Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Immigration - Essay Example Meanwhile, New York Times writer Alan Dershowitz commented that he actually favors a national ID card, for it will not only give citizens better protection and security especially from terrorism, but will also benefit illegal immigrants given that they will soon be given legal status by the government and be issued such IDs (Dershowitz n. p.). In this case, I personally think that the SB 1070 is unconstitutional and that it violates human rights, given that this law actually encourages racial profiling by the state police, given that they can actually search and arrest immigrants which they suspect not having the proper documents at hand. In addition, I also think that the proposed national ID card is actually harmful to immigrants, given that it will seriously impair every person’s right to privacy. Works Cited Dershowitz, Allan. â€Å"Why Fear National ID Cards?† www.nytimes.com. New York Times, 2001. Web. 26 April 2011.

Feudalism and New Social Order Essay Example for Free

Feudalism and New Social Order Essay Political turmoil and constant warfare led to the rise of the European feudalism, a political and economic system based on land ownership and personal loyalty. During the Middle Ages invaders raised havoc all over Europe, and as a result people looked at local leaders for protection, causing kings to lose political power. A new social order was set up as well as a different economic system. Feudalism changed the economic, social, and political systems severely, and made the way we know the Middle Ages in Europe today. From about 800 to 1000 invasions tore apart Europe. Vikings terrorized locals with fearsome raids, Magyars attacked and captured locals to sell as slaves, and Muslims were out to conquer and settle Europe. The Vikings came from Scandinavia by huge ships that held up to 300 hundred warriors. These huge ships had 72 oars and held tons in weight, yet could still maneuver through waters as shallow as 3 feet, making it easier for them to invade inland villages and monasteries. The Vikings carried out with terrifying speeds. Their approach was to beach their ships and get what they wanted then leave. The Magyars invaded sometime in the late 800’s. They were nomadic people that attacked from the east from what is now Hungary. They were excellent horsemen and attacked isolated villages and monasteries. The Muslims struck from North Africa. Since they were superb seafarers they were able to attack settlements on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. In the 600’s and 700’s there goal was to strictly conquer and settle. By the 800’s and 900’s they added plunder to their goals. Kings couldn’t effectively defend all the lands from these invasions, causing people to no longer look to a central ruler for protection. Local rulers who had their own armies gained political strength and power. During 850 to 950, the time of the worst years of the invaders’ attacks, agreements were made all over Europe to ensure security, thus, the start of feudalism. Feudalism structured society creating a pyramid of power and defined social classes. The feudal system was based on rights and obligation, so a lord granted land to a vassal in exchange for military protection. It all depended on the control of land. The structure of feudal society was much like a pyramid. The pyramid determined a person’s power. At the tip top was the king, then came church officials and nobles. Beneath them were the knights. Knights pledged to defend their lords’ land in exchange for fiefs. At the very bottom were the peasants. This feudal system enabled a cash-poor but land-rich lord to support a military force. But, in the end, the people were classified into only three different groups: those who fought (nobles and knights), those who prayed (people of the church), and those who worked (peasants). The social class you received was usually inherited. During the Middle Ages, the majority of people were peasants, and most peasants were serfs. Serfs could not lawfully leave the land they were born on, but weren’t slaves because their lord could not buy or sell them, but whatever their labor produced belonged to the lord. Feudalism had an economic side as well, the manorial system. The manor system was the basic economic arrangement during the middle ages. It as well rested on a set of rights and obligations, but between lords and serfs. Lords provided serfs with housing, farmland, and protection from bandits and in return serfs tended the lord’s lands and all other tasks needed to maintain the estate. All peasants owed the lord certain duties, whether they’re a serf or not. Usually it was a few days a week of labor and a portion of the grain. But generally, peasants didn’t within 25 miles of their own manor. They could walk out into the middle of the field and see their whole world. A manor covered about a few square miles of land, and it usually had the lord’s manor house, a church, and workshops. Typically, 15 to 30 families lives in the village on a manor. To live on the lord’s land all peasants paid a hefty price. They had to pay a tax on all grain ground in the lord’s mill and a marriage tax to the lord. Plus a church tax to the priest. Due to the turmoil and constant warfare brought about by the invaders, a new political and economic system had emerged and made its’ mark. Feudalism ended the dark ages of European history by introducing order to the common persons life. it might not have been pretty, but feudalism helped restore order and a sense of community/lawfulness to the areas it was embraced by.

What causes acne? :: essays research papers

What causes acne?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Acne vulgaris, the medical term for common acne; is the most common skin disease. It is so common that nearly eighty-five percent of the population will develop some form of acne at some time between the ages of twelve and twenty-five years. Although there are several theories about what causes acne, medical doctors generally agree that acne is a by-product of hormonal changes in the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At puberty (that period of life when a child develops secondary sex characteristics), increased levels of androgens (normally referred to as the male hormone) cause the sebaceous glands to produce to much sebum. The sebaceous glands lie just beneath the skin’s surface. They produce an oily substance called sebum, the skin’s natural moisturizer. These glands and the hair follicles (the tube like structures from which hair develops) within which they are found are called sebaceous follicles. These follicles open into the skin through pores. When excess sebum combines with dead sticky skin cells a hard plug, or comedo is formed. If comedones are open to the surface, they are called blackheads. Comedones that are closed at the surface are called white heads. Plugged follicles can rupture internally, resulting in a discharge of their contents into the surrounding tissues. A comedo is the mildest type of acne.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moderate and severe inflammatory types of acne are the result of plugged follicles being invaded by the bacteria that normally lives on the skin. The role of the bacteria is unclear. Bacteria may act by causing chemical reactions in the sebaceous fluid, leading to the release of very irritating compounds called fatty acids. These in turn cause inflammation that increases susceptibility to infection. A pimple forms when the damaged follicle weakens and bursts open, releasing a substance (sebum, bacteria, and skin) into the surrounding tissues. Pimples that are near the skin’s surface and are inflamed are called papules. When pimples are deeper they are called pustules. This process begins an inflammatory response that sets the stage for the development of acne. Specialists are unable to detect the exact cause of acne, but there are many risk factors that have been identified with the contribution of developing acne. Diet does not cause acne, but certain foods can cause flare-ups. However, eliminating certain foods, particularly chocolates and fats, appear to improve some cases of acne. Teenagers are more likely to develop acne, due to hormonal changes they experience. Boys tend to develop more severe acne than girls, as well as more often.

Advantages and disadvantages of E-books over books Essay

E-books have been around for a few years and even though printed books are still very popular E-books are becoming more popular as well. To be able to read E-books people need to have a special device called the E-reader or a tablet. Printed books do not seem relevant anymore, but there are still a lot of people who hold on to or prefer the traditional books. Some people expected the arrival of the e-book to replace the use of printed books. It can be noted that this is not true. Although the E-book seems to have a lot of advantages, there are also disadvantages when it comes to E-books. One of the main disadvantage according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013), Tian Xiang Yu (2008) and Scott (2013) is that the reader needs an electronic device, like an E-reader or tablet. As with all technology it can break. Readers need to be far more careful with their E-readers than with books. One fall can break the screen of an E-reader, making it hard to read whereas a book can still be read. Scott (2013) also states that a second problem with needing an E-reader is that not every E-book can be downloaded on every E-reader. E- readers may not support every E-book format, this causes readers to be limited in the books they are able to read. A last problem with using an electronic device according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013), Tian Xiang Yu (2008) and J. Perrine (2010) is, when working with an electronic device readers have to keep in mind that it needs to be charged. When the battery dies, readers cannot read until they charge the device. According to blogger, J. Perrine (2010), not only the fragile state or the incompatibility issues of E-readers is a problem, it also costs a lot of money to purchase an E-reader. The cost of an E-reader varies from proximally 50 to over 200 Euros. Even though E-books can be read on a laptop or tablet, it still is a very expensive purchase. Another disadvantage according to Scott (2013) and Tian Xiang Yu (2008) is staring at a screen all day. This can cause the readers to hurt their eyes, which leads to tiredness, headaches and blurred vision. A screen also does not have the same resolution as print on paper. Finally, reading an E-book also causes the experience of reading a book to change say Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013) and Jill Harness (n.d. ). Readers cannot flip through E-books easily, which makes it hard to go back and look something up. Not only that takes away from the experience but also the smell and feel of holding a printed book. The work that goes into book covers cannot be portrayed the same on a screen and opening a brand new book, cracking the spine is an experience an E-book can never give. On the other hand there are also advantages. The most obvious one is that E-readers are easy to take with you. Readers do not have to carry around a whole stack of books when they go on holiday. Readers only need to take one device that can carry hundreds of books and a charger to their destination. No more heavy bags and back pains (Tara Entwistle-Clark, 2013, Linda McMaken, 2012 and Jill Harness, n. d. ). In addition not only on the go this saves space according to Tara Entwistle-Clark (2013) and Jill Harness (n. d), but also in the reader’s home. Readers do not need large bookcases full of books anymore, this is especially a great advantage when one does not have a lot of space in their home. It makes a small home look more organized and with only one device readers have their whole library of books with them. Next, E-books themselves cost less than printed books and especially many English E-books can be found for free online. According to J. Perrine (2010), Linda McMaken (2012) and Michael Pastore (2008) this great availability and easy accessibility of E-books online can be a good motivation for people, especially children, to read more. The younger generation spends a lot of time behind a screen already and might be more likely to read a book on screen than a printed one. Reading books becomes easier, when the reader does not have to go out of the house to go buy a book or wait until their order arrives at home. They are one click away from getting a book and can start reading almost immediately. Michael Pastore (2008) and Jill Harness (n. d. ) write that another advantage is the fact that readers can customize front size, front color, front style and page size. This makes reading easier for people who have sight disabilities. For example, they can choose for a larger front size, which makes it easier for them to read. Some E-reader screens can be lit, which makes reading in the dark possible. E-books also give the opportunity to use multimedia, like adding sounds, moving images and links to internet pages. This way reading becomes a more interactive activity, making it again more appealing for a younger audience. Finally, the environment will benefit from the use of E-books as there is no use of paper and since readers can download E-books right from their home there is also no need to transport books to a store. This results in saving transportation costs and lowers the air contamination that comes with shipping books across the world. In addition it also saves space, as there is no need any more for depots or stores to store books. E-books are stored on the internet after all. (Michael Pastore, 2008 and Jill Harness, n. d.) In conclusion E-readers break easily and readers need to be more careful as not to break them. Readers need to keep in mind that not every E-book is compatible with every E-reader and that E-readers are expensive. Readers might get negative side effects from staring at a screen all day. Finally reading E-books does not give readers the same experience as reading a printed book. In contrast E-books are good for the environment, no transportation or paper needed. Readers can easily take many books with them, only needing an E-reader and it saves space in the reader’s home. Another great advantages is that E-books are cheaper than printed books and easier accessibly. Front sizes of E-books can be customized to the readers liking and they give the opportunity to use multimedia. This way E-books can reach a bigger audience. Finally we can say that E-books have a lot of advantages and disadvantages over books and it is up to the reader which they prefer. Bibliography Entwistle-Clark, T. (2013). Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Readers. Examiner. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. examiner. com/article/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-e-readers. Harness, J. (n. d. ). The Advantages of eBooks Versus Traditional Books. Online-bookstores-review. toptenreviews. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://online-bookstores-review. toptenreviews. com/the-advantages-of-ebooks-versus-traditional-books. html McMaken, L. (2012). E-Books Vs. Print Books. Investopedia. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. investopedia. com/financial-edge/0812/e-books-vs. -print-books. aspx Pastore, M. (2008). 30 Benefits of Ebooks. Epublishersweekly. blogspot. nl. Retrieved January 17, 2014 from: http://epublishersweekly. blogspot. nl/2008/02/30-benefits-of-ebooks. html Perrine, J. (2010). E-books and reading devices: advantages and disadvantages. E-booksandreaders. blogspot. nl. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://e-booksandreaders. blogspot. nl/p/advantages-and-disadvantages. html Scott. (2013). Disadvantages of E-books. Sunflowerbookfest. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://www. sunflowerbookfest. com/disadvantages-of-e-books Yu, T. X. (2008). Disadvantages of E-books. Ezinearticles. com. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from: http://ezinearticles. com/? Disadvantages-of-E-books&id=1324883

