Hybrid Cars free essay sample

Hybrid cars: Corrected Abstract: A hybrid car, also known as an HEV or hybrid electric vehicle, is an automobile that is powered by two sources; an internal combustion engine, and an electric motor. HEV’s need plugs, as they are amply charged by the movement of the wheels and storing the kinetic energy that is generated through a process called regenerative braking. cars have been accepted as a solution to the current pollution problems that we face, as they offer lower emissions than gasoline automobiles. Some hybrid cars produces around 90% less pollutants than regular cars. With cars with this system, a hybrid car can cross longer distances than normal ones with less use of gasoline. They can get up to 55-60 mpg in city driving, while a typical SUV might travel just 15-20 mpg. Also there are 2 types of cars: the first type is the series, and the second type is called the parallels First draft: Hybrid electric vehicle A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle which combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle without being hampered by range from a charging unit like a battery electric vehicle (BEV), which uses batteries charged by an external source. We will write a custom essay sample on Hybrid Cars or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page )The different propulsion power systems may have common subsystems or components. Regular HEVs most commonly use an internal combustion engine (ICE) in tandem with electric motors to power their propulsion system. Modern mass-produced HEVs prolong the charge on their batteries by capturing kinetic energy via regenerative braking, and some HEVs can use the combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical generator to either recharge the battery or directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed. An HEVs engine is smaller and may be run at various speeds, providing more efficiency. HEVs became widely available to the public in the late 1990s. HEVs are viewed by some automakers as a core segment of the future automotive market. Technology The varieties of hybrid electric designs can be differentiated by the structure of the hybrid vehicle drivetrain, the fuel type, and the mode of operation. In 2007, several automobile manufacturers announced that future vehicles will use aspects of hybrid electric technology to reduce fuel consumption without the use of the hybrid drivetrain. Regenerative braking can be used to recapture energy and stored to power electrical accessories, such as air conditioning. Shutting down the engine at idle can also be used to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions without the addition of a hybrid drivetrain. In both cases, some of the advantages of hybrid electric technology are gained while additional cost and weight may be limited to the addition of larger batteries and starter motors. There is no standard terminology for such vehicles. The 2000s saw development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), which can be recharged from the electrical power grid and do not require conventional fuel for short trips. Engines and fuel sources: Gasoline engines are used in most hybrid electric designs, and will likely remain dominant for the foreseeable future. While petroleum-derived gasoline is the primary fuel, it is possible to mix in varying levels of ethanol created from renewable energy sources. Like most modern ICE-powered vehicles, HEVs can typically use up to about 15% bioethanol. Manufacturers may move to flexible fuel engines, which would increase allowable ratios, but no plans are in place at present. Diesel Diesel-electric HEVs use a diesel engine for power generation. Diesels have advantages when delivering constant power for long periods of time, suffering less wear while operating at higher efficiency. The diesel engines high torque, combined with hybrid technology, may offer substantially improved mileage. Most diesel vehicles can use 100% pure biofuels (biodiesel), so they can use but do not need petroleum at all for fuel (although mixes of biofuel and petroleum are more common, and petroleum may be needed for lubrication). If diesel-electric HEVs were in use, this benefit would likely also apply. Diesel-electric hybrid drivetrains have begun to appear in commercial vehicles (particularly buses); as of 2007, no light duty diesel-electric hybrid passenger cars are currently available, although prototypes exist. So far, production diesel-electric engines have mostly just appeared in mass transit buses. Design considerations In some cases, manufacturers are producing HEVs that use the added energy provided by the hybrid systems to give vehicles a power boost, rather than significantly improved fuel efficiency compared to their traditional counterparts. The trade-off between added performance and improved fuel efficiency is partly controlled by the software within the hybrid system and partly the result of the engine, battery and motor size. In the future, manufacturers may provide HEV owners with the ability to partially control this balance (fuel efficiency vs. added performance) as they wish, through a user-controlled setting. Electric vehicle conversion One can buy a stock hybrid or convert a stock petroleum car to a hybrid electric vehicle using an aftermarket hybrid kit . Benefits of the hybrid electric design include: Fuel consumption Current HEVs reduce petroleum consumption (compared to otherwise similar conventional vehicles) primarily by using three mechanisms: a) Reducing wasted energy during idle/low output, generally by turning the ICE off; b) Recapturing waste energy. c) Reducing the size and power of the ICE, and hence inefficiencies from under-utilization, by using the added power from the electric motor to compensate for the loss in peak power output from the smaller ICE. Any combination of these three primary hybrid advantages may be used in different vehicles to realize different fuel usage, power, emissions, weight and cost profiles. The ICE in an HEV can be smaller, lighter, and more efficient than the one in a conventional vehicle, because the combustion engine can be sized for slightly above average power demand rather than peak power demand. The drive system in a vehicle is required to operate over a range of speed and power, but an ICE has its highest efficiency is in a narrow range of operation, making conventional vehicles inefficient. In contrast, in most HEV designs, the ICE operates closer to its range of highest efficiency more of the time. The power curve of electric motors is better suited to variable speeds and can provide substantially greater torque at low speeds compared with internal-combustion engines. The greater fuel economy of HEVs has implication for reduced petroleum consumption and vehicle air pollution emissions worldwide. Reduced wear on the gasoline engine, particularly from idling with no load. Reduced wear on brakes from the regenerative braking system use. Theres no definitive word on replacement costs of the batteries because they are almost never replaced. Environmental impact Reduced noise emissions resulting from substantial use of the electric motor at idling and low speeds, leading to roadway noise reduction,in comparison to conventional gasoline or diesel powered engine vehicles, resulting in beneficial noise health effects (although road noise from tires and wind, the loudest noises at highway speeds from the interior of most vehicles, are not affected by the hybrid design alone). Hybrid Cars free essay sample The government needs to continue to offer incentives to new buyers of hybrid vehicles to offset the higher cost of these vehicles relative to their non-hybrid counterparts. Hybrid cars and other eco-friendly products are vital to the survival of the earth and the United States and the rest of the world must continue to regulate the emissions without hurting the economy. Demand for the Hybrid Vehicles Demand for the hybrid vehicles in the United States has increased since the introduction in the U. S. market in 2000. The first hybrid car was introduced in Japan in 1997 by Toyota Prius. Three years later, Honda introduced the first hybrid car Honda Insight into the U. S. market. By 2008, other car manufactures entered the hybrid market including Ford, GM, Honda and Nissan. Today, they are four main types of electric cars available on the market which include hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, extended-range electric vehicle and battery electric vehicles. We will write a custom essay sample on Hybrid Cars or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Demand for Toyota’s Prius hybrid car increased over the last few years and by supply and demand, Toyota responded by raising the price and increase production. In 2003 and 2004 Toyota made100,000 Prius and in 2007 they made 200,000 hybrid cars. In 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in hybrid is the third fastest-selling car in U. S. Toyota was successful because of strong branding and unique design of Prius. The hybrid vehicles are solution to energy security and environmental protection. These vehicles reduce CO2 emission and air pollution. They combine power from both gasoline engine and an electric motor that runs off the electricity from a rechargeable battery. 1 Hybrid cars produce less pollution because the combination of battery power and internal combustion decrease the emission of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. Electric motors use no energy during idle and use less than gas motors at low speeds. Hybrid cars have a regenerative braking, stop- start system, low-rolling re sistance tires and power conservative hardware. 1 All these features allow the hybrid cars to recycle energy. Energy produced by hybrid is recycled from brakes and used in acceleration. Hybrid car can save money on gas especially in city driving because stop and go driving helps hybrids recharge by capturing the energy generated during braking. Hybrid cars are in high demand but they are not easy to find and some car dealerships struggle to meet demand. Recent earthquake in Japan made it even more difficult for hybrid cars supplies because the best-selling hybrid cars in the United States Toyota Prius is made exclusively in Japan. Table 1 shows the number of Hybrid Models offered and the sales history from 2000 to 2007. 