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Gay Marriage and the Constitution Essay - 1609 Words

Gay Marriage and the Constitution Amberlee Ozment Axia College of University of Phoenix Gay Marriage and the Constitution Is it okay to not believe in gay marriage, yet at the same time support the constitutional rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for homosexual couples? Even though most churches beliefs conflict with marrying same-sex partners, government should not deny a persons right to their happiness; because any person, no matter race, color, sex, religion or sexual orientation, should be allowed to exercise their constitutional rights as Americans to pursue their happiness; and married gay couples should be able to have a spectrum of rights and benefits if their gay partnership is legalized. Equal†¦show more content†¦How long must gays fight for equal rights that they were given at birth as a legal citizen of America? If gay marriage is legalized, this would mean a restructuring for employers. Benefits and Rights If gay marriage is legalized, employers would therefore be affected. Affected in the way that benefits available to married heterosexuals will then be the same for married gay couples. In the event of legalizing gay marriage, same-sex married couples will be given a range of benefits that include employee benefits, inheritance and real estate rights, child custody, emergency health care procedures and tax laws. (Kuiow, Spring 2001) There are some employers that currently give domestic partners benefits, at their discretion. However, because there is not a final document of proof that a gay couple is indeed domestic partners, it makes it difficult for employers and others to determine what constitutes as a gay partnership. How does one go about in proving that they do in fact have a spousal equivalent in a same-sex relationship, rather than just a roommate? Granting gays the right to marriage or the equivalent of being married without the Church being involved would open up nume rous solutions and put the gray areas of gay relationships to rest. Resolution As the numbers of gay couples have risen exuberantly in the last two decades, they no doubtShow MoreRelatedGay Marriage Is The Us Constitution2585 Words   |  11 Pagestogether by love and happiness shouldn’t be together till death do they part? David Boies wrote, â€Å"Gay marriage is protected be the US Constitution† and said â€Å"gay marriage is not a liberal or conservative issue, but an issue of enforcing the US Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection and due process to all Americans. Just like skin color, sexual orientation is an immutable characteristic, so the gay minority must be protected from discrimination just as racial minorities are protected†. This quoteRead MoreWhy The Constitution Should Be Legal956 Words   |  4 PagesThe debate on whether the constitution should be changed to allow gays/lesbians legal status, whereby the partners are protected while in the institution of marriage is a heated debated which has been ongoi ng in many years. There are those states whereby the rights of gays/lesbians to have legal marriages have been recognized, but in most of the states their right to legal marriage have not been recognized. This essay looks at the reasons why the American constitution should be amended to ensureRead MoreGay And Same Sex Marriage963 Words   |  4 PagesThe topic of gay (or same-sex) marriage has been a controversial topic throughout the nation for many years. Like most issues, different people have opposite views on the idea of the subject. Some states governments support the idea while others are totally against it. Also, within each individual state there are people that have their own opinion of the issue. Both supporters and opponents within the states have tried to pass different amendments to established laws, in which reflect their viewsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Same Sex Marriage915 Words   |  4 PagesMarriage; just another trendy movement that has sparked a shift in pol itical debates or a constitutional tradition that has symbolized the unity of a man and a woman? It has been questioned whether or not this is a constitutional matter that has recently began to revamp due to the incline of divorce rates and the authorization of same sex marriages. Many decades ago, marriage was followed under uncompromising circumstances, many of which were the direct influence of religion. As the decades passedRead MoreEssay about Same Sex Marriage993 Words   |  4 Pagesguaranteed in the Constitution? What if you were treated as a second-class citizen because of what you believe to be fair? That is the case that all homosexuals in the United States are facing. Many Americans feel that Gays should not and cannot be granted the same rights that they have for morality reasons. Homosexuals are not only discriminated and treated badly but they are also denied the rights that should lawfully be theirs. Many Americans see no reason why Gays should be grantedRead MoreGay Marriage1280 Words   |  6 Pagesburrows, but flamboyantly celebrate their identities. The gays are now a people willing and ready to be heard. It has come to all of our attentions that in the light of marriage they have been depraved and deceived. Homosexuals cannot allow this persecution to continue, as they are constantly forfeited equal rights. The arguments are of lifestyle differences and the legalized discrimination of these people. It encompasses same-sex marriage as a cause worth fighting and defending so that we all mayRead MoreEssay about The Case for Gay Marriage1673 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical debate over the decisive issue of gay marriage forces us to rethink our commitment to those deliberate words. Throughout our history, America’s homosexual population has struggled against society to prove that they have the right to marry anyone they love, regardless of sex. Until only recently, in fact, the vast majority of Americans have held steadfast views against the legalization of gay marriage. But in the most recent decade, gay marriage activists have made significant progressRead MorePolitical Party Issues742 Words   |  3 Pagesquestion of gay marriage and whether or not the federal government should weigh in on what has thus far been a states rights issue. Both on the state and national levels, the perspective of the people in the various political jurisdictions will determine the way in which they vote. If a party agrees with the populations view on an issue, the people will be more likely to vote with that party. The two major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, have officially been against gay marriage although aRead MoreThe Problem With The United States Constitution1209 Words   |  5 PagesAllana Diego Mrs. Morris CLN4U 9 January 2015 The Problem with the United States’ Constitution According to the United Nations, human rights are defined as â€Å"rights inherent to all human beings, whatever their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Humans all equally entitled to human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.† The fight to protect human rights hasRead MoreLegalization of Same-Sex Marriage1033 Words   |  4 PagesGay Marriage Gay marriage has become more and more important to more and more people in the recent past. Many people want gay people to be allowed to get married. They say that marriage is a right, not a privilege. People who oppose gay marriage say that marriage is defined as a union of one man and one woman. Many people, who otherwise are very supportive of a homosexual’s rights, say that they shouldn’t be allowed to marry simply because two people of the same sex can’t get married. According

kant vs mill Essay Summary Example For Students

kant vs mill Essay Summary J.Brady GrygrowskiPhil 2054-25-99Paper 3The task that stands before me in this paper is to address two situations and determine the ethical parameters in which a person should act. The two philosophical approaches that I will examine the situations with the Kantian and Utilitarian point of view. Kant deciphers his ethical questions by examining a persons motivation for performing an act regardless of the consequences. A person who utilizes the Kantian view believes that the only pure good is pure human reason without consequences. This pure human reason works without the influence of human emotions and desires. A truly good act as defined by Kant is performed because of an obligation to the categorical imperative. The objectives and personal agendas of the individual performing the act must kept separate and distinct. Utilitarism makes ethical decisions based on the consequences of the action taken. Unlike the Kantian view the motives are not important just the consequences. The action is measured by how much happiness or sadness the action creates. The ideal ethical decision is the one that creates the most happiness and the least amount of sadness. It nearly impossible to have different degrees of freedom since a person would have to experience all the various degrees of freedom to determine what degree of happiness is better than the other. Upon examining the thief who stole from the millionaire Kant would examine the motives of the thief. The thief is stealing for himself regardless of his situation. Even if his family is poor and struggling. The thief is still furthering himself. The reasons for the thief stealing from the wealthy man doesnt matter. Stealing is against the universal law that it is wrong to steal from another person. This applies to everyday life and decision-making occurrences, needs and wants are thrown out the window. Any form of stealing is wrong according to Kant.This is a strong argument because it stands firm in that it is wrong to steal. We are in a society that has laws and regulations against stealing this keeps order in society. The Kantian view does not waver despite the possible physical and emotional needs of the thief. Kant doesnt make exceptions for the poor and unfortunate. A person using the Utilitarian ethic code would look at the situation then examine the consequences of the action taken. The millionaire doesnt have a clue that the money is gone. There are plenty of indicators that the man is stealing quality of life and material possessions are two for example. As a result of this stealing the man has brought happiness to himself, his family, and to the community around him because they dont have to support them. The heavy burdens of poverty and despair have been vanquished. The burdens of oppression are availed and the family can rise in class and social status among their peers. The only downside is the fear of being exposed. If the thief was found out he could lose his freedom, possessions, and respect of his peers after the discovery of his treachery. But if the thief remained undiscovered he has made everybody happier. By being a sufficient, integral member of society he is making everybody happier. This analysis is favoring the thief, stealing is not looked upon as a bad deed. People get jailed, executed, or have body parts removed for theft but in the utilitarian view he gets away with it as long as he is not found out. The negative part of this analysis is that one has to steal from another human being to be happy and successful. Is there a situation where stealing is justified? The next situation deals with a daughter who lies to her dying father that she will not marry anyone that has a different religious affiliation. The Kantian view would first examine the motives of the daughter for lying to her dying father. By lying to her father the girl is trying to ease the suffering her father is going through by denying his final wish. She is reassuring him in his final hours on earth. By lying to her dad she is giving him happiness and trying to relieve herself of the guilt associated with her

