Mock trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mock trial - Essay Example Bianca and the defense team can consider a peremptory challenge (Tarr 130). The removal of the jury would weed out the biased jurors who would determine the case in favor of the plaintiff. The case of Davis v. HappyLand company evokes emotional that may attach some of the juror members to the loss of Andrea’s loss. The jurors would then determine the case with bias based on the common bond they have established with Andrea. The defendants should use the persuasion capability of the three attorneys to convince the court to consider the challenge. However, the attorneys are not required by the law to give any particular reason for the challenge. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen? We are here today to find out if that the death of Joey that occurred on August 2011 was caused by the negligence of her supervisors or HappyLand Company. The role of Joey’s caregiver will be put into perspective. We will provide evidence will proof why the plaintiff should not get damages. The findings of the pharmacology will also disapprove that the alleged cause of death though GHB product does not cause death unless ingested in large quantities. Therefore, the quantity of GHB contain in one Princess Bead cannot produce GHB that can be metabolized to a dangerous level. The company has met its burden of responsibility by providing sufficient warnings regarding the danger of ingesting beads. Joey does not fall into the age bracket that is targeted for the market of HappyLand Company. The defense team will provide witnesses and further evidence of proof beyond any reasonable doubt why the court should not pursue plaintiff consideration for damages. At the conclusion of this negligence trial, it is my sincere hope that in the interests of the justice you will find that the defendant is not responsible for the cause the loss of Joey. Thank you very much. We are here to determine a case where the plaintiff Andrea

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Uni 3 DB SA Second Week Essay

Quality Management and Continuous Improvement Uni 3 DB SA Second Week - Essay Example The information makes response from the instructor to students faster. The students, on the other hand, are able to submit assignments and papers in time. The development of the websites also allows students to access campus-based resources such as library materials, and offer online technical support. The online study experience should be designed and planned to allow relative flexibility for the students. It does not necessarily mean that classes should be set in weekly intervals. There are students who would like a daily routine too. The course outline should be put online so that all students know the relevant topics. The plan should also give material to keep students involved in the coursework. This is a proven method of improving satisfaction and in the long-run, longer student retention (Johnston, Kilion and Oomen 2005). The schedule should give time adequate for students to cover the syllabus. Since the online students are mostly busy with other activities, the time for coverage should be maximized (Aggarwal, 2003). This ensures that the quality of education offered to the student is not watered down. The availability of instructors should also be such that response to any queries as soon as possible (within 24 hours). The time zones should also be considered in planning since online studies are not limited by geographical

