Using a Star Database Schema Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Using a Star Database Schema - Research Paper Example se of a dimensional model is to help decision makers in making strategic decisions without the need of help and support from database experts thereby avoiding extra cost. As a result timely and quality decisions are made. Research by Karen, David and Robert (2006), indicate that denormalization is advocated for in data warehouses as it promotes efficiency of the highest order when queries are run against the warehouse (Karen, David, & Robert, 2006). The concept of dimensional model was developed to cater denormalized data. A star schema model can arguably be referred to as a constrained ERD model. It consists of central entities known as the fact tables that get business event details. Star schema derives its name from the arrangement of the fact tables and dimensional entities forming a star-like arrangement. The representation of this arrangement diagrammatically constitutes the SSD. As a result of this arrangement around a business fact, SSD model is easy to understand. Star schema data model consists of one or more fact tables referencing any given number of dimension tables. There are several benefits of using star schema. First is convenient for simple queries. The star schema simplifies business logic in the realms of reporting. It also provides high level operation performance as a result of simpler queries execution. Lastly star schemas are deployed in most of OLAP systems to make proprietary OLAP cubes efficiently. According to Fig.1, most of the columns if not all in both the dimensions and fact tables are of null value. This means that the primary key is unique and mandatory. Data in the data warehouse comes from various multiple operational databases and therefore in some instances constraints applied in transactional databases need to be loosened. For instance in the star schema diagram in Fig.1, almost all the columns are of null value due to the fact they might lack data. Relationships on the parent sides are not mandatory meaning that there

Radioisotopes: Properties and Uses

Radioisotopes: Properties and Uses Introduction to radioisotopes All matter is made up from elements as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The smallest part of each element which is identical to one another is called an atom. Atoms can be further divided into three substructures which is proton, electron and neutron. The atoms of different elements differ in these three substructures. The number of protons in each atom of a particular element is called the atomic number or the proton number, Z. The nuclei of an atom contain neutrons as well as protons. The mass of an atom is almost entirely due to the protons and neutrons. Thus the mass number, A is the total number of protons plus neutrons which is also known as nucleon number. Isotopes refer to the same element having different mass number. The different in mass number will have the isotopes to share the similar chemical properties but differ in physical properties. For instance, chlorine occur naturally as 35Cl and 37Cl. Figure 1: Atomic notation Isotopes occur naturally and artificially. They can either be in stable or unstable condition. Most of the isotopes which occur in nature are stable. The forces within their nuclei are sufficient to keep the protons and neutrons in the same arrangement indefinitely. However, a few naturally occurring isotopes and almost all man made ones are unstable. Unstable nuclei can change in to a more stable arrangements by releasing energy and different types of particles. The energy and particles emitted is called radioactive decay. The particular isotopes of elements with nuclei that can undergo radioactive decay are called radioisotopes. The amount of energy and the types of particles released are measure by using Geiger counter and photographic film. Radioisotopes cover a very wide range of usage including in energy generation, industries, food processing, medical field and agriculture. Table 1: Examples of natural occurring and man-made radioisotopes Types of radioisotopes Element Isotope Natural occuring Chlorine Chlorine-35, Chlorine-37 Man-made Promethium promethium-146 Application of radioisotope technology in Malaysia 2.1 Gamma Radiography One of the application of radioisotopes in Malaysia is in the Gamma radiography technology. Gamma Radiography behave in much the same way as x-rays screen baggage at airports. But in contrast to the bulky machine needed to produce x-rays, all that is needed to radiate gamma rays is a small pellet of radioactive material in a sealed capsule made of titanium. The capsule is placed on one side of the object to be screened while a photographic film is placed on the other side. Just like x-rays, gamma rays pass through the object and projects an image to the film. Similar to x-rays that show a break in a bone, gamma rays show flaws or empty spaces in metal castings or welded joints. The technique makes inspection for internal defects without damage involving critical components possible. The sources for Gamma rays are usually more portable than x-ray equipment so they possess a clear advantage in certain applications such as in remote areas. In contrast to x-ray sources that emit a broad band of radiation, gamma sources emit at most a few discrete wavelengths. Gamma sources may also have much higher energy than all but cost cheaper than x-ray equipment thus providing an advantage for such radiography. Gamma radiography is also used in an oil or gas pipeline where special film is taped over the weld around the outside of the pipe. An equipment called pipe crawler has a shielded radioactive source down from the inside of the pipe to the position of the weld. Along the pipe line, the radioactive source is exposed producing a radiographic image of the on the film. The film is later developed to images and further examined for signs of potential flaws in the weld. X-ray equipment can only be used when electric power is available and the object to be x-rayed is small and mobile enough to be taken to the x-ray source and radiographed. Radioisotopes have bigger advantage in that sense because they can be taken to the site to examine an object and no external power is needed. The only drawback is that they cannot be simply turned off thus the equipment must be properly shielded during application. Different types of isotopes are used for different situation. Examples of radioisotopes used in gamma radiography are ytterbium-169 to test material up to 15 mm thick and light alloys to 45 mm and iridium-192 to test material 12 to 60 mm thick and light alloys up to 190 mm. 2.2 Gauging The radiation that originated from radioisotopes will have its intensity reduced by the material between the radioactive source the detector. Detectors are designed to measure the magnitude of the reduction. As the result, the same principle is able to be used to gauge the presence or the absence and even to measure the quantity and density of objects between the source and a detector. One of the advantage in using radioisotopes in gauging or measurement is the zero contact with the material being gauged. A huge list of processing industries is making use of fixed gauges to control the flow of materials in production line utilizing radioisotopes technology. The height of the coal in a container that is used to carry coal is able to be determined by using high energy gamma sources at different heights along one side with detectors directed across the load thus registering the breaking of the beam causing the coal in the container to level. This type of gauge is one of the most common industrial applications of radioisotopes. Equipment used in plastic film manufacturing utilize radioisotope gauging using beta particles to measure and control the thickness of the plastic film produced. The film is rolled at high speed between the radioactive source and its detector to control the plastic film thickness. Beta gauges are used to control the paper thickness at speeds of up to 400 ms-1 in paper manufacture lines. While the intensity of radiation radiated from a radioisotope is reduced by material in the radiation beam some extra radiation is reflected back to the source of radiation. The amount of reflected radiation depends to the amount of material in the radiation beam thus can be used to measure characteristics of the material. This application of radioisotopes is used in measuring various types of coating thicknesses. Americium-241 is among the common use of radioisotopes in gauges. 