Philosophy And Modernity Essay Example for Free

Philosophy And Modernity Essay The conflict between Philosophy and Modernity is a never ending topic. Each of the terms is individually supported by the corresponding generations. But those who support modernity, at least at some point of life will surely support philosophy. That is the power of philosophy. Let us take a mishap as example that shows us how these two issues conflict with each other. The terrorist attacks of September 11 still haunt the minds of Americans unnerved by the enormity of the crime. We need to know what could have inspired someone to do such a thing. It is bad enough to experience such a monstrous event; to feel it is inexplicable, an act with no conceivable motive, only adds to the sense of unreality. What is the source of this hostility? What ideas, values, and attitudes give rise to it? Lewiss observation contains the seeds of the two leading schools of thought about the answer to this question. Both schools place Islamist hatred of the USA in a larger cultural and historical context. Both are plausible, and in many respects they are compatible. But they differ in what they see as the essential terms of the ongoing conflict, and in their implications for the future. One school holds that the war on terror reflects an underlying conflict between Islam and the West as civilisations. Each is united, as a civilisation, by the loyalty of its people to a narrative of their past, a common religion, and shared ideas, values, and ways of life. The current tensions between Islam and the West are only the latest of the conflicts that have occurred over the centuries. The USA is a particular object of hostility now because it is the most powerful Western country. Those who reject modernity are to be found in every nation and civilization. The second school holds that terrorists hostility is directed at the principles and values of the West. On this view, what they hate is not the West as a society or a civilisation per se, but rather the culture of modernity. Modernity was born in the West, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but it is not inherently tied to the history or customs of any one society. It is a constellation of universal values the secular culture of reason, science, individualism, progress, democracy, and capitalism that have spread worldwide in different forms and to varying degrees. By the same token, those who reject modernity, who fear and wish to destroy it, are to be found in every nation and civilisation. And invariably they hate the USA as the fullest, most persuasive, and thus most dangerous embodiment of that culture. There are as many battles within civilisations as between them. Muslims saw military success as a mark of Allahs favour. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a prominent Iranian philosopher and historian, observes, During the first twelve centuries of its historic existence, Islam lived with the full awareness of the truth and realisation of Gods promise to Muslims that they would be victorious if they followed His religion. Such verses as There is no victor but God, which adorns the walls of the Alhambra, also adorned the soul and mind of Muslims. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, however, the tide turned. The scientific and industrial revolutions vastly increased the wealth and the military power of the West. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the Middle East was taken over by European nations and broken up into colonies and protectorates. Today, despite decolonisation, the countries of this region remain poor and backward by comparison not only with the West but also with the booming economies of East Asia. Oil revenue has showered wealth on the region, but economic growth has been held back by layers of regulations, wasteful government enterprises and investments, not to mention corruption. Because of their strategic location, Middle Eastern countries were pawns of the Cold War but were rarely true partners or friends of either power. Now, Muslims feel they are at the mercy of a global economy driven by Western capitalism. They feel invaded by Western popular culture, which they regard as morally decadent. Israel is the salt in all these wounds a nation of people who came from the West, tore a patch of land from Islam, turned it into a vibrant, wealthy economy, and acquired the military prowess to defeat its Arab neighbours. The result of all this, is a feeling of humiliation a growing awareness, among the heirs of an old, proud, and long-dominant civilisation, of having been overtaken, overborne, and overwhelmed by those whom they regarded as their inferiors. Having tried to take on Western ways, with dismal results, they are increasingly drawn to the idea that the solution is a return to the pure Islamic faith that reigned in the days of their former greatness. The clash-of-civilisations school doubtless represents part of the truth of the matter. But it is not the whole truth, and not the fundamental truth. Its chief shortcoming is that it exaggerates the extent of agreement in outlook, values, ideas, and loyalties among people who share the common history and culture that define a civilisation. In fact, there are as many battles over these issues within civilisations as between them especially in the West. The hijackers target was a temple of modernity. At the level of fundamental philosophical principles, however, the Enlightenment period was much more important as a turning point in the West, and in a way created a new civilisation. Anti-modernism Modernity was born in the West in a radical transformation of its past. The world of the Middle Ages, built around the world-view of Christian Scholasticism, was a society of religious philosophy, feudal law, and an agricultural economy. Out of this soil, the Renaissance and Enlightenment produced a substantially new society of science, individualism, and industrial capitalism. When we examine the wider context of Islamic terrorism, it is clear that a hatred of modernity is its driving force. The cultural foundation of this new society, if we state it as a set of explicit theses, was the view that