Thorntons plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Thorntons plc - Essay Example The stores offer premium and hand-crafted boxed chocolates, hampers, gift boxes, corporate gifts, and seasonal candies. Some of the Thornton shops double as cafes where patrons can get coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. The company sells sweets through its catalog and via its Web site, as well as through retailers. In addition, the company operates coffee shops under the name Caf Thorntons. Thorntons, a UK chain of chocolatiers, has implemented G.O.L.D., a suite of retail management software from Aldata, a leading provider of software solutions for the global retail industry, to support its business growth and forward strategy. In 1911, Joseph William Thornton opened the first Thorntons shop in Sheffield, England. Nearly 100 years later Thorntons plc now has an annual turnover of more than 160million, over 350 own shops and over 200 Franchises. The product ranges now include Ice Cream, Cakes, Biscuits, Chilled Chocolates as well as the more traditional Fudge, Toffee and Chocolates. Historically a manufacturer, Thorntons had built up its business based around production rather retailing. Stores were a later development, during the eighties, and existing systems were developed rather than revamped. Jim McLauchlan, Thorntons Program Manager, explains, "Our ordering ... A selection of Thorntons stores also includes an in-store Caf. The company produces Thorntons-branded products for many retailers including Tesco, and also makes selected own-brand products for Marks & Spencer and Boots. Historically a manufacturer, Thorntons had built up its business based around production rather retailing. Stores were a later development, during the eighties, and existing systems were developed rather than revamped. Thorntons' existing IT infrastructure had therefore been built up over many years and comprised a variety of systems with limited integration between them. Jim McLauchlan, Thorntons Program Manager, explains, "Our ordering system was over 20 years old and had been heavily customized over this time without full supporting documentation, so it became almost impossible to make further modifications. In addition to this, we had a number of unsupported platforms that gave unwanted risk. The third factor was that these systems no longer supported our future strategy. Replenishment was handled manually and was based not on store demand- more on the 'knowledge' of the store manager. Orders were actually phoned through from the stores to a Thorntons telesales team. As a result, Thorntons was unable to react quickly enough, to adjust production to match demand in the stores. For a business that is effectively a fashion retailer, needing to monitor, match and predict trends, the systems gap required urgent attention. Solution Thorntons did not hurry to make a decision, because most vendors it considered did not have systems specifically for a business that was retail, franchise, commercial and manufacturing. The company is currently vertically integrated and has developed different systems to cope with the

Challenge in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Challenge in the Workplace - Essay Example He was quite angry because he had been making calls to our company and had suffered the run around by the people who were assigned to help him. When I received his call and learned of his plight, I looked up his inquiry and discovered that his check was ready but not yet sent out for some reason. I informed him of this problem and assured him that I would call him at the end of the day with an update regarding his claim. Normally, a check release request does not require a personal call follow up with the client. But I decided to make an exception in this case due to extenuating circumstances. After I had contacted the right departments in order to get the check cleared for release, I made sure to get the check into the mailing queue by the end of the day. I then called the client back and informed him that his check was honestly in the mail and gave him the routing number for future reference. The client was pleased with my work and thanked me profusely for helping him out. Needless to say, he was one happy client but I had to suffer the penalty of having to explain my actions to my supervisor. Although I had to accept a written warning attached to my employee file because of my actions, I strongly believe that I did the right thing. In fact, I would not change a single action I took that day if I had to do it all again. After all, company policies are in place to protect the company but do not exist to prevent clients from getting their just dues from the company. If a little manipulation of company policy will not affect the overall company function, then going that extra mile for the client should only serve to give the person a better partnership experience with the company.  

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cosmetic Surgery Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cosmetic Surgery Essay Introduction Nowadays, many men or women are considering to make themselves looks better so decided to have cosmetic surgery. A lot of cosmetic surgery provider advertising their cosmetic skill and benefit of cosmetic surgery to attract more customer. Cosmetic surgery contain positive and negative morality. Question 1 Teleology theory can be defined as moral consequence position, in which moral behaviour means achieving an ethical consequence without concern over the process by which the end result is achieved. Right conduct with teleology means that which in turn promotes the best consequences or perhaps identifiable good (Craig, 1996). Utilitarianism can say by the phase â€Å"the greatest good for the greatest number† (Mill, 1983). From the view of Chris, Chris decided to have nose surgery is moral because acting accordance with happiness. Nonetheless, Chris are appearing upon a low delight. Even though the surgery will bring Chris several happiness but it is something that become endless pursuit. If there is a propensity for Chris into the future out feeling and looking better, than this surgeon did their own job and there is nothing immoral happening. Where the layaway is acceptable and surgeons do not have permit to practice, in pain and annoyance, there is immoral about the particula r action. After the nose surgery operation, Chris perceive that there was some pain and discomfort after the surgery operation within a couple of week. Besides that, Chris having the second operation to correct a minor. After the operation, Chris satisfy with the result and bring Chris happiness. Based on the Chris’s decision to take action on cosmetic surgery, Chris’s mother was fully disagree Chris to having the nose surgery. Because Chris didn’t know what are the risk will occur during the operation. Chris’s mother keep on recall back the story of famous footballer’s wife which who are the one kept going for cosmetic surgery and passed away because of complication after the operation. From the view of Chris’s mother is based on deontology theory. Deontology define since the rightness as well as wrongness of action by evaluation of particular formal properties of act for instance duty, justice as well as respect a great individual’s autonomy (Stahl, 1996). All of the parents will worry about their child by doing some activities to damage or hurting themselves because of this, parents will have the responsible to avoid the activities happen. Even Chris’s mother also tried to persuade Chris do not have cosmetic surgery i s because Chris’s mother worrying about Chris will have any danger during the operation. In the other way, Kantian ethics believe that consequence could never make right or wrong because an action may bring the happiness but still might be wrong. Because of the prominent nose was bring Chris unhappiness and dissatisfaction so Chris decide to have nose surgery for the beauty and seeking happiness. Question 2 Archie B Carroll said that the definition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has four type of classification which include economic responsibility, legal responsibility, ethical responsibility and discretionary responsibility (Carroll, 1979). These four type of expectations reflect a view of social responsibility that related to some in the definitions made available earlier although that categorizes the social responsibilities connected businesses within a more inclusive manner. In order to make the Naturea clinic be more profitable, the Naturea clinic have to maintain a strong competitive position in surgery industry. Therefore, the Naturea clinic have to maintain a high level of operational efficiency by providing the best service quality to fulfill customer need and make sure the customer satisfied with the result after the surgery. Naturea clinic employees had been training to help them proceed within a cautions along with measured method, but the employees are being chivv ied with the management team to become more energetic and market-facing to make the clinic more profitable. In addition, the Naturea clinic should perform in a manner consistent with maximize earning per share. Furthermore, Naturea clinic must obey to the law cause of law is the society’s codification of right and wrong. Clinic have to perform in a manner in keeping with the expectations of government along with the law and it is also important to comply with numerous national and supranational laws and regulation. Other than that, Naturea clinic have to meet the minimum legal requirements by providing goods or services. For example, a qualified surgeons provide face or body plastic surgery to satisfy customer need. The rules and regulation for Naturea clinic by not doing illegal activities such as providing fake information about the cosmetics surgery, cheating customer by saying do not have any risk occur during the surgery operation. Ethical responsibility encompass those standard, norms, or expectation that reflect a concern for just what consumers, workers, shareholders and the community consider as fair, just or commensurate with the esteem or protection of stakeholders moral legal rights. The Naturea medical team members complain amongst themselves the company has been hijacked by the team of the managers and the medics feel very pressure to hit the targets pertaining to the number and characteristics of operations are expected to perform. The manager of the Naturea clinic should treat their employees fairly, provide training to surgeons to ensure become a qualified surgeon to satisfy customers and do not give them high pressure when performing their work. Ethical responsibility for Naturea clinic is important to prevent ethical norms from being compromised as a way to achieve corporate objectives. Besides that, ethical responsibility could help clinic to recognize which corporate integrity along with ethical behavior go beyond mere compliance with regulations. Lastly, the ethical responsibility also important to Naturea clinic by recognize and also respect fresh or innovating moral ethical norms used by society. Discretionary responsibility almost like philanthropy initiatives try to be good corporate citizen by doing some community activities, charitable work, donation to good causes and providing day-care centers to create a positive image for company (Blowfield and Murray, 2008). The Naturea clinic should do some charity activities such tend to arrange for teams of volunteer physicians carrying medical supplies to complete the mission. Increasingly, these teams also work to improve medical infrastructures and to train personnel. The manager and employees of Naturea clinic participate in voluntary and charitable activities within their local communities. Cause-related marketing (CRM) occurs when a company forms a strategic relationship with a particular social cause that are mutually advantages to all parties (Kolter and Lee, 2005). CRM are advantage to Naturea clinic such as, increasing the clinic population, increasing the brand awareness and services quality, developing good public rela tions and increasing the customer loyalty. And there are advantages for the social cause by increasing in donations through better exposure. Question 3 For some, plastic surgery is an approach to recover an ordinary appearance after a mishap. For other, plastic surgery is an approach to revise saw corrective blemishes. Despite the purpose behind the plastic surgery, there are serious disadvantages that must be considered before having surgery (Holley, 2013). The first disadvantages of having surgery is medicals risks. Plastic surgery, in the same way as any surgery, convey a danger of medical complications, including death. The absolute most regular dangers connected with plastic surgery are serve bleeding, infection and nerve damage that may lead to dumbness, tissue death, fluid collecting around the site (seroma) and wounding in the range. Blood clusters can profound vein thrombosis are likewise complications of plastic surgery. The second disadvantages of having surgery is about the appearance. Unsightly scarring is also disadvantage of plastic surgery. With these scar, which are called hypertrophic scars, are thick and red. Wounding and swelling for a period of time after the surgery are frequently hard to cover up, particularly when the work was carried out in the facial area. Besides that, Ptosis or drooping and sagging in the surgical area, might be another disadvantage. Furthermore, some of the patients find that the result of the procedure are not what they anticipated. The next disadvantage is cost of the plastic surgery. Numerous plastic surgery procedures are costly. As indicated by American Society for Aesthetic plastic surgery, microdermabrasion was the least expensive procedure which costs an average of $139 per procedure and the most expensive with a costs of $7,976 is a lower body lift. Besides that, there are some fees also will be calculated when considering the costs of plastic surgery which is surgeon fees, hospital fees and anesthesia fees, along with lost wages and medication costs. Cosmetic surgery tourism can be defined as the motion of the patients from one location to another to carry out â€Å"aesthetic† medical procedure, which is the growing area of medical tourism (Reisman, 2010). Some of the activities like sunbathing, drinking alcohol, jet skiing and swimming should be avoided after surgery said by the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) (ASPS, 2008). The disadvantage of cosmetic surgery tourism is that impossible for the patient to meet up the doctors to operate on the patient before travelling, it is required to have a talk with doctor or surgeon to know detail of the surgery and the effect of travelling for operation. Many patient lack of knowledge about the problem of cosmetic surgery oversea. An accident or bad cosmetic surgery can occur. For example, Elliott (2004) reported that a patient had liposuction on her legs and the surgery so radical that the patient leg badly dimpled and require more fat to fill them out. All cosmetic surgery possible present the dangers to patient or tourist health. Some of patient face extra language and culture barrier that obstruct communication with physicians and nurses (Casanova, 2007). When post-operative individual decide in tourism activities will raise the chances of undesirable results and complications. Question 4 From my opinion, I felt that the advertising of cosmetic surgery by clinics such as Naturea should be banned. As of now, cosmetic surgery supplier are free to promote their services without any restriction on content. The advertisement heedlessly trivialize invasive surgical procedures that consist of inherent heath risk. Every people have their own definition of beauty. Genuine beauty lie in your individuality, if one of the boy or girl consider as ugly but they have a good personality which mean there is still have people find them because they are attractive. But the cosmetic surgery trend has misdirect the people into imaging that looks are generally vital. They may duplicate their idols’ looks so they can like themselves and be acknowledge in general. This would be bad for the society. We should respect our parents because our looks are a present from our parents, if we have cosmetic surgery and changed our looks are considered as cheating. Besides that, some of the adver tisement show that cosmetic surgery do not contain any risk and guarantee that the surgeons is a qualified surgeons and have their own license. All of the advertisement is tried to cheat customer and actually cosmetic surgery involves risk such medical risk. Some of the surgeons might not have a license or unqualified surgeons, if you having cosmetic surgery from the surgeons that do not have license and not a qualified surgeons and the end result is not what you expected, you would not be able to do anything on it. Currently, people have no choice, but still exposed the aggressive marketing plot of some cosmetic clinics, whether in the public, social media such as internet, magazines or advertising on TV. Because of these, the advertising will affect everyone that already considering to have the surgery. Conclusion As a conclusion, cosmetic surgery can satisfy what customer need and also will damage to the customer after the surgery. If cosmetic surgery fulfill the happiness of the customer then the action of the surgeon is moral. And there are four responsibility in corporate social responsibility which include economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibility. There is also a disadvantage of having cosmetic surgery and cosmetic surgery tourism. (1946 word) References ASPS, (2008), Warnings of ASPS, [Online] Available from:http://www.plastisurgery.org> [Accessed: 7 April 2015] Archie B. Carroll. (1979). The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 4, No.4 (Oct., 1979), pp. 497-505 Blowfield, M., Murray, A. (2008). Corporate Responsibility: a critical introduction, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK Craig, E. (1998).Encyclopedia of Philosophy. London and New York: Routledge. Casanova, E. (2007) The Whole Package: Exploring Cosmetic Surgery Tourism, [Online] Available from:http://www.allacademicresearch.com> [Accessed: 6 April 2015] Elliott, J. (2004) Do not Rush into Cosmetic Surgery, [Online] Available from:http://www.bbc.co.uk> [Accessed: 6 April 2015] Holley, Casey. ’Disadvantages of Plastic Surgery | LIVESTRONG.COM’. LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 2013 [Online] Available from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/23750-disadvantages-plastic-surgery/> [Accessed: 5 April 2015] Kotler, P. Lee, N. (2005). Corporate Social Responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause Wiley Publications, New Jersey, USA Mill, John Stuart. The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill. Gen. Ed. John M. Robson. 33vols. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1963-91. Reisman, D. (2010) Health Tourism: Social Welfare through International Trade. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Stahl DA. Ethics in subacute care—part1. Nurs Manage. 1996;27(9):29-30. Thomas MCElhenney â€Å"The Ethical Issues behind Cosmetic Plastic Surgery. [Online] Available from :http://parenethical.com/phil140sp11/2011/03/07/thomas-mcelhenney-the-ethical-issues-behind-cosmetic-plastic-surgery-and-how-js-mill-and-immanuel-kant-would-view-it/> [Accessed: 8 April 2015]