McDonaldization, Religion, and Politics Essay Example

McDonaldization, Religion, and Politics Essay Today, they have more workers doing one single Job over and over again. Their actions have become rationalized, governed by scientific planning and focuses on the ends rather than the means, to the point where workers appear euthanized, a loss of human qualities or behaviors. Nationalization focuses on a few main ideas. The first idea of Nationalization is efficiency, the quickest and best way to a preferred end. A company will try to design methods and machinery for their product to be produced and in the hands of the consumer in as least amount of time as possible. The second dead is calculability, focusing on the amount of product produced with as little material used to make them. By having pre-frozen hamburger patties, a restaurant doesnt have to worry about using too much or too little ground In each of their burgers, thus saving them both time and money. The third idea is predictability; guarantee that a product will be the same each time, and in different locations. Predictability allows the consumer to know exactly what to expect where ever they choose to purchase a product. This makes consumers feel more comfortable with the product and are willing to purchase it again. The next idea Is a system of control, customers, workers, and outcomes are manipulated subtly for a desired outcome. Trash cans with the words thank you are places In some restaurants that want the consumers to throw away their own trash. This saves the restaurant money by not hiring a worker to clean up after each customer. The last idea is irrationality of rationalities; the rational system denies human reasoning. We will write a custom essay sample on McDonaldization, Religion, and Politics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on McDonaldization, Religion, and Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on McDonaldization, Religion, and Politics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The rational system tries to hide social problems such as demutualization and health and environmental hazards. What this system does succeed In Is disenchantment, science replaces gaga In social life, leaving a since of ensnarement. One area of life that Is being most affected in the past few years is religion, beliefs and practices that identifies a sacred world past the present physical world. In many ways, modern religion is becoming Nationalized. Rationalization has occurred in that religious actions are more planned out. They are more predictable and people are becoming more complacent: get dressed, go to church, sit, stand and sing, sit, listen to the pastor, sing, give offerings, pray, and leave church ready to return next week for the same enamellings rituals. In todays collects, many censures nave Decode more worrier about the numbers and calculations of people that walk through the doors each Sunday rather than the actual religious experience for each individual. Many people view religion as an efficient way to feel better about themselves and an easy way to reach their desired ends, in some cases a life after death. According to the conflict model, religion serves the interests of more powerful individuals, rather than functional services to society. Theorists say that is keeps lower class people satisfied with their current situations, and they dont try to better homeless. They use religion as a reason to Justify their social standard of living. In this way it also keeps the social class system the same and in check. One negative thing about religion is how enemies can be created, and evidence of this can be seen through history to present day. The Crusades was an attempt to reclaim the Holy land from the Muslim people, and the basis of todays modern terrorism is rooted in religious aspects. The interpretive model talks about societal and individual religious beliefs. It tells us how faith is interpreted by many people and in many different ways. There are any different interpretations of the Holy Bible for example. The Bible says the same thing, but many styles of churches have branched off from this one book. People pick and choose what they want to believe in and what suits their individual lives and actions. They use their preferred religion to legitimate themselves. I have actually learned many things pertaining to my own religious beliefs. Vive seen how social solidarity, religion holding communities together, has impacted my up bringing in my established religious community. That the identity function, helps maintain and preserve peoples identity ,has show true in that my religion has reduced the man that I am today. The social control function, religion controls how individuals act morally, has shown me that though my morals are religiously based, some are also enforced by my social community as well. The democratic function, religion can check political leaders, tells me that religion helps me choose who to vote into power. The meaning function, gives people answers has given a purpose to life for me, and I choose to be a better person because I know that everything I do here on earth will hopefully be meaningful for my life after death. Even though religion has become more Nationalized, it is not too late to challenge his system and give religion back its true power and meaning. What it comes down too is personal choice. Dont go to churches that worry about the number of members, but a personal relationship with God. A good way to do that is not to limit or set a time for a religious gathering. If there are many candidates running for political office, dont vote for them Just because they have the same faith as you, but who they are as a leader and individual. Questioning people who are currently in power is the best way to see if they deserve their position. Most of all dont use religion as an excuse not to better your own social standards.

The Life of Powhatan Indian Pocahontas

The Life of Powhatan Indian Pocahontas Birth: c.1594, Virginia Region Death: March 21, 1617, Gravesend, England Names: Pocahontas was a nickname meaning playful or naughty one. Here real name was MatoakaAfter her conversion to Christianity and baptism, Pocahontas was given the name Rebecca and became Lady Rebecca when she married John Rolfe. Pocohontas and John Smith: When Pocahontas was approximately 13 years old in 1607, she met John Smith of Jamestown, Virginia. They met in her fathers village which was called Werowocomoco on the north shore of what is now the York River. A tale often associated with Smith and Pocahontas is that she saved him from death by appealing to her father. However, this cannot be proven. In fact, the incident was not recorded until Pocahontas was traveling in London many years later. However, she did help the starving inhabitants of Jamestown during the winter of 1607-1608. First Marriage: Pocahontas was married between 1609 and 1612 to a Powhatan named Kocoum. It is believed that she might have had a baby girl who later died from this marriage. However, little more is known about this relationship. The Capture of Pocahontas: In 1612, the Powhatan Indians and the English settlers were becoming more hostile with each other. Eight Englishmen had been captured. In retaliation, Captain Samuel Argall captured Pocahontas. It was during this time that Pocahontas met and married John Rolfe who is credited with planting and selling the first tobacco crop in America. Lady Rebecca Rolfe: It is not known whether Pocahontas actually fell in love with Rolfe before they married. Some conjecture that their marriage was one condition of her release from captivity. Pocahontas converted to Christianity and was baptized Rebecca. She then married Rolfe on April 5, 1614. Powhatan gave his consent and presented Rolfe with a large piece of land. This marriage brought peace between the Powhatans and English until Chief Powhatans death in 1618. Thomas Rolfe Born: Pocahontas gave birth to Thomas Rolfe on January 30, 1615. Soon after, she along with her family and her sister Matchanna and her husband traveled to London. She was well received by the English. While in England she met back up with John Smith. Illness and Death: Rolfe and Pocahontas had decided to return to America in March 1616. However, Pocahontas got sick and soon thereafter died on March 21, 1616. She was only 22 years old. There is not real evidence to the cause of her death. She died in Gravesend, England, but the site of her death was destroyed years later when the church where she was buried was being rebuilt. Her son, Thomas, remained in England even though John Rolfe did return to America after her death. Many claim to be descendants of Pocahontas through Thomas including Nancy Reagan, Edith Wilson, and Thomas Jefferson Randolph, grandson to Thomas Jefferson. References: Ciment, James. Colonial America. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2006.

Goodness thoughts of Aristotle, Martin Buber & Emmanuel Kant essays

Goodness thoughts of Aristotle, Martin Buber & Emmanuel Kant essays The Topic of goodness has been written on by thousands of different writers and philosophers. Three of them are Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Martin Buber. Each of them wrote different essays on their thoughts of goodness. Some people think pleasure is good; others think that pleasure is bad. Aristotle was a man who sought pleasure and believed that pleasure is desirable. Can any person truthfully say that they do not desire pleasure in some form or appearance? No, every person desires, if not strives for, some sort of pleasure in their live. Even though Aristotle sought pleasure, he knew there are pleasures of different kinds so he avoided the bad pleasures, those that are immoral in their origin. Instead, Aristotle sought the good pleasures, those that were noble in their origin. Aristotle then asked if everyone desires pleasure then why do people not feel pleasure continuously. Aristotle answers this in a simple yet complete way; he says that human beings grow weary of pleasure and that the pleasure is derived from activities, so when the activity stops so does the pleasure. Both kinds of pleasure, those that are noble and those that are immoral, perfect the activities they accompany. If you take p leasure in an activity then you will do that activity better and better until it is perfected. But pleasure is neither the ultimate answer, nor the ultimate goal for Aristotle. The goal and end for Aristotle is happiness or the perfect state. Because pleasure perfects activities and activities make up life, through pleasure a person can reach the perfect state and happiness. Aristotle makes a point of stating that happiness is made up of virtuous activity, hence only good pleasures can lead to true happiness. The best and most virtuous activity according to Aristotle is a persons reason. Reason must be encompassed into as many of our activities as possible as it is the most virtuous an...

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example The important part of the business strategy is to ensure that the resources and the competencies are evaluated and much more understood. The process is known as strategic audit of a business strategy (Government Commerce Office Great Britain, 2004) An example of strategy is like a situation where a business decides to start operating beyond the borders of its home country. Literature Review Phases of Strategy Execution Before embarking on the study, it is important to know what a business strategy entails and the steps of forming and implementing a business strategy. The prime steps in executing a strategy include, the formation and analysis, development, implementation and review of strategy as per the international marketing strategy book by Doole and Lowe say in their book. Basically, formation and analysis of strategy is the introduction of international operations of business in an international environment of trading. Considerations have to be considered with regards to cultura l and social environments of international marketing. Development of strategy focuses on the fact whether a business is medium or small sized. The world strategies of a business are considered and the entry to a given market alike. There is also the part of the international commodity management. While implementing a business strategy, there are functions involved with the likes of international way of contacting other businesses and basically the communication part of it. There is also the management of the international logistics and distribution. The prices are also set that suit the international market. Enabling technologies are put in place as well. Reviewing of a strategy as the last step is the reviewing of the implemented strategy to asses its performance. This involves evaluating performance and initiating adjustments meant for correcting long term direction, condition changes, new ideas and emerging opportunities. It aims at deciding on the continuity of the companyâ€⠄¢s vision, the objectives or the implementation methods of the strategy. (Doole and Lowe, 2008) This study is for the purpose of expounding on the issue of strategy and in terms of a specific case of Starbucks Company and it is going to consider the company in all fronts of a business strategy. That is, in terms of the four major steps of coming up with a business strategy; forming, developing, implementing, and reviewing of a strategy for an organization. One of the business strategies Starbucks has had in the recent past is the internationalization strategy. This strategy was done in the four steps aforementioned. These are going to be explained in the following write-out. Basically, Starbucks Company buys whole bean coffees and roasts them. It also makes offers of fine pastries, premium Tazo teas and other delicacies. It provides an entertainment environment as well for the visitors of their shops. (starbucks, 2011) Starbucks is a renown brands of those brands of coffee sold glo bally. It is now established in around 43 nations with about 15,000 franchises of coffee shops around the globe. This company was first set up in year 1971 as a small coffee retailer specialty and it was in Seattle. (Daft, Murphy and Willmott, 2010 p49) Starbucks has since 1971 had a change of direction by entering new markets such as Japan, Hawaii, Singapore, and since year

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE Assignment

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE PURCHASING ACTIVITIES CAN BE DONE TO MAXMIZE COMPANY'S PROFITABLITY - Assignment Example In the manufacturing sector, it is generally accepted that the value of inputs materials forms a high percentage of the ultimate product price – to the extent of as much as 60% and even more in highly competitive industries. In companies that execute major construction projects in the different engineering fields like civil, metallurgical/other process plants, power plants etc. the value of inputs will be equally high. In this background, the importance of economizing and strategizing procurement can not be over-emphasized. This essay examines the various aspects of procurement, developments in this professional activity and the scope for maximizing profits. In a regular manufacturing company, depending upon sales forecast, production plans and budgets are drawn up and these help the Procurement to anticipate and plan the routine as well as non-recurring purchases. Purchasing activities can be broadly identified as tendering, bid evaluation, negotiations, vendor selection, ordering and follow up. Make or buy decisions are taken at strategic management meetings and once a decision is taken to procure an item from vendors, Procurement receives the requests for purchase along with quantities and specifications. Tendering for non-standard purchases is more time consuming and involves calling for quotations based on buyer’s specifications and terms like quantities, delivery schedule, supply conditions, payment terms, guarantees and warranties etc. Quotations are evaluated for technical and commercial comparison and to identify the preliminary list of suppliers for further discussions. Negotiations cover the technical specifications as well as other terms that differ from tender documents and to arrive at mutually acceptable terms of supply. Based on the success of such negotiations, one or more suppliers are selected and the purchase orders for going ahead with the supplies are issued. Regular follow up is part of the

Love and Its Tribulations Essay Example for Free

Love and Its Tribulations Essay Love is one of the most sought after things in the world. Love cannot be bought, it can only be found by the lucky few and those who are able to uncover it never want to let it go. In Jane Eyre, our heroine meets Mr. Rochester, who is a possible love interest, when she takes up position as a governess at his estate. There are many things that could hinder their quest for love, like the presence of doubt and suspicion. Other factors that could deter a healthy relationship are their different levels of experience, and their dissimilar personalities. The reason why some relationships do not last long is because of jealousy and distrust. In this case Janes rival is Blanche Ingram. It is true that Jane is not envious of Blanches mind, but she resents Blanches ability to gain the complete attention of Mr. Rochester. It is already evident what Janes reaction will be when other, more desirable women, are in Rochesters presence. Neither of them has publicized their feelings for each other yet they cannot bear the sight of the other with somebody else. Rochester emits his jealousy as well, when Jane receives news of Mrs. Reeds illness. He does not agree with her decision to leave Thornfield, because he is afraid that she may not return. He is resentful of Janes relatives for the reason that he knows that his bond with her could not compare to her family ties. He cannot compete with that kind of familial connection. He only has money to give, and money cannot buy the time Jane spent with her relatives, no matter how badly she was treated . A factor that could complicate a new romance developing is Janes lack of experience with men and Rochesters willingness to take advantage of it. The men she has come across thus far have treated her with cruelty and disdain. For example her cousin John Reed bullied and tortured her from morning until night when she was only a little girl. Jane was never presented with much affection or care by her benefactress, Mrs. Reed. So when she meets Mr. Rochester, she finds herself confused as to what her feelings are towards him. She has never experienced romantic love before, so she does not know if what she is feeling is love or just fondness. And if she does sort out her feelings she would not know how to communicate her emotions to Mr. Rochester. As well, Mr. Rochester is a manipulative man; he enjoys having  power over those around him. This is shown where he misleads Jane into believing that he will marry Blanche Ingram, when his true intent was to marry her. As if he didnt have enough power over her already, being her employer, provider of her home, and her only source of income. His demanding nature and her poor judgement could be detrimental to the progress of forming a serious relationship. Jane is a stubborn being, and this character trait could lead to discrepancies in her associations with Mr. Rochester. Jane is very much aware of her position at Thornfield manor as the governess. She is completely dependent on Mr. Rochester and she does not like it. This is demonstrated when Jane must leave Thornfield to visit her Aunt, and needs money to fund her journey. Mr. Rochester willingly overpays Jane, but her obstinate nature refuses to take more than she earned. Perhaps the reason for Janes cautious-like behaviour can be accounted for by her dismal childhood, which hardened her. She became accustomed to working for everything she received. Mr. Rochesters abundant wealth and generosity, does not help the situation either. For instance if Mr. Rochester offered Jane gifts, she would not accept them and could even feel insulted by the gesture. Also Mr. Rochester would be offended by her decline, therefore both parties would walk away feeling disheveled by each others actions. Their contrasting qualities could inhibit their ability to obtain a functional relationship. These problems will continue to play a role in the downfall of their relationship. Mr. Rochester and Jane have many barriers in their way such as trust issues, differences in experience, and their distinctive personalities. These problems will continue damaging their relationships, unless Jane is able to gain independence from Rochester and they are both willing to compromise for the sake of the other.

Destructive Stem Cell Research Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topic

Destructive Stem Cell Research       Nine states now ban all destructive embryo research, whether publicly or privately funded. The state of Virginia itself has banned the use of cloning to make human embryos for research, and is considering a response to the Jones Institute's project for making research embryos by in vitro fertilization.(36) And the Food and Drug Administration, without funding any part of in vitro fertilization, recently wrote to in vitro fertilization clinics engaged in new reproductive techniques to remind them that such technologies, albeit privately funded, are subject to federal regulation.    Like the argument that human embryos are not members of the human race, arguments that destroying them is necessary for medical progress or that funding such destruction is needed to prevent broader abuse cannot be sustained. With these arguments out of the way we can return to the real issue at stake: Should the federal government subsidize - and force millions of morally opposed taxpayers to subsidize - research that requires the destruction of innocent human life? We hope that Congress will answer that question in the negative, and will unite instead to support promising medical research that everybody can live with.    Most Christians have grave concerns on this critically important issue of embryonic stem cell research. In our view, conducting research that relies on deliberate destruction of human embryos for their stem cells is illegal, immoral and unnecessary.    It is illegal because it violates an appropriations rider (the Dickey amendment) passed every year since 1995 by Congress. That provision forbids funding "research in which" human embryos (whether initially created for resear... ...eficiency (SCID)-X1 Disease," 288 Science 669-72 (28 April 2000).    16. K. Foss, "Paraplegic regains movement after cell procedure," The Globe and Mail (Toronto), June 15, 2001 at A1.    17. E. Ryan et al., "Glycemic Outcome Post Islet Transplantation," Abstract #33-LB, Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, June 24, 2001. See: http://38.204.37.95/am01/AnnualMeeting/Abstracts/NumberResults.asp?idAbs=33-LB.    18. M. McCullough, "Islet transplants offer hope that diabetes can be cured," Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 2001 at A1.    19. D. Woodbury et al., "Adult Rat and Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Differentiate Into Neurons," 61 J. of Neuroscience Research 364-70 (2000) at 364 (emphasis added).    20. D. Prockop, "Stem Cell Research Has Only Just Begun" (Letter), 293 Science 211-2 (13 July 2001)(citations omitted).

