Problems with Limiting Freedom of Speech free essay sample

The following report was requested on behalf of the Communications department situated within and will be conducted by . The report shall concentrate on and investigate what problems would arise if freedom of speech was limited. It will be submitted by 18/10/2012. 2. Findings 2. 1 Who decides on the limitations of freedom of speech? The concept of Freedom of speech is one which is held sovereign by many constitutions and individuals, especially within the American states. The idea of limiting an American citizen’s freedom of speech would be highly offensive and seen as an act only a dictatorial Government would undertake which, with many factors considered, is true. The actions that in many cases are considered by these Governments are; Threats of imprisonments if the individual acts in an unfavourable way, prohibition of political parties and protests, also a very common limitation undertook within many places, such as Korea, is the censorship of the media and the killing or imprisonment of Journalists who have took part in media considered offensive to the current Government or acts which are seen as manipulating the minds of the citizens of said Country. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems with Limiting Freedom of Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It has also been witnessed under Democratic Governments in places such as the UK. Although this governments main priority are human rights and equality they have in many cases limited freedom of speech, although in a more positive light than done by Dictatorial Governments. The limitations within this doctrine would be, imprisonment following – hate speech, causing physical or strong emotional pain to another, racism or bigotry. All the above limitations are decided by a government, regardless of their stance on human rights. But in day-to-day life we are restricted by our peers, perhaps in school or work. When we consider individuals beliefs, faith or race the typical individual would conform to their surroundings, ensuring they do not say anything or act in a way as to offend their fellow workmate/student or friend. This in itself is limitations on our own freedom of speech caused by ourselves, regardless of the policies our Government holds. 2. 2 Example of a country where freedom of speech has been limited and the ‘Chilling-Effect’ ‘Chilling-Effect’ is a law that surrounds many factors within constitutional life, but most importantly the right to Freedom of speech. The concept of the Chilling effect is that when a law is passed it causes ‘ripples’ within society. For example, a former Dutch MP and critic of Islamist views against women, Ayaan Hirsi Ali became a ‘marked’ woman for exercising her right to freedom of speech. Because of her beliefs the Islamic community have issued a ‘fatwa’ (juristic ruling issued by an Islamic Scholar) asking for her to be killed. Due to this ‘fatwa’ the neighbouring individuals ordered a court hearing for her to be evicted due to her security concerns becoming a ‘nuisance’ and interrupting their daily life. Due to this event many people will think twice about standing on a ‘soap box’ to voice their opinions surrounding this religion and subject thus resulting in a ‘social ripple’, a Chilling-effect. 2. 3 Attempts of limiting freedom of speech 2. 31 The Cuban Constitution The Cuban constitution is considered one of the most restricted constitutions in the world. The only concept of the freedom of speech (and media) that is held has to be abided by in accordance to the Socialist society. Citizens residing within the nation are restricted to do the most basic tasks which most individuals residing in a country with a fair policy on Freedom of speech would be highly shocked by. These include, sending your children to any religious schools – as all schools within Cuba are non-religious, travelling abroad being without Government permission, changing jobs or residence without government permission, visiting or staying in tourist hotels, restaurants, and resorts is prohibited and choosing a hospital is also prohibited, as these are assigned to you by the Government. The freedom of press within Cuba is also highly restricted, as are the media material available to individuals, e. g. people within the nation must not access the internet unless permitted by the Government – this in itself is rare are the government are in high control over the internet and only 1. 67% of the population have that ‘luxury’, receive any publication from abroad and if an individual decides to do so they can be punished under one of the many ridiculously strict jail terms within their constitution and they are also unable to listen to foreign radio broadcasts. The result in Cuba restricting freedom of speech to such a high standard is the population within prisons are soared to an imaginable number, meaning less space for the more serious criminals as most of the cells are occupied by Journalists. 3. Conclusion It can be concluded that, by investigating the many factors of the concept of freedom of speech, it should not be limited. Of course, it is considered that many individuals or political bodies take advantage of the constitutional law, but because of the law they are punished accordingly. If freedom of speech was not limited in the Islamic culture, Ayaan Hirsi Ali would have been able to discuss her criticisms publically and perhaps led the Islamic culture to a new height, but because of the limitations she was almost executed turning her moral argument into a distasteful, ignorant rant. Also nations such as Cuba would have a more effective and efficient Government taking into account the safety and security of the individuals and more serious crimes, spending less money on jail terms on things considered ‘offensive to their policies.