1 Table 1 HISTORY OF HYBRID VEHICLES YearNo. of Hybrid Models Offered HybridNew Vehicle Sales Sales in Million 200029,36717. 41 2001220,28717. 18 2002335,96116. 85 2003347,52516. 68 2004483,15316. 91 20058209,71117. 00 200610251,86416. 56 200715345,92016. 09 Environmental Effects The need to develop green technologies comes from the fact that the global climate is changing due to everyday large amounts of pollutants that are released into atmosphere which leads to global warming. Global warming is a serious problem that can cause major issues such as the melting of polar ice caps and a rise in sea level. Every car produces emissions while being made and while driving on the road. There are many governments regulations placed on industries to reduce the amount of emissions released into atmosphere. Once the hybrid cars become more popular and affordable among consumers they can help reduce automobile emission. When people buy cars they take into consideration many things. They look into price, performance, safety and expenditure on gasoline which is determined by the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Hybrid cars are expected to reduce the cost of fuel by recharging batteries from electrical outlets. Many buyers today are also interested into saving our planet and there is a growing demand to buy hybrid vehicles. Hybrid cars offer many green advantages. In large cities were pollution is high, they produce very little emission during low speed city driving. Hybrid cars can help the country reduce dependency on foreign crude oil and save money in the long term. United States imports almost half of the oil and gas from Middle East. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) sets the price depending how much they have at its disposal. Many countries don’t have choice but to pay the price set by OPEC, regardless of supply and demand factors. If consumers purchase more hybrid cars, the dependency on foreign oil will decline and energy prices will drop. In 2012, US motor gasoline consumption was 8. 5 million barrels per day. If the consumption of gasoline continues at the rate it has during the last few decades, oil reserves will not meet demand in future. Countries will need to look for new wells across the world and this can lead to damages of our ecosystem. By using hybrid cars, oil consumption is reduced and there will be no need to start a search for new oil wells. The environmental benefits of hybrid cars also inclu de increased health for people . Use of oil products releases more pollution into the air that can cause cancers and lung diseases. Government Support The U. S. overnment has been providing hybrid vehicles buyers with income tax incentives to offset the higher cost of hybrid vehicles relative to their non-hybrid counterparts. 2 The hybrid vehicles is considered a promising technology by the National Energy Policy Development Group (2001), and their recommendation was to increase demand of hybrid vehicles in order to achieve economies of scale to bring the cost of hybrid vehicles down. 2 This group also recommended that government should provide a â€Å"clean fuel† tax deduction up to $2000 for the purchase of new hybrid cars during 2001-2005. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 replaced the income tax deduction with an income tax credit of up to $ 3,400 for vehicles purchased after December 31, 2005. The credits phased out after a manufacturer sold 60,000 of a hybrid model starting from January 1, 2006. As the Dec. 31, 2010, end for all credits neared, only a few hybrids still qualified for the credits. 2 In 2012 there are still some tax incentives for new plug-in hybrid cars purchases for up to $7500 in tax deduction for qualified buyers. Hybrid Federal Tax Credit 2009 12009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid 4dr SUV (6. L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 22009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid 4dr SUV 4WD (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$1,800 32008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2. 4L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$1,300 42009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2. 4L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$1,550 52009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab w/1HY SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 62009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybr id 4dr Crew Cab 4WD w/1HY SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 72009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab w/2HY SB (6. L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 82009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab 4WD w/2HY SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 92008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 4dr SUV (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 102008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 4dr SUV 4WD (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 112009 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 4dr SUV (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 122009 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid 4dr SUV 4WD (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 132009 Chrysler Aspen Limited HEV 4dr SUV 4WD (5. 7L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 142009 Dodge Durango Limited HEV 4dr SUV 4WD (5. L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 152008 Ford Escape Hybrid 4dr SUV (2. 3L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$1,500 162008 Ford Escape Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (2. 3L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$1,100 172009 Ford Escape Hybrid 4dr SUV (2. 5L 4cyl gas/electric h ybrid CVT)$1,500 182009 Ford Escape Hybrid 4dr SUV AWD (2. 5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$975 192009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV (2. 5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$1,500 202009 Ford Escape Hybrid Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2. 5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$975 212010 Ford Fusion Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2. L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)$1,700 222009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab w/3HA SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 232009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab 4WD w/3HA SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 242009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab w/3HB SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 252009 GMC Sierra 1500 Hybrid 4dr Crew Cab 4WD w/3HB SB (6. 0L 8cyl gas/electric hybrid 4A)$2,200 Hudson 2010 2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Hybrid Cars A list of advantages and disadvantages of hybrid vehicles include: Advantages †¢Reduce emission Lessen dependence on foreign oil †¢Tax incentives to purchase hybrid cars †¢Environmentally friend ly †¢Performance benefits: hybrid cars provide quite, smooth operations and stronger acceleration. †¢Reduce energy dependence from foreign sources Disadvantages †¢Battery cost: The battery of hybrid cars is very expensive and it has to be replaced every 80,000miles. The average cost to replace this battery is between $ 6,000 and $10,000. People who travel a lot will not benefit from driving the hybrid car. †¢Recharge time: Fully recharging the battery pack can take four to eight hours. Bulk and weight: Battery packs are heavy and take up considerable vehicle space. †¢Slow acceleration: Hybrid cars have much slower acceleration times than a traditional cars that only use gasoline. †¢Low resale value: Hybrid cars have low resale value because of the costly batteries used in the hybrid cars that have to be replaced regularly. †¢Short supply: Because these cars are expensive their supply parts are available in different parts of the country. Present an d Future for Hybrid Cars The future looks bright for hybrid cars because price of oil will probably continue to rise and the mpact that fossil fuels have on the earth’s environment. Incentives, such as tax credits for purchasing a hybrid cars and grants for researching new battery technologies, will continue to improve their performance and make hybrid cars more attractive and competitive. The most recent hybrid technology is â€Å"plug-in hybrid car. This hybrid model offers the same benefit as hybrid cars, with added benefit of being able to be plugged in to home electric outlets for recharging when the car is not in use. 5 The competition in hybrid car industry is very challenging. The automobile industry is n oligopoly. There are only few big key players that are concerned about new entrants, the risk of substitutes emerging through new technology (Hybrid cars), changes in consumer taste and external regulations. Toyota successfully created a barrier for other car manufa cturer by introducing hybrid engine green technology. Toyota has dominated the market for years with its hybrid Prius and to remain competitive they will have to design new vehicles at low-cost using the most advanced technology. Every year, the Prius faces more competition as other car manufacturers are building heir own version of hybrid vehicles. Ford recently produced the C-Max hybrid car which outsold the Prius in January 2013. C-Max hybrid car is larger and family-friendly version of the Prius. 6 Ford executive are predicting that its 2013 hybrid sales total will be much higher that their current annual high to $35,496. 6 Nissan is also aggressively pushing hybrid sales in 2013. Hybrid cars are more expensive as compared to traditional gasoline vehicles and require frequent recharging for their operations but in future these issues will hopefully change. References 1. Beresteanu, A. nd S. Li. 2010. â€Å"Gasoline Prices, Government Support, and the Demand for Hybrid Vehicles in the U. S. † International Economic Review 52: 161-182 2. Hudson, Mike. Federal Hybrid Tax Credit Programs by Vehicle. Retrieved 19 Oct. 2009 3. Toyota. com 4. Advantages of Hybrid Cars. All Hybrid Cars. 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. 5. Benefits of Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicles. AFDC. U. S. Department of Energy, Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. 6. business. time. com/2013/02/05/hybrid-car-competition-heats-up-does-the-toyota-prius-finally-have-a-worthy-challenger/