reason, not revelation, is the instrument of knowledge and arbiter of truth; that science, not religion, gives us the truth about nature; that the pursuit of happiness in this life, not suffering in preparation for the next, is the cardinal value; that reason can and should be used to increase human wellbeing through economic and technological progress; that the individual person is an end in himself with the capacity to direct his own life, not a slave or a child to be ruled by others; that individuals have equal rights to freedom of thought, speech, and action; that religious belief should be a private affair, tolerance a social virtue, and church and state kept separate; and that we should replace command economies with markets, warfare with trade, and rule by king or commissar with democracy. It is therefore misleading to call our civilisation Christian, even though that remains the largest religion in terms of adherents. The West may still be a culture of Christians, by and large, but it is not a Christian culture anymore. It is a secular culture. And that is what the Islamists hate most about us. The al-Qaeda hijackers did not target the Vatican, the capital of Western Christianity whose leaders launched the Crusades. They did not attack the British Foreign Office, which directed colonial policy in the Middle East after World War I. They attacked the World Trade Centre, the proud symbol of engineering audacity and global commerce, where businesses from scores of countries (including many Muslim countries) worked in freedom and peace, creating wealth and investing in material progress. Their target, in short, was a temple of modernity. The culture of modernity is not a Western good but a human good Modernity meant people changing their relationship with both the world and themselves. For the first time, through science, they realised that many things, such as certain weather patterns or illnesses, were not a matter of fate. The social order no longer seemed impossible to change either. Revolutions could sweep away despots and people could improve their living standards. The threat posed by the Islamist terrorists derives not from their Islamic background but from the ideas, values, and motivations they share with anti-modernists everywhere-including in the West. In that regard, they have not merely assaulted our civilisation. They have attacked civilisation as such. Civilisation is the condition a society attains when it emerges from prehistoric barbarism and begins to apply intelligence systematically to the problems of human life, by creating technologies of production like farming, technologies of cognition like writing, and technologies of social order like cities and law. The culture of modernity is one of these permanent contributions the most important. Though Western in origin, it is not a Western good but a human good. It has vastly expanded our knowledge of the world; brought a vast increase in wealth, comfort, safety, and health; and created social institutions in which humans can flourish. Anti-modernism is not simply loyalty to pre-modern stages of civilisation on the part of people who have not yet discovered reason and individualism. It is a postmodern reaction by people who have seen modernity and turned against it, who hate and wish to destroy it. This is a profoundly anti-human outlook, and there can be no compromise with it. As we take aim at the terrorists who have attacked us, we must also take intellectual aim at the ideas that inspire them.

Ghost Story of the Landon House Essay examples -- Urban Legends Ghost

Landon House: Urbana, Maryland Urban legends and ghost stories play an important role in society. Supernatural and â€Å"uncanny† events are evident in the folklore of every culture. Stories of the supernatural, such as ghosts and magic, are typically passed down as oral traditions from generation to generation. With the advent of mass media, such as television and the Internet, ghost stories can become easily popularized. The realm of ghost stories and urban legends is divided among skeptics and believers. However, â€Å"the lack of verification in no way diminishes the appeal urban legends have for us,† (Brunvand 2). Whether one believes in ghosts or not, it is not uncommon for some people to blame peculiar happenings on the supernatural. This is not unlike the unexplained chill that goes up you spine or makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Regardless whether a ghost story is fantastical or ostensibly based in truth, the overall impact of the story on the listeners depends on t he delivery of the orator. When prompted for a ghost story or urban legend of our town, my girlfriend pointed to the Landon House as a source for several ghost stories and supernatural happenings. I was told this story while driving back from the movie theater at about one A.M. The route back to our homes ironically leads past the Landon House. We both also live approximately one mile from it. As we turned off the highway, onto the deserted back roads, she began the story: For as long as anyone can remember, late at night at the Landon house a white figure of an old woman carrying a candle has been seen walking through the hallways of the second floor. Passersby claim to witness the flicker of a candle in a window long after the fina... ... story and compare it to those that already exist. As any story gets passed along, the minor components will always vary with the stable elements will remaining the same. The symbols in the Landon House ghost story, specifically the old woman, the civil war soldiers, and the dogs, show that our society believes that repeated actions transcend time, that death leaves its mark, and that disturbing the peace of spirits tends to â€Å"awaken† them. Works Cited Brunvand, Jan Harold. The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends & Their Meanings. New York: W. W. Norton, 1981. Cannon, Timothy L., Nancy Whitmore. Ghosts and Legends of Frederick County. Frederick, Maryland: Studio 20 Inc., 1979. Dunne, Patrick. "Ghost Stories Haunt Landon House." The Frederick Newspost 27 Oct. 2005. 6 Apr. 2008 http://www.gazette.net/stories/102705/newmnew200912_31894.shtml.