Sample Pr Campaign

Communications Plan Addressing Most Pressing Reputational Issues Facing Livestrong Background of current issue facing Livestrong Foundation Lance Armstrong – the 7 time Tour De France winner, cancer survivor and founding chairman of the Livestrong Foundation, has been facing a lot of pressure and criticism from the media and the public due to allegations of doping made by the United States Anti Doping Agency (BBC, 2012). On October 17 2012 Armstrong resigned as Chairman due to allegation of doping (Mary, 2012).In November 2012, Lance Armstrong officially stepped down from the board of directors and ended his association with the Livestrong Foundation which was then known as The Lance Armstrong Foundation (Mclaggan, 2012; Vertuno, 2012). However, despite this, the opinion of the people towards the Livestrong Foundation is one of prejudice. Many companies who formally endorsed Armstrong have dropped him from their campaigns. Some of these companies were Nike, Trek Bicycles, Giro , FRS (energy products), and 24 Hours Fitness (Petchesky, 2012).Various reasons were given by the heads of these organizations as to why Armstrong was dropped. FRS Chief of Marketing commented: â€Å"this seems like a good time to part ways† while 24 Hours Fitness stated: â€Å"our business relationship with Armstrong no longer aligns with our company’s mission and values† (Schrotenboer, 2012). These and many more statements were made in regards to the doping allegations. Armstrong’s reputation and image is currently deteriorating rapidly.There are many opinions from segments of society (such as the public and the media,) regarding the Livestrong Foundation after this alleged scandal. Here is a brief overview of the situation from various stakeholders (See Appendix for Livestrong Foundation view): The Public: The public had varied opinions. There has been one section of people who have stood strongly by Lance Armstrong and the Livestrong Foundation. They stand by the fact that the foundation is still about researching a cure for cancer and so it will always be respected in the eyes of the community.Lou Hablas has supported Livestrong for years and worn the iconic yellow bracelet in honor of his uncle, stepmother and friends who have lost loved ones to cancer. The 49-year-old Georgia resident says he'll continue to wear the bracelet despite news that embattled cyclist Lance Armstrong is stepping down as chairman of the charity he founded 15 years ago. But the poster of Armstrong leading his Discovery teammates in the team time trial at the 2005 Tour de France is coming down from his office wall amid news that the U. S.Anti-Doping Agency found â€Å"overwhelming† evidence of Armstrong's involvement in doping as a professional cycler. â€Å"What Lance initiated through the formation of a foundation in his name and efforts through Livestrong far exceed this formal and seemingly final recognition of Lance's fallibility, Cancer su cks and it is much bigger than Lance Armstrong † Hablas said in an interview with CNN (CNN, 2012). The feeling of Lou Hablas mirrors the feeling of millions around the world. While they still continue to strongly support the Livestrong, their respect for Lance Armstrong has diminished due to the doping incident.They are able to separate the foundation from Lance Armstrong and the controversy surrounding Lance Armstrong does not change their opinion on the Livestrong Foundation. On the other hand, there has also been a large segment of the public who have lost their faith in the Livestrong Foundation. Wendy Adams of Manchester, Pennsylvania, and her sisters have been wearing their yellow bracelets since their father was diagnosed with end stage prostate cancer in 2004. When her father died in 2005, the family respected his wish to be cremated wearing the bracelet and spent $200 dollars on the bracelets for family and friends to hand out.Now, she says she can't wear the bracelet with pride anymore because of its connection to Armstrong and the organization. She has taken it off and vows to never again wear it. She says â€Å"Lance is Livestrong, he is the face of hope. And when that face is that of a liar, a manipulator, for me? I can't wear it with pride anymore. † (Ibid) Therefore we see that the public has different opinions regarding the Livestrong Foundation after Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal. But the vast majority of people are able to distinguish between the Livestrong Foundation and Lance Armstrong.They recognize that the Livestrong Foundation is about cancer which is much bigger than Lance Armstrong and the foundation needn’t suffer due to the Lance Armstrong scandal. The Media: The media has been investigating the Livestrong Foundation closely after the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. The Livestrong Foundation has been under intense scrutiny recently. Bill Gifford, a journalist from OUTSIDE magazine, released an article s tating that the Livestrong Foundation doesn’t in fact do much to fund research to find a cancer cure (Gifford 2012).He states in his article â€Å"Equally interesting is what the foundation doesn’t do. Most people—including nearly everybody I surveyed while reporting this story—assume that Livestrong funnels large amounts of money into cancer research. Nope. The foundation gave out a total of $20 million in research grants between 1998 and 2005, the year it began phasing out its support of hard science. A note on the foundation’s website informs visitors that, as of 2010, it no longer even accepts research proposals† (Ibid. ).Gifford also goes on to say that the primary goal of the Livestrong Foundation is to advertise and promote Lance Armstrong as he is the face of the foundation. He says â€Å"I found a curiously fuzzy mix of cancer-war goals like â€Å"survivorship† and â€Å"global awareness,† labels that seem to entail p lastering the yellow Livestrong logo on everything from T-shirts to medical conferences to soccer stadiums. Much of the foundation’s work ends up buffing the image of one Lance Edward Armstrong, which seems fair—after all, Livestrong wouldn’t exist without him.But Livestrong spends massively on advertising, PR, and â€Å"branding,† all of which helps preserve Armstrong’s marketability at a time when he’s under fire. † Such stakeholder viewpoints illustrate that Livestrong has to be careful in all its future endeavors as it is under constant scrutiny due to the doping allegations surrounding Lance Armstrong. This may have serious impacts related to the loss of Livestrong’s reputation and hence the challenge is in disassociating the Livestrong brand from its founder Lance Armstrong.The message must be communicated that Livestrong is about the fight against cancer at a global level, rather than a mere doping scandal by its founder. ————————————————- The key issues identified previously in this report highlight the importance of rebuilding Livestrong’s brand image in a manner that refocuses public attention towards Livestrong’s over-arching agenda and manifesto: To fight cancer with determination in the face of adversity.The following communications plan outlining key aims, objectives, strategies and tactics has been produced with this message at heart. The formal severing of ties with Lance Armstrong, are the first steps taken by the Livestrong Foundation towards this process. ————————————————- PHASE 1 Key Aims * Identify key stakeholders that are currently affected by the crisis, who it may affect and why. * Refocus public attention towards cancer victims and inspirational c ancer fighters supported by Livestrong. Ensure that communication is clear, compelling, continuous, consistent and sustained. * Ensure that engagement, understanding and commitment amongst internal stakeholders is achieved in relation to implementing strategies and tactics to overcome crisis. Promotional Channel: Public Relations Objective: Honest and sincere Acknowledgement of the problem Livestrong is facing, the action taken and highlighting the need to focus on the true adversary – cancer itself. Strategy: Communicate in totality to internal and external stakeholders within the next 6 months.Tactics: 1) Organising a press conference A spokesperson that holds a prominent role in the Livestrong Foundation will address the public. In preparation for the press conference, the spokesperson will be given full media training beforehand in responding to questions by the press such as: What is Livestrong’s current stance on doping? How does Livestrong plan to attract donati ons when its founding member can no longer inspire donors or call on celebrity contacts? Who will lead the organisation now that Armstrong has stepped down?What will be the next steps of the charity? etc. (More questions will be prepared for media training, closer towards the launch of the press conference). The Spokesperson will begin the conference by acknowledging the doping allegations made towards Livestrong’s former founder which have resulted in the foundation formally severing ties with Lance Armstrong. The spokesperson will then, make it explicit that it was a necessary decision made with the true cause at mind – Fighting Cancer, which at the moment is not receiving ull attention by the foundation and its public due to Armstrong’s doping allegations. The spokesperson will highlight the significant difference made by the Livestrong Foundation in its long-term fight against cancer through conducting educational programs emphasising on healthy lifestyle, a nti-stigma campaigns and Grassroots fundraising events; all done in order to raise awareness, increase outreach and facilitate collaboration in an effort to improve the situation of cancer patients.Furthermore, the spokesperson will highlight that it is important for the public to keep in mind these contributions made by Livestrong in the fight against cancer and will advise the public to ‘look at two separate people: Lance Armstrong the cycling champion allegedly turned drug-user and Lance Armstrong the cancer fighter and symbol of inspiration† of which the latter was the reason for Livestrong’s success until this point.Not only does Livestrong reach out to cancer patients, but also to those who look for inspiration, determination and hope, in their darkest hours of need. After these key points are made, the spokesperson will invite the press for a Q&A session. 2) Distributing press releases and feature articles online and offline Firstly, a number of press relea ses will be distributed to key media outlets (offline) and wired agencies (e. g. Reuters online), raising and addressing similar points to that of the press conference.Secondly, feature stories focusing on Livestrong Foundation support given to local and national cancer victims and their families will be distributed (both online and offline) in local and national media outlets. These stories will focus on an angle showing the determination of the cancer victims, survivors and their families and how Livestrong aids them in this journey through emotional and financial support; essentially, communicating in a compelling way to engage the public with Livestrong.Further, by distributing a considerable number of press releases and feature stories online, it would ensure that members of the public will encounter such stories which focus on Livestrong’s positive impact on society, in effect, proving to be a cost effective-method achieving search engine optimisation (SEO). 