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I Loved The Village Of Scotland - 3892 Words

I loved the village of Edzell in the beautiful country of Scotland. As you emerge from the path in the woods you become surrounded and enriched in the â€Å"small town feel†. Walking down the main street and looking towards both sides, you are flanked by a multitude of quaint, little shops, each offering their unique business. My favorite shop, was The Tweedie, not only because it was home to the tasty toastie, hangout spot of Ernie, had everything to offer including a cafà ©, an area to shop for apparel, home dà ©cor, and â€Å"little nick nacks†, but also because it was consistently full of locals and created an amazing atmosphere that made me feel as if I was actually part of the Edzell community. However, I soon realized this was the case for all†¦show more content†¦They believe a small shop is defined as follows: †Average’ shop operates as a sole trader, is more than two miles from its nearest competitor, and compete with one or more mobile shops for a limited range of products. The shopkeeper may have taken over the business within the past 5 years and is likely to employ at least two other staff, probably females, on a part-time basis. The shop is open at least 6 and probably 7 days a week and for over 10 hours per day on weekdays. The shopkeeper is unlikely to have taken specialist training but is potentially interested in future courses. The shop stocks a range of everyday products, including general groceries, which represents the highest turnover, and is run in conjunction with a sub post office or other business† (Smith, Andrew Sparks; 42). Furthermore, â€Å"customers use the shop for top up shopping and only a small number of customers are visitors or tourists† (Smith, Andrew Sparks; 42). This is similar to The Tweedie, while it may seem very busy and consistently full, the distinctions listed above qualify it as a small shop. This is the problem when identifying a small shop; although it may feel and look like a small shop, its characteristics may signify that it is not. Unfortunately, â€Å"the general view of the small shop is that it is in decline, unable to compete with multiple retailers and keep up with changing consumerShow MoreRelatedThe Scottish and International Film Industrys Contribution to the Development of Scottish Identity in the Last Part of the Twentieth Century1302 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Development of Scottish Identity in the Last Part of the Twentieth Century When people hear the word Scotland there is, as said by C McArthur (2003:59)Diverse images and narratives right down to particular words and phrases that immediately come into their head. These images may it be of tartan, misty landscapes, bagpipes or castles contribute to how Scotland is portrayed and create what is known as a Scottish identity. There is a continuing debate on whether ScottishRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Selkie Cave 1461 Words   |  6 Pagesshe was the young woman from his dream. Skye loved the dancing and the way she felt as the men’s eyes remained on her. In her young girl’s mind, she understood the power she held over them. She viewed the young dark-haired stranger who watched her with a lustful gleam in his eye. He was a large virile man who possessed a strength about him. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen and he was considerably taller than the men in her village. His jet-black hair was long and hung down hisRead MoreSummary Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1469 Words   |  6 Pagesshe was the young woman from his dream. * Skye loved the dancing and the way she felt as the men’s eyes remained on her. In her young girl’s mind, she understood the power she held over them. She viewed the young dark-haired stranger who watched her with a lustful gleam in his eye. He was a large virile man who possessed a strength about him. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen and he was considerably taller than the men in her village. His jet-black hair was long and hung down his backRead MoreAn Understanding Of One Of The Largest Towns2190 Words   |  9 Pagesreasons why people decide to reside there. Other key factors such as age, diet and nutrition, and employment of Blairgowrie residents will be discussed as well as acknowledging comparisons. Blairgowrie is a picturesque town located in central east Scotland. It is approximately 18 miles from Perth and 19 miles from Dundee. The town welcomes thousands of tourists and visitors to the area each year. Blairgowrie houses various souvenir and antique shops. It also has many cafes, pubs, restaurants, giftRead MoreMy Family Vacation - Original Writing1935 Words   |  8 Pagesfamilies go, mine was what I thought of as normal – whatever normal may mean. We always took our summer family vacations in Durness in the Northwestern Highlands of Scotland. My Seanmhair, Skye Sutherland on my father’s side lived in a converted crofter cottage on the edge of the cliffs above the sea. The cottage is made of the same stone as the low walls near the cottage. I always loved going back each year to my father’s childhood home. The Highlands of Scotland were more than just the 5,333Read MoreWhite Cottage Essay1714 Words   |  7 Pagesfactory workers. Sarah Gledhill w as an exception. She outlived most of her contemporaries. There was some change in that place, but it had happened at such a slow pace as to be imperceptible. Sarah’s home, White Cottage at the moor’s edge above the village, was no longer white. Like other buildings in that setting it was caked with soot from the forest of smoky chimneys, augmented by Outcote Mill’s giant smokestack. No amount of rainfall could wash the buildings clean. 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Mary was born in Scotland at Linlithgow Palace on December 8, 1542. Her father was the king of Scotland, and her mother was from a very well known French family known as the Guise. During the time that Mary was born her father was engaged in a war away from Scotland with the king of England, who had invaded Scotland at the time. In the fights, Mary’s father was defeated, and he felt that the nobles and generals who

Sock Phobia free essay sample

One phobia is the fear of cotton (cotton balls, Q-tips, anything that fells like cotton balls) my other is I must always have socks on my feet unless I’m in the shower or swimming or have flip flops on. If I’m wearing flip flops then I’ll have a pair of socks in my bag to put on in case I take my flip flops off. Over the years this sock phobia has developed for a number of things that I was told and had happen. Most of my family is diabetic, over the years I’ve all ways been told to make sure nothing sharp is dropped on the floor, if it gets stuck in a diabetic’s foot they may not feel it and this can lead to an infection. My dad always has worn socks as a little more protection in case he steps on something. We will write a custom essay sample on Sock Phobia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I’m a daddy’s girl and follow his lead. I’ve also had my foot cut open when I was a little girl playing outside with no socks on. Another reason that this phobia has developed over the years is the fact that I cannot stand the way my feet look. For a long time I would never wear anything but tennis shoes, my big toe on my right foot was not straight it was always bent. I also don’t like that my feet are so dry. I always think that people are looking at my feet and saying to themself â€Å"wow look at her dry feet. † When really there just like everyone else feet. After some time I started wearing flip flops so my toe is no long bent. The finale reason for my phobia is that I cannot stand the fell of carpet or anything else touching my feet. Carpet to me feels like cotton. Also my dogs like to lick my feet so to keep them away I keep socks on. I’ll even go in the grass with socks on. In conclusion the causes that have contributed to my sock phobia are a few different things. My family always is saying to have something on my feet, the precaution to make sure nothing cuts my feet and the feel of something touching my feet other than socks . I believe that these all contribute to my sock phobia.

Summary of Napoleons Buttons Chapter 12 Molecules of Witchcraft free essay sample

Between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, many people died by cruel and horrible deaths of buring at the stake, hanging, or being tortured. The estimates of people killed ranged up to the millions which included men, women, children, and even aristocrats as they were accused of witchcraft. Although, poor and elderly women were the ones effected the most from multitudes of paranoia and delusions in those centuries. However, certain molecules played a role in this discrimination that ultimately led millions to their demise. Toil and Trouble Witchcraft, prior to 1350, was regarded as sorcery where one controls nature in their own interest by protecting crops or people and casting spells to influence or provide. It was accepted in Europe and it was only a crime if sorcery was used to harm. Indolent accusations were avoided because people victims of maleficium were able to seek help from a witch and only become liable for penalty if they were unable to prove their case. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Napoleons Buttons Chapter 12: Molecules of Witchcraft or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In all, witchcraft was just part of folklore. A new attitude emerged around the fourteenth century when Christianity was opposed to magic. It only allowed magic sanctioned by the church and not the ones conducted outside since they believed that witches were in league with the devil. The crime of practicing sorcery became so terrible in the eyes of people that by the mid-fifteenth century, there were no more trials for the witches, but accusations were enough evidence to kill. The deeds that people regarded with witches transgressed rationality, but they were still fervently believed. A large percentage of women were accused as witches since it was believed that whenever disaster stuck, people would exclaimed that women have been working together with demons at a witches gathering. The killings definitely too its toll on both Catholic and Protestant countries as the height of the witch-hunt paranoia left no women in Swiss villages, some regions in Germany had its village population burned. In England and Holland, the accused had to undergo the water test that had them thrown into a pond and if they floated, they were a true which. If they were innocent, it was a comfort to their families, but they still drowned. As the witch-hunt terror gradually faded, the economy was threatened since so many people were accused and killed. When the Age of Enlightenment came, people opposed the madness and the witch-hunts ceased. So, by the eighteenth century, executions for practicing witchcraft came to a halt for the Church and state, but the public werent ready to give up on the fear of witchcraft that built over the centuries. Although many of the women killed were herbalists who were skilled in using local plants to cure diseases and provide pain relief. They were often relied upon for spells or removal of hexes since some of their herbs had healing powers that would seem magical. Although, using the herbal medicine and prescribing them were dangerous because different parts of the plant contain ranging levels of effective compounds, like how plants from different locations can vary in their ability to cure or the different times of year theyre harvested would change how much does they contain. Many plants were beneficial, but there were ones that can have poison depending on their molecules. So, the molecules in these plants may yet brand a herbalist as a witch. Healing Herbs, Harmful Herbs Many plants contain were used to relieve pain and prevent illnesses, like the salicylic acid in willow trees were used for aspirin or how the root of the celery were used to prevent muscle cramps. Also, Digitalis was an extract from the common foxglove and its molecules helped in reducing the heart rate and regularize heart rhythm. It strengthens the heartbeat too. The digoxin molecule helps with cardiac glycoside or the heart. For example, in 1795, a British physician named William Withering used the foxglove extracts for treating congestive heart failure. It was not until more then a century after that scientists were able to identify the molecule responsible for its curable abilities with cardiac glycoside. Three sugar unitsThe steroid ring system In the Digitalis extract, there are also many other molecules thats similar to digoxin, like the digtoxin molecule. It lacks the OH and similar cardiac glycoside molecules are in other plants that are often members of the lily or ranunculus families. The molecules have the same structural features though,so theyre likely resposible for the caridac effect. All have five membered lactone ring thats attached to the end of the steroid system with an extra OH in between the C and D rings of the steroid system. lactone ring extra OH between C and D rings Molecules affecting the heart are not found in plants. Toxin compounds found in animals are similar to the structures of cardiac glycosides found in plants. The molecules dont have sugar or used as heart stimulants, but they are poison and have little medical value. The venom is extracted from amphibians, like the frog or toad that are used as arrow poisons and the common anima attributed with witches since in folklore, it is said that many potions made by witches contained toad parts. Bufotoxin is a molecule thats an active component of venom from the common European toad. Its one of the most toxic molecules with structures showing similarities to the steroid system ring of the digitoxin molecule with same extract OH between the C and D rings. The difference is that it has a six membered lactone ring instead of a five membered. ix-membered lactone ring extra OH between C and D rings Bufotoxin is a cardiac poison and not a cardiac restorative, but in addition to toads and foxglove, another myth about witches was that they were able to fly. Many accused as wtiches confessed to flying and the possible chemical explanation is that it had to do with a group of compounds called alkaloids. Alkaloids, plant compounds, have more than one nitrogen atoms thats usually part of a ring of carbon atoms. They have had a large effect on human history than any other chemicals and affects the central nervous system in humans. Theyre highly toxic, but they have been used as medicine for thousands if years. Chemical substances play a role in protecting plants since alkaloids are natural fungicides, insecticide, and pesticides. So, humans ingest about a gram and a half of natural pesticide every day from plants and plant products. This leads to the physiological effects on humans. Although they have been used medicinally for centuries. For example, Acrecaidine, alkaloid found in betel nuts, is used as a stimulant in Africa and the East. Ephedrine, from the ma huang plant, has been used in Chinese herbal medicine and now used as a decongestant and bronchodilator in the West. Members of the vitamin B family include; thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3). Theyre classed as alkaloids. Reserpine is used to treat high blood pressure and be a tranquilizer from the Indian snakeroot plant. Alkaloids dont just have toxicity, but theyre also poisonous too. The hemlock plant, responsible for the death of philosopher Socrates in 399 B. C. , is the alkaloid coniine. Coniine has a simple structure, but highly poisonous than the complicated structure of strychnine from seeds of Asiatic trees. ConiineStrychnine Mandrake and henbane contains very similar alkaloids. The two main types are hyoscyamine and hyoscine, which are found in mandrakes, belladonna, and henbane in various proportions. Atropine is a form of hyoscyamine and is valued for its use in dilute solutions, like to dilate the pupil of the eye for ophthalmic examinations. Although, too much can be unsafe and the first symptom of atropine poisoning is the drying of bodily fluids. So, it is used in areas where theres hypersecretion of mucus or saliva that interferes with surgery. Scopolamine, a hyoscine, is used as an anesthetic. It has euphoric effects like atropine and prevents motion sickness. Difference between the two Scopolamine Neither atropine and scopolamine alkaloids are soluble in water. The â€Å"witches† of Europe knew that swallowing the compounds will lead to death rather than the euphoric, intoxicating sensations they wanted. So, the extracts of mandrake, belladonna, and henbane were dissolved in oils and applied to the skin. Witches also used these salves in regards with flying, although they werent actually â€Å"flying. † The alkaloids brought on hallucinations which led to the sensations of flying among other things as the comalike sleep happens in the last stage. This temporarily escape from reality from these molecules brought confessions from those women and they were burnt at the stake. The Ergot Alkaloids There is another group of alkaloids that devasted communities with its effects. People attributed the disasters with evil spells casted by witches. Theyre found in the ergot fungus that affects cereal grains such as rye. After bacteria and viruses, ergotism is the next-largest microbial killer, like how ergotamine causes blood vessels to constrict or how ergonovine induces abortions in humans. Also, large numbers of villagers most likely attained ergotism since rainy periods would envoke fungus to grow on the rye and poor storage promotes the growth. Most people thought their village was bewitched and blamed innocent women, especially if they dont have symptoms of ergotism. Even though ergotism was known for a long time, the cause being hinted around 600 B. C. from reports as the Assyrians observed â€Å"a noxious pustule in the ear of grain† and ergot alkaloids from â€Å"noxious grasses† caused miscarriages in cattle in 400 B. C. , the first recorded occurrence wasnt until A. D. 857 in Europe. There were periodic outbreaks that occurred up to the twentienth century. For example, ergotism played a role in reducing the effectiveness of Julius Caesars army and restricted him from his goals to enlarge the Roman Empire. Initially, ergotism seemed the answered the the Salem witch-hunts. The symptoms of ergot poisoning cannot be stopped, so victims would use that to their advantage and accuse neighbors. So, the suffering of these people and their families can be traced back to ergot molecules. Ergot alkaloids are toxic, but have a history of therapeutic use. For example, they were used to hasten birthds or help with abortions and today they are used to treat migraine headaches, postpartum bleeding, and be stimulants for uterine contractions in childbirth. Ergot alkaloids have the same common chemical feature; theyre derivatives lysergic acid. The OH group of lysergic acid is replaced by a larger side group. Replaced OH group Lysergic AcidErgotamine In all, neither the atropine or ergot alkaloids caused witchcraft, but there effects were evidence against many women. In the medieval world, women were killed becaused they had knowledge on medicinal plants, but it has proven to be helpful in the present-day world as there are many various pharmaceuticals. So, the folklore of the past can be of assistance to treating many conditions and diseases.

Weapons and Armour Essay Example

Weapons and Armour Essay Most civil war soldiers carried a rifled musket, which had quickly replaced the smoothbore muskets. Te old smoothbore muskets had very limited range and were not very accurate. In places where soldiers on firing lines were more than a hundred yards apart a smoothbore musket wouldnt do much damage. Mass numbers of soldiers would often charge next to each other towards the defensive line and use bayonets and their superior numbers to wipe out the enemy. However rifled muskets changed the way that soldiers fought. It was a muzzleloader and had grooves inside the barrel that guided the bullet much more accurately. A charging mass of soldiers would be caught in enemy fire half a mile away and so it was impossible for them to get to the defending enemy and kill them. But these new rifles could not be fired very fast.Before a soldier could fire his musket, he had to bite open a paper cartridge, pour powder down the musket barrel, push the bullet in with a ramrod, cock the hammer, and set th e percussion cap. New soldiers spent weeks trying to learn how to do t his quickly, but even the rifle fire from experienced soldiers was slow Heavy guns were also loaded by pouring in the powder and then the charge. Between shots the barrel was swabbed out. If a spark remained from the previous shot, the new powder being poured in would explode. This makes the guns very dangerous. Most heavy guns had smooth bores and were not very accurate, but when fired against a mass of advancing infantry they were deadly.The official uniform for the Union soldiers was blue but many regiments chose their own uniforms. The Blue and Gray has become the name for the soldiers of the civil war probably because many people thought that all Northern troops wore blue uniforms and all Southern troops wore grey. However this was not always true. A famous New York group of volunteers wore baggy red pants and short red jackets. The Iron Brigade of Michigan wore wide-brimmed black hats, with a feather curled up at the side. The United States Sharpshooters wore dark green uniforms, leather leggings, and feathers in their hats.Uniform was scarce for Southern soldiers. Before the war, the South sent almost all its cotton to Europe or the Northern states to be made into cloth. There were no factories in the south to make uniforms. Women in the south learned from their grandmothers or from their poorer neighbours how to weave homespun cloth. They made dye for the cloth from butternuts. Soon the most common colour worn by Confederate soldiers was not grey but the warm brown of butternuts.Union Tactics at the Battle of GettysburgOn June 24, 1863, General Robert E. Lee led his Confederate Army across the Potomac River and headed towards Pennsylvania. In response to this threat President Lincoln replaced his army commander, General Joseph Hooker, with General George Mead. As Lees troops poured into Pennsylvania, Mead led the Union Army north from Washington. Meades effort was inadvertently help ed by Lees cavalry commander, Jeb Stuart, who, instead of reporting Union movements to Lee, had gone off on a raid deep in the Union rear. This action left Lee blind to the Unions position. When a scout reported the Union approach, Lee ordered his scattered troops to converge west of the small village of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.On July 1, some Confederate infantry headed to Gettysburg to seize much-needed shoes and clashed west of town with Union cavalry. The Union commander, recognizing the importance of holding Gettysburg because a dozen roads converged there, fought desperately to hold off the Rebel advance. Other Union troops briefly stopped some Rebels north of town. During heavy fighting, the Confederates drove the Union troops through the streets of Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill south of the town. Lee ordered General Richard Ewell, now commander of the late Stonewall Jacksons old units, to attack this position if practicable, a vague order that Jackson normally took to mean la unch an all-out attack. Ewell was not Jackson. He decided not to attack once he saw the Union artillery atop the hill. Had he attacked and succeeded, it might have changed the course of the war.The rest of the armies arrived that first night. The Union army established a defensive position resembling a fish hook, with Culps Hill and the two Round Tops anchoring each end. Lee decided to attack both flanks the next day. On his right flank, Union troops mistakenly shifted out of position, leaving Little Round Top undefended. At the last moment, a Union general rushed troops in just ahead of the charging Confederates. After a long day of fighting, they barely held the position. The misplaced bluecoats were pushed back through The Peach Orchard, The Wheat Field, and Devils Den. On the left, Ewells assault failed due mainly to his poor leadership.Thinking the Union centre had weakened from these attacks; Lee decided the next day to hit it first with artillery, and then an infantry charge led by George Picketts division. Stuarts late-arriving cavalry was to come in behind the Union centre at the same time, but they were held off by Union cavalry led by a young General George Custer. After an hours duel, Union artillery deceived the Confederates into thinking their guns were knocked out. Then 13,000 Rebels marched across the field in front of Cemetery Hill, only to have the Union artillery open up on them, followed by deadly Federal infantry firepower. Scarcely half made it back to their own lines. In all, Lee lost more than a third of his men before retreating to Virginia. Meade, a naturally cautious man, decided the loss of one-quarter of his men had been enough, and only feebly tried to pursue Lee, missing an opportunity to crush him.Brief BiographiesAbraham Lincoln: The 16th president of the United States was a self-taught man of humble origin. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 in a cabin near Hodgenville, Kentucky. His parents, Nancy Hanks and Thomas Lincoln, were pioneers, and the family moved several times during Lincolns boyhood. When Lincoln was eight years old, the family moved to Spencer County, Indiana. His mother died shortly thereafter, and the next year proved to be very difficult for Lincoln.Fortunately, Lincolns father married Sarah Bush Johnston the following year. She was an affectionate, energetic woman, who grew quite fond of Lincoln. She encouraged his desire to read, although she was virtually illiterate. Lincoln received very little formal education. His total schooling amounted to about one year.In 1830, the Lincoln family moved again and settled in Illinois. Since Lincoln was 21 years old and had no desire to become a farmer, he set out on his own. After working for a time as a flatboat man, shipping cargo to New Orleans, Lincoln settled in New Salem, Illinois. He worked various jobs as a rail splitter, postmaster, surveyor, and storekeeper. In 1832, Lincoln enlisted as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War and was elected captain of his company.Lincoln considered pursuing several professions, including shopkeeping and blacksmithing, but finally decided to study law and pursue political office. Lincoln educated himself in the law, as he had done previously with mathematics and grammar, and in 1836 he passed the bar examination. Two years earlier, Lincoln had been elected on the Whig ticket to serve a total of 4 terms in the Illinois State Legislature, from 1834 to 1841. In 1836, Lincoln entered into a law partnership with John T. Stuart and settled in Springfield, Illinois. He later practiced with Stephen T. Logan, then William Herndon. Lincolns practice was quite successful, and he was considered one of the most distinguished lawyers in the state. He was described as fair and completely honest.While living in Springfield, Lincoln became acquainted with Mary Todd. Her family was considered part of the social aristocracy, and her father was a prominent banker. Although Lincoln broke off the engagement once, the two were finally married on November 4, 1842. Todd had a difficult disposition; nevertheless the couple had a fairly successful marriage and enjoyed each others company. They had four children, but their son, Robert Todd, was the only child to reach adulthood.Lincoln served one term in Congress from 1847 to 1849, but his criticism of the Mexican War proved unpopular with his districts voters. He was not re-elected and was further disappointed when he was not named commissioner of the general land office by Zachary Taylor, as expected. Lincoln withdrew from politics for approximately five years and returned to his legal profession in Springfield.However, in 1854, Lincoln became alarmed when Stephen A. Douglas, a former political rival, introduced a bill to reopen the entire Louisiana Purchase to slavery. Lincoln was vehemently opposed to this bill. Although Lincoln was neither an abolitionist, or in favour of slavery, he did not believe slavery should be permitt ed in the new territories. In 1858, Lincoln became a senatorial candidate for the newly founded Republican party. Although he was defeated, the public debates between Lincoln and Douglas increased his public recognition. During one of these debates, Lincoln declared the famous words, A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.In 1860, Lincoln was nominated by the Republican Party for the presidency. He was elected on November 6 and took the oath of office on March 4, 1861. The country faced many problems before Lincoln took office. South Carolina had withdrawn from the Union and other states soon followed. The majority of Lincolns presidency focused on the war of secession, and throughout it all, Lincoln vowed to preserve the Union.One of Lincolns greatest difficulties was finding capable generals. He experimented with various personnel, including George B. McClellan, John Pope, Ambrose E. Burnside, Joseph Hooker, and George Gordon Meade. In 1864, Lincoln found him in Ulysses S. Grant and entrusted command of all the Federal armies to him.On January 1, 1863, Lincoln delivered the final version of the famous Emancipation Proclamation, and with it, added the idea of freedom for all men to the battle cry of the war. The proclamation ultimately led to the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.Lincoln was re-elected in 1864 over the Democratic opponent, General McClellan, and by the spring of 1865, the Union had won the war. Several days after the Union victory, Lincoln attended a play at Fords Theatre in Washington DC. As he sat in the theatre, Lincoln was shot by assassin John Wilkes Booth. Abraham Lincoln died in the early morning hours of April 15, 1865.Robert E Lee: (1807-1870), brilliant Confederate general, whose military genius was probably the greatest single factor in keeping the Confederacy alive through the four years of the American Civil War.Lee was born o n January 19, 1807, in Stratford, Virginia, the son of Henry Lee, and was educated at the United States Military Academy. He graduated second in his class in 1829, receiving a commission as second lieutenant in the engineers. He became first lieutenant in 1836, and captain in 1838. He distinguished himself in the battles of the Mexican-American War and was wounded in the storming of Chapultepec in 1847; for his meritorious service he received his third brevet promotion in rank. He became superintendent of the US Military Academy and was later appointed colonel of cavalry. He was in command of the Department of Texas in 1860, and, early the following year was summoned to Washington, D.C., when war between the states seemed imminent. President Abraham Lincoln offered him the field command of the Union forces, but Lee declined.On April 20, three days after Virginia seceded from the Union, he submitted his resignation from the US Army. On April 23 he became commander in chief of the mil itary and naval forces of Virginia. For a year he was military adviser to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, and was then placed in command of the army in northern Virginia. In 1864 his pre-war home, Arlington House, had been confiscated by the Union army and, in a symbolic reproach to Lee, its grounds had been made into a cemetery for the Union dead (now the Arlington National Cemetery). In February 1865 Lee was made commander in chief of all Confederate armies; two months later the war was effectively ended by his surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House. His great battles included those of Antietam, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg.The masterly strategy of Lee was overcome by the superior resources and troop strength of the Union. His campaigns are almost universally studied in military schools as models of strategy and tactics. He had a capacity for anticipating the actions of his opponents and for comprehendin g their weaknesses. He made skilful use of interior lines of communication and kept a convex front towards the enemy, so that his reinforcements, transfers, and supplies could reach their destination over short, direct routes. His greatest contribution to military practice, however, was his use of field fortifications as aids to manoeuvring. He recognized that a small body of soldiers, protected by entrenchments, can hold an enemy force of many times their number, while the main body outflanks the enemy or attacks a smaller force elsewhere. In his application of this principle Lee was years ahead of his time; the tactic was not fully understood or generally adopted until the 20th century.Lee applied for but was never granted the official post-war amnesty. He accepted the presidency of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, in the autumn of 1865; within a few years it had become an outstanding institution. He died there on October 12, 1870. In 1975 Lees citizenship wa s restored posthumously by an act of the US Congress.The Life of a HistorianMathew Brady arrived in New York City at the age of sixteen. Soon after taking a job as a department store clerk, he started his own small business manufacturing jewellery cases. In his spare time, Brady studied photography under a number of teachers, including Samuel F. B. Morse, the man who had recently introduced photography to America. Brady quickly discovered a natural gift. By 1844, he had his own photography studio in New York.Brady soon acquired a reputation as one of Americas greatest photographers producer of portraits of the famous. In 1856, he opened a studio in Washington, D.C., the better to photograph the nations leaders and foreign dignitaries. As he himself said, From the first, I regarded myself as under obligation to my country to preserve the faces of its historic men and mothers. He became one of the first photographers to use photography to chronicle national history.At the peak of his success as a portrait photographer, Brady turned his attention to the Civil War. Planning to document the war on a grand scale, he organized a corps of photographers to follow the troops in the field. Friends tried to discourage him, citing battlefield dangers and financial risks, but Brady persisted. He later said, I had to go. A spirit in my feet said Go, and I went.Mathew Brady did not actually shoot many of the Civil War photographs attributed to him. More of a project manager, he spent most of his time supervising his corps of traveling photographers, preserving their negatives and buying others from private photographers freshly returned from the battlefield, so that his collection would be as comprehensive as possible. When photographs from his collection were published, whether printed by Brady or adapted as engravings in publications, they were credited Photograph by Brady, although they were actually the work of many people.In 1862, Brady shocked America by displaying his photographs of battlefield corpses from Antietam, posting a sign on the door of his New York gallery that read, The Dead of Antietam. This exhibition marked the first time most people witnessed the carnage of war. The New York Times said that Brady had brought home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war.After the Civil War, Brady found that war-weary Americans were no longer interested in purchasing photographs of the recent bloody conflict. Having risked his fortune on his Civil War enterprise, Brady lost the gamble and fell into bankruptcy. His negatives were neglected until 1875, when Congress purchased the entire archive for $25,000. Bradys debts swallowed the entire sum. He died in 1896, penniless and unappreciated. In his final years, Brady said, No one will ever know what I went through to secure those negatives. The world can never appreciate it. It changed the whole course of my life.Despite his financial failure, Mathew Brady had a great and lasting effect on t he art of photography. His war scenes demonstrated that photographs could be more than posed portraits, and his efforts represent the first instance of the comprehensive photo-documentation of a war.Why was the Union Army victorious over the Confederates?It was foreseeable that the union would be triumphant over the confederates. In 1850 there were 22 states that made up the union, which had a joint population of 22 million. The 11 states that made up the Southern states had only a combined population of 9 million including 4 million black slaves. Most of the factories that were capable of producing war materials and weapons were located in the North. The south only had one mill for making gunpowder. The North had vast numbers of railroads and a merchant marine. They could maintain worldwide commerce. The South had many farms but they could not export their products because they had few ships and their main ports were usually closed during the war.During the war the South had mostly the superior field commanders. Although Robert E Lee was superior to every Northern general except Grant, he was defeated when Grant used overwhelming numbers and determination to crush his forces. In the west, no general in the South was a much for the generals of the North, who were Grant, Sherman, and Thomas. In the naval part of the civil war the Union navy was unmatched.In the long term, the superior numbers and equipment of the North ultimately determined the outcome of the American Civil War. The Southern armies kept the Northern armies at bay until the Battle of Gettysburg in 1865, which was the turning point of the war. Lincolns support of democracy also had an affect on the outcome on the war. The emancipation Proclamation had prevented any foreign country to help the South. In the North the majority of the people wanted the restoration of the American Union.

Why Study World Religions Essays

Why Study World Religions Essays Why Study World Religions Paper Why Study World Religions Paper PHL230 Religions of the World I think that it is important to study world religions because it can help people to become more tolerant of other’s beliefs and more compassionate to other people’s causes. With so much war and misunderstanding in the world based on religious viewpoints, it is important to take the time to find out where and why people believe the way that they do. While I find that most people in the world follow a religion based on their geographical location, this is not the case in the United States. Because the US is a country where people from all over the world can come to live it is a place where many different religions are practiced. It is important, especially for people in this country, to study world religions in order to know how to relate to others who live here. Religion has an influence on many aspects of life from politics, education, and the arts. It is important that we study all religions so we get a better understanding of how and why it influences these things. I think the greatest reason to study world religions is for appreciation. I think that studying these religions I have gained a better understanding of people in other areas of the world. I also find that I see many similarities, as well as some differences, in religious ideas and rituals. I think that how we started our studies in this class, with indigenous religions we learned the basics of beliefs and where they originated. I think that because the essence of animism’s â€Å"everything is alive† theory we start to see how people first connected with God and nature. I think that most religions believe that God, or whatever they call him in that religion, is everywhere, that His hand was in the creation of all living things and that there is a purpose for everything. I also find it interesting that although most indigenous people never came into contact with anyone else, and lived in different regions of the world, many of the beliefs are similar. I understand more now how indigenous people could believe that violent weather can be perceived as a wrath from a god because of mistreatment of nature. I think that this is something that can be thought of in today’s world because of global warming. We have mistreated the land for so long and it seems to be taking revenge on us with various weather patterns. Even though in today’s world we see this as just an environmental thing, indigenous religions would see it as a god’s wrath because of the poor treatment of the land. I enjoyed learning about Hinduism and the aspects of karma and samsara I found to be the most interesting parts of the Hindu faith. I think because of the Hindu belief in these things they work towards living a more moral and respectful existence. Karma is the notion of moral consequences that are carried along with every act. (Molloy 87) Samsara is the wheel of life. It is a circle of constant rebirth, suggesting that the world is full of change. (Molloy 87) Because the Hindu believes that the things they do in life have consequences in their reincarnation it makes them try to live better so that their next life may be in a higher position. I find it interesting that in this religion what happens to the person in their next life is up to that individual himself, and it is up to that person to find their own path to their enlightenment. Hinduism is said to be a religion of one truth and may paths. This is something I also found to be different because in my religion of Christianity what happens to you after death is based only upon your belief in Jesus being your savior. The other religion I feel I became more knowledgeable about because of the studies in this class is Buddhism. I had no previous knowledge about this religion other than it existed. The most important concept I feel that I learned from Buddhism is part of the three marks of reality. These are made up of, change, no permanent identity and suffering. In no permanent identity each person and each thing is changing and made up of parts that are also constantly changing. It means that people have no permanent soul or no self. (Molloy133). In suffering it is the fact of life that when life is lived conventionally it can never be fully satisfying because of change. (Molloy pg 134) The mark of reality I found the most interesting is change. The concept of change in Buddhism has us look at life as it really is. Things change gradually and we notice the changes over time. We don’t expect change but nothing ever remains the same. Molloy132) When I learned this I looked over my life and have to admit, that much has changed over time. No matter how we try and keep things the same it is impossible. Children grow up, our body ages, our relationships change. Even things in the world things are constantly changing, landscapes change naturally from things like the tide or erosion, and seasons come and go. In Buddhism the belief is that we are responsible for accepting this and not trying to change the outside world but we need to change ourselves and the way we experience the world. Molloy 134) In studying the world religions I learned that there are similarities; they all seem to have a similar moral code. The basic concept of all religions is to treat everyone with kindness. Ahimsa, â€Å"do no harm†, is a fundamental practice found in religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. This is similar to the â€Å"do unto others† concept in Christianity. People should be kind to people as they want people to treat them kindly. I feel that prayer or meditation relate in a way to each other in different religions. Meditation in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism are a way people can achieve inner peace and improve themselves as human beings. I find that prayer also can bring peace to a person. Prayer in religions like Christianity and Judaism is the way people speak and become closer to God. So in both prayer and meditation people improve themselves and achieve an inner peace. One difference that I learned in the course would be the concepts of time as they relate to religions. Religions such as animism, Hinduism and Buddhism have a cyclical view of time. This means there is no beginning or end but everything goes in a cycle. In Hinduism this is seen in the concept of samsara you are born, live, and are reincarnated so time is always going in a circle of life. In a religion like Christianity, there is a beginning and an end to time. The belief is that one day Jesus will return and then the end of the world where non believers will be sent to hell and the believers will ascend to heaven will happen. Another difference I learned about is in the amount of gods there are or the lack of any god in some religions. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam there is one God and God alone is worshipped. In a religion like Hinduism there are several deities that are worshipped. In Hinduism there is the Brahma, god of the universe, creation. Vishnu is the god of preservation in the universe. Shiva is the god associated to destruction. There are also several other gods in Hinduism like Devi, Durga, Kali, Krishna, and Vishnu. A religion like Daoism has no definite god only a belief of the Dao which is nameless and everything is a manifestation of the Dao. (Molloy 221) I would say that by studying world religions I did come away with many things I had not thought of or knew of before. I think it was beneficial for me because it gave me a better understanding of how people in different regions of the world think. Religion has an effect on many aspects of a person’s thinking. I think because of this, myself being a psychology major, the study of world religions has been very beneficial for me. I will know how to better relate to people of other cultures and schools of thought better because of my study. : Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the Worlds Religions, Tradition, Challenge, and Change 5th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010.

Definition of the Emergency Management System Essay - 1

Definition of the Emergency Management System - Essay Example The failure led to the devolution of the emergency management system (FEMA) with the director losing his powers. The funds and personnel issued to FEMA were reduced. Most of the resources were channeled directly to the disaster preparation and mitigation for the local and state agencies. In Chicago, OEM under OEMC, access funding from the Homeland Security Grant Funding. Besides other avenues of financing, OEMC has developed more capabilities when it comes to resource allocation and capacity development. The funding has enabled OEMC to increase its impacts in protecting the public and critical infrastructure in Chicago, in case of a disaster or emergency. Availability of personnel and funds has improved the disaster response coordination at the local level. It has led to improved technology and increased public engagement in catastrophic events. The same kinds of improvements are also experienced at the state level. The grant has enabled IEMA and its related agencies to be more effec tive and efficient. The resources have made the agency capable of investing more in training, planning, equipment and organization activities. The result of investment has been the improvement in the activities that relate to protection, prevention, response mitigation and recovery from emergencies. Emergency management is the planning process that entails the involvement of communities in the reduction of their vulnerability towards the hazard. It also involves the mechanisms through which the community can cope with disasters. Emergency management does not eliminate or avert threats but instead aims to decrease their impacts on the society. Disaster management covers events like fire, industrial sabotage, terrorist acts, natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, communication failures, industrial accidents and public disorder. Its phases include mitigation, prevention, response, preparedness and recovery (Haddow, Bullock & Coppola, 2014).

Problems with Cosmetic Surgery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Problems with Cosmetic Surgery - Essay Example The main conclusion of the work will be made through the definition of the major backgrounds for such situation.The aim of this work is to perform a clear research on the problems, which now exist in the cosmetic surgery but are often made invisible for usual consumers with the aim of getting higher profits and not loosing the face of the cosmetic surgery industry as it is. The main conclusion of the work is that cosmetic surgery hides vast amount of problems, which should be understood by those who considers the possibility of going through such operation. Cosmetic surgery at present has become a huge industry with enormous turnovers and fantastic profits. It is not a secret that famous people and movie stars got used to create numerous sensations with each cosmetic surgery performed. However, the problems which cosmetic surgery creates should not be underestimated, because the amount of those, who are openly satisfied with the results is lower than of those who are secretly dissatisfied with the results of the surgery and see no need in addressing the public for the solution of these problems. Thus, it is necessary to underline the present state of cosmetic surgery and to distinguish the main problems which it presents. Cosmetic surgery has now acquired the scales of the real commercial industry, and a certain portion of works and studies was devoted to the description of the problems which cosmetic surgery presents. However, not much has been said about commercialization and the background reasons for such cosmetic surgeries' popula rity. Why women strive so much for making cosmetic surgeries, and why even teenage girls undergo such operations The reasons are to be defined in this paper. The more money the person is able to earn, the more seducing challenges this person desires to meet. Cosmetic surgery has become the challenge, which many aging women want to meet as soon as they have enough money for that. They often make it the brightest event in their life, though not understanding that such surgery may present serious consequences. Cosmetic surgery nowadays gives more questions, than answers, and more problems, than solutions. Of course, many celebrities have gone through such surgeries, but very often it is seen at a glance that surgery had been done unsuccessfully - their faces sometimes look as if they constantly smiled or were constantly surprised. These are the consequences of the low-quality cosmetic surgeries, and far not all people understand, that they won't be more perfect than they are in their present state. One of the main problems of cosmetic surgery is that for the aims of acquiring extra profits, the industry does not provide consumers and patien ts with the fullest information about the possible negative consequences and obstacles. Cosmetic surgery is taken by most women as a casual daily routine action, without any serious attitudes and deep understanding of the issue. However, it is still surgery, similar to many others. The number of the operation per year constantly increase - it is stated that for example, in the UK the number of cosmetic surgeries is equal to 75,000 per year which is huge number for such small country, while the number of cosmetic surgeries in the US was more than 11.5 million in 2005. (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) However, as many operations are carried out by highly qualified specialists, there

Seamus Heaney Mid-Term Break Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Seamus Heaney Mid-Term Break - Essay Example Having learned of what happened while away at school, Seamus spent the school day at the sick bay or clinic where he heard the school bell ring between classes. In his mind, the bell was similar to the paling of the church bells during a funeral. The last bell of the day signaling the end of class after all. Returning home, he did not have a very clear picture of what tragedy had just beset his family. So he met with the mourners with a sense of detachment. Henry was touched by the way that his father â€Å"Big Jim† Evans showed emotion at the death of his younger brother. Knowing his father to be a strong and somewhat stoic man, this was one of the few times that Seamus actually saw his father saddened by an event. Sadness is a very powerful emotion that the man seemed able to convey to his oldest son only by shaking his hand and letting him know what a â€Å"big blow† the death of the middle son was. Why did the Old Man stand for Henry when he arrived and shook his hand? In the family, he was the eldest son and as such, he was second to his father in commanding the respect of the community. By standing up to greet him, the Old Man acknowledged his presence and his authority in the family. Indeed, their situation was quite unusual and that is why Henry seemed lost and confused when the Old Man and others began to stand up to greet and speak to him upon his arrival. This is one of the saddest poems that I have ever read. From the beginning of the second line, it was already evident that this was not a poem that was going to end with a happy recollection of a time past. Using assonance and alliteration, Seamus Henry managed to emotionally involve his readers in the death of his brother. Describing the ringing of the school bell in relation to a funeral indicates that he felt heavy at the thought of time slowly passing. A lyrical poem, one

About diamond

About diamond Introduction â€Å"A diamond is forever† (De Beers Group, 2008) is likely to be one of the best known slogans the mining industry has ever had. Sixty years after the foundation of the De Beers Consolidated Mines in South Africa (CMSA) in 1888 (Epstein, 1982) this slogan represents a campaign aimed at marketing the sale of De Beers diamonds. In the early twentieth century the British South African company monopolised giving them the control over the majority of the worlds diamond supply. To establish the monopoly, Ernest Oppenheimer, considered as â€Å"prototype of the multinational businessman: German by birth, British by naturalization, Jewish by religion, and South African by residence† has perceived that the only way to increase the value of diamonds is to make them scarce† (Epstein, 1982) in 1910. Ernest Oppenheimer has so far laid the foundation for De Beers business strategy of controlling supply that lasted for nearly one century facilitating the process of becoming an international cartel in the late 1930 years. Within the following twenty years, De Beers monopolised the natural diamond industry on a global scale. The company monitored all pipe mines, was â€Å"fully backed by the British, Belgian and French governments [and was considered as] the official channel for the diamond trade† (Epstein, 1982) among all other governments. This distinction only lasted until the 1990s when first threats menaced the monopoly. De Beers has been put face to face with the loss of its position in the worlds diamond producing industry hence they had to cope with a dwindling reputation. To counter this negative trend which not only existed for the diamond industry but also among customers the De Beers Group had to react. Therefore, this business report is going to examine the factors behind any changes that have taken place in the structure of the companys value chain in recent years. It will also explain the reasoning behind any points made. To support the reasoning different business frameworks will be use. The Global Value Chain Competitive Advantage and Value Chain Michael E. Porter, professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, analyses the basis of competitive advantage in his book â€Å"Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance†, that was published in 1998. He explained that it is the companys competitive advantage that leads to value creation, hence to gain leverage among competitors in their particular market segment (Porter, 1998). Porter points out two general distinctions of competitive advantage: either a company can offer benefits at a lower cost than the rival which is called cost advantage or the company surpasses the benefits that are delivered by the competitor which is a differentiation advantage. To create a competitive advantage, irrespective of its nature, so to say by cost or differentiation the business fields resources and capabilities to finally create superior value. To visualise this issue, one can take in regard the resource-based view in the following simplified model (QuickMBA, 2009). Contemplating Fig. 1 there is still one step missing before competitive advantage is attained. It is realised by a range of value creating activities which Porter identified as value chain. He further found out that a company needed to outperform one or more of those activities that are above the overall value which ascertains the company being ahead of its competitors (QuickMBA, 2009). To get a better understanding of what the value chain contains and expresses one should have a look at the figure below that was adapted from (Porter, 1998). Continued The value chain aims at creating the highest possible value for the company and is the last step to gain a competitive advantage as seen in Fig.1. There can be different reasons why a company may add or even lose value. Throughout the years of business, the firm may have to undertake measures to make a change in the firms value chain (e.g. due to external factors). One of these external factors can be the time – in virtue of changing circumstances in the business environment, or a special market. The company needs to move with the times to stay competitive. A negative example that may cause a change in value can be the chaining of unfortunate events (e.g. collapsing market, contract termination with major producers, new competition, and consumers taste shift). This chain of unfortunate events would engender dire consequences that may conduce a company to consider changing or restructuring its value chain to haul itself out of the loophole. In the following section Porters theory of competitive advantage and the value chain will be applied on the particular case of De Beers. Afterwards, any factors of the past decade it will be looked at in detail. These factors include any event that occasioned De Beers to react quickly to a negative trend of falling market share and worsening reputation and consequently how the company dealt with the situation to stop this thread. De Beers Competitive Advantage and Value Chain De Beersoperates since its foundation in the late 19th century as already mentioned in the introduction. From scratch it followed a successful strategy that helped controlling the vast majority of the worlds diamond supply and being market leader since the beginning of its operations. In Fig. 3 is shown briefly how De Beers created its competitive advantage over competitors and how the company managed to acquire a market share of some 85% (Irwin, 2001). The activities that created value and in what way the success story of De Beers continued will be explained subsequently. Before analysing the value chain it is expedient to have a look at the De Beers Family of Companies (De Beers, Family of Companies, 2009) showing every single member that is at some extent involved in the companys operations. Looking at Fig.4 one can see that the Anglo American Group, the Central Holdings Group and the Government of the Republic Botswana are the shareholders of the De Beers socià ©tà © anonyme (De Beers sa). The companys head office is located in Luxembourg managing and monitoring the entire business whereas commercial activities are executed from subsidiaries in different parts of the world (De Beers Group, 2008). The Family of Companies is integrated across the breadth of the global diamond value chain. This covers exploration of deposits, sorting and valueing rough diamonds as well as cutting and polishing diamonds. We will have a closer look at these single instances in a little while. De Beers sa shareholders owned and controlled JV and independently subsidiaries and divisions managed subsidiaries Since we now got to know of which arms the Family of Companies consists we can examine De Beers value chain presenting slight changes from Porter De Beers adapted to its business. Since De Beers focused more and more on creating demand rather than controlling supply, they realised that a bad reputation of a consuming good they wanted (and needed) to sell has impacts on demand. De Beers response to face this problem was taking a key role in the implementation of the Kimberley Process which is an international certification scheme that is aimed at controlling the rough diamond trade. It requires a governmental certification of any shipments of rough diamonds proving that diamonds are free from blood – so to say not sold to prolong a conflict. De Beers efforts were being rewarded in January 2001 when Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General praised the company saying that they â€Å"set an example with its response to criticism of the diamond trade in Africa and its efforts to ensure that traders and consumers of diamonds will no longer unwittingly help to finance warlords† (Irwin, 2001). To recapture the erstwhile good reputation of De Beers they presented two more novelties. Forevermark De Beers needed to establish a brand name first in Europe later in the US. Therefore the company formed a strategic alliance with Moà «t Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) a French luxury goods group (Irwin, 2001). In the hope of creating globally a differentiation between De Beers Forevermark diamonds and stones one can purchase via internet the company put a lot of money into marketing strategies and campaigns to publicise the new brand and create an association with the utterly luxurious high class. A feature that lived through the entire time frame of this partnership is that De Beers jewellery always has been and will be sold exclusively in special De Beers stores. Downloadable Reports In 2001 De Beers published on their website the very first time an annual report revealing details about the workings and profits of the company. It is said that it is â€Å"the most comprehensive view [] that has ever been published† (Irwin, 2001). The intention of this published report was the direct address to shareholders of which a great part resided in the US. Two years later, in 2003, De Beers independent arm the DTC implemented the â€Å"Supplier of Choice† strategy – another project in their strategy shift. It is a sales programme aimed at selecting clients (sightholders) for De Beers. There are special sightholder selection criteria and considerations that provide a framework enabling the DTC to make an objective valuation of applicants. This method contributes to an allocation considered as fair and efficient (De Beers Group, 2008). The next big change in the company was the change of the Managing Director. Gary Ralfe tried his best to help De Beers not to go down fighting within this highly competitive environment over years. He wanted to transform the once successful business steeped in history into a modern competitive market player that at one point can regain a position they once held. Since Gary Ralfe retired in 2006 he could not finish his projects whereas his successor Gareth Penny now was charged with them. And it was this director change that breathed new life into the company. Gareth Penny, who beforehand was the director of sales and marketing of the DTC, his new role as MD was now to face all the issues that Gary Ralfe tried to antagonise. Penny first started to put new efforts on De Beers role in the Kimberley Process, always emphasising that De Beers only trades and sells conflict-free diamonds. To remove any doubts clients might have about the diamonds origin of De Beers jewellery the company in troduced in 2006 the De Beers Passport. This passport accompanies every diamond purchase and certifies that the sold jewellery is certainly blood free. It is the first and only company offering such a certification to clients (De Beers Jewellers, 2009). The second main achievement of Pennys business reshaping plan is a higher concentration on the joint ventures with African governments. Between De Beers and the Government of Botswana a joint venture has been agreed in 1969, 40 years ago (De Beers Group, 2009). Since 1992 this joint venture is called Debswana (cp. Fig.13). A very important step was taken in May 2006 when the Government of Botswana and De Beers signed three very meaningful agreements. Those comprised a regeneration of mining licenses for 25 years, a prolongation of the selling contract for five years and the establishment of the DTC Botswana. It was in the same year that De Beers bettered their diamond production record producing in total 34.3 million carats (De Beers Group, 2008). But the relationship was even more intensified in 2008 when De Beers moved its diamond-sorting facility to Botswana. This facility is the worlds largest and most innovative sorting institution avouching for the precious stones to stay in t he country for a little longer (OConnell, 2009). De Beers or better Gareth Penny does create a lot of good for the country since Botswana counted for a long time to the worlds poorest countries in terms of living condition and development rate. Meanwhile Botswana displays economic growth rates that are highest on a global scale (Morapedi, 2009). De Beers cooperation with the government thereby all foreign direct investment they put in the country forwarded growth within four decades. Nowadays Debswana is the countrys largest non-government employer, since they are giving 25% of the residents a place to work (Morapedi, 2009). Investing in diamond production, De Beers aid contributes to export revenues of 76%. The diamonds create nearly half of the government revenues and they account for a third of Botswanas GDP (Morapedi, 2009). Apart from any foreign direct investment in Africa and conflict free diamond issues an important point to mention last is that Penny always has been very keen on stimulating technology development. Supporting those processes financially the general idea behind was the aim to keep down production and sorting costs. Impacts of 10 years reshaping measures Although all the measures of reshaping the company sound very promising, one would expect a growth in profits and reputation. But these apparently obvious consequences of all the efforts cannot be proven since the strategy shift also affects the companys value chain in a somewhat negative way. One can see the financial situation of De Beers over the past five years. Since 2005 the profits are decreasing continuously whereas the decrease rate of the total costs is minimal, so to say not evident. This phenomenon is going to be proven in the following. decreasing market share The macro-environmental factors that came up throughout the 1990 years are the cause for the negative development of De Beers market share. Summarised, the single reasons were: discovery of rich deposits in Canada emergence of new competition taste shift among customers economic decline in consuming regions and the stigma of blood diamonds. customers turn into competitors The DTC sells the rough diamonds to a range of companies. As far as one is in this â€Å"selling process† these companies are customers of De Beers. But since the companies continue manufacturing the stones, selling them to alternative retailers the diamonds are at one point offered on the market as well as De Beers jewellery. In this sense, De Beers is competing with its customers. commitment to corporate social responsibility De Beers not only concentrates on foreign direct investment in African countries, it also cares for its employees and their families. Among all the activities and measures that are undertaken by De Beers three of them will be highlighted. The employment rate of Historically Disadvantaged South Africans in management roles in the De Beers Consolidated Mines (see Fig.3) was at 45.5% in 2008, the year before at 39% (De Beers, Family of Companies, 2009). The De Beers constant workforce consists of 21.8% women. Nearly one fifth of management positions are filled by females. (De Beers, Family of Companies, 2009). De Beers implemented a disease management programme. Their investment supported additional medical treatment offers outside the insurance scheme to all employees and their relatives. Since the exposure of De Beers employees to especially HIV and Aids is dangerous in terms of the workers and workers families health but also in terms of business continuity. The programme focuses on prevention, treatment and care and support (De Beers, Family of Companies, 2009). Despite all the positives points of De Beers CSR activities the company has to be careful with the amount of money it is investing since costs tend to escalate quite easily In Fig. 14. one could already notice that costs are still too high in proportion to the total revenue of the firm. Even though the profits of De Beers are following a downward trend the company is diligently improving to stay highly innovative and portray a serious competitor on the market. The shift to a new business model of creating demand De Beers has made it to a modern competitive player taking continuously measures to add up to its competitive advantage, e.g. steady development and generation of technologies as well as foreign direct investment. The latter means a huge support of a developing country that certainly needs external aid to improve the economic situation inside the country. Conclusion Throughout this business report it was demonstrated that the firm De Beers always has been a very successful company. From scratch of its operations, De Beers followed well-wrought business concepts. Since the company is British-South African by origin methods to internationalise business operations had been very favourable in terms of creating success. The main aspects, making the business growing were 1st investing directly in African countries such as Botswana and Namibia, 2nd exporting directly to Britain and many other countries and 3rd establishing important joint ventures with e.g. African governments. Although De Beers took great risks operating how it finally did it got a maximum reward possible what is likely to be its secret of a successful business. Through the ages De Beers created itself high reputation among customers, further the firm had a competitive advantage benefitting from operating very early on this particular market. The company enjoyed a protrusion of know-how and knowledge about the market manifesting it by locating itself intelligently. All these points favoured De Beers monopoly which they held over decades. Accidentally the luck has turned. In the late 1980 years and throughout the 1990s an unfortunate series of events should end De Beers success story. With increasing frequency international media casted a poor light on De Beers blaming the company to finance civil wars in African countries such as Sierra Leone or Angola. But De Beers had somehow to get through this period full of obstacles since it had a long track record to defend. Furthermore the firm possessed still a good position on the market. To overcome those problems De Beers responded proactively in initiating a multifaceted strategy shift that was realised progressively throughout a decade from 1999 until today. De Beers had to learn a lot about its business environment since they did not operate as a monopoly any longer. But De Beers has a fair chance having learned from its mistakes within those past ten years. The company is likely to grow out of this challenge and might improve operations and achieve higher profits in the future. But since they have to bear additionally caused costs e.g. by the Supplier of Choice strategy and still compete with their customers who possibly could establish own brands which would diminish De Beers power in sales the company exposes itself to a fight that keeps probably extending over several years. Reference list/Bibliography Anglo American plc. (2009). Diamonds. London: Anglo American plc. Banse, F., Jung, A. (2005). Der Stoff aus dem Kriege sind. medico internationl e.V. Frankfurt: s.n. De Beers. (2005, September 29). A financial overview about De Beers. Presentation to Anglo American Analysts and Investment Banks , 99. London. De Beers Group. (2009, June 23). Botswana and De Beers celebrate a 40-year partnership. From De Beers Website Press Releases. [Online] Available at:http://www.debeersgroup.com/en/Media-centre/Press-releases/2009/Botswana-and-De-Beers-celebrate-a-40-year-partnership/ [Accessed 11 November 2009] De Beers Group. (2008). De Beers A diamond is forever. From Home. [Online] Available at:http://www.debeersgroup.com/en/ [Accessed 25 October 2009] De Beers Jewellers. (2009). The De Beers Difference. From De Beers Jewellery. [Online] Available at: http://www.debeerseu.com/Bridal-link/De-Beers-Passport/page/debeerspassport [Accessed 7 November 2009] De Beers, Family of Companies. (2009). Report to Society 2008. London: De Beers Group. DTC. (2009). DTC Sightholders. From About DTC Sightholders. [Online] Available at:http://www.dtcsightholderdirectory.com/Sightholder/modules/introducing/IntroDefault.aspx [Accessed 7 November 2009] Epstein, E. J. (1982). The Diamond Invention. [e-Book] London: Hutchinson. Even-Zohar, C. (2006, October 27). Diamond Value Chain. Mining Journal . Irwin, R. (2001, May 7). De Beers in Need of a Polish. brandchannel . Lee, H., Ko, H., Mehta, S., Rozwat, A., Smailagic, G. (2007). Marketing Plan. [Online] Available at:http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~gsmailag/portfolio/B4%20-%20Marketing%20Final%20Paper.pdf [Accessed at 23 November 2009] medico international e.V. (2007). medico-Kampagnen Fatal Transactions. From medico-international. [Online] Available at:http://www.medico-international.de/kampagne/fatal/ft_br2005_fatal.asp [Accessed 10 November 2009] Morapedi, C. (2009). Botswana and De Beers celebrate a 40-year partnership. Gaborone: De Beers Group. OConnell, P. (2009, January 6). De Beers Multifaceted Strategy Shift. From BusinessWeek. [Online] Available at:http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jan2009/ca2009016_644338.htm [Accessed 23 November 2009] Porter, M. E. (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. [Book] New York: The Free Press. QuickMBA. (2009). Competitve Advantage. From Quick MBA Strategic Management. [Online] Available at:http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/competitive-advantage/ [Accessed 28 October 2009] UNDP. (2009). Statistics of the Human Development Report. From Human Development Reports. [Online] Available at:http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/ [Accessed 10 November 2009] Williams, L. (2008, January 30). Diamond demand exceeds supply but many juniors still suffering. From Mineweb. [Online] Available at:http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page37?oid=45568sn=Detail [Accessed 8 November 2009]

Self-reliance :: essays research papers

The idea of self-reliance is an American idea. Self-reliance is a way of life when one is reliant on one's own capabilities, judgment, and resources. When someone is self-reliant they are completely Independent. Many American authors have used examples of this idea, self-reliance, in a lot of their writing. For example, in a Progress to the Mines by Byrd examples of self-reliance are present. In the beginning of the story Byrd writes about a character who Ò... rode eight miles together over a stony road,Ó in order to get to a house. This shows self-reliance because riding eight miles, all by himself, is a hard task to accomplish. Especially back then when the story took place because there werenÕt very many people around to help one if one got into trouble. Byrd shows another example of self-reliance when he was describing one of the main characters who ran an iron mill. He described him as Ò...so great a master in the mystery of making Iron, where in he had led the way and was the tubal-cain of Virginia.Ó This shows self-reliance because Byrd shows that this character is the best iron maker around and that heÕs self-reliant in doing it. Byrd shows self-reliance once again while describing this same character. He said ÒHe was... first in North America who had erected a regular furnace.Ó This shows self-reliance because he set up this iron mill and furnace in the middle of nowhere with no help from anyone else. All three of these examples show that Byrd has examples of self-reliance in his writing. Another American writer who has examples of self-reliance in his writing is Franklin. In FranklinÕs Poor RichardÕs Almanac he shows many examples of self-reliance. Franklin says that ÒGod helps them that help themselves.Ó This greatly advocates self-reliance. Franklin is saying that you should help yourself, i.e. be self-reliant, before looking to God, or anyone else, for help. Franklin shows self-reliance again when he says ÒKeep thy shop and thy shop will keep thee.Ó Franklin is saying that if you work hard at something like keeping a shop you will be supported by that hard work and that you will be self-reliant. Franklin shows self-reliance once again by saying, ÒAt the working manÕs house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.Ó In this quote Franklin is saying that if you work hard youÕll never be hungry, youÕll never have to depend on someone else for food, and that youÕll be self-reliant. These three examples show that Franklin has examples of self-reliance in his book Poor RichardÕs Almanac. In an other piece of writing by Franklin, The Auto-Biography, examples of self-reliance are also present. In this book Franklin writes about his childhood.

Illustrate from ‘The Pardoner’s Tale and Prologue’ the Pardoner’s skill as a preacher

People sought salvation with devotion as The Black Death swept across Europe. The pre-science era when Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales meant priests faced an increasing workload, introducing monetary payments in exchange for remission of sin or penances (punishment). The responsibility of the collection of this money went to quaestores. These quaestores1 did not always have a firm connection with the Church, and definitely not with the artes praedicandi, the collected thought embodied in the theory and art of preaching. However, the new direction the Church took became a rampant breeding ground for forgers and confidence tricksters such as the Pardoner, preying upon the fears of the diminishing population for personal gain. The artes praedicandi was divided into two areas, the moral and the technical. With the moral, the preacher, genuinely inspired, was to be the mouthpiece for the Holy Spirit. There is no question that Chaucer's Pardoner is a completely immoral creature, his motives selfish and his interests in human art more important than guidance from God. However, in the technical aspect of preaching he excels. Medieval practice and sermon called upon the preacher to provide religious teaching as well as entertainment.2 Gardiner writes of elements of convention in the traditional Medieval religious lesson and the Pardoner covers all of them. The first, statement of theme, is a biblical text and in the Pardoner's case it is, ‘Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas', the love of money is the root of all evil.3 ‘The Exemplum', a story to illustrate the text, is taken care of in the tale of the riotours' search for death. The discourse of the sins of drunkenness, gluttony, gambling, blasphemy and swearing could be considered the dilatatio, detailed explaining of the text, and set after the story's close, the peroration, a discussion and application of the text. The Pardoner's Prologue sets up a universally held view, that the Pardoner is full of the very sins he preaches against, he seeks to become sin itself and is master of his own damnation. The Pardoner has with him firm establishment of authority and credibility, ‘bulles of popes and cardinales' that grant him powers of absolution. â€Å"And I assoille him by the auctoritee Which that by bulle ygraunted was to me† By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer, An hundred mark sith I was pardoner† (103-6) The Pardoner also has a piece of the sail of the ship St. Peter had sailed upon the Sea of Galilee, the Virgin Mary's veil and a relic that cures jealousy and helps livestock and their farmers and the magic mitten! As part of the audience of pilgrims and readers, we are aware that these holy relics are pure counterfeit, but to the frightened believer in an age of magic surrounded by death, the Pardoner's offer of help seemed sensible rather than silly. Chaucer gives us here a visual image laid so over the top of ‘heer as yelow as wex', that it allows room for him to describe the physical movements of the fake. The Pardoner evangelises with energy- â€Å"Thanne payne I me to strecche forth the nekke And est and west upon the peple I bekke, As dooth a dowve sittinge on a berne Minde handes an my tonge goon so yerne† (108-11) And authority- â€Å"I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet† (107) His storytelling is full of naturalistic dialogue and personification, the ‘riotoures thre' representing the condemned sins of drunkenness, gambling and blasphemy. The latter of these also helps to pull his congregation or customers in with the tactic of shock. He incorporates everyday experience in to the sermon. Cookery and wines are mentioned in verse of political consumer advice. There is even a laugh to be had when he describes a drunk man snoring: â€Å"And thurgh thy dronke nose semeth the soun As though thou soydest ay ‘Sampsoun! Sampsoun!' And yet, God woot, Sampsoun drank nevere no wyn† (267-9) If that doesn't seal the deal, the one about the adulterous wife with two to three priests should! It is clear the Pardoner values entertainment highly, and this is in place to draw in those who have no interest in God. An important component of fourteenth century ministering was the recommendation of the use of ensamples, specific incidents used to prove or push a general assertion. To the â€Å"lewed† the Pardoner may appear as a learned man,, drawing on works from the stoic philosopher Seneca and philosopher and scientist Avicenna (Ibn Sina). He makes reference to De Contemptu Mundi by Pope Innocent III, the theologian St. Jerome's Adversus Jovinianum and St. John of Salisbury. His knowledge of the Bible is as impressive as his secular incorporatings. He quotes or hints at the contents of Genesis, Proverbs, Ecclesiasticus, the Gospels and the epistles of St.Paul. He refers to a wide variety of texts, and if they were obscure the more likely they would be associated solely with the Pardoner, perhaps of his own invention. His tongue of â€Å"hauteyn† tone uses a number of stylistic devices, common among legitimate preachers. Repetition is the most common; overuse of the biblical passage and over-stressing of the same five sins is practised, making sure words are stuck firmly in the memory or minds of the listeners through its amplification and emphasis. Onomatopeia, as mentioned is used to imitate the heavy breathing of a drunk, and the glutton, â€Å"That may go thurgh the golet softe and swoote, Of spicerie of leef and bark and roote† (257-8) He also uses apostrophe, â€Å"O wombe! O bely! O stinking cod!† (248) His narration is packed with exclamation, as he uses heavy punctuation to increase emotional impact. His tale and sermon manipulate suspense, his voice, playing each of the parts, shifts in tone and volume. From complexity to simplicity and back, the lesson is rich in climax and anti-climax. He is a natural performer and a cunning predator, â€Å"For though myself be a ful vicious man, A moral tale yet I yow telle kan, Which I am wont to preche for to winne† (173-5) c. Andrew Luke 2002

The 21 March 1960 Sharpeville Massacre

The 21 March 1960 Sharpeville Massacre On 21 March 1960 at least 180 black Africans were injured (there are claims of as many as 300) and 69 killed when South African police opened fire on approximately 300 demonstrators, who were protesting against the pass laws, at the township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging in the Transvaal. In similar demonstrations at the police station in Vanderbijlpark, another person was shot. Later that day at Langa, a township outside Cape Town, police baton charged and fired tear gas at the gathered protesters, shooting three and injuring several others. The Sharpeville Massacre, as the event has become known, signaled the start of armed resistance in South Africa, and prompted worldwide condemnation of South Africas Apartheid policies. Build-up to the Massacre On 13 May 1902 the treaty which ended the Anglo-Boer War was signed at Vereeniging; it signified a new era of cooperation between English and Afrikaner living in Southern Africa. By 1910, the two Afrikaner states of Orange River Colony (Oranje Vrij Staat) and Transvaal (Zuid Afrikaansche Republick) were joined with Cape Colony and Natal as the Union of South Africa. The repression of black Africans became entrenched in the constitution of the new union (although perhaps not intentionally) and the foundations of Grand Apartheid were laid. After the Second World War the Herstigte (Reformed or Pure) National Party (HNP) came into power (by a slender majority, created through a coalition with the otherwise insignificant Afrikaner Party) in 1948. Its members had been disaffected from the previous government, the United Party, in 1933, and had smarted at the governments accord with Britain during the war. Within a year the Mixed Marriages Act was instituted – the first of many segregationist laws devised to separate privileged white South Africans from the black African masses. By 1958, with the election of Hendrik Verwoerd, (white) South Africa was completely entrenched in the philosophy of Apartheid. There was opposition to the governments policies. The African National Congress  (ANC) was working within the law against all forms of racial discrimination in South Africa. In 1956 had committed itself to a South Africa which belongs to all. A peaceful demonstration in June that same year, at which the ANC (and other anti-Apartheid groups) approved the Freedom Charter, led to the arrest of 156 anti-Apartheid leaders and the Treason Trial which lasted until 1961. By the late 1950s, some of ANCs members had become disillusioned with the peaceful response. Known as Africanists this select group was opposed to a multi-racial future for South Africa. The Africanists followed a philosophy that a racially assertive sense of nationalism was needed to mobilize the masses, and they advocated a strategy of mass action (boycotts, strikes, civil disobedience and non-cooperation). The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) was formed in April 1959, with Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe as president. The PAC and ANC did not agree on policy, and it seemed unlikely in 1959 that they would co-operate in any manner. The ANC planned a campaign of demonstration against the pass laws to start at the beginning of April 1960. The PAC rushed ahead and announced a similar demonstration, to start ten days earlier, effectively hijacking the ANC campaign. The PAC called for African males in every city and village... to leave their passes at home, join demonstrations and, if arrested, [to] offer no bail, no defence, [and] no fine.1 On 16 March 1960, Sobukwe wrote to the commissioner of police, Major General Rademeyer, stating that the PAC would be holding a five-day, non-violent, disciplined, and sustained protest campaign against pass laws, starting on 21 March. At a press conference on 18 March, he further stated: I have appealed to the African people to make sure that this campaign is conducted in a spirit of absolute non-violence, and I am quite certain they will heed my call. If the other side so desires, we will provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how brutal they can be. The PAC leadership was hopeful of some kind of physical response. References: 1. Africa since 1935 Vol VIII of the UNESCO General History of Africa, editor Ali Mazrui, published by James Currey, 1999, p259-60.    Next page Part 2: The Massacre Page 1, 2, 3

Chesapeake Bay dbq essays

Chesapeake Bay dbq essays In the late 17th century many English people had arrived in the New England and Chesapeake Bay regions of America. New England was the northern region while the Chesapeake Bay region was more of a southern region. As the English settled in these two regions, they became two distinct societies. The two societies of the New England and Chesapeake Bay regions were formed because of the types of people living in both regions. The people of New England formed a family oriented and religious based society while the people of the Chesapeake Bay formed a more rowdy and independent region. As indicated by the Ships List of Emmigrants Bound for New England the groups of people who settled in New England were mainly families and slaves. This allowed for the region to be very family oriented and to focus not only as individuals but also as a group of people. The New England colonies were also very religious. The first article in the Articles of Agreement for Springfield Massachusetts states We intend by Gods grace, as soon as we can, with all convenient speed, to procure some Godly and faithful minister with whom we purpose to join in church covenant to walk the ways of Christ. This article clearly shows that the main focus of Massachusetts is very religious. The New England colonies religious and family oriented society set them apart from the Chesapeake Bay society. The Chesapeake Bay society was a very independent society. The Ships List of Emmigrants Bound for Virginia shows that most of the settlers of the Chesapeake Bay region were men and very few were women. Men are typically more rowdy and independent then women, thus causing the society to be very rowdy and independent. Very few families settled in the Chesapeake Bay region, which also causes the region to be very independent because there is no family members which the settlers to depend on and look ou...

Apple Products Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apple Products - Research Paper Example et, after the discontinuation of the product one month after its launch according to OGrady Jason (29), the Apple II began its operations in 1977 and later discontinued as a result of poor performance and numerous complaints from users. At the same period, there was the introduction of the Disk II drives and the Apple Silen type printers. Software’s present, at the moment, included the Apple Writer 1.0. At the onset of the 1980’s, there was the introduction of the Apple III which came along with other products including; modem IIB, printers, monitors and disk III drives. As a result of competition, there was an introduction of the Macintosh (128k) compact and Macintosh External Disk Drive. Introduction of the Macintosh IIfx in the 1990’s according to Edson, John, and Ernest Beck (212) created a bigger step in establishing articulate technology advancement. The programs that came with the product included the Centris, Quadra and the PowerBook 165c. At the onset of the year 2000, there was an introduction of the PowerBook and the IBook. The Server Macintosh is also efficient. The Xserve Cluster Node helped to establish an arp server. Later in 2004, the AirPort Express got launched and was in use together with the iPod launched the same year. In 2007, the Apple TV became operational, while the same year, there was launching of the iPhone and the Mac Mini (Schneiders, Sascha 20). Currently, there are iBooks Author, the MacBook Pro and iPhone 5. Apple Inc. sells products and services to consumers, businesses as well as governments. They offer special pricing and promotional packages focusing on government officials. In general government officials receive a lower price compared to commercial customers (Apple). Apple Inc attempts to fulfill the social co-operative responsibilities via protecting environment, providing community services and impose of code of ethical conduct in business. Company ensures providing confidentiality for the customers’ details and

BIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BIO - Essay Example Its posterity would inherit that preference and pass it on to their posterity. The inferior (distraught) parts of the same species would slowly vanish, leaving just the predominant (advantaged) parts of the species. Natural selection is the protection of a functional advantage that empowers members of a species to contend better in nature. Natural selection is the naturalistic equal to local rearing (Vincent and Joel 67). Throughout the hundreds of years, human breeders have delivered sensational changes in local creature populaces by selecting people to breed. Breeders eliminate out undesirable attributes bit by bit over time. Additionally, natural selection wipes out inferior species step by step over time. However, a concept referred to as uniformitarianism is against the theory of natural selection. The theory states that the evolution took place through the influence of some natural forces such as earthquakes and floods. The climate of the earth has changed during the course of history. The majority of scientists agree that human activities are resulting to the increase of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Human activities since the period of the industrial revolution have increased the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide one of the major greenhouse gasses is produced through the process of burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and land use changes (Woodward 69). Methane the second type of greenhouse gasses is produced through the process of decomposing wastes in landfills, rice cultivation, and manure management. This means that human activities such as farming and use of fossil fuels have increased the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. In my area of origin, there is the problem of contamination of drinking water. This is occurring through the contamination of rivers, reservoirs, and lakes in the region. The government is trying to guarantee that there is a proper way of disposing of waste from the factories in

Science fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Science fiction - Essay Example However there was one catch, the replicants had a four year life span. But in that four year life span some of the replicants were beginning to develop underlying human emotions. It is these human emotions which led to the revolts of many a replicants making them illegal to be on Earth. Thus, special replicants hunter units, called Blade Runners, were formed to eliminate the illegal replicants. â€Å"Burning Chrome† by William Gibson is a predecessor to many novels he wrote characters from this short story mad their way into other sci-fi novels written by Gibson, such as Neuromancer and the Sprawl series of novels. â€Å"Burning Chrome† shows a computer cowboy, named Bobby Quine jacking into cyberspace, reminiscent of the movie Johnny Mnemonic, based on one of Gibson’s short stories of the same name, and his partner, Automatic Jack. The story is set in the point of view of Automatic Jack. This part of the paper will compare the tone and the settings of the movie Blade Runner with the cyberpunk short story, â€Å"Burning Chrome.† Both are set within the city in which they inhabit, but both there is a time in each story where one loft is the center of attention. Both â€Å"Burning Chrome† and Blade Runner are set in the future with technological advancements beyond our wildest dreams. Furthermore, both are set in differing urban settings, in the streets of a city. However, where the setting in Blade Runner shows are more even playing field for the inhabitants of the city of Los Angeles, â€Å"Burning Chrome† shows that the city, in which the story is set, has a very big discrepancy on those who have it and those who don’t. Blade Runner is set in the city of Los Angeles in the year 2019. The setting allows the viewer to see that this is a bustling metropolis with millions of different things going on all the time. There are several specific