The Virgin Group Brand

The Virgin Group Brand ABSTRACT The Research has been undertaken in order to reveal the unique strategies that the Virgin Group employed in its extensions, and to examine whether it is really successful through strategies and how far it can go in the future. To better answer this question six study objectives are derived. The three most important ones are : to show the whole extension history of the Virgin brand, its success and failures ;to demonstrate the unique strategies Virgin employed in its brand extensions; to discover the consumers attitude towards Virgins extensions and how far Virgin can go. In order to answer these questions, this research contains a literature review, the field research, as well as analysis and conclusion. The literature review explains the concept and main issues of brands, brand equity, and brand extension. Then the methodology is started and justified, and the investigated company and its brand extension strategies are introduced. After that the results of the survey are presented. And the conclusion is drawn according to academic literature, primary data , and secondary data. INTRODUCTION Research Context For decades the value of a company was measured in terms of its buildings and land, and then its tangible assets (plant and equipment). The 1980s marked a turning point in the conception of brands. Management came to realize that the principal asset of a company was in fact its brand name ( Kapferer , 1997 ) The brand is not the product but it gives the product meaning and defines its identity in both time and space. Brand equity is regarded as a very important concept in business practice as well as in academic research because marketers can gain competitive advantage through successful brands. The competitive advantage of firms that have brands with high equity includes the opportunity for successful extensions, resilience against competitors promotional pressures, and creation of barriers to competitive entry( Farquhar, 1989 ) . However, the cost of introducing a brand in to a consumer market can be considerable ranging from about $ 100 million ( ourusoff , 1992) , with a 50% probability of failure ( Crawford, 1993 ). Thus, it not a surprise that companies seeking growth opportunities may prefer to extend existing brands. Brand extension has been hailed as the way to achieve in a cost controlled environment. By capitalizing on the reputation of an established brand, companies save the high cost of creating new brands. New products which piggyback on favorable brands drive an immediate advantage by entering from a position of strength, thus reducing the risk in failure; while the parent brand gains some synergy through the heightened awareness that is generated in successful new product launches ( Pitta and Katsanis, 1995 ). While successful brand extensions can reap benefits, management should not forget the risk of extension failure. History shows the potential of brand extension problems, which range from out right failure to partial failures. Instead of success, the failed extension might tarnish the image and reduce the market share of the parent product. Since the brand extension decision in fact a strategic one, it is important to think strategically beyond the first extension to future growth areas. Further more, it is also important to manage those extensions strategically. Virgin group was chosen as the subject of this study because it offers great potential for studying the issue of brand extension, perhaps the best known example of successful unrelated diversification. Virgin started out as a publisher and retailer of popular music. Its brand was built up on the qualities expressed by its products. The virgin brand is now so powerful that it can be applied to diverse fields including airline, cola, financial services and even commercial space shuttles in the future. The Virgin group has a unique strategy in extending and managing its brand. They have remarkable success and some failure as well . However , to date , its successes have outweighed its failures . Research Aims and Objectives Research Aims This study is an attempt to investigate a company , Virgin group, to gain an insight in to the brand management and brand extension theory.. The researcher seeks to understand brand extension management both in general and in a particular organization. The researcher does not seek to gather statistical data for generalizations, but intends to make an in-depth study in order to highlight issues within this single organization. The research has been undertaken in order to reveal the unique strategies that the Virgin Group employed in its extensions, and to examine whether it is really successful through its strategies and how far it can go in the future . In detail , the research investigates the recognition of the virgin brand name , the recognition of the products / services under this brand name , the impact of extensions on brand name , and the perception of the brand by the customers. .Research Objectives The research aims to generate the following detailed research objectives. 1 To define brand image and brand extension 2 To demonstrate the consequences of brand extension. 3 To clarify the brand extension strategies. 4 To show the whole extension history of virgin brand including its successes and failures.. 5 To demonstrate the unique strategies Virgin employed in its brand extensions.. 6 To discover the consumers , attitude towards Virgins extensions and how far Virgin can go. All these objectives will be addressed through academic literature review, analysis of existing organisation data, analysis of the organisation survey and interview, and combination of the results. Research Structure The following research content can be divided into four sections: literature review, research methodology, primary and secondary research, and conclusion. The first section is concerned with the literature review. Before expounding the concept of brand extension, the researcher initially demonstrates the definitions of brand extension as one of the strategies in brand management emerged when brands were regarded as intangible assets gaining more attention. Brand extensions are closely linked with brand equity. Successful brand extensions result from good understanding of brand equity. Successful brand extensions result from good understanding of brand equity. After that the researcher clarifies the definition of brand extension, the consequences of brand extension, criteria in brand extension decisions, and evaluations of brand extensions. In the second section the researcher illustrates the research methodology from three dimensions: research philosophy, research approach, and research strategy. Then the collection methods of primary data and secondary data and the limitation of the methodology will be addressed. The third section is about the primary and secondary research. Secondary data will be collected and illustrated as the basis of primary research. Primary data will be collected from a standardized questionnaire survey and the data would be analyzed. Contribution to Research The prior literatures on brand extensions at Virgin Group clearly illustrated the unique strategies Virgin group employed to extend their brand and weighed its success and failures. This topic has been researched and represented on the basis of biographies and case studies in brand extension theories. Most of the literature has expressed doubts regarding how far the Virgin group can go with its brand. The purpose of this research is to explore those doubts mentioned above and determine how justified they are. The researcher will conduct a survey from consumers point of view to obtain the answer. The findings will show the awareness of the virgin brand and its products/services, and the attitudes of consumers towards those extensions in Virgin. Of course, all these aspects are just starting points for further research. It was impractical for the present research to obtain a comprehensive overview of Virgins extensions in general, nor was it practical to consider all existing documents, initiatives and other related information. Chapter 1 Literature Review 1.1 Introduction In this chapter, various perspectives of brand extension theories have been reviewed as the basis of the further research. Firstly, the researcher clarifies the general concepts of brand equity. Then brand extension, one of the brand management strategies, is explained in details. The chapter ends with a summery of the literature review. 1.2 What is a Brand? 1.2.1 Definitions of Brand Keller (1998) explained the origin of the word â€Å"brand† by using the research of Interbrand group. The word â€Å"brand† is derived from the Old Norse word â€Å"brandr, which means â€Å"to burn† as brands were and still are the means by which owners of livestock mark their animals to identify them. The different approaches to defining brand partly stem from differing philosophies and stakeholder perspectives, i.e. a brand may be defined from the consumers ‘ perspective and / or from the brand owners perspective .In addition , brands are sometimes defined in terms of their purpose, and sometimes described by their characteristics(Wood,2000). The American Marketing Association (1960) proposed the following company orientated definition of a brand as: â€Å"A name , term , sign, symbol, or design , or a combination of them , intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.† The definition has been criticized for being too product -oriented, with emphasis on visual features as differentiating mechanisms (Arnold, 1992; Crainers, 1995). Despite the criticisms, the definition has endured to contemporary literature, albeit in modified from .Aaker (1991) adopt this definition. â€Å"A brand is a distinguishing name and / or symbol (Such as a logo, trade mark, or package design) intended to identify the goods or services of with one seller or a group of sellers, and to differentiate those goods or services from those of competitors.† Ambler (1992) takes a consumer oriented approach in defining a brand as: â€Å"The promise of the bundles of attributes that someone buys and provide satisfaction†¦.The attributes that make up a brand may be real or illusory, rational or emotional, tangible or invisible.† These attributes emanate from all elements of the marketing mix, and are subject to interpretation by the consumer. They are highly subjective. Brand attributes are essentially what are created through brand description (one interpretation of brand equity) mentioned previously. Many other brand definitions and descriptions focus on the methods used to achieve differentiation and/or emphasize the benefits the consumer derives from purchasing brands. These include definitions and descriptions that emphasize brands as an image in the consumers minds, brand personality, brands as value systems, and brands as added value (Wood, 2000) It is possible to draw together many of the approaches to brand definition, An integrated definition can be achieved that highlights a brands purpose to its owner, and considers how this is achieved through consumer benefits. Added value is implicit to this definition (wood, 2000) that is: â€Å"A brand is a mechanism for achieving competitive advantage for firms, through different (purpose). The attributes that differentiate a brand provide the customer with satisfaction and benefits for which they are willing to pay (Mechanism).† According to Philip Kotler ( 1984) , A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention , acquisition , use , or consumption that might satisfy a need or want. Thus a product may be a physical good, service, retail store, person, organization, place or idea. A Brand is a product , then , but one that adds other dimensions to differentiate it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same need, These differences may be rational and tangible related to product performance of the brand of more symbolic, emotional, and intangible related to what the brand represents ( Keller,1998) 1.2.2 Functions of Brands Brands play different roles to consumers and firms (Keller, 1998). To consumers, brands identify the source of maker of a product and allow consumers to assign responsibility as to which particular manufacturer or distributor should be held accountable. Most importantly, brands take on special meaning to consumers. Because of past experiences with the product and its marketing program over the years, consumers learn about brands. They find out which brands satisfy their needs (Keller, 1998). Thus, Brands Provide a short hand device or means of simplification for their product decisions (Jacoby et al., 1971). From an economic perspective , Brands allow consumers to lower search costs for products both internally (in terms of how much they have to think ) and externally ( in terms of how much they have to look around) brands can serve as symbolic devices, allowing consumers to project their own self images. Certain brands are associated with being used by certain types of people and t hus reflect different values or traits (Keller, 1998). Brands also provide a number of valuable functions to firms (Chernatony and William, 1998). Fundamentally, they serve an identification purpose to simplify product handling or tracing for the firm. Operationally, brands help to organize inventory, accounting, and other records. A brand also offers the firm legal protection for unique features or aspects of the product. A brand can retain intellectual property rights, giving legal title to the brand owner (Bageley, 1995). The brand name can be protected through registered trade marks, manufacturing processes can be protected through patents, and packing can be protected through copy rights and designs. Brands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product again ( Erdem ). This brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and creates barriers of entry that make it difficult for other firms to enter the market. Thus, to firms, brands represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property, capable of influencing consumer behavior, being bought and sold , and providing the security of sustained future revenues to their owners ( Bymer , 1991). 1.2.3 Brand Architecture A company that wants to get behind its corporate brand and use it more proactively must decide on the most appropriate brand architecture for its business or businesses (Mottram, 1998). There are three alternatives: * A monolithic structure * An endorsed brand architecture * A hybrid structure (Mottram, 1998). A monolithic structure has the corporate brand right at the center. All products and services are branded with the same name, identity and set of brand values. The advantage of this sort of structure include a seamless transfer of goodwill to the center, cheaper brand building and instant credibility when launching new products or extending into new markets. The difficulty with the monolithic approach is that the corporate brands personality has to be flexible enough to cover different products and markets while being precise enough to compete with specialist brands in each segment. When a company uses an endorsed brand architecture, it aims to add the higher values of the corporate brand to the specific values of product and service brands in its portfolio in the interest of competitive advantage. Thus the corporate brand can add security, trust and credibility to the positioning of the product or service brand. Brand owners have adopted a number of ‘hybrid approaches. For ins tance, Nestle has pulled all of its products under ten global ‘banner brands. Each banner brand is targeted at a specific market or closely linked markets but, crucially all will continue to benefit from the Nestle corporate endorsement as well. Other companies have adopted the name of one of their brands as the corporate brand, in the hope of leveraging specific product brand attributes across the group and increasing the intangible value of the entire business in the process (Mottram, 1998). 1.3Brand Equity 1.3.1 From Brand Image to Brand Equity Brands have been a major aspect of marketing reality for over a hundred years. The theory of branding came sometime later (Feldwick, 1996). David Ogilvy was discussing the importance of brand image as early as 1951 (Biel, 1993). It was first fully articulated by Burleigh Gardner and Sidney Levy in their classic Harvard Business Review paper of 1955. But despite such distinguished origins the concept of ‘brand image remained until recently peripheral to the mainstream of advertising theory and evaluation (Feldwick, 1996). Although it was endorsed from the 1960s onward by the British Account Planning movement (e.g. King, 1970; Cowley, 1989), it was also seen by many advertisers and researchers as a rather woolly theory the sort of thing advertising agency people talk airily about when they failed to ‘get a hard product message across or to ‘convert prospects or to ‘make sales, as they were supposed to be doing (Feldwick, 1996). ‘Brand image was associat ed with expressions like the ‘soft sell (Reeves, 1961) and the ‘weak theory of advertising (Jones, 1991), which gave it, for many, the air of a whimsical luxury that a businesslike advertiser could hardly afford (Feldwick, 1996). In the nineteen -eighties, the hardnosed business people began to notice that brands appeared to be changing hands for huge sums of money. As take-over fever spread, the difference between balance sheet valuations and the prices paid by predators was substantially attributed to ‘the value of brands. Suddenly, the brand stopped being an obscure metaphysical concept of dubious relevance. It was something that was worth money (Feldwick, 1996). This shift of perception was reflected in the way that the traditional expression ‘brand image was increasingly displaced by its solid financial equivalent, ‘brand equity. It is not clear who invented the expression, but few uses of it have been traced before the mid- eighties (Ambler and Styles, 1995). It achieved respectability when it was taken up by the prestigious Marketing Science Institute, which held a major seminar on the subject in 1988 and has been going strong ever since (Feldwick, 1996). 1.3.2 Definitions of Brand Equity Since the term â€Å"brand equity† emerged in the 1980s (Cobb- Walgren et al, 1995), it is regarded as a very important concept in business practice as well as in academic research because marketers can gain competitive advantage through successful brands (Lassar et al, 1995). However, there are a number of alternative methods have been suggested for defining the concept of brand equity, which results in some confusion and even frustration with the term(Keller, 1998). Generally brand equity has been viewed from two major perspectives. The first perspective has used the concept of brand equity in the context of marketing decision-making. The second perspective has focused on the financial aspects of brand equity, more pertinent to determining a brands valuation for accounting, merger, or acquisition purposes (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). Financial perspective The financial-market-value-based technique presented by Simon and Sullivan (1993) has been quoted in Motameni and Shahrokhi (1998) for estimating a firms brand equity. The stock price is used as a basis to evaluate the value of the brand equities. Brand equity is defined as â€Å"the incremental cash flows, which accrue to branded products over unbranded products (Simon and Sullivan, 1993).† The estimation technique extracts the value of brand equity from the value of the firms other assets. First, the macro approach assigns an objective value to a firms brands and relates this value to the determinants of brand equity. Second, the micro approach isolates changes in brand equity at the individual brand level by measuring the response of brand equity to major marketing decisions (Motameni and Shahrokhi, 1998). Simon and Sullivan (1993) believe that financial markets do no ignore marketing factors and stock prices reflect marketing decisions. Financial World uses one of the most publicised financial approaches in its annual listing of worldwide brand valuation (Cobb-Walgren et al,!995).They used a brand-earnings multiplier or weights to calculate brand equity, The brand weights are based on both historical data and individuals judgments of other factors. The brand equity is the product of the multiplier and average of the past three years profits (Motameni and Shahrokhi, 1998). Marketing perspective Within the marketing literature, operationalisations of brand equity usually fall into two groups: those involving consumer perceptions and those involving consumer behaviour .Keller (1998) offered a perceptual definition of customer-based brand equity: â€Å"the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand†. A brand with positive customer-based brand equity might result in consumers being more accepting of a new brand extension, less sensitive to price increases and withdrawal of advertising support, or more willing to seek the brand in a new distribution channel. Customer-based brand equity occurs when the consumer has a high level of awareness and familiarity with the brand and holds some strong, favourable, and unique brand associations in memory (Keller, 1998). The latter consideration is critical. For branding strategies to be successful and brand equity to be created, consumers must be convinced that there are meaningful differences among brands in the product or service category. Brand awareness is created by increasing the familiarity of the brand through repeated exposure and strong asso ciations with the appropriate product category or other relevant purchase or consumption cues (Alba and Hutchinson, 1987). Marketing programs that link strong, favourable, and unique association to the brand in memory create a positive brand image. The definition of customer-based brand equity does not distinguish between the source of brand associations and the manner in which they are formed; all that matters is the resulting favourability strength, and uniqueness of brand associations (Keller, 1998). Cobb-Walgren, Ruble and Donthu (1995) introduced Kamakura and Russells approach relying more on consumer behaviour in their article. They used scanner data to come up with three measurements of brand equity. First is perceived value-was defined as the value of the brand that cannot be explained by price and promotion. Second is brand dominance-provided and objective value of the brands ability to compete on price. Third is intangible value-was operationalised as the utility perceived for the brand minus objective utility measurements (Kumakura and Russell, 1993). Aaker (1991) is one of the few authors to incorporate both attitudinal and behavioral dimensions in his definition (Cobb-Walgren et al, 1995). He has provided the most comprehensive definition of brand equity to date: â€Å"A set of assets (and liabilities) linked to a brands name and symbol that adds to firms customers.† The major asset categories are (figure 1.1): brand name awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, brand associations (Aaker, 1996). Competitive Advantage Paul Feldwick (1996) has suggested that brand equity seems to be used in three quite distinct senses, and each of these three has several further nuances of meaning. These are: a = the total value of a brand as a separable asset-when it is sold, or included on a balance sheet. b = a measure of the strength of consumers attachment to a brand. c = a description of the associations and beliefs the consumer has about the brand. In his point of view, looking for an operational definition of brand equity just likes asking the wrong question. Brand equity is necessarily a vague concept. It is depending on the brands individual circumstances- and depending, importantly, on the use to which the findings will be put (Feldwick, 1996). Although a number of different views of brand equity have been expressed, they all are generally consistent with the basic notion that brand equity represents the â€Å"added value† endowed to a product as a result of past investments in the marketing for the brand. They all acknowledge that there exist many different ways that value can be created for a brand; that equity provides a common denominator for interpreting marketing strategies and assessing the value of a brand; and that there exist many different ways that the value of a brand can be manifested or exploited to benefit the firm(Keller, 1998). 1.4 Brand Extension 1.4.1 New Products and Brand Extension Developing brand extensions is one type of New Product Development (NPD) (Amber and Styles, 1996). Keller (1998) introduced Ansoffs growth share matrix as background of brand extension strategy. As shown in figure 1.2, growth strategies can be categorised as to whether they involve existing or new products and whether they target existing or new customers or markets. When a company introduces a new product, it has three main choices as to how to brand it: * Develop a new brand, individually chosen for the new product * Apply one of its existing brands in some way * Use a combination of a new brand with an existing brand. A brand extension is when a company uses an established brand name to enter a new product category (Aaker and Keller, 1990). 1.4.2 Brand Equity and Brand Extension One stream of brand equity research has focused on brand extensions (Barwise, 1993). Ambler and Styles (1996) have stated the reciprocal relationship between brand equity and brand extensions by combining the finding of other researchers. Part of this work has explored the effect of a brands equity on its extendibility, with the general conclusion being that the firm can leverage a brands existing equity in new categories (Shocker and Weitz, 1988). Research within this stream has found that brands with higher brand equity extend more successfully (Rangaswamy et al, 1993). Other research has looked at the reverse relationship: the impact of brand extensions on brand equity. The findings are that successful brand extensions can have a positive effect on the core brand, i.e. build brand equity (Dacin and Smith, 1994; Keller and Aaker, 1992). There seems therefore to be a reciprocal relationship between brand equity and brand extensions (Ambler and Styles, 1996). 1.4.3 Brand Extension Dimensions Brand extensions can be accomplished in a variety of ways. One of the most obvious differences is whether the extensions is in the same or different products name to a new product in the same product class or to a product category. Thus they can be classified as either vertical or horizontal extensions (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). Horizontal brand extensions either apply or extend an existing products name to a new product in the same product class or to a product category new to the company. There are two varieties of horizontal brand extensions, which differ in terms of their focus: line extensions and franchise extensions (Aaker and Keller, 1990).Line extensions involve a current brand name, which is used to enter a new market segment in its product class. In contrast, franchise extensions use a current brand name to enter a product category new to the company (Tauber, 1981). Horizontal extensions lend themselves to natural distancing. Distancing is the purposive increase in the perceptual distance of the extension from the core product. Unsuccessful horizontal extensions are less likely to damage the core brand than vertical extensions since horizontal extensions are often in different-and more distant-product categories. Typically consumers will recognise that such horizontal extensions are not closely re lated. The downside to distancing is that distancing reduces the amount or strength of the brand associations and reduces the halo effect of the extension (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). Horizontal extensions may suffer if the core and extension are perceived to be too distant from each other. Brand associations cannot stretch over too large a gulf. Research indicates that if the core product is perceived to be of high quality, and the â€Å"fit† between the core and extension is high, then brand attitudes toward the extension will be more favorable (Aaker and Keller, 1990). Without the perceived similarity between the parent and extension, consumers find it more difficult to attribute original brand associations to the extension (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). In contrast, vertical extensions involve introducing a related brand in the same product category but with a different price and quality balance. Vertical extensions offer management the quickest way to leverage a core products equity,. However, since the new product is in the same category, distancing is difficult and the risk of negative information is higher than with a horizontal extension. As a strategy, vertical brand extension is widely practiced in many industries. Vertical new product introductions can extend in two directions, upscale, involving a new product with higher price and quality characteristics than the original; or downscale, involving new product with lower quality and price points. Downscale vertical extensions may offer the equivalent of sampling to a new market segment, and bring some market share enhancement. Functional products seem to allow downscale but not upscale extension. Conversely, prestige products allow upscale but not downscale extensions (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). 1.5.1Advantages of Brand Extension Well-planned and implemented extensions offer a number of advantages to marketers. These advantages can be categorised as those that facilitate new product acceptance and those that provide feedback benefits to the parent brand or company as whole (Keller, 1998). * Facilitate new product acceptance With a brand extension, the cost of developing a new brand, introductory and follow-up marketing programs can be reduced (Keller, 1998). To conduct the necessary consumer research and employ skilled personnel to design high quality brand names, logos, symbols, packages, characters, and slogans can be quite expensive, and there is no assurance of success. Similar or virtually identical packages and labels for extensions can result in lower production costs and, if coordinated properly, more prominence in the retail store by creating a â€Å"billboard† effect. With a brand extension, consumers can make inferences and form expectations as to the likely composition and performance of a new product based on what they feel this information is relevant to the new product (Kim and Sullivan, 1995). Because of the potentially increased consumer demand resulting from introducing a new product as an extension, it may be easier to convince retailers to stock and promote a brand extension. It should be easier to add a link from a brand already existing in memory to a new product than it is to have to first establish the brand in memory and then also link the new product to it (Aaker and Carmon, 1992). By offering consumers a portfolio of brand va