USA Presidents essays

USA Presidents essays In the long history of the United States of America, there have been several amounted president in charge of our great nation. 43 Presidents to be exact. Each a very likely and very different individual, but all interesting. Weve had from the most interesting, controversial and bold to the most boring and disgusting figures out there. Some can be described in elaborate essays and books meanwhile others can be justified in one term, but none the less all were interesting figures and led important roles in running our country. Therefore they should be accredited for the success of our great nation. Some produced great and admiral things that we still thrive on today, and other simply left things to fix and learn from their successors. Out of all 43 Presidents I had to choose but two. One for the worse and the other for the best of all time. The best president in my opinion was George Washington our very first president. Washington was born February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was unanimously elected the first president, Washington was inaugurated in New York City on April 30, 1789. He labored constantly to keep people of all classes at work for the cause. He held a central position between two extremes. He strove to retain the support of the common people, who made up the army andas farmers and workersproduced the supplies. Before his presidency he was a general who led his diminished troops to several unlikely victories over the British. His commanding tactics led to the victory and success of the revolution and the strive for independence. Realizing from his knowledge of the American people and of the way they lived and fought, Washington took advantage of British methods of fighting that were not suited to a semi primitive environment. He alternated between daring surprise attacks and the patient performance of routine duties. As commander in chief during the American Re ...

Introduction To Human Resource Management Essay

Introduction To Human Resource Management - Essay Example The world of work and organization has become increasingly demanding and turbulent. There are eight major challenges currently facing United Kingdom organizations. These are: globalization, migration of many companies to other economies, increasing revenue and decreasing costs, building organizational capability, change and transformation, implementing technology, attracting and developing human capital, and ensuring fundamental and long-lasting change. Thus, levels of competition among organizations have increased. In present period of the migration of many companies to other economies, the UK organizations can replicate technology, manufacturing processes, products, and strategy. On the other hand, personnel management practices and organization are difficult to reproduce, in this manner representing an exceptional competitive advantage. To be successful in the future, UK organizations will have to build organizational capability. Personnel management professionals and personnel ma nagement practices will be required to create value by increasing organizational competitiveness. Traditional views on competitive advantage have emphasized such barriers to entry a... More recent views have highlighted a different source of competitive advantage, a firm's human resources and behavior of employees at different levels of the corporate hierarchy. New demands facing UK organizations as a result of the migration of many companies to other economies, heightened competition, globalization, and technological advances have put a premium on creativity and innovation, speed and flexibility, as well as efficiency. The critical firm assets do not appear on a balance sheet but reside, instead, in behaviors of employees working at different levels of the corporate hierarchy and management systems. The role of company strategy, human resources, and personnel management in company performance is being rethought. Rather than seeing the personnel management function as a cost, a personnel management system that supports a company's strategy should be seen, instead, as an investment, a strategic lever for the organization in creating value. The 2000s witnessed a growth in research interest in examining the link between personnel management strategies and practices and UK companies' financial performances. In the past research studies have shown a strong positive relationship between the two, and this relationship has been observed in studies of one company, one industry, and multiple industries (Brown et al., 2003). Brown et al., (2003) have shown in three separate national surveys (over 2,400 companies) an economically and significant impact on several measures of company performance. They observed a link between changes in the sophistication of a company's personnel management architecture and dollar change in market value per employee, suggesting three stages of personnel management practices on company performance. How do UK organizations

Executive paper - Critical analysis of reported category one and Coursework

Executive paper - Critical analysis of reported category one and category two incident data - Coursework Example Moreover, certain recommendations will also be made regarding how the loopholes within this service can be identified and improvised accordingly. E. W. Tipping Foundation is primarily a non-profit organisation mostly operational in the area of Victoria, Australia. The foundation aims towards fostering the concepts of social justice and human rights through its community development programmes and services. The foundation started its functions in terms of providing aid to the disabled individuals and till date has steadily prevailed towards broadening its structure in terms of providing support towards family services. By taking into consideration the development trend, this report will mostly focus towards critically analysing the incident data that has been provided in the category 1 and category 2 lists (NSW Government, n.d.). This critical incident analysis paper also aims to understand the present trends within this non-profit organisation’s services and makes appropriate recommendations regarding how the quality of the services can be improvised. Correspondingly, the graphical representations of the provided data have also been incorporated. The data regarding the number of incident cases and the client count of the three quarters has been provided and has also been critically described using the graphical representations. The entire critical analysis has been segregated into two specific categories. The first category is regarding the ‘Out of Home Care (OOHC)’ and the second one is the ‘disability cases’. The number of clients in the case of OOHC has been measured to be 38 and the total number of clients that has been determined under the disability case is 796 (E. W. Tipping Foundationa, 2013). In accordance with the provided reports, the total number of incident cases belonging to category 1 for the month duration from 1st July 2013 to 30th September 2013 has been recorded as 32. Out of this recorded incident count, a total of 16 cases

Private International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words - 1

Private International Law - Essay Example In the resolution of cases of conflicts of law, problems arise when the different nationals have different rights and claims under their own laws, and at times the law of the place and the law agreed upon in a contract add a third or fourth consideration as to which set of laws shall apply in settling the case. There are three important determinations to be made prior to even beginning to address the substance of the case. The first is that of jurisdiction, and the second is the choice of law, and third is the matter of enforcement of the judgment. In this essay, only the first two shall be considered. Jurisdiction refers to the power to legislate or adjudicate with effect. It is the first question to be decided in a dispute involving a foreign element.1 Proceeding to hear a case without the proper jurisdiction is fatal to the case under that tribunal, and can only be remedied by a change of venue. The second important consideration is that of the choice of law. Once the English cour t has accepted and affirmed jurisdiction, it has then to determine what system of law must be applied to the dispute, pursuant to which the rights and liabilities of the parties shall be determined.2 There are two contexts of jurisdiction – territorial jurisdiction, and power jurisdiction.3 The first, territorial jurisdiction, pertains to the determination of which persons are within the reach of the courts of England, as claimed by English law. Contrary to the term’s implied meaning, this jurisdiction may extend beyond the physical boundaries of England and Wales (where this law is applicable), where English nationals over which the English legal system claims jurisdiction may sojourn outside the geographical territory of England and Wales. The second context in which jurisdiction may be taken refers to the power jurisdiction, that is, the situations and circumstances where the English courts may actually gain power to adjudicate a particular case involving persons wh o are within the territorial jurisdiction of the court.4 In order for an English court to gain competence over a case, said court should gain both territorial and power jurisdiction over the case. In private international law, the characterisation of issues subject of claim is the prerogative of the court of the forum.5 The case of Brian First claim: The consignment of biscuits from Bleagh Spa The claim of right in this case is one that arises out of contract. A contract of sale for Italian biscuits was drawn between Brian and Italian food supplier Bleagh Spa for the delivery of biscuits specified to be Italian. Instead, Bleagh had delivered Liechtenstein biscuits, which were unsuitable for the purpose for which they were bought, as such products should be sold in an Italian restaurant as Italian fare. This constituted a breach of the terms of the contract which specified the goods to be Italian. As such, Brian had a claim of right against Bleagh, one that constitutes a dispute of t he fulfilment of a contract that is of a commercial nature. . Jurisdiction As to the domicile of the parties, it is specified that Brian is domiciled in the U.K., being a British national and living within the U.K. as permanent resident. Bleagh Spa, on the other hand, is an Italian business organisation, and in the absence of other information, is presumed to be domiciled in Italy. The conflict of laws problem therefore arises between the