The Character of Hagar in The Stone Angel Essay -- Stone Angel

The Character of Hagar in The Stone Angel Death is a subject that everyone fears because they associate death with their end and not a new beginning. In The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence, Hagar is no different. When she faces the reality of the implications of growing old she is faced with a journey, not one of her choice but one of destiny. Through her journey Hagar goes through the five different stages leading up towards death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. The novel demonstrates each of Hagar's steps along the difficult journey of death which is frightening and intimidating but also inevitable. When Hagar is first faced with the truth that she is getting old and not going to be around much longer, her first reaction is one of denial. Hagar cannot believe that this is happening to her. In her mind she more or less associates death as a horrible nightmare of which she will eventually wake up and everything will be a dream and life will return back to normal. Hagar's denial can be seen when she describes herself: "Because I cannot remember doing it nor yet recall definitely not doing it...I become flustered" (Laurence, 30). Hagar's greatest difficulty is that her memory is failing her and this infuriates her more than anything else but it also allows her to create an illusion that everything will be fine. Hagar makes herself believe that this cannot be happening: "Then, terribly, I perceive the tears, my own they must be although they have sprung so unbidden I feel they are like the incontinent wetness of the infirm. Trickling, they taunt down my face. I dismiss them, blaspheme against them - let them be gone. But I have spoken and they are still there" (Laurence, 31). Haga... ...s woman, Hagar, who is determined to leave the world dependent on no one. Hagar does not want anyone to feel pity for her, mourn her or worry about her journey. Hagar accomplishes her goal, even though in the process she has to shatter her illusion and accept the harsh facts about life and reality. In the final scene, the reader obtains the message that Hagar has reached her independence when she holds the glass of water. As a result she can leave the world peacefully knowing that in the end she succeeded in freeing herself of any help. Hagar bravely survived her last moments with her heart and the reward of satisfaction. The reader, with the help of the author, can relate to Hagar's struggle through her journey, sympathizing with her, feeling her pain and keeping a part of her with them. Works Cited: Laurence, Margaret. The Stone Angel. New York: Knopf, 1964

London by William Blake and Composed upon Westminster Bridge bt William Wordsworth Essay

