Challenges Facing Canadian Organizations Essay

Canada. They are the world’s largest producer of newsprint, nickel, and asbestos. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver are rated some of the best cities in the world. There is also Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which bring us Canadians radio and television broadcasts the news, music, and entertainment. (Schwind, 2010, p. 3) Even though Canada is a leader and a top competitor around the world in regards to business, resources, talent, and innovation, there are still many challenges facing Canadian organizations. In this paper I will discuss the many ways that Canada, from a business stand point and as whole, faces challenges and what we as a country are doing to rise and succeed through these challenges. There are five major challenges that are facing Canadian businesses; Economic, Technological, Demographic, Cultural, and Legal. Economic challenges are broken down into three separate categories; surviving a recessionary cycle, facing the global trade challenge, and meeting the challenge of productivity improvement. All three of these are interrelated and I will briefly describe each section of the challenges. Surviving the recessionary cycle is a tough challenge especially for the Human Resource Managers, who are tasked with planning, coordinating and ultimately implementing layoffs. Recessions are a misfortune that affects everyone and every company, big or small. Job security and overall high morale of employees at a company are troubled as well in these hard times. The global trade industry is another issue that Canadians are facing. International trade has been critical to Canada’s prosperity and growth. (Schwind, 2010, p. 5) Canada is ranked number nine in the world for exporting internationally, (Metcalfe, 2008), but per capita we export more than the United States or Japan. To face this challenge Canadian organizations are expanding abroad by opening new plants and increasing activity rates in foreign countries. This is to be closer to the customers and also for the lower labour costs. Being a multicultural nation has given Canada a competitive advantage in regards to trading with other countries. However, other countries have a lower-cost based trading system due to factors such as lower labour costs, has caused Canada to lose our market share in some industries such as pulp and paper, cotton yarn, and steel manufacturing. (Schwind, 2010, p. 6) Productivity is the third aspect of economic challenges we face. Technically, productivity is the ratio of output to input. It is a measure of how efficiently and effectively a business or an economy uses inputs such as labour and capital to produce outputs such as goods and services. Alan Greenspan, an ex-chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, was quoted as saying â€Å"Productivity – the goods and services produced from each hour of work – is the magic elixir of economic progress. It’s why we live better than our grandparents did, without working longer hours.† (Demos, 2011) Canada’s largest trading partner, the United States, has been improving their productivity faster than we have. We have to increase our productivity as a nation in order to continue to thrive and grow. A report conducted in 2000 stated that if the productivity gap between Canada and the U.S. were to continue, it would reduce Canada’s living standards from 61 percent of U.S. levels in 1999 to 52 percent in 2010. (McCallum, 2000) In order to maintain and improve its productivity, Canada must update its technology to increase its levels. There are two technological changes and challenges face the Canadian businesses today, computerization and automation. Computers and their technology are rapidly growing and they affect all aspects of work. They produce large amounts of information in a timely matter, and have the ability to massively store and transfer the information. There is an increase in flexibility, such as being able to work at home, or even while on vacation, if need be, due to the internet, emails and data transfers. Telecommunicating is also a factor in helping with productivity, morale and cost reduction. Not only is there internet, many companies also have intranet, which are a private information network within the company. The mix of telecommunicating and intranet increase communication and information knowledge between members of an organization to also increase productivity. Automation is the automatically controlled operation of a process, system, or equipment by mechanical or electronic devices. The two major reasons for automation is speed and better service. In some capital equipment items, Canada takes six to twelve months to make, where Japan takes six to twelve weeks. (Schwind, 2010, p. 10) This is a major challenge that Canada must face. The service factor is continuous. A machine is programed to do the same exact operation over and over to ensure quality and effectiveness, where as a human might make an error on one or more areas of the operation. Another challenge with technology and automation is cost. Machines are expensive and not all companies can afford the high-tech equipment, and therefore must rely on manual labour. Demographic challenges include the changes associated with the labour force, such as education levels, age, and participation levels which occur slowly and are usually known in advance. The number of female workers in the workforce has greatly increased over the last three decades, and with that so has the way organizations are ran. In the past the men worked and the women stayed home and took care of the house and home. Now, more and more women are out in the workforce and companies have had to change the way to operate, in order to accommodate. Also, more and more workers are getting higher educations and becoming more knowledgeable in many areas of the field. Canada’s challenge with these issues are to be able to find, keep in home country, and continually train and increase the overall knowledge to promote further success in Canadian organizations in the future. Age is a key factor that has started in will continue to affect Canadian operations. The term â€Å"baby-boomer† is defined as any one born between the years 1946-1966. (Krotki, 2012), and the majority of that population is already, or getting ready for retirement. This is social (health care) and organizational challenge facing the workforce is termed as the â€Å"old age crisis†. (McLean’s, 1983) The challenge facing Canada now is the vast amount of workers that will be retiring, and the knowledge that they take with them. The largest sector that this â€Å"crisis† will affect is the trades department. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, the ratio for non-trades was 0.7, indicating significantly more workers nearing retirement than in the early stages of their careers. This was substantially lower than the ratio of 1.6 in 1987 and illustrates the well-known phenomenon of the baby boom generation—now approaching retirement—and the subsequent significantly smaller generation beginning their careers. When this ratio is below one, meaning fewer people in the early stages of their careers than will be retiring soon, it points to a potential net out-flow of workers (Pyper, 2008) So as the baby-boomers retire, there will be a shortage of skilled workers to fill their shoes. The last factor of the demographic challenge is that of the part-time workers and contractors or contingent workers. There is a disadvantage as well as an advantage to this line of work. For the employee it means less benefits and lower pay than that of a full-time worker. But on the other hand, the employer will in turn pay less labour cost, and benefit payouts, to part-time workers, as well as contractors, who are not on the pay roll, thus reducing long-term costs. The cultural challenges facing Canada today are crucial due to the multicultural nation that we are. The main areas are work-related attitudes and ethnic diversity. People now are requesting more vacations and holidays than before and a varied workweek. Instead of the typical two week vacation a year, and Monday to Friday 9-5, they expect more and want more flexibility. There is also a major attitude difference between the baby-boomer generation, Generation X, and Generation Y workers. Canadian organizations have to accept these differences and find ways to accommodate each group. Society as a whole are also more ethically orientated now. Business can run like they used to two decades ago. People and employees are more aware of the ethics and expect to be treated fairer and with respect. Canada’s society and workforce is a cultural mosaic. Hosting and employing a variety of ethnics, races, cultures and social groups. Having this vast array of differences poses opportunities as well as challenges for Canadian organizations. They prosper by gaining knowledge of each different group, but they must also take into consideration that they are all different and have different views, beliefs, and backgrounds than other people. The final factor is that of legal matters, which are categorized into five sections; employment equity, human rights laws, charter of rights, minimum wage acts, and safety-related legislation. Employment equity is an act that was amended in 1996 and is a federal law that states one must remove employment barriers and promote equality. It was set to ensure equal opportunities for four different groups; women, persons with disability, Aboriginal people, and people of a visible minority. The Canadian Human Rights Act, in effect March 1978, proclaims that all people regardless of; age, sex, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability, or conviction for which a pardon has been granted, shall not be discriminated upon, and should have equal opportunity to make for themselves a life which they choose. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a federal law enacted in 1982, guaranteeing individuals equal rights before the law. Federal government passed the Minimum Wage Act in 1935, but minimum wage jurisdiction falls under provincial legislation. So each province has their own set of wages and rules to follow. The safety-related legislation is an area concerned with the safety and well-being of individuals in the workforce. These above mentioned legal matters are a definite challenge facing Canada’s organizations. More than ever people know their rights and freedoms, and expect safety in the workplace. The challenge for organizations is to uphold the law, and ensure safety and wellbeing for not only themselves but to the employees, their families and everyone involved whether it’s internally or externally. References Demos, D. (2011, Feburary). The New Formula for Branch Productivity. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Novantas: http://www.novantas.com/article.php?id=303 Krotki, K. J. (2012). â€Å"Baby Boom†. Retrieved Janurary 28, 2013, from The Canadian Encyclopedia: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/baby-boom McCallum, J. (2000, May). â€Å"Will Canada Matter in 2020?†. Royal Bank Current Analysis, Royal Bank of Canada Economics Department, p. 5. McLean’s. (1983, Janurary 17). â€Å"Our Coming Old Age Crisis†. MacLean’s, p. 24. Metcalfe, L. (2008, March 2011). Economic Statistics. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Nation Master.com: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_exp-economy-exports Pyper, W. (2008, October). Skilled Trades Employment. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 9(10). Schwind, H. F. (2010). Canadian Human Resource Managment (9th ed.). (J. Cotton, Ed.) Whitby, Ontario, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Charachter analysis