Art & History Essay

Confucianism and Daoism were the dominant moral, religious and political doctrines in China for many centuries. As in the case with Catholicism and Orthodox Church, which significantly influenced the development of arts, Confucianism and Daoism formed many of Chinese artistic currents. Confucianism and Daoism influenced Chinese art in various ways. First of all, their impact on visual arts refers to the usage of moral and philosophical themes in Chinese paintings. The Confucian moral themes, which were often included into such paintings, include the relations between members of family (respect for wife and parents etc. ), obedience to authorities. This is particularly true of the paintings by Gu Kaizhi, such as Admonitions of the Instructress to the Palace Ladies and Wise and Benevolent Women, which portray different social situations and proper ways of social behavior. The latter is a primary trait of Confucian moral philosophy. Taoist moral and philosophical insights are evident in the paintings of Huang Gongwang, who was a Taoist priest. For instance, his painting named Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains created in 1350 uses traditional Taoist art form of landscape painting, which best transmits the spiritual character of Taoism and its preoccupation with harmony of people and nature. Using black ink, Huang Gongwang tried to portray the presence of Tao spirit in everything and its power represented in mountains. Moreover, it should be noted that Huang Gongwang, following Taoist and partially Confucian tradition, does not limit himself to painting of bare mountains, but portrays ‘dwelling’ as the symbolic Taoist practice of cognition and ethical behavior (Cooper and Cooper 87-90). Confucianism had strong influence not only on Chinese fine arts, but architecture as well. For instance, famous Forbidden City is a perfect realization of Confucian principles of hierarchy in society and family. Forbidden City is a 720000 square meters imperial court complex with nearly 10000 rooms. The Emperor’s private and official area was situated at the front of the City and the large halls for ceremonial and official purposes were constructed on the high platforms, which stretched from south to north. The whole official construction, hence, was located in the center of Forbidden City, manifesting the respect for and magnificence of imperial power (Ho 43-46). The rest of the buildings, including emperor’s wives houses, were located outside of the central axis. 2. Tea ceremony (cha no yu), which was important cultural phenomenon in Japan since its inception, significantly influenced the development of Japanese visual arts through the wabi-sabi aesthetics, which is characterized by simplicity of forms, asymmetry and naturalism. The development of visual arts was particularly influenced by Takeno Joo, who elaborated the doctrine of ichi-go ichi-e, which pays attention to the unique nature of every tea meeting and every thing in general. This concept was essentially based on the notions of harmony and purity. Wabi-Sabi aesthetics is particularly evident in the interior of Taian teahouse in Myokian Temple near Kyoto, created by famous master Sen no Rikyu during Momoyama period (1573-1615). One of the basic points of Sen no Rikyu philosophy, which also was essentially influenced by Zen-Buddhism, was the perception of ordinary objects’ spiritual value and simplicity of beauty. Taian teahouse is very small (only 1. 8 meters) with tatami mats, where host and guests sat. Closed and narrow space was designed to make the process of tea ceremony more concentrated and intense in order to maintain its solemn and spiritual character. The interior’s space is fixed with a small door, called nijiri-guchi, designed to make the tearoom look bigger. The tearoom also has a niche called Tokonama with a hanging scroll with minor and simple decorations, making emphasis on purity and austerity of a tea ceremony (Pitelka 165). The traditional tea ceremony tools such as teabowls, flower containers, lid rests were also modernized by Sen no Rikyu, who designed them in correspondence with the demands of wabi-sabi aesthetics. Another notable example of tea ceremony’s influence on Japanese arts is Katsura Imperial Villa, built during 1624 and 1645 years, and considered to be an extraordinary combination of imperial court style and wabi-sabi canons. Stroll gardens, which were designed in the Villa, represent clear destination of the path, were accurately graveled, embellished by stones and bridges and garden buildings located along the paths. It is noteworthy that water was always to a viewer’s right, which created an effect of division between different spheres of nature and postulated their divine and unique character. Gardens of the Villa represented the idealized vision of natural lakes and rocks, trees and even various buildings and teahouses were developed in a way emphasizing nature’s power and simplicity. 3. The duality as opposed to monism or syncretism was among the basic characteristics of religious worldviews of many civilizations, including Aztec civilization. First of all, the concept of duality was applied to different spheres of universe – the earthly life was contrasted with heavenly life, the power of emperor was contrasted with the power of gods etc. There is no denying the importance of the fact, that the theme of duality played important role in Aztec architecture and Aztec Great Temple (Temple Mayor) is a vivid example of this. Built during Postclassical period of Mesoamerica (the construction began in the beginning of 14-th century) in Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, it represents some basic themes, peculiar to dualism. First of all, the theme of duality is represented in Temple’s conceptual purposes. It was dedicated to two Aztec gods – Tlaloc, a god of rain and farming, and Huitzilolochtli, a god of war. To realize this twofold dedication, two separate shrines for each of the gods were constructed at the top of the temple and separate staircases were designed. The temple is constructed in the traditional form of Aztec pyramid. As Kowalski notes, â€Å"From the Templo Mayor the four quarters of the universe and the cardinal points were partitioned. In its architectural form was expressed the concept of duality, and the mass of its basal platform subdivided into terraces incorporated the concept of different levels of ascent† (Kowalski 210). Apart from two-sided architectural structure of the Temple, it should be noted that it contained symbolical representation of duality between life and death. It was associated with the transition point for those who died naturally from earthly to the underground world called Mictlan. Hence, the Great Temple was a point, where cosmic levels united and provided access to the underworld. To sum it up, the themes of duality were realized in the Great Temple both in architectural and symbolic levels of Aztec culture. 4. Gender relations in Oceania societies found their full realization in the products of Oceania people’s culture. The majority of Oceania societies, including Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia tribes still have patriarchal societies and matriarchy is rare. Gender relations are symbolically embedded in various products of Oceania arts, which in their turn have strong functional connection with Oceania religious, spiritual and social rituals. For instance, Melanesian masks, which are one of the most complex forms of Melanesian art, play important ritual and gender role. As far as their design in concerned, these masks have much in common. The majority of them are covered with the bark cloth, which forms a certain background for painted symbols. The structure of masks is strengthened by coconut fronds or light woods. The masks are usually worn with various leaves, which are to conceal the nudity of the mask’s wearer. Those, who wear masks (called in Lakalai tribe valuku or tubuan) often engage in various performances of ritual and spiritual character. Masks play gender function as well, because only men in Melanesian societies are allowed to wear masks. Moreover, not every man is consecrated into the masks’ art, but only those that possess the biggest privileges and social power, that is tribe elders and initiated. Women and children play the role of spectators and victims in tribal mask performances. One of such rites include mapakuo (‘the head’) chasing women and children around Melanesian village and those whom he catches may be unlucky to be beaten with palm branches, sticks or punished in other ways. This rite, as we see, represents both gender and social power of men over their inferiors (Valentine 29-31). The spiritual role of masks in Melanesian societies is also very important. As Valentine notes, ‘Lakalai masking is a prime ceremonial expression of the traditional magico-religious system. It is intimately associated not only with sacred traditions of the past but also with present-day contacts between men and the spirit world’ (Valentine 48). The mystic element of mask art is also evident, because it keeps men’s identity in secrete and provides them with possibility to transform it in coherence with the laws of dramatic performance or ritual. It should be mentioned that Melanesian masks have strong ties with traditional crafts and Lakalai graphic arts. Another element of Oceania arts, which reveals gender roles and statuses, is the art of fetish objects, which exclusively belong to men and are designed to represent their masculine strength and control over women. Usually they are phallic symbols, which are presented in the form of trumpets, flutes or bullroarers. Bullroarers play crucial frightening role, which helps control the inferior members of community. As Gregor and Tuzin note with this respect, ‘They produce sounds, usually in deep registers, that are inherently dramatic and haunting. In being heard but not seen, these objects are perhaps ideal for conveying mystery and instilling fear in the naive listener’ (Gregor and Tuzin 317). These artistic and ritual symbols, hence, represent men’s power and hegemony and this is also proved by the fact that the ‘the most brutal punishments of all, rape and death, are meted out to women who see the flutes and bullroarers, and why the men often equate the act of women seeing the flutes with chaos and the destruction of society† (Gregor and Tuzin 318). 5. African art was for a long time interwoven with religion, which resulted in direct impact of ritual forms and traditions on African works of art. African art reflects religious content, and hence, may be conceptualized as ritualistic art. In its turn it results in specific type of relation between ritual, art and its objects. Ritual or mythological symbols may be embedded in art to amplify their divine meaning and vice versa – art meaning may be used to increase the appeal of rituals. For instance, Yoruba people (of West Africa) have their distinct art techniques of human body representation in sculptures and other variants of plastic art, which are deeply tied with their rituals and mythology. The majority of Yoruba’s sculptures of human body have disproportionate size of torso and head: Yoruba masters make sculptures’ head bigger, than normal human heads. It is explained by the fact, that Ori (‘head’) is the symbol of inner head, which unites Yoruba with a deity. Yoruba culture, therefore, considers head to be the most important part of human body (Lawal 499). For instance, female twin figure (ere ibeji), created in the first half of the 20-th century is totally disproportionate from traditional point of view. The head is significantly bigger than the other parts of the body, while the latter deviate from natural proportions. This is not the lack of art techniques, but conscious design to meet the demands of ritual procedures, which should follow the main canons of Yoruba religion. Another interesting cohesion between art and ritual in Yoruba culture is decoration of worship sites and sanctuaries of goddesses and gods. Various emblems, doors ornaments and sculptures form such ritual complex in Osun groove. Osun, which is the goddess of the River Osun, has her own symbols, including various pots (oru), beads and brass (ide). This cultural and ritual site is located in the forest, which traditionally was regarded as the home of spirits. Another example of African ritual art includes Jomooni (men) and Jonyeleni (women) figures, produced by Bamana culture of Mali. The figures bear both ritual and decorative function. The decorative function is represented by jewelry and the ritual one by their usage during rituals of Jo society (Colleyn and Laurie 19). The rituals include initiations, following living in the bush during a week. The ritual includes dances and performances, ritual baths, during which the presents are given to initiates by spectators. Works Cited Colleyn, Jean-Paul, and Laurie Ann Farrell. â€Å"Bamana: The Art of Existence in Mali. † African Arts 34. 4 (2001): 16-27. Cooper, Rhonda and Cooper, Jeffrey. Masterpieces of Chinese Art. Todtri Productions, 1997. Gregor, Thomas A. , and Donald Tuzin, eds. Gender in Amazonia and Melanesia: An Exploration of the Comparative Method. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2001. Ho, Bronson. Splendors of China’s Forbidden City. London, Merrell Publishers, 2004. Kowalski, Jeff Karl, ed. Mesoamerican Architecture as a Cultural Symbol. New York, Oxford University Press, 1999. Lawal, Babatunde. â€Å"Aworan: Representing the Self and Its Metaphysical Other in Yoruba Art. † The Art Bulletin 83. 3 (2001): 498-516. Pitelka, Morgan, ed. Japanese Tea Culture: Art, History, and Practice. London, Routledge Curzon, 2003. Valentine, C. A. Masks and Men in a Melanesian Society: The Valuku or Tubuan of the Lakalai of New Britain. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, 1961.