3) Social m edia engagement Firstly, a video release will be made (utilising YouTube) featuring the incoming board chairman of the foundation – Jeff Garvey, who outlines the next steps that will be taken by the Livestrong Foundation followed by the severing of ties with its former chairman – Lance Armstrong.This would mainly involve giving undivided attention towards the Livestrong Foundation mission in â€Å"providing free financial, practical and emotional support services for cancer survivors and their families. † This video will then be attached to Livestrong’s website, Facebook page, Twitter account and Blog. This will be followed by an invitation to the public to give their honest opinion about Livestrong and suggest ideas about what steps the foundation could take in order to better contribute to its fight against cancer.In addition, a competition will be posted on Facebook and Twitter announcing that the winner who suggests the most creative and engaging idea will have their name as part of the next Livestrong campaign title and the opportunity take part as one of the campaign team leaders. Not only will this type of approach promote symmetrical communication between Livestrong and the Public, but also indirectly suggests that Livestrong is trying its best to move past the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and refocus all its energy towards fighting cancer. ) Establishing an Intranet system for internal stakeholders of the Livestrong Foundation Given the possibility that not all members, employees and shareholders may be aware of the severity of the issue concerning Lance Armstrong’s alleged doping scandal and the strategic action taken to repair Livestrong’s reputation; an intranet will be established to provide the latest information on the issue and steps taken to rebuilding Livestrong’s brand image in a manner that refocuses public attention towards Livestrong’s battle against cancer.The intranet page will b e maintained by a trained team who will monitor current problems, predict any future revelations and watch the movements of public and media opinion closely. This will also provide the opportunity for internal stakeholders to ask questions, post responses, and contribute ideas about the crisis in a community sphere. Measurement and Evaluation Firstly, feedback could be gained from journalists, who will attend the press conference, on whether the responses given by the Livestrong Foundation were sufficient in communicating Livestrong’s future intentions and vision purely focused on battling cancer.The press releases and feature stories will be evaluated in relation to how consistent, clear and compelling they are in producing communication outcomes (e. g. Whether the key message was fully, partially, incorrectly, negative/positively, etc. conveyed . In relation to evaluating the level of public engagement with social media, they will be measured according to the tone of commun ication. For example, whether the blog, twitter and Facebook responses by the public, were positive, balanced, neutral or negative.Furthermore, this will also be measured by tracking levels of public engagement. E. g. whether target audiences are: Lurking, Casual, Active, Committed or Loyal. The activity on the intranet will be measured in a similar fashion although it would also include tracking the amount of internal stakeholder response within a period of 6 months. Given that the above strategies and tactics are successful and meet the objective, the Livestrong Foundation can move towards the 2nd phase which involves creatively utilising the promotional channels of Advertising and Viral Marketing.Note: The above strategies were considered after examining the cases of Sony and Dell when they faced a product defect issue where they avoided damages to their reputation through responses received through their established crisis website (Larkin and Register, 2008:63) Further, the case concerning the rebranding of Scope – the charity organisation for cerebral palsy – was also examined in detail (Scope, 2012). ————————————————- ————————————————- PHASE 2 Promotional Channel : AdvertisingObjective: Ensure a new and improved understanding of Livestrong by the public. Strategy: Creating a new advertisement to broadcast Livestrong’s new image. Tactics: Two different advertisements will be made for two groups of audiences. 1. Advertisement directed towards the general public: This advertisement features a little girl frolicking happily in a garden. The whole frame is colourful. Suddenly, a monster called â€Å"cancer† appears, and a thunder storm occurs. The little girl begins to cry in fear. At this time, a large number o f Livestrong wristbands appear to fight the monster and protect the little girl.The wristbands knock the monster down and sunshine prevails. The slogan: Let Livestrong Protect the One You Love then appears . The advertisement will be shot in the style of caricature which makes it simple and easy to comprehend. Even children will be able to understand the advertisement; therefore, the target audience is broadened. This inspiration comes from Fresh Start—the campaign which is called up by Welsh government to stop smoking in cars. This campaign used children as their starting points and inspired people stopping smoking. ((2012). GOLLEY SLATER LAUNCHES FRESH START WALES. Online] Last accessed December 13th). 2. Advertisement directed towards cancer survivors and their families The second advertisement is aimed at encouraging people who have suffered from cancer to be hopeful and to trust Livestrong. This advertisement will focus on the reliability of the Livestrong foundation. Th e advertisement has a black and white tone to portray people’s emotion after knowing that they get cancer. This scene will simply focus on the facial shots of people who have just found out that they have cancer. Sad music plays in the background to enhance the affect.After this, the Livestrong wristbands appear. The yellow color of the wristband symbolizes sunshine and how Livestrong can brighten the lives of those who suffer from this terrible disease. The advertisement ends with the frame being full of sunshine and smiles on the faces of the people who suffer from cancer. Platform: These advertisements will be played in public places, such as subway stations and bus stops because it has a wider reach in terms of viewers. Some posters with a similar theme will also be used as outdoor advertisements. There will also be a donation box near the screen.This is done because people will feel the need to donate immediately after viewing such a touching advertisement. Prediction: I t is estimated that 6 months into the advertising campaign, the awareness of Livestrong will increase by 30%. Also, the donation towards the Livestrong foundation will also increase about 10%. Promotional Channel : Viral Marketing Objective: Increase people’s awareness of Livestrong Strategy: Take advantage of social media, such as Youtube, Twitter and Facebook to let more people know Livestrong’s new image Tactics: 1. Flash MobThere will be several â€Å"flash mob† activities in target cities, such as London and Manchester, which means organizing about 50 people at the city landmark wearing Livestrong apparel and repeat the Livestrong’s slogan. All this will be recorded and broadcasted onto social media sites. This tactic is inspired by the popularity of Psy’s Gangnam Style. Gangnam Style’s shoot to popularity is attributed to the effective use of social media through which it gained global recognition. 2. Twitter and Livestrong Another act ivity, mainly to do with Twitter, can also be undertaken.A custom designed poster stating â€Å"Keep Calm and Trust Livestrong† will be posted by Livestrong. Every time the poster is re-tweeted, Livestrong will donate 1 pound towards a cancer rehabilitation center. This action will not only help people who suffer from cancer, but will also pique the attention and interest of the people and increase brand awareness. Platform: Social media will be the main platform for this strategy as it is currently more popular than traditional means of marketing. Social media will reach a very wide range of audience†¦ from the youth to the older generation.Also, the broadcasting speed of social media is faster compared to broadcasting via traditional means. ————————————————- Prediction: In this six months campaign, Livestrong’s exposure rate on social media will increa se and people will have more positive aspects to discuss about Livestrong. ————————————————- Word Count: 3,275 References British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). (2012), â€Å"Lance Armstrong receives US Anti-Doping Agency charges. ’ [Online] Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/sport/0/cycling/18435771 [Accessed: 1 December 2012].Burleigh, N. (2012), ‘Will Livestrong Stay Strong? ’ [Online] Available at: http://www. bicycling. com/news/featured-stories/will-livestrong-stay-strong? page=0,1 [Accessed: 1 December 2012] CNN (2012) ‘Livestrong bracelet: To wear or not to wear?. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. cnn. co. uk/2012/10/18/living/lance-armstrong-livestrong-legacy/index. html [Accessed: 1 December 2012] Gifford, B. (2012), ‘It's not about the lab rats. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. outsideonline. com/outdoo r-adventure/athletes/lance-armstrong/Its-Not-About-the-Lab-Rats. tml? page=all [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. Golly Slater (2012), ‘Golly Slater launches Fresh Start Wales. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. golleyslater. co. uk/services/public-relations/news/news-detail. php? id=976 [Accessed 29 November 2012] Livestrong (2012) Livestrong Milestones [Online]. Available at: http://www. livestrong. org/Who-We-Are/Our-History/Milestones [Accessed: 10 December 2012]. Maclaggan, C. (2012) ‘Exclusive: Livestrong cancer charity drops Lance Armstrong name from title’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. chicagotribune. om/sports/olympics/sns-rt-us-cycling-armstrong-livestrongbre8ae000-20121114,0,6273785. story [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. Mary, P. (2012) ‘Armstrong Is Dropped by Nike and Steps Down as Foundation Chairman. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2012/10/18/sports/cycling/lance-armstrong-dropped-by-nike-steps-down-as-chairman -of-his-charity. html? pagewanted=all [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. New York Times (2012) ‘Times Topic: Lance Armstrong. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://topics. nytimes. com/top/reference/timestopics/people/a/lance_armstrong/index. tml [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. Petchsky, B. (2012), ‘A full list of the brave brave companies that dropped lance Armstrong only after Nike did. ’ [Online] Available at: http://deadspin. com/5952679/a-full-list-of-the-brave-brave-companies-that-dropped-lance-armstrong-as-an-endorser-only-after-nike-did. [Accessed: 1 December 12]. Regester, M. & Larkin, J. , (2008) Risk Issues and Crisis Management in Public Relations: A Casebook of Best Practice. London: Kogan Page. Schrotenboer, B. (2012), ‘Livestrong: Only 8 donors asked for their money back. ’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. usatoday. om/story/sports/cycling/2012/11/12/livestrong-lance-arms trong-doping/1700831/ [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. Scope (2012), â₠¬ËœThe Spastics Society to Scope: The story of the name change and relaunch November in 1994. ’ [Online] Available at: http://www. scope. org. uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/History/Scope_name_change. pdf [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. Vertuno, J. (2012) ‘Lance Armstrong Cuts Formal Ties to Livestrong, Resigns from Board’ [Online]. Available at: http://www. therepublic. com/view/story/c98e415cc01346f19a7a67a12ead195f/CYC–Armstrong-Livestrong [Accessed:1 December 2012].Wall Street Journal (2012) Statement by Lance Armstrong [Online]. Available at: http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424052702303734204577464962634804348. html [Accessed: 1 December 2012]. APPENDIX The Livestrong Foundation Perspective of Lance Armstron’s Allegations: The Livestrong Foundation was initially very supportive of Lance Armstrong during the doping incident. However, Lance Armstrong stepped down from the board of directors of the foundation and ended all association with Livest rong. This was done to ensure that the negative publicity directed towards Lance Armstrong would not affect Livestrong’s popularity.The incoming board chairman, Jeff Garvey, said that Armstrong was distancing himself from Livestrong to protect it against any damage resulting from his doping controversy. â€Å"Lance Armstrong was instrumental in changing the way the world views people affected by cancer,† Garvey said. â€Å"His devotion to serving survivors is unparalleled and for 15 years, he committed himself to that cause with all his heart. † (The New York Times 2012). Livestrong CEO Doug Ulman, a cancer survivor himself, sees the scandal as little more than a sad distraction from a noble cause, and he sees no need for a formal distancing from Armstrong. This organization has never been stronger in terms of fulfilling our mission and the support that we receive from literally millions of people,† he says. â€Å"We are trying to tackle a global problem, the number one cause of death around the world. And so the investigation unfortunately has become a distraction from our mission. We are literally, positively changing lives every day and we have so much more to do and to be pulled away and distracted even for 10 minutes is