The Revolution in France coincided with the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution of England. During this period the rich became richer, the poor became even poorer, and major towns or cities became over crowded. The thoughts and feelings of the people living throughout the country at this time, often were expressed in poetic form. Two such poems set around the same time and both set in London are â€Å"London†, by William Blake and William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.† â€Å"London† is written nine years before â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge†, and tells of the suffering of the people of London. A uniform and exact feeling is sensed in the opening two lines of the poem, as both streets and the Thames are described as being â€Å"chartered† and something which is chartered is very exact and has a definite and set outline. The next two lines ending the first stanza tell of weakness and woe in every face Blake meets, meaning there is sadness and regret along with vulnerability sensed by him as he passes people along his journey. The first two lines of the second stanza read of the cry of both men and infants. The reason why infants cry is because they cannot say what is hurting or annoying them. Therefore we are led to realise that the suffering felt by the adults of London or of ‘Man’ as it were, is so intense that even they cannot verbalise it and so they cry out. Ending the second stanza we read that the poet hears â€Å"mind-forg’d manacles†. These are forms of fears, enforced into the minds of people, holding them back from doing or saying certain things. We are told these fears are found â€Å"in every person’s voice, in every ban†, meaning that these common fears are sensed by the poet, in every person he encounters. The opening lines of the third stanza again tells of crying and also now of admonition. In this case the chimney-sweeper’s cry is heard. In those days chimney-sweepers were young children forced to go out to work by their families. They did very difficult and pain staking work for very little money – it shows their pain and suffering in doing so. Condemnation comes from the church. The religious leaders are appalled at the fact of this, yet the poet describes the church as â€Å"blackening†, giving us the impression of an unpleasant ‘refuge’ which turns a blind eye on the suffering of the sweeps. The closing two lines of the third stanza reads of a â€Å"hapless soldier’s sigh run in blood down the Palace walls.† This conveys to us that the hopelessness felt by soldiers is stemming from the fact that their welfare is not considered by those in charge. The soldier is sent to war by a ruler who cares little for him. The first three lines of the final stanza tells us that the majority of noise heard comes from â€Å"youthful Harlot’s curses/ [which] blasts the new born Infant’s tear†. This means that a lot of the noise heard during the night comes from young prostitutes shouting at young babies to be quiet because they are crying. An uncomfortable and unsettling mix is created through the contrast of these young women who sell their bodies for sex, yelling at young, fearful and unadulterated infants. The final line is an ominous one containing the statement â€Å"And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse†. The fact that we are told of how the prostitutes are â€Å"blighting† with â€Å"plagues† the â€Å"Marriage hearse† is significant – Marriage usually means a life just starting out with someone else, this contrasts with a hearse which carries coffins and so is usually linked with death and hence symbolises the end of a life. The curse and words associated with disease give us a sense that sexually transmitted diseases are quickly spreading and they are readily killing all of society. Overall Blake takes a negative and strict viewing point of London which echoes the great suffering of the day. Another poem, set in London and written just nine years after â€Å"London† offers a contrasting tone to Blake’s. It is William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge†. â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† is a similar poem to â€Å"London† as the poet is the one travelling through the London it describes, yet the poems contrast greatly. Wordsworth opens with an emphatic statement, praising London as he says it surpasses anything on the earth. In the second and third line Wordsworth makes the statement: â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by/A sight so touching in its majesty:† which means one would have to be ‘dead inside’ if he/she couldn’t appreciate such beauty. The fact that Wordsworth uses the word â€Å"majesty† offers a regal sense, a regal beauty – giving us the idea of just how grand and magnificent this city actually is. This contrasts well with the disease ridden city described by Blake, using such words as plague and blight, giving the city an altogether unsettling atmosphere. In the fourth line Wordsworth starts out by giving the word â€Å"City† a capital letter, which stresses just how important the city actually is. Wordsworth then goes on to tell us how â€Å"like a garment [it] wears/The beauty of the morning†. Like a garment is a simile, and in this case Wordsworth uses clothing imagery to convey to us his point. The fact that he links this with the beauty of the morning suggests to us that this beauty â€Å"fits well† with the city. The ending of the fifth line flows into the sixth line and tells of a silent beauty of all of the man made things found in a city. A complete contrast to this, are the two references made by Blake of â€Å"Man’s† creations telling us of â€Å"black’ning† churches and blood-stained Palaces. A disturbing and unpleasant contrast to the silent beauty implied by Wordsworth. The next line tells of how these buildings merge seamlessly with nature; â€Å"Open unto the fields, and to the sky;† As this links directly with the previous line of the silent beauty of the city’s buildings, Wordsworth is connecting man and Nature; the city is at one with Nature’s wanders, at one with God. Blake makes no reference linking both man and Nature, in fact we are given but one reference to nature and that is of the â€Å"chartered Thames†, due to the fact of this we can only infer that Blake is trying communicate to us in fact the great over industrialised ‘hell’ London really is, and just how much Nature has been destroyed in order to create this city. Wordsworth ends this section by telling us in line eight of the scene as â€Å"All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.† conveying to us Wordsworth’s thoughts that London is very clean, very sparkling, beautiful and new. . In lines nine and ten Wordsworth makes another emphatic statement, literally exclaiming that at no other time has the sun, not even since creation, made the landscape more beautiful than currently in London. â€Å"Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!† shows of Wordsworth’s great surprise of just how beautiful London is. He cannot believe what he’s seeing and so is very moved. This again differentiates with Blake’s views on London. He tells of a common fear sensed within all people he met, that they are ill at ease and afraid to go freely around this ‘great’ city. Which can only mean that London may not have been this great and calm city described by Wordsworth. The last lines in the poem are descriptive of the landscape and line twelve sees Wordsworth expressing the freedom felt by Nature: â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will†. This contrasts greatly with the limits and restraints conveyed to us through the description of the Thames as being â€Å"chartered†. Suggesting to us the restraints put upon Nature, immobilising it from flourishing due to man’s greed for industry and money. Wordsworth ends his poem exclaiming that it is so quiet and tranquil that even the houses â€Å"seem asleep†. The last line of the poem sets up London as being the ‘heart’ of Great Britain, London is the thing which enables Great Britain to work correctly: â€Å"And all that mighty heart is lying still.† We really sense Wordsworth’s surprise at finding this essential life force so still and at rest. This is the complete opposite to Blake’s bustling, overcrowded and disease ridden city. The nights are filled with young â€Å"harlot’s† swearing at screaming babies, while they’re out trying to earn a bit of money from sell in themselves for sex while. And all the time aiding to the destruction of society due to the spreading of disease. On the whole, undoubtedly my favourite poem is William Blake’s â€Å"London†. I feel Blake’s poem far surpasses Wordsworth’s as Blake offers to us a more realistic and altogether poignant atmosphere to Wordsworth’s happy and â€Å"perfect† city. I feel that his use of language and style of writing expresses well the perception of London during the course of industrialisation as being an overpopulated and disease ridden â€Å"hell†.

Panera Bread Business Strategies Essay

â€Å"Thirty years ago, Ron Shaich set out to change the world by changing the way America eats. He’s done that with not one, but two successful restaurant brands. By co-founding Au Bon Pain, Co. Inc. and founding Pan-era Bread, Shaich shook up the industry by offering an antithesis to fast food – hand made, artisan food served in warm and welcoming environments by people you can trust. †(KANAI, 2012) This quote describes how Shaich and colleagues started to create their cafe bakery and change the way Americans eat. Pan-era was the first to come out with the calories on the menu board to ensure that Americans were aware of how healthy Pan-era was and the intention to re maim forthcoming about what was in the food we eat. Shaich and his colleagues did not follow the six step process they focused on the four areas food, setting, customers, and the workforce which made sense for capitalism. Shaich also thrived to make sure the customers and employees were well taken care of because they also played a big role in the success of Pan-era and lets not forget to acknowledge the community and their involvement in the success. Conscious Capitalism is an expression of how Shaich has found success in the restaurant industry if the whole society and corporate society would think of themselves as a corporation things would be better for everyone. Shaich is able to offer a word of advice if you were to get involved with conscious capitalism â€Å"Believe in yourself and why you got into it. Believe in those things that attracted you to the industry which makes a big difference in the lives of our guests. (ROMEO, 2012) For many years Pan-era has focused on the principal of conscious capitalism or what they like to call â€Å" enlightened -self interest† in two ways by delivering value to customers, vendors , employees, investors, and the community and to focus on a higher purpose above and beyond short term results. Meaning providing our customers with the artisan bread , delicious and nutritional food on a daily basis. Then Shaich and all his colleagues wanted to know how to challenge conscious capitalism and they figured out somethings that they are already doing like donating the day old bread to homeless.

treatise essays

treatise essays Daekwon the chef and Rza Shogun, Sergio Suarez, Sylvia Lin, Anne-Sophie Young A Treatise on the Value of Economic Indicators The US Economy and Economic Indicators The United States economy is the strongest and the most affluent in the world. Besides having the highest GDP (Gross Domestic Product), the United States has a complex system of regulating economic policy and controlling the money supply. The system also regulates banks and financial institutions, and even has a central bank (Federal Reserve Bank) that decides on significant issues, such as raising interest rates. There are many economic indicators that affect the economy such as the CPI, which is the measure of prices at the consumer level for a fixed basket of goods and services, and the unemployment rate. Other indicators include the GDP, which measures the dollar value of all the goods and services of a nation, retail sales, and the consumer confidence index (CCI). The CPI is the measure of inflation, and is released every month by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices are collected in 85 cities across the country on thousands of different products and services from establishments of all kinds. It reflects prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation fares, charges for doctors and dentists service, drugs, and all sorts of other goods and services that people buy for day-to-day living. The CPI is used by the Federal Reserve to analyze the data and act accordingly to the interpretation of it. For example, on May 19, 1999, the Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates for now but are debating to raise interest rates in the near future because the CPI increased seven-tenths of a percent, the highest in eight and a half years. There are two types of CPI. The CPI-U relates to the urban workers, and accounts for about 80% of the civilian population. The CPI-W relates to the wage earners, and accounts for about 40% of the population . The C...

Free Essays on Names In Tristan

Gottfried Von Strassburg makes the story really interesting by making the characters’ names according to their positions in the story and their characteristics. There is a pattern to which Strassburg works with. This makes it very simple to understand who stand on which side of the scheme. However there are different patterns as to how the loved ones and the enemies are named due to diverse ways of naming each group. Strassburg makes a great intention by categorizing the characters in the story. Strassburg was very particular in choosing the names of Tristan’s fathers, enemies and lovers. The two fathers of Tristan both have similar names, which start with the letter ‘R’. It is also very compelling that Tristan’s enemies, Morald, Morgan, Melot, and Menjodoc’s names all start with the letter ‘M’. There is also the case of all of Tristan’s lovers names are Isolde. I personally like the idea of approaching the name like he do es because it helps the audience to know a little bit more about the characteristics of the person as they read and personally it helped me to characterize them by name. Tristan has two fathers who are Rivalin, and Ruel. Out of the two one is the biological parent, and the other is the foster parent of Tristan. Ruel, the foster parent of Tristan had taken him for adoption because Rivalin died shortly before Tristan was born. Rivalin was killed in a battle by Morgan, an enemy of Tristan and his father. Both fathers shared the same characteristics of how to deal with certain situations. Rivalin, and Ruel were both ideal and bold, and very good educators. With either parent Tristan could have been as talented as with the other parent, speaking many languages, playing different instruments, and being a good knight as he is. In my opinion Ruel was better father because he loved Tristan, and cared for him like he would for his own son Isolde is arranged to marry king Mark, Tristan’s uncle who is t... Free Essays on Names In Tristan Free Essays on Names In Tristan Gottfried Von Strassburg makes the story really interesting by making the characters’ names according to their positions in the story and their characteristics. There is a pattern to which Strassburg works with. This makes it very simple to understand who stand on which side of the scheme. However there are different patterns as to how the loved ones and the enemies are named due to diverse ways of naming each group. Strassburg makes a great intention by categorizing the characters in the story. Strassburg was very particular in choosing the names of Tristan’s fathers, enemies and lovers. The two fathers of Tristan both have similar names, which start with the letter ‘R’. It is also very compelling that Tristan’s enemies, Morald, Morgan, Melot, and Menjodoc’s names all start with the letter ‘M’. There is also the case of all of Tristan’s lovers names are Isolde. I personally like the idea of approaching the name like he do es because it helps the audience to know a little bit more about the characteristics of the person as they read and personally it helped me to characterize them by name. Tristan has two fathers who are Rivalin, and Ruel. Out of the two one is the biological parent, and the other is the foster parent of Tristan. Ruel, the foster parent of Tristan had taken him for adoption because Rivalin died shortly before Tristan was born. Rivalin was killed in a battle by Morgan, an enemy of Tristan and his father. Both fathers shared the same characteristics of how to deal with certain situations. Rivalin, and Ruel were both ideal and bold, and very good educators. With either parent Tristan could have been as talented as with the other parent, speaking many languages, playing different instruments, and being a good knight as he is. In my opinion Ruel was better father because he loved Tristan, and cared for him like he would for his own son Isolde is arranged to marry king Mark, Tristan’s uncle who is t...