Inferno By Dante And Punishments Essays - Divine Comedy, Literature

Inferno By Dante And Punishments The Comedy, later renamed The Divine Comedy was written by Dante Alighieri of Florence, Italy. In the early 14th century, while in exile, Dante wrote this epic poem which is broken down into three books. In each book Dante recounts his travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven respectively. The first book of The Divine Comedy, Inferno, is an remarkably brilliant narrative. He narrates his descent into and observation of hell through its numerous circles and rings. One extraordinary way Dante depicted hell is in his descriptions of the various punishments that each group of sinners has received. In a prior college course I took we learned about medieval torture practices. This knowledge led me to see similarities in the punishments given in Inferno. The diverse punishments that Dante envisions all the sinners in hell receiving are broken down into two types. The first he borrows from many gruesome and severe forms of medieval torture. The second type is often less physically agonizing. It is Dante's creative, very clever forms of punishment. Although all sinners in hell are souls, Dante gives each one a physical attribute so that the reader can envision the entire atmosphere clearer. The borrowed medieval forms of torturous punishments create physical pain for the different sinners in hell, and thus intended to be interpreted literally. The creative punishments are conceived to deliver mental and psychological pain to be understood metaphorically. Creative punishments in many cases can, however, inflict both a mental pain and a physical pain upon the sinner. Many of the severe punishments that Dante foresees for the sinners are borrowed from practices of medieval torment and imprisonment. The medieval dungeons were usually gloomy and dark, and inundated in disgusting stenches. Dante used this depiction to describe the overall atmosphere in the inferno. Unbearable and unavoidable extremes of cold or hot temperature, which are portrayed in the Inferno, are also representative of Medieval times. Prisoners of Medieval jails were provided with little or no ventilation to protect them from the extreme cold or hot weather, they could easily freeze to death or die of heatstroke. Throughout Inferno images of cruel punishment adopted from the ideas of medieval torture are seen to inflict physical pain upon the sinners. The eighth circle, called Malebolge, contained the sinners known as the Flatterers. The sin of flattery was punishable through torture intending to create physical anguish. As Dante travels over a bridge he sees that "the ditch beneath/ held people plunged in excrement that seemed/ as if it had been poured from human privies" (167). The sinners were obviously condemned to live in "*censored*" because of all the "bull*censored*" that ran across their tongues while they were living. Dante meets up with a sinner who informs him of this: "I am plunged here because of flatteries--/ of which my tongue had such sufficiency" (167). The irony is intentional that the sinners sit immersed in the crap that originally came from their mouths in the form of flattery. This punishment is quite vile and repulsive. It is designed to inflict physical agony upon the sinner. Dante, as a visitor to this place, is questioned by a sinner, "Why do you stare more greedily at me than at the others who are filthy?" (167). Although Dante feels depressed for the sinners he has seen throughout his journey, in this ring among the flatterers he seems to be nonchalant about meeting them. He is not as moved by their condition as he is in other rings, maybe because he thinks they deserve this sort of punishment, however disgusting it may be. Dante, the visitor, leaves the ring having had his sights fill of it. The second form of punishment Dante uses in Inferno is very interesting to analyze. These are his metaphorical punishments which are quite creative and more original than any physical torture. In Canto XX Dante, the visitor, travels with his companion through the eighth circle where the souls of the Diviners, Astrologers, and Magicians have been sent to suffer. Dante describes a procession of "mute and weeping" (179) souls who "found it necessary to walk backward" (179) because they had their heads turned all the way behind them. These souls, when living thought they could see the future and are now damned to only see behind them. This description of these pathetic souls is an example of one of the psychologically painful punishments invented by Dante. It is obviously uncomfortable to have one's head turned backwards, but the mental anguish is far greater. For Dante who

Marks Spencer Operations Management Essay Example