Comparison of the French and Russian Revoloutions. essays

Comparison of the French and Russian Revoloutions. essays The use of either physical (such as the aggressiveness shown by the Cheka, the Russian secret police) or political force (such as War Communism) was prevalent in both the French (Between May 1789 1795) and Russian (Between February 1917 1924) revolutions. To protect and reinforce the revolutions (which were violent overthrows of the government) leaders of the time believed that force (which is defined as the use of power) was the an option available to secure the revolution. The force used came in different forms such as the Reign of Terror in France, to the Red Terror experienced in the Russian Civil War. Force was seen in many eyes to be the solution to securing the revolution and preventing any counter-revolutions, however it was not the only factor that secured the consolidation of the revolutions. Factors such as the N.E.P (New Economic Policy) implemented by Lenin, contributed to the stability of the revolution, as it was a reform that needed to implemented for the revolution to be a success. During the course of the French and Russian Revolutions the threat of counter-revolutions always loomed. One of the threats of counter-revolutions came from the previous leaders (King Louis XVI and Tsar Nicholas II) creating an uprising to topple the revolution. King Louis XVI attempted to do this in the famous Flight To Varennes, which took place in June 1791; where Louis XVI and his Austrian wife Marie Antoinette attempted to flee France, in order to rebuild their counter-revolutionary forces. However their effort was halted and both were brought back to Paris, and taken prisoner. This showed that the old imperial leader could not be trusted, which eventually led to the death of King Louis XVI, and a major hope of any counter-revolution. It is obvious to see that force, by the death of the past leaders was necessary in order to make sure that they never regained power again, to counter the revolution. After 1792, the ...

khdsaf essays

khdsaf essays Universal Essay: Slaughterhouse Five Throughout history, society, in general, has been molded by the ravages of war. From King Henry VII's invasion of Brittany, to the bloodshed on the shores of Iwo Jima, all the way to the present-day territory dispute in Bosnia and Herzegovina, war abounds mankind and its short history. As nations, ethnicities, ect. constantly attempt to outdo one another war will continue to arise. In recent years much has been said about the poor effects war has on society in a general sense; but what does war do to an individual? This is a question often avoided as a result of the bitter truth: War can all but destroy the sane mind of the common man. This is a fact that was abundantly presented in Kurt Vonnegut's "absurdist classic" Slaughterhouse Five. The story is initially set during World War II, but moves from place to place, and from time period to time period throughout the novel. The story centers around the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden and the mythic journey of an American soldier/ prisoner-of-war named Billy Pilgrim. Pilgrim suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome and imagines his abduction by aliens, and a great journey through space and time, to a fictional planet named Tralfamadore. A great deal of strange thoughts occurred inside Bill Pilgrim's mind, but Billy had no control over these thoughts. War has an uncanny ability to inflict mental stress on man. The story of Billy Pilgrim is a near-perfect example of the horrendous way in which war can affect the mind of the common man. As a prisoner of war, Billy Pilgrim is subjected to daily torture ranging from beatings and malnourishment. Pilgrim also witnessed the beatings of many other soldiers, some of whom he was familiar with. Billy Pilgrim's mind was not only a victim of torture, but also the Dresden fire-bombings one of the most deadly acts of war ever. Despite the fact that Billy was confined to a subterranean prisoner-of-w ...

3 Cases of Poorly Constructed Short Lists

3 Cases of Poorly Constructed Short Lists 3 Cases of Poorly Constructed Short Lists 3 Cases of Poorly Constructed Short Lists By Mark Nichol In each of the following sentences, the writer is under the misapprehension that the statement includes a list of three words and/or phrases; in fact, each sentence includes a compound list item and a simple list item (or at least is better rendered so that it does), for a total of two items. Discussion of each example explains the problem, and a revision after each sentence resolves the problem. 1. These projects provide the needed insight as to where these measures work, don’t work, and why. One solution for this sentence is to express the elements completely: â€Å"These projects provide the needed insight as to where these measures work, where they don’t work, and why they don’t work.† However, a simpler, more concise solution is to combine work and â€Å"don’t work† into one element: â€Å"These projects provide the needed insight as to where these measures work or don’t work and why.† 2. Many lament a system that is unfair, discriminatory, and one where the American Dream is out of reach. Sentences such as this, as with the first revision in the previous example, can often be repaired by supporting the middle element of the list with phrasing parallel to that of the first and last elements, but the final element is problematic, too, so the simplest approach is to pair unfair and discriminatory: â€Å"Many lament a system that is unfair and discriminatory, and one where the American Dream is out of reach.† (Those words may seem redundant, but in context they are distinct.) 3. The convergence of increased regulation, the need for modernization and innovation, combined with an exponential increase in cyber risk, creates a major challenge for insurance companies.   The complication in this sentence is that â€Å"combined with an exponential increase in cyber risk† is treated as a list item rather than a related but distinct parenthetical. In addition, the second item, with its â€Å"a and b† structure, is already complex. But the simple first item and the complex second item can easily be bridged with a conjunction rather than a comma to become syntactically valid: â€Å"The convergence of increased regulation and the need for modernization and innovation, combined with an exponential increase in cyber risk, creates a major challenge for insurance companies.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Is She a "Lady" or a "Woman"?Expanded and ExtendedThe 7 Types of Possessive Case

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Women Labor supply in China - Research Paper Example Additionally, it was punishable by job loss, and also lack of access to public goods further to that local leaders have been supported by the central Government to implement the resources (Chen and Jianxian 15).   This paper discusses the impact of an extra child to female participation in the workforce and the one-child policy effects in China. The difference between the rural and urban in the implementation of the policies is that the optimal scales differ in both setups. In rular areas, Budget constraints are higher as compared to urban centers. The same case applies in China.Hypothesis and Research Model In class we learnt on the budget constraint and utility curve model. In the graph, X-axis have the leisure and Y-axis has the income. In the original situation, before the policy was passed, the graph was linear. However, the establishment of the policy led to a shift of the optimal choice. Women participation in the workforce will provide a possibility of an increment of their wages. Ultimately, an increase in the wages will result in more leisure time and hence the shift of the curve. When income increases budget constraints will also be reduced, consequently from the graph, the optimal choice will be higher than the original value. For example, if the budget of a family made up of twins was ten dollars in a day, if the woman is actively involved in the workforce the budget will increase since preferences will also increase. This is because of the budget constraint.

Theory of Economic Deflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory of Economic Deflation - Essay Example This process is deflation. The two pair of key elements that are involved in deflation theory is 1) goods and money and 2) demand and supply. The sum of amount of goods and money; and the demand and supply of both goods and money influence the economy of a nation or it can be called as economic decider. The demand and supply of goods results in deflation: if there is decrease in demand of goods or increase of supply of goods. The decrease in demand of goods is due to decreases in money supply or unavailability of money. If the supply of goods increases the price or the demand of the product get reduced. If this happens for all products at a point of time then it is called as secular deflation. The reduction in the transaction due to less money availability is also comes under deflation. "Overall the causes for deflation are: 1.Decreasing Money Supply, 2. Increasing Supply of Goods, 3. Decreasing Demand for Goods and 4. Increasing Demand for Money" (What is Deflation, n.d) Deflation has positive as well as negative effects. Stephen Davis (2003) points that people have got idea of deflation as reduce in rate of goods and its actual reduction in price. The deflation plays very good role for people who have large or considerable revenue in his/her hand. In terms of share market during deflation the market shares goes down and hence it's simply the golden period for investor.

Law and Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law and Policy - Case Study Example While analyzing the current information management practices, it seems that government laws as well as organizational policies play a vital role in improving the performance of information systems. A business organization must necessarily adhere to the policies issued by federal, state, and local government while managing its information and information systems. Considering the importance of accurate and timely information, federal and state governments have framed a set of information management policies so as to achieve a sustainable financial sector growth. Confidentiality of Information The US Federal government gives particular emphasis to the confidentiality of customer information. According to Federal policies (as cited in Bureau of Consumer Protection, n.d.), financial institutions have the responsibility to ensure the secure keeping of customer information including credit card numbers, income statements, and social security numbers. As per this policy, financial institutio ns are required to designate enough employees to coordinate their information security program. In addition, those organizations should also implement a safeguards program and regularly monitor it to ensure its operational efficiency. It is the responsibility of financial institutions to identify risks to the program times and to make adequate modifications. (Bureau of Consumer Protection). These strict policies regarding the confidentiality of customer information would certainly compel financial institutions to take sincere efforts to comply with the legal standards. Undoubtedly, such a legal environment can be helpful for those firms to improve their performance in keeping customer information securely. Similarly organizational policies also specifically try to promote the privacy of customer information as this practice is important to improve brand reputation and business growth. Integrity of Information The last decade witnessed a series of bank failures in the United States w hich intensified the impacts of the recent global recession. In response to this banking collapse, the Federal government strictened corporate governance policies for financial institution. As part of this policy change, the government pays particular attention to the integrity of information. As noted in the GAO financial report (1998), so as to accomplish this goal, the government tries to enhance the reliability and authenticity of audit programs and thereby assist stakeholders to obtain a true and fair view of the state of affairs of financial institutions at the end of the fiscal year (p.2). The government believes that such practice would assist investors to make sound investment decisions, which in turn would promote sustainable growth of the financial sector. These modified corporate governance policies issued by the Federal government will certainly require financial institutions to assess the integrity of various information they get during the course of business. Under th is circumstance, financial institutions can ensure compliance with governmental laws by avoiding practices like inflation and deflation of profits. Availability of Information Finally, ensuring the availability of information can also be influenced by the legal environment. Federal investigations have identified that accounting fraud and

Merger between the United and US Airways Term Paper

Merger between the United and US Airways - Term Paper Example (Continental, 2012). Under the United Continental Holdings – the parent company of Continental and United, its 4th quarter 2011 revenue was increased by 5.5% with annual profit of $840 million (Omaha World-Herald, 2012). The US Airways is â€Å"the 6th largest U.S. airline by traffic and 8th largest by market value in the United States† (Nolan, 2011; Fenske, 2008). Marketed under the brand name of US Airways Express, the PSA Airlines and Piedmont Airlines are two of US Airways’ wholly-owned subsidiaries on top of its other four airline subsidiaries (Polek, 2008). The US Airways has 341 mainline and 319 regional aircrafts across 200 destinations around North- and South America, Europe and the Middle East. The company is operating 629 daily flights throughout its 133 non-stop destinations (Portillo, 2011). Its annual net profit excluding net special charges was $111 million as compared to $447 million in the previous year (PRNewswire, 2012). After deducting the net special charges, the company’s net profit was $0.68 million as compared to $2.34 million during the previous year (BusinessWeek, 2012). Incentives to Consolidate Although the merger plan between the United and the US Airways has not been successful ever since the United decided to merge with the Continental last July 2010 (Breaking Travel News, 2010), potential merger between the United and the US Airways never died (Portillo, 2011). In fact, Derek Kerr – the Chief Financial Officer of US Airways stated that â€Å"consolidation is one of the major ways this industry can become profitable† (Chakravorty, 2010). Aside from economies of scale, most of the existing airline companies are merging to expand or dominate a busy hub. In other words, merger enables these airline companies to have a competitive advantage by investing on geographically differentiated routes. This explains why other major airline carriers such as Delta was eager to merge with Northwest wherea s the United with Continental (Portillo, 2011). Furthermore, Portillo (2011) explained that the hub of US Airways is the key to 90% of the airport’s flights. This aspect will give the United the incentive to decide and consider consolidating with the US Airways in the near future. Analyzing Firms within the Industry Strategies made by the firms within the U.S. airline industry can be well understood by conducting an industry analyzing using the Porter’s five forces framework. Based on this framework, it makes sense that the U.S. airline industry has a low barrier due to the increasing threat of new entrants (Ramon-Rodriguez, Moreno-Izquierdo and Perles-Ribes 2011). Ever since the Airline Deregulation Act was implemented in 1978, firms within the U.S. airline industry started experiencing the business consequences of a tight market competition. Even though the U.S. government removed the political restrictions over the U.S. domestic routes, schedules and domestic fares, some of the airport regulations, limited takeoff and landing slots and airline

Individual Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual Exercise - Essay Example On the other hand, not all investors are able to enter in this market because of the huge amounts of capital that is required in order to start up a company. It is for this reason that the threat of new entrants in this market is moderate. The bargaining power of customers also affects the nature of competition in this market. Customers in this case are airlines who purchase the commercial jets. These companies have no substitute product and therefore have to buy aircraft. This makes the bargaining power of customers to be low. The level of competition is high in this market is because of new entries in the market who have decreased their prices significantly. This has in turn increases the pricing pressure on a company like Boeing. For instant, Boeing 737MAX-7 with a capacity of 130 passengers is listed at $85 million, while Bombardier’s largest C series model with the same capacity goes for $71 (Forbes, 2014). Suppliers in this industry are seen to be having a low bargaining power because their customers only include aircraft manufacturers. These manufacturers are few as compared to the number of suppliers in the market. Fly Dubai is in its development phase. Flydubai is committed to making air travel affordable for its customers (Flydubai, 2014). This gives them the opportunity of attracting many customers and retaining them. The threat that this airline faces is high competition in this market from more established airlines that operate worldwide. The fact that it is low cost brings out the threat of not being able to cater for the operating costs incurred by the company. The competitive structure of DRAM market is characterized by many competitors who have expanded their capacity into the production of semiconductor chips. For this reason, companies need to be innovative in order to succeed in this market. There is also no barrier to enter into this market which encourages many companies to enter this market.

Analysis of a Bankruptcy for a Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of a Bankruptcy for a Firm - Essay Example As a result of this, it becomes imperative to predict if any firm has chances of going bankrupt. Accurate forecasting of bankruptcy enables a firm to take corrective actions, and thereby reducing losses, and possibly even prevent bankruptcy. Hence, bankruptcy prediction is a topic of great interest and attracting a lot of research. There are two kinds of bankruptcy prediction models, generally found in the literature. The first is the accounting based models, which include logistic regression models. The second category is the market-based model, which include Merton Models. Fitzpatrick (1931) used the approach of using ratio analysis to compare bankrupt and successful firms. His univariate model of using 13 ratios to indicate failure was first attempt of such kind to predict industry failures. However, no significant relationship could be established between the model and failure. The work done by Beaver (1966) is considered as the first pioneering work in the field of bankruptcy prediction. He proposed that the firm can be seen as a â€Å"reservoir of liquid assets, which is supplied by inflows and drained by outflows. (†¦) The solvency of the firm can be defined in terms of the probability that the reservoir will be exhausted, at which point, the firm will be unable to pay its obligations as they mature†. Beaver used 30 ratios to develop a univariate model. These ratios were applied to 158 companies, half of them as bankrupt and the other half as successful firms. The finest ratios were the â€Å"working capital funds flow/ total assets†, and â€Å"net income/ total assets†. These ratios correctly identified 90%, and 88% of the cases. This study was followed by Altman’s model (1968, 1983). He applied multiple discriminant analysis to 33 pairs of bankrupt and successful firms. He proposed that bankruptcy could be explained by using a combination of 5 financial ratios.  Ã‚  

Individual Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Individual Exercise - Essay Example On the other hand, not all investors are able to enter in this market because of the huge amounts of capital that is required in order to start up a company. It is for this reason that the threat of new entrants in this market is moderate. The bargaining power of customers also affects the nature of competition in this market. Customers in this case are airlines who purchase the commercial jets. These companies have no substitute product and therefore have to buy aircraft. This makes the bargaining power of customers to be low. The level of competition is high in this market is because of new entries in the market who have decreased their prices significantly. This has in turn increases the pricing pressure on a company like Boeing. For instant, Boeing 737MAX-7 with a capacity of 130 passengers is listed at $85 million, while Bombardier’s largest C series model with the same capacity goes for $71 (Forbes, 2014). Suppliers in this industry are seen to be having a low bargaining power because their customers only include aircraft manufacturers. These manufacturers are few as compared to the number of suppliers in the market. Fly Dubai is in its development phase. Flydubai is committed to making air travel affordable for its customers (Flydubai, 2014). This gives them the opportunity of attracting many customers and retaining them. The threat that this airline faces is high competition in this market from more established airlines that operate worldwide. The fact that it is low cost brings out the threat of not being able to cater for the operating costs incurred by the company. The competitive structure of DRAM market is characterized by many competitors who have expanded their capacity into the production of semiconductor chips. For this reason, companies need to be innovative in order to succeed in this market. There is also no barrier to enter into this market which encourages many companies to enter this market.

Cost benefit and economic approach related to health care services Research Paper

Cost benefit and economic approach related to health care services system - Research Paper Example Globally, there are certain common problems which are faced by the health care organizations. In subsequent paragraph, a brief look has been given upon the overall issues which prevail in the health care units globally. Issues in Healthcare System The health care system is facing serious problems globally. People’s health care needs are not being met in an adequate manner. The reason is there are countless cases of illness and diseases each day. Fortunately, there are also numbers of solutions available to deal with these day to day problems. According to The Centre for Health Design, (2001), the most common problems which are faced by the overall health care sector are: Issues related to Patient Care Issues related to patient satisfaction Issues relating to accommodating innovation and change Issues related to operational efficiency Environmental Impact Responding to uncertainties. (The Centre for Health Design, 2001, p.4) In order to resolve these issues, a certain policy fr amework has been designed which can assist in solving such critical yet important issues. The policy framework designed to meet these problems is discussed in subsequent paragraphs. Policy Framework for Improving Healthcare System According to Bradley, Pallas, Bashyal, Curry and Berman (2010), a framework has been designed to ensure financial protection and adequate access to health care systems. It also strengthens the delivery systems in order to serve vulnerable people. Six factors determine whether the goals at organizational level are achieved or not in order to enhance the level of performance. They are: i. Quality ii. Efficiency iii. Utilization iv. Access v. Learning vi. Sustainability Quality Maintaining the required level of quality is the foremost requirement for healthcare systems. Improper quality can endanger the valuable life of patients. In order to maintain quality, it is essential to keep track of the quality in three major areas, they are: Clinical quality Patient experience Management quality There are several measures required to be taken care of for these areas. By evaluating the performance of these measures, it can be determined whether the quality is up to the mark or not. These measures include avoidance of medical errors, level of satisfaction of patient, availability of medical supplies, adherence to clinical parameters and medical records system. Efficiency Efficiency is defined as the way by which an organization utilizes its resources to meet the demands. Three measures which define the level of efficiency of a health care system include: Number of patients or patient volume Ratio of staff to service Ratio of cost to service The above mentioned measures can define the level of efficiency of a health care system. It can be determined by observing key indicators like health workers or nurses which are available for each bed or visits of outpatients or inpatients per day, per health worker or per bed. It should be borne in mind that it is not necessary to allot maximum number of nurses to each bed in order to meet the benchmark efficiency but in essence what it means is that the number of nurses available must not be less than the number of patients or number of beds. Utilization Utilization can be measured by: Patient volume in regards to capacity Patient volume with respect to the population of health characteristics. The key indicators which can measure the level of utilization are visits of outpati

Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making Essay Example for Free

Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making Essay End-of-life decision-making entails looking into ethical, cultural, as well as, legal concerns. All of the aforementioned has to be carefully considered if one has to decide to end his or her own life. This paper will look into the ethical, cultural, and legal issues that go along with end-of-life decision-making. It also intends to state what therapist can contribute in his or her participation in the discussion of end-of-life decision making together with his or her colleagues, as well as, patients their families. Ethical Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making There are ethical indispensable issues involved in end-of-life decision-making and some are the following: First of all is the issue on utilitarianism, since this is said to be the â€Å"foundation of morals† then it is linked to the end-of-life decision-making as well (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). Here, it is said that â€Å"actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness† (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). â€Å"Happiness† here is regarded as the â€Å"absence of pain† and â€Å"unhappiness† is the presence of the aforementioned (Germino 1972, p. 240). It is an issue because happiness is not all that matters in ending a life (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580). In addition to that, how can one be sure that the absence of pain, which is death in this case, will lead to happiness of the person chiefly involved in the end-of-life decision-making (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580)? The same is true with the family of main person involved, will they be experience happiness if the patient opts to end his or her life voluntarily instead of waiting for his or her ‘natural’ death to take place (Ebenstein Ebenstein 1991, p. 580)? Second is the issue related with the Kantian model or what is technically referred to as the â€Å"deontological theory† (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). This states that a person has to fulfill a certain responsibility or duty as a part of his objective (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). This statement now seems to be irrational since the concrete definition of a responsibility or duty is not provided (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). For example, is it the person’s responsibility to subject himself or herself to death (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). It may be his or her right to choose to live or die but if asked if it is his or her responsibility remains a big question (Bennagen, 2000, p. 50). Last but not least, there are some health care providers who are extremely conscious about â€Å"how much money is spent on patients and how effectively it is spent† (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). Some individuals feel that the amount of money spent on terminally ill patients is not really worth it (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). This is highly unethical; it is as if one is saying that money is far more important than actually trying to save a life (Hinman, 2000, p. 9). Cultural Issues Involved in End of Life Decision-Making Furthermore, there are several cultural issues involved in end-of-life decision-making as well and some are the following: First of all, there are some members of a cultural minority that prefers to be spoken to directly with regards to the disease that they are going through (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516). Although, there are also some who do not (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). In fact some immediate family members request that they be the ones to be spoken to only since they believe that informing the patient will only make the patient feel worse and will eventually negatively affect him or her (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). The same is true when it comes to making decisions with regards to the medications/treatment that the patient will undergo; some family members prefer that they be the ones to be in charge about this instead of the doctor and/or the patient (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Second, patients who belong to a cultural group sometimes opt â€Å"not to be directly informed† about the disease he or she is going through especially if it’s a life-threatening one (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Third, some patients also would prefer to carry out certain religious activities and spiritual traditions so as to assist in their medical treatment, and eventually, their healing as well (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Last but not least, some patients take into consideration their beliefs and outlook when it comes to the â€Å"medical experts, suffering, as well as, the afterlife† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 516. ). Legal Issues Involved in End-of-Life Decision-Making There are also certain legal concerns when it comes to end-of-life decision-making: Most of the States disallows physician-assisted suicide; for example in New York, it is unlawful â€Å"under the general homicide laws† (Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States, n. d. , n. p. ). The same is true in Virginia wherein â€Å"there is no law that actually covers physician-assisted suicide but there is a statute which imposes civil sanctions on persons assisting in a suicide† (Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States, n. d. , n. p. ). My Participation as a Therapist in the Discussion of End-of-Life Decision-Making along with Colleagues There are several things that I may contribute as a therapist to my colleagues. I can share with them my knowledge with regards to how to communicate with patients of diverse culture (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). I can request them to â€Å"demonstrate an interest to the patient’s cultural heritage† for them to be able to give the patient â€Å"culturally-sensitive care† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). In addition to that, I will also let them know that it is important to give the patient â€Å"autonomy† especially when it comes to â€Å"non-disclosure of medical information and family-centered decision-making† because through the aforementioned, the patient will eventually feel that their â€Å"cultural norms are being respected† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). My Participation as a Therapist in the Discussion of End-of-Life Decision-Making along Patients and their Families Finally, I may also be of great assistance to patients and their families with regards to their discussion of end-of-life decision-making through the following: 1) I will respect it if the â€Å"patient prefers that his or her family members be the recipients of diagnostic and treatment information†; 2) I will make sure first who is the member of the family who’s appointed to make treatment decisions before speaking to him or her or giving them an advice with regards to the medical procedures or treatment; and 3) I will help them find another therapist/physician in case they are uncomfortable with the current one and especially if their therapist/physician â€Å"belong to the different ethnic background† (Searight et. al. , 2005, p. 521. ). As a therapist, I will try to advise them the best I can while considering their cultural background, incorporating my ethical/moral standards, and making sure that I will abide by the laws as well. References Bennagen, P. (2000). Social Economic and Political Thought. Q. C. : UP Press. Ebenstein, W. and Ebenstein, A. 1991, Great Political Thinkers: Plato to the President.Harcourt Brace, Forth Worth. Germino, D. 1972, Machiavelli to Marx: Modern Western Political Thought. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Hinman, L. M. (2000). Ethical Issues in End of Life Decisions: A Guide to Understanding Differences. Retrieved April 28, 2008 from http://ethics. sandiego. edu/presentations/sharp/index_files/v3_document. htm Legal Status of Assisted/Euthanasia in the United States. (n. d. ). Retrieved April 28, 2008 from http://www. nightingalealliance. org/pdf/state_grid. pdf Searight, H. R. Gafford, J. (2005). Cultural Diversity at the End of Life: Issues and Guidelines for Family Physicians. American Family Physician, 71(3), 515 – 522.

Performance Analysis of One Dimension FDTD Code

Performance Analysis of One Dimension FDTD Code Performance analysis of One dimension FDTD code using Parallel Processing Technique P. GUNAPANDIAN, M.R.SUBASREE, B. MANIMEGALAI Abstract The requirement of longer processing time and larger memory makes FDTD method impractical for many cases. Implementation of parallel processing in FDTD method is proposed in this paper. The implementation depends mainly on computer architecture and programming libraries under different operating systems. In this paper a several performance tests of a one dimension FDTD code is tested in different platforms. The results shows that Parallel processing shows a linear decrease in time and larger data handling which makes it as a right platform for complex structures. Keywords:  FDTD, parallel processing, computer architecture, operating system, serial processing. Introduction Computational ability has advanced in the recent few decades. One of the most common methods to solve Maxwells equations on arbitrary configurations of materials and field sources is the Finite Differences on Time Domain (FDTD) [1]. There exist a number of techniques for enhancing the performance of the conventional FDTD, in order to obtain accuracy the conformal FDTD method which simulates the curved perfect electrical conductor (PEC) [2,3]. Sub-gridding technique is used to increase the mesh density in the local area in which the field varies quickly [5,6]. The Multi-Resolution Time-Domain (MRTD) and Pseudo-Spectrum Time-Domain (PSTD) techniques are used to reduce the dispersion of the conventional yee grid [7,8]. The above techniques mentioned are used to improve the conventional FDTD technique for the purpose of reducing either memory requirements or simulation time. The parallel-processing FDTD accelerates the FDTD simulation by distributing the job to multiple processors, so th at the available memory for large problems is virtually unlimited. At the same time, the simulation time is dramatically reduced compared to a single-processor implementation. On the computational point of view the parallel processing have an important advantage which makes the parallel executions strategies easier. Parallel processing in computers is based on dividing a computer code into a number of segments and distribution of the task among a number of computers/processors, which are then executed in parallel. This may be achieved on hardware-level, software level, or both. Hardware-level parallelization necessitates alternative processor designs. Software-level parallelization can be either on data level or function level, depending on the characteristics of the code [9]. In this paper one dimensional FDTD code is developed for parallel processing. The performance analysis of the code developed is compared with both serial and parallel. The code is simulated in different platforms and the results are obtained. The results shows the efficiency of the parallel processing in handling larger data and reduction of time compared to serial processing. FDTD METHOD The FDTD method is one of the well known approaches to solve Maxwell’s partial differential equations, because of its high versatility. FDTD algorithm is based on temporal and three-dimensional spatial discretization and it transforms the time-dependent Maxwell’s curl equations into a set of finite-difference relations [10, 11].Boundary conditions are needed on the edge of the simulation domain, among the several possible choices perfect matched layer (PML) boundary can be more accurate and the PML boundary is used in the developed code. One Dimension FDTD The one dimension FDTD starts with the formulation of the Maxwell’s equations, Where E and H are electric and magnetic field respectively. The one dimension equation for Ex and Hy are given, which denotes the Electric field with respect to x direction and magnetic field with respect to y direction. The update equations are given in (3) and (4). The FDTD update equations are used to develop the Matlab code and the code is excited with the Gaussian pulse and the results are obtained. PARALLEL FDTD According to the principle of FDTD algorithm, the electromagnetic field value at certain position can be decided by the value of last time step at this position and electromagnetic field value of this time step at nearby position. The electromagnetic field value has no direct relation to the values at position far from this point. So, the whole computational space can be divided into some sections that can be computed in some nodes of parallel computing system. The exchange of field values between nodes can be executed only at interface between sections. According to the basic concept, the computing between parallel nodes can be executed to simulate the serial computing in a single PC or workstation. This is the key point of our parallel FDTD algorithm. Fig.1 shows the methodology of serial and the parallel approach Figure 1. Serial and parallel approach PARALLEL PROCESSING TECHNIQUE The main idea of parallel processing starts with the updating the EM field components in each processor in the same instant. When the computation updates a field component on the border of the domain, some values belonging to the border of the adjacent domain are required to avoid communications during the computations each sub domain is surrounded by the border cells of the other domain. These border values are communicated after the updating phase. Thus the parallel processing is achieved. The first step of the FDTD modeling starts with the one dimensional method. A Gaussian pulse is generated in the centre of the problem space and the pulse propagates in the both the directions. The time step is taken to be 500 iteration steps and the total time required for the signal is 500fs. The time seconds are calculated by the time taken by the pulse to originate from the centre and to decay at the end. The Matlab code is developed for one dimensional FDTD for serial processing and the code is updated to parallel processing. The number of cells of the computation domain in varied by keeping the number of iterations constant and the time taken by the serial and the parallel processing is noted. The figure2 shows the comparison between the serial and parallel processing for different number of cells. From the figure 2 it is noted that the parallel processing code is able to process the large number of cells within the shorter period of time, thereby proving that the parallel processing can be used to process larger amount of data in shorter duration of time. Figure 2. Serial vs. parallel processing The parallel processing code developed has been simulated in various newer version Intel processors which is used to analyze the performance. The number of iterations are kept constant and the cell size is varied and the code is simulated in different Intel processors include i3, i5, i7 and Pentium processors. The results shows that the updated newer version i7 was able to process the data more quickly, so that the parallel processing can be used more efficiently in higher versions system which is easily available now a days. Figure 3 shows the Comparision with different versions of the processors. From the results it is observed that the i7 processor was able to process the code more efficiently than the others. Pentium processor which is one of the oldest among took larger time to process the code. Figure 3. Parallel processing on different versions of Intel processors The parallel code is simulated with different number of Matlab workers. Figure 4 shows the relation between the parallel code and the number of Matlab workers. In this code the number of iterations is kept constant and the time taken by the code to run with different number of cells is noted. The graph shows that parallel code works more efficiently when the number of workers is increased to be four. Figure 4. Performance with different number of Matlab workers The speed-ups increase with the problem size because of the better exploitation of CPU resources and parallel processing. Figure 5 shows the achieved speed-ups for with respect to the serial algorithm running on the CPU. Thus the parallel processing gives a better speed up for larger problems. Figure 5. Speed up comparison for serial and parallel processing From the figure 5 it is noted that the parallel processing gives a better speed up. With the previous results the number of iterations and the cell size is varied and the results are noted. For each cell size the iterations are changed and the values are noted. Figure 6 shows the speed up for different cell size at various iterations. From the figure it can be absorbed that larger the computation domain better the speed up thereby making the parallel processing very much suitable for larger computation domain. Figure 6. Iteration vs. Speedup CONCLUSION From the results it is observed that the disadvantage of the FDTD method can be overcome by using Parallel processing FDTD method. The performance analysis of this paper thereby shows that the parallel processing can be easily achieved efficiently by using modern CPU’s present today which can be used to do complex computations. REFERENCES [1]. Yee, K. S., Numerical solution of initial boundary value problems involving Maxwells equations in isotropic media, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, Vol. 14, No. 5, 302-307, May 1966. [2]. Time Domain Maxwell s Equations Solver: Software and User s Guide, Norwood, MA, Artech House, 2004. [3]. W. Yu and R. Mittra, A Conformal FDTD Software Package for Modeling of Antennas and Microstrip Circuit Components, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, 42, 5, October 2000, pp. 28-39. [4]. W. Yu and R. Mittra, A Conformal Finite Difference Time Domain Technique for Modeling Curved Dielectric Surfaces,  IEEE Microwave and Guided Wave Letters, January 2001, pp. 25-27. [5]. W. Yu and R. Mittra, A New Sub gridding Method for Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Algorithm, Microwave Opt. Techno. Lett. , 21, 5, June 1999, pp. 3 3 0-333. [6]. B. Wang, Y. Wang, W. Yu, and R. Mittra, A Hybrid 2-D FDTD Sub gridding Scheme for Modeling On-Chip Interconnects, IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging, 24, 4, November 200 1 , pp. 528-533. [7]. X. Zhu, T. Dogaru, and L. Carin, Three-Dimensional Biorthogonal Multiresolution Time-Domain Method and Its Application to Electromagnetic Scattering Problems, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, AP-51, 5, May 2003, pp. 1085- 1 092. [8]. Q. H. Liu, The PSTD Algorithm: A Time-Domain Method Requiring Only Two Cells Per Wavelength, Microwave Opt. Technol. Lett.,IS,1997, pp. 1 58- 1 65. [9] W. H. Yu, Y. J. Liu, T. Su, N.-T. Huang, and R. Mittra, †A robust parallel conformal finite-difference time-domain processing package using the MPI library,† IEEE Antennas Propagat. Mag., vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 39-59, 2005. [10] Almasi, G.S, and Gohlied, A, â€Å"Highly Parallel Computing†. Benjamin Cummings Publishing, 2a ed., 1994. [11]. Taflove A, Brodwin ME. Numerical solution of steady-state electromagnetic scattering problems using the time-dependent Maxwell’s equations. IEEE Trans Microwave Theory Tech. 1975,MTT-23(8):623–30. [12]. W. Yu, X. Yang, Y. Liu, and R. Mittra â€Å"Parallel FDTD Performance Analysis on Different Hardware Platforms â€Å",IEEE Int. Symp. Antennas and Propagation Meeting

We Must Build a Culture of Peace Essay -- Graduate College Admissions

We Must Build a Culture of Peace      Ã‚   " Think global, act local" is an appealing slogan, but the advice falls short. We live in a world where our best friends live on different continents and we converse more with our neighbor in Nigeria than our neighbor next door. No longer is it logical to say, "Charity begins at home." Instead, our work for human dignity and human rights must be carried on everywhere at once. To create a global culture of peace, youth of the new millennium must think and act both "global" and "local" contemporaneously.    Youth with a burning inner desire to see a global culture of peace must seek opportunities and relationships in which to demonstrate peace. Over 50 years ago, a child fugitive knew this and proclaimed, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world" (Frank). As a young teen, Anne Frank innately knew that the premise for building a global culture of peace is for each of us to reach out and touch the lives of as many people as possible in an attitude of love and tolerance. To accomplish this goal, young people must work concurrently in 3 spheres: local, national, and global.       Locally, we can create our own community-based peace clubs and/or we can join established clubs within schools which promote peace, peer mediation, and conflict resolution. In these clubs youth can learn about peace and then go a step further to educate others by organizing peace walks, writing letters, distributing petitions, planting peace gardens, writing poetry and essays about peace to present in coffee houses, sponsoring peace essay and art contests, writing peace plays to present to the public, and/or publishing our own newspapers.   ... ...me sow love" (Halamandaris). We must let our peace flow outward to influence other youth and adults to join us in our cause. For it is only when we agree to settle our disputes and attain "liberty and justice for all" with words and not wars, gentleness and not genocide, harmony and not hatred will we achieve the ultimate goal - a global culture of peace.    Bibliography Dumas, Alexandre. The Three Musketeers. Bergenfield, New Jersey: Penguin USA, 1982. Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition. Otto H. Frank, Editor. New York: Doubleday, 1995. Halamandaris, The Brothers, editors. Caring Quotes: A Compendium of Caring Thought. Washington, DC: Caring Publishing, 1994. "World Population Trends." United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). May 28, 2000. Available http://www.un.org

Importance of Organisational Design

THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN AND ITS IMPACT ON ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The impact of globalization and new technologies on business environment has made it vital for organisations to constantly reassess their structure. French et al (2008), stresses that an organisation should be able to design its tasks and delegate some duties so that it can achieve its mission and vision. It is necessary to explore the importance of organisational design and how it can help in understanding the behaviour of informal and formal groups.Organisational design refers to the roles and formal reporting relationships that exist within an organisation. According to French et al (2008), it is selecting and implementing a structure for an organisation. The structure of an organisation is the assigned interrelationships and networks that exist among organizational resources (Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, 2005). Organisational structure can be flat or hierarchical, bureaucratic, organic or hybrid. There are arguments that organisations are now less hierarchical in structure (Molinsky et al, 2012).In contrast, there are several who claim that the modern organisational structures are still very controlling with top-down power (Diefenbach and Sillince, 2011). The purpose of the organisational design is to prepare a layout for which the objectives of the organisation are achieved as it is to align with the organisation’s core competencies. Organisational design has to flexible and must be in alignment with the organisation’s strategy (Goold and Campbell, 2002). When the organisational strategy changes, components of organisation design such as structures roles and functions should be realigned to cater for this change (Corkindale, 2011).If there is a misalignment of organisation design with the organisation’s strategy, the result will be frustrating as employee performance will not drive organisational goals. Every organisation has both formal and informal s tructures. The formal structure represents the different types of design (i. e. hierarchical, matrix, flat etc. ) where the positions are clearly distinguished while the informal structure is built on individual associations and social processes (Mullins, 2011). This informal order cuts across the formal structure and is needed to keep the formal structure in order.An organisational structure that emphasises the formal structure over the informal structure will lead to bureaucratic and rigid organisation. Also, organisation design dictates the communication and decision loop within an organisation. Huber and McDaniel (1986) argue that organisations design should be carried with the objective of facilitating organisational decisions. Poor organisation design might lead to top management totally detached from the base operation of the business, missing out crucial details on every day realities of the business.A good organisation design should provide us with an insight into the organ isational strategy, its communication and decision making loop and if it takes advantage of its formal and informal structures. Where the organisation design cannot provide these insights, it is most likely ineffective. Therefore Managers should always therefore strive to get feedback from the employees about the organisation structure and if it affects the ways they relate with one another and if it helps to fulfil their achievement needs (French et al, 2008).

Islamic Fundamentalism Essay

20 March 2007 Introduction On September 11, 2001, the United States of America experienced the worst act of terrorism ever perpetrated on American soil, as major targets in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania were the scenes of the massive slaughter of innocent civilians. From the moment that the first act commenced, the rumor mill flew into overdrive, conveniently blaming the terrorism on â€Å"militant Islamic† people, and implying that this movement had suddenly sprung up out of obscurity to strike at the heart of America like a thief in the night. The reality is much more complex, for fundamentalist Islam has a much longer history, and the threat it continues to pose to Western Democracy, even today, had been growing and mutating for generations prior to 9/11. In this paper, the very definition of fundamentalism at its beginning will be presented, as well as the perversion of it that has led to the challenges and threats the West now has come to bear. Roots of Fundamentalism. To begin, one needs to understand two very different and specific terms: followers of Islam and Islamic Fundamentalists, as the two groups are vastly different, yet both claim legitimacy under the same doctrine. In its purest form, Islam is based upon the ancient teachings of the prophet Muhammad, who was said to have been given the Quran, or holy book of Islam, by God himself, with Muhammad as the messenger and deliverer of the Quran and its teachings to the masses (Davidson). If one were to follow the teachings of Islam in a more traditional sense, as Muhammad is said to have received the word from God, they would be peaceful, obedient servants of God, and Muhammad, thereby enriching their lives, raising solid families and leaving the world a better place than what is was when they were born into it. Eventually, however, political turmoil distorted this message and gave rise to a strain of Islam that is known as Fundamentalism or Extremism, depending upon the source of the material. This interpretation of Islam and the Quran takes the inflexible view that those who do not believe in Islam, and follow the Quran, are characterized as â€Å"Infidels†, and the price of their infidelity to Islam is death. Of course, the Christian ideals of the West make America a convenient target of this sort of massive hatred, but this hatred has also been fueled over the years by America’s defense of other enemies of the fundamentalists/extremists such as the people of Turkey and Israel (Mustikhan). Eventually, the rage of these Islamics would erupt against the US on a large scale, beginning in the 1970s. The Islamic Terrorist is Born It is generally agreed that those who are today termed â€Å"Islamic Terrorists† were first given that moniker by the West in 1979, when the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran was seized by terrorists, taking hundreds of American diplomats and their support staffs hostage in a siege that ultimately lasted 444 days, and brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran. The group of Iranians and assorted others who were in essence the foot soldiers who undertook the plot, led by the extremist leader Ayatollah Khomeini, came to be called Islamic Terrorists (Hoveyda). From there, the stereotype of what a terrorist is, and their potential to wreak havoc on innocent people, began to grow in the minds of the world community. Threats to Western Democracy Due to the widespread presence of Islamic Extremists/Militants, the threat to Western Democracy has become very real, and of course has manifested itself in such tragedies as the Iran Hostage Crisis and 9/11. Given the humble beginnings and admirable teachings that are found in the Quran, and were exhibited by Muhammad and carried down by his disciples, it is a wonderment as to exactly how/why Islam eventually spawned a militant faction which goes against the foundations of the faith itself. In a word, the violent offshoot is the byproduct of fanaticism. Fanatics are those members of the Islamic community who have taken the position that any government, or religion (in their mind, they should be one in the same) that does not practice the teachings of the Quran are the equivalent of parasites that must be eradicated for the good of the human race. The defense of this attitude, and the resultant violence which comes out of the attitude, is due to misinterpretation of the Quran, hence making these individuals worthy of the extremist label. Because the Islamic Extremists have convinced themselves that they are doing the will of God, as laid out in their creative interpretation of the Quran, there quite literally is nothing stopping them from continuing to launch attacks against the Western Democracies, as well as other â€Å"infidels† who hold views and practice lifestyles which are contrary to theirs. One particularly chilling reality of the threat against Western Democracy is the fact that Islamic Extremists, while found in large numbers in some nations more commonly than others, really do not have a nation with borders, do not fly an identifiable flag, or wear a uniform that indicates that they are Islamic Extremists, despite what the leadership of the United States may choose to claim in the present day. Rather, the Extremists have the ability to move freely about the globe and do not have a set territory where organized armies can pursue and battle them. This sort of an invisible threat, not centered in a geographic location but highly organized and well financed as well as armed to the hilt, holds the potential to destroy their enemies, such as the Western Democracies, which are somewhat restrained by physical borders and the need to engage in conventional warfare. Because of this, the paradox is clear- how can an enemy be fought if it cannot be readily seen or tracked? Also, the inability to negotiate with Islamic Extremists closes another avenue of resolving differences and stopping the bloodshed. Conclusion- What is the Future Threat? This paper has shown that Fundamental Islam has the means, mindset, and determination to bring Western Democracy to its knees, as well as the point of annihilation. What this will mean for the future is anyone’s guess but one thing is for sure- without some sort of decisive action against Islamic Fundamentalists, many more innocent lives may be lost, and hard lessons may be learned too late and at too high of a price. Works Cited Davidson, Lawrence. Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hoveyda, Fereydoun. The Broken Crescent: The â€Å"Threat† of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998. Marin-Guzman, Roberto. â€Å"Fanaticism: A Major Obstacle in the Muslim Christian Dialogue. the Case of Twentieth Century Islamic Fundamentalism. † Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) 25. 3 (2003): 63+. Mustikhan, Ahmar. â€Å"The Roots of Islamic Extremism. † World and I July 1999: 74.