Vague Descriptions in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay examples

Vague Descriptions in Heart of Darkness       A dark, unfamiliar setting and a suspenseful plot give Heart of Darkness the characteristics of a good novel, but what really stands out is Conrad's writing. The story is full of vague imagery and descriptions that the reader must contemplate in order to fully understand. Writing so vividly was an impressive feat for Conrad, who was actually not a native English speaker. (Dintenfass) His style includes a great deal of subtlety and complexity. Although it may seem as if Conrad was trying to confuse the reader, his actual goal was to create a work of art, rather that just a novel. Several critics have put down Conrad's work because his writing is so vague; they claim that it lacks order and clarity. Conrad occasionally wrote back to these critics and explained why he chose to construct his stories in such a vague manner. Says Professor Mark Dintenfass, commenting on Conrad's own opinion about his writing: "For Conrad then, as for most modern artists, the world as we experience it is not the sort of place that can be reduced to a se...

Yoga poses

Yoga is basically a scientific system of mental and physical practices that did originate from India. Its role is to offer help to people in order to achieve the highest potential as well as experience happiness and health. In our daily life, it is significant to learn on how to relax after some time through practicing some beneficial activities. Relaxation practices as far as Yoga is concerned are beneficial and quite effective. Anyone who practices yoga usually begins to deeply appreciate the breadth and the depth of its major benefits. It is therefore imperative to analyze some of the yoga poses; camel, tree, chair and child’s pose and come up with some of their benefits as well as contraindications. Benefits of Tree (Vrksasana) Adapted from http://www. yogajournal. com/poses/496 Vrksasana tree pose usually means standing with your hand as it is raised towards the sky (Kevin, 2010). The tree pose is beneficial in the fact that it strengthens your calves, ankles, thighs and spine. It stretches the groin, chest and thighs as well as improving one’s balance. Through practicing tree, one reduces the flat feet and it enhances mental stability and concentration. It also relieves Sciatica. Basically, this pose helps a lot in strengthening every part of the body and to create a calmer and stable body. The shoulders and the arms stretch up thus all the bones in the body also gets to have a great massage. There is always a fresh supply of the blood because of the tilted pose. It stretches the muscles, arms, wrists and the shoulders making them agile and flexible. The pose usually strengthens ones strength and helps in amplifying the stamina. The balancing act usually helps one to remain completely cool and calm because of the stability that it usually offers. There is always a calming effect of the mind that helps in making the brain to remain relaxed. Contraindications/ cautions of Tree (Vrksasana) Some of the contraindications of this pose are that it causes headache, insomnia and low blood pressure. For those people who have high blood pressure, they should not raise their arms overhead (Shannon, 2005). Personal benefits of Tree (Vrksasana) pose This pose is quite beneficial to me as it tones the muscles of the legs and it improves my sense of poise and balance. It also enhances my concentration and posture, strengthening my ankles my back as well as the hips. When I shift my weight onto my left foot I enhance my posture and balance making me more stable. With lots of practice I have also learnt to pose with my eyes closed as I exhale thus leaving me completely at ease and calm. The pose has enabled me to be more flexible and agile. Challenges and goals It is usually challenging for me at times to stand on one leg and build balance. I get so challenged when I have to focus since focusing and concentration is quite important. It gets hard when I have to stay for around 30 seconds to around I minute resting my hands on the top of my pelvis. I feel some slight headache which ebbs shortly leaving me relaxed. The pose is meant to enhance my balance and since I have a stiff back, to reduce sciatica leaving me flexible and calm. Benefits of Camel (Ustrasana) pose and the goals Adapted from www. quickfityoga. com The camel pose is beneficial as it compresses the spine and relieves the back problems (Camel pose, 2010). It also helps in digestion as it opens the rib cage and the lungs. It is helpful in stimulating the nervous system, helps in bronchial problems, strengthens the shoulder muscles as well as the back, improves the flexion of the neck, stretches one’s throat and helps in elimination of the toxins. It is also beneficial in flushing fresh blood via the kidneys. The major goal in practicing camel is to stretch the immense hip flexors, strengthen the back muscles as well as improve my posture. Contraindications Some of the contraindications are low and high blood pressure, migraine headache, serious low back as well as neck injury and insomnia. Challenges of camel Camel is one of the poses that is extremely challenging to me. I usually find it completely hard on my knees and my neck always feels pinched whenever I let my head drop backwards. It is also intense on my back and always makes me feel like screaming. I also experience some slight headache. Personal benefits of camel The pose stresses my entire front and leaves me feeling calm and flexible. With some few practices my back is stronger and my posture has improved. Before I started the camel class I used to feel anxious and fatigued which has hence ebbed with time. Benefits of – Chair (Utkatasana) and goals Adapted from http://yoga. about. com/od/yogaposes/a/utkatasana. htm The chair pose helps a lot in strengthening the arms. Thus the main goal in having this pose is to make the thighs strong. This helps to strengthen the calves, spine and ankles (Chair pose, 2010). In addition it stretches the chest and the shoulders, stimulates the heart, diaphragm and the abdominal organs. It also helps in reducing the flat feet. Contraindications The major contraindications are insomnia, headache and low blood pressure. Challenges of the chair pose and personal benefits The chair pose is quite challenging for my upper body. The idea of pressing my hands flat together and straightening the arms directly makes me feel uneasy. I feel like my shoulders, thighs and chest are blocked. I also feel intense headache and dizziness but it leaves me feeling great. The major personal benefits are that it has helped a lot in the opening of my hips and the thighs as well as warming my entire body. My knees, hips and ankles have stabilized with time and I feel more flexible. Benefits of Child’s pose (Balasana) and its goals Adapted from http://www. yogajournal. com/poses/475/ The major benefit of the child’s pose is that it helps in relieving back pain. It is a brilliant resting pose as it is useful after strenuous postures for example headstand thus restoring the body’s circulation and acts as a counter pose to the back bends. Its main goal is to help in deep relaxation and is called the child’s pose because one usually forms the shape of the baby. It is beneficial in the fact that since the head is lower than the heart, there is more circulation on the face. It works on muscles and is a major natural therapy to stress, depression, anxiety and fatigue. It calms the brain and helps in relieving neck and back pain. Contraindications It may lead to diarrhea and knee injury and pregnant mothers are advised not to have it. Also it should be done under supervision of an experienced teacher (child’s pose, 2010). Challenges and personal benefits Child’s pose tones and strengthens my ankles, hips and thighs. The longer I hold the pose the more I feel at ease and calm. The pose usually relaxes my brains and clears all the negative thoughts. It also helps me to focus as I breathe deeply during the pose as I inhale some positive thoughts and exhale all tensions. Child’s pose is quite challenging for my ankles as I feel intense pain. To ease the pain I slip a rolled cloth directly to the joints and as my knees are not comfortable with kneeling I place a chip foam or blanket between the heels and the butt. References Brophy, Shannon. 2005. Vrksasana. Retrieved 2, June, 2010< http://www.yoga.com/ydc/enlighten/enlighten_document.asp?ID=351§ion=9&cat=144 Camel pose. 2010. Retrieved 2, June, 2010< http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/688 Chair pose. 2010. Retrieved from 2, June 2010< http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/493 Pederson, Kevin. 2010. Benefits and importance of Adho Mukha Vrksasana. Retrieved 2, June, 2010

Democracy Essay

In its simplest term, democracy literally means the rule of the people. It came from the Greek word â€Å"demos† which means people and â€Å"kratos† which means rule. (â€Å"Democracy†) The term democracy was first coined in Ancient Greece. Democracy in Greece was understood to mean the selection of ordinary citizens to government office and courts and the assembly of all the citizens. Through the years, however, democracy as a form of government has evolved into a complex form of government. Despite the changes the concept has undergone, it still espouses the principles of popular sovereignty, political equality, popular consultation and the majority rule. (Austin Ranney, 1995) This essay is concerned with presidential democracy as a form of government. I aim to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the presidential system. In the concluding part, I will take a stand on this issue. The Advantages of Presidential System It is the essence of every presidential democracy that the three main powers of government are constitutionally divided into thee different departments. Read more: How does big states vs small states guard against tyranny essay The three departments are: a) the legislative branch; b) executive branch; and c) judicial branch. The legislative branch has the power to propose, enact, amend and repeal the law. The executive branch has the power to execute the law. The judiciary has the power to interpret the law. The doctrine of concentration of powers is intended to prevent a concentration of authority in one person or group of persons that might lead to an error or abuse to the prejudice of the whole state. It is believed that any concentration of powers in a single branch is tyrannical and only true separation of powers will protect the liberties of the people against the aggressions of government. (Austin Ranney, p. 240) Moreover, the essence of presidential democracy does not only lie in the constitutional separation of powers but it also lies in the system of checks and balances. The separation of powers in the three branches of government is not synonymous to isolation. In the words of Justice Frankfurter in the case of Connally v. Scudder (160 N.  E. 655), he states that while it is desirable that thee be a certain degree of independence among the several constitutional agencies, it is not in the public interest for them to deal with each other at arm’s length or with a hostile jealousy of their respective rights as this might result in frustration of the common objectives of the government. This means that in reality, these three departments actually share their powers for the purpose of establishing a system by which one department could resist encroachment made by another department. Although there is a separation of powers in a democracy, one department is given the prerogative to check whether another department is exceeding its power and prerogative. For example: the Executive department has the constitutional prerogative to check the power of the Legislative branch to make laws by exercising its veto power. This means that the president of a country has the power not to sign into law or veto a particular bill passed by the legislative branch if the president, thinks that the law is not proper e. g. f the law is not timely. The same is true for the legislative branch of government which has the constitutional prerogative to check on the powers of the president by means of the procedure known as impeachment. The same is true with the President who has the constitutional prerogative to check on the functions of the Judiciary. For example, the president has the power to grant amnesty and pardon to those already convicted and have undergone the process in the judiciary. Another essence of democracy lies in the Rule of Majority. This is best manifested in the process known as election by which the people, in accordance with the principle of popular sovereignty, have the power to choose which among the candidates will govern them for a limited period of time. Disadvantage of Presidential System Though the presidential system may have its advantages, one main objection to this system is the delays caused by too much political conflict and gridlock between the President, Senate and the House of Representatives. Several times in the past that needed legislations have been delayed and blocked because of the political bickering that is always inherent in a Presidential system. It must be stressed that laws are passed to address the concerns of the people. If the passage of laws will be delayed because of the disagreements between the executive and the legislative then the people are the ones who will suffer. Conclusion The democracy is adopted by many countries including the United States. I think presidential democracy is better than the other forms of government. Though it has also its weakness, it is only in a democracy where there is a better balance between the powers of the government and the right of the people. It is this balance that ensures that those in the government will not abuse their powers that the constitution has granted to them. It is also this balance that ensures that the people will not abuse their sovereignty. The fusion of the two essential powers of government such as the power to execute laws and to make and amend laws in the hands of a single person will expose the whole state and the citizenry to the possibility that those in power will abuse their position.

Free Essays on Global Warming

The earth’s temperature is constantly changing and thus causes environmental determinism where man must change his lifestyle to adapt with the environment. The constant changing of the environment due to natural effects as well as hazards caused by humans such as pollution and abuse of natural resources is affecting the earth as well as man. Mankind lives heavily depend on the environment. For survival humans consume food from the natural environment and use other natural resources for other basic survival needs. Environment defined by the Webster’s dictionary is â€Å"Surrounding conditions, influences, or forces.† The state of the environment is heavily dependent on mankind. With the constant abuse put upon the earth, the natural resources of the earth, deterioration is going to occur. Global warming is a process that is becoming more serious as the green house affect takes place. The definition of global warming according to the Encarta online dictionary is â €Å"an increase in the world’s temperatures, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer.† This process increases the earth’s temperatures causing the melting of ice glaciers and other detrimental effects to plague the earth. Fossil fuel burning, disintegration of the ozone layer and deforestation all play factors in the dangerous global warming process. With the constant degradation of the environment by man, global warming is inevitable. The burning of fossil fuels and exhaust emissions increases air pollution, which effects global warming. A fossil fuel is any carbon containing fuel for example coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas derived from the decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. The United States accounts for 25% of worldwide energy consumption, while it has less than 5% percent of world’s population. Fossil fuels are primarily used to produce energy for automobiles, to provide heat, and fuel indu... Free Essays on Global Warming Free Essays on Global Warming Is global warming a problem? The answer to this question is a resounding .... maybe. The reason I say maybe is that the debate over global warming is a mix of solid scientific facts and subjective interpretations of those facts. Aside from the uncertainties in the scientific information on the physical aspects of global warming, there is considerable 'wiggle room' for a wide range of subjective interpretations of the science and the implications of its uncertainties. During conferences, in the hallowed halls of Congress, in the media, and, increasingly, around the dinner table, people are discussing whether global warming IS a problem and, if so, is it a problem societies can cope with either through prevention or adaptation? The outcome of much of this discussion becomes centered on what the meaning of the word "is" is. The following paragraphs are responses to questions often raised by one group or another, either to clarify or to undermine the various opposing views on global warming of the atmosphere and the role, if any, of human activities in that warming trend. Is global warming happening, as we speak? It appears that all observers agree that the global climate has warmed up in the past few decades. However, some argue that the warming began with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, in the early 1800s, and continues today. They agree that there have been ups and downs in the trends of global average temperature, but those fluctuations do not undermine the basic tenet that the global climate is warmer today than in past decades. Others (the "naysayers" or non-believers in climate change) agree that there is a warming trend over the past few decades but that the variability of recent global climate falls within the range that might be expected from the behavior of "normal" climatic conditions over longer periods of time, such as centuries. Thus, they downplay the view that human activities are affecting global climate. ... Free Essays on Global Warming Canada is one of the best places to live in the world because it has so much to offer. There are ten provinces and three territories, and it is the second largest country in the world with over thirty million people and growing. There are two official languages, English and French; however, it is so culturally diverse that a variety of ethic groups can coincide together, as they strive for a better life. Canada has one of the highest literacy rate, as well as good health care and education systems, which means that they have a high standard of living. The citizens of Canada live in a democratic society where they are all equal and are given the freedom of speech, without fear of an oppressive government. Another benefit that Canada presents is their ability to move with technology, which plays an important part in their future as well as their current state in the booming economy. It would appear that Canada is an ideal place live, yet in order to succeed and live in this fast past e nvironment, a few unknowingly sacrifices have been made. Canada is one of the main contributors of emission and other deadly gases, which leads to global climate change and therefore should take a more aggressive approach in finding solutions. By not concentrating on finding ways to reduce emission gases, the ozone layer continues to deplete, and therefore causes the climate to change world wide. Nevertheless it is also important to understand how exactly climate can change. Climate change, or global warming as it is other wise known as, is the result of when the levels of greenhouse gases rise and less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earth’s atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere is made up of seventy-eight percent of nitrogen and twenty-one percent of oxygen. That means that one percent of gas that is left comes from water vapor, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), nitrous oxide, and methane, which are other wise known as trace gases. Hu... Free Essays on GLOBAL WARMING Have you ever wondered what happens when too much carbon dioxide gets omitted into the Earth’s atmosphere? Well, if you’re anything at all like me you probably haven’t nor have you yet realized how serious that is. The condition is called global warming. This might sound familiar to most of you, but to those of you who share my cluelessness of environmental issues global warming is the rising of the Earth’s surface temperature due to chemicals in the atmosphere. Yes, this issue is as serious as it sounds and in order for you to fully grasp the importance of this issue I will discuss why the Earth is getting hotter and what will happen if the warming continues. The Earth is kept warm enough to support life through a process known as the â€Å"greenhouse effect.† Our only source of heat is the Sun, whose rays warm the surface of the Earth. The Earth reflects this heat back into the atmosphere. If all of the heat escaped into space, our planet would be too cold for us to survive. Fortunately heat is trapped in the atmosphere by so-called "greenhouse gases", and some of the warmth finds its way back to the surface of the globe via the troposphere, the lower part of the atmosphere. Unfortunately, many modern human activities produce greenhouse gases as waste. Carbon dioxide, which is one of the most common, is produced in vast quantities by industrialized nations like ours, and as more and more countries are becoming industrialized, the volume of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. Another important contributor to the problem is methane, which is released by farm animals and rotting trash. All these gases in the air have started to increase the global temperature and will ultimately lead to a change in the Earth’s climate. Another cause of the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is deforestation. If we all stayed awake in Biology class we learned that trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxyg... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming is the warming near the earth's surface that results when the earth's atmosphere traps the sun's heat. The earth is getting warmer. The changes are small, so far, but they are expected to grow and speed up. Within the next fifty to one hundred years, the earth may be hotter than it has been in the past million years. As oceans warm and glaciers melt, land and cities along coasts may be flooded. Heat and drought may cause forests to die and food crops to fail. Global warming will affect weather everywhere, plants and animals everywhere, people everywhere; humans are warming the earth's atmosphere by burning fuels, cutting down forest, and by taking part in other activities that release certain heat trapping gases into the air. One major cause of global warming is the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas that were formed from the remains of plant material deposited during the earth's carboniferous period. We have known for only a few thousand years that coal, oil, and natural gas can be burned to provide energy. It was not until the mid-1800s, however, that we began to burn very large quantities of these fossil fuels. The worldwide consumption of fossil fuel has increased dramatically. The world now burns at least five billion tons of fossil fuel each year. As this carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels enters the atmosphere, some of it is taken up by photosynthesizing plants, and the oceans absorb some. But because we are burning so much fossil fuel at such a rapid rate, we are putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere much faster than these natural processes are taking it out. There is no longer a balance between the amount of carbon dioxide being added to the air an d the amount of carbon dioxide being removed. As a result, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is steadily increasing. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels is not the only thing that we humans are doin... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Most of the world today regards the â€Å"global warming† as both real and dangerous. Many aspects, however, have already been discounted by the scientific community. Fears of massive sea level increase, accompanied by many early discussion about global warming. Scientist afraid the sea level would increase onto land due to the melting of ice. It is now widely agreed that even the potential contribution of warming to sea level rise would be swamped by other more important factors (Moran, 1999). These factors include hazardous gases and pollutants. We are entering a period of global warming as a result of burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. By burning fossil fuels, â€Å"we are putting into the air more gases that act like a globe of glass around the planet† (National Geographic, 1990). The ‘globe of glass’ is a mixture of all the fuels that remains permanently on the surface of Planet Earth. It is called glass because it prevents cooling air from entering causing the Green House Effect. Many scientists believe that human processes are contributing to global warming regardless of impact of natural cycles also causing climate change (Keller, 1999). The earth’s climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed. Although uncertainty exists about exactly how earth’s climate responds to these gases, global temperatures are rising. Scientists on Hawaii’s Mauna Loa have recorded steady increase in human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Most believe that the rising CO2 level will lead to higher global temperatures and significant climate change (National Geographic, 1990). Some scientists do not be... Free Essays on Global Warming The earth’s temperature is constantly changing and thus causes environmental determinism where man must change his lifestyle to adapt with the environment. The constant changing of the environment due to natural effects as well as hazards caused by humans such as pollution and abuse of natural resources is affecting the earth as well as man. Mankind lives heavily depend on the environment. For survival humans consume food from the natural environment and use other natural resources for other basic survival needs. Environment defined by the Webster’s dictionary is â€Å"Surrounding conditions, influences, or forces.† The state of the environment is heavily dependent on mankind. With the constant abuse put upon the earth, the natural resources of the earth, deterioration is going to occur. Global warming is a process that is becoming more serious as the green house affect takes place. The definition of global warming according to the Encarta online dictionary is â €Å"an increase in the world’s temperatures, believed to be caused in part by the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer.† This process increases the earth’s temperatures causing the melting of ice glaciers and other detrimental effects to plague the earth. Fossil fuel burning, disintegration of the ozone layer and deforestation all play factors in the dangerous global warming process. With the constant degradation of the environment by man, global warming is inevitable. The burning of fossil fuels and exhaust emissions increases air pollution, which effects global warming. A fossil fuel is any carbon containing fuel for example coal, peat, petroleum, and natural gas derived from the decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and animals. The United States accounts for 25% of worldwide energy consumption, while it has less than 5% percent of world’s population. Fossil fuels are primarily used to produce energy for automobiles, to provide heat, and fuel indu... Free Essays on Global Warming The main gases that cause the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane, which comes mainly from animal manure. Other gases like nitrogen oxide and chloroflurocarbons, man made gases, get caught in the atmosphere as well. The decay of animals and respiration are two main natural sources of carbon dioxide. In my opinion, we the people of the world should try to slow down the emission of greenhouse gases and/or find ways to balance the gases so the climate doesn’t change so rapidly. If it did, we would be forced to adapt to the new climate that we brought upon ourselves. If we had an international cooperation to put a damper on the production of chloroflurocarbons and slowed down the use of fossil fuels it would dramatically slow done the process of "global warming". Carbon dioxide pollution from the increase of industry and transportation is a major cause of global warming. These two causes are connected with the growth in the world population. As the population grows the necessity for food and other products increase, therefore industry must grow to keep up with the demand. The increase in transportation is directly due to the growing population and the need for jobs and the growing congestion on our highways. Another cause in global warming is deforestation. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow. The carbon dioxide is released back into the air as they are cut and burned. The forest ability to reduce the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is decreasing due to massive deforestation around the world. These causes seem simple and fixable, but if they are not cut down, the Earth and its inhabitants will feel the effects. Over the last hundred years, the global temperatures have been increasing slowly, but steadily. Since 1980, the temperature has risen 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade. Scientist predict that if we continue putting the same amount of gas into the atmos... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Global Warming is an important ecological issue because it has several negative effects upon our environment. Global Warming, or what has been called the Greenhouse effect, is the result of a fourfold ecological process. 1-Sunlight radiates from the sun, through space, to Earth’s atmosphere. 2- The sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits Earth. Some of it turns into heat energy in the form of infrared light. The heat gets absorbed by surrounding air and land, which in turn makes it warm. 3- Infrared rays, that are remitted into the atmosphere are trapped by greenhouse gases. 4- The gas then absorbs the light and is remitted back to the Earth’s surface and warms it even more. Left on it's own this natural process keeps our planet warm enough for habitation, but with the increases in temperature, caused by modern industry, our current way of life could become threatened. Over the past 100 years the emissions of greenhouse gases have been increasing due to increases in tec hnology and human developments. Modern factories and production plants have been responsible for depositing large amounts of gas into the atmosphere. These gases, to name a few, include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone depleting substances such as CFCs, also known as Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons. Activities such as fossil fuel combustion, waste disposal, the use of refrigerators, agricultural and industrial activities, and the cutting down of forests have all played a significant role in the spread of these gases. These, and other human practices, have changed the chemical make up of the atmosphere. Between pre-industrial times and today, carbon dioxide concentrations have been on the rise. With these higher levels of gas concentration in our atmosphere the Earth's climate is slowing changing for the worse. The temperature of the Earth’s surface is as warm, if not warmer than it has been in any oth... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming by definition is an increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface. Since the late 1800's, the average temperature has increased about 0.5 to 1.5 Fahrenheit degrees (0.3 to 0.8 Celsius degree). Scientists disagree about the causes of this warming trend. Some say that the warming trend is a natural occurrence; they say that natural process could cause the rise in temperature. Changes in the path of revolution of the Earth around the sun could cause global warming. Orbital variation changes how sunlight is distributed on the surface of the planet. But, evidence suggests that human activities have caused this unusual change in climate. The greenhouse effect is the major cause. Energy from the sun heats the earth's surface and in turn heat energy is radiated back into space. Greenhouse gasses trap some of this outgoing energy to retain heat and heat the planet. Without this natural process, the global temperature would be much lower than it is now. The problem is that these valuable and necessary greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere and cause more and more heat to be trapped. This causes a long term warming of the planet. When excess amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide (the greenhouse gasses) are released into the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect is increased. These gasses trap more and more heat and raise the global temperature. Emissions of carbon dioxide or CO2 are increasing the greenhouse effect. Natural conditions can release large amounts of CO2 and cause these fluctuations. Forrest fires and volcanic activity produce large amounts of CO2. Global warming is caused primarily by human activities most importantly - the burning of fossil fuels. When coal gas and oil are burned, they release CO2 in the atmosphere. This coincides with industrial development. Deforestation and the clearing of land reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that trees and other vegetation remove from the atm... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming Several issues concerning the environment are brought to the public’s attention every year, but none has more of a direct effect on earth and its environment than global warming. Coincidentally it appears to be the least of the populations concern. Global warming is the theory that our planet is getting hotter due to an increase in the greenhouse effect brought about by the increase of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere. Global warming is caused by the greenhouse gases and has several consequences that could occur if this problem is left ignored by most of the world and our nations leaders. Such consequences include our planet getting hotter, melting of large glaciers, wildlife suffering or even the inverse effect which could trigger an ice age. With that, we should take global warming step by step and educate people about it because most people do not even know what it is or that there is a problem. Our earth is protected by a large ozone (o3) lay er in the atmosphere which deflects life threatening UV rays that are given off by the sun. Without this layer we wouldn’t be able to exist as an ecosystem and all life would go extinct. â€Å"Greenhouse gases, which have built up to unnaturally high levels in the atmosphere, trap heat. They include carbon dioxide, which is emitted when fossil fuels are burned, and other gases produced by human activity EWatson 2). These gases besides trapping heat, created a hole in our ozone layer which will continue to increase in size if the level of gases remain too high. A hole in the ozone layer means that there is no ozone to protect us within that given size of the hole. Whether the hole is big or small it does have an effect on earth which we call global warming, which in turn can have several effects on the planet. One possible effect that can be attributed to global warming is the melting of large glaciers. This is serious because â€Å"The Earth’s ice cover acts as a ... Free Essays on Global Warming In the past one hundred and forty years, the average temperature of the globe has increased by approximately 0.6 °C. (Zwiers, 200) More recently, the 1990s was the hottest decade that has been recorded during this one hundred and forty year period. At first glance, this change may not appear to be significant. However, this seemingly small increase in global mean temperatures has caused some important changes in our earth’s landscape, in the 20th Century alone. Mean sea levels have increased by two millimeters annually, putting many low-lying nations in increasing danger during tropical storms. The incidence of tropical storms and other extreme weather events have dramatically increased. Temperature and precipitation shifts have forced many plants and animals to adjust their ranges upward in elevation and towards their respective poles. (Cunningham, 2000) Glaciers have been retreating at an alarming rate, and lake ice covers in the higher latitudes of the Northern He misphere last fourteen fewer days than they did at the beginning of the century. In the Northern Hemisphere, warming has caused earlier migration of birds, earlier breeding seasons, earlier plant flowering, and earlier emergence of insects. Growing seasons in the northern latitudes have been extended since the 1960s, and coral reefs in the southern latitudes have been bleached by the increased temperatures. (Cunningham, 200) Many of these observations correlated with global climate change are projected continue into the next century. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s authority on climate change, predicts that the 21st Century will see a warming much more drastic than that seen during the 20th Century. Global mean temperatures are projected to increase (depending on various scenarios) by a range of 1.4 °C to 5.8 °C, with a corresponding rise in sea levels of 9 millimeters to 880 millimeters. This would place an even greater s... Free Essays on Global Warming Global Warming / Climate Changes Int’l Global Warming is shorthand for the climate changes that may result from excessive heat being trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere by so called green house gases. Global warming as defined in out test is â€Å"the gradual rise in world temperature, a suspected consequence of greenhouse gases trapping heat emitted from Earth that would otherwise escape in outer space† (380). This climate change can be attributed to several different possibilities both natural and forced through human activity. â€Å"The general state of the Earth’s climate is controlled by the balance of energy the earth releases back to space†(Colls). One natural action, which can cause change, is the Earth’s shift in orbit rotating around the sun, this changes the amount of energy we receive from the sun. Other natural causes are within the oceans, atmosphere, ice sheets and volcanic eruptions to name a few. Such natural causes have created a series of ice ages on Earth. Over more recent years humans have caused many changes to the Earth which is a major cause for global warming. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, landfills, methane from rice cultivation and cattle raising are all examples of man-made greenhouse effect and global warming. The Greenhouse effect more specifically is the effect of â€Å"Warming of the Earth’s atmosphere caused by the presence of certain heat-trapping ‘greenhouse’ gases in the atmosphere†(Colls). Over the past few decades scientist have been reviewing the changing weather patters due to global warming. The amount of rainfall, temperature and humidity are all showing significant change. Over the past two decades the Earth’s temperature has substantially increased as is expected to increase more. Mountain glaciers have retarded dramatically while sea levels are rising. This could cause flooding and loss of much land in years to come. In other areas there ... Free Essays on Global Warming Global warming occurs when the levels of greenhouse gasses rise and less infrared light, or heat, escapes the earth's atmosphere. Thus, the temperature experienced on Earth begins to rise. Climate change is a part of the Earth's history. There have been dramatic fluctuations in overall average temperature for the past 150,000 years that suggest a direct association with carbon dioxide levels. In the past the temperature highs and lows have been in tandem with carbon dioxide level highs and lows, this does not seem to be a mere coincidence. Carbon dioxide currently accounts for 0.03% of the gas content within the atmosphere. However, it has a disproportionate impact on the earth's temperature. Thus, minor fluctuations in the percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide will likely have a significant effect on the global temperature. The percentage of atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen over the past century at an alarming rate. Industrial civilization is essentially driven by fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gasoline all major contributors to the raise in carbon dioxide emissions. Deforestation also releases carbon dioxide via burning and exposing the soil to sunlight. Also, since trees are a major factor in the natural processing of carbon dioxide, needing it to make up their mass, when they are cut down they can no longer serve to absorb carbon dioxide. Our practices are altering the environment and endangering society in return. Carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere in many ways; some of which are naturally occurring and others are from human activity. Over 95% of the carbon dioxide emissions are from natural sources, and would occur even if humans were not on Earth. However, Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, due to the cyclic nature of the carbon cycle, would change little if not for human activities that produce so much every year. The present addition of 3% annually to emission...

Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States

Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808–July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth president of the United States. He took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and was president through the contentious early days of Reconstruction. His vision of Reconstruction was rejected and his presidency was not successful. He was impeached by Congress, averting removal from office by one vote, and was not re-nominated in the following election. Fast Facts: Andrew Johnson Known For:  Seventeenth president of the United States, impeachmentBorn:  December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North CarolinaParents: Jacob Johnson and Mary Polly McDonough JohnsonDied:  July 31, 1875 in Carters Station, TennesseeEducation: Self-educatedSpouse: Eliza McCardleChildren: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew Jr.Notable Quote: Honest conviction is my courage; the Constitution is my guide. Early Life and Education Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His father died when Johnson was 3 years old and his mother soon remarried. Johnson was raised in poverty. Both he and his brother William were bound out by their mother as indentured servants to a tailor, working for their food and lodging. In 1824, the brothers ran away, breaking their contract after two years. The tailor advertised a reward for anyone who would return the brothers to him, but they were never captured. Johnson then moved to Tennessee and worked in the tailors trade. He never attended school and he taught himself to read. In 1827, Johnson married Eliza McCardle when he was 18 and she was 16. She was well-educated and tutored him to help him improve his arithmetic and reading and writing skills. Together they had three sons and two daughters.   Rapid Rise in Politics At age 17, Johnson opened his own successful tailor shop in Greenville, Tennessee. He would hire a man to read to him as he sewed and he took an increasing interest in the Constitution and famous orators. Showing political ambition from an early age, Johnson was elected the mayor of Greenville at age 22 (1830–1833). A Jacksonian Democrat, he then served two terms in the Tennessee House of Representatives (1835–1837, 1839–1841). In 1841 he was elected as a Tennessee state senator. From 1843–1853 he was a U.S. representative. From 1853–1857 he served as governor of Tennessee. Johnson was elected in 1857 to be a U.S. senator representing Tennessee. Dissenting Voice While in Congress, Johnson supported the  Fugitive Slave Act  and the right to own slaves. However, when states started to secede  from the Union in 1861, Johnson was the only southern senator who did not agree. Because of this, he retained his seat. Southerners viewed him as a traitor. Ironically, Johnson saw both secessionists and abolitionists as enemies to the Union. During the war, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln made Johnson the military governor of Tennessee. Becoming the President When President Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, he chose Johnson as his vice president. Lincoln chose him to help balance the ticket with a Southerner who was also pro-Union. Johnson became president upon Abraham Lincolns assassination on April 15, 1865, just six weeks after Lincolns inauguration. Reconstruction Upon succeeding to the presidency, President Johnson attempted to continue with Lincolns vision of  Reconstruction. To heal the nation, Lincoln and Johnson both prioritized leniency and forgiveness for those who seceded from the Union. Johnsons Reconstruction plan would have allowed Southerners who swore an oath of allegiance to the federal government to regain citizenship. He also favored a relatively quick return of power to the states themselves. These conciliatory measures were never really given a chance by either side. The South resisted extending any civil rights to blacks. The ruling party in Congress, the  Radical Republicans, believed Johnson was being far too lenient and was allowing former rebels too much of a role in the new governments of the South. The Radical Republican plans for Reconstruction were more severe. When the  Radical Republicans  passed the Civil Rights Act in 1866, Johnson vetoed the bill. He did not believe that the North should force its views on the South, but instead favored allowing the South to determine its own course. His vetoes on this and 15 other bills were overridden by the Republicans. These were the first instances of presidential vetoes being overridden.  Most white Southerners also opposed Johnsons vision of Reconstruction. Alaska In 1867, Alaska was purchased in what was called Sewards Folly. The United States purchased the land from Russia for $7.2 million upon Secretary of State  William Sewards  advice. Even though many saw it as folly at the time, it eventually proved to have been a very wise investment. Alaska provided the United States with gold and oil, increased the size of the country drastically, and removed Russian influence from the North American continent. Impeachment And continual conflicts between the Congress and the president eventually led to the impeachment trial of President Johnson.  In 1868, the  House of Representatives  voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson for dismissing his  Secretary of War Stanton  against the order of the Tenure of Office Act, which they had just passed in 1867. Johnson became the first president to be impeached while in office. (The second president would be  Bill Clinton.) Upon impeachment, the Senate is required to vote to decide if a president should be removed from office. The Senate voted against this by only one vote. Post-Presidential Period In 1868, after just one term, Johnson was not nominated to run for the presidency. He retired to Greeneville, Tennessee. He attempted to re-enter the U.S. House and Senate but lost both elections. In 1875, he ran for the Senate again and was elected. Death Soon after taking office as U.S. senator, Johnson died on July 31, 1875. He had suffered a stroke while visiting family in Carters Station, Tennessee. Legacy Johnsons presidency was full of strife and dissension. He disagreed with much of the population and leadership on how to administer Reconstruction. As evidenced by his impeachment and the close vote which almost removed him from office, he was not respected and his vision of Reconstruction was disdained. Most historians see him as a weak and even failed president, however his time in office saw the Alaska purchase and, in spite of him, the passage of both the 13th and 14th amendments: freeing the slaves and extending rights to the former slaves. Sources Castel, Albert E. The Presidency of Andrew Johnson. Regents Press of Kansas, 1979.Gordon-Reed, Annette.  Andrew Johnson. The American Presidents Series. Henry Holt and Company, 2011.â€Å"Life Portrait of Andrew Johnson.† C-Span.Trefousse, Hans L. Andrew Johnson: A Biography. Norton, 1989

German Language and Culture

German Language and Culture This article is the direct result of a thread (of related messages) in one of our forums. The discussion centered around the supposedly simple concept of being nice, as in smiling or wishing someone a nice day. It soon became apparent that just because you CAN say something in German does not mean you SHOULD. The phrase Ich wà ¼nsche Ihnen einen schà ¶nen Tag! sounds rather odd. (But see the comment below.) Trying to say Have a nice day! in German is a good example of language that is culturally inappropriate- and a good illustration of how learning German (or any language) is more than learning just words and grammar. It is becoming more common in Germany to hear the phrase Schà ¶nen Tag noch! from sales people and food servers. In an earlier feature, Language and Culture, I discussed some of the connections between   Sprache  and  Kultur  in the broadest sense. This time well look at a specific aspect of the connection, and why it is vital for language learners to be aware of more than just the vocabulary and structure of German. For example, if you dont understand the German/European approach to strangers and casual acquaintances, youre a prime candidate for cultural misunderstanding. Take smiling (das Lcheln). Nobodys saying you should be a grouch, but smiling at a German for no particular reason (as in passing on the street) will generally get the (silent) reaction that you must be a little simple-minded or not quite all there. (Or if theyre used to seeing Americans, maybe youre just another one of those weird smiling  Amis.) On the other hand, if there is some apparent, genuine reason to smile, then Germans can and do exercise their facial muscles. But what I may consider nice in my culture may mean something else to a European. (This smiling thing applies to most of northern Europe.) Ironically, a scowl may be better understood and accepted than a smile. Beyond smiling, most Germans  consider the phrase have a nice day an insincere and superficial bit of nonsense. To an American, its something normal and expected, but the more I hear this, the less I appreciate it. After all, if Im at the supermarket to buy anti-nausea medicine for a sick child, I may have a nice day after all, but at that point, the checkers polite have-a-nice-day comment seems even more inappropriate than usual. (Did she not notice I was buying nausea medicine, rather than, say, a six-pack of beer?) This is a true story, and a German friend who was with me that day happens to have a good sense of humor and was mildly amused by this strange American custom. We smiled about that because there was a real reason to do so. I personally prefer the custom of German shopkeepers who rarely let you out the door without saying Auf Wiedersehen!- even if you didnt buy anything. To which the customer replies with the same farewell, just a simple good-bye without any dubious wishes for a nice day. Its one reason many Germans would rather patronize a smaller shop than a big department store. Any language learner should always keep in mind the saying: Andere Lnder, andere Sitten (roughly, When in Rome...). Just because somethings done in one culture doesnt mean we should assume it will automatically transfer to another. Another country does indeed mean other, different customs. The ethnocentric attitude that my cultures way is the best wayor equally unfortunate, not even giving culture a serious thoughtcan lead to a language learner who knows just enough German to be dangerous in a real-life situation.

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Health Care Assignment

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Health Care - Assignment Example In addition, there is deemed to be a distribution shortfall in the number of people that can take drugs to all the parts of the nation. With more practitioners distributed in the urban area, there is a problem in the number of people that can access quality health care in all the states in the US. The looming retirements is also another factor that further compounds the problem of workforce shortages in the country that will only increase more pressure on the government to do more to ensure that the population gets access to quality and accessible healthcare. It is also important to note that with the increase in the number of patients there will also be a lot of patients that require a high intensity of care. These patients require 24HR care and supervision. With the ACA in play and more people projected to have acquired health Insurance in the next few years the number of people dying due to these conditions will only increase. There ACA has directly impacted the workforce who incl udes the nurses and physicians alike. With the increase in the number of patients, the number of patients that a nurse attends to in a day has increased. The physicians are also affected since this increases their cumulative visits and changes in their shifts to ensure that the number of unattended patients is reduced. One of the effects of the changes is the heavier workloads as aforementioned. The heavy workloads are stressing workforce that eventually leads to medical errors that can be fatal to the patients.

Bhang smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bhang smoking - Essay Example Research has shown that most bhang smokers are affected by it due to the way they inhale the drug. Most of the users tend to retain much the smoke in their lungs while inhaling as a better way of using the drug. This act tends to increase the accumulation of tar which is present in the drug. This tends to cause lung cancer in shorter period than cigarettes.   Research has also shown that bhang smoking can lead to female infertility (Chein). An Australian report indicated that the use of bhang is causing harmful effects during pregnancies and may cause birth failures or miscarriages. This is a long term effect. Research has also put forward that continued use of bhang by males can tamper with the sperm functioning which leads to a negative impact. Study has also proven that this disease leads to psychosis, depression and anxiety (MD Newcomb). These are psychological problems. Sixty percent of mentally ill persons have their illness being related to drug consumption. Most of these pe rsons prefer use of bhang and drinking of alcohol. Psychiatrist then argue that the role played by alcohol in causing these diseases is quite minimal and most probably this issues are mostly related to the inhaling of marijuana. Psychotic diseases are also depicted to affect persons who started to abuse from a young age.The most affected age Group. Teenagers between the age of sixteen and twenty five are the most highly affected group by the psychotic diseases. Study has also shown that bhang smoking causes.... This is a long term effect. Research has also put forward that continued use of bhang by males can tamper with the sperm functioning which leads to a negative impact. Study has also proven that this disease leads to psychosis, depression and anxiety (MD Newcomb). These are psychological problems. Sixty percent of mentally ill persons have their illness being related to drug consumption. Most of these persons prefer use of bhang and drinking of alcohol. Psychiatrist then argue that the role played by alcohol in causing these diseases is quite minimal and most probably this issues are mostly related to the inhaling of marijuana. Psychotic diseases are also depicted to affect persons who started to abuse from a young age. The most affected age Group. Teenagers between the age of sixteen and twenty five are the most highly affected group by the psychotic diseases. Study has also shown that bhang smoking causes unipolar which is a depression disorder. The relation between bhang and depres sion is also prevalent. Statistical research has shown that the number of people affected by depression is almost equal to the people affected by psychosis. However, most of the people affected by depression do not have access to clinical facilities. The most striking attribute of this particular disorder is that the people who are not so much dependent on marijuana have a higher risk of contracting this disease. Studies have also associated many suicide cases with the use of bhang. For instance most bhang users in the United States of America have being documented to have reported most cases of attempted suicide. This data is as shown in the US National Co morbidity Survey (Crewe). This is due

The effects of Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The effects of Globalisation - Essay Example The effects of globalization on the European Union are diverse. But the future growth and sustainability of the EU is dependent on globalization. The reforms influenced by globalization in the European countries not only make the Union more transparent and effective but also help the European Union to establish itself as a strong global actor. The challenges faced in the global including the European Union like economic integration, economic migration, humanitarian crises, failing states, energy security, climate change, terrorism etc. are interdependent. The European Union identifies the importance of globalization and the impacts of the phenomenon on the various aspects of the economy. Therefore, it should focus on effective management of the globalization process in order to meet the arising challenges and prevent any backlash from the phenomenon. The effective management of globalization and its rules would help the European Union to act as global actor in the true sense. The int ernal policies and the association with the international organizations can help the Union in managing the process of globalization in the region and control its effects and impacts to a large extent.

Fashion and Luxury Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fashion and Luxury Goods - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and Luxury Goods" discovers the characteristics of Luxury goods and fashion. Luxury goods are those goods with a characteristic of being quite uncommon in the consumers’ preference due to affordability of the product. This means that goods would be luxurious when they have low demand than the supply of the commodity. This makes the product to be rare and superior in the view of the consumers’ sight. Due to its rare characteristics in the markets, these products become high priced and they are thus often not bought by every one with the desire to purchase the product. Generally, such goods would have demand increases in to several folds as results of the increases in incomes. This is contrary to the normal trend of goods and services purchases whereby the normal necessity products, the demand increases is not so significant in comparisons with the relative income increments. The makes the particular products to have varied demand transition which occur s with the dynamics occasion in the purchasing powers of the consumers. So, the major characteristic of luxury goods is that it has to change abnormally with the people’s incomes. The change of income of most people with low income makes the demand for the goods to change. For goods which are luxurious portrays a high income elasticity of demand. This implies that such goods are goods which are superior to the others. However, this should not be assumed to be the cases in the today’s world. The superiority is based on considerable factors.... Such goods in their business and economic world they must therefore to be scarce. Their scarcity can be created both in the natural ways and in the artificial methods. For instances, certain products from the mining industry are much useful in the fashion and luxury industry. This includes goods like gold and diamond products. These are products in most country because the mines resources are not available in those states. This means that such products are scarce which makes them to most people to be unavailable in the natural manner. Furthermore, through manufacturing company operations, a company may decide to produce a particular product in quantities according to their ability of production but these products fails t be adequate to satisfy the demands of such a product. Normally, when goods are scarce and demand of products is high, then the prices of goods and services goods up. However, in the cases of luxury goods, there is scarcity of the products and also the demand is low, hence our normally expectation is that the prices should below, which is not the situation. It is well observed that another characteristic for these goods is that their prices remain to be high even when the demand is low. Goods that are purchased by consumer are based on certain reasons. These are normally from the motivation which he may get from the products or from the sellers. This is widely varied depending on the many factors which are considered between the consumers and the products. This is because we have got wide varieties if goods which are preferably considered differently by the consumers in the luxury industries. There are those

Reaction response 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reaction response 6 - Assignment Example Instagram encourages user engagement in the process. Compared with Facebook and twitter, Instagram allows the targeted audience to develop the necessary image because it employs the use of photos. People find reading boring, but the use of photos increase the rate of information transfer by allowing the audience to scheme through the photo provided. In addition, photos can be edited in Instagram thereby improving the quality. It can be used to offer better image of a product or service offered by the company, but target a smaller audience than Facebook. Sharing of photos and information on Facebook is challenging when restriction is required. In fact, Facebook shares the information with all the friends in the list. Instagram allows the user to identify the people to access thus limit access to the picture or information shared. Therefore, when targeting a small audience, Instagram will ensure fast information transfer while allowing the participants to offer their views on the idea presented. In conclusion, Instagram is highly effective when handling a smaller target group and is supported by

UN and UNOMIR in Rewanda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UN and UNOMIR in Rewanda - Essay Example Moreover, the machinations of war are extremely complex and what constitutes excessive force in one situation differs from another. The spectrum is so broad that therein also lays the problem of having a definitive framework for the crime of aggression, further compounded by the broad discretion of Article 39 of the Charter, enabling the UN to take necessary measures to restore international peace and security. In turn this has become central as a justification for UN peace building initiatives post armed conflict (Pritchard, 2001). Furthermore, the complex nature of conflict and changing nature of warfare within the cotemporary international framework has raised questions as to which organ of the UN is most suitable for the process of restructuring post conflict (Zervaki, 2008). This also raises the issues of legitimacy of their presence in such territories, the implications of such operations for management of conflicts around the globe and military occupation. In the post Cold War international framework, there was an increasing amount of recommendations for the UN to become involved in peacekeeping, which has fuelled debate as to the legitimacy of their presence and efficacy of such peacekeeping measures. A prime example is the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), which was intended to help enforce the Arusha Accords of 4 August 1993 and in turn facilitate the peace process between the Hutus and the Tutsis. However, the UNAMIR is well documented as having failed in its mission to maintain and restore peace in Rwanda. The UN and UNAMIR failure in Rwandan has perpetuated the debate regarding the legitimate boundaries and efficacy of the UN’s role in post conflict situations. With regard to the failure in Rwanda, this is exemplified by the controversial firsthand account of General Romeo Dallaire’s â€Å"Shake Hands with the Devil† (2003), which provides a graphic