Book Review on Urban Poverty Essay

Urban poverty is the outcome of urban-bias development projects being predominantly financed by the external capital, either in the form of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or Aid. The urban-bias industrialization strategy performed as a pull factor for the rural unemployed. This strategy contributed to the expanding of urban informal sectors where unskilled as well as highly unorganized day labours remain concentrated in the urban and semi-urban areas. It is also debated that the redistribution of capital investment towards the rural based agricultural activities including plantation sectors through the coordinated efforts of both public and private sectors such as civil and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can go a long way to break the growing negative effects of over urbanization on poverty, moral and social crimes as consequent of unequal economic growth. The author, Pramanik discusses urban poverty in Malaysia cases. He begins with the overview of the poverty scenario followed by research methods and research findings along with summarization & policy suggestions. This book contented five chapters including appendices, references and index. In the introductory chapter (pp. 1-5), Pramanik says poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that is hard to come up with a universally acceptable definition of poverty. Most commonly argued issue on poverty is whether poverty should be looked at from absolute or relative perspective. Absolute poverty based on specific income level called poverty line income (PLI) that can be calculated either using the market value of a basket full of goods and services considered essential for reasonably acceptable standard of living. On the contrary, relative poverty arises when we talk about how good or bad one member is doing in relation to another member living in the same society. According to O’Boyle, poverty is a concept that is both absolute and relative because human beings are at the same time individual and social (O’Boyle E.  J, 1990). In chapter two (pp. 7-20), Pramanik talks about poverty scenario in Malaysia. He argues that the income poverty using official poverty line income seems near to the absolute poverty whereas the human poverty based on the degree of human deprivation resembles relative poverty, which is ensuing of unequal access to income earning opportunity. Because of this, the author focuses more on human aspect of poverty in terms of its long term implications of social factors. Micro level study (Pramanik, 2004) do suggest that family size either in urban or rural areas of the four concentrated states namely, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perak is quite above the family size used for the national level. Pramanik (1997 & 2000) examined that rural poverty in the four poverty-concentrated states on multi dimensional aspects of the problem such as, social, economic, demographic, psychological, political, moral, historical, attitudinal, and natural factors. In chapter three (pp. 5-20), the author discusses regarding research methodology. The study is based on the primary data as well as secondary information. The primary data collected through the administration of well-structured questionnaire in the middle of 2006. The sampling technique used is purposive as well as random and based on participatory observation method. Around 3112 households from 8 major cities living in poverty concentrated areas classified by squatters, low-cost buildings, longhouses etc. were selected for data collection. He defined â€Å"household† as an entity of those living under the same roof as well as eating from the same kitchen. In chapter four (pp. 21-97), he talks about the research findings. The author uses purposive and collecting sampling technique to identify the level of poverty suffered by those living in the squatters and in the area/blocks/buildings designed for the lower income groups in the major cities of Malaysia. This is because those who are living in these areas suffer different degrees and types of poverty measured by the level of deprivations. The household having less than RM 398(less than half of the poverty line) is called hardcore poor, household earning equal to RM 398 but less than 663 is called overall poor and more than RM 663 is called non-poor. The best performing state in terms of lowest incidence of overall poverty (0. 9) with no hardcore poor followed by KL (2. 6) and JB (8. 1) inclusive of hardcore and overall poor. While less developed states- KB, KT, and AS, KB experiences the highest incidence of poverty hardcore poor and overall poor of 33. 7 followed by KT (23. 4) and AS (14). On the other hand, Sabah and Sarawak are worst performing states reported in 9MP and his survey data. The author suggests that as far as poverty reduction is concerned Sabah and Sarawak are still the worst among all other regions states in Malaysia in 2007. The poverty is gender bias is a universal when hardcore poverty is concerned. In terms of hardcore and overall poverty, the female –headed households are more likely to be poorer by 50 percent compared the male-headed households. The higher dependency of more members on a few incomes of earners in the households also creates a constraint on resources allocation by the poor households. Approximately 60 percent of poor household’s more than two members depend on the income of one earner. The lower dependency has implication for the ability of the poor households to hold out poverty at times of economic recession or downturn since higher dependency manifest through the lower dependency ratio is positively related to higher unemployment. Pramanik found on the distribution of households based on the dependency ratio and cities seem to suggest that the relatively higher percentages of households (68. 8) from LDS are associated with higher dependency as emerged through the lower coefficients of DR (