A Definition of Regular Education

A Definition of Regular Education Regular Education  is the term often used to describe the educational experience of typically developing children. The content of this curriculum is defined in most states by state standards, many which have adopted the Common Core State Standards. These standards define the academic skills that students should acquire at each grade level.  This is the Free and Appropriate Public Education  against which the program of a student who receives special education is evaluated. General Education is used interchangeably with regular education but is preferred. It is better to speak of general education students as opposed to regular education students. Regular implies that special education students are irregular, or somehow flawed. Once again, General Education is the curriculum designed for all children which are meant to meet state standards, or if adopted, the Common Core State Standards.  The General Education program is also the program which the states annual test, required by NCLB (No Child Left Behind,) is designed to evaluate.   Regular Education and Special Education IEPs and Regular Education: To provide FAPE for special education students, IEP goals should be aligned with the Common Core State Standards.  In other words, they should show that a student is being taught to the standards.  In some cases, with children whose disabilities are severe, IEPs will reflect a more functional program, which will be very loosely aligned with the Common Core State Standards, rather than directly linked to specific grade level standards.  These students are most often in self-contained programs.  They are also the most likely to be part of the three percent of students allowed to take an alternate test. Unless students are in the most restrictive environments, they will spend some time in the regular education environment.  Often, children in self-contained programs will participate in specials such as physical education, art, and music with students in the regular or general education programs.  When assessing the amount of time spent in regular education (part of the IEP report) time spent with typical students in the lunchroom and on the playground for recess is also credited as time in the general education environment.   Testing Until more states eliminate testing, participation in high stakes state tests aligned to the standards is required of special education students.  This is meant to reflect how the students perform alongside their regular education peers.  States are also permitted to require that students with severe disabilities are offered an alternate assessment, which should address the state standards.  These are required by Federal Law, in the ESEA (Elementary and Secondary education act) and IDEIA.  Only 1 percent of all students are allowed to take an alternate test, and this should represent 3 percent of all students receiving special education services. Examples: A statement in an IEP: John spends 28 hours each week in a regular education third-grade classroom with his typical peers where he receives instruction in social studies and science.

Business to Business Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business to Business Marketing - Term Paper Example The paper tells that the Business to Business marketing is rigidly structured in nature, i.e. it is less flexible in comparison to the Business to Consumer market. As the consumers, in this context, are business people having higher bargaining power, the company who is involved in this section needs to put more effort to attract the customers. To attract the customers, personal selling is more preferable rather than advertisement in this type of marketing, as the organizations rarely pay attention to the advertisement. The customers in this context are mostly organizations themselves and tend to know the very marketing trick which stands as one of the reasons to avoid advertisement. Here, the intermediates have no role to play as it mostly involve with direct selling or direct channels to its customers. It is worth mentioning here that relationship made with the customers is usually long lasting and very complex in nature which plays a significant role in the Business to Business mar keting. Competition level experienced is high in this process due to which the organizations dealing with Business to Business operations attempt in establishing effective and interdependent relationship with its customers so as to secure its position in the market. Goods which are produced for Business to Business marketing are very different from those goods which are produced for general consumers in the market. This is because the need of the goods and the customers themselves are very different in both the cases, but the intention remains same i.e. selling the products and attaining significant customer satisfaction. Various ways are being followed for the purpose of classifying these types of goods (Brennan & et. al., 2010). They are as follows: Entering Goods In this context, finished goods of one organization tend to become raw material of other organization. For instance, aluminum can be used by the company, which is producing electronic products, as raw materials (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, finish goods of one company is the raw material of the other which are necessary as the resources used by the later organization to manufacture its product. Foundation Goods Foundation goods are those goods which are used by other organizations (customers) as a support for making their own goods. This includes goods which are installed or used as accessories by the other organization, such as car producing company uses tyre manufactured by other companies (Brennan & et. al., 2010). Here, tyre has not been used as the raw materials but the part of the finished goods as a much necessary substance. Facilitating Goods Goods which are purchased by the company with an intention to achieve its goals and objectives are known as facilitating goods. These goods are not used in manufacturing purpose by the purchasing company. For instance, BPO

The korean War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The korean War - Essay Example Member states were called on to deploy military aid, and this was followed by the first US troops landing in South Korea. The Korean conflict lasted for three years until a truce and agreement was reached in 1953 Based on the literature I have read with regards to this subject and my logical interpretation of the events preceding and following the Korean conflict, I am convinced that Truman was totally justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties. MacArthur (as recognized by many scholars) was a fighting man; he did not know how to quit and even viewed a stalemate as a loss (Halberstam, 2007). I cannot fault General MacArthur for his reasoning, but the time was very wrong for an international nuclear war considering that it had been only 5 years since the end of World War II. I therefore believe that Truman was totally justified in relieving General MacArthur of his duties and hence promoting the greater

Theories and Models of Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theories and Models of Communication - Essay Example The hypothesis of communication assists individuals in comprehending this phrase, since communication involves analysis of facts to deduce the meaning. Failure to evaluate these facts of information might lead to failing to deduce the correct interpretation. This way this hypothesis assists in analyzing information. For instance, it is easy to discern someone’s intentions; by the way, they speak. Lack of these visible signs might imply otherwise (Griffith, p.10). Mass media describe all media technologies utilized to reach an enormous audience through mass communication. Mass media also describes the institutions which manage these technologies, for instance, television stations, as well as publishing companies. An exemplar of mass media includes broadcast media, which describes the electronic transmission of information via television, radio, as well as CDs and DVDs. In addition, broadcast media involves other devices such as cameras, as well as video consoles. Another exemplar is print media, which involves utilization of a physical object as a way of transferring information. Other print media include brochures and pamphlets among others (Igor, p.10). The mass medium is an extremely powerful tool which significantly influences peoples’ ways of existence. It is extremely influential in that the images or information media displays have the capacity to foster stereotypes, products, alter cultures among others. For instance, in many countries, the dress code displayed by media is usually adopted by the youngsters. Media particularly Internet media is also readily available and affords a massive outreach. It can be utilized in varied parts of the globe concurrently and cost-effectively. This portrays the influence of media. 4 Semiotics involves the study of symbols, as well as sign systems. Semiotics also entails indication, description, metaphor, similarity among others. The fundamental component of meaning is the symbol. It is anything that can characterize an idea. It also includes studying the organization and meaning of lingo. The significant elements of any semiotic include content, as well as expression (Littlejohn and Foss, p. 23). Rhetorical evaluation assists in looking into

Mexican History Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexican History - Term Paper Example Of course, the Spaniards’ military superiority is well documented. Moctezuma’s warriors were bewildered by the firepower Cortes’ men brought to bear and the Aztec population was decimated by the smallpox pandemic. It all happened with shocking speed: Cortes made landfall at the Gulf of Mexico in 1519; two years later, he and his men entered the smoking ruins of Tenochtitlan, masters of Mexico.1 In so short a time, the Aztec empire was completely shattered. â€Å"Conquered by Cortes, the Indians of central Mexico had to come to terms with a radically new society.†2 What would follow was a cauldron of ethnic, social and political change. The conquest of the Aztecs was the great drama that raised the curtain on Mexico’s colonial epoch. The Spaniards had adroitly forged alliances among the peoples of Central Mexico, yet these fared little better than their Aztec victims. The Tarascans, among others, benefited in the short term from the conquest of Tenoc htitlan, but they were no more impervious to the ravages of smallpox than their ancient oppressors. They didn’t have long to wait before discovering that the Spanish, who had promised so much, were to become their new oppressors. 2 The first Audiencia, established by decree in 1527, established a pattern of corruption that would become a hallmark of the Spanish occupation. It was also illustrative of the struggle between church and government over a number of issues, not the least of which was the treatment of the natives. Juan de Zumarraga, first bishop of Mexico, wrote a letter to King Charles V of Spain complaining of the depredations committed by the administration of Nuno de Guzman. Zumarraga’s letter addressed everything from illegal land grabs to outright murder. He writes that since the Audiencia was established, â€Å"they have declared vacant many and very good encomiendas of Indians, more than thirty of them, either by exiling those who held them, or by con fiscation†3 Zumarraga proceeded to list the encomiendas the Audiencia itself had bestowed on the native population. It got worse: Zumarraga went on to list breathtakingly immoral behavior by Guzman and his cronies. On one occasion, â€Å"the lords of Tlateloco of this city came to me weeping so bitterly that I was struck with pity for them; and they complained to me saying that the president and oidores were demanding of them their good-looking daughters, sisters, and female relatives.†4 Things had gotten so bad, Zumarraga reported, that an Audiencia official demanded that the Indians provide what amounted to a personal harem for Guzman. The president had also wasted little time engaging in a slave trade at the expense of the natives. Zumarraga reached the end of his rope when the Audiencia forced him to desist from acting in the capacity of defender of Indian rights. Eventually, Zumarraga’s complaints and the opposition of Guzman’s 3 political enemies, su ch as Cortes, were enough to convince the authorities of Guzman’s guilt. In 1538, he was arrested for treason and for abusing the government’s subjected Indian populations. One may question the veracity of some of Zumarraga’s charges, but there can be no doubt that Guzman and the oidores of the Audiencia had been told to treat the natives with respect and

Complimentary and alternative medicine in nursing Essay

Complimentary and alternative medicine in nursing - Essay Example Most conventional teaching curriculums in nursing schools do not cover alternative and complementary. This creates a discord in the practice since nurses lack adequate information on the use of the various complementary and alternative medicine. The report, therefore, argues for the need for incorporation of the medicine in the curriculum to improve the productivity of nurses. Nurses are important people in the dispensation of health care services. Nurses handle patients and often give advice to patients either in the course of their treatment or during discharge. Patients rely on their nurses for a number of factors key among which is the decision of the type of medicine to use in the treatment of particular diseases. However, nurses learn how to use conventional medicine a feature that makes complementary and alternative medicine a contentious issue in the practice. The discord that arises in the existence of the two types of medicine thus makes it important for colleges and universities among other institutions that train nurses to expand their curriculum in order to equip nurses with holistic information that enhances their suitability in the practice. Complementary medicine just as the name suggests is a type of drug that works concurrently with the conventional drugs. While chemotherapy is the conventional mode of treating cancer, a patient may decide to use marijuana or may decide to go through acupuncture that alleviate anxiety and vomiting and nausea all of which are side effects of the process. Alternative medicines, on the other hand, are a non-conventional medicine that functions as the conventional medicine. The lack of such medicines in the curricula of nursing school is a fundamental policy issue in the modern society. As shown in the above example, some patients often consider marijuana as a complementary medicine. The fact that marijuana is illegal according to the federal government

Comparative character analysis Research Proposal

Comparative character analysis - Research Proposal Example The reason for Paul and Dave’s sense of entrapment stems from their lack of social and economic power. While Paul was born to a middle-class worker who had â€Å"a worthy ambition to come up in the world†, Dave was condemned to the life of a farm laborer. Disillusioned by their surroundings, both of them felt the need to salvage their situation. Whereas Paul thought money could transform his identity, Dave was misled to believe that owning a gun could help him earn respect. Though both Paul and Dave share a common goal - to rise above their ordinary existence, they end up adopting different means to achieve it. Whereas Dave sweet talks his mother into giving him the two dollars required to buy the gun, Paul does something drastic – he steals one thousand dollars. These different actions cast both of them in different lights. The reader finds Dave childish in his strategy for getting a gun. â€Å"Mebbe Ma will lemme buy one when she gits mah pay from ol man Hawkins,† Dave speculates, sounding every bit a boy as he resolves, â€Å"Ahma beg her t gimme some money.† After he procures the gun, he is mighty careful in hiding it. Later, when he is overcome by the desire to hold it, he makes sure that he is safe and he plows â€Å"two whole rows before he decide[s] to take out the gun† . He then casts careful glances in all directions and then after being sure that he is not being watched, carefully unfastens the gun from his leg, a nd proudly flashes it before the mule: â€Å"Know whut this is, Jenny? Naw, yuh wouldn know! Yuhs jusa ol mule! Anyhow, this is a gun, n it kin shoot, by Gawd!† . He promptly then issues a warning to Jenny: â€Å"When Ah pull this ol trigger, Ah don wan yuh t runnacka fool now!†. It is an irony that he tells Jenny exactly what he should be paying heed to. The silly words that Dave utters, only amuses the reader and they instantly

Complimentary and alternative medicine in nursing Essay

Complimentary and alternative medicine in nursing - Essay Example Most conventional teaching curriculums in nursing schools do not cover alternative and complementary. This creates a discord in the practice since nurses lack adequate information on the use of the various complementary and alternative medicine. The report, therefore, argues for the need for incorporation of the medicine in the curriculum to improve the productivity of nurses. Nurses are important people in the dispensation of health care services. Nurses handle patients and often give advice to patients either in the course of their treatment or during discharge. Patients rely on their nurses for a number of factors key among which is the decision of the type of medicine to use in the treatment of particular diseases. However, nurses learn how to use conventional medicine a feature that makes complementary and alternative medicine a contentious issue in the practice. The discord that arises in the existence of the two types of medicine thus makes it important for colleges and universities among other institutions that train nurses to expand their curriculum in order to equip nurses with holistic information that enhances their suitability in the practice. Complementary medicine just as the name suggests is a type of drug that works concurrently with the conventional drugs. While chemotherapy is the conventional mode of treating cancer, a patient may decide to use marijuana or may decide to go through acupuncture that alleviate anxiety and vomiting and nausea all of which are side effects of the process. Alternative medicines, on the other hand, are a non-conventional medicine that functions as the conventional medicine. The lack of such medicines in the curricula of nursing school is a fundamental policy issue in the modern society. As shown in the above example, some patients often consider marijuana as a complementary medicine. The fact that marijuana is illegal according to the federal government

The Problem and its Origin Essay Example for Free

The Problem and its Origin Essay There was a time in the 20th century when the primary source of income of the people in the United States was farming. It was also during that time when the government provided economic security to the extended families. This lasted for years until they experienced Great Depression which diminished the lifetime savings of the aged and at the same time reduced the gainful employment opportunities. This was the reason why they experienced national crisis and it was because of this issue that the Social Security develop programs to address the issue. (http://waysandmeans. house. gov/media/pdf/greenbook2003/Section1. pdf) To address this problem, the Federal government granted loans to the state people and the loans were paid through direct relief or work relief. With this, the government came up with programs for emergency relief and public works. The president of the state submitted a proposal to the congress about an insurance program. This law included the establishment of two insurance programs – the Federal System of old age which was intended to help the retirees who had once been employed in the industry and commerce and the Federal State System which intended to address unemployment insurance issues. The law which was enacted by the federal government served as a supplement to the incomes of the state people who were not eligible for Social Security Survival Insurance. There was a time in the past when over 33 million people were covered by the Social Security system. Though coverage was obligatory for most of the workers, there were still about 6. 5 million workers who did not enjoy the coverage under Social Security in 2002. It was not until 1990 when the credit was replaced with a newer system which was intended to be fair between the employed and the self-employed individuals. Under this new system, there was an adjustment of the SECA tax to reflect that employees do not pay FICA taxes on the employer’s portion. Additionally, it was also specified in the system that self-employed workers were given the chance to deduct half of their SECA taxes for income tax purposes. The outline below shows those workers who were exempted from FICA and SECA taxes: (http://waysandmeans. house. gov/media/pdf/greenbook2003/Section1. pdf) o State and local government workers o Election workers o Ministers o Federal workers o College students o Household workers o Self-employed workers. The congress had required long-term estimates of the balance of the program and they had also set tax rates to ensure that the income of the program was sufficient enough to cover its outgo. The long-range projections of the system were affected by three factors – demographic factors, economic factors and factors related to Social Security programs. In their 1988 report, the trustees used an alternative method to determine their actuarial balance. This method computed the actuarial balance as the difference between the present value of income and costs for the period, which is then divided by the present value of the taxable payroll for the period. Normally, the trustees based their conclusion on the on the â€Å"closeness† of the income and cost-rates. In the long run, the projections of the trustees started troubling. For quite a number of years, the report have always projected long-term financing problems and this report had continued to show a near-term buildup of trust fund reserves and the forecast for the next 75 years. The interest which was paid to the trust funds was a way to make the fund increase until it reaches $7. 5 trillion in 2027. However, the trustees had estimated that by 2028, the fund would be insufficient to pay all benefits when all is due. It had been observed that the social security system had continuously come to a worse situation. The congress even attempted to help eliminate the long-run problem. Projections were made and that showed that Congress had stemmed the red ink for the next 75 years. However, this situation did not represent the condition of the entire period. Since 1983, the averaging period had continually deficit one (1) year at the back end and at the front end continued to drop a surplus. This had caused the condition to worsen even more. The evaluation of the income and the outgo was based on measuring the period in reaching a conclusion of whether close actuarial balance existed, in which there was a deviation from the amount. In order to meet the test of financial adequacy, the balance at the first 10-year segment must be at least 100% of the annual expenditure. This condition must be consistent with the 10-year segment of close actuarial balance. However, under these measures, the trustees made a conclusion in 2003 that the system was not as close as the actuarial balance over the long-run. There had been a deficit in between the summarized income and cost rates for about 1. 92% of the total taxable payroll. The chart below shows the social security trust funds’ end of year balances from 2003 to 2042. The projections was not based on a pessimistic assumptions but this hinge on the demographic factors which were based on the post-WWII baby boom and the general aging society. Social Welfare Policy To address this issue, Social Security implemented policies for the members to enjoy. The benefits given by the Social Security were paid to workers and to their dependents should the worker worked long enough to cover employment to be insured. There was a certain measurement used for insured status. The social security uses lifetime record of earnings which was reported under the worker’s social security number and then counting the number of quarters which were considered as covered credits. There was a time when one credit was earned for each calendar quarter. In which, the worker was paid %50 in wages for covered employment, or just received $100 for self-employed individuals. However, a worker also received a credit for each multiple of $100 in an annual earning; the total number of credits must not exceed by four though. There are two types of insured status – fully insured and currently insured. For fully insured workers, they must have a total credits which is equal to one credit for each year after dependents reach the age of 21 up to the year before they reach 62; became disabled or died, whichever came first. The fully insured status is required for the eligibility for all types of benefits. Regardless of the age of the worker, he must have a total of at least 6 credits to be fully insured. If the total number of credits of the workers reaches 40, he is insured for life. For disability insurance, workers must have a total of at least 20 credits during the 40-quarter period in which they became disabled. However, if workers are insured before the age of 31, they are immediately covered by disability insurance. In general, disability is defined to be incapable of gaining substantial activity. The impairment must be medically proven and is expected to last for not less than 12 months so workers can avail the benefits. For workers who are at least 62 years old, they are now eligible for retirement benefits. For the family of the workers, they also get to enjoy other benefits. The following summarizes the benefits that each member of the family can get: (http://waysandmeans. house. gov/media/pdf/greenbook2003/Section1. pdf) †¢ Spouse benefits – the spouse can get monthly benefit which is paid to him/her under the following conditions: (1) a currently-married spouse must be at least 62 and who is caring for more than one of the worker’s entitled children who are disabled or who have not reach the age of 16 and (2) a divorced, not married spouse of at least 62 years old. The marriage of the divorced spouse should have lasted for 10 years. The divorced spouse was entitled of the worker’s retirement. †¢ Widow(er) benefits – a monthly pay is given to a widow(er) should the widow(er) had not been married and must either be 60 years old or older or the age range is between 50 and 59 and is disabled throughout the waiting period of 5 consecutive months. †¢ Child’s benefit – the child receives a monthly benefit should the child had not been married, the child is biological or adopted and a step child or grandchild of a retiree. The child must be below 18 years old and must be a full-time elementary or secondary student who is below 19 years old. †¢ Mother’s/Father’s benefit – the mother/father of the retiree or survivor gets monthly benefit if: (1) the worker’s benefit was fully or currently insured at time of death and (2) neither the father nor the mother of the deceased worker was not married and must have one or more entitled children of the worker under his/her care. This benefit continues until the youngest child of the worker is below 16 years old and/or disabled. †¢ Parent’s benefit – a monthly survivor benefit is given to the parents of the worker should the parent have not been married or is 62 years old or older. The parents must have received half of the support from the worker at the time of the worker’s death. †¢ Lump-sum death benefit – an amount of $255 is payable upon the death of a fully- or currently-insured worker to the surviving spouse who was living with the deceased worker. If the worker has no spouse, the lump-sum benefit is paid to the child of the worker. In cases where the worker had neither spouse nor children, the lump-sum amount is not given. When beneficiaries whose income is above a certain threshold, they are then required to include a portion of their benefit to the Social Security Benefits in their federally taxable income.

