s pricing and product differentiation, terrorism, natural disasters, exchange rate, rising costs for manufacturing and distribution, and the products life-cycle. The external environment strengths include; reduction in trade barriers, strong European Union, technological advancements, and utilization of websites. The external weaknesses are; trade blocs, closed economic and political policies that prevent or limit imports/exports, and the affects of terrorism. External opportunities include; improving the economic levels of third world countries, utilizing the skills, resources, and expertise of various countries to lower costs and create an integrated economy, develop innovative products, and create a global network. Finally, the external threats include; terrorism, political instability, natural disasters, increased global competition, trade blocs that become fortresses against those outside their union, countries imposing regulations against outsiders who want to merger or acquire other foreign companies, conflict among existing trade bloc members, and inflation/deflation of the monitory systems. Reference: (2006, 4,12). The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. 2006 First Quarter Earnings Webcast. Retrieved 4/23/06, from SBC Yahoo Finance Web site: http://biz,yahoo.com/bw/060412/20060412005002.html?.v=1www.wikipedia.org., retreived April 24, 2006. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gr.html#EconRetrieved 5/13/06 from the World FactbookUnknown, Retrieve on April 23, 2006 fromhttp://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/gr.htmlUnknown, Retrieve on April 23, 2006 fromhttp://www.greeka.com/greece-culture.htm