She danced madly, wildly , drunk with pleasure , giving no thought to anything In the triumph of her beauty, the pride of her success , in a kind of happy cloud composed of all the adulation , of all the admiring glances ,of all the awakened longings ,of a sense of complete victory that is so sweet to a woman's heart. The Necklace by Guy De Unpleasant is a story about a poor lady Nathalie Eloise who gets invited to a ball ,but has nothing to wear . She asks her wealthy friend to loan her an expensive necklace.After the ball, she loses It so she spends 10 long years to repay it . Until madam Forrester tells her the necklace was fake. For this reason she blames everyone but herself for her long ten tragedy years. Nathalie Eloise is very self- centered , finicky, and dependent , without these traits her and her husband wouldn't be what they are now. Nathalie is a very self-centered woman. In paragraph forty it states He threw her over his shoulders the wraps he had bought for going home , modest garments of everyday life whose shabbiness clashed with the stylishness of her evening clothes.She felt this and longed to escape , unseen by the other woman who were draped in expensive furs. † This shows that she only cares of what other people think of her . Another example ,†She would dream of great reception balls with old skills, of fine furniture filled with priceless curios , and of small , stylish scented sitting rooms Just right for the four o' clock chat with some intimate friends ,with distinguished and ought-after men whose attention every woman envies and longs to attract. This tells the reader that she only thinks about herself. Nathalie always tries to get her ways and she does. This trait helps Nathalie by making her husband getting her everything she wants. Like when her saved 400 francs for a rifle gun but, gave it to Nathalie to buy a new dress for the ball. This gets her into trouble by taking advantage of the borrowed necklace. She thinks too high of herself at the ball and doesn't notice that it's missing Another trait Madame Loosely has Is being finicky .In paragraph seventeen she says , † Give the card to some friend at the office whose wife can dress better than I can. † Another example is when her husband buys her a new dress , but when the day of the ball comes up she isn't satisfied because she has no Jewels. She claims , † I'll look like a pauper â€Å". But her husband doesn't complain he makes suggestions . This trait hurts her husband , he goes through and makes a lot of sacrifices to please his wife . Matchless last trait Is always being dependent on her husband.She expects him to solve all her problems . Like when he spends ten long years of his inheritance to pay back the necklace or when he gives her four hundred francs to buy a new dress for the ball. This trait affects her husband. He has to work harder, make bargains , and sell his possessions to pay for something Nathalie was res ponsible for. These traits are what made up the character, Nathalie Eloise. If It weren't for these actions there would be no point to the story. Being self-centered , finicky , and

Rhetorical Analysis Jane Welty Essay

Jamaica Kincaid grew up in a world where everything she owned wasn’t hers. While she may have physically owned it, mentally she did not. As her world of Antigua was being eaten alive by England, Kincaids family loved every bit of it. In the essay, On Seeing England for the First Time, Jamaica Kincaid uses several literary elements to explore her negative feelings towards England and England’s influence in Antigua. Three of the main elements used in the essay are structure, ethos, and diction. Structure plays a role in the power of this essay by the way the author presents ideas. Kincaid employs the method of increasing importance to bring her points home. By beginning the essay with herself in a classroom the reader gets a firm foundation of setting, time, place, etc. She describes seeing the map of England and the very first thoughts that go through her head. She then tells about the people that got to wear it and where they wore it and how it effected her life. With each story Kincaid tells, she is also using increasing importance in conjunction with ethos to make the reader feel as she did. She tells further stories about her childhood experiences that make the reader feel England’s oppression and begin to hate what was happening themselves. She tells of her fathers hat and how he wore it everyday from the second he got up to the second he went to bed shows exactly how much some people cared for England and how they were falling under its spell. The reader feels as though England is forcing this upon them and emotions are felt towards the subject. Each story gets more relevant and more powerful, causing increased importance and increased hatred. A third method used in the essay is diction, which is used to show how great the oppression of Antigua had become. Almost everything in Antigua was made in England, ranging from socks to the idea of eating a large breakfast. England had encompassed almost everything in Antigua and most of the people had fallen to it. Kincaid repeats the phrase and idea â€Å"Made in England.† She tells of this being on almost everything she owned. She says, â€Å"Those words, ‘Made in England,’ they were written on the box the oats came in(,)†¦ on the box the shoes I was wearing came in; a bolt of gray linen cloth†¦ my  mother had bought†¦(, and) so were my socks and undergarments.† She applies â€Å"Made in England† to cars, hats, food, and ideas. She tells of her fathers hat that was â€Å"Made in England,† Even ridiculing England to call say that the hat was made of the wrong material. Kincaid describes the hat to be made of felt, the wrong fabric for the climate and time of year. In a way this relates to the overall subject of England not being right for Antigua. Kincaid feels as though England is something that Antigua is â€Å"wearing,† and incorrectly at that. Jamaica Kincaid was just a poor soul trapped under the sway of the English culture. While many others didn’t even realize the change, Kincaid saw it happening all around her. She closes the story by telling of how she would need to know how to correctly draw a map of England for every test she was ever going to take. She tells how at the time it was a simple statement, but how it would grow to her erasure, as it had many others. She was there to see her world being erased and refused to let that happen to herself, which is why she wrote this essay. She told of the the oppression using literary strategies in order to make her hatred fully known to readers, something she did quite well.

CUSHING'S SYNDROME Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CUSHING'S SYNDROME - Assignment Example The paper will cover the symptoms and diagnostic procedure to evaluate for Cushings syndrome. There are various symptoms of the syndrome. The symptoms include increased weight, thinning skin that gets harmed easily, stretch marks that appear as reddish-purple located on the thighs, stomach, buttocks, arms, legs, and breasts (NHS, 2015). Other symptoms include fat deposits that occur in the face, weakness of muscles or bones, and loss of libido. The affected individual may also experience mood swings, high blood pressure, irregular menses, and frequent urination (State Government of Victoria, 2015). There are various diagnostic procedures to evaluate the syndrome. The first important thing is to do a physical and visual examination to note of any change. At the same time, it will also be necessary to establish the individual medical history. The other thing is to measure the amount of cortisol in the body. This is done through urine, blood, and saliva tests (NHS, 2015). The tests will help confirm the level of cortisol in the body. The other thing is to establish the underlying causes for the condition. The first thing is to determine whether the syndrome is as a result of increased amount of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) in the blood (NHS, 2015). The reduced level of ACTH may confirm the presence of a tumor in the adrenal glands. The best way of confirming the syndrome is through petrosal sinus sampling. It entails taking a blood sample from the veins of pituitary gland and forearm (NHS, 2015). This is followed by comparing the level of ACTH in both samples. Sometimes x-r ays and scans may be

Delta Air Lines Safety Program Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Delta Air Lines Safety Program - Case Study Example 7). The security tax imposed on ticket prices after 9/11 by the government occurred at a time when customer demand was at its lowest level. According to Mullin, post-9/11 actions by the government, though well-intended, created an estimated $6.5 billion more in costs for the airline industry overall. Mullin, in his government testimony, requested national security funding mechanisms to be utilized rather than imposing taxes and costs specifically on the airlines. In the period since 9/11, passenger traffic has made a slow recovery and returned to pre-9/11 levels by mid-2004. However, as public concern over security faded, problems involving inadequate infrastructure capacity, poor labor relations, and low customer satisfaction re-emerged. For a major airline like Delta, low-fare airlines created a serious challenge, with business travelers willing to give up amenities and unwilling to pay higher fares (Airline, 2005). Even though safety continued to be a priority for Delta, financial problems accelerated to a point where the only option for the company was bankruptcy. It was the decision of Delta, as had been the case with other major airlines, to declare bankruptcy in 2005, and the company's restructuring since then has developed a fundamental transformation. At present, Delta is one of the most popular and safest carriers in the market (Airline Industry, 2005). Safety as a Priority at Delta Air Lines A safety program at a major airline requires attention to every facet of the industry, and Delta Air Lines has developed an extensive program, from health and safety in the Delta workplace to an open-door policy for employees and the public to express safety concerns. As a licensed F.A.A. part 121 air carrier, Delta must follow the guidelines of a part 121 certificate. The certificate governs all major airline carriers such as American and Delta and is the highest-ranking certificate issued. A part 121 certificate requires extensive training for pilots and mechanics with advanced regulations for aircraft and pilot operations (Aircraft & Passenger Safety, n.d.). It should be noted that in March 1997, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) changed the definition of Part 121 operations.Prior to the change, scheduled aircraft with 30 or more seats were operated under Part 121 and those with less than 30 seats were operated under Part 135. After the change, scheduled aircraft wi th 10 or more seats were classified as Part 121 operations; therefore, since 1997, most carriers that once were popularly known as "commuters" now operate under Part 121 (NTSB, 1998, section 2, para. 2). A survey conducted over a 17-year period by the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the U.S. aviation system as a whole was maintaining a high level of safety. The NTSB examined only air carrier operation in the United States performed under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 because the majority of the Board's survival factor investigations are conducted in connection with Part 121 carriers. From 1983-2000, nearly 96 percent of occupants involved in a Part 121 aviation accident survived the crash (NSTB, 2001, p.

The increasing cost of healthcare as new technologies are introduced Research Paper

The increasing cost of healthcare as new technologies are introduced - Research Paper Example nt of a variety of different diseases and ailments to a better degree, an underlying economic reality that is invariably represented has to do with the fact that the rapid level of technological advancement represented within the is causing an exponential growth with regard to the overall cost of healthcare. Essentially, the following research paper will be broken into four distinct components. The first of which is predicated upon seeking to define the problem and explain its overall relevance. The second relates to examining the problem from a variety of perspectives and utilizing economics as a means of educating the reader with respect to the complexities of the problem. Thirdly, the analysis will pose a potential solution to the problem and finally point out strengths and weaknesses associated with the proposed solution. It is the hope of this particular author that such a level of discussion and analysis will not only be beneficial with regard to understanding the issue but als o with respect to helping to correct it as future stakeholders will be able to recognize or issues and impact that continue to reduce the overall utility of healthcare by its cost ever upwards. By means of definition, the problem of technology and its growth is ultimately something of a double-edged sword. When one references the fact that limited levels of technology, exhibited during the early 19th century, created a drastically different Outlook for the patient, the reader can adequately see that a focus on improving medical technology and promoting development is as essential as any other aspect of the provision of quality care. Yet, as with any level of focus, it is necessary to understand the fact that there are other requirements that the healthcare profession must necessarily focus upon; not all of which are innately tied to the need to promote further levels of technology. In terms of analyzing this particular problem from a variety of economic perspectives, it should firstly

Art Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art Paper 2 - Essay Example This was the same song that Whitney Houston had performed live in the 1989 Grammy Awards where she won the award for the â€Å"Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.† This song also topped charts in the US, UK, Australia, Germany and Switzerland for several consecutive weeks (NationMaster.com). The song "One Moment in Time" had aroused in me some sort of vigor after hearing it. I wondered, would everyone who had heard it so intently for the first time, had felt the same way as I did? Hearing it made me contemplate and thought about certain things about myself: have I reached my fullest potential yet? Am I already free--free from the notion of having been a victim of my fate? Can I say that I am a free person, a person who controls her own destiny? Then I thought, like every person in this world, I too should have that one moment in time when I am more than I thought I could be; I would have my one moment in time, and I should seize it. The moment I listened to the opening lines of the song, I knew it was the starting point of those who would look toward their quest to greatness. As the persona in the song sang the lines "Each day I live I want to be/ a day to give the best of me," I thought, in order for a person to live so enthusiastically each day of her life, it must be rooted in a single, ultimate purpose which had both driven the will to live and the will to succeed. Knowing a persons ultimate purpose for living would propel her to give her best each day in pursuit of such goal, and then, I knew that single purpose would be the start of everything for a person. Because of this singleness of purpose, the persona was driven to reach her ultimate goal, although the future seems uncertain. This was apparent in the lines "Im only one, but not alone/ My finest day is yet unknown." In reaching for ones goal, the persona knew that there would be obstacles to face, and that everything required trade off on her

Stress management - guided imagery Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stress management - guided imagery - Assignment Example One very effective way is hardiness. This means becoming stronger both physically and emotionally. Techniques of improving hardiness include doing more physical exercises reducing usage of drugs such as alcohol and nicotine, creating a support system by developing close relations with other people, doing activities that you enjoy among many more. Another effective method is development of a positive attitude towards situation. Healthy eating habits alongside with good nutrition increases not only the physical stamina but also the emotional and perhaps mental stamina (Hoffman et al., 46). Relaxing of both the mind and the body improves even the concentration and can be achieved by gaining enough sleep. Proper time management is another stress management skill that helps one to accomplish things that may otherwise cause stress. Proper cash managent is another strategy that reduces stress for college students. Exploring spirituality is also another common effective way of managing stres s since one finds personal meaning to his life. As a student, I adopted a stress management behavior that has worked out perfectly well. It is a strategy that has an acronym â€Å"HOLDUP†. This stands for Hardiness, Outlook, and Listening to my Body, Decreasing stress as much as I can, unburdening myself and Problem solving. I decided to change my outlook of challenges and took them positively. I developed a sense of humor in my problems and found out that they were not as bad as they seemed. More so, I learnt that making mistakes was inevitable as long as it was accompanied by a lesson in it. There was an added solution to taking responsibility over my own feelings, and this made me control all my stressors. By understanding my outlook, I was able to know my strengths that brought me a lot of confidence and my weaknesses too which were the major channels stress came through. Listening to my body always worked out very well for me. I was

Texas Health Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Heamatology ( The effect of the environmental pollution in the Literature review

Heamatology ( The effect of the environmental pollution in the development of Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - Literature review Example Steffen et al (2004) anticipated Belson et al’s finding about the weak link between exposure to hydrocarbons and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia among children. Their study investigated the impact of maternal occupational exposure to hydrocarbons when pregnant and leukaemia and found a weak link. According Steffen et al, residential traffic density has a significant association with child leukaemia. This manifested in the places where child leukaemia victims lived near a petrol station or a repair garage. The association suggested a causal association between exposure to benzene emitting sources and acute childhood lymphocytic leukaemia. Behren et al (2008) did not find a significant association between living in high traffic density areas and child acute lymphocytic leukaemia. They argued the resultant inconsistency between their findings on the topic and other studies’ findings could have been because of methodological differences. However, they brought in a plausible explanation to the inconsistency when they cited that different places and regions have varying traffic volumes and emission profiles. Traffic volumes and emission profiles of different places also vary with time and are therefore never stable. Behren et al also explained that the critical time for an environmental exposure to that is enough to cause the development of leukaemia in children is not known. Raaschou-Nielsen et al (2001) investigated the impact of exposure to traffic-related air pollution on the risk of developing childhood cancer. They concluded that traffic-related air pollution in residences does not cause leukaemia in children. This finding further supported the suppressed association between the two variables. However, these authors explained that their selection of cancer cases and control children from registries that were population-based could have been a source of bias in their study. They cited that there was a

College Initiative Essay Example for Free

College Initiative Essay Many people have goals and dreams they would love to achieve in life. My goal is to go into the medical field and become a professional in veternarian medicine. But the only way I can do that is to further my education, have proof of how focus and determined I am about what I want to be in life. My mother always said if you really want something in life strive for it. Dont let someone deprive you of what you want. So here I am in college trying to better myself for my future, because in reality what most people do not know is that they need to go to college if you really want to really support themselves, make a better living. The longer you stay in college the higher the degree, the higher the degree the higher your pay will be. In my family education was always stressed upon me and my brothers, because my parents didnt want us to struggle our whole life living from paycheck to paycheck like many people before us. That is why I am trying to be better than that. I want to beat the statistic, I want to prove to myself, the world that I am not just another number, that I will be able to choose my own future without being so limited in choices. My plans as a student of Saint Johns River State Community College is to receive the highest possible grades, and make the Deans List, so that way at the end of my two years at Saint Johns River State College, when I graduate with my AA degree, I can further my education onto other colleges such as forsay my dream college University of South Florida. They will see that I am not like the rest that I am my own individual who strives for the best of what the world has to offer. How I see it is if you do not go to college, have some form of document, then it is just going to be harder to find an actual decent job. Take for instance, one of my passions in life is music if I were to want to go pursue music and make it something major, the chances of me making it, becoming famous are high, but the chances of me staying famous are slim. Because so many people would want it as much as I do. But if you get a education, an actual filed document showing proof that you know what your doing and that your a very serious individual then you will stand out from the rest, and most likely stay in the lime light. College has so many oportunities. Since I want to major in veternarian medicine the requirements I will need are many certain sciences and many maths. And in college they offer to the classes I need to reach my goal. I personally do not see college as a chore but as a tool to reach where I need to be in life, and others, so why not take advantage of what is offered? Many people think that college is just a bunch of unnecessary work, when in reality the things that are learned in the books are basic knowledge you need in your everyday life. Jobs use basic knowledge from your eduacation all the time, and if you do not have basic educaton knowlegde then how do you suppose you survive in the real world? That is why goal is to stay in college for an estimate of eight years, and gain the knowledge I need to survive in the real world. My hopes and dreams by the end of my college life is that I will become representative, set a good example to people all the people who are around my age, that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Striving for the best for yourself and going infinity and beyond with it, will help you become more independent and well rounded as a person. My love and compassion for animals is what keeps me determined to accomplish what others might say is the impossible but to me is just another task on my list.

Preparation of Identification by Ir and Nmr Spectroscopy Essay Example for Free

Preparation of Identification by Ir and Nmr Spectroscopy Essay The reactive acid chloride can then be treated with a primary or secondary amine to give the amide along with HCl, which reacts with the excess amine to give an alkylammonium chloride salt. The mechanism of this process is shown on the following page in Scheme 22: [pic] Scheme 2 To carry out this reaction, the apparatus shown in Figure 1 will be assembled. The apparatus must be dry, since thionyl chloride will react with water to give sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride. The acid chloride will then be cooled to room temperature and dissolved in anhydrous ether. Ice-cold diethylamine will be added as a solution in anhydrous ether to form the amide. The resulting ether mixture will washed with aqueous sodium hydroxide (to remove any excess acid chloride), then washed with hydrochloric acid (to remove any excess diethylamine). The resulting ether solution of DEET will be dried and evaporated to yield the crude product, which will then be purified by column chromatography to afford pure DEET. The percent yield from m-toluic acid will be determined and the product will be analyzed by transmission infrared spectroscopy (IR) as a neat sample using NaCl plates5 to confirm its structure by (1) looking at the major absorptions and comparing them to a correlation table6 and (2) by comparing the spectrum to that of an authentic sample. Thionyl chloride is toxic and corrosive! Do not breath the vapors! Use in a hood! When heating a reaction apparatus, be sure that it is open to the air so that pressure build up and subsequent rupture of the apparatus does not occur. When heating liquids, make sure the liquid is stirred (or a boiling chip is added) to prevent â€Å"bumping†. When performing an extraction, make sure to vent the separatory funnel often to prevent pressure build-up. The apparatus shown in Figure 1 was assembled. The 10-mL reaction flask was charged with 0. 275 g of m-toluic acid (0. 0020 mol) and 0. 30 mL of thionyl chloride (0. 492 g, 0. 0041 mol). The condenser water was started, and the mixture was gently heated with stirring on an aluminum block (block temp ~ 90 oC) until boiling started. The reaction mixture was then gently boiled for about 15 minutes. After the boiling period was finished, the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature. 4. 0 mL of anhydrous ether were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature until a homogeneous mixture was obtained. To this solution was added (dropwise over a 15 minute period) a solution of 0. 6 mL of cold (0 oC) diethylamine (0. 462 g, 0. 0063 mol) in 1. 33 mL of anhydrous ether. During the addition, a thick white cloud of diethylamine hydrochloride was formed. After complete addition, the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for about 10 minutes. 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide (2 mL) was then added, and the reaction mixture was stirred for an additional 15 minutes at room temperature, then poured into a separatory funnel and allowed to separate. The aqueous layer was discarded, and the organic layer was washed with an additional portion of 10% aqueous sodium hydroxide (2 mL), followed by a portion of 10% hydrochloric acid (2 mL). The organic layer was washed with water (2 mL), dried (Na2SO4) and evaporated to yield crude N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide as dark brown liquid. The crude product was filtered through a short alumina column using hexane as the eluent (~ 5 mL). The hexane solution was evaporated to give 0. 340 g of pure N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide as a yellow liquid. Reaction of m-toluic acid with thionyl chloride, followed by diethylamine produced 0. 340 g of a yellow liquid the IR spectrum of which unequivocally showed the presence of the amide carbonyl functional group at 1633 cm-1. In addition, absorptions due to aliphatic C-H (2980 – 2880 cm-1), and aromatic C=C (at 1585 cm-1). The IR spectrum is attached to this report. These data are consistent with the structure of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), shown in Figure 2 below: [pic] Figure 2: N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) In addition, the IR of the product closely corresponds with that of an authentic sample of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) shown in the lab text. 9 Also, the 1H-NMR shows the presence of four (4) aromatic protons in the region 7. 3 – 7. 1 ppm, as well as a three (3) proton singlet at 2. 35 ppm, which corresponds to the benzylic methyl group. The presence of two ethyl groups is clearly shown by the presence of two quartets which integrate to 2 protons each at 3. 53 and 3. 24 ppm, and two triplets which integrate to 3 protons each at 1. 23 and 1. 09 ppm.

Osmotic Pressure Effect on Plasma Membrane of Blood Cells

Osmotic Pressure Effect on Plasma Membrane of Blood Cells Syed Ibrahim Introduction The plasma membrane is vital as it defines the boundary between cells and their environment (Heidcamp et al., 2014). Plasma membranes are crucial in maintaining electrochemical gradients, controlling material exchange, and allowing signal transduction (Zhao et al., 2004). The purpose of this lab was to identify isoosmotic solutions by examining the effect of osmotic pressure on the plasma membrane of blood cells and Elodea guard cells; as well as to understand cell viability and membrane integrity using the Trypan blue exclusion assay. To examine the effects of osmosis, animal blood cells and guard cells from Elodea leaves were examined in this lab. Plasma membranes are found in both animal cells and plant cells; however, cell walls are only present in plant cells (Freeman et al., 2011). It was expected that these cells would shrink in hypertonic solutions, stay the same size in isotonic solutions, and swell (in the case of Elodea guard cells) or even burst (in the case of animal blood cells) in hypotonic solutions (Heidcamp et al., 2014). Since glucose has a van’t Hoff factor of 1 while potassium chloride (KCl) has a van’t Hoff factor of 2, it was predicted that 0.15M glucose and 0.07M KCl would be the isoosmotic solutions for both the animal blood and the Elodea guard cells. Concentrations greater than the isoosmotic solution were expected to be hyperosmotic, while concentrations less than it were expected to be hypoosmotic. Viable cells have intact plasma membranes (Heidcamp et al., 2014). In this lab macrophage cells, a type of leukocytes, were treated with various compounds and the effect of these compounds on the membrane of the cells was examined using Trypan blue, which differentially stains viable and non-viable cells based on whether the cells have an intact plasma membrane (Freeman et al., 2011; Strober, 2011). Of the three known compounds, it was predicted that hepes-buffered RPMI (HPMI) would damage the membrane the least as it contains vitamins and supplements, and it was predicted that methyl ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrin (MÃŽ ²CD) would damage the cell the most as it removes cholesterol from plasma membranes (LifeTechnologies, 2013; Rodal et al., 1999). Results The following three equations were used in calculations. Equation 1 was used to calculate osmolarity, in order to determine the osmotic effect of a particular solution, (Heidcamp et al., 2014). Equation 2 was used to calculate osmotic pressure and Equation 3 was used to convert Celsius temperature to kelvin temperature (Heidcamp et al., 2014; USMA, 2012). Where: = osmolarity = van’t Hoff factor = molar concentration Where: = temperature = temperature Where: = osmotic pressure (kPa) = van’t Hoff factor = molar concentration = ideal gas constant = (Chieh, 2002) = temperature Part A: Lab 2 Report Sheets Please refer to attached sheets. Part B: Answers to Assigned Questions Based on the observations of my colleagues and myself, 0.15M glucose and 0.15M potassium chloride (KCl) were the isotonic solutions for the Eloda guard cells, while 0.15M glucose and 0.035M potassium chloride (KCl) were the isotonic solutions for the animal blood cells. Solutions with solute concentrations greater than the isotonic solution were hypertonic, while concentrations less than it were hypotonic. Based on the observations from the lab, 0.6M glucose and 0.3M glucose were hypertonic for both the plant and blood cells, while 0.07M glucose and 0.035M glucose were hypotonic for the plant and blood cells. Additionally, 0.6M KCl, and 0.3M KCl, were hypertonic for the plant cell, while 0.07M KCl and 0.035M KCl were hypotonic for the plant cell. As well, 0.6M KCl, 0.3M KCl, 0.15M KCl, and 0.07M KCl were hypertonic for blood cells while there were no observed hypotonic KCl solutions for blood cells. It is expected that the isotonic solutions of glucose and KCl will have the same osmolarity. Based on Equation 1, osmolarity is the product of the van’t Hoff factor and molar concentration. Since glucose has a van’t Hoff factor of 1 while potassium chloride (KCl) has a van’t Hoff factor of 2, it is expected that glucose will have double the molar concentration of KCl to obtain the same osmolarity in the isotonic solutions. The observations from this lab reveal that for plant cells, glucose and KCl had the same concentrations for isotonic solutions; while for animal cells, glucose had approximately four times the molar concentration of KCl for isotonic solutions. This may have occurred due to the subjective nature of classifying tonicity, and since these observations were split up amongst four groups, their subjective impressions may have been different. Ideally, one group to do all four sets, but due to limited time in the lab, this was not possible. Tween-20 is a non-ionic type of surfactant that can be used solubilizing agent for membrane proteins (Iwahashi et al., 1991; Sigma, 2003). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a protein that adsorbs onto negatively charged portions of the membrane bilayer, forming temporary gaps in the membrane, thus increasing the permeability of the membrane (Tsunoda et al., 2001). Based on this information, Tween-20 would likely cause more damage on the membrane bilayer, resulting in more blue cells (after the Trypan blue exclusion test). Therefore, the odd unknown is most likely Tween-20, and the even unknown is most likely BSA. Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: Tween 20 [sorted by relevance] Reference: Iwahashi, K., Tsubaki, M., Miyatake, A., Miura, S., Hosokawa, K., Ichikawa, Y. (1991). Catalytic properties of cytochrome P-450scc from bovine and porcine adrenocortical mitochondria: Effect of tween20 concentration. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 38(6), 727-731. Search Engine: Google Search Terms: Tween-20 Reference: Sigma. (2003). Tween-20 (P5927) Product Information. SigmaAldrich. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/content/dam/sigma-aldrich/docs/Sigma/Product_Information_Sheet/1/p5927pis.pdf Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: â€Å"bovine serum albumin† [sorted by relevance] Reference: Tsunoda, T., Imura, T., Kadota, M., Yamazaki, T., Yamauchi, H., Kwon, K. O., et al. (2001). Effects of lysozyme and bovine serum albumin on membrane characteristics of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol liposomes. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 20(2), 155-163. Based on the Trypan blue exclusion assay observations recorded in Table 2.2, unknown 1 (most likely Tween-20) caused the most damage to the plasma membrane as it had the highest percentage of blue cells (60%). Tween-20 belongs to the class of polyoxyethylene sorbate combounds (Boxtel et al., 1990). Among many functions, these compounds solubilize the proteins and lipids found in the plasma membranes, thereby lysing the membranes (Boxtel et al., 1990). This allows Trypan blue to enter the lysed membranes, making them blue. Discussion and Conclusions Summary of findings In the first part of this lab, the effects of osmosis were examined on animal blood cells and Elodea guard cells. It was determined that isoosmotic solutions for the Eloda guard cells were 0.15M glucose and 0.15M potassium chloride (KCl), while the isoosmotic solutions for the animal blood cells were 0.15M glucose and 0.035M KCl. Solutions with solute concentrations greater than the isotonic solution were hypertonic, while concentrations less than it were hypotonic. It was expected that the isotonic solutions of glucose and KCl would have the same osmolarity, since neither of them can easily diffuse across the membrane without the use of a channel or transport protein (Heidcamp et al., 2014) . Based on Equation 1, osmolarity is the product of the van’t Hoff factor and molar concentration. Since glucose has a van’t Hoff factor of 1 while potassium chloride (KCl) has a van’t Hoff factor of 2, it was expected that glucose would have double the molar concentration of KCl to obtain the same osmolarity in the isotonic solutions. The results from this lab do not reflect this theoretical expectation. This may have occurred due to the subjective nature of classifying tonicity. Ideally, one group should to do all four sets of observations for Table 2.1, but due to limited time in the lab, this was not possible. In the second part of this lab, membrane integrity and permeability was examined using the Trypan blue exclusion. Normally Trypan blue is not permeable in living cells. However, if the plasma membrane is not intact, Trypan blue is able to enter the cell, staining it blue (Heidcamp et al., 2014; Strober, 2011). Once treated with the specific compounds (such as glycine or Tween-20), the Trypan blue exclusion assay was performed on the RAW macrophage cells. Afterwards, the number of blue (non-viable) and non-blue (viable) cells were counted and their respective percentages were calculated. Glycine is smallest of the twenty common amino acids, and nearly all (97%) of treated cell remained viable (Freeman et al., 2011). Methyl ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrin (MÃŽ ²CD) is a compound that removes cholesterol from plasma membranes, making the membrane more permeable, and it resulted in only 55% viable cells (Rodal et al., 1999). Hepes-buffered RPMI (HPMI) is a medium that contains vitamins and supplements that can be used for cell growth, and nearly all (98%) of treated cells remained viable (LifeTechnologies, 2013). In addition to these three compounds, the cells were treated with two unknowns. The odd unknown resulted in relatively few (40%) viable cells, while the even unknown resulted in many (85%) viable cells. Tween-20 belongs to a class of detergents which are known to solubilize membrane proteins, thereby lysing the membranes (Boxtel et al., 1990; Iwahashi et al., 1991). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a protein that forms temporary gaps in the membrane, thus increasing the permeability of the membrane (Tsunoda et al., 2001). Based on the literature, Tween-20 would cause more damage on the plasma membrane resulting in fewer viable cells. Therefore, the odd unknown was determined to be most likely Tween-20, and the even unknown was most likely BSA. Answer to questions An organism that thrives in high-salt environments is known as a halophile, such as Halomonas meridian (James et al., 1990; Ventosa, 1998). Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: halophile Reference: James, S., Dobson, S., Franzmann, P., Mcmeekin, T. (1990). Halomonas meridiana, a New Species of Extremely Halotolerant Bacteria Isolated from Antarctic Saline Lakes. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 13(3), 270-278. Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: halophile Reference: Ventosa, A., Nieto, J., Oren, A. (1998). Biology of Moderately Halophilic Aerobic Bacteria. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 62(2), 504-544. Methyl ÃŽ ²-cyclodextrin (MÃŽ ²CD) is a compound that removes cholesterol from plasma membranes (Rodal et al., 1999). Thus it is expected, that MÃŽ ²CD makes the plasma membrane more permeable, and allows Trypan blue to enter the cell. The results from this lab agree with this, as a relatively large percentage (45%) of cells treated with MÃŽ ²CD was stained blue in the Trypan blue exclusion assay. Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: methyl beta cyclodextrin Reference: Rodal, S. K., Skretting, G., Garred, O., Vilhardt, F., Deurs, B. V., Sandvig, K. (1999). Extraction of Cholesterol with Methyl-beta -Cyclodextrin Perturbs Formation of Clathrin-coated Endocytic Vesicles. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 10(4), 961-974. The predictions are below: Acetone is an organic solvent that solubilizes lipids from the plasma membrane (Jamur Oliver, 2010). High concentrations of acetone can disrupt lipid packing in the membrane, thereby increasing membrane fluidity and permeability (Posokhov Kyrychenko, 2013). Therefore is predicted that acetone will increase cell permeability and allow some of the Trypan blue into the cell, staining some cells blue. Methanol is an organic solvent that dissolves lipids from the plasma membrane (Jamur et al., 2010). Methanol can increase the rotational mobility of membrane lipids, increasing its fluidity (Joo et al., 2012). Similar to acetone, it is expected that methanol will increase cell permeability and allow some of the Trypan blue into the cell, staining some cells blue. Saponin is a detergent that selectively removes cholesterol from the plasma membrane, resulting in small holes in the membrane (Jamur et al., 2010). This would act in a manner similar to MÃŽ ²CD, likely causing the cell to be permeable to Trypan blue and staining many cells blue. Triton X-100 is a non-ionic detergent that non-selectively solubilizes proteins from the plasma membrane (Jamur et al., 2010). This would act in a manner similar to Tween-20, likely causing the cell to be highly permeable to Trypan blue and staining a large percentage of them blue. Search Engine: PubMed Search Terms: cell membrane permeability Reference: Jamur, M. C., Oliver, C. (2010). Permeabilization of cell membranes. Immunocytochemical Methods and Protocols, 588, 63-68. Search Engine: Web of Science Search Terms: effect of acetone on membranes Reference: Posokhov, Y. O., Kyrychenko, A. (2013). Effect of acetone accumulation on structure and dynamics of lipid membranes studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Computational Biology and Chemistry, 46, 23-31. References Alberts, B., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., Raff, M., Roberts, K., Walter, P. (2008).Molecular Biology of the Cell(5th ed.). New York: Garland Science. Boxtel, R. M., Lambrecht, R. S., Collins, M. T. (1990). Effect of polyoxyethylene sorbate compounds (Tweens) on colonial morphology, growth, and ultrastructure of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Apmis, 98(7-12), 901-908. Chieh, C. (2002). The Ideal Gas Law. Ideal Gas. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c120/idealgas.html Freeman, S., Harrington, M., Sharp, J. (2011). Biological Science (Canadian ed.). Toronto: Pearson Canada. Heidcamp, W., Antonescu, C., Botelho, R., Victorio-Walz, L. (2014).Laboratory Manual: Cell Biology BLG311(Fall 2014 ed.). Toronto: Ryerson University. Iwahashi, K., Tsubaki, M., Miyatake, A., Miura, S., Hosokawa, K., Ichikawa, Y. (1991). Catalytic properties of cytochrome P-450scc from bovine and porcine adrenocortical mitochondria: Effect of tween20 concentration. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 38(6), 727-731. James, S., Dobson, S., Franzmann, P., Mcmeekin, T. (1990). Halomonas meridiana, a New Species of Extremely Halotolerant Bacteria Isolated from Antarctic Saline Lakes. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 13(3), 270-278. Jamur, M. C., Oliver, C. (2010). Permeabilization of cell membranes. Immunocytochemical Methods and Protocols, 588, 63-68. Joo, H., Jang, H., Yun, I., Bae, S., Chung, I., Bae, M., et al. (2012). The Effect of Methanol on the Structural Parameters of Neuronal Membrane Lipid Bilayers. The Korean Journal of Physiology Pharmacology, 16(4), 255. LifeTechnologies. (2013). RPMI 1640 Medium, HEPES. Cell Culture Transfection Reagents. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://www.lifetechnologies.com/order/catalog/product/22400089#productDetailPage Posokhov, Y. O., Kyrychenko, A. (2013). Effect of acetone accumulation on structure and dynamics of lipid membranes studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Computational Biology and Chemistry, 46, 23-31. Rodal, S. K., Skretting, G., Garred, O., Vilhardt, F., Deurs, B. V., Sandvig, K. (1999). Extraction of Cholesterol with Methyl-beta -Cyclodextrin Perturbs Formation of Clathrin-coated Endocytic Vesicles. Molecular Biology of the Cell, 10(4), 961-974. Sigma. (2003). Tween-20 (P5927) Product Information. SigmaAldrich. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/content/dam/sigma-aldrich/docs/Sigma/Product_Information_Sheet/1/p5927pis.pdf Strober, W. (2011). Trypan blue exclusion test of cell viability. Current Protocols in Immunology, 21(3B), A.3B.1–A.3B.2. Tsunoda, T., Imura, T., Kadota, M., Yamazaki, T., Yamauchi, H., Kwon, K. O., et al. (2001). Effects of lysozyme and bovine serum albumin on membrane characteristics of dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol liposomes. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 20(2), 155-163. USMA. (2012). Metric System Temperature. U.S. Metric Association. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/temps.htm Ventosa, A., Nieto, J., Oren, A. (1998). Biology of Moderately Halophilic Aerobic Bacteria. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 62(2), 504-544. Zhao, Y., Zhang, W., Kho, Y., Zhao, Y. (2004). Proteomic Analysis of Integral Plasma Membrane Proteins. Analytical Chemistry, 76(7), 1817-1823.

profile of a killer Essay -- essays research papers

During the last decade the world has witnessed a staggering elevation in serial killings. To give some insight into the scale of the problem posed by the serial killer, in the United States can be gained from examining the statistics for just one year. In 1989 (the last year for which detailed figures are available) there were 21,500 recorded homicides, of which some 5,000 are unsolved. Unofficial sources believe that as many as a hundred serial killers may be at large at any given time. Add to this the number of known victims of serial killers, then between 3,500 and 5,000 people are killed by serial murderers every year. (Lane and Gregg 3) These numerous multiple murders, often without consequence and justice, have shocked civilized society with incomprehensible acts of inhumanity. Horrific amounts of body counts and volumes of spilt blood accompany the discovery of each new serial killer. The indescribable events associated with each murder leave such unanswered questions as: what deviations lurk in the mind of a serial killer, what provokes an individual to commit such hideous acts, and what can be done to reduce these inconceivable murders? There are a set of variable elements, which distinguish the "serial" murder from the single-incident ("normal") murder, the "mass" murder, and the "spree" murder. The "mass" murder can be defined as an act in which a single assailant kills a number of people during a short period of time in roughly the same geographical location. The "spree" murder can be defined as a multiple number of killings, which take place during a short period of time, hours or days. The "serial" murder exhibits five distinct sets of characteristics, which help distinguish it from the "mass" murder and "spree" murder. First, the killings are repetitive ("serial") and often escalate over a period of time, sometimes years, which will continue until the killer is taken into custody, dies, or himself is killed. Second, the killings, like "normal" homicides, tend to be one-on-one. Third, there is no, or ve ry little, connection between the perpetrator and the victim. Fourth, although there may be a "pattern," or "victim trait," individual murders within a series rarely display a clearly defined or rational motive. Fi... ...ny police agency, having an unsolved murder, will submit to the FBI Academy a thorough description of the case using a twenty-seven-page questionnaire. VICAP will then alert the crime analyst to similar cases nationwide. During my interview with Dr. James R. Metts, Sheriff of Lexington County S.C., he informed me of the procedures involved in the Shari Faye Smith and Debra May Helmick case. He noted that "the Behavioral Unit in the FBI was extremely helpful in solving this case by giving us a psychological profile of the perpetrator and advising us on how to handle the media throughout the case" (Metts). "America’s fascination with serial killers is reaching an all time high-and may be fueling their deadly deeds" (Toufexis 64-65). Serial killings graphic details in incomprehensible madness almost seem fictional, but the statistics reveal an alarming rise in these murders. Ignoring this terrifying fact will not make it disappear, only increase. The thought "It will not happen to me" is no longer logical due to the constant elevation of serial killings. These callous and meticulous killers are without prejudice or motive, leaving everyone susceptible.