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066

Management Information Systems Report London Olympics 2012 - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2595 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Information Systems Essay Level High school Did you like this example? Management Information Systems Report London Olympics 2012 This report analyses the need and the reasoning for a management information system for the security department during the Olympics London 2012. This report looks at the functions of the security department and how they will benefit from an effective information management system. Furthermore, the report discusses how management information systems are used for decision making and the importance of implementing such systems within any organization. Executive summary One of the most fundamental functions in any organization is the decision making process. When one considers the economy we face today, many organizations come to appreciate the importance of being able to challenge competitors, gain advantages and make intelligent use of their resources. The core element of this is the process of making decisions. Information can be central in achieving management goals successfully. To facilitate decision making it is imperative that managers have the correct information at the correct time to overcome the gap between needs and prospects. Furthermore to aid improvements in communication of information adequate management information systems (mis) are indispensable. Thus it is vital to have an appreciation of the management information systems used in an organization and have effective integration, by all levels of management. It is only then that there will be effective, profitable and constructive decision making. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Management Information Systems Report London Olympics 2012" essay for you Create order Terms of reference On the instruction of the senior manager, the security department was asked to evaluate and analyse the requirements for the duration of the London Olympics 2012. Details of the importance of information required and detailing what information will be required plays an important role in the reporting back to the senior manager. Introduction Regardless of the nature of an organization, every organization is filled with information. The information content of organizations is what makes the business function. The role of information in an organization is crucial. Information is important in order to allow for an organization to plan, control, measure performance, record movements and assist with decision making. Management information systems are the conversion and collaboration of this information, from both internal and external data sources into a format which is easily communicated and understood by managers at all levels. Ensuring that information is well structured and effectively stored allows ease of access and timely and effective decision making. Larry long and nancy long (2005, p. 370) describe an information system as: â€Å"a system is any group of components (functions, people, activities, events, and so on) that interface with and complement one another to achieve one or more predefined goals† (donald, 2005). Information system may also be considered to be a generic reference to a technology-based system that does two things: providing information processing capabilities and providing information people need to make better, more informed decisions (donald, 2005). Management information systems are the result of a combination of internal and external sources; they provide a means by which data/ information can be easily manipulated, stored, amended etc. Furthermore, management information systems coalesce all the essentials which assist in the decision making process. Security is by no means limited to any one aspect of an organization, particularly when on consider an event as large and as globally involving the London Olympics – 2012. For any organization, security cover the physical security of those involved, security of buildings and offices and security if information technology, both physical equipment and cyber security. Assistant commissioner chris allison released a brief on the security issues and concerns surrounding London 2012; his brief included all the ordinary security concerns, such as terrorism and petty crime, but also the danger of online ticket scams, potential protesters hijacking olympic websites and also the more sinister criminals (hervey, 2010). The overall vision for the London 2012 olympic games and paralympic games, agreed by the olympic board is, ‘to host an inspirational, safe and inclusive olympic games and paralympic games and leave a sustainable legacy for London and the uk (London2012, 2010). In order to achieve this there any many threats and many angles from which threats can occur which need to be taken in to consideration. Furthermore, in order to manage and ensure security the information systems implemented must allow for effective decision making prior to the event and most importantly in the event of an untoward happening. Findings and analysis The security department cannot be limited to one specific function. The security department, especially for London Olympics 2012, will involve the handling of many aspects of potential threats to the people and systems involved for the Olympics. There are two primary areas which the security department will be responsible for. Firstly, cyber security and secondly the security of the public. Cyber security As technology, its uses and abuses expand at hasty rates, so does the level of threat faced by organizations and their information systems. Information technology forms an important feature of the information systems in place today. Information systems define what