The Main Forces Promoting Globalization Economics Essay

The Main Forces Promoting Globalization Economics Essay Karl Marx wrote in the 1848 in the Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei (The Communist Manifesto) that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾in place of the old local and national seclusion and self sufficiency we have exchanges in every direction, leading to the universal interdependence of nations. Therefore, we can conclude that globalization as a force for economic, political and social change is not a new phenomenon. In this essay I will extract what were the driving forces of globalization at the end of the 20th and 19th century and compare them to reach a conclusion of whether these two centuries experienced the same type of globalization. To start with, there are disputes amongst academics on what globalization really is. Globalization is a historically complex term and itself it could be a huge topic of global discussion and many articles. However, I will firstly give two definitions of this phenomenon in order to make it clearer to understand how important is the subject of this essay. Therefore, globalization isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies to a degree never witnessed before-in a way that is enabling individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the world farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before . . . . the spread of free-market capitalism to virtually every country in the world (T.L. Friedman, (1990) The Lexus and the Olive Tree, p. 7-8). Andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The historical transformation constituted by the sum of particular forms and instances of . . . . making or being made global (i) by the active dissemination of practices, values, technology and other human products throughout the globe (ii) when global practices and so on exercise an increasing influence over peoples lives (iii) when the globe serves as a focus for, or a premise in shaping, human activities (M. Albrow, (1996) The Global Age, p. 88). As we have now acquired the formal definition of globalization, lets outline what were the sources of globalization in the late 20th century. One of the main causes behind globalization in the 20th century was technological innovation. Quickly changing technologies used in transport and communications continued to disband the barriers of time and distance that were making long range relationships between countries more difficult. In the 20th century, the most important technological innovations that changed international relations were the jet-plane, satellites and the World Wide Web. For example, this means that between 1930 to 1990, average air transport revenue per passenger mile fell from $0.68 to $0.11 (in 1990 dollars) and the cost of 3-minutes call from New York to London fell from $244.65 to $3.32 (and the total volume of international telephone calls more than doubled in just six years during the 1990s, from 33 billion minutes in 1990 to 70 billion minutes in 1996). Next factor of globalization at the end of the 20th century were decreasing trade barriers, lower tariffs and fewer non-tariff trade barriers. For example, by 2000, the average tariffs of developed countries were 3.8%, while developing countries average tariffs were 12.3%. Moreover, a rising population in less-developed and prosperous areas frequently has triggered emigration to areas of economic prospect and the need for energy and industrial raw materials to help developed economies also affected the globalization process by promoting greater flow of goods (and therefore enhanced the interdependence of international economies). Finally, leadership has also contributed to the movement of globalization in the late 20th century. Had the United States (as the worlds leading economic and military power in the 20th century) not committed its public policy to promote an open international economic system, it is probable that the globalization process would have taken a different course an d not necessarily an advantageous one. What is more, the end of the 20th century experienced the rise of new markets that set off globalization which led to the international trade in goods and services figuring up to more than $7 trillion this represents more than $1000 per person which is an astounding figure. But, what was really new was the spectacular rise of a global capital market. This made it relatively easy for anyone with capital to trade anytime and everyday with almost every country of the world. For instance, in 1998, around $1.5 trillion exchanged hands on the worlds currency markets every day. Furthermore, by analysing the 19th century globalization, ORourke and Williamson highlighted the outcomes of the fall in transportation costs. In their opinion, the major fall in transportation costs (firstly lowered by the steamboat, and then lowered even more by the railroads) was the main factor in interconnecting distant markets; the decline in international transport costs after the middle of the century was enormous. When academics analyse this period, they tend to ignore the decline in transportation costs and focus instead on tariffs and international trade. However, tariffs in the world economy did not fall until World War I and therefore the globalization that appeared in the late 19th century cannot be qualified as a consequence of a more liberal trade policy. As a result, the decline in transport costs alone contributed greatly to commodity market integration across the Atlantic economies. What is more, the reasoning above seems controversial to the advocates of the argument that the primary factor driving market integration during the late 19th century was trade policy. Still, although the result of Englands move to free trade did contribute to a more closer market integration, by the end of the 19th century, only few European economies stood firmly in the free trade camp. The commodity prices continued to reduce across distant Atlantic economies during these years and this further shows the relative importance of falling transport costs. Just as the decrease in transport costs expanded commodity market integration, according to Jeffrey Williamson mass migrations also helped to bring about greater wage convergence in the Atlantic economies in the late 19th century. Immigration led to the movement from the labour-full countries of the Old Europe to the labour-limited countries of the New World, and this adjusted wages accordingly (high wages in the New World began to d ecrease and the low wages in the European countries began to increase). The convergence was everywhere in the late 19th century Atlantic economy, as wages and living standards in Europe began to catch up with the wages in the New World countries. In addition, we can also talk about the involvement of technology (e.g. the telegraph), financial institutions (the gold standard), and politics (the relative international political and economic harmony) which have led to capital integration. Lastly, capitalism  has  been  another influence on globalization. In the late 1850s, Karl Marx estimated in 1859 in his Grundrisse der Kritik der Politischen Ekonomie (A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy) that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾capital by its nature drives beyond every spatial barrier to conquer the whole Earth for its market. Global markets of the 19th century offered opportunity to increase profits through higher volumes of sale. In addition, larger production supplied global markets with the assurance of increased profits as a result of the economies of scale. Capitalists admired globalization because it allowed production facilities to be located in places where costs are lowest and earnings greatest. As we can now comprehend, both globalization of the 19th century and the 20th century are rather similar. The main factor behind this phenomenon in these periods was the fall in transport costs. In the 19th century it were the steamboat and rail whereas in the late 20th century it were the plane, satellites and the Internet that reduced the costs of transportation and communication, leading to global interconnection. Also, migration has been a major factor leading to globalization when wages around the world were adjusted. Capitalism has proved to promote the globalization phenomenon in the 19th century as an innovative economic system and in the 20th century, by being a world wide theory of wealth it has done it again. What seems to be the only major difference between the processes of globalization in both centuries is the protective practices of the 19th century countries with only few of them promoting free trade and the late 20th century interdependent world trade market. Howeve r, in the former case, protectionism has proved to be counter-globalizing whereas free-trade policy in the latter case was seen as one of the reasons for globalization. Therefore, although todays globalization that stated in the 20th century differs from the one of the 1800s, the driving forces were more or less the same in both cases.

The Role of Wiglaf in Beowulf Essay -- Beowulf Wiglaf Essays

The Role of Wiglaf in Beowulf Seemingly minor character Wiglaf plays a central role in the conclusion of Beowulf. A young knight who has never before seen battle, Wiglaf steps forward to help his lord, hero, and cousin Beowulf in a time of peril. With his failure in battle and resulting death, the narrator shows that Beowulf is, after all, a prideful and mortal being; thus begins the transfer of heroic status from the old king to the young knight. The narrator argues that Wiglaf is worthy of his abruptly acquired status even though his intentions may seem questionable. The end of the poem devotes a significant amount of lines to dialogue spoken by Wiglaf, signifying his newly crucial role in his kingdom and in the story. Inevitably, the noble youth progresses to a position of epic heroism, continuing Beowulf’s legacy and fulfilling his figurative role as the â€Å"treasure†¦won,/ bought and paid for by Beowulf’s death† (2843-2844). Beowulf’s strength fails him for the first time when he confronts the dragon. As he loses the futile battle that he pridefully insists on fighting alone, the narrative breaks from Beowulf’s peril and focuses on Wiglaf. With â€Å"wise and fluent words,† (2632) Wiglaf delivers a monologue in the poem rivaled in length and power by Beowulf alone. Clearly, Wiglaf has something profound to add to the story as the narrator spends considerable time quoting his sentiments while Beowulf is trying to slay an angry dragon in the background. Like the knight in The Wanderer, Wiglaf recounts the happy days in the mead hall with longing, and wishes to serve his lord with all his strength. Without Beowulf, the knights would be displaced, lonely, and without purpose. To inspire his comra... ...m â€Å"big and brave† (2837). Wiglaf has truly lived up to the poet’s and to Beowulf’s expectations. Upon Beowulf’s death, he says, â€Å"I give thanks / that I behold this treasure here in front of me, / that I have been allowed to leave my people / so well endowed† (2795-2798). As most of the gold ends up burning on the king’s funeral pyre, it is likely that the treasure Beowulf speaks of is Wiglaf, himself. The young knight has proven his abilities and will certainly serve his people well. The poet explains that â€Å"the treasure had been won, / bought and paid for by Beowulf’s death† (2843-2844). Wiglaf rises to the most significant role in the poem, as he achieves a level of heroism matched only by Beowulf in his younger years. He proves to be the treasure that compensates the king’s death, filling the resulting void in his kingdom and in the narrative.