Effects That Poor Airline Customer Service Has Had On Passengers Essay

Abstract The present research explores the issue of poor customer service that airline industry is said to practice with regard to their product and services. The paper examines this issue from the approach of triangulation of the data. It critically analyzes the situation from three perspectives. For the first one is the issue of customer satisfaction in accordance with recent empirical findings. The paper highlights what customer satisfaction empirically means. The next section explores the present operations and services provided by the airline industry from a number of sources. The last section examines and cross-examines the state of customer satisfaction to be found in the present day airline industry operations. At the end of the paper, findings of the research are discussed along with suggestions and recommendation for policy making and airline industry’s operation with relation to customer satisfaction. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the advent of new technology, extensive human intrusion in the mysterious space, and expedited communication in the twenty-first century, the demands, wants, and needs of the customers are said to be so finely met today as never before. With the state-of-the-art approach to any customer-related segments of today’s business world, it is claimed by the business sector in general that today’s customer is the luckiest one to have had so much ease of choice and liberty of opting from one product to another. This maxim goes from the small gadgets to the massive transaction held across countries. However, analyzing the perspective of the customer may not yield the same level of happiness and satisfaction from the side of the customer in today’s world. Airline business has seen a marvelous boom with the high-tech trend and massive investment throughout the world. As such, it becomes the point of this paper whether today’s airlines are really providing their customers the best of what is available to them. The present paper looks into the issue of the effects that poor airline customer service has had on today’s customer. The present study looks at the issue from a multifaceted approach. It aims to critically analyze the issue from a three dimensional view, that is to say, it extensively reviews current literature on customer-airline area; it goes on to investigate the point of view of the airline business itself and point out the major findings; as well as, the present paper critically analyzes the kinds of effects that the poor airline customer service has to have on the prospective customer. Customer Satisfaction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer satisfaction that a customer derives from a product bears enormous significance for the success or failure of a particular product. A product however technically sound and however economic in terms of use and feasibility cannot be regarded as successful unless and until the customer defines it as satisfactory to their needs and wants. As such, success of a product, we can say, is related to the level of satisfaction that a customer derives from it. Today’s situation, particularly in US business market, is alarming. According to Maier (p. 20, 2002), â€Å"Keeping the customer satisfied no longer is the mantra of American businesses, as studies show a steady decline in customer satisfaction that is projected to continue†. As such, in this section of the paper, the present writer deems it appropriate to critically examine the notion of customer satisfaction; how important is it in today’s business world; and what significance does it hold for the airline customer service? This is important with relation to the understanding of the poor customer service that is reported in today’s airline context. This section is intended to serve as scaffolding or mirror to the later research and findings of our issue of the poor airline customer service. It is important for every firm to offer a bunch of values along with the material product that is the focal point of business to that firm. Only offering the product cannot prove to be successful for a firm’s business. Henceforth, the business firm which has at its disposal superior package of services in the competitive market can certainly win the customer with greater profitability and mounting volume of market reputation. Research has revealed that even most satisfied customer can entertain to defect. According to research while examining the link between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, it is known that customers, of any product whatsoever, come to feel satisfied with products at different levels and with different degrees of satisfaction. As such, the differential levels of satisfaction of the side of the customer have to give birth to a diverse range of conformity to the product of customer loyalty, â€Å"which in turn result in varying levels of behavioral disposition to patronage with a provider†. What this finding of the logical link suggests is that with regard to a product and customer satisfaction, the range of satisfaction is varied. However, another important point here is that although a customer may be satisfied with a product, they can opt for any other competitor’s product. This suggests that customer satisfaction may not necessarily bear customer loyalty. The point is that a customer opting for another competitor’s product may be allured by the services that the competitor is offering. â€Å"Therefore, firms have to strive to achieve higher levels of satisfaction than their competition by providing superior customer value†. This approach is basic to attaining what is regarded as â€Å"sustainable competitive advantage† (John, p. 07, 2003). Now the point of concern at this stage is that what kinds of business strategies are needed so that a firm can offer a bundle of service to address higher customer satisfaction that other firms in the competition cannot. The primary component here is to have a crystal clear understanding of the competitive market. John (p. 7, 2003) cites Pine and Gilmore who may regard such context of competition as â€Å"experience economy†. It is the very stage or state or level of competition â€Å"where products are quickly commoditized and firms compete on other aspects of the total offering†. According to this very researcher, there are three prime factors that contribute toward the success of higher or superior customer satisfaction oozing out of a product either material or service-related. The first is the employees of the firm that engineer the entire operation of the firm starting from the very scratch and ending it while in the front line interacting with the customer. The other is the processes that are observed by the firm both in the micro and macro level. The last one is the use of technology that the firm undertakes in order to address and meet higher customer satisfaction. All of the above must work in higher order harmony if superior customer satisfaction is needed. And, of the three, the least effective is the adoption of technology alone and depending on the use of technology alone. The author gives its reason. This is that technology can be easily replicated. A firm with required capital can do that. As far as the replication of processes and system goes, it should be noted that these two factors may also be at the disposal of any other competitors because â€Å"processes and systems can be designed appropriately to deliver customer satisfaction, but they can be relatively easily replicated†. However, what is significant in this connection is the attitude that the employees offer. A firm’s employees’ attitude is something that â€Å"less easily replicable† as such there is the entire focus of a competing firm should fall in order to meet superior level of customer satisfaction (John, p. 07, 2003). If we look at the present scenario of the services provided by the present day airline industry, one thing is to be noticed that the airline industry is giving more and more importance to technological advances which are apparent from bottom to top operations of the industry. Whether the airline industry does also offer higher customer satisfaction in connection with their employees’ attitude remains a point of concern which will be explored later in this paper. Before we move on, it is necessary to examine as to what it is that the customers in today’s context want from a product or firm so that they can derive superior level of satisfaction. In keeping with the view of John, (p. 08, 2003), it comes to our notice that there are three basic features which customers look for in order to feel highly satisfied by use of a product which can either be a service or a material product. Convenience is something that can be put on the top of the list. Customers want to be conveniently handled when it comes to opting for a product; they want ease of dealing, interaction, and productivity. Next is the matter of cost. Customers want to buy something as less costly as possible. And the last but not least is the quality of the whole product experience that remains with the customer for a considerably longer period of the former two. At this point in the present research, it has been highlighted as to what is customer satisfaction from the viewpoint of an industry as well as from the perspective of the customer themselves. Now it seems feasible to look at the present state of the airline industry so that a sound critical examination can later be made with relation to our point of examination, that is to say, it will later be explored what effects have been held by poor airline customer services on the customers; what are the causes and reasons for this poor customer service; as well as, how can these factors, causes, and reasons can be appropriately eliminated so that higher customer satisfaction can be obtained. Airline Industry in Today’s Context According to the observation of Dempsey and Goetz (1992), there are few industries that inspire the passion and rigor that the airline industry does. It is due to the cross-border voyages that airlines make letting their passengers feel the romance and allurement of the air-travel which is hardly as forcefully evident in other means of transportation as in the air travel. Henceforth, the airline industry can be viewed as â€Å"the most glamorous of industries† (p. 03). Another reason is the defiance to the law of gravity which â€Å"still gives many travelers sweaty palms on takeoff and landing†. And the highly critical issue with respect to the importance of airline industry is that â€Å"few industries are as â€Å"fundamentally important to the nation’s commerce, communications, and national defense as is aviation† (p. 03). Moreover, the present air travel has become an element of glamour that many people year to attach to. There are exclusive club memberships of entrepreneur power in the industry; celebrity chase of specific kinds of air travel with a bundle of exclusive services and things like that. In addition to the above, â€Å"ticket prices, route patterns, the margin of safety, and the identity of the carriers painted on the fuselages of aircraft on an unprecedented roller-coaster ride† is now a dream voiced in most of advertisement by the airline industry players. However, this very glamorous and alluring picture must be critically viewed with a magnifying-glass like examination so that hidden secrets and fallacies can be brought forward. One such is the poor customer service by the airline industry (Dempsey & Goetz, p. 03-04, 1992). In today’s context of airline services, newer concepts and terms of air travel are emerging by the day which enhances the feeling of a customer to be going for an air travel. Today, global carriers, globalization, and mega carriers are catch words that may allure anyone intending to fly for any purpose. However, these terms remain without precise or definite definitions as do the agenda of customer service that the airline industry has to provide. It is note-worthy that the expanded canvas of airline industry is not something recent; in fact, it all can be chased as farther back as the 1930s. By then, Pan American airline was flaying transatlantic and transpacific; it also had a massive network in Latin America. The same time such carriers as the British and Dutch were expanding their services to (as they were known by then) their colonies at a distant location in Asia and East Indies. Moreover, â€Å"Pan American by the 1950s had a round-the-world service† (O’Connor, pp. 57-59, 1995). In the present context of the twenty-fist century, however, things have taken a different stance in the business world; now market forces and competition is giving way to more and more mergers, amalgamation and business associations which may be seen as an approach toward more globalized airline industry. More foreign investment is coming to such countries as the US. Today, this all looks like so powerful an airline industry as never before. Air travel becomes more and more feasible so the services provided by the airline industry need to be critically examined with due attention so that real picture of this global trend