Developing Strategic Management and Leadership

Developing Strategic Management and Leadership Management is the group of people who make decisions on how the business can be run and profitable in all dimensions of the organizations or company according to Gold (2010). In fact, these individuals who are involved in the decision making of the organization and are called the management are responsible and accountable before the strategic leadership in the organization. The second definition that can be given about the management is the initiative and maintenance of an investment portfolio in the business organization in all the ways to success achievements according to Harrison (2002). This is the management in which the organization deals with dealing of matters in different sectors for improving the productivity and profitability in every area of the business of the organization. LEADERSHIP: Johnson (1992) opines leadership is quality or art of influencing others or motivating a group of people to the task in order to achieve the goals in the business organizations. Leader is the one who holds the qualities of the leadership and is also the person who inspires others and directs them to do something extraordinary for common goals. People not only follow the leader but they also do that willingly and happily. True leader takes his/her people with and step forward with the great morale and team spirit. LINK BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT: Bill Gates is the leader and pioneer of Microsoft Inc, but he is not a manager. This statement shows the position of the leader and the manager. The manager must have the leadership skills but on the contrary for the leader it is not compulsory to have the managerial skills as these skills are important for the leader but the vision is the goal of the leader but the manager works for targets and tasks for the specific time period and for the certain period of time. Leadership and management both are important in the organizations or even in the industries. Leaders are welded to the performance and it is also the duty of the leaders to increase the productivity in different sectors of the organization. Management with good leadership qualities and the leadership with managerial competencies is the demand of the organizations around the globe. Task 1.2 Analyse the impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decisions. IMPACTS OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP STYLES ON DECISIONS: Dynamic leadership always does its best to influence the environment and the environment is the situation in which the decisions are to be taken as the needs arise in the organizations. There are different styles of management and leadership in the business world. PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP STYLE: Kouzes (2008) states that the participative leadership and management style are open and flexible manner of management where employees have the prominent decision making role in the organization and the participation of the employees is considered as the asset of the organization. So this is very important factor in decision making of the organizational setup. This style is very much appreciated in progressing and growing organizations. Employees feel responsible and honoured by the leadership which boosts the morale of them in order to complete the tasks of the organization. This leadership style helps in the organization in decision making and when this style is applied, the team work and dignity of the employees come forth and they become more and more productive. PERSUASIVE LEADERSHIIP AND MANAGEMENT STYLE: Megginson (2003) opines the Persuasive leadership style is all about the quality of the leader in which the leader convinces people around him/her in all the effective ways to achieve the goals of the organization. This style is not possible if the leader fails to convince other people. Persuasion is the essential proficiency for all the leaders as they take people to the level where they can perform their best and be more and more productive in the organization. The ideas and approaches of the leader must appeal the people around the leader for the common goals and objectives in the organization. This style can develop the unity in the organization and the employees and if the decision is take by the agreement of the employees then it increases the accountability in the employees in the organizations. Evaluate how leadership styles can be adapted to different situations. IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THE LEADERSHIP STYLES IN DIFFERNT SITUATIONS: Both of the styles stated above are the need of any progressing and developing organization around the globe. Which one is suitable for the organization, depends on the situation from which the organization is passing through. Most of the bureaucratic organizations being the strict in the rules and regulations make the employees feeling bored and the work becomes just and obligation and burden for them to hold. People lose their creativeness and become like the robot and just commitment becomes a burden for them. These situations give birth to the less productiveness and profit as well. If in this situation the leadership decides to give the chance of participation and cooperation and promote team spirit then the employees come to know that they are not just the machines but the human beings and everyone is unique and precious in the way he or she is. Everyone in the world has some hidden qualities and the only thing is to give that particular one chance to show what that person has what should be considered while taking the decisions of the different department of the organization. As this is simple and effective so the organizations must follow these styles. Now the persuasive is the manner in which the employees might come to know that they are special because the leadership will persuade the employees or staff with the highly professional and reasonable way. So the persuasive and participative both the styles go together in the organizations have the situation in which people feel being bored. 2.1 Review the impact that selected theories of management and leadership have on organisational strategy in your chosen organisation. MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP THEORIES: Leadership skills are the essentials for the leadership in any business organization. If the organizations promote the leadership development methods then the success is obvious and there is no way that the situations may come in the pace of success. There are different leadership theories by which the effectiveness and need of the leadership become more and more essential. The few of the theories are given below to clear the picture of leadership in organizations. SITUATIONAL THEORY: This theory states that leaders everywhere behave in the certain way of their leadership which depends upon the situation of the time and the scenario of the company. Moon (2000) opines there can be different situations in which there might be possible leadership behaviour but these behaviours also depend on the situation of that specific time period. In the organizations, this theory is very popular and effective because it goes with the flow and need of that particular time and the best decision is the decision that is done according to the time and demand of the organizations. CONTINGENCY THEORY: This theory has very close resemblance with the first theory (Situational Theory) and this theory is all about the alternatives and options in order to deal with the problems that come in the way of the success in any dimension of the organization. Mumford and Gold (2004) state leadership must have answer to every question arises in the growth and this is only feasible and possible when the contingency theory is applied in the organizations. Tesco Plc has high rate of such a dynamic leadership which always have alternatives and options as well as the answers to the questions that come in the situation of the danger or need of the organization. PARTICIPATIVE THEORY: Treasy (1998) opines the participative leadership and management style are the open and approachable manner of supervision of the organization and the monitoring with the passion and comforts is really seen in this leadership theory. Everyone in the organization feels pride and honoured to be involved and get their precious opinions be answered in the company really appreciates them. So this theory is very important when the employees feel burden while working in the organization. Tesco plc is promoting this theory in every departments and gives right to all of its employees to take part in new strategies and planning as everyone has got the right to comment and give suggestions and drop their precious opinions in writing form and the suggestion boxes everywhere in the stores. TASK 2.2: CREATE A LEADERSHIP STRATEGY THAT SUPPORTS ORGANIZAITONAL DIRECTION: INNOVATIONS IN THE ORGANIZATION: There are different strategies that give the direction to the organizations. One of them is the INNOVATION that is very effective and the most important factor of the organization. Every organization has to develop the creativeness that develops the innovation. This strategy is the unique and potential strength of the organization. Gold (2010) opines the process in which an idea of any individual is translated into a good or service for what people would love to pay and give attention. Companies or organizations have special people who are supposed to do create and bring new ideas in the form of innovation and these creative and innovative leaders are the real assets of any developing organizations. HUMAN RESOURCE IN ORGANIZATIONS: Human resource is one of the most effective departments in the organizations that direct the organization in the way of growth and development. There are different human resource activities that are performed by this department in the organizations. Human Resource Management deals with different issues in the companies, some of them are the most important because of their need and necessity in the organizations. Human resource is the vast department that organizes the major issues in the organizations. The first activity of the human resource is the Recruitment and Selection in the companies. Harrison (2002) opines that the in the recruitment the duty of the HRM is in various sectors. Firstly, it publishes or advertises the need of the organization or the companies