Abortion: A Woman Has the Right to Choose Essay -- Argumentative Essay,

Abortion Introduction Abortion has become the common focus of diverse and influential debate in various societies, especially the U.S. One of the most confrontational topics argued is whether or not abortion is morally ethical. More than forty percent of all women will terminate their pregnancy by abortion at some point in their reproductive lives (Stacey OL). In spite of disagreement by many people, abortion is one of the most widespread medical procedures performed in the United States every single year. Eventhough abortion is opposed by many people, it should stay legal, because it is the right of a women to control herself or her body (Swomley, 1991). Pre-choice Abortion Abortion controversy can be broken down into two groups; those who oppose abortion and call themselves pro-life, and those who support abortion rights and consider themselves pro-choice. In 1916,the first family planning and birth control center in the United States was opened by Margaret Sanger. Fifty-seven years later in 1973, the Supreme Court of the U.S lined abortion legal during early stages of pregnancy to protect potential life in later stages, during case of Roe vs. Wade. Regardless of the court's ruling, abortion protests have grown from sidewalk picketing to clinic blockades, harassment of clinic workers and patients, vandalism, and even bombing, in the past thirty years. A fertilized ovum is less than the thickness of one human hair. It cannot be contemplated as the "baby". As thought upon by many people of humankind, it is outrageous to pretend that aborting the zygote or embryo is the same as "killing the baby", as pro-life movement emphasizes (Bettencourt, 1991). One of biggest arguments regarding the issue of abortion is whether or not l... ...hild later in life will decrease (Wattleton, 1991). Luckily, today in society, everyone is allowed to decide for themselves whether something is morally correct or incorrect. Ultimately, everyone is entitled to their own choices. Women should be permitted to resume choosing their personal preferences when it comes down to their bodies and reproductive lives. The advantages of abortion outweigh shortcomings. The case of Roe vs. Wade has assisted development of boundaries to conclude legal rights of the mother and the fetus. Although the pro-life and pro-choice group of persons are found, but there is nothing known as pro-abortion. While no one particularly wishes to end wonders of life, abortion guarantees protection and legal rights of women. Although abortion is opposed by many people, it should remain legal, as it is the woman's right to control her own body.

How Does the UPS Tracking System Work?

How Does the UPS Tracking System Work? Posted by The Fox on March 8, 2012 UPS is one of the largest mail shipment companies in the world. Every day, UPS handles and delivers nearly 15 million letters, parcels, and boxes to individuals and companies in well over two hundred countries all over the world. It is simply amazing how such an international giant manages to track and transport such a large amount of mail. Following is an overview of how the UPS tracking system works. When a person delivers a parcel to the UPS, a bar code is attached to the parcel.The employees loading the parcels onto a truck or airplane all have bar code scanners, as do all UPS drivers. Those handling the parcel simply have to scan it to see where it came from and where it is going. When a parcel is scanned, the information regarding the parcel’s location is immediately updated on the UPS website. This is the reason why a person can see the step-by-step progression of where his or her package is at th e moment. If the package is being sent less than 200 miles from the sender, then it is sent by truck. If the distance the package must travel is more than 200 miles, it is sent by plane.Each time the package is loaded or unloaded, it is scanned. Packages that are transported by plane are all automatically sent to Worldport, the UPS sorting facility in Kentucky. Workers in this facility only handle the package once or twice; the rest of the time, the package is tracked by machine. Sorters sort packages according to size and shape and ensure that the bar code on any given package is facing upwards. Scanners above the conveyor belts are then able to sort the packages according to destination. Is the UPS Tracking System Efficient?It has been estimated that 9% of all packages handled by UPS are either lost or delivered late. However, it should be noted that not all late deliveries are the UPS’ fault. Packages being shipped internationally will not reach their destination on time i f all the pertinent forms have not been filled out. If the recipient of the package is not available to receive the package, then the delivery will naturally be late. In such an instance, the delivery van would have to bring the package back at a later time, or the recipient would have to go to the nearest UPS center and pick up the package in person.Considering how many billions of packages the UPS transports every single year, the company’s system is surprisingly efficient. Billions of packages reach their destination on time every single year. While the UPS tracking system is not perfect, it is top of the line and one reason why UPS is the preferred shipping company of millions of people all over the world. While UPS has an efficient website that lets customers know where each package is at any given point in time, those who ship numerous packages on a regular basis may want to take advantage of the Package Fox sorting system.This system enables one to see all of his or he r packages in transit at the same time. Best of all, Package Fox will also help one to see at a glance if a package is lost, delayed, or has arrived late. If the UPS is at fault for the package arriving late or not at all, then Package Fox will help the client get the refund that is his or her due. The UPS is a highly efficient shipping service with a top of the line tracking system that enables it to track and ship parcels all over the world. The bar code on each box allows UPS employees to accurately determine where each envelope, parcel, and box is meant to go.This information is instantly uploaded to the UPS website so that a customer can see where the package is at any point in time. However, this system is not perfect and sometimes a parcel or box may get lost in the mail or arrive later than it is meant to. This is one reason why having Package Fox is such a good idea. Package Fox will not only make it easy to track multiple UPS shipments but also help one get a refund for a late or lost shipment. What are the input, processing and output of UPS package tracking system?Input: The inputs include package information, customer signature, pickup, delivery, time-card data, current location (while en route), and billing and customer clearance documentation. Delivery Information Acquisition Device (DIAD) is used to capture all the information about the package from the customer. Again, bar code devices are used throughout the delivery process to collect useful information about the package. UPS also collects information from its website. This website provides customers the facility to input their packageas details (destination, origin, shipment date, weight, size etc. , desired freight media (by air, by vehicle etc. ) and freight service to determine shipping rates and time in transit. Processing: Data collected from DIAD is uploaded to the to the UPS network, called UPSnet, for primary storing. Then all the data are transmitted to a central computer and store d for retrieval. Bar code equipments also send data about the package to the central computer for immediate processing. Data are also reorganized so that they can be tracked by customer account, date, driver, and other criteria. Output: Output occurs when all these information