The International Community and Responsibility to Protect Essay

The International Community has a Right to Intervene in Sovereign States in order to end Serious Human Rights Abuses? Discuss. Humanitarian intervention is definitely one of the most controversial subjects of the recent decades- among states, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and academia. The centre of the debate is the clash of traditional principles of state sovereignty and new adopted norms on use of force for humanitarian purposes. Despite the political controversies between the countries, humanitarian intervention is now an international norm which calls for action anytime there are serious mass life threatening occurrences in any country. In 2001, ICISS (International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty) - supported by the Canadian Government - introduced a report which would advance Humanitarian Intervention concept to a "Responsibility to Protect" (or â€Å"R2P). ICISS Report referred to the "right of humanitarian intervention" as a "coercive - and in particular military - action, against another state for the purpose of protecting people at risk in that other state" (ICISS, 2001, p. vii). Lack of political will, disagreement in the international community, or over-rationality about the costs of intervention has caused terrible atrocities - which have taken forms of genocide or ethnic cleansing - that have cost lives of millions (Power, 2011; J. Bajorja & R. McMahon, 2013). Humanitarian Intervention's new doctrine "Responsibility to Protect" is embraced by United Nations as a necessary means to prevent and punish atrocities. Yet, there are state actors as China and Russia which challenge its implementation. I argue that it is very important to save Humanitarian Inter... ...reviews . Power, S. (2011). Bystanders to Genocide. The Atlantic Monthly , 84-108. Roth, K. (2004). War in Iraq: Not a Humanitarian Intervention. Human Rights Watch . S. N. Macfarlane, C. J Thielking & T. G Weiss. (2004). The Responsibility to Protect: Is anyone interested in human intervention? Third World Quarterly , 977-992. Secretary-General, U. (2002, February 15). Secretary-General Addresses International Peace Academy Seminar on The Responsability to Protect. UN document SG/SM/8125 . Selfa, L. (2002). A new colonial "age of empire"? International Socialist Review . Traub, J. (2012, February 18). The End of American Intervention . New York Times . (1648). Treaty of Westphalia. International Relations and Security Network. United Nations Secretary-General. (1999). Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organisation, A/54/1. United Nations.

Literacy in Song of Solomon, Life of Frederick Douglass, Push and Slave Narratives :: comparison compare contrast essays

Exploration of Language and Literacy in Song of Solomon, Life of Frederick Douglass, Push and Slave Narratives      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   African-Americans have been contributing to American literature for hundreds of years. From Gustavus Vassa, or Olaudah Equiano, in 1789 to Sapphire in 1996, writers have been telling their stories. The influence of minority writers and speakers on literature, literacy, and language is certainly notable.    First of all, black American literature helps "others" hear the minority voice and vicariously share the minority experience. The typical white reader cannot understand what the black race undergoes on a daily and generational basis; however, literature can bring the white reader into the minority's world by tapping into the reader's imagination and sympathies.    The main purpose of the slave narratives is to let readers share the slaves' experiences, and as a result elicit sympathies so that the reader will consider, and hopefully act upon, abolitionist ideals. In the preface to Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, William Lloyd Garrison writes about Douglass and the white northerners "whose sympathy and affection he has strongly secured by the many sufferings he has endured, ...whose minds he has enlightened on the subject of slavery, and who have been melted to tears by his pathos, or roused to virtuous indignation by his stirring eloquence against the enslavers of men" (ix). Douglass was certainly aware of his mission to agitate the public mind and win the hearts of others (xii). He achieved this purpose through his voice unwaveringly telling the pitiful story of his slave experiences. How could his audience turn a deaf ear to such eloquence and power?    Like Douglass, Sapphire shares the minority experience with the privileged population. She achieves this feat through the character Precious and her unique voice. The minority voice is distinct and unavoidable, for it is the voice that narrates the story. For example, Precious contrasts her life experiences with the dominant class's experiences: "What is a normal life? A life where you not 'shamed of your mother. Where your friends come over after school and watch TV and do homework. Where your mother is normal looking and don't hit you over the head wif iron skillet. I would wish for in my fantasy a second chance. Since my first chance go to Mama and Daddy" (Sapphire 114-115). These powerful statements from the voice of an eighteen year old African-American girl bring the white reader into the reality of the life of the minority.

Perhaps Othello Essay

Perhaps Othello cannot be regarded as the greatest of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, but many readers and viewers have found it incredibly exciting, logical, and most intense of all of Shakespeare’s plays. When performed, Othello is implacable in its drive toward tragedy, drawing spectators into the greatly shocking play of a husband quickly pushed to murder his blameless wife. Moreover, the Afro-American warrior Othello – the only black character in Shakespeare – becomes a husband of a white woman. Thus, the tragedy also touches on important issues that have become pressing in present period: racial prejudice and attraction to the â€Å"Other† (Othello Study Guide). Othello also allows readers to consider such important human issues as the nature of sexual jealousy and the difficulty of feeling certain about anything or anyone in this world. This paper is designed, first, to draw attention to these relevant issues in the play. Second, it will attempt to analyze these issues by exploring their many contexts so that it is possible to present various ways of understanding Othello from theoretical perspectives. Othello Shakespeare’s chief source for Othello was a story found in Giraldi Cinthio Hecatommithi, a collection of interesting tales where the major topic is marriage (Othello Study Guide). If one compares Italian story with Shakespeare’s, he or she can see English playwright’s incredible skills in transforming an ordinary story into logical and effective drama. Shakespeare modifies some parts of the story to emphasize dramatic plot and make character presentation much sharper. Further, he makes significant changes in the text, inserting and removing some parts, to dignify his protagonist and turn a melodramatic story into excellent tragedy. Othello is not created on such a huge scale as Shakespeare’s other famous tragedies. The play has neither the superhuman and magical dimensions of Hamlet and Macbeth, where the readers meet Ghost and Witches, nor King Lear’s unceasing feeling of doubt and uncertainty regarding â€Å"Nature† and the gods. Nevertheless, Othello is the only one of the four tragedies to present the reader with two separate countries as locations: civilized world of Renaissance Venice and the island of Cyprus. A. C. Bradley (1962) describes Othello as the most â€Å"masterly† of Shakespeare’s tragedies in its construction (144). Bradley stresses the fact that Shakespeare uses virtually no delaying tactics to slow down the action in the play, as, for example, in Hamlet where the hero delays his revenge, and no subplot to develop complicating consequences, as the reader finds in King Lear. Acts from 2 to 5, taking place in Cyprus, form a persistent sequence without significant interruptions. Further, however, there are some variations in pace – the slower tempo of the willow scene in acts 4 and 3, where Desdemona and Emilia take stock of the situation. In this regard, Ned B. Allen (1968) arrives at a conclusion that the instances of long time, for the most part in acts 3 and 4, are the result of Shakespeare’s sticking to Giraldi Cinthio’s slow-paced tale more densely there than the playwright does in acts 1 and 2 (13-29). Arguing that â€Å"double time† is a skilful device to heighten the credibility of the action, Ridley expresses admiration for Shakespeare’s â€Å"astonishing skill† in placing close together allusions to long time with a strong impression of a thirty-three-hour time span on Cyprus (lxx). It is, Ridley believes, a literary technique of lulling the reader into thinking that more time has passed than the action declares. In this manner, the reader does not question why, logically, Othello would be killing his wife for her supposed unfaithfulness the very night after he has brought to completion their marriage. Interestingly, among Shakespeare’s tragedies, Othello may be regarded as the least connected with social or political developments and transformations. The play does not appear to have been written on the topic of a specific historical event or social movement in the beginning of 1600s. Othello is a domestic tragedy. Thus, it exposes power plays inside relations between representatives of patriarchal society – in particular, in father-daughter and husband-wife relationships. But not like King Lear, that constantly expresses uncertainty about received â€Å"authority† as the king’s status is depreciated, Othello does not deal with the wider political branches of this social power. Nor does Othello take into consideration faults in state power that the reader can observe in Shakespeare’s history plays and Coriolanus. Although Othello is of aristocratic birth, he is not the real or possible leader of his realm (while Lear, Macbeth, and Hamlet are all kings), upon whose decisions and thoughts depend the whole state and its people. At the same time, however, Othello is concerned with important cultural and social issues. Precisely, Othello’s exact color has been much considered with references to racist issues (Shakespearean Criticism). What is important is that Othello is a black warrior, in all likelihood from North Africa, and now dwelling in a white European society. The issue of racial difference is deeply embedded in the tragedy and is very well obvious in performance. How would the character have been considered by the Jacobean public, and how is he understood this day? Does Othello make effort to incorporate or refuse to accept racist stereotypes of that time? How much does Desdemona, a white upper-class representative, breaks the moral rules of her society by making decision to marry a black warrior, and finally does Othello give approval to or reject her open and bold resistance to authority and power? Taking into consideration these questions, one can analyze ways in which Othello contributes to the discussion on two groups – black African men and white women – that were often made seem unimportant in the beginning of seventeenth century. Even though it cannot be equated with present day racial discrimination issues, color prejudice appears to have developed in England under Queen Elizabeth and King James. Black was associated with evil, Africans’ dark skins was considered to belong to the devil. Taking into account the racial prejudices of the time, it is unusual that Shakespeare decides to make his tragic hero an Afro-American and his villain the white Iago. Critic John Salway, for example, considers that Shakespeare introduces the general preconceptions regarding Africans by means of the racist discourse of Iago and Brabantio – Iago glibly utters slander about Othello as â€Å"lusty Moor† and â€Å"devil†, while Brabantio, who â€Å"lov’d† Othello as a warrior, ascribes responsibility to him for winning his daughter’s love through â€Å"damned† witchcraft (30). John Salway considers that the playwright does so only to explode these prejudices in the course of the play. In this respect, Othello’s mistake is a natural human weakness rather than a fault coming from his race. John Salway also acknowledges the long-established medieval tradition, literary and decorative, that connected the black man with lower rank in society and damnation. The author argues, at the same time, that a countercurrent of religious discourse and art, for example, the special importance given to inner holiness over outward appearance and the description of Balthazar, one of the Magi bearing gifts for the infant Christ, as a black man, provided Shakespeare with an opportunity to develop Othello as a â€Å"great Christian gentleman† (45). Salway finds no prove in the tragedy that the character is really savage, since he gains his nobility again after his tragic loss of faith in Desdemona (55-56). Martin Orkin (1987), a South African scholar keenly aware of how Shakespeare’s Othello gives occasion for racist responses, is in basic agreement with Salway’s statements. He believes that Shakespeare works â€Å"consciously against the color prejudice that can be seen in â€Å"the language of Iago, Roderigo, and Brabantio† and denies such prejudices giving emphasis to the â€Å"limitations† of â€Å"human judgment† in general as the real cause of Othello’s tragedy (170-181). All this is right from the one side: Shakespeare creates his characterization of â€Å"valiant Othello† far beyond that of the traditional stereotype. On the other side, however, there are situations in the play when Othello’s actions do generate the sinful barbarian image. This is specifically the case in act 4, where the character loses his mind in a frantic mania of jealousy (â€Å"savage madness† is how Iago gives account of it), promises to â€Å"chop† Desdemona into â€Å"messes† after overhearing the dialogue that takes place between Iago and Cassio. Moreover, Othello behaves immorally by making a physical attack on Desdemona in public. Does Shakespeare try to demonstrate color prejudice by making Othello returning again and again to the traditional image of ‘black savage’? One resistance against attack on Othello’s behavior in the play is to claim that it is a victory of Iago’s hard-hearted intrigue with him, combined with the Moor’s dramatic readiness to consider as true the negative, oversimplified stereotype of himself. It seems that Othello’s humiliating performance is almost destined to cause the audience to become unfriendly, both Jacobean and present. By the concluding part of the play, Othello is divided between the individual characteristics he has attempted to maintain as an honorary white in Venice – where the Senate has allowed him military services and even more, in contrast to Brabantio, forgave his relationship with a white woman – and his strong inner sense of himself as an African â€Å"Other†. In being fatally overwhelmed by jealousy and murdering his wife, Othello eventually describes himself as more related by blood to the ignoble Judean and the malicious Muslim Turk than to the civilized and noble Christian. Some readers and viewers may feel that Othello compensates his rank as an inspiring tragic hero in the culmination, while others may dissent in opinion. And while it is right to claim that Othello does not give approval to the deeply felt prejudices of an Iago, how does the audience feel about Emilia’s racist comments in the final part of the play? Emilia becomes the center of tragic attention when she reveals Othello’s dreadful mistake and dismantles any â€Å"just grounds† for his believing that Desdemona committed sexual intercourse with other man. Preoccupied with her frank truth-telling, the spectators are encouraged to become accomplices of her views even though they are full of racial intense dislike. Emilia refers to Othello as the â€Å"blacker devil† describing his behavior as â€Å"ignorant as dirt† and feels sorry that Desdemona was â€Å"too fond of her most filthy bargain†. These examples demonstrate the difficulty of reaching an exact decision where the play stands regarding Othello’s blackness and racial prejudice. Because of the fact that the balance of dramatic sympathies shifts from episode to episode, readers are likely to agree with Emilia’s angry release of prejudice while rejecting Iago’s coldly malicious racism, in spite of the close relationship he has established with the reader. In this regard, one can compare Othello with Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Just as The Merchant of Venice may at the same time destroy anti-Semitic prejudice (in Shylock’s probing speech â€Å"Hath not a Jew eyes? † and support it (with Shylock’s absurdly incongruous behavior and wish that his daughter â€Å"were hears’d at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! †), it can be stated that Othello stimulates discourse regarding the racist stereotypes of the sixteenth-century life even though it supports them to some extent. It should be observed, however, that to be totally free of racism and any discrimination, the playwright would have to invent a new language with no words containing a hidden implication, no unfair treatment of a color character, and no connection in the play between blackness and evil, whiteness and good. Expressing the same idea but differently, Othello cannot go beyond the language and traditions of its culture. According to Juliet Dusinberre (1976), if black-skinned men were considered as the â€Å"Other† in the sixteenth-century Europe, then women could be also called as a painful Other in patriarchal communities. The Reformation in England is at times thought as a period when attitudes and views toward female roles, at least inside marriage relations, were becoming more liberal and humanistic (Dusinberre 3-5). Puritans encouraged an equal marriage partnership, in contrast to the accepted without question subordination of wife to her husband, and valued married chastity above celibacy. However, it can be supposed that this elevation of the married relationships might have served as a method to contain women’s uncontrollable desire rather than to encourage a real self-dependence for them. It is easy to see that Desdemona is committed to the ideal of married chastity, but she is also a woman who tries to rebel. Obviously, her courageous rejection of her father’s wishes (and, globally, those of the Venetian upper class) so that it is possible to marry a black warrior and her honest desire to follow the â€Å"rites† for which she married Othello create behavior not conforming to accepted rules and standards in Venetia. The woman has stepped beyond the permitted boundaries of her race – â€Å"Against all rules of nature,† as Brabantio describes this – and the modesty that most people expect of female gender. Shakespeare, in spite of her faults, presents the rebellious and disobedient Desdemona as a character deserving admiration. Her powerful and effective language in explaining why she chose Othello despite her father’s unwillingness, her brave strong passion for the Moor, and her spirited and powerful (even though unreasonable) defense of Cassio are all probable to win the sympathies and admiration of the readers. Desdemona’s boldness, as well as Othello’s initial approval and praise of it (he describes her as his â€Å"fair warrior† when he comes to Cyprus), all say about a marriage with mutual love and respect for each other. When living in Cyprus, however, Desdemona becomes more isolated and open to temptation and persuasion. Once Othello incorporates Iago’s views, interpreting the meaning of Desdemona’s behavior as unfaithful and indiscriminate actions, the woman has no means of opposing her husband’s violent desire to control her life. It would seem, taking into consideration these issues, that there are contradictory messages present throughout the play about what behavior is right for women. The uncontrollable female who calls into question her place in the male-dominated community is given some capacity for independent action but ironically is then punished, primarily because Othello misinterprets her actions, but also, the drama may suggest, because of her desires going beyond acceptable boundaries of taste and convention of the time. Like with the issue of racism regarding Othello’s personality, Emilia’s role emphasizes the contradictory treatment of women in the tragedy. Her passionate defense of wives in act 4 produces the double sexual standard by which relationships between men and women are determined: And have not we affections? Desires for sport? and frailty? as men have? Then let them use us well; else let them know, The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. Since Emilia expresses a convinced belief that women are men’s equals in desire and have the full right to live and act like their husbands, her declaration is potentially ungrounded in its denial of gender qualities that work only to the advantage of men. At the same time, however, the meaning of the speech, as well as what the reader knows of Emilia so far, tends to decrease the power of the statement. Emilia has the similar gender of Desdemona but not social position. As a result, Shakespeare’s readers might make little of the sense of her statements, justifying them as fitting for serving women but not actual for upper-class women. Interestingly, Emilia has surrendered to her husband’s â€Å"fantasy† herself. She subordinated herself to his fanciful idea and thus affirmed the opposite of her philosophy of independence — by presenting him the gift. Conclusion Regarded by many scholars as one of Shakespeare greatest tragedies, together with Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear, Othello has a traditional tragic plot, tracing the hero’s fall from splendor and combining together human qualities of nobility with actins and decisions that lead to unavoidable suffering and loss. Othello is, at the same time, one of Shakespeare’s most emotionally touching works. The driving power with which the extremely effective but destructive series of events develops creates an exciting sense of chaotic violent and confused movement that captivates both readers and viewers almost as much as it drives the characters. Shakespeare’s character development and his incorporation of difficult issues in the play produced an incredibly complex play that considers a number of important moral and social questions. Works Cited Allen, Ned B. â€Å"The Two Parts of Othello†, ShS, 2, 1968, in Honigmann, E. A. J. Othello. Cengage Learning EMEA, 2001. Bradley, A. C. Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Macmillan, 1962. Dusinberre, J. Shakespeare and the Nature of Women. London and Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1976. Orkin, M. Othello and the Plain Face of Racism, SQ, 38. 2, 1987. Othello Study Guide. Available from: http://www. shakespearefest. org/Othello%20Study%20Guide. htm Othello. Shakespearean Criticism. Available from: http://www. enotes. com/shakespearean-criticism/othello-vol-68 Salway, J. â€Å"Veritable Negroes and Circumcised Dogs: Racial Disturbances in Shakespeare†, in Lesley Aers and Nigel Wheale (eds. ), Shakespeare in the Changing Curriculum (London and New York: Routledge, 1991). Shakespeare, W. â€Å"Othello, the Moore of Venice†. Shakespeare Homepage. Available from: http://shakespeare. mit. edu/othello/full. html

History of Pinkerton Detectives Essay

Allan Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 25, 1819. He was born into poverty to a police man who could no longer work due to injuries he had sustained from the job. To support his family Allan worked as a cooper or barrel maker in his native land. Allan ran afoul of local authorities over the membership in a chartist movement. This was a political movement that was dedicated to universal suffrage and better working conditions for the poor. A price was laid on his head and Allan and his young bride Joan fled for their lives. This landed them in the United States and settled near Chicago in 1842. He was a very hard working man who had realized working for himself would be the best thing for him and his family. After some time he move to Dundee a town he realized it was in need of cooper. There he quickly gained control of the market due to his good quality of barrels and low prices. The desire he had to expand his business is what led him to the path of being a detective. Allan Pinkerton realized that good quality raw materials for his barrel were easily obtained on Small Island close to town. Through a business mind he decided instead of paying others to provide him with the materials he should instead travel to the place to get the materials. Pinkerton was an abolitionist and soon his shop acted as a station for escaping slaves to freedom to the north through the Underground Railroad (John, 2005). When Pinkerton got to the island, there were signs of habitation. Having in mind that there were some counterfeiters in the area, he concluded that could be their hiding place. He teamed up with the local sheriff to venture out the camp and this led to the arrest of the band. His superiority began in detective and the local townspeople turned to him to help them in arresting the ringleader of the band. The natural abilities in Allan Pinkerton eventually allowed him to track and bring down the counterfeiters to justice. One day while Pinkerton was gathering wood he discovered a gang that was making coins in the area. Allan assisted in arresting these men. This discovery and arrest of the counterfeiters led to his appointment as a country sheriff in 1846. In 1850 Allan was appointed as the first city detective in Chicago police force and in the same year he established a private detective agency. In 1850 by Pinkerton Allan along with Chicago attorney general Edward Rucker founded the north western police agency. In 1843, Allan’s brother Robert had formed his own business called Pinkerton & company which was originally established as railroad contractors, but along the line he began to work as a railroad detective. This business was growing very rapidly that he hired several men as detectives and guards. When Allan and Rucker’s business dissolved a year after its formation; Allan joined his brother in the already established company and the name changed to Pinkerton National Detective Agency (John, 2005). The Pinkerton detective agency It is believed to be founded by Allan Pinkerton in the 1850s. He selected a logo of an open eye with the tagline â€Å"we never sleep†. This is what led the Pinkerton men and later to private eyes. Pinkerton provided a wide range of private detective services and specialized in the capture of train robbers and counterfeiters. Their clients included banks, railroads, and government and they provided stable business for the firm. They were hired by railroad companies to investigate crimes against them and the activities of labor movements. Pinkerton was a solution to the growing labor unrest. Many businesses wanted muscular enforcers available at the factories and mines to watch their employees closely (Geringer, 2008). In 1861, when he was investigating a railway case he discovered an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln. The conspirators were intended to kill Lincoln during a stop at Baltimore on the way to his inauguration. Pinkerton warned Lincoln of the threat and he passed through that city at night secretly. Lincoln soon hired Pinkerton to organize a secret service to gather military information during the civil war in the southern states. During this time he hired escaped slaves as spies to the confederates. During the time of the civil war Pinkerton headed a group that was aiding the government with information about their rivals. He also at times acted as Lincoln’s body guard. During the years between 1867 and 1875 he was the head of American secret service during the civil war and he led to the pursuit for frank and Jessie James American outlaws in the state of Missouri (John, 2005). After the civil war Pinkerton went back to the management of his detective agency. When Robert Pinkerton died in 1868 Allan Pinkerton took over the whole management of the detective agency. However a year later he suffered a paralyzing stroke which nearly killed him. He recovered later and went on with the management of the Pinkerton detective agency. Between the year 1873 and 1876, one of his agents managed to obtain the secured evidences that had led to the breaking up of the coal miners’ organization in Pennsylvania who were thought to engage in terrorism. This led to the execution of twenty people members by the court. In 1877 they went on strikes that led to much criticism of the Pinkerton detective agency harsh policies towards the labor unions. The criticism was done in circles though Pinkerton was assertive that he was helping workers by opposing the labor unions. Allan Pinkerton died in 1884, and the agency was taken over by his sons William and Robert who continued the agency’s movement from detective work to security and protection. Improved police departments and other private agencies at this time had begun to impinge on Pinkerton’s business. Allan’s sons continued with the company’s expansion, investigations of mafia activities, unions, robberies and insurance claims. They also provided protection to various public events. During the labor unrests he hired guards to keep strikers and their unionists away from the factories. Most noted was the 1892 homestead strike where the Pinkerton agents ended up killing several people. The Pinkerton Detective agency often supplied men to break strikes. During this year 1892, the amalgamated iron and steel workers union invited its members at a homestead plant owned by Andrew and Henry. The strikers were waiting for them and they had a battle all the day long which resulted to the death of seven Pinkerton’s agents and nine workers. This gave the agency a bad publicity (Gale, 2000). Allan Pinkerton II gained control of the company in 1923. He continued with the expansion of the business due to increasing bank robberies which was facilitated by automobile. In 1930 he also died and Robert Pinkerton II took control of the agency. In 1937 when the Wagner Act by the congress was passed it made the investigation of the labor activities illegal. To make up for this loss of the business the Pinkerton Agency focused more on investigation of gambling, especially the horse racing circuit. The 1940s through to 1960s was a time for change for the Pinkerton National detective agency. Their primary service changed to guarding of property. This can be linked partly to the services they offered during the World War II; guarding the war supply plants. In 1965 it was renamed Pinkerton’s incorporated to reflect this shift away from investigation services. In 1967 Edward J. Bednarz became the first non- family member to be a president of the agency. In 1983 Americans Brands purchased the Pinkerton for $162 million. The chairman who took over Robert McGuire had the objective to improve the agency service and increases revenue. His efforts resulted to $11 million loss in sales by 1987. This loss could be partly blamed on the competition by other over 1000 security agencies that had sprung up over the years (Gale, 2000). Thomas Wathen purchased the company from the American Brands in 1988 for $95 million. His goal was to revitalize this firm having revitalized the California Plant Protection to gain its former position of a multi purpose investigation firm. He actively sought the company’s growth through acquisitions. After duration of two years, Pinkerton’s inc. had combined revenue of $605 million. Wathen also expanded the agency reach to other countries including Mexico, Canada and Portugal. In 1991, Pinkerton acquired Business Risk International, a respected investigation, a respected investigation, consulting and business agency. This move brought Pinkerton back into business as a full service security provider. The firm continued to expand throughout the late 1990s, and solidified its position as the world’s biggest security solutions firm (Gale, 2000). In conclusion the Pinkerton detective agency may not have been founded to run this far but the ambitions of the people who ran the company contributed to this sustainability of the company. The good work offered by the company was also needed by many and the target groups who received the services were also well chosen. The natural abilities of Pinkerton were also a great and important aspect of his mission. The choosy way of recruiting the agents contributed a great deal to the success of the company. All these reasons combined with the excellent services they offered made them more successful. Pinkerton was a great man in searching for up coming opportunity which helped him in expanding his businesses and also gain superiority. References Gale Group, (2000): Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. accessmylibrary. com/coms2/summary_0193-13350_ITM Geringer J. , (2008): Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency: We Never Sleep. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/cops_others/pinkerton/1. html John L. Hoh, Jr. (2005): Allan Pinkerton and his Secret Role in the Underground Railroad. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. suite101. com/article. cfm/the_underground_railroad/114256

Tracy Foote Week Three Discussion Questions

David Rivers MKT/421 Tracy Foote Week Three Discussion Questions †¢Select a product with which you are familiar. What stage is this product at in the product life cycle? Provide rationale for your answer. The chose Apples IPhone and currently it is the Maturity phase of the product life cycle. The IPhone is very popular and is often copied or remanufactured to look like and perform the same as the original.Apple is creating new features, products, and apps to allow users to do a lot more than ever before. Based on your knowledge of the product life cycle, what types of changes will occur to this product as it continues through the product life cycle? Apple is going to face tough competition as it tries to hold on to market share and maintain revenue. How will this affect marketing of the product? Once the IPhone it the market it took off like a rocket.The market wanted to get it in the action and flooded the market with so-called smartphones. It is my opinion that Apple will hav e to reduce the price of the phone and better serve the its customers with continued upgrades and apps. †¢Select a product or service. Then, select three different organizations that provide your selected product or service and compare the prices associated with it. What is the difference between the prices among the different organizations?What is the rationale for this difference? The IPhone, the Verizon HTC phone, and the Windows phone are in the ballpark as far as price goes, the difference will be in the plans selected to run each phone. Each of the competitors is trying to build a better mousetrap and price out the competition. However, technology is not cheap and the cost reduction will have to occur somewhere in the manufacturing process for one company to surpass the rest.