as the vacancy comes in them. This is also the duty of the HRM to contact with the recruitment agencies for the better selection of the candidates in the companies. After the ads the term comes when the candidates come to the recruitment section and the interviews take place, if somebody passes the interview then it is the chance for that candidate to go further and get the training to join the organization for the post he has applied or for the post the admin believes that the person can perform well according to the capability of the candidate. This is the very important aspect of the companies. If the right people are not coming in the companies then it will be impossible to have more and more innovative ideas in the companies. From the very first stage to the ending stage the HR plays the significant role in bringing the right people in the companies. The second activity the HRM is the Performance Management which is simply the encouragement of the employees. Johnson (1992) states the performance management is the criteria to check the performance of the employees and then to bring the unity and uplift the morale, there should be the regular behaviour of the appraisals and the rewards by the companies. The companies do their best to have such an opportunity to arrange the reward system in the organizations. This is very important that the companies can only help the employees if they are the showing their excellent performance in their duties and their responsibilities. Performance of the employees decides who the next for the reward and the encouragement is. Performance management is the main factor in the organizations in the term of reward system of the employees. In the Tesco Plc, both of these strategies are implemented in order to direct the organization on the way of success and development in all the stores and branches around the globe. TASK 3.1: USE APPROPRIATE METHODS TO REVIEW CURRENT LEADERSHIP REQUIREMENTS: GLOBALIZATION: Moon (2000) states Globalization is the system of the interaction among different countries of the world and the purpose of this interaction is to develop the global economy. This unique economy building system refers to the integration of economists and societies around the globe. This also covers the technological, economic, cultural and political exchanges in the organizations and the communications, infrastructure and transportation is also the fruit of this globalization. There are two types of integration. The first one is called Positive and the second is the Negative integration. The positive integration is used to aim at standardizing international economic laws and policies. In this the countries have their own policies on their tariffs. In the negative integration, Mullins (2010) states negative integration is the breaking down of trade barriers of protective barriers or protective barriers such as tariffs and quotes. EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION: Different economists gave their different opinions about the effects of the globalization. There are different changes that can be identified through the globalization. The first effect is the improvement of the international trade. There are more and more countries in demand of the products. Second effect is the technological progress which is because of the demands from the customers throughout the world. Third one states the increasing influence of multinational companies, the companies that have their own subsidiaries in various countries is called the multinational. This is the third effect of the globalization in the business world. Then the fourth one is power of the WTO, IMF and WB. Globalization has these prominent effects everywhere in the world. INTEGRITY LEADERSHIP: Treasy (1998) states the integrity leadership is the best tool of getting the trust of the employees and involve them from their heart and prove themselves as the role model for all the employees around them. This is very important in the organizations to have integrity among the staff so that the environment remain calm and beautiful full if dignity and commitment. Both of these methods of the requirements of the leadership in the organizational positions and every progressing organization needs to prove that they are rich in terms of their globalization and integrity in all dimensions. TASK 4.1: PLAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR A SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT: ON THE JOB TRAINING: The firs development method is ON-THE-JOB TRAINING which is one of the effective development methods in the companies. Mumford and Gold (2004) state that the process of the on the job training is to arrange and the purpose is to enhance the abilities of the employees in the corporate settings of the organizations. The environment in the organization is suitable for the employees and as well as for the leaders to teach and for the employees to learn and understand the guidelines given by the authorities. There are the reasons that make the on the job training important. In this the leaders demonstrate the presentations which encourage the trainees to get the idea and after that there is the element of the coaching in which the relationship becomes strong and the trainees learn in a beautiful way. In the trainings, the employees can even get the understanding to get the appropriate knowledge about the other departments in the companies. ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: The second development method is the Organizational Learning which is learning method in the organization which is highly appreciated and required. Mullins (2010) states that the organizations that influence the employees on the regular bases with the knowledge and information. Organizations that promote the practice of the learning are the learning organizations and these learning organizations are run by the HRM because the humans are the main assets in the HRM. So the department does its best to empower the employees with the skills and knowledge. TASK 4.2: REPORT ON THE USEFULNESS OF METHODS USED TO PLAN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP SKILLS: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP VERSUS RECRUITING: Planning and Development methods are explained in the above paragraph. Mullins (2004) opines that the advertisements help the readers to know the vacancy in the companies and the leadership in the organizations also receives the right selection of the employees. This is the first planning method in the recruiting and the effectiveness can be measured with the results or the achievements done by the companies after the exact staffing in any organization. The next is the online recruiting process in the companies. Megginson (2003) states there are the recruitments which are undertaken with the help of the online recruiting processes. These kinds of recruitments are called the external type of the recruitments. But the other type of the recruitment is the internal and the internal recruitment is the exchanging and the promotions and then the filling of the vacant places in the companies. The effectiveness of the recruitment and selection is monitored and done by the HRM and the results can be seen in the form of the dynamic leaders that are brought every year in the companies by the leadership planning methods. In the development of the leadership there are two methods. The first one is the on the job training and this method is very impressive and authentic in the companies. If the trainings are given on the job then the employees can learn better and be the best part of the organization. The second one is the organizational learning. There must be the organizations which encourage the idea to make the flexible environment for the employees to get the valuable information and then become the dynamic leaders of the companies. Both of these methods are very important and effective in every situation of the organizational learning processes. TEXT BOOKS REFERENCES: Gold, G. (2010). Leadership and management Development. London. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Harrison, R. (2002). Learning and Development, London. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Johnson, K, B. (1992). Business Bureaucracy, How to Conquer your Organizations worst enemy, London. The McGraw Hill Companies. Kouzes, J. (2008). The Leadership Challenge. 4th Edition. London. Jossey-Bass. Megginson, D. (2003). Continuing Professional Development, London. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Moon, J. (2000). Reflection in Learning and Professional Development, Theory and Practice, Manchester. Routledge Falmer. Mullins, L. (2010). Management and Organizational Behavior. 9th Edition. London. Prentice hall. Mumford, A. and Gold, J. (2004). Management Development. London. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Treasy, D. (1998). Successful Time Management in a week. Hodder. Stoughton.

Trojan War Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book The Trojan War, by Bernard Evslin, Ulysses and Agamemnon both contribute to the Greek’s victory. Many considered Ulysses to be the real brains behind the Greek forces. Although Agamemnon was the leader of the Greeks, many would say he was not a good one. Even though Agamemnon did some good deeds during the war, many of his actions caused problems, and Ulysses often had to come to his rescue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With Ulysses on the Greeks side they had amazing intelligence and bravery. Many great things happened because of Ulysses leadership. One example is when Ulysses dressed as a peddler, found where Achilles was hiding, and brought him back to fight in the war. Ulysses knew he had to find Achilles because the prophecies told the Greeks they couldn’t win the war without him. Secondly, Ulysses convinced the Greek forces to return and fight after Agamemnon almost lost them. He yelled to the troops â€Å"Stop! Agamemnon means battle and not retreat, you misunderstood his words† (p. 42). Lastly, Ulysses showed great smartness when he solved the riddle about the Trojan War. By him solving the riddle, the Greeks came to win the long war. Ulysses was also smart enough to think of hollowing out the horse so the Greeks could hide inside them and attack the Trojans while they were sleeping. He showed intelligence too when he pretended the horse was a sacrifice to the god Poseidon. The war may not have turned out the same if the Greeks ...