Marks Spencer Operations Management Essay The Company- A journey from cave to modern civilized societies, Marks and Spencer from a single market stall to a giant international multi-channel retailer has travelled over 129 years to establish its deep roots all over the world with 766 UK and 418 international stores. Marks and Spencer stores are spread over 50 territories worldwide employing almost 82000 people. Marks and Spencer is a general retailer that sells clothes, gifts, home furnishings and foods. The UK turnover is split between Food (54%) and General Merchandise (46%). Marks and Spencer acknowledges the fact that consumer is the real king of market. This can be drawn from its founding values which consist of Quality, Value, Service, Innovation and Trust; it also assures to work hard to ensure its offer continues to be relevant to its customers. The vision and mission of the company is to be the standard against which others are measured and to make aspirational quality accessible to all. This suggests that ‘Quality’ is at the heart of Marks and Spencer’s operations strategy (Marks and Spencer, 2013). International Expansion: Mamp;S has a clear and targeted strategy for its international growth. Henceforth it continues to build more new stores to expand in key locations across its priority markets, employing a mix of ownership models including partnerships and franchises (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Operations Strategy- An Overview- We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Marks Spencer Operations Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Operations Strategy Perspective: The operations activities are aimed to achieve operations strategy of the business. Marks and Spencer’s operations management activities ensure that all its products are of high quality and the stores are located in the most convenient locations. This reflects that the operations strategy of Marks and Spencer is of a ‘top-down’ perspective where the business wants its operations to provide quality products with an easy access to all. The Top-down Strategy Hierarchy: Corporate Strategy: Mamp;S aims to be the world’s most sustainable retailer. Its eco and ethical programme, is at the very heart of how they do business. Mamp;S also aims to be a truly international, multi-channel retailer which can be accessible to even more customers around the globe (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Business Strategy: Mamp;S is reaching more customers across the new and existing markets through its online development. In order to dominate the competition, Mamp;S has facilitated its customers with ‘free next day delivery’ to its stores. Moreover, Mamp;S has also developed i-phone application to carry out its sales via mobile phones. Mamp;S has also encouraged the online sales to make it more convenient for its customers to shop with them (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Functional Strategy: Improved navigation, greater choice, exclusive ranges and offers have boosted the online sales by 16. 6% in 2013. The recent performance of the technology depicts that i-phone application has increased the sales via mobile phones by 200% this year. To carry out its operations efficiently, Mamp;S has developed a fully mechanised 900,000 square feet e-commerce distribution centre which is the UK’s largest. It has the capacity to process and ship up to a million products per week to customers’ homes and Mamp;S stores across the country (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Store Layout: Mamp;S has revamped its visual merchandising and window displays to do a better job of showcasing its products. The different fashion brand such as Per Una, Autograph, Indigo, Classic, North Coast, Blue Harbour, Cellezione and its core Mamp;S Man and Woman will have dedicated ‘shop in shop’ area so that the in-store environment communicates each brand’s distinctive values. In the food department, Mamp;S has refreshed the shelving with wood effect shelf edges to look less like a supermarket and more like a specialist (Baker, 2011). Mamp;S store is therefore a mix of functional and fixed position layout type where general merchandise and food department operates in a functional layout type and the restaurant being the fixed position layout type. Technology: Mamp;S understands the growing importance and contribution of strong IT function to operate efficiently in the multi channel world. The role of technology is changing at Mamp;S and as a result changing the company itself. Marks amp; Spencer rolls out ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager from Invatron Systems Corp. to 37 of its European stores to centrally manage its in-store deli and bakery department scales. ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager is a multi- vendor, multilingual, web- enabled solution that provides retailers with centralized control of in- store scales and printers accessible from any computer in the enterprise; this makes the operations much efficient and fast (Anon. , 2013). The internal team of software engineers of the company are developing new IT driven customer innovation projects that include 156 screens dubbed ‘Browse and Order’ – in store terminals where customers can buy Mamp;S’s entire online range across 63 stores. Moreover, Mamp;S has equipped 1500 customer assistants with i-pads to enable them to demonstrate to the customers, the store’s full range of the products, its availability and its sizes. The client- facing technology of Mamp;S includes virtual makeover counters, which allow customers to see how they would look on applying certain beauty products. On developing bid data strategy, Mamp;S will be able to drive its profitability and improve marketing and promotions by using data insights smartly. This technology will enable Mamp;S to send specific e-mails regarding promotions and offers to its customers based on their purchase history rather than sending bulk e-mails to all its customers which is of no relevance (Stein, 2013). All these advancements by the IT team of Mamp;S are aimed at encouraging customers to use technology to spend more money at Mamp;S. Supply Chain Management: It is very crucial for every business to have a strong supply chain network in order to satisfy its customers before the competitors do. Mamp;S though being one of the UK’s largest retailers is criticised by its Finance Director, Alan Stewart for under investing infrastructure for upwards of 20 years. He further adds that the way the company buys and distributes its clothing is inappropriate. Shoppers may be looking for the latest looks and demanding new ideas in stores and online every few weeks, but Mamp;S takes two to three weeks just to transport goods from UK ports to its stores. This is where Mamp;S is losing its competitive edge in the market because the other retailers have hi-tech systems to track stock. For example, one of the rival retailers, Hamp;M boasts that it can get designs from the drawing board to the store in a fortnight, while Mamp;S takes longer than that just to get its merchandise from the ports to its shops (Butler, 2013). For the businesses like Mamp;S where the life span of a product is very short- clothes due to change in fashion and food due to expiry, the business must develop strong bonds and ties with its suppliers. In order to increase the ability to respond quickly to the ever changing needs of customers, Marks and Spencer should work closely with its suppliers and integrate the supply chain so that both Marks and Spencer and its suppliers are working towards the same business objectives. Hence, there will be a win – win situation for both Mamp;S and its suppliers which will increase the operations efficiency and enable them meeting the market requirements on time. Logistics: Gist has a long history providing logistic operations for Marks and Spencer. Gist manages 100% of the storage and distribution of Marks and Spencer food products to their 700 plus stores, 24 hours a day and 7 day a week. Warehouses across the UK are operated by Gist employees who receive and pick store orders and then distribute to Marks and Spencer stores, including Simply Food, throughout the UK and Ireland, covering all their high street, forecourt and out-of-town stores (Gist, 2013). Outsourcing its storage and distribution would make Marks and Spencer’s logistics much faster and this will increase its efficiency in delivery to customers, increased sales and high customer satisfaction. Inventory Management: Inventory planning and control is an important aspect of operations management. In a market, customers demand certain quantity of products and services at a particular time. The role of operations is to supply and deliver the required quantity of products and services when demanded. Marks and Spencer in February 2013 was caught of having shortage in the stock of winter coats and woollens due to cold snap. The Chief Executive of Mamp;S, Marc Bolland said that Mamp;S sold 100,000 cardigans and jumpers from its core Mamp;S Woman collection in the fourth quarter but could have sold three times that number. Bolland insisted that the weakness was not down to having wrong fashions in its shops but there was just not enough stock of the right ones. The majority of Mamp;S’s knitwear is being made in Asia. Therefore, Mamp;S was unable to repeat orders fast enough and thus failed to meet the market demand (Wood, 2012). The above instance demonstrates the importance of demand forecasting in managing the inventory which was missing in this case. In a multi-echelon inventory system, effective communication between the different echelons is of high importance to deliver the products at a rapid pace. Mamp;S could have succeeded in minimising some of its losses had there been more flexibility in the supply chain and latest requirement updates in the inventories. Mamp;S Inventory and Technology: Marks and Spencer has chosen Quantum Retail technology, ‘Q’ to improve inventory management. This technology is able to forecast and make inventory decisions in real time while considering both inter-day and intra-day stocking. Quantum Retail’s software solution, Q manages the end-to-end inventory forecasting, replenishment