2.3 Insect Control In Malaysia, crop destruction by insects is reaching to about 10% of the total harvest nationwide. Chemical based insecticides have been the usual weapon for years in effort to minimize these losses yet they have not been very effective. This is due to some insects have grew resistant to the insecticides applied as well as some of them leave harmful residues on plants. Sterilizing insects is one solution making use of radioisotopes. The radioisotopes technology in pest control called Sterile Insect Technique or short formed as Sterile Insect Technique comprising huge numbers of insects involving a process to irradiate their eggs using gamma radiation before they hatch to sterilise the insects. The sterile male insects will then be released in huge numbers in the areas of infestation. This ensure that there are no offspring are produced when they mate. The repeated releases of sterilised males to the area caused the population of the insect in the affected area is tremendously reduced. Several Sterile Insect Technique operations have been implemented in Malaysia involving common paddy pest like brown plant hopper that was then declared a complete success. A very successful Sterile Insect Technique campaign was extended to aedes mosquito leading to health benefits to humans. Some of the livestock are unable to be farmed as a result of the tsetse fly which has parasite trypanosome inside their body causing the sleeping sickness disease on cattle. Thanks to the application of radioisotopes in pest controls this situation is starting to change. Three United Nation organizations that is the IAEA, the FAO and the World Health Organisation (WHO) are promoting this radioisotopes technology in many other countries. 2.4 Food Preservation A major amount of food harvested in Malaysia is lost because of spoilage caused by microbes and pests. In a hungry world it’s a luxury we cannot afford. The reduction of food spoilage due to infestation is very important. It is imperative in Malaysia with hot and humid climates throughout the year that favour the survival of microbes and pest. This grave situation lead to the use of irradiation technology in food preservation. This radioisotopes technology is widely used in over 40 countries where health authorities have approved the use of irradiation involving more than 60 kinds of food ranging from spices, grains, fruit, vegetables and meat. Irradiation is able to replace the use of hazardous chemical to eliminate insects from infesting dried fruit, grain, legumes, and spices. Besides to reduce spoilage after harvesting, application of food irradiation is driven by risks about food-borne diseases as well as rapidly increasing international trade in food stocks which ought to meet certain standards of quality. On our nation recent trip into space, our astronauts also eat foods preserved by irradiation technology. Food irradiation is done by exposing high levels of gamma radiation to raw foods to kills bacteria and other hazardous microorganisms without reducing the nutritional value of food itself. This is so far the only way of destroying bacterial pathogens in raw and frozen food. Recommendation of radioisotope applications for country that lacks natural resources 3.1 Gamma Radiography Under the effort of making full use of radioisotopes technology in in under developed countries, gamma radiography is one of the considered technique. Being a country with limited resources, it is the utmost importance not to waste even a particle of available resources. This is mainly highly applicable in the production line in industries such as mills as well as gas and petroleum pipe lines. By introducing gamma radiography in industries, there will be an optimum usage of resources. That can be done by minimizing the waste of resources mainly related to the maintenance of production line. The use of gamma radiography over x-rays devices to identify the flaws in the production line is able to reduce the maintenance cost. Maintenance involving a remote equipment such as gas and petroleum pipeline can also be done much easier and cost wise by utilizing radiography technology. This will boost the undergoing development effort in developing under developed countries by two main strategy that is optimum usage of resources and cost efficient maintenance line. 3.2 Insect Control Limited food reserve is a critical problem that should be addressed involving under developed countries. Starvation has become the number one killer for many decades in under developed countries especially in Africa region. This has something to do with the poor food and resources management as well as the invasion of crop and plants by insects. Not only insects play a major role in causing starvation, they also affect the declining of health quality of a country by spreading fatal sickness such as malaria. The use of radioisotopes in a technique called Sterile Insect Technique or also known as SIT will be able to reduce starvation in under developed countries from a higher level of perspective. In conjunction to the effort of other countries to continue providing aid in food material by sending raw food material and improving health quality by sending respective vaccine to the under developed countries, the country itself has to come up with a more effective way to come out of these problem in the long run. The introduction to Sterile Insect Technique might be a good start. This technique without doubt will have positive impacts in reducing the number of crop destroying and diseases carrying insects tremendously. 3.3 Food Preservation Being able to harvest crop is one thing, while the ability to have the stock preserved for a long run use is another different thing. The inability to preserve food stock in an efficient way will only cause a major food spoilage before they can even be distributed to the citizen. By implementing the use of radioisotopes technology to preserve food using irradiation technique help to prevent food spoilage from happening providing an extra amount of effective time for the food to reach its respective consumers. As a result, consumers has better access to ready stock food as well as contribute to the positive impact in reducing starvation in under developed countries. Irradiation technique cover another aspect beside food preservation that is eliminating the risk of food borne diseases to be spread among the consumers. Exposure of gamma radiation to food has more positive impact besides extending food lifespan itself. It also indirectly improve the health quality of the citizen by avoiding unnecessary diseases that might come together with the food consumed. Impacