Bill French Essay Example

Bill French Essay RESTRICTED INTERNAL USE ONLY BILL FRENCH Bill French picked up the phone and called his boss, Wes Davidson, controller of DuoProducts Corporation. â€Å"Wes, I’m all set for the meeting this afternoon. I’ve put together a set of break-even statements that should really make people sit up and take notice – and I think they’ll be able to understand them, too. † After a brief conversation, French concluded the call and turned to his charts for one last checkout before the meeting. French had been hired six months earlier as a staff accountant. He was directly responsible to Davidson and had been doing routine types of analytical work. French was a business school graduate and was considered by his associates to be quite capable and unusually conscientious. It was this later characteristic that had apparently caused him to â€Å"rub some of the working folks the wrong way,† as one of his coworkers put it. French was well aware of his capabilities and took advantage of every opportunity that arose to try to educate those around him. Davidson’s invitation for French to attend an informal manager’s meeting had come as a surprise to others in the accounting group. We will write a custom essay sample on Bill French specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Bill French specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Bill French specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, when French requested permission to make a presentation of some break-even data, Davidson acquiesced. Duo-Products had not been making use of this type of analysis in its planning procedures. Basically, what French had done was to determine the level at which the company must operate in order to break even. As he put it, The company must be able at least to sell a sufficient volume of goods so that it will cover all the variable costs of producing and selling the goods. Further, it will not make a profit unless it covers the fixed costs as well. The level of operation at which total costs are just covered is the break-even volume. This should be the lower limit in all our planning. The accounting records had provided the following information that French used in constructing his chart: Plant capacity – 2 million units per year Past year’s level of operations – 1. 5 million units Average unit selling price $7. 20 Total fixed costs $2,970,000 Average unit variable cost $4. 50 From this information French observed that each unit contributed $2. 70 to fixed costs after covering its variable costs. Given total fixed costs of $2,970,000, he calculated that 1,100,000 units must be sold in order to break even. He verified this conclusion by calculating the dollar sales volume that was required to break even. Since the variable costs per unit were 62. 5 percent of the selling price, French reasoned that 37. 5 percent of every sales dollar was left available to cover fixed costs. Thus, fixed costs of $2,970,000 required sales of $7,920,000 in order to break even. When he constructed a break-even chart, his conclusions were further verified. The chart also made it clear that the firm was operating at a fair margin above breakeven, and that the pretax profits accruing (at the rate of 37. percent of every sales dollar over break even) increased rapidly as volume increased (see Exhibit 1 at p. 2). Shortly after lunch, French and Davidson left for the meeting. Several representatives of the manufacturing departments were present, as well as the general sales manager, two assistant sales managers, the purchasing officer, and two people from the product engineering (bill french: p. 1/5) RESTRICTED INTERNAL USE ONLY office. Davidson introduced French to the few people whom he had not already met, and then the meeting got under way. French’s presentation was the last item on the agenda. In due time the controller introduced French, explaining his interest in cost control and analysis. French had prepared copies of his chart and supporting calculations for everyone at the meeting. He described carefully what he had done and explained how the chart pointed to a profitable year, dependent on meeting the sales volume that had been maintained in the past. It soon became apparent that some of the participants had known in advance what French planned to discuss; they had come prepared to challenge him and soon had taken control of the meeting. The following exchange ensued (see Exhibit 2 for a list of participants and their titles): Exhibit 1. Break-Even Chart – Total Business Exhibit 2. List of Participants in the Meeting Bill French.. Wes Davidson . John Cooper . Fred Williams Ray Bradshaw . Arnie Winetki Anne Fraser.. Staff Accountant Controller Production Control Manufacturing Assistant Sales Manager General Sales Manager Administrative Assistant to President bill french: p. 2/5) RESTRICTED INTERNAL USE ONLY John Cooper: You know, Bill, I’m really concerned that you haven’t allowed for our planned changes in volume next year. It seems to me that you should have allowed for the sales department’s guess that we’ll boost unit sales by 20 percent. We’ll be pushing 90 percent of capacity then. It sure seems that this would make quite a difference in your figuring. Bill French: That might be true, but as you can see, all you have to do is read the cost and profit relationship right off the chart for the new volume. Let’s see – at a million eight-hundred-thousand units we’d †¦ Fred Williams: Wait a minute, now! If you’re going to talk in terms of 90 percent of capacity, and it looks like that’s what it will be, you had better note that we’ll be shelling out some more for the plant. We’ve already got approval on investments that will boost fixed costs by at least $60,000 a month. And that may not be all. We may call it 90 percent of plant capacity, but there are a lot of places where we’re just full up and we can’t pull things up any tighter. John Cooper: Fred is right, but I’m not finished on this bit about volume changes. According to the information that I’ve got here – and it came from your office – I’m not sure that your break-even chart can really be used even if there were to be no changes next year. It looks to me like you’ve got average figures that don’t allow for the fact that we’re dealing with three basic products. Your report on each product line’s costs last year (see Exhibit 3) makes it pretty clear that the â€Å"average† is way out of line. How would the breakeven point look if we took this on an individual product basis? Bill French: Well, I’m not sure. It seems to me that there is only one break-even point for the firm. Whether we take it product by product or in total, we’ve got to hit that point. I’ll be glad to check for you if you want, but †¦ Exhibit 3 Product Class Cost Analysis, Normal Year Aggregate Sales at full capacity (units) Actual sales volume Unit sales price Total sales revenue Variable cost per unit Total variable cost Fixed costs Profit Ratios: Variable cost to sales Unit contribution to sales Utilization of capacity 2,000,000 1,500,000 $7. 20 10,800,000 4. 50 6,750,000 2,970,000 1,080,000 0. 625 0. 375 75% â€Å"A† 600,000 $10. 00 6,000,000 7. 50 4,500,000 960,000 540,000 0. 75 0. 5 30% â€Å"B† 400,000 $9. 00 3,600,000 3. 75 1,500,000 1,560,000 540,000 0. 42 0. 58 20% â€Å"C† 500,000 $2. 40 1,200,000 1. 50 750,000 450,000 0 0. 625 0. 375 25% Ray Bradshaw: Guess I may as well get in on this one, Bill. If you’re going to do anything with individual products, you ought to know that we’re looking for a big shift in our product mi x. The â€Å"A† line is really losing out, and I imagine that we’ll be lucky to hold two-thirds of its volume next year. Wouldn’t you buy that, Arnie? (bill french: p. 3/5) RESTRICTED INTERNAL USE ONLY (Agreement from the general sales manager. That’s not too bad, though, because we expect that we should pick up the 200,000 that we lose, plus about a quarter million units more, in â€Å"C† production. We don’t see anything that shows much of a change in â€Å"B†. That’s been solid for years and shouldn’t change much now. Arnie Winetki: Bradshaw’s called it about as we figure it, but there’s something else here. We’ve talked about our pricing on â€Å"C† enough, and now I’m really going to push our side of it. Ray’s estimate of maybe half a million units – 450,000 I guess it was – increase on â€Å"C† for next year is on the basis of doubling the price with no change in cost. We’ve been priced so low on this item that it’s been a crime – we’ve got to raise it for two reasons. First, for our reputation: the price is out of line with other products in its class and is completely inconsistent with our quality reputation. Second, if we don’t raise the price, we’ll be swamped, and we can’t handle it. You heard what Williams said about capacity. The way the whole â€Å"C† field is exploding we’ll have to deal with another half-million units in unsatisfied orders if we don’t jack the price up. We can’t afford to expand that much for this product. At this point, Anne Fraser walked toward the front of the room from where she had been standing near the rear door. The discussion broke for a minute, and she took advantage of the lull to interject a few comments. Anne Fraser: This certainly has been a helpful discussion. As long as you’re going to try to get all the things together for next year, let’s see what I can add to help you: Number One: Let’s remember that everything that shows in the profit area here on Bill’s chart is divided almost evenly between the government and us. Now, for last year we can read a profit of about $900,000. That’s right; but we were left with half of that, and then paid out dividends of $300,000 to the stockholders. Since we’ve got an anniversary year coming up, we’d like to put out a special dividend of about 50 percent extra. We ought to retain $150,000 in the business, too. This means that we’d like to hit $600,000 profit after taxes. Number Two: From where I sit, it looks as if we’re going to have negotiations with the union again, and this time it’s likely to cost us. All the indications are – and this isn’t public – that we may have to meet demands that will boost our production costs – what do you call them here, Bill – variable costs – by 10 percent across the board. This may kill the bonus-dividend plans, but we’ve got to hold the line on past profits. This means that we can give that much to the union only if we can make it in added revenues. I guess you’d say that raises your break-even point, Bill – and for that one I’d consider the company’s profit to be a fixed cost. Number Three: Maybe this is the time to think about switching our product emphasis. Arnie may know better than I which of the products is more profitable. You check me out on this Arnie – and it might be a good idea for you and Bill to get together on this one, too. These figures that I have (Exhibit 3) make it look like the percentage contribution on line â€Å"A† is the lowest of the bunch. If we’re losing volume there as rapidly as you sales folks say, and if we’re as hard pressed for space as Fred has indicated, maybe we’d be better off grabbing some of that big demand for â€Å"C† by shifting some of the assets from â€Å"A† to â€Å"C†. Wes Davidson: Thanks, Anne. I sort of figured that we’d wind up here as soon as Bill brought out his charts. This is an approach that we’ve barely touched on, but, as you can see, you’ve all got ideas that have to be made to fit here (bill french: p. 4/5) RESTRICTED INTERNAL USE ONLY somewhere. Let me suggest this: Bill, you rework your chart and try to bring into it some of the points that were made here today. I’ll see if I can summarize what everyone seems to be looking for. First of all, I have the idea that your presentation is based on a rather important series of assumptions. Most of the questions that were raised were really about those assumptions. It might help us all if you try to set the assumptions down in black and white so that we can see just how they influence the analysis. Then, I think that John would like to see the unit sales increase factored in, and he’d also like to see whether there’s any difference if you base the calculations on an analysis of individual product lines. Also, as Ray suggested, since the product mix is bound to change, why not see how things look if the shift materializes as he has forecast? Arnie would like to see the influence of a price increase in the â€Å"C† line; Fred looks toward an increase in fixed manufacturing costs of $60,000 a month; and Anne has suggested that we should consider taxes, dividends, expected union demands, and the question of product emphasis. I think that ties it all together. Let’s hold off on our next meeting until Bill has had time to work some more on this. With that, the meeting disbanded. French and Davidson headed back to their offices and French, in a tone of concern, asked Davidson, â€Å"Why didn’t you warn me about the hornet’s nest I was walking into? † â€Å"Bill, you didn’t ask! † Questions 1. What are the assumptions implicit in Bill French’s determination of his company’s break-even point? 2. On the basis of French’s revised information, what does next year look like: a. What is the break-even point? b. What level of operations must be achieved to pay the extra dividend, ignoring union demands? c. What level of operations must be achieved to meet the union demands, ignoring bonus dividends? . What level of operations must be achieved to meet both dividends and expected union requirements? 3. Can the break-even analysis help the company decide whether to alter the existing product emphasis? What can the company afford to invest for additional â€Å"C† capacity? 4. Calculate each of the three produ cts’ break-even points using the data in Exhibit 3. Why is the sum of these three volumes not equal to the 1,100,000 units aggregated break-even volume? 5. Is this type of analysis of any value? For what can it be used? (bill french: p. 5/5)

The Story of John Williams †Creative Writing Story

The Story of John Williams – Creative Writing Story Free Online Research Papers The Story of John Williams Creative Writing Story It was a dark evening, darker than usual, when John Williams decided to take his horse Rusty for a ride through the forest. He put on his dark robe and his hat, and left for the forest. After a long ride, a loud thunder boom almost knocked John off of his horse. Night was approaching rapidly, and after he felt the first weak raindrops of the brewing storm, he knew that he must head home. He motioned Rusty to take the cobblestone path to the left to head home. John was fairly confident of his location, but wasn’t exactly sure where he was. He was too stubborn to admit he was lost so he continued on the path, hoping to find his way. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a bright white light far off to the left. He decided to approach it, for he had never thoroughly explored this area before. When he veered off course and toward the light, he discovered a large mansion. The mansion was oddly white considering the shingles were old and rotting. As the rain drops grew larger and more frequent, he decided to head back on the path home. However, a low moan drew him closer to the house. Curiosity decided to take over, he just had to know what that sound was. He tied up his horse, took off his robe, and dove into the lake. The noise sounded louder this time as he pulled himself out of the moss-filled water. It sounded like an innocent person was being tortured; it was unlike any sound he had heard before in his life. He pushed open the door and stepped into the house. It was dark, but bright enough to make out some small details of the main room. Several pieces of dusty furniture sat, and the floor was filled with large holes. But the noise was coming from upstairs, and John carefully stepped up the creaking stairs. When he arrived at the top he quietly moved toward the source of the noise. Voices started talking in John’s head, he was wondering if he should go for more help. John knew it was too lat to turn back now so he pushed open the last door at the end of the hall and stepped inside to the most horrifying sight he had ever seen. John was so scared he couldn’t even speak. That following morning was bright and sunny. It was quite damp and the two young boys were walking through the forest. As they past the lake on their walk something black caught their eye. They walked up to it and picked it up. It was a black robe, and they had no idea where it could have come from. So they picked it up, and dusted it off. Then they threw a rock into the sun’s reflection in the empty lake. Its calm clear water rippled, and they walked away. Research Papers on The Story of John Williams - Creative Writing StoryThe Spring and AutumnMind TravelThe Hockey GameThe Masque of the Red Death Room meanings19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionCapital PunishmentHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayWhere Wild and West Meet

Business Process Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Process Analysis - Essay Example of undertakings under operation management may include acknowledgement of stakeholders’ interests, sustainable organizational development, among others. The goods firms are some how different while being compared to the services companies with operations management in focus. Some of the attributes to consider for an operations management in a services firm are; information distribution, transformation of information, financial functions, transportation and movement of people and goods, and experience generation. (Nankervis, 2005) This study is going to analyze the Southwest Airlines’ four processes that are linked to the daily operations and performance determination. To this, this question is to be answered in a comprehensive approach,† Which four processes can be identified in SWA (Southwest Airlines) and that are utilized to determine its daily business performance?† Several functions are going to be analyzed and which are unique to SWA. One of the main processes is the supplier information function, which according to SWA is highly dedicated to ensure quality services to customers alongside a company spirit. The company is also committed to ensure that employees are provided with a stable environment of work. The section strives to make air fares stand at their lowest levels. Therefore, the company seeks to all suppliers to quote lower prices so as to ensure that the costs are low enough to keep their commitments. Secondly, at SWA there’s the customers service commitment. The company ensures highest quality of customer service under this section. SWA is committed toward delivery of flights at a frequent rate. The organization in its entirety empowers every of its employees to make decisions so as to ensure high quality of customer service is enhanced. (SWA, 2009) Also the Airlines is committed towards ensuring that there is total safety when it comes to employees and customers. The company has a strong culture of maintaining safety as regards

Discussion 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion 5 - Assignment Example According to the nurse, some patients or patients’ associates may turn hostile or physical at worst, especially when a health worker reveals certain disturbing information to them such as the loss of a loved one or the failure of a surgical procedure done on a person close them. The issue is related to the ethical principle of nonmaleficence because the nurse may have to decide between retaliating and upholding professionalism (Kjervik & Brous, 2010). Understanding the concerns of the advanced practice nurse provides me with an insight into the complexities involved in adjudicating similar ethical issues in my practice. The understanding demonstrates to me the need to be prudent in my conduct. An issue facing the Patient Protect and Affordable Care Act is the increased backlog of patients that physicians have to attend to due to the expansion of medical coverage that have accrued from the implementation of the act. Shortage of nurses in the U.S accentuates the problem from this issue. While expanding coverage to the uninsured Americans is good, physicians’ increased backlog might delay patients’ access to care because of inadequate healthcare workforce. A legal issue surrounding the increased backlog of patients for the few available physicians is the challenge to expand the scope of practice for non-physician health professionals in order to help reduce the backlog. Laws regulating the scope of practice of health practitioners have always required that physicians supervise the practice of other non-physician practitioners. This policy will provide a window for me as an advanced practice nurse to exercise my specific role complementing that of physicians (Le Buhn & Swankin, 2010). One of the changes that I would make to the Affordable Care Act is to expand the role of advanced practice nurses by charging them with management of health homes. Advanced

The Meaning of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Meaning of Life - Essay Example I find this as the most convincing as regarding the question to the real meaning of life. This is surely the greatest way to perceive life-one’s own life, the life of a nation, a species, the world, and all living things. The meaning of life comes to us when we do things that our heart and mind desires, things that seem of importance to us. Otherwise, doing things that draw boredom since they seem not of much interest ton us does not bring the meaning of living into us. We can realize the idea of meaningless existence and the meaningless of life if we keep on doing things that bear no fruits to us and brings nothing (Taylor 433). It surely has no meaning to perform an activity that has been drawn repeatedly but, have no direction and purpose of it. With this, the objective of existence is meaningless. Richard Taylor draws this idea from our lives, and that of the animals, the endless activities that get nowhere. However, he also says that if this is what one is willing to per sue then the idea of meaning of life comes in. At one point, we ask ourselves why we do things repeatedly without getting anything out of it, a perfect image of meaningless existence. ... He also points out something important that we realize in our day to day life, we go through life doing things that which begin to fade into time as the next time is instigated yet it would be no redemption to rest from all this (Taylor 437). It would be a denunciation that would not be redeemed if we gaze at things we have done no matter how beautiful and permanent they are. The meaning of life requires us to create new ideas and perform new tasks each and every new day. All these should be encouraged by our willingness to perform this tasks for living, and it carries on to our children and the generation to come. Epicurus has also created a clear meaning of life as life is driven by the choices, actions, and for us to make correct choices we have to be wise in our decisions. He says that we have to be wise, so as to live pleasantly. It is from this that we gain honor and just. He says that some things happen because of necessity; some happen by chance, others by agency. We should b e wise and take good actions because we are responsible for our own actions. It is from them that we take praise or blames. Epicurus calls for us to believe in God, and affirm to his blessings. He creates the idea that there are gods, but the respect given unto them does not prevail. Living also requires us to believe that death is nothing to us, for both evil and good imply the capacity for sensation, and that death is the privation of all sentience. The meaning of life requires believing that death is a part of life and that it adds the yearning of immortality. We are advised to believe that life does not end after death for not the living or the dead exists no longer. The meaning of life

The Topic Of Sustainable Tourism

The Topic Of Sustainable Tourism This mini report aims at providing valuable information on the chosen research topic of sustainable tourism. The report aims at looking deep in to the topic by drafting the core literature of the topic followed by methodology and some finding and conclusion. This report reassess the growth of the term, commencing with a debate of the confusion arising from the vague and contradictory definitions of the concept, and the need to differentiate between sustainable tourism and the development of tourism on the main beliefs of sustainable development. The paper then re-examine the green focus of consultation of sustainable tourism and disagree for the need to ensure that the impression incorporates and is functional to the human environment as well as the physical environment. Concentration then moves to effort of haulage capacity, organize of tourism development, and the implication of the term to mass or conservative tourism. Last but not the least, the mini report concludes with a discussion of the prospect way of sustainable tourism and the probability of expansion moving in this direction. Tourism in the current millennium, correctly managed, has the latent to partake in, revolutionize and recuperate the societal, political, cultural, as well as the ecological magnitude of peoples potential lifestyle. In this new era, one of the maximum purposes of this policies and philosophies of tourism will be to cross-examine the cultural, economical, political as well as environmental reimbursement of tourism for the people, destinations and countries in order to prolong a healthy lifestyle (Edgell, 2006) Moreover, sustainable tourism can certainly become a major vehicle for realization of mankinds uppermost ambition in the mission to attain affluence while maintaining social, ecological and environmental veracity (Edgell, 2006). As such there is no particular definition of sustainable tourism. Complementing this, (Swarbrooke, 1999) mentions that sustainable tourism can be defined as the type of tourism which is ecologically practical but does not destroy the resources on which future tourism depends remarkably on the bodily environment as well as the social structure of the multitude community. Aims and Objective To review the topic of sustainable tourism Measuring the growth of sustainable tourism and answering the research question of is sustainable tourism consistent. Literature Review The tourism Industry The tourism industry today has reached a considerable level in terms of profits, number of tourists at varied destinations etc. In addition, the tourism sector has grown tremendously in the last decade providing visitors with a ur plus of destinations to visit. There have also been different types of tourism that have been developing namely, sports tourism, animal tourism, destination tourism, etc. Moreover, the type of tourism in the current lime light has been sustainable tourism as this is now playing a vital role in environmental issues (Edgell, 2006). Furthermore, details about sustainable tourism have been mentioned in the report further. Sustainable Tourism itself One of the main problems with the idea of sustainable growth is the method in which the solitary word sustainable has been useful to a diversity of performance pedestal on the supposition that it takes with it the ideological and theoretical inference of the thought (Harrison 1996). In the case of tourism, the effect has been the exterior and prevalent espousal of the term sustainable tourism, repeatedly devoid of any shot to define it (Hunter and Green 1995). In the situation of tourism, an apposite classification of sustainable tourism is tourism in a form which can continue its practicality in a vicinity for an indistinct period of time states (Butler 1993). Tourism at places such as Niagara Falls, London, Paris or Rome, is extremely sustainable. It has been winning in that place for years and depicts no cipher of declining. With such a definition, the importance is on the preservation of tourism, but in most issues, tourism is rival for capital and may not be the top or wisest use of possessions in these locations in the future.. The above mentioned definition, though, is not what is usually unspoken by the term sustainable tourism. Somewhat, relying on the present literature, what is in general meant by that term is as follows: tourism which is developed and maintained in an area in such a mode and at such a extent that it leftovers practical over an unlimited epoch and does not mortify or adjust the environment in which it survives to such a level that it proscribes the triumphant expansion and well being of performance and processes. (Butler 1993) The dissimilarity between these definitions is not just a theme of semantics. The meaning of sustainable tourism above mentions very modest about something except the future of tourism. Wall (1996) has noted, a single sectoral approach, a little that is at odds with the thought of sustainable growth, which by its extremely environment is holistic and multispectral. Thus sustainable tourism is not unconsciously identical as tourism urbanized in line with the philosophy of sustainable advance. As long as it is this way, then haziness and uncertainty will go on. Therefore the need to label the type of tourism being intentional or developed beyond the catch-all of sustainable is therefore critical, if information about the sustainability of tourism is to be long-drawn-out. Major issues in Sustainable Tourism The key term in this concept is the one of restrictions. However much proponents of growth may disregard the detail, implied in the impression of sustainable progress is the thought of confines. In the case of tourism, this is usually articulated in terms of numbers of tourists; though implied in this is the linked infrastructure development and scenery modifications. While accepted wisdom on carrying capability has been tailored really since the 1960s, researchers were looking for the magic number of guests who could be put up at a specific spot, the distress of volume still remains (Butler 1996). though it is by and large traditional that numbers unaided are not an fully pleasing measure of the belongings of tourism, there is hesitation that, in approximately all tourism contexts, there is a utmost figure of tourists who can be productively house. The detail remains, but, that in approximately every imaginable context, there will be an higher limit in provisos of the information of tourists and the quantity of advance associated with sightseeing that the target can withstand mentions (Shipp 1993). Once these echelons are surpassed, by and large in undesirable form. The environment of tourism itself modifys, the natural world of the purpose changes, the attractively and therefore the feasibility of the purpose declines, and tourism becomes no longer sustainable in its original form. If overeat and overdevelopment continue unabated, then any form of tourism may become indefensible in that location (Butler 1991; Cooper 1996; Zanetto Soriani 1996). An input part of scenery aim for sustainable tourism is the establishment of the tourism carrying faculty of a destination area (1996). In fact little, development suggestions classify or advise such restrictions. If sustainable increase ethics are incorporated in expansion plans in everything more than name barely, they are as a rule understood in indistinguishable terms which are long on sentiment and short on details. This is describes, in part, by the detail that researchers and policy makers in tourism have never grabbed the agitate of haulage capacity or confines and have never fashioned measures that could be used in such contexts (Butler 1996). The burning necessitate to take such steps at the local altitude as well as at new superior levels of government has been harassed more strongly just (Coccossis C Parpairis 1996; Johnson and Thomas 1996). Methodology The research methodology enables the researcher to collect the significant and relevant data for a particular research. In order to understand the recent developments in sustainable tourism, a secondary research has been conducted. Data in this research has been analyzed using graphs and charts. Some of the data is also presented in the discussion format to get the deeper knowledge. Moreover, secondary data included google books, academic articles as well as research journals in order to find accurate and precise data. Industry professional interviews were also considered. Findings and Conclusion In trying to identify where the state of the art of current research on tourism in the context of sustainable development stands is rather difficult. There is now a sizeable body of literature on this subject, which is growing rapidly. The topic has even resulted in the appearance of a journal {Journal of Sustainable Tourism) devoted to this field. A great deal more research by geographers and others has been conducted and is just reaching the publication stage (Pigram c Wahab 1997; Hall C Lew 1998; C. Becker, University of Trier, personal communication). Thus one cannot conclude simply that there is little written and that much remains to be done, nor can one argue that the key questions have been resolved. Although a great deal has been written, particularly in the last 5 years, I feel that much research does still remain to be undertaken. The key problem, in my mind, is the current inability to define to the satisfaction of all, or even most, of the stakeholders in tourism, exactl y what is meant by sustainable tourism. As noted above, this remains a major problem and, because ambiguity exists, almost any form of tourism can, and often is, termed sustainable. Related to this fundamental issue is the question of how sustainability might be monitored and measured if and when a satisfactory definition of sustainable tourism is established and accepted. It is clear that current research in all disciplines involved with tourism has not really tackled the problem of monitoring the effects of tourism in any context. Despite the real need to benchmark and monitor, first called for many years ago (Mathieson 8>C Wall 1982), such efforts have, by and large, been at best sporadic and non-systematic. Given the hype that exists in industry and political circles to persuade people that much is being done to achieve sustainable tourism, there is implicit, if not overt, opposition to research that might show that very little new or existing tourism development is sustainable, or at best that a decision on its sustainability cannot be made for many years to come. Also, many proponents of the idea of sustainable tourism seem unwilling to accept that, because an operation calls itself sustainable, it may not be so in reality. To assess the real impacts of tourism and the level of sustainability achieved requires in-depth longitudinal research and environmental, economic and social auditing. This requires stable funding and a willing- ness on the part of researchers to commit to a research programme for a considerable period of time. There is very little evidence that this sort of commitment currently exists and good long-term research on sustainable development in tourism or any other field is extremely scarce (Wall 1996). One can argue, therefore, that the greatest research need is to develop measures of sustainability and to apply these to existing and new forms of tourism development to help determine what affects sustainability and how it can be achieved; in other words, to operationalize the concept and evaluate it in operation. This is far more complex than it sounds because, as discussed above, a multi-sectoral approach is essential, and this requires much more than simply estimating the direct effects of tourism on the physical and human environments of destination areas. Even when the elements and processes of sustainability are identified and understood, there is still no guarantee that it will be practised in destination areas. It will be necessary, if sustainability is to be achieved, to ensure that all stakeholders are willing participants in the process. If the industry, at all scales, cannot be persuaded that it is in its own direct interest to commit to some principles of sustainability, then efforts ofother stakeholders will have little effect. If the public sector is not willing to educate and, if necessary, enforce sustainable policies and actions, then few are unlikely to follow them. Simply listing appropriate actions and strategies and calling for their adoption (Table 2), as some governments have done (Tourism Canada 1990), is but a first step specific action and enforcement are necessary as well. If local residents cannot see the short-term as well as long-term benefits to themselves of sustainable policies, they will subvert or ignor e them. Finally, if the tourists themselves do not enjoy or anticipate satisfaction from sustainable forms of tourism, they will not participate and not visit destinations geared to offer this type of tourism. One of the other tasks facing researchers, if they wish to ensure the application as well as the understanding of sustainable development of tourism, is to find ways to ensure the necessary policies and actions are acceptable to all stakeholders in tourism. Simply saying that all is well and that sustainable tourism is the way of the future because there is a growing interest in the concept will not ensure its adoption or success. At present, there is a disturbing tendency, in the desire to promote sustainable tourism, to claim that any small-scale, environmentally or culturally focused form of tourism is sustainable, particularly where it is developed by or for local residents. In the absence of accurate and reliable indicators and monitoring, one cannot comment on the sustai nability of any enterprise until many years after its establishment, and only then, after comparing its operation and effects, to the state of the environment at the time of its establishment. Given that the term sustainable development did not enter the lexicon until 1987, it is still too soon to say if anything created since then is truly sustainable or not.

Education reforms Essay

Education reforms are procedures that bring systematic changes in the education sector in a society or community. Education reforms date back in the time of the Roman Empire during Christianity due to the need to teach the roman about Christianity. The modern reforms were preceded by the neo classical education that was similar to the classical education in m any way. The need for modern reforms is backed by many reasons, which include the economic reasons, different philosophies in the education, different aims of education and the essence of educating all the people unlike in the past when education was meant to be for the well up families. Reforms in the modern education have been of paramount importance, this is because the classical education system answered the question about when where, what, who, and how, and leaving the questions of which and why, more so, the classical education preferred the use of the ancient languages like the Latin and Greek thereby deprecating the local languages and this produced odd effects in the social arena. The child study program that was introduced by Jacques Rousseau that meant to educate the children as they developed to adult hood was very important though it was rarely implemented but enabled the later thinkers. He advocated for the removal of the children from the society and utilize their potential and curiosity by teaching them through experience instead of intellectually. In countries like Prussia, Spain, Soviet Union, Germany and France, the education reforms were of great important since education is used to install a symbol of national unity, culture and maintain a national language. This resulted to many children being taught the national language in their early childhood and the immigrants were also forced to learn these language so that they would be easily be assimilated into these nations. Education reforms have been carried out to attain many different objectives, but in general most reforms are directed to address the problems within the society, this general view has enabled these reforms to be implemented, some of the societal problems being addressed are problems of poverty, class and gender. These changes are proposed by thinkers and are then implemented through the society change institutions like the education of certain class of individuals in the society; ruling class, immigrant class or the ruling class. Education reforms have been seen as an avenue to achieve democracy. This is because when the general public is educated, it is likely to make wise informed decisions in all aspects in life (economic and social aspects) and therefore guarantee high levels of democratic governance that can only be achieved through education. Educational reforms for democratization have been recorded in Plato and US during the reign of Thomas Jefferson. Social economic problems have been associated with lack of proper education therefore resulting to the need for education reforms. It has been observed that education reforms have had good yields of creation of wealth and improving the social welfare. In 1950 in Kerala, India, the improvement in the health standards of the women was associated with the increase in the education levels of women due to the educational reforms. In Iran the increase in level of income and efficiency in farming methods had a correlation with the education reforms. Good educational reforms such as the libertarian that allowed the parents or guardians to select the best schools for their children has enabled the children to excel in their academic performance due to the increased competition among the schools. The competition has compelled the schools to offer better education and improve the standards in schools. The increased demand for parents to take the responsibility of their children learning through home education has been accepted in many countries since the parents can monitor their children closely rather than taking them to the public schools whose performance is questionable. There has also been the introduction of online learning where by a student can study online ether at home or at the office. These reforms have yielded good results since students is able to monitor himself and plan his/ her work after considering the tasks he / she should accomplish. The introduction of the adult education has earned better fruits than offering the adults with opportunities. This is usually implemented better by having a public library fully equipped with academic resources for use. Other reforms that have had good results include the involvement of the students in the learning activities through participation in classrooms. The students are used by the board of governors and the school authorities to know the changes that are essence. Some of the problems that have resulted due to the education reforms is the introduction of the public schools, these schools are supported by the locals through the levies they pay. This means that the schools have different learning facilities depending with the financial endowment of the locals and the ability to pay the taxes. The schools within the poverty ridden areas are likely to be failing. This has resulted to division in the performance of schools in different states when weighed on a common scale. This is a great mistake since their should be equality in funding of all schools in all states so that all the children have equal opportunities. Another problem is the no child left behind policy; this ensures that all children pass the federal exams without which the schools will lose its federal funding. This further forces the teaching staff to teach the students the exams, what is likely to be tested, and the students are left with the purpose of memorizing rather than understating what is taught. This action goes against all the fundamental principles of teaching. Another problem with the public education program is that the teachers only teach what they know, and since the teaching fraternity is dominated by the white with rare cases of colored that found their way to America through the illegal immigration, slave trade or brain drain, this means that the teachers cannot teach or answer question about the non white cultures or traditions The education reforms have had very positive impact to the student from the disadvantage families, those living below the poverty line and may be have single parent’s whiles others have emotional, physical or mental disabilities. These kinds of children have diminished expectation and were given less attention in classrooms, but with the reforms, they have experienced different kind of classrooms whereby they interact with others and compete in performing complex tasks The reforms have been characterized with clear cut goal and objectives to be achieved that are communicated to the parents, teachers, and the students who must come to an agreement on how viable and sustainable is the reform. The reforms must provide a school culture that provides an atmosphere for learning whilst linking all the cultures of all students and backgrounds. Proper management of the reforms is essential, this involves considering all the internal and external environment, the expected results should be listed and control measures put in place in case the objectives are not attained. The kind oaf reforms that should be encouraged are the once that have been evaluated keenly and found to have a positive net effect, this is because some reforms are likely not to meet the expectation. Formal procedure for reforms should begin by identification, formulation, appraisal, implementation, completion and the evaluation.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 20

I thought about it for half a heartbeat, and even that was too long. There was no question what my decision could be. Seth and I were bound together. Even if it had been for Jerome's convenience, Seth had found my soul across the incredible reaches of the dream world. Seth and I had found each other, life after life, and continually fallen in love. Even if we didn't consciously remember each other, some inner part of ourselves had connected. I remembered Roman's words. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? No, the cycle was going to end. On my terms. These lives we'd lived . . . the pain we'd suffered . . . it wouldn't be for nothing. It didn't matter if Seth hated me and never wanted to see me again. I wouldn't abandon him – not now, not ever. â€Å"No deal,† I said to Roman. â€Å"Seth and I are doing this together, whether he knows it or not.† Roman didn't try to talk me out of it. He simply said, â€Å"You understand what's at stake?† â€Å"I do.† If we failed here, I wouldn't just lose my soul. I would also be looking forward to an eternity in Hell's service, with superiors none-too-pleased that I'd shaken up the status quo. I didn't doubt that there was some article or clause somewhere that said I couldn't be penalized for this, but as I'd noted before, Hell had plenty of ways of punishing people off the record. The Las Vegas position would probably no longer exist, forcing me to relocate to some truly terrible location. Hannibal called the court back to order, and Roman relayed my decision. Hannibal clicked his tongue disapprovingly. â€Å"Risking it all for the new car, eh? Well, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it falls in your hands now. You've heard the evidence – and lack thereof. Do you believe there is enough ‘proof' to support the petitioner's case? Should both contracts – that these individuals willingly signed – be invalidated?† So much for justice being blind. The jury cast votes anonymously, which I found interesting. It was a small nod toward impartiality, theoretically providing protection to those who voted against their side's best interests. From what both Roman and Marcel had told me, I could see it happening among the angels. But did it ever happen with demons? Even if they knew the right or wrong of a situation, their ultimate goal was to accrue souls for Hell. Would any of them be moved by a case enough to go with their conscience? Was it possible that some spark of goodness could still endure in the darkness of this place? Judging from the quick way everyone scrawled their responses on the pieces of paper given, it didn't look like it. There was no hesitation. The demons wore cocky, self-assured expressions. Angels and demons came from the same stock, but I'd been told that once they spent enough time in Hell, that angelic nature was eroded away. These demons weren't going to lose any sleep about what became of my soul. The votes were collected by the bailiff. He sorted them into two suspiciously similarly sized piles and handed them to the judge. Hannibal did a quick count and nodded to himself before addressing us. A new stillness fell over the room. â€Å"Here we go,† murmured Roman. â€Å"The jury has spoken,† said Hannibal. â€Å"Six to six. We have a tie.† There was a collective exhalation in the room, and then the tension ramped back up as everyone waited for the next step. I shouldn't have been surprised by the tie, but some part of me had been hoping maybe, just maybe, a wayward demon would've voted in my favor. I had my answer. There was no spark of goodness here. It couldn't survive in Hell. â€Å"In accordance with article . . . fuck, I don't know . . . article something-or-other, we'll be going to a tiebreaker vote,† said Hannibal. The bailiff returned with an ornate vase, which he handed to the judge. Hannibal dumped out the contents, revealing a white marble and a black marble. â€Å"In this case, it really is as simple as black and white. If the black one's drawn, a demon casts the deciding vote. If it's white, an angel will.† He paused, looking bemused. â€Å"That's so cliched. I don't suppose we could switch the colors around? Just this once? No? Okay, let's get on with it.† He scanned the jury and pointed to an angel with curly red hair and long-lashed blue eyes. â€Å"You. You'll do the draw.† She nodded her acceptance and approached the bench gracefully. Again, another attempt at justice. If Hannibal had drawn the marbles, I would have been suspicious of the outcome. The fairness of the matter was future solidified when he made her swear to draw fairly, without using her powers to advantage. â€Å"I swear,† she said, placing the marbles in the vase. She shook them up and reached her hand in, casting a brief and – unless I was mistaken – sympathetic look at me. Her hand emerged, closed in a fist. When she opened it, no one could see the marble right away, but her face told the story. â€Å"Shit,† said Roman. The angel's palm revealed a black marble. She handed it to the judge who made no pretense at hiding his joy. He thanked her as she returned to her seat and then held the marble up for all the room to see. There was a murmur of excitement among the demons, delighted at having won the gamble he'd laid before us. I had a moment of regret, but only a small one. I could've walked away from here with my soul and life intact. I could've never brought this up and continued my life as a succubus undisturbed, living out the dream scenario in Las Vegas. Instead, I'd risked everything for the chance to free myself and Seth. And I'd lost for both of us. Had it been worth it? Yes. † ‘Fate' has spoken,† said Hannibal, still admiring the marble. â€Å"Per the rules, the decision now falls to a thirteenth juror, who will be randomly selected from a pool of Hell's illustrious servants. Doris?† Doris began clicking away at her laptop. After a few moments, she gave a nod toward the bailiff. He walked toward the back exit, presumably to escort in the thirteenth juror. My heart felt heavy and leaden, and I was startled when Roman again placed his hand on mine. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I should have fought harder. Or pushed you to take the deal – â€Å" I squeezed his hand back. â€Å"No. You were perfect. The only thing you shouldn't have done was get involved with this mess.† It was impossible to believe, but whatever fate awaited me after my suit was denied wouldn't be half as bad as his. He gave me a playful smile. â€Å"What, and miss the chance to laugh in the face of Heaven and Hell? Besides, there's no way I could leave you to – â€Å" The courtroom had given way to chatter when the bailiff left, and now silence resumed upon his return. Whatever sentiments Roman had been about to say were lost, as he joined me in looking back to see the demon who would cast the last condemning vote on me. When I did, I had to do a double take. It was Yasmine. I almost didn't recognize her. It had been a year since I'd seen her, a year since I'd watched her fall from grace, transforming from an angel to a demon. Yasmine had committed a number of grave sins as an angel, starting when she'd fallen in love. That alone was forbidden for her kind, but it had gone one step further – she'd fallen for a nephilim named Vincent. Vince was a great guy, but like Roman, the standard reaction from angels and demons alike had been prompt destruction. One angel had finally acted on that impulse, and Yasmine had rushed to defend Vince – killing the other angel in the process. And with that, she had been condemned to Hell. I had seen it. It had been terrible. One angel's death, another's fall. It had all gone down the night Nyx had been found and recaptured. Vince and I had been in the cross fire of it. I'd done what I could for him, but there was nothing I could do to stop Heaven's punishment. Before leaving town, Vince had told me that it didn't matter what I thought I knew about Yasmine. He'd said that once she had spent enough time in Hell and around other demons, she'd become like them. It was what happened to all of them, how someone like Carter could become someone like Jerome. I hadn't believed it at the time but could understand it better after being surrounded in the despair and wrongness of this place. And when I studied her now, I could see it had happened to her too. I remembered a smiling, laughing young woman with sparkling dark eyes and shining black hair. The hair and eyes were ostensibly the same, but there was no light or laughter in them. Her eyes seemed fathomless, dark and cold as she stared straight ahead and walked to the front of the courtroom. She was wearing a gauzy black dress, reminding me of some Goth courtesan, and her long, flowing hair blended into the silken fabric. Even if I'd never met her or known her history, I would have instantly identified her as a demon. Just like the others in the room, there was something in the way she looked and carried herself. I was about to be condemned by someone who had once been my friend. Yasmine reached the front of the courtroom and was gestured toward the witnesses' table. She sat down, gazing around the room with an unreadable expression. â€Å"You've been following the trial?† asked Judge Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she said, in a voice as expressionless as her face. How she'd been watching, I couldn't say. With Hell, it could've been closed-circuit TV or a magic mirror for all I knew. â€Å"And you understand your duty?† asked Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she replied. Hannibal was trying to maintain some semblance of formality and procedure, but the self-satisfied smirk on his face was kind of negating that. He was too goddamned pleased with himself and this turn of events. â€Å"Cast your vote then, based on the evidence and arguments you've witnessed. If you believe the two contracts are both sound and have not contradicted each other, then cast your vote against the petitioner.† When silence followed, Roman spoke up. â€Å"And if she thinks the two contracts aren't valid?† â€Å"Yes, yes.† Hannibal made a dismissive gesture, annoyed at this obvious waste of his time. â€Å"If you believe the contracts do contradict each other, then cast your vote for the petitioner.† Yasmine was given a piece of paper and pen, just like the other jurors. And just like the others, she wasted no time in writing her vote, her markings swift and certain. When she finished, she looked up serenely, no change in her expression, no sign that we'd ever once known each other. As terrible as I felt about my own fate, I couldn't help but feel nearly as bad for what Hell had done to someone as good and kind as her. No, I thought. Not just Hell. Really, Heaven was just as guilty. What kind of group could advocate goodness and not allow its members to love? Hannibal took the paper from her with a flourish and held it out before him to read. â€Å"In accordance with the laws of this court, and the infallible Kingdom of Hell, the jury finds – † There was a pause, and the next part came out as a question. â€Å"In favor of the petitioner?† A spark of goodness in the darkness. . . . For a moment, nothing happened. The courtroom was silent, frozen in time. Then, several things happened right on top of each other. From behind me, I heard Jerome say, â€Å"Shit.† Yasmine winked at me. Roman hugged me. Hannibal reread the slip of paper, looked at Yasmine, and then swallowed before speaking. â€Å"Both contracts are declared invalid, null and void.† Most of the room was on its feet, voices raised in fury. I had no time to process what they were saying, though, because I was disintegrating away. â€Å"No, not yet!† I exclaimed. I reached desperately for Roman, whose arms had been around me, but couldn't get ahold of him anymore. I was becoming nothing, a will-o'-the-wisp, unable to grasp anything of substance. I tried, though. I tried to grab him and take him with me because there was no way I could leave him here, not in the midst of a bunch of demons pissed off over having just lost two souls. I even tried to say his name, but it didn't work. I had no mouth, no voice anymore. I was leaving this place, and he was staying. The last thing I saw was his sea green eyes regarding me with both happiness and sorrow. I thought I heard him saying something about â€Å"a far, far greater thing,† and then I perceived nothing. I would have screamed in fury if I could have, but I was gone. I was nothing. Only darkness.

Defining the Meissner Effect in Quantum Physics

Defining the Meissner Effect in Quantum Physics The Meissner effect is a phenomenon in quantum physics in which a superconductor negates all magnetic fields inside of the superconducting material. It does this by creating small currents along the surface of the superconductor, which has the effect of canceling out all magnetic fields that would come in contact with the material. One of the most intriguing aspects of the Meissner effect is that it allows for a process that has come to be called quantum levitation. Origin The Meissner effect was discovered in 1933 by German physicists Walther Meissner and Robert Ochsenfeld. They were measuring the magnetic field intensity surrounding certain materials and found that, when the materials were cooled to the point that they became superconducting, the magnetic field intensity dropped to nearly zero. The reason for this is that in a superconductor, electrons are able to flow with virtually no resistance. This makes it very easy for small currents to form on the surface of the material. When the magnetic field comes near to the surface, it causes the electrons to begin flowing. Small currents are then created on the surface of the material, and these currents have the effect of canceling out the magnetic field.

Origins of the Arab Spring The WritePass Journal

Origins of the Arab Spring Abstract Origins of the Arab Spring ), the Middle East was run by tyrants who had taken up ownership of their countries. Many Arabs had a feeling that they had been cursed and that the running of affairs in their countries was a source of moral embarrassment. All the events in the Arab Spring originated from an act of protest by Bouazizi, a 26-year-old man from Tunisia on 17th December, 2010. He set himself on fire after a brush with police forces.   As reported by The Telegraph (2011), â€Å"his cart was confiscated by a policewoman who slapped him and spat in his face†. This adds police brutality to the perils that Arabs were going through in regimes prior to the spring. This report aims to present an in-depth look into events before, during and after the recent Arab spring. 2.Events During the Arab Spring Bouazizi succumbed to injuries sustained after torching himself in protest. However, the events that followed transformed Tunisia’s political landscape. Mass protests were organized over oppression, unemployment and the wide gap in income between the rich and the poor. The ultimate goal of the protests was to ensure that Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the then president of the country, is removed from office. Slightly less than a month after the protests started, Ben Ali fled Tunisia on 14th January, 2011 after ruling for twenty four years (Willis, 2012). This victory of Tunisian reformists inspired protestors in neighbouring Egypt, who believed that they had to end Hosni Mubarak’s thirty-year reign of the country. Egypt protests were brutally resisted by security forces. In February 2011, the persistent protestors succeeded in making Mubarak to leave office (Abou-El-Fadl, 2012). The third casualty was Libya, whose protests were triggered by the arrests of human rights lawyer s in February, 2011. These protests took a violent turn, with the opposition being assisted by NATO in destabilizing the Libyan army. In October 2011, after eight months of fierce exchanges between the army and protestors, Gaddafi’s rule was brutally ended when he was captured executed (Prashad, 2012). In the Middle East, countries that experienced Arab spring protests were Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Just like it was experienced in North Africa, protests in these countries were violent and received brutal resistance from police and other security forces. After surviving an execution attempt, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who had been Yemen’s president for over 30 years, resigned in 2012. However, Bashar Al-Assad, Syria’s president managed to cling to his presidency amidst criticism from the international community (Weyland, 2012). 3.Characteristics of Arab Countries that triggered the Arab Spring Springborg (2011) argues that the economic conditions in Arab countries are not conducive for democratic leadership. There is a high dominance of governments in the private sector, a fact that limits the sources from which autonomous organizations can draw capital. As a result, these countries score negatively in terms of employment and other aspects that contribute to economical stability. Dominance of businesses by the government gives it an economic advantage over its opposition. Unless reforms are made to reduce the economic power of governments, attainment of democracy is difficult (Campante Chor, 2012; Stepan Linz, 2013). With no financial power to match that of the government and minimal avenues through which grievances can be made, mass protests were the only viable options for the oppressed. Thus, the majority of the population collaborated against the few who were in power. However, there is no assurance that ousting one person from power and transferring it to another ca n bring instant economic transformations to a country. According to Springborg (2011), the attainment of democracy in the Middle East is challenged by the fact the economies are too young, poor and rural. For a democratic transition to effectively take place in a country, Cincotta and Doces (2011) established that the median age of the country’s population has to be approximately thirty. However, Arab countries have the second lowest median ages in the world. Tunisia is the oldest, with a median age of 29. Such youthful ages, according to Springborg (2011), are associated with volatility, a characteristic that was displayed in the Arab spring. For democracy to be effectively sustained, the per capita annual income for citizens was approximated in 1997 to be $6,000 (Przeworski Limongi, 1997). Given that this was 15 years ago, the current figure is $12, 000. Apart from Tunisia, the per capita GDPs of Arab countries are currently less than $6,000. The attainment of democracy is also closely related to how urbanized regions are (Davis Henderson, 2003). Even though there are varying degrees of urbanization in the Arab world, the overall level of urbanization is lower than expected. This is even worsened by the fact that Egypt has been in the process of de-urbanizing since 1986 (Springborg, 2011). Other factors that pose a challenge to democracy in the Arab world include shrunken middle classes, high illiteracy levels among populations, insecurity and overdependence on governments. Arabians from the poor, rich and middle class heavily rely on their governments for their wellbeing. This has increased the governments’ budgets on subsidies of energy and food (Springborg, 2011). For these reasons, governments are largely authoritarian. This leaves those in power at liberty to do whatever they please with the resources of their countries, regardless of what effects it shall have on other citizens. This also contributed to the rage among protestors who complained about the ineffective distribution of resources. 4.Impacts of the Arab Spring There are several impacts that resulted from the Arab Spring on both local and international levels. For countries that actively took part and ousted their leaders, the vacancies had to be filled. This led to the competition of leadership among several groups, each considering itself the right heir of leadership (Brom, 2012). These included groups fighting for democracy, Islamic organizations, military groups and groups allied to previous regimes. However, the current reality in these countries is that the potential of Islamic organizations getting power is higher than that of the other groups. In the entire Middle East, the Arab Spring brought about a shift in the interests of each country. Prior to the spring, countries in the Middle East had segmented themselves into groups, each contesting to attain regional leadership. The two main groups into which these countries were divided were the anti-western camp and pro western camp. The anti-western camp was against the ideologies of countries from the west and posed certain challenges for the international community. On the other hand, the pro-western camp was moderate and supported some ideals of the west. After the spring, countries quit contesting for supremacy and concentrated on their own domestic issues. Relationships between these countries have considerably reduced to a minimum (Yadlin, 2012). Vacuums that were left after the revolution are being filled and measures are being taken to prevent such uprisings from taking place in countries that did not experience them. On a global scale, countries are competing for a chance to participate in reshaping the Middle Eastern countries in the aftermath of the revolution. The Russians and Chinese are competing with western countries to support these countries, each pursuing its own interests in these countries. Several countries from the European region have also shown interest in assisting these nations to undergo a successful democratic transformation (Perthers, 2011). Businesses have also seen an opportunity in investing in these countries. Just like the Spring of Nations, the Eastern European Spring and the Prague Spring in 1848, 1980s and 1968, respectively (Susser, 2012), attaining an equilibrium state after the Arab spring is expected to take quite some time. Whether the regimes that shall take over leadership shall overcome all challenges and embrace democracy is a fact that is unknown at present. 5.Conclusion The Arab Spring was triggered by political and social problems that are synonymous with most of the Arab countries. As it has been indicated in this report, most of these problems have occurred because of the lack of democracy. The key cause of this revolution was the utter dissatisfaction of the people with their rulers, whose leadership had been characterized by huge gaps between the rich and the poor, violations of the rights of their citizens, dictatorial rules, high levels of unemployment and poverty. It is also argued by some researchers that the spring might have been inspired by the Kyrgyz revolution that took place in 2010. Impacts of the Arab Spring have been felt across the globe, with countries competing to participate in the transition of these countries while at the same time pursuing their personal interests. However, addressing the challenges that face Arab countries needs a lot of resources and time. 6.Bibliography Abou-El-Fadl, R., 2012. The Road to Jerusalem through Tahrir Square: Anti-Zionism and Palestine in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Journal of Palestine Studies, 41(2), pp.6-26. Ajami, F., 2012. The Arab Spring at One. Foreign Affairs, 91(2). Brom, S., 2012. Regional Implications of the Arab Spring. In Guzansky, Y., Heller, M.A. (ed) One Year of the Arab Spring: Global and Regional Implications. Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies. pp.39-43. Campante, F.R. Chor, D., 2012. Why was the Arab World Poised for Revolution? Schooling, Economic Opportunities, and the Arab Spring. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 26(2), pp.167-87. Cincotta, R. Doces, J., 2011. The Age-structural Maturity Thesis: the Youth Bulges Influence on the Advent and Stability of Liberal Democracy. In Goldstone, J.A., Kaufmann, E. Toft, M.D. Political Demography: identity, conflict and institutions. New-York, Palgrave-MacMillan. Davis, J.C. Henderson, J.V., 2003. Evidence on the political economy of the urbanization process. Journal of Urban Economics, 53(1), pp.98-125. Perthers, V., 2011. Europe and the Arab Spring. Survival, 53(6), pp.73-84. Prashad, V., 2012. Arab spring, Libyan winter. New York: AK Press Pub. Przeworski, A. Limongi, F., 1997. Modernization: Theories and Facts. World Politics, 49(2), pp.155-83. Springborg, R., 2011. The Precarious Economics of Arab Springs. Survival: Global Politics and Strategy, 53(6), pp.85-104. Stepan, A. Linz, J.J., 2013. Democratization Theory and the â€Å"Arab Spring†. Journal of Democracy , 24(2), pp.15-30. Susser, A., 2012. The Arab Spring: The Origins of a Misnomer. Tel Aviv Notes, 6(6). The Telegraph, 2011. Arab Spring: timeline for the African and Middle East rebellion. The Telegraph, 25 October. Weyland, K., 2012. The Arab Spring: Why the Surprising Similarities with the Revolutionary Wave of 1848? Perspectives on Politics, 10(4), pp.917-34. Willis, M.J., 2012. Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring. London: C. Hurst Co. Yadlin, A., 2012. The Arab Uprising One Year On. In Guzansky, Y., Heller, M.A. (ed) One Year of the Arab Spring: Global and Regional Implications. Tel Aviv: Institute for National Security Studies. pp.11-20.

Families in society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Families in society - Essay Example In today’s generation, the ideal family structure of two parents, father solely being the breadwinner and two to three children has drastically changed. Nowadays, especially in the United States, we come across all types of families; single parent; both working parents, no children by choice, multiple parents etc (Kesner & McKenry, 2001). The fact that both parents have started to work, children are neglected in comparison to the attention they received in previous times. Since a mother is putting the same amount of time at the workplace as the father, she thinks her additional responsibility at home should also be shared. But fathers usually do not like the idea of getting involved in domestic housing issues. Another problem suffered is the amount of stress which an individual goes through besides his normal hectic work routine. This fatigue is somewhat passed on, in some way or the other, to the entire family. Besides structural composition, the basic diversity of US based f amilies has also changed. For instance, more of gay and lesbian families have come into existence since late. But such family dynamics are strictly opposed by traditional religious groups. Some of the most common family problems are discussed in this section. For instance, US is a country which has the most number of people behind bars. Therefore, families of such prisoners suffer badly as kids are deprived of their fathers’ support, while wives also dearly miss their respective partners. Another common issue is the negative impact on kids due to constant rifts between married partners. Frustration gathered from the workplace also has a role to play in such activities. Due to such parental fights, kids start to lose confidence and trust in both parents (Leroy & Symes, 2001). After reading the whole article I concur with most of the facts mentioned about family life, with some

Literal Analysis Of Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literal Analysis Of Vietnam War - Essay Example The items these soldiers carried were only the necessary things they required for their safety and survival in the battlefield. These include can openers, pocketknife, the certificate showing that they had gone through heavy military training; mosquito nets that protected them from diseases such as malaria, which was common in the area, and cigarettes. Other essential items they carried were middle size cans of water, chewing gums, a first aid box, and sewing kits. Surprisingly, these items were roughly fifteen to twenty pounds, which depended on the soldiers’ normal metabolism rate. All these stuff were supposed to be carried to every place the soldiers went. It was a person’s own mistake if he forgot the baggage behind, for he will face the challenges ahead alone. The items the soldiers carried were many, but everything in the bag was necessary and had a purpose. This shows that challenges the soldiers faced could not be reduced or stopped since each problem was †˜necessary’ and they had to face it whether they liked it or not. They had no choice of choosing which problem to face, similar to the items in the bags, which were all essential and missing one item could cause a weighty problem to a soldier. The metaphor for the items carried in the baggage is clearly seen. The soldiers accepted the challenges knowing that it was just for them to face them. Therefore, they had to prepare their mind and emotions for the future challenges that were yet to come, so that they will not be surprised.... This shows that challenges the soldiers faced could not be reduced or stopped, since each problem was ‘necessary’ and they had to face it whether they liked it or not. They had no choice of choosing which problem to face, similar to the items in the bags, which were all essential and missing one item could cause a weighty problem to a soldier. The metaphor for the items carried in the baggage is clearly seen. The soldiers accepted the challenges knowing that it was must for them to face them. Therefore, they had to prepare their mind and emotions for the future challenges that were yet to come, so that they will not be surprised. Analysis on the Act of Carrying the Bag When this bag was full of items they required, they carried it to any place they went, and during the wartime, they were placed at a secure place until the war had ended. The act of carrying the baggage, which was habitually heavy, shows the intensity of the challenges and difficulties they had to bear. Th e weight of the items in the baggage was the main challenge of those bags, and yet they had to carry them to all places. The burdens they went through were exceptionally heavy for a person to bear and they required some counseling and rest. Unfortunately, there was nobody to give them consoling piece of word, and provide time to relax. Most of the time, they were on their feet carrying the heavy baggage and fighting materials as they adverse towards the battlegrounds. The act of carrying this heavy baggage symbolizes the weight of the challenges they faced which at some point was unbearable to carry. Some of the soldiers decided to run away because of the amount and intensity of the war. Therefore, analyzing the weight of the baggage shows how