Gender and Sexuality in “Twelfth Night” and “The Merchant of Venice” Essay

â€Å"Twelfth Night† and â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† are two of William Shakespeare’s comedies which are famous for their theme of sexuality and cross-dressing characters. â€Å"Twelfth Night† tells the story of a young woman named Viola who pretends to be a man to be able to find work in the household of the Duke of Illyria. On the other hand, â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is a story of a merchant named Antonio who helps his friend Bassanio to win the hands of his love, Portia, by allowing Bassanio to loan money from Shylock and to make Antonio his loan guarantor. These two Shakespearean comedies similarly contain scenes where a woman cross-dresses as a man to achieve a particular goal. In â€Å"Twelfth Night,† Viola pretends to be a man named Cesario to able to get a job under Duke Ullyria, while in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice,† Portia and Nerissa dress as men to prevent Shylock from taking a pound of Antonio’s flesh. The cross-dressing of the characters, therefore, reveals a theme of sexuality in the plays. Another aspect in the plays that discloses the theme of sexuality is the concept of close friendships or attraction between the same-sex characters in the stories such as Antonio and Bassanio in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice,† Olivia and Viola (pretending to be Cesario), Antonio and Sebastian, and Duke Orsino and Cesario (finally revealed as Viola) in â€Å"Twelfth Night.† These complicated relationships in the stories show the complexity of sexuality and gender in relation to the attraction, whether physical or emotional, felt by the characters towards the other. With the characters cross-dressing, Shakespeare reveals the nature of sexuality in an obscure light. Brief Summary of â€Å"Twelfth Night† William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Twelfth Night† starts with a scene where the Duke Orsino of the kingdom of Illyria hangs around with music in the background as he thinks about his love for the beautiful Lady Olivia. Unfortunately, Olivia does not return his love because she is still in the midst of mourning for her brother who has died a long time ago. She rejects suitors and does not entertain marriage proposals. Unknown to these two characters, a young woman and survivor of a shipwreck with the name of Viola lands in the shore of Illyria. Unfamiliar with the place, she wonders if her twin brother Sebastian has died in the shipwreck. Upon hearing the story of Orsino and Olivia from a captain, she decides to work for Olivia in the meantime. However, upon finding out that Olivia does not entertain any strangers, she resorts to working for the Duke instead. This is where the pretension as a man starts. Viola begins dressing as a man with a new identity as Cesario. Duke Orsino immediately approves of Cesario and hires her as his messenger. The conflict of the story now arises as Viola begins to fall in love with the Duke who thinks she is a man, and he later asks Cesario to send his love letters to Olivia who, also believing that she is man, immediately falls for Cesario. In the end, all is revealed when Cesario and Duke Orsino arrive in Olivia’s house. Olivia greets Cesario with warmth believing her to be her new husband Sebastian, who was rescued by Antonio from the shipwreck. Witnessing this, Duke Orsino feels betrayed, but when the real Sebastian appears in the scene everyone realizes the truth of Viola and Sebastian’s personality. Duke Orsino proposes marriage to Viola upon finding out that he is truly in love with her, and Sir Toby and Maria also privately marry. The play ends with Malvolio being freed and feeling defeated. Sexuality and Gender in â€Å"Twelfth Night† â€Å"Twelfth Night† embodies a great deal of issues with regard to sexuality regardless of whether it is homosexuality or heterosexuality. Shakespeare has clearly illustrated the ambiguity of the nature of gender and sexuality. The issue of sexuality is evident as characters of the story have their own love interests. Firstly, Orsino’s love for Olivia is described by Cesario to be â€Å"With adorations, fertile tears, / With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire† (1.5.238-239). Cesario’s line evidently depicts a passionate feeling which is intensified more by the use of words such as â€Å"adoration†, â€Å"groans†, â€Å"thunder† and â€Å"fire†. This choice of words obviously demonstrates an immense imagery of sexuality. It is also clear that Viola (as Cesario) has fallen in love with the Duke Orsino. She proclaims her misery in â€Å"wooing† his lady when in fact, she wishes to be his wife. â€Å"To woo your lady. Yet, a barful strife! / Whoe’er I woo, myself would be his wife† (1.4.41-42). The concept of hasty attractions between characters is always present in Shakespearean plays. In â€Å"Twelfth Night†, Viola quickly falls in love with the duke, Olivia also hastily becomes attracted to Cesario despite the fact the she has just met him, and Orsino swiftly switches his feelings from Olivia to Viola as soon as he finds out that Cesario is actually a woman. The notion of physical attraction to the opposite clearly demonstrates the concept of sexuality as the characters have not even spent enough time with each other to dismiss their feelings to be of love already. It is most likely to be feelings of lust as the characters would often refer to the physical attributes of the person first every time they ponder about love such as Olivia’s lines â€Å"I’ll be sworn thou art: / Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit,† (1.5.273-274) The fact that Olivia also feels an attraction towards Cesario opens the issue of lesbianism as the audience all know that Cesario is Viola pretending to be a man. Her final monologue upon the departure of Cesario from Olivia’s house reveals her attraction towards the young and handsome messenger. â€Å"I’ll be sworn thou art: / Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit, / Do give thee five-fold blazon. Not too fast: soft! soft!† (1.5.273-275). She is easily drawn to the sentimentality of Cesario’s idea when he declares that if he is the one courting Olivia and not his master, he would stay outside her gates and cry out his love for her until she takes pity on him. Viola’s assurance to Olivia as Cesario also reveals a somewhat obvious attraction of Cesario to Olivia. By delivering those lines, despite the fact the Cesario is a woman, shows that Cesario does believe that Lady Olivia is attractive and beautiful. â€Å"’Tis beauty truly blent, whose red and white / Nature’s own sweet and cunning hand laid on.† (1.5.222-223). He could not have delivered it so effectively without imagining Olivia to whom he is referring. Scholars agree that the concept of cross-dressing in Shakespeare’s plays illustrates the possibility of lessening conflicts between homosexuality and heterosexuality. â€Å"Perhaps, the cross-dressed heroines of ‘Twelfth Night or As You Like it offer a symbolic way in which the conflict between male-male friendships and heterosexual marriage can be reconciled† (Smith 147). Cleary, in Olivia’s case of falling for Cesario, she fell in love not only for his handsome appearance but also because he has the sincerity that a woman needs from a lover. Obviously, Orsino does not possess them as he makes no risky effort to prove his love to Olivia. All he does is merely whine and complain about how his love is unrequited. Another part in the story that engages in the theme of sexuality is the seemingly homosexual love of Antonio to Sebastian. After rescuing Sebastian from the shipwreck, Antonio goes with him wherever he decides to go. He even goes as far as accompanying him to Illyria where he has many enemies. â€Å"I have many enemies in Orsino’s court, / come what may, I do adore thee so / That danger shall seem sport, and I will go† (2.1.35-6). According to Smith, The word ‘adore’ is a strong one: â€Å"where it’s used elsewhere by Shakespeare, it tends to refer either to the love of mortals for gods, or for an exalted form of romantic courtship† (148). Antonio also entrusts his purse to Sebastian as they part, which reveals his genuine affection for Sebastian. This gesture clearly describes Antonio’s unrequited homosexual love for Sebastian. At the end of â€Å"Twelfth Night,† Duke Orsino still accepts Viola even after discovering that she has fooled him to believe that she was a man. Surprisingly, Orsino tells her that he actually loves