can be taken (O’Connor, pp. 57-59, 1995). Changing Trends in the Twenty-First Century Today, more than ever before, the climate for airline industry is every changing and opting to more and more uncertainty in terms of international scenario with relation to a number of waves flowing over the international scenario. The twenty-first century has experienced huge calamities like the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers which caused the airline industry to meet a sudden decline. As such uncertainty of business is more apparent today. The entire climate is wrapped in an element of fear which has given rise to issues such as what kinds of customer services do the airlines provide today to both their international and local customers? According to Doganis (2001), in this climate of continuous change and uncertain aura, the coming years for the airline industry will bring more complicated issues and critical problems and serious challenges with them. One more point here is that not only the structures of the airlines will undergo a change, â€Å"but markets too will become more unstable† (p. 211). What is essentially needed of the airlines in such a situation is that they must clearly define their corporate mission with regard to every single aspect of their operations from employees’ attitude to customer service. â€Å"The key issue which needs to be resolved is whether the airline is to be a global network carrier or a niche player† (p. 212). Moreover, the essence of this entire climate of change will put immense pressure on such areas as ticket prices, services provided by the customers, and it will be enhanced by the new entrants who will be carrying more sophisticated business strategies and tactics to destabilize the present market condition. In this very context, the issue of customer satisfaction seems to linger even more loose than every before. There is danger in the coming times that airline products will be commoditized in which the key player will be fare prices only (Doganis, p. 212, 2001). Thus now it is highly important to critically analyze what is happening in the domain of customer services and the experiences that today’s customers are having with regard to the poor customer service. Airline Industry and Customer Service   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this section of the paper, the writer highlights the pertinent issues which are regarded as the real cause for poor customer service by the airline sector. This is very significant if a through analysis of the effects is intended to be drawn. By bringing forward the issues of to the forefront attention, it will be easy to reach an empirical analysis. a) An overview Airline industry with regard to the services that are being provided by this very sector, is facing severe criticism from a number of critics from a number of areas of professional and general walks of life. For example, Reed, (usatoday.com, 2008) notes that the â€Å"shoddy service† of the airline is even coming to USA’s big airlines. In addition to this, Ramon A. Avila, professor of marketing and director of Ball State University’s Professional Selling Institute, Muncie, Ind. makes a very clear warning about the poor quality of customer service by airlines: â€Å"When it comes to poor customer service, expect more bad experiences in the airline industry† (Avila, p. 01, 1999). There are heaps and heaps of complaints being logged by the day. If we look at the present situation, it seems that airline sector is degenerating instead of rising for a number of pluses on its credit in the twenty-first century. The things that have become commonplace in today’s airline climate are confusing fares with no predefined schemes or policies; the flights are getting more and more mismanaged; delays of flights are nothing but a routine now hinged on the practices of cancellation without regard of the passengers psychological and other troubles being suffered. Avil also notes that â€Å"Expect rude treatment and expect companies to do the bare minimum because their bottom line is more important than a disappointed customer† (p. 01). The critic also maintains that it seems as if the airline industry is moving toward a fatal end due to so meager performance and stature in the overall picture. To him American airline industry is going to die. The most important point, according to Avil is that â€Å"Good customer service is the keystone to retaining and attracting consumers, and many businesses are missing the point† (p. 01). Although it is important to keep an impartial view of the entire situation, it seems equally important, as of now, whether or not the observations of Avil are up to the mark. For this very reason, a number of different sources will be analyzed to see if poor customer service has really become the norm of today’s airline industry or not. b) Airline industry in context of 9/11 terrorist attacks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As according to Russell (2007), â€Å"Airline customer service is notoriously bad†, a very important issue with regard to poor customer services by the airlines to the customers is linked to the more recent wave of global terrorism in which the Twin Towers of World Trade Center were hit nothing but by airplanes. A number of officials blame the poverty of service and operations of the airline industry to this horrible event. However, critically examining the situation reveals something else of the position, particularly of the US airline industry. According to Whalen (p. 33, 2004), although it seems very tempting to attach the poor airline services to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it is not the case altogether. The author reveals a different picture in this regard. The author states that the prime factors for such poor service by the US airline industry are the â€Å"decades-old legal and labor laws, and the U.S. bankruptcy code [which are] at the core of what is wrong with the airline industry† (p. 33). There is, as such, no other industry in the US which is so much kept on watch. And this really creates a problem. Washington, according to author, is busy in keeping the record of each and every activity taking place everywhere in the airline operations from bottom to top. This includes the airlines, their operational nature, watching of the airports, and so on. The author reminds of the 1991-92 crisis when â€Å"five major carriers [went] through bankruptcy† but the government â€Å"did little to change the basic economics† (p. 33). These rules and regulations are influencing the services and the poor quality of the services is directly related to them. Therefore, in the entire US airline industry seems to have been locked in a known financial cycle of growth and stagnation, which if hereby followed by economic default and bankruptcies. According to the author, this entire situation is directly influencing the customers of the airlines who have to suffer a poor level of services. Moreover, â€Å"Overcapacity exerts downward pressure on ticket prices, generating fares that don’t allow the airlines to cover the cost of providing service, making the average â€Å"private† airline look more like a public utility think of Amtrak with wings† (Whalen, p. 33, 2004). From this very viewpoint, it is very easily noticeable that there is little to go to the credit to such events as the wave of global terrorism but to the policy making and regulation of the US airline industry. According to the context discussed above, one this must be noted that the customers have yet to suffer. It seems that no attention is being paid to this very area which is both disappointing as critical both for the US authorities and the airline runners. Poor Customer Service Examined   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we wish to take examples or incidents in which poor airline customer service is intended to be reported, there is no doubt in stating that there are load and loads of such instances that would require tones of paper to be put down and which may not end as the situation continues by the very day. However, to the point of this paper, take the example of the great airline disastrous time of January 2, 1999. It was when a massive snowstorm had his Detroit the afternoon of the day. This virtually gave birth to historical crack downs in the area of customer service. It stranded many airplanes of Northwest Airline on snow-coated taxiways and tarmacs. It was not possible, then, to deplane many of the passengers mounting to more than 7000 who were then returning from New Year’s vacations. Their waiting spanned as long as eleven hours. The available food was insufficient in case of a number of planes; and what is more, many of the planes’ toilets became overflowed. Although the airport had closed, Northwest persisted to hope that the planes would take off; it was all forced in spite of the pleas that the on-site managers of the very company had recorded. This all resulted in what can be regarded as the nightmare of air travel in which the travelers had to let go of even their basic rights (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specifically looking at the canvas of the poor customer service by the airline in this regard purports us to look more closely at the issue. Major areas of customer dissatisfaction in this respect are quoted as of the following. These all examples that follow are caused for the Deregulation act that is the root cause of these and other possible poor customer service in which the customer does not entertain any right even to voice their genuine concerns. Delays and Cancellations of Flights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is the matter of everyday when the customers have to face delays and cancellations of flights for nothing but a number of various reasons. It is possible that in some cases the contract between the airline and the passenger may even be breached. It was the day of August 4th, and the year was 2000, when United Airline’s night-scheduled flight – destined from Washington D.C., to Paris – just stayed in the airport for countless hours only before the airline merely cancelled the en route schedule for â€Å"mechanical reasons†. However, the later published report revealed something that surprised the common and innocent citizens. The reports said that the flight cancellation had nothing to do with any mechanical reason whatsoever. It was actually that the United pilots had just turned down the idea of taking the plane off because Stephen Wolf, former United Chairman was on the flight as a passenger. This single instance is so horrible with regard to a number of passengers who had to suffer only because some people in the cockpit were playing the ego game. What is to be said to Stephen Wolf, who, whatever his past status to the United Airline was, was merely a traveler who really did buy a ticket on the flight. And the passengers were not able to hold any say due to the Deregulation Act. Inattentive Provision of Alcohol   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inattentive provision of alcohol is also permitted as a service onboard to passengers. This service may be harmful in a number of reasons because of disciplinary actions caused by drunken passengers to the common citizens. In one instance, a flight attendant continued to serve alcohol to a group of inebriated passengers onboard of first-class passengers; afterwards, the drunken person insulted a fellow traveler; it was later to cause great controversy and mayhem because the passenger sued the flight attendant and the airline. However, what about a number of other innocent citizens that were also onboard the plane and could do nothing but suffer the entire scene of drunkenness and insult? The court, as such, plainly ruled the suing passenger for the same reason as the Deregulation Act (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002) Lost Baggage and Other Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A couple on the honeymoon trip was on their schedule flight to Anguilla from New York City. The couple lost one of their two suitcases en route. They made repeated phone calls to the airline’s concerned office nothing but to track down their lost bag. All that the representative of the airline did was to repeatedly tell the couple that the airline knew the exact location of the lost bad and that it is just coming along their way. So they asked the couple not to worry. However, this very effective communication by the airline came to a fiasco as the bag was never found. The enraged couple rightly went forward and sued the airline. None the less, a surprise waited to compensate their psychological sufferings, the accused fraud they the airline did with them, and the negligent behavior of the airline. The surprise was that the couple had no remedy and this was just because of the Deregulation Act (Rosenthal, p. 1857, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides these instances and incidents, there are a number of other incidents that can be quoted here. Feltner, in her article â€Å"Airline customer service ratings down, and it show† discusses at length the massive misadventure that the author had to undergo while on board of a flight. So many things happened to the author which are discussed at length. According to the author, â€Å"the Airline Quality Ratings survey showed poorer performances for 16 of 18 U.S. carriers over the year before† and â€Å"J.D. Power and Associates released the results of the 2007 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, which included similar findings† (Feltner, 2008, smartertravel.com). The author goes on to discuss the poor ratings report and lower customer satisfaction rankings. She cites that â€Å"The new report shows customer satisfaction rankings for seven out of nine major airlines, as well as low-cost carriers†¦dropped this year† (Feltner, 2008, smartertravel.