Olaudah Equiano: a Narrator of Persuasion

In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah Equiano skillfully represents the equal capabilities of nobility and intelligence from the African people forced into slavery. While his writing is steeped with a high acumen and earnestness, there is also a lingering sense of withholding that comes forth to the modern reader. Between the time of Equiano's tribulations and the time he penned his narrative, it was not the belief of the majority of Americans and Europeans that such slavery was wrong or evil–obvious by its long-standing practice.While our society today is much more privy to the certain horrors that occurred during the era of slavery, the people of this time were not so enlightened or understanding. This narrative was ever so delicate in order to make the readers accept the imminent need for emancipation of slaves. While his subject matter is a necessary base to his argument of equality for slaves, the true means of persuasion come from his tone and understanding of how exactly to address the white readership at the time of publication.His narrative is painstakingly tactful in the execution of such a tale during such a time. Equiano administers small doses of his hardships, tempered with his lightened, distanced recall, as well as his accounted fondness of the kind few he met throughout his journeys. By this systematic manner of narration, this piece works harder at being a persuasive work rather than a blunt historical account. The first thing to consider when reading this narrative is the calmness that constantly prevails in Equiano's tone.He keeps a rather composed demeanor in relation to the tumultuous events he describes. For example, when he explains the process of the buying market, he writes: â€Å"On a signal given (as the beat of a drum), the buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined, and make choice of the parcel they like best. † (1231). Instead of giving in completely with the emoti onal charge such a scene would produce, he removes himself to continue an unruffled tone. He sets the scene with this sentence before further developing the horrors in order to ease the reader into it.The use of the word â€Å"parcel† within this analogy puts him at a distance from the situation which further enables a calmer tone. Calm–yet the comparison of the slaves to â€Å"parcels† is still gripping by its reduction of people to mere idea of a package or item nonetheless. By extracting himself and explaining from a removed point of view, he can relate the events in an easier manner for the edification of the reader. As he continues with the explanation of the buyers market, he renders an almost clinical tone in order to suppress an all too emotional or frenzied retelling.He later states, â€Å"In this manner, without scruple, are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each other again. † (1231). For such a terrifying thing, he rem ains short and to the point. Equiano does not over indulge in describing these events he experienced, but delivers them in a balance of composure for the palpability of the reader. While his tone enables the reader to take in his story without being overwhelmed with the harshness of his tale, he also continually addresses the reader personally, which imbues a deeper connection between author and reader.Equiano spends a deal relaying background information as to his own personal roots and heritage in order to impart a further sense of himself to the reader. Immediately after doing so, he states, â€Å"I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience in introducing myself to him, with some account of the manners and customs of my country. † (1222). He takes great care in endearing himself to the reader in order to enhance their reception of him, especially as he is in the delicate position of being a representation of the slave population as well.In his effort s of persuasion, his image is of the utmost importance to his cause, therefore such declarations are helpful. Within such small statements he delivers and air of compassion and conscientiousness towards the reader. He later addresses the reader once again when he finally receives the document expressing his freedom: â€Å"As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full length. † (1238). Here he shows the reader how earnestly he wishes them to know all that he has to share.This direct dialect towards the readers invites them to be a participant of his narrative by actively considering their thoughts and feelings. Equiano is very astute in making these requests to the reader because it fosters a feeling of connection to the material and a relation to the author. The more he succeeds in fortifying the bond between author and reader, the more he succeeds in ultimately persuading them to see how important it is that others like himself be free from such painful events. The most clever action Equiano employs in his narrative is his told exclusion.As he lays out the horrors he suffered during his passage across seas– stench, sickness, starvation, abuse, deaths–the vision becomes very terrifying and depressing. Today, it is known that these instances are only superficial to the true extent of the horrors on these slave ships, but such matters were far too delicate to publish at the time, and many people would most likely have rejected such a story as a fallacy. Equiano writes, â€Å"In this manner we continued to undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are inseparable from this accursed trade. † (1230).While it seems like a simple statement, it works on the minds of the readers in a way that is fulfilling to Equiano's objective. He leaves out the greater hardships, yes, but he lets the reader know that he did, and warns them that they were ultimately worse than they could handle. Much like in a movie when a scene cuts from something scandalizing, the implication is enough to stir the viewer. Equiano employs this same device in his narrative. After telling in detail the more superficial horrors, he delivers an image to the reader that is enough to offset them without turning them away, but they still do not fully understand at this point.Insinuating there is far more instills an uncomfortable nagging within the reader as to what exactly Equiano is leaving out. Equiano also assuages the reader by including white individuals of heroic character that he encountered. The element of race is of course very strong within such a text. Here, an emancipated African is addressing a large white readership about his struggles against his white oppressors–nothing short of sensitive. By showing his lack of bias towards race, but appreciation for character, he develops an sense of neutrality that is inviting for the readers.The reader's first encounter with a very upright white character is Richard Baker. In Equiano's description of him, he writes, â€Å"He was a native of America, had received an excellent education, and was the most amiable temper. † (1233). These are all characteristics that many readers would perhaps use in their own descriptions most likely, making him a relatable figure. His dynamic changes when Equiano later describes their relationship: â€Å"Soon after I went on board, he showed me a great deal of partiality and attention, and in return I grew extremely fond of him.We at length became inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use to me, and was my constant companion. † The relationship of these two men was not just of distant appreciation, but he says they were companions. He portrays to the reader an honest, mutually rewarding friendship between a white man and a black man. This was not exactly a conventional friendship of the time, and he goes to describe their interactions with one another, between education, and the trials they faced aboard the ship where they would cling to each other when in fear.Richard Baker is not portrayed as one who elevated himself above Equiano, but treated him like an equal. His characterization is one to be admired by readers. When Richard dies, he continues his description of him while relating the sadness of his loss: â€Å". . . I lost at once a kind interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and instructor of . . . a slave! † (1233).In this statement, he shows the reader a tie between his nature and his morals; he was a noble person who did not accept belittling or segregating blacks into a category outside his own humanity. Richard Baker is a very imp ortant character to the objective of Equiano because he serves as a template for the readers to aspire to. Another important white character is Robert King, the one who allows Equiano to finally purchase his freedom. With Robert, it is not as much his character that is the focus, but his very vital action which draws admiration.When Equiano finally brings Robert the forty pounds sterling for his freedom, he writes â€Å"My master then said he would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to me. † (1237). This is a very indispensable part of Equiano's story because it is the very apex on which his struggling as one who is owned is overturned. Robert gains nobility in securing a way for Equiano to gain such freedom. Through Robert King's actions, the reader can see how monumental giving a slave their freedom can be.Equiano persevered through a great deal to accomplish this masterful narrative. What comes forth is a work of cunning that is highly thoughtful in its persuasiveness. As can be seen, he is very systematic in his way of pulling the readers into his narrative. He allows the reader to wade into his heartbreaking story by guiding them with a calm tone, then endears himself by establishing a personal dialect. The usual author to reader relationship is brought to a human to human level. Equiano's shrewdness in knowing what should be shared and what to leave as implications for the reader to administer their own imagination to.By this discernment he delivers a novel that works accordingly with the sensitivity of the time. He delivers relatable characters to the white readership that establish not only a further way to connect to the story, but also an example of conduct and treatment white people should extend to the black people and slaves. While the story is important to showing the readers how horrible the forced life and trading of slaves is, it is his technique and devices of narrating that deliver this from a story of tribulation to a motivator for change. Olaudah Equiano: a Narrator of Persuasion In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Olaudah Equiano skillfully represents the equal capabilities of nobility and intelligence from the African people forced into slavery. While his writing is steeped with a high acumen and earnestness, there is also a lingering sense of withholding that comes forth to the modern reader. Between the time of Equiano's tribulations and the time he penned his narrative, it was not the belief of the majority of Americans and Europeans that such slavery was wrong or evil–obvious by its long-standing practice.While our society today is much more privy to the certain horrors that occurred during the era of slavery, the people of this time were not so enlightened or understanding. This narrative was ever so delicate in order to make the readers accept the imminent need for emancipation of slaves. While his subject matter is a necessary base to his argument of equality for slaves, the true means of persuasion come from his tone and understanding of how exactly to address the white readership at the time of publication.His narrative is painstakingly tactful in the execution of such a tale during such a time. Equiano administers small doses of his hardships, tempered with his lightened, distanced recall, as well as his accounted fondness of the kind few he met throughout his journeys. By this systematic manner of narration, this piece works harder at being a persuasive work rather than a blunt historical account. The first thing to consider when reading this narrative is the calmness that constantly prevails in Equiano's tone.He keeps a rather composed demeanor in relation to the tumultuous events he describes. For example, when he explains the process of the buying market, he writes: â€Å"On a signal given (as the beat of a drum), the buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined, and make choice of the parcel they like best. † (1231). Instead of giving in completely with the emoti onal charge such a scene would produce, he removes himself to continue an unruffled tone. He sets the scene with this sentence before further developing the horrors in order to ease the reader into it.The use of the word â€Å"parcel† within this analogy puts him at a distance from the situation which further enables a calmer tone. Calm–yet the comparison of the slaves to â€Å"parcels† is still gripping by its reduction of people to mere idea of a package or item nonetheless. By extracting himself and explaining from a removed point of view, he can relate the events in an easier manner for the edification of the reader. As he continues with the explanation of the buyers market, he renders an almost clinical tone in order to suppress an all too emotional or frenzied retelling.He later states, â€Å"In this manner, without scruple, are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each other again. † (1231). For such a terrifying thing, he rem ains short and to the point. Equiano does not over indulge in describing these events he experienced, but delivers them in a balance of composure for the palpability of the reader. While his tone enables the reader to take in his story without being overwhelmed with the harshness of his tale, he also continually addresses the reader personally, which imbues a deeper connection between author and reader.Equiano spends a deal relaying background information as to his own personal roots and heritage in order to impart a further sense of himself to the reader. Immediately after doing so, he states, â€Å"I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience in introducing myself to him, with some account of the manners and customs of my country. † (1222). He takes great care in endearing himself to the reader in order to enhance their reception of him, especially as he is in the delicate position of being a representation of the slave population as well.In his effort s of persuasion, his image is of the utmost importance to his cause, therefore such declarations are helpful. Within such small statements he delivers and air of compassion and conscientiousness towards the reader. He later addresses the reader once again when he finally receives the document expressing his freedom: â€Å"As the form of my manumission has something peculiar in it, and expresses the absolute power and dominion one man claims over his fellow, I shall beg leave to present it before my readers at full length. † (1238). Here he shows the reader how earnestly he wishes them to know all that he has to share.This direct dialect towards the readers invites them to be a participant of his narrative by actively considering their thoughts and feelings. Equiano is very astute in making these requests to the reader because it fosters a feeling of connection to the material and a relation to the author. The more he succeeds in fortifying the bond between author and reader, the more he succeeds in ultimately persuading them to see how important it is that others like himself be free from such painful events. The most clever action Equiano employs in his narrative is his told exclusion.As he lays out the horrors he suffered during his passage across seas– stench, sickness, starvation, abuse, deaths–the vision becomes very terrifying and depressing. Today, it is known that these instances are only superficial to the true extent of the horrors on these slave ships, but such matters were far too delicate to publish at the time, and many people would most likely have rejected such a story as a fallacy. Equiano writes, â€Å"In this manner we continued to undergo more hardships than I can now relate, hardships which are inseparable from this accursed trade. † (1230).While it seems like a simple statement, it works on the minds of the readers in a way that is fulfilling to Equiano's objective. He leaves out the greater hardships, yes, but he lets the reader know that he did, and warns them that they were ultimately worse than they could handle. Much like in a movie when a scene cuts from something scandalizing, the implication is enough to stir the viewer. Equiano employs this same device in his narrative. After telling in detail the more superficial horrors, he delivers an image to the reader that is enough to offset them without turning them away, but they still do not fully understand at this point.Insinuating there is far more instills an uncomfortable nagging within the reader as to what exactly Equiano is leaving out. Equiano also assuages the reader by including white individuals of heroic character that he encountered. The element of race is of course very strong within such a text. Here, an emancipated African is addressing a large white readership about his struggles against his white oppressors–nothing short of sensitive. By showing his lack of bias towards race, but appreciation for character, he develops an sense of neutrality that is inviting for the readers.The reader's first encounter with a very upright white character is Richard Baker. In Equiano's description of him, he writes, â€Å"He was a native of America, had received an excellent education, and was the most amiable temper. † (1233). These are all characteristics that many readers would perhaps use in their own descriptions most likely, making him a relatable figure. His dynamic changes when Equiano later describes their relationship: â€Å"Soon after I went on board, he showed me a great deal of partiality and attention, and in return I grew extremely fond of him.We at length became inseparable; and, for the space of two years, he was of very great use to me, and was my constant companion. † The relationship of these two men was not just of distant appreciation, but he says they were companions. He portrays to the reader an honest, mutually rewarding friendship between a white man and a black man. This was not exactly a conventional friendship of the time, and he goes to describe their interactions with one another, between education, and the trials they faced aboard the ship where they would cling to each other when in fear.Richard Baker is not portrayed as one who elevated himself above Equiano, but treated him like an equal. His characterization is one to be admired by readers. When Richard dies, he continues his description of him while relating the sadness of his loss: â€Å". . . I lost at once a kind interpreter, an agreeable companion, and a faithful friend; who, at the age of fifteen, discovered a mind superior to prejudice; and who was not ashamed to notice, to associate with, and to be the friend and instructor of . . . a slave! † (1233).In this statement, he shows the reader a tie between his nature and his morals; he was a noble person who did not accept belittling or segregating blacks into a category outside his own humanity. Richard Baker is a very imp ortant character to the objective of Equiano because he serves as a template for the readers to aspire to. Another important white character is Robert King, the one who allows Equiano to finally purchase his freedom. With Robert, it is not as much his character that is the focus, but his very vital action which draws admiration.When Equiano finally brings Robert the forty pounds sterling for his freedom, he writes â€Å"My master then said he would not be worse than his promise; and, taking the money, told me to go to the Secretary at the Register Office, and get my manumission drawn up. These words of my master were like a voice from heaven to me. † (1237). This is a very indispensable part of Equiano's story because it is the very apex on which his struggling as one who is owned is overturned. Robert gains nobility in securing a way for Equiano to gain such freedom. Through Robert King's actions, the reader can see how monumental giving a slave their freedom can be.Equiano persevered through a great deal to accomplish this masterful narrative. What comes forth is a work of cunning that is highly thoughtful in its persuasiveness. As can be seen, he is very systematic in his way of pulling the readers into his narrative. He allows the reader to wade into his heartbreaking story by guiding them with a calm tone, then endears himself by establishing a personal dialect. The usual author to reader relationship is brought to a human to human level. Equiano's shrewdness in knowing what should be shared and what to leave as implications for the reader to administer their own imagination to.By this discernment he delivers a novel that works accordingly with the sensitivity of the time. He delivers relatable characters to the white readership that establish not only a further way to connect to the story, but also an example of conduct and treatment white people should extend to the black people and slaves. While the story is important to showing the readers how horrible the forced life and trading of slaves is, it is his technique and devices of narrating that deliver this from a story of tribulation to a motivator for change.