her. â€Å"Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou shall never shouldst love woman like to me† (5.1.259-260). It is noticeable that despite his confession of love to her, he still refers to him as â€Å"Boy,† which is an indication that he still sees her as Cesario. It can be dismissed that the Duke’s feelings towards Olivia and Viola may be just physical because he is easy to switch his feelings of love from Olivia to Viola. According to the book, A Companion to Shakespeare’s Works, â€Å"[i]n Twelfth night, embodied sexuality appears to be less important than clothing in establishing gendered identity† (Rackin 123). Brief Summary of â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† is the story of Antonio, a Venetian merchant, who encounters a predicament when Bassanio borrowed a big amount of money from him so he could afford to travel to Belmont and win the hand of Portia. Antonio replies that he cannot lend him any money because he has already invested them on his trade ships, but he assures Bassanio that he could lend from any money lending investor and refer to him as a complete guarantor. The two men approach Shylock, a Jewish money lender who secretly despises Antonio for humiliating him numerous times in the past. He agrees to lend money to Bassanio under the condition that if Antonio fails to pay the debt, he is entitled to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio. They closed the deal. Fortunately, Bassanio is able to win Portia’s hand despite the complexity of her dead father’s will but when he finds out that Antonio’s trade ships have been reported missing, he goes back to Venice to help his friend out. With the help of the Duke of Venice and his hired attorney, Balthasar, who is in fact Portia pretending to be a man, try to convince Shylock to negotiate and just take double of the money that he has loaned to Bassanio. Shylock refuses to hear it and insists that he cuts a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Balthasar agrees by also adding that Shylock must cut the flesh without causing it to bleed or else all his properties would be confiscated. Unable to protest any longer, Shylock surrenders and agrees to take the money from Bassanio. He is then prosecuted for attempting to kill a citizen, so half of his properties must go to the government and the other half to Antonio. In the end, Bassanio and Graziano thank Balthasar and his assistant, who is actually Graziano’s wife Nerissa, by offering presents to them. Balthasar demands to have his ring to which Bassanio hesitates but later gives. Upon returning to Belmont, Portia and Nerissa confront and accuse their husband of infidelity because of the ring that they promised never to give under any circumstances. After a short while of arguments, they reconcile by revealing their true identities in the case of Shylock and Antonio. Sexuality and Gender in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† Similar to â€Å"Twelfth Night†, â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† also includes a scene where a woman dresses as a man to accomplish a goal that would later benefit the protagonists at the end of the story. In this case, Portia is the woman character who pretends to be a male attorney to rescue Antonio from being cut by the vengeful Shylock. By using her wits and intelligence, she is able to notice a lapse in the earlier contract that the two men have agreed upon which leads to the successful negotiation of Shylock by just taking the money instead of taking a pound of Antonio’s flesh. In this regard, the empowerment of the female sexuality is insinuated by means of giving Portia authority in the case. The concept of feminism is clear in this play as female sexuality is deemed to be more empowered in the story than the male sexuality. Cross-dressing obviously plays a large role in symbolizing sexuality and gender in the play. â€Å"Shakespeare uses Portia’s disguise to highlight the struggle between heterosexual love and homosexual love found within the love triangle consisting of Portia, Bassanio, and Antonio† (eNotes.com). In the first part of the story, we witness Antonio’s unexplainable sadness, and when Bassanio arrives, he immediately asks him of his lady-love. This can be an indication that Antonio feels some kind of affection for Bassanio and it might be the reason why he cannot explain his own sadness. It is also apparent that upon Bassanio’s arrival, Antonio is very interested in finding out about Bassanio’s new love. Antonio’s reference to Basssanio as, â€Å"My purse, my person, my extremest means, / Lie all unlock’d to your occasions† (1.1.138-139), reveals an indication that there is more to Antonio’s brotherly feelings towards Bassanio. It is also clear that Antonio has lent Bassanio a big amount of money before and it is not the first time that Bassanio asks a big favor from him. This gesture of eminent closeness between two male friends demonstrates an implicit depth of relationship which is more than friendship. The pound of flesh can be a symbol of sexuality in the play. Flesh clearly symbolizes the lust of the flesh, and even though there is no direct evidence that Shylock is homosexual, it can be regarded that the symbolism of flesh refers to the other characters in the story. Clearly, there are a number of couples in the story such as Portia and Bassanio, Jessica and Lorenzo, and Nerissa and Graziano. This could be a reference that they are examples of people who lust after flesh because of their quick engagements despite the short span of time that they have known each other. It is also apparent that love in this play is much more associated with the hasty physical attraction rather than the concept of extensive courting and getting-to-know-each-other stage. The fact that Portia’s dead father prefers to have a groom for her who can luckily choose the right casket reveals that the present society of the play does not give much importance to feelings but more on practicality. The concept of patriarchal authority is also apparent in the plot of the play as symbolized by Portia’s father’s will. The will represents the authority that her father still has over her decisions despite the fact that he is already dead. The will, therefore, holds the remaining power of her father which clearly reveals a society where men rule. According the play’s guide, â€Å"The plot parallels and contrasts the rivalry between Portia and Antonio in the main plot and highlights the ‘conflict between male friendship and marriage’ which runs throughout [Shakespeare’s] works† (Janik 186). Clearly, in this play, Portia seems to be the hindrance between Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship. However, in the end, she proves to be the one with the authority, as she disguises herself as a man of law to save Antonio. Thus, Portia’s female sexuality becomes more authoritative in the play because she is able to resolve the problem that neither Antonio nor the Duke of Venice can resolve. Conclusion â€Å"Twelfth Night† and â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† encompass a complex plot of mistaken identities and deliberate cross-dressing. The fact that the female characters ultimately save the men from their miseries in the end proves that these Shakespearean plays also include the concept of feminism. However, the theme of sexuality is more focused on the relationships between the heterosexual major characters, while the implicit concept of homosexuality is ambiguous in the male-male friendships. Nevertheless, these two Shakespearean works still embody a story that modern readers could still relate to as the theme of sexuality is continuously present in our society. Works Cited Janik, Vicki K. The Merchant of Venice: A Guide to the Play. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003. Rackin, Phyllis. â€Å"Shakespeare’s Crossdressing Comedies.† A Companion to Shakespeare’s Works. Eds. Richard Dutton and Jean Elizabeth Howard. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Roma Gill. Oxford: Barron’s Educational Series, 2001. Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night: Or, What You Will. Ed. Cedric Thomas Watts. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions, 1992 Smith, Emma. The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2007.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice (Vol. 40): Introduction.† Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Dana Ramel Barnes. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2006. eNotes.com. 12 Mar 2009