needs to done or managed and the information technology aspect is how this is done. Therefore, technological advancements and the increase in their abuse is a major threat where London Olympics 2012 is concerned. A case study by students of the pennsylvania state university looked into some of the major threats which organization face in the form of it threats. These included; wireless network security, cryptography, access control, privacy control, risk management, operating system security, including server threats, vulnerabilities and firewalls. These are just a handful of examples (bogolea wijekuma, n.d.). Amongst these examples and besides these examples are many others which are an easy cause for concern f or London Olympics 2012. For any organization it is imperative to exercise control over their computer based information systems. London 2012 needs to ensure that the computer based systems, those which rely on it are protected from threats, as the cost of errors and irregularities that may arise in these systems can be high and may even challenge the very survival of the event. An organizations ability to survive can be severely undermined through corruption or destruction of its database; decision making errors caused by poor-quality information systems; losses incurred through computer abuses; loss of computer assets and their control on how the computers are used within the organization (mandol verma, 2004). Cyber security expert professor peter sommer of the London school of economics warned that computer security would be extremely important during the games (hervey, 2010). A case study which looks at the tragic death of two boys 18, and 10 years of age discusses h ow cyber security was the issue in relation to the gasoline leak of olympic pipelines pipeline (abrams weiss, n.d.). This is an example of the devastation to human life which cyber threats can cause, and when one considers this on the scale of London 2012, it becomes clear the number of people depending on optimum security. In order to combat this threat, information needs to be obtained from both internal and external sources. External information may include information from professionals in the cyber security industry to information from intelligence agencies. Terrorism is as much of a cyber-threat as is the computer virus or any other infection. Information systems will only be able to cope with and combat these threats by ensuring they all well informed through risk assessments of potential dangers. Furthermore, in order to overcome any unexpected threats contingency planning forms an essential element of information systems development. Risk assessment is an impor tant step in a risk management procedure. Risk assessment is the determination of the quantitative or qualitative value of a risk related to an actual situation and a recognized threat. Maroochy water services, australia, are an organization a world apart from London olympic 2012, however for the purpose of their cyber security improvement program; risk assessment establishment played a key role (abrams weiss, 2008). This example shows that important of risk assessments if by no means limited by industry, size of organization, or any other feature for that matter. Risk assessments provide a means for any organization to help avoid potential threats through prior consideration. In addition to information required for a risk assessment, is the information required for a contingency plan. A contingency plan is a plan of action for if things were to go wrong. It is a backup plan. In order to overcome any type of disaster information must be collated into a contingency plan. Thi s would again form an essential part of the information systems, as it would be crucial in the event of a disaster. People London Olympics 2012 will see several thousands of people from all over the globe in London. Amongst visitors will be players, key visitors and reporters. Those visiting, and then those who already reside in the uk, accumulate to an increase in population, and thus there is a risk of increase in crime. The crime can range from petty crime, to terrorism. The common factor amongst all, is that people need to be protected. Security has been a crucial concern at the Olympics since the killing of 11 israeli athletes and coaches at the 1972 munich games. Olympic planners have ramped up security following the september 11, 2001, attacks in the united states (wilson, 2010). Inefficient management of the people involved in the Olympics and the public, can have devastating effects. This is a major concern during and time and for a city where terrorism is a real and potential threat. In order to be able to implement information systems which can cope with, and appreciate the requir ements with regards to security, information needs to collated from many sources. First of all, predictions are one of the very first decision making elements which need to be fulfilled by an information system in this situation. Information regarding the number of athletes expected to be present during the Olympics, statistics from previous olympic games will be required regarding the number of spectators/visitors the country had, and finally the number of security staff and resources available at present. By means of prediction and analysis through a computer being able to protect and serve the public can be achieved. The information system may be used to obtain information concerning the number of staff which will be required to patrol the streets. The number of security staff which will need to be put in to place to sufficiently protect the athletes and their trainers. Also, the locations which are expected to be busiest can be recognized, and thus will require more staff and concentration of cctv cameras. In addition to predictions, is the actual information which will need to be included in an information system, this is information about