and order planning needs (Quantum Retail, 2010). Quality Management: Mamp;S operates rigorous Quality Management Systems which have been developed with its suppliers. To ensure total quality, the systems operate on a precautionary principle and are supported by a range of on-site audits and product testing. Further, Mamp;S also ensures that its suppliers meet a range of quality, safety, environmental and social standards (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Mamp;S is renowned for its ‘quality and innovation’ and is often appraised by its customers for providing quality worth every penny spent at Mamp;S. The customers expect the best from Mamp;S products but recently, Mamp;S was in headlines for selling low quality and cheap clothing products. Fashion watchers, rivals and its customers insisted Mamp;S to abandon this practice. One of the rival retailers suggested Mamp;S that it should be aiming to be a premium brand rather than trying to compete on price (Watkins, at el. 2013). The company should stick to its set objectives and design its day to day operations in such a way that it leads to achieving its long term goals. The mission of the company is to provide aspirational quality that is available to all. The above discussed case is a clear case of Mamp;S’s deviation from its long term goals. To rectify this error, Mamp;S should rediscuss its company objectives and strategies with its suppliers to ensure guaranteed and rapid recovery. Plan A and Sustainable Operations: Mamp;S aims to become the world’s most sustainable retailer. Its eco and ethical programme is at the very heart of how Mamp;S carries out its business. Mamp;S claims to make its business sustainable by integrating Plan A into every aspect of its operations- including the products that they evelop and sell, the stores that they rebuild or refit and the way they work with their suppliers and engage its employees. Plan A’s success lies in its innovative thinking and ideas. With the help of Plan A Innovation Fund, Mamp;S has launched a number of promising projects. These projects include ideas for developing more sustainable clothing fabrics, original thinking about ways to improve labour standards in t heir supply chains and a joint project with the Natural Environment Research Council to improve the way they share knowledge and work with its suppliers (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Plan A Activities: CO2 Neutral Mamp;S is proud to be certified as CarbonNuetral  ® Company across its operations in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Mamp;S also encourages its suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas emission through actively developing various programmes aimed at this (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Zero Waste to Landfill Besides this, Mamp;S continue to work for reducing the amount of waste produced within its business. Mamp;S successfully fulfilled its commitment of sending no waste to landfill from its UK stores, offices, warehouses and construction activities (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Corporate Social Responsibilities: The Britain’s retailer has always cared about environment and society. Mamp;S knows that many of its customers as well do care about the environmental and social issues. So, it is of no surprise that Mamp;S customers donated a total of 3. 8 million clothes items through its Shwopping Scheme which raised ? 2. 3 million for Oxfam (Marks and Spencer, 2013). CSR activities at Mamp;S: Breakthrough Breast Cancer: The Company also carried out campaigns for raising money for Breast Cancer donations. Mamp;S has now generated ? 9 million for Breakthrough Breast Cancer in 12 years (Marks and Spencer, 2013). Big Beach clean – up: In April 2013, around 5000 customers and 4000 Mamp;S employees worked with the Marine Conservation Society at over 160 beaches, riversides and canals, cleaning, clearing enough rubbish to fill 4000 recycle bin bags (Marks and Spencer, 2013). These activities suggest that Mamp;S has always taken very hands on approach towa rds its corporate social responsibilities. Recommendations: Customer Satisfaction – It is very necessary for Marks and Spencer to maintain high quality standards in all their products. The prices of the Mamp;S products are usually higher than that of its rival companies such as Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s in food and Primark and Debenhams in clothing. Therefore, Mamp;S needs to ensure that all its products are of high quality because their customers are paying that extra amount in hope that the products will be of a better quality than other rival retailers. The hidden benefit for Mamp;S satisfying its customers is reduced complaints and therefore less service costs of paying an employee to find out the cause of the issue and fix it. This will increase customers’ loyalty towards Mamp;S which would lead to positive word of mouth publicity to the potential customers. Supplier Satisfaction: It is Mamp;S’s best interests to keep their suppliers happy by paying them enough and on time. This would make its suppliers feel like a part of Mamp;S and would be encouraged to work keeping in mind the needs and objectives of Mamp;S. By working more closely with its suppliers, Mamp;S can ensure that their products are of great quality standards are delivered on time with no or less troubles. Word Count: 2431 References: * Mamp;S, 2013. Company Overview. [online]Available at: lt;http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/aboutus/company_overviewgt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Mamp;S, 2013. Our Plan. [online] Available at: lt;http://corporate. marksandspencer. com/aboutus/our_plangt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Baker, R. , 2011. Marketing Week, Mamp;S outlines new store strategy for brands, [online] Available at: lt;http://www. marketingweek. co. uk/ms-outlines-new-store-strategy-for-brands/3030044. articlegt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. Anon. , 2013. Marks amp; Spencer rolls out ePLUM Enterprise Scale Manager from Invatron Systems Corp. to 37 of its European stores. Invantron Systems Corp. , [blog] 2013, Available at: lt;http://www. invatron. com/blog/main/press-releases/marks-spencer-rolls-out-eplum-enterprise-scale-manager-from-invatron-systems-corp-to-37-of-its-european-stores/gt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Stein, D. , 2013. CIO Interview: Darrel Stein, IT director, Marks and S pencer Interviewed by Angelica Mari , [online] on Computer Weekly. Available at: lt;http://www. computerweekly. com/news/2240179873/CIO-interview-Darrell-Stein-IT-director-Marks-and-Spencergt; , 20 March 2013, 17:15. * Butler, S. , 2013. Mamp;S boss under pressure amid race to upgrade supply chain. The Guardian, [online] 10 May 2013. Available at: lt;http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2013/may/10/marks-and-spencer-marc-bolland-technologygt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Gist, 2011. Marks and Spencer Excellence in food logistics. [online] Available at: lt;http://www. gistworld. om/en-gb/customers/case-studies/marks-spencer/gt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Wood, Z. , 2012. Mamp;S admits womenswear stock shortages hit sales. The Guardian, [online] 17 April 2012. Available at: lt;http://www. guardian. co. uk/business/2012/apr/17/marks-spencer-womenswear-stock-shortagesgt; [Accessed 03 July 2013]. * Quantum Retail, 2010. Marks amp; Spencer Selects Quantum Retail to Improve Inventory Management. [online] Available at: lt; http://quantumretail. com/2010/01/0 5/marks-spencer-selects-quantum-retail-to-i

The Narrative Voice Of Huck Finn Essays - Literature, Fiction

The Narrative Voice Of Huck Finn Essays - Literature, Fiction The Narrative Voice Of Huck Finn The Narrative Voice of Huck Finn Huckleberry Finn provides the narrative voice of Mark Twains novel, and his honest voice combined with his personal vulnerabilities reveal the different levels of the Grangerfords world. Huck is without a family: neither the drunken attention of Pap nor the pious ministrations of Widow Douglas were desirable allegiance. He stumbles upon the Grangerfords in darkness, lost from Jim and the raft. The family, after some initial cross-examination, welcomes, feeds and rooms Huck with an amiable boy his age. With the light of the next morning, Huck estimates it was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too(1335). This is the first of many compliments Huck bestows on the Grangerfords and their possessions. Huck is impressed by all of the Grangerfords belongings and liberally offers compliments. The books are piled on the table perfectly exact(1335), the table had a cover made from beautiful oilcloth(1335), and a book was filled with beautiful stuff and poetry(1335). He even appraise s the chairs, noting they are nice split-bottom chairs, and perfectly sound, toonot bagged down in the middle and busted, like an old basket(1335). It is apparent Huck is more familiar with busted chairs than sound ones, and he appreciates the distinction. Huck is also more familiar with flawed families than loving, virtuous ones, and he is happy to sing the praises of the people who took him in. Col. Grangerford was a gentleman all over; and so was his family(1338). The Colonel was kind, well-mannered, quiet and far from frivolous. Everyone wanted to be around him, and he gave Huck confidence. Unlike the drunken Pap, the Colonel dressed well, was clean-shaven and his face had not a sign of red in it anywheres (1338). Huck admired how the Colonel gently ruled his family with hints of a submerged temper. The same temper exists in one of his daughters: she had a look that would make you wilt in your tracks, like her father. She was beautiful(1339). Huck does not think negatively of the hints of iron in the people he is happy to care for and let care for him. He does not ask how three of the Colonels sons died, or why the family brings guns to