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All this mayhem on the part of the airline industry has caused great panic and psychological distress on the part of the customers. Either it is the Deregulation Act of the legitimate law, or competition, or inappropriate rules or labor law, the entire burden is left dangling on the week shoulders of the customer who is already burden with so many other societal, social, and ethical problems. There seems to be no way out with regard to the problems that customers have to undergo on the hands of the airline poor performance and poor customer service. In the next section of the paper, the present writer discusses the requisite measures that need to be taken if poor customer service has to be eliminated or at least has to be reduced to a tolerable level. One such important point is the notion of customer relation management. This specific area and studies in this area are examined in the following section so as to reach a possible ground that leads to a healthier climate in which the ill-struck airline customer can experience better services by the airlines and breathe in fresh air. Poor Customer Service and Customer Relation Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the present day, what is required to meet higher customer satisfaction in the lucrative business of airline is known as Customer Relation Management or CRM. It was actually in the 1980s that airlines started to introduce frequent-flyer segments of their program in order to enhance the loyalty level of their prospective customers. This trend gave birth to a new approach in marketing known as CRM. In today’s context, CRM programs are used in a number of businesses with focus on customer satisfaction. However, when it comes to the airline industry, it is not very surprising to note that the situation is not very satisfactory here. According to Binggeli et al. a survey was conducted for 17 major airlines around the globe. This very survey disclosed that even the most technologically equipped and sophisticated of the airlines â€Å"have only a rudimentary understanding of who their most valuable customers are or could be, which factors affect the behavior of these customers, and which CRM levers are most effective in ensuring loyalty† (p. 06, 2002). What in subsistence was being practiced was that airlines lagged behind best practices in CRM due to the fact that they were merely self-satisfied; they, as such, gave little importance to systems which were not functional and which were non-critical; or they did not worry about grasping financial implications of getting matters in the right place. â€Å"The result: today. Airlines [sic] know only marginally more about the people who fly on their planes than they did ten years ago† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the researchers, today, more than ever before, the airlines need to make an urgent approach toward effective implication of the CRM approach if they really want to make a difference. This is fairly for the reason that if an airline adopts the CRM approach, there is empirical evidence that such an airline can easily increase its revenue by as high as 2.4 percent growing by every coming year, â€Å"representing a bottom-line annual impact of $100 million to $250 million for a large carrier† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the present scenario, most of the working airlines do not have sufficient feasible conditions and lack systems and other processes that are required to implement a CRM program and therefore they do not have absolute or reliable data on their customers. For example, though airlines have contact with their customers through a number of channels, such as the Internet, customer service desks, airports, and airplanes, what is simply the matter, data on these sites are not collected with a consistent pursuit or are not accurate at any of these points of customer-interaction activity. (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of the airlines cannot recognize their most precious customers, â€Å"because their frequent-flyer programs are little more than general-ledger systems that track accrued and spent miles. Although a general correlation does exist between the tiers of a frequent-flyer program and the value of the customers enrolled in them (meaning that in most cases a frequent flyer in the elite category is the most profitable kind of customer), further analysis can prove illuminating† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). It must be noted in the same connection that different customers within the very tier usually hold widely differential degrees of value to different airlines, additionally, a small but noteworthy number of customers in the category of lower tiers. In this example, we can take the regular customers who let go of full fare out of their pockets. Such passengers can carry great value for the airline as compared to those customers who travel in the upper ones. (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). One more critical problem is the reality that they scarcely know how much money their customers let go of with their competitors in the very market. For example, it is possible that a customer who travels by airline A, may also extensively travel by airline B, and â€Å"would thus be a more fruitful target for marketing than its own frequent travelers† (Binggeli et al, p. 06, 2002). Thus what is required in the overall picture to meet greater customer satisfaction is CRM approach which not only has to yield great profitability conditions and enhanced market reputation for an airline, it also goes a long way on the continuum of customer satisfaction that can definitely satisfy today’s aggrieved and frustrated customer. The Experience of Singapore International Airlines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One airline that has surprised the critics of airline customer focus is the Singapore International Airlines. According to Smith (customerservicezone.com, 2008) Singapore International Airlines (SIA) is â€Å"so superior that it leaves other carriers in its vapor trails†. The very point that the author makes here is that the entire success story of the SIA is that â€Å"It places the needs of passengers first, and offers services above and beyond the ordinary†. With this airline, even the experience in the economy class is something that a traveler forgets hard. It is simply a remark that all classes seem to enjoy benefits with equal share of customer satisfaction. â€Å"One of the primary reasons Singapore Airlines provides superior service is because they only hire people that enjoy a service role–enjoy serving others† (Smith, 2008). Thus the example of SIA should be an eye-opener for other airlines too. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be fairly stated that there a number of complex matters which give birth to poor customer service by most of the present day airlines both public and private. If customer satisfaction means superior services on the part of airlines, it can be openly calimed that most of the airlines both local and global fail to meet this criterion. Although it is a right remark to suggest that much of this is credited to the regulations and rules that a government (in this case USA and the Deregulation Act along with decades-long labor laws, for insatnce) holds, it is not right to suggest that only government rules and regulations are solely responsible for a number of dissatisfactory segments of poor customer service by the airlines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A number of airlines do not practice such important approaches as CRM due to a number of reasons. Whatever they want, one thing empirically becomes clear that today’s customers continue to suffer on the hands of the airlines. Moreover, as quoted above, the suffering customers do not find a proper channel to voice their concerns with relation to massive frustration caused by airlines. Today, â€Å"little attention is being paid to the effect poor internal customer service has on overall customer satisfaction† which is a real problem (Harrison, n.d. principledprofit.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now according to my personal analysis of the entire situation, the poor customer service can only be reduced to an acceptable level only if three-dimensional approach is adopted. On this triangle first come the government that need to make policies that support the customers as the most important part of any airlines related rules and regulations. Next corner of this triangle is the airlines themselves that need to make sure that their customers do not feel that their services are still poor. For this very issue they need to look more closely at the area of customer contact and gather as many data as possible and sort them out in a technically sound manner so that they can be used to make sound empirical investigations. The last corner of this triangle is the customer themselves and airlines need â€Å"information about prospective new customers† (Hagel and Rayport, p. 3, 2002), for successful operations. Unless and until the customers are not considered an integral part of any policy and regulation, no better improvement toward the present meager state of poor customer service can be carved on the canvas of airline business. For this reason the customers must be involved in the process of change and alterations of any kinds. References    Avila, A. R. (August, 1999) Customer service is bad-and getting worse! USA Today. (128) 2651. Page Number: 10. COPYRIGHT 1999 Society for the Advancement of Education; COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group Binggeli, U., Gupta, S., & Poomes, C. D. (2002).CRM in the air. The McKinsey Quarterly. Page Number: 6+. COPYRIGHT 2002 McKinsey & Company, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group. Dempsey, P. S., & Goetz, A. R. (1992). Airline deregulation and Laissez-faire mythology. Westport, CT.: Quorum Books, pp. 05-30. Doganis, R. (2001). The airline business in the twenty-first century. London: Routledge. pp. 200-225. Feltner, M. (2008). Airline customer service ratings down, and it shows. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/airline-customer-service-ratings-down-and-it-shows.html?id=2382874 Hagel III, J., Rayport, J. F. (2002). The coming battle for customer information. The McKinsey Quarterly. Issue: 3. Page Number: 64+. McKinsey & Company, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group Harrison, C. (n.d.) Turning customer service inside out! How poor Internal customer service affects external customers. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.principledprofit.com/internal-customer-service.html John, J. (2003). Fundamentals of customer-focused management: competing through service. Westport, CT.: Praeger. pp. 05-30. Lindsey Russell (March, 2007). Surviving Airline Customer Service How to Cope with a Flawed System. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/166932/surviving_airline_customer_service.html Maier, T. W. (2002). Customer service is an oxymoron. Insight on the News (17) 1. Publication Date: January 1, 2001. Page Number: 20. COPYRIGHT 2001 News World Communications, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group. O’Connor, W. E. (1995). An introduction to airline economics. Westport, CT.: Praeger, pp. 25-65. Reed, D. (2008). Airlines may never fly right on customer service, experts warn. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2007-10-16-bad-airline-service_N.htm Rosenthal, D. H. (2002). Legal turbulence: the courts’s [sic.] misconstrual of the airline deregulation act’s Preemption Clause and the effect on passengers’ rights. Duke Law Journal (51) 6. Publication Year: 2002. Page Number: 1857+. COPYRIGHT 2002 Duke University, School of Law; COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group Smith, G. P. (2008). Secrets of superior customer service: Singapore International Airlines. Retrieved on February 29th, 2008, from: http://customerservicezone.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=5769 Whalen, C. (March, 2004). The plane truth about airline woes; it’s not fallout from the 9/11 attacks that is causing the airline industry to crash, aviation experts contend but government overregulation and loose bankruptcy laws. Insight on the News. Page Number: 33. COPYRIGHT 2004 News World Communications, Inc.; COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