the number of police officers, or security guards in other areas, or cities besides London that can assist in providing security in this situation. This information may well form a part of the contingency planning. Where cctv cameras are concerned, or access controls, id badges etc there is the need for information systems to collate and manage all this information. Systems will be need to record information of who accessed which area or building at which time for access/ id cards, cctv will need to keep a recording of all activities captured, and there will be the need for databases to log people working for the period of the Olympics and athletes. This information will help to deter crime, provide an element of security and protect people. Conclusions Information systems come in not set type or standard. They are the collation of several information sets to provide a well-integrated system used to make decisions. The London Olympics 2012 are like no other organization, and are on a scale grander and vast the most other organizations deal with. It is this grandness and this large scale involvement of people, which in turn increases the risks and potential threats. London Olympics 2012 is an enormous event and is expected to employ several thousands of people. And furthermore have several thousand spectators, reporters etc. An effective and accurate management information system is essential in order to ensure that the city hosting the event is able to effectively plan, control, record people and protect systems. Hudson bank managed to overcome the problems it faced with adaptation of its information system, some of this was done using off the shelf software and the majority through establishment of customer requirements and communication essentials (anon., 2008). The security department is involved with many people and many types of threats; the most important two being, securing people and securing systems. Cyber threats can not only damage systems, but even cease functioning of the event. In order to avoid this it is important that the potential risks are assessed, all that can be done to avoid them striking is done and contingency plans are set for action. Another important aspect is protecting people. In order to do more staff would be required, police, community support, security guards etc. This is a large amount of shifting people around, staff from other cities, new recruits etc. Therefore it is vital that this information is managed efficiently. The information systems should be able to cope with large numbers of peoples and provide effective and accurate predictions and decision making results. As with all information systems, the number of information sources will need to extensi ve in order to provide optimum results. Recommendations Taking in to consideration the need and scope of the management information systems for the Olympics in London 2012, particularly the security departments involvement and requirements the following recommendations are made: The security department need to ensure that all staff involved with the use of the information systems for them is full trained. Any glitch can have dire effects on the rest of the system and ignorance of any warnings of threats can also be horrific in consequence. Training is not only limited to the staff working with the systems, it is also important that staff working with people are trained to handle a large number of people, overcome any problems, identify potential threats, maintain the cooperation of people in the event of a disaster etc. Risk assessments and contingency plans should be in place for each and every aspect of security. Furthermore, all staff should be made aware of both of these reports, particularly contingency planning. This will only help them do their job better and overcome any disasters. Informing staff will provide a more thoroughly aware work force and maintenance of security in the event of a disaster. References Abrams, m. weiss, j., 2008. Malicious control system cyber security attack case study. Case study. Australia: maroochy water services. Abrams, m. weiss, j., n.d. Bellingham, washington, control system cyber security case study. Case study. Anon., 2008. Banking on customer service. New jersey: hudson bank. Bogolea, b. wijekuma, k., n.d. Information security creation. Case study. Pennsylvania: the pennsylvania state university. Donald, a., 2005. Mastering information management. Prentice hall. Fitzpatrick, k., Fujimoto, y., Hartel, c. strybosch, v., 2007. Human resource management: transforming theory into innovative practice. Malaysia: pearson australia group pte ltd. Hervey, l., 2010. Sky news. [online] available at: hyperlink https://news.sky.com/skynews/home/twin-terror-threat-to-London-Olympics-security-expert-warn/article/201003415579707 https://news.sky.com/skynews/home/twin-terror-threat-to-London-Olympics-security-expert-warn/article/201003415579707 [accessed 16 august 2010]. London2012, 2010. London 2012 sustainability policy. [online] London 2012 available at: hyperlink https://www.London2012.com/documents/locog-publications/London-2012-sustainability-policy.pdf https://www.London2012.com/documents/locog-publications/London-2012-sustainability-policy.pdf [accessed 6 august 2010]. Mandol, p. verma, m., 2004. Formulation of it auditing standards. Case study. China: national audit office. Wilson, s., 2010. Yahoo news. [online] available at: hyperlink %20https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100806/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_London2012_security https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100806/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_London2012_security [accessed 16 august 2010]. Bibliography Http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100806/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_London2012_security [accessed 16 august 2010].

Dorothy Parker’s Big Blonde - 1037 Words

The struggle for power between men and women in this story is mainly witnessed through interactions in which the female is not living up to what the men want. This makes women, like Hazel, easily replaceable in the lives of men. Women only control the power when they are agreeable therefore Parker creates women who are tapped with no plausible way to obtain power, other than being agreeable and well liked. The reader sees how detached Hazel appears to be from other women in this story. She can’t understand why they are allowed to be sad but when she appears sad she’s told to smile and how nobody wants to hear about other’s troubles. In fact there are only three women who Hazel holds conversations with at all in the story. The first is her†¦show more content†¦The irony in this is after her failed suicide attempt she hears very similar statements from her maid Nettie. Nettie cannot understand Morse’s need to end her life and instead scold the character for her thoughtlessness. In this way the maid could be seen as the final reinforcement of the society that both created and nearly destroyed Hazel. Nettie herself pushes Mrs. Morse to cheer up because that is what she needs to do. This act brings Hazel to understand her place in the world and for the first time she agrees with the advice that has been given to her for years. The story concludes with a toast while the maid encouraging Hazel to continue cheering up and she replies with a yeah, sure. The significance of this moment was also noted by Simpson as being the moment of recognition â€Å"[hazel] has emerged finally from a verbal world of formula—where small talk is all the talk there is.† (Simpson) By attempting to break out of the role society has given her Hazel goes against social norms but upon her reawakening she is reminded of her place in this world. Her job is to only exist in the realm of small talk and smiles. Hazel seems to by the end of the story have an epiphany to this idea. She realizes that her life will continue to pass the same way it has been going for years, this idea hardens her as she accepts that this is the life she will continue to lead. This is Parker’s way of explain that for women in this life style there is no escape. They areShow MoreRelated A Glimpse of Dorothy Parkers Life Essay examples1355 Words   |  6 PagesA Glimpse of Dorothy Parkers Life Dorothy Rothschild, later to become the famous writer Dorothy Parker, was born on August 22, 1893 to J. Henry Rothschild and Eliza A (Marston) Rothschild in West End, New Jersey. Parker’s father, Mr. Rothschild, was a Jewish business man while Mrs. Rothschild, in contrast, was of Scottish descent. Parker was the youngest of four; her only sister Helen was 12 and her two brothers, Harold and Bertram, were aged 9 and 6, respectively. Just before herRead MoreDorothy Parker : The Feminist Movement1306 Words   |  6 Pages Dorothy Parker An Inspiration Dorothy Parker was a famous poet who lived from August twenty-second, 1893 to June first, 1967. From the feminist movement in 1848, to the modernist movement and the jazz age in the twentieth century, Dorothy Parker made a long lasting impact, and was also an inspiration to both movements. Dorothy parker’s common themes were anxiety and female passivity which shined through many of her poems. Dorothy Parker was born two months premature

British Patrol Free Essays

British Patrol started way back in 1908 (Yergin 18). Its commencement was marked when oil was found in Persia in a very rugged place after seven years of intensive oil search. The Company had invested a lot of fortunes into this search and this almost ended up in failure. We will write a custom essay sample on British Patrol or any similar topic only for you Order Now This oil was found in the field of Naphtha. British Patrol has grown over the years from a local oil company to an international energy group. Its operations run over a hundred countries and it has an employment capacity of eighty thousand people (Yergin 20). It is ranked as the fourth largest company in the world and it is the largest corporation in the United Kingdom. This paper explains how the British Patrol created a global brand name and how their partnership with Amaco, Castrol acquisition and Aral acquisition affected the process of creation of the global brand name (Corbett 80). It also explains the issues and the challenges that BP faced as well as the problems encountered. Who is BP? BP is a British energy company that is global. It is the third largest energy company in the world. Its headquarters are in St James’s, City in London. It is mainly engaged in oil exploration and in the marketing of petroleum and of natural gas (Ellis 93). The roots of BP date back to 1901 when the Shah of Iran granted William Knox a concession to search for oil. He searched for seven good years and found oil in 1908 (Yergin 67). This discovery gained commercial importance in April 1909 when the Anglo Persian Oil Company (APOC) started to exploit the rugged deposit of oil discovered by William Knox. In 1935, it was known as the Anglo Iranian Oil Company. This became the British Petroleum Company in 1954 (Ellis 67). Activities of BP The company expanded to Alaska in 1959. It struck oil in the North Sea in 1965. it also acquired control over Standard oil of Ohio. It operated in Iran until the Islamic revolution in 1979. The regime of Ayatollah Khomeini confiscated all the assets of BP and it closed down. It was not compensated for the loss (Yergin 67). BP was led by Sir Peter Walters between 1981 and 1990. when Robert Horton took over he did a major downsizing in the company. Under his jurisdiction, BP bought many stations in South Eastern US. Lord Browne became the managing director in 1995 (Ellis 79). The companies acquired Amoco, ARCO and Burma Castro under his jurisdiction. Strategies employed by BP One of the leading strategies that BP uses is the acquisition of leading oil companies and getting into partnership with them. This is well exhibited in the acquisition of Amaco, Castrol and Aral. For example in the case of Amaco in December 1998 after merging, it was known as Amaco BP. It was then renamed BP (Beyond Petroleum) in 2000. Most Amoco stations in the US was renamed to the brand name BP (Yergin 89). It used the strategy of selling the gasoline from Amaco under the name Amoco. The reason they did not change the name was that for the previous sixteen years Amoco’s gasoline had been rated as the best gasoline. This was there fore a marketing strategy that further saw the company’s image being boosted. They then changed the name to Amoco ultimate. They then improved their brand (Corbett 45). They also use the strategy of ensuring their products are quality products. The quality of a product always attracts and maintains the loyalty of the customers. Quality of the leaders has also to a great extent enabled the company to create a brand name. A closer look at their history leaders or managing directors is chosen from the management team. This allows the continuation of the activities of the organization without delay. An example is Lord Browne who was in the board. It also uses the strategy of owning reserves in most regions where oil is found. For example in Russia, they own fifty percent. They are also planning to expand into further regions. Challenges and problems encountered Some of the challenges encountered were the confiscation of the company’s assets by the government. This was in 1979 and it resulted into a major loss for the company. Another major challenge has been the occurrence of accidents such as explosions (Yergin 89). These have led to massive losses. An example is the explosion that occurred in the company’s Texas City refinery. This led to a massive loss of oil as well as to fatal injuries and deaths that cost the company a lot of money as compensation to the families affected (Ellis 90). This also led to lawsuits being filled against the company. Leaking wells are also a challenge to the company. It sometimes has to close these wells as it did in 2006 when it closed its twelve wells. The company also faces the challenge of recovering its self-image from the explosions that are fatal and they occur out of negligence from the company (Yergin 90). This affects the customer’s attitude towards the company. The company has to build confidence in the eyes of these customers and it is an uphill task. Conclusion BP has grown into one of the leading corporations from its humble beginnings. This has been through employment of various strategies such as acquisitions and mergers. This has also been necessitated by the ability to keep their products at a very high quality thus creating loyalty among the workers. It has also expanded into other regions thus acquiring the larger markets. However, there have been challenges that the company has faced and it has had to combat the challenges and problems to remain at the top. References Corbett Michael. The outsourcing revolution: Why it makes sense and how to do it, right. London: Kaplan Publishing, 2004. Ellis Charles. The partnership: the making of Goldman Sachs. London: Penguin Press, 2008. Yergin Daniel. The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money Power. New York: Simon Schuster, 2008. How to cite British Patrol, Papers