family picnics. He sees these as small facets of a family with a handsome lot of quality (1339). He thinks no more about Jim or the raft, but knows he has found a new home, one where he doesnt have to go to school, is surrounded by interior and exterior beauty, and most importantly, where he feels safe. Huck liked that family, dead ones and all, and warn't going to let anything come between us(1340). Huck is a very personable narrator. He tells his story in plain language, whether describing the Grangerford's clock or his hunting expedition with Buck. It is through his precise, trusting eyes that the reader sees the world of the novel. Because Huck is so literal, and does not exaggerate experiences like Jim or see a grand, false version of reality like Tom Sawyer, the reader gains an understanding of the world Mark Twain created, the reader is able to catch Twains jokes and hear his skepticism. The Grangerford's furniture, much admired by Huck, is actually comically tacky. You can almost hear Mark Twain laughing over the parrot-flanked clock and the curtains with cows and castles painted on them even as Huck oohs and ahhs. And Twain pokes fun at the young dead daughter Huck is so drawn to. Twain mocks Emmeline as an amateur writer: She warn't particular, she could write about anything you choose to give her to write about, just so it was sadful(1337). Yet Twain allows the images of Emmeline and the silly clock to deepen in meaning as the chapter progresses. Emmeline is realized as an early portent of the destruction of Hucks adopted family. The mantel clock was admired by Huck not only for its beauty, but because the Grangerfords properly valued beauty and wouldnt took any money for her(1337). Huck admired the Grangerfords principles, and the stake they placed in good manners, delicious food, and attractive possessions. But Huck realizes in Chapter 18 that whereas

Corporate and business strategy in an international context Coursework

Corporate and business strategy in an international context - Coursework Example Michael Dell emphasized upon maintaining a flexible resource base so that rivals could not match the business model. The strategic focus of Michael Dell’s business model was managing opportunities. Dynamic capabilities enabled the company to meet this objective. Michael Dell converted other resources and capabilities into a distinctive competency by focusing upon adaptation and change. The industry in which Dell operated was characterized by a constant pace of change. Therefore the management needed to focus upon developing a sustainable future by continuously improving firm competency. To this end the dynamic theory was applied. The company maintained a reconfigurable resource base so that a flexible combination of uncertainty and commitment-intensity could be made feasible. In this manner, Dell was able to maintain its market leadership. Firm performance was characterized by the direct model which was different from the business models implemented by the competitors. Althoug h the competitors tried to implement Dell’s business model, they could not develop the same level of firm competency because Dell had already built an organizational capacity for response, reverse and contingency in this area. This allowed the company to maintain competence-generating strategic processes geared towards continuously renewing the competitive advantage. As a result Dell was well-positioned for changing future conditions. The PC industry was structurally attractive since it had the largest share of the industry. However the profit margin was not so great compared to those from microprocessors, software and services. Therefore Dell had to maximize its unit share in order to maximize profitability. This objective was met through tailoring the production system to customer requirements. The investments in online technology and JIT enabled the company to

Toxicology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Toxicology - Research Paper Example The ALAD gene may pose the danger of developing lead poisoning in humans, those who were exposed to ecological lead. Lead is a metal that takes on toxic properties, when someone inhales it or digests it. There are several lead exposure routes, from which any human can inhale or digest lead. Several health problems are associated with lead poisoning. They include; exposure where one has to work in an environment or facility that manufacture lead-containing products; lead paint which is usually indigested by young children as they tend to try to eat non-edible things; lead content in soil, from lead-containing gasoline; sometimes lead from the soil can end up in the surface water; and those animals, which are hunted with lead-based bullets. Problems associated with lead poisoning include issues relating to; the nervous system; kidney problems; blood; and the reproductive system of humans. References McGuire, M., & Beerman, K. A. (2009). Nutritional sciences: From fundamentals to food. Florence, KY: Brooks Cole.