The Colombia FARC Guerrilla Group

The Colombia FARC Guerrilla Group FARC is an acronym for Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). FARC was founded in Colombia in 1964. Objectives of FARC According to FARC, its goals are to represent Colombias rural poor by seizing power through armed revolution, and establishing government. FARC is a self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist organization, which means it is committed in some fashion to the the redistribution of wealth among the countrys population. In keeping with this position, it opposes multinational corporations and the privatization of national resources. FARCs commitment to ideological goals has waned considerably; it often appears largely to be a criminal organization. Its supporters tend to join in search of employment, less than to fulfill political goals. Backing and Affiliation FARC has supported itself through a number of criminal means, most notably through its participation in the cocaine trade, from harvest to manufacture. It also has functioned, like the mafia, in rural areas of Colombia, requiring businesses to pay for their protection against attack. It has received outside support from Cuba. In early 2008, news surfaced, based on laptops from a FARC camp, that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had forced a strategic alliance with FARC to undermine Colombias government. Notable Attacks July 17, 2008: Eight civilians were kidnapped and held for a week before being released. FARC is estimated to be holding about 800 hostages.April 15, 2005: A cylinder gas bomb attack killed a child and injured over twenty civilians in the town of Toribio. The attack was part of FARCs ongoing conflict with the government. FARC has frequently been accused of causing unnecessary civilian deaths.June 3, 2004: 34 coca farmers were found bound and shot. FARC took responsibility, and said they had killed the men for support of right-wing paramilitaries. FARC was first established as a guerrilla fighting force. It is organized in military fashion, and governed by a secretariat. FARC has employed a vast array of tactics and techniques to achieve military and financial goals including bombings, assassinations, extortion, kidnapping and hijacking. It is estimated to have about 9,000 to 12,000 active members. Origins and Context FARC was created in a period of intense class turmoil in Colombia and after many years of severe violence over the distribution of land and wealth in the rural country. In the late 1950s, two warring political forces, Conservative and Liberals, backed by army power, joined to become a National Front and began consolidating their hold over Colombia. However, both were interested in helping large landowners invest in and use peasant land. FARC was created out of guerrilla forces that opposed this consolidation. The increasing pressure on peasants by the government and property owners in the 1970s helped FARC grow. It became a proper military organization and gained support from peasants, but also students and intellectuals. In 1980, peace talks between the government and FARC began. The government hoped to transform FARC into a political party. In the meantime, right wing paramilitary groups began to grow, in particular to protect the lucrative coca trade. In the wake of peace talk failures, violence between FARC, the army and the paramilitaries grew in the 1990s.

Elements of Art

Elements of Art Each work of art has elements of unity and elements of variety. Variety balances out unity and keeps things interesting. The center of interest or focal point is the place the artist draws your eyes first. Artists use balance in order to construct paintings. These elements of art such as unity, variety, focal point or area of interest and balance will be used to give you a better understanding. Examples from "Giorgio de Chirico" (The Mystery and Melancholy of a Street, 1914), "Pablo Picasso" (Seated Nude, 1909, Spanish), "Francisco de Goya" (Saturn Devouring His Children, 1819) and "Piet Mondrain" (Devotie, 1908) will be used merely as informational pieces to convey these elements of art.Some ways of creating unity might be to make everything in a painting a similar color, or a series of repeating shapes, or a consistent texture made with brush strokes. At times, variety coerces the eye to pay particular attention to that object.Piet Mondrain chairsVariety occurs when an artist creat es something that looks different from the rest of the artwork. For example, "Giorgio de Chirico", (The Mystery and Melancholy of a street, 1914) depicts unity and variety with light/dark (cooler and warmer hues) various shapes and lines. Unity is depicted in the repletion of the square windows, directly above the repletion of archways alongside two buildings. Variety is depicted in the chosen colors and various shapes and lines. In "Chirico's" oil canvas, variety is applied by the contrasting of warmer hues aside the cooler hues (light and dark) conveying both space/distance and receding/closeness. The unity and variety in this canvas is brought together through the repetition depicted on the two buildings, the warmer hues and light expressing depth and the cooler hues and dark expressing the closeness. These same principles of the elements...

Strategies set in place do not solve the drug problem around the world Research Paper

Strategies set in place do not solve the drug problem around the world - Research Paper Example There are several social and environmental factors why people start using drugs. Types of drugs consumed depend upon the price and accessibility of particular drugs. There are many other reasons that push the young people towards drug abuse like family tensions, peer pressure, poor school performance, low self-esteem, inadequate social skills, depression and so on. There are various drug policies all over the world to fight against this grave social problem. Most of the policies strive towards creating awareness of the evils of drug abuse. With the rapid change of lifestyle, growing competition among peers in educational and professional arenas, drug abuse is an ever increasing social malady. The governments’ efforts of creating strategies to cope with drug abuse have so far been essentially unsuccessful. This paper focuses on drug policies and their inadequacy among young generation. Drug policies To fight drug use, it is imperative that effective preventive strategies be imp lemented. Such strategies must cover all stages of life, from infancy to adulthood. Such strategies can keep the youth away from consumption of all kinds of drugs including alcohol. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has adopted six kinds of preventive measures. The first one is Information dissemination that is designed to create awareness about drugs and alter the youth’s perspective of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The second one is Preventive education that enables the youth to acquire personal and social skills for better health, and this keeps them away from drug use. The third one includes Alternative approaches that assume that young people who get engaged in drug-free activities with be benefited by those activities rather than through activities concerned with drugs. The fourth one is Problem identification and referral involves those youth who have already been addicts of drugs and have drug-related physical or emotional problems, and suggesting t o those youth regarding appropriate treatments. The fifth one is Community-based process that enhances resources in the communities, for instance, building training agencies to promote awareness through education. The sixth one includes Environmental approaches that build policies to increase protection measures and reduce risk factors of drug use (Promising Strategies to Reduce Substance Abuse, 2000, pp.1-2). Legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco, and illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin, marijuana have many harmful affects. Alcohol consumption can lead to road accidents, domestic violence and crime. Heavy drinking can cause chronic diseases like liver cirrhosis and brain damage. If pregnant women consume alcohol, then there is possibility of birth defects. Smoking tobacco is a major cause of breathing problems and cancer. Illicit drug use can cause road accidents, violent outbursts and crime. Then there is also the risk of getting affected by HIV/AIDS through unsafe injection of illi cit drugs. The goal of National Drug Strategy 2010-2015 is to reduce the social, economic and health problems that occur due to drug use. The three approaches adopted are demand reduction, supply reduction and harm reduction. By demand reduction strategy, prevention measures are taken to reduce the consumption of alcohol and other drugs in the community. It also guides people to recover from the addiction and return to normal life. By supply reduction strateg

Rebuttal of an Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rebuttal of an Evaluation - Essay Example He has said that this pain is expressed through â€Å"The Silent Scream† (Rice) that cannot be heard but can be seen. God is the creator of life and Satan is the destroyer, hence he has opined that abortion in way worship of Satan himself. Rice strongly announces his vote for right to life for the foetus and also told not to impose a decision of someone else’s on a coming child through deciding on his life and death. Rice’s argument against abortion lacks rationality and an emotional appeal rather than a reasoned one. The Silent Scream claim of Rice classifies the foetus as living and thus has a right to life. Biologically it is alive, but being alive neither provides it full human rights nor a right to live through the gestation period. Question might be asked why so? There are a bunch of reasons first of all a foetus carries human chromosome and left to grow it will be a human one day. It is a potential person, but our hair follicle also contains the same numbe r of DNA that it has. A zygote and a hair follicle contain the same attributes in terms of chromosomes and thus a zygote is as much a human as a hair follicle.