The Hunger Games Book Series

The Hunger Games Book Series The Hunger Games Trilogy  is a particularly dark and gripping series of dystopian novels by Suzanne Collins, published by Scholastic Press. Overview The United States no longer exists. Instead, there is the nation of Panem, governed by a totalitarian government. The government keeps the residents of the 12 outlying districts intimidated with its strict rules and demonstrates its power over life and death with the annual Hunger Games. All of the residents of the 12 districts are required to watch the Hunger Games, the ultimate reality show, which is a life or death â€Å"game† involving two representatives from each district. The protagonist of The Hunger Games series is Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl who lives with her mother and her little sister. Katniss is very protective of her sensitive little sister, Prim, whom she loves very much. Katniss helps feed and support her family by hunting in areas designated off-limits by the government and bartering some of the meat on the black market. When her sister’s name is drawn as a contestant in the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place, and things go from bad to worse. There are no easy answers as Katniss deals with the violent Hunger Games and the dramatic results. Things are not always straightforward, and Katniss has to deal with a multitude of ethical issues as she struggles to survive. Tension builds in each book of the series, leaving the reader eager to read the next book. The ending of the trilogy in no way ties everything up in a neat bow and makes it right, but it is an ending that will stay with the reader and continue to provoke thoughts and questions. Objections to The Hunger Games (Book One) According to the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹American Library Association, The Hunger Games (Book One) is number 5 on the list of the ten most challenged books of 2010 (What’s a challenge?). The reasons given were â€Å"sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence.† (Source: American Library Association) Like a great many other people, I was surprised at the â€Å"sexually explicit† challenge and don’t understand what the challenger was referring to. While there is indeed a lot of violence in The Hunger Games, it is inherent to the story rather than gratuitous violence and is used to make an anti-violence point. Recommended Ages The Hunger Games trilogy may or may not be appropriate for some teens, not as a matter of age group, but depending on their interests, maturity level, and sensitivity to violence (including death) and other tough issues. I would recommend it for mature teens 12 and older, as well as adults and think they will find the trilogy to be both thought-provoking and engrossing. Awards, Recognition   The Hunger Games, the first book in the Hunger Games trilogy, has won more than 20 state awards for teen books. It was on the American Library Associations Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Amelia Bloomer Project lists for 2009 and was awarded a 2008 CYBIL Award - Fantasy/Science Fiction. Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy, Book 2) is on the ALAs 2010 Best Books for Young Adults and won the 2010 Childrens Choice Book Award: Teen Choice Book of the Year and 2010 Indies Choice Award Winner, Young Adult. Books in the Hunger Games Series The Hunger Games  (Book 1, Hunger Games Trilogy).Hardcover, 384 pages (Scholastic Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780439023481)Catching Fire  (Book 2, Hunger Games Trilogy).Hardcover, 400 pages (Scholastic Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780439023498)Mockingjay  (Book 3 in the Hunger Games Trilogy).Hardcover, 400 pages (Scholastic Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780439023511) Available Formats: Hardcover, large print hardcover (Book One and Book Two only), paperback (Book One only), audiobook on CD, audio for download and eBook for various eReaders. The Hunger Games Trilogy is also available in a boxed set of hardbound editions (Scholastic Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780545265355) Categories: Adventure, fantasy and science fiction, dystopian novels, young adult (YA) fiction, teen books

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks Book Review

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks Book Review This love story from  Nicholas Sparks follows his usual easy-to-read, entertaining style, with a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹plot that culminates in a poignant ending, producing real emotion from the reader. The lovers, Gabby and Travis, seem to be cross purposes. Even their dogs seem to be at odds, especially when her dog becomes pregnant. What choices will be made? Too Much Prologue and Epilogue? A major criticism of the novel has been Sparks use of a prologue and epilogue, each of which is in the present, 11 years after the main action. The criticism is not valid, for the prologue creates a sense of impending but unnamed doom that heightens dramatic tension in the novel. Hints are dropped. He brings flowers to his wife of 11 years at her workplace because theyd had an argument three months ago, the last time they had spoken and shared the same bed. As a child, Travis asked his father to tell him stories with a surprise ending because these were the best ones. The story then moves to when they met 11 years earlier. Travis is a single and unattached veterinarian, his life filled with friends and fun. Shes in a long-term relationship. In fact, she has moved to Beaufort, North Carolina to be near her boyfriend. Her dog brings them together. In just a few days, Gabby and Travis fall in love. She resists with all her might, but the inexorable flow of the ocean is working against her. Shortly after meeting her, Travis knew that the solitary journey hed been on for years had somehow reached its end. Both know  snap decisions  can be made, can be exactly right, and powerfully enduring. The Twist Sparks said at a reading that he always knows the twist, the surprise which ends his novels  when he begins writing. This twist will, compared to his other emotionally charged novels, unleash a torrent of tears, Niagara Falls on steroids. But, the emotion will be emotionally cleansing for it involves a choice each of us is likely to face one day. How do we meet the curveball life throws us from time to time? What choice will Travis make? This is the stuff of serious romance novels. Perhaps the most prescient comment is by a  woman at a reading who noted, Life gets turned around by someone, a catalyst, who  melts  the other persons wall. That is true here, but the catalyst is a bit surprising, even for Sparks. Why Are Sparks Novels so Popular? Readers appreciate that Sparks always provides a good story. It has a message and it flows. He seems to understand women. There is always a clear theme, but it isnt written to formula. The Movie The Choice was made adapted as a feature movie in 2016, starring Benjamin Walker as Travis and Teresa Palmer as Gabby, with Maggie Grace and Tom Welling as their other love interests and Tom Wilkinson as Travis father. It received a very poor rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Disaster Risk Management (Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment) Essay

Disaster Risk Management (Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment) - Essay Example The techniques like Vulnerability and Capability Assessment (VCA) would be very effective in identifying local perceptions about the disaster and also in the evaluation of the capability of the community to face during such an catastrophe. Either well structured means - qualitative, quantitative or their combination or unstructured and participative methods could be used for proper identification of interrelationships of the local settings. The utility of using VCA for identification and quantification of vulnerability besides measuring the regional capabilities has been widely accepted. Among the various methods often adopted for undertaking the VCA process, the participatory methods have had considerable success when compared to other means of identifying the exact factors involved in most issues. When a calamity or the disaster strikes a region, the impact of these events are borne by the entire population and hence the potential of vulnerability of entire cross section of the people need to be mapped to understand the magnitude of effect. Also, the perception of the people towards these events which could be frequent would also help the policy makers and support agencies to prioritize the action process. Even in the cases considered the though the common problems perceived in the regions were water shortage. The local community in these countries not only have different perceptions on the risks but also anticipates different type of problems they might have to face due to this. Further , variation in the type of demographic profile and socio-political conditions might make all bureaucratic approaches to identify the priority programme ineffective. As in the case considered, Palestine a small country involved with continuous military interventions with the neighboring country Israel is said to have very poor infrastructure facilities like roads, power supply and also water and waste water management systems. A well structured VCA analysis, conducted using local community and organizational systems, to identify the potential hazard facing them into various aspects of the country have revealed interesting facts. The techniques adopted had a blend of different methods like interviews, focus group discussions, workshops besides separately involving children also. The method had given rich information that have helped to map the vulnerability in the region and also in the identification of their capability. Further, local level workshops to create a base awareness to help them to generate opinions and remarks too shows the extended mechanism present in these approaches for information generation. Similar approached were adopted in t he case of Afghanistan to assess the issues of food security and in the identification of potential hazards in the countries like Albania and Vietnam. In addition to identification of vulnerability spots in the society they would also help the decision makers to identify and envisage the future course of action very effectively. The regional strength of in all the cases considered in the analysis have been identified and ranked appropriately. This would help to identify the prevailing dogma in the region which other wise would have hindered the success of any developmental initiative. Also as assessment of the capability of the people and systems in these places