Thermography detection on the fatigue damage of the specimen alloy Essay

Thermography detection on the fatigue damage of the specimen alloy - Essay Example Fatigue occurs when a material is subjected to periodic stress which is below its tensile breaking or yield stress but which is enough to cause permanent damage. The formal definition of fatigue as given by Wikipedia (n.d.1) is: [F]atigue is the progressive, localized, and permanent structural damage that occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic or fluctuating strains at nominal stresses that have maximum values less than (often much less than) the static yield strength of the material. It is because fatigue happens so quietly and insidiously that makes it very dangerous even resulting in loss of life. Sadananda et al (2003) assert that "Fatigue is the principal cause of premature failure of engineering components". Many structures such as aeroplanes, oil rigs and bridges, to name just a few, are exposed to fluctuating stresses. The engineering approach falls into two broad categories of dealing with stress induced fatigue. The first part is prediction of the lifetime of a material under stress. This model will provide recommendations on how frequently materials have to be replaced. The second approach is to predict how far a crack can grow before failure happens. Detection and prediction of failure of cracks can mean the difference between life and death of users of these facilities. "The basic method o S-N Curves "The basic method of presenting engineering fatigue data is by means of the S-N curve, a plot of stress S against the number of cycles to failure N." ( Key to Steel, n.d.) The S-N curves enable prediction of how long a material will last in terms of cycles of loading. Figure 1. A S-N Plot for an aluminum alloy (Kelly, 1997) Kelly (1997) explains that cracks go through three stages of formation, propagation and failure. Stress Intensity factor K "Stress Intensity, K, is a parameter that amplifies the magnitude of the applied stress that includes the geometrical parameter Y (load type)" (Wikepedia, n.d.2). This factor measures the degree to which stress is magnified around a crack. The loading around a crack falls into three modes I, II and III. Figure 2. Three loading modes (Key to Steel, n.d.) The three modes are: Mode 1: opening or tensile mode (the crack faces are pulled apart) Mode 2: sliding or in-plane shear (the crack surfaces slide over each other) Mode 3: tearing or anti-plane shear (the crack surfaces move parallel to the leading edge of the crack and relative to each other) (Key to Steel, n.d.) The most common mode is mode I and this is what is used in most calculations. The intensity factor, K, determines the rate at which a crack will propagate and hence the lifetime of the material. The mathematical relationship is defined by Callister (1994, cited by Kelly(1997)) as: This equation relates the rate of growth of a crack to the change in intensity factor K. In this equation A and m are dependent on the materials and da is the change in crack length while dN is the change in number of stress cycles. The change in K is defined by: Where Kmax and Kmin are the maximum and minimum intensity factors respectively, Y is a constant dependent geometry of the material and is the applied stress on the material. When this equation is re-arranged and integrated it becomes: This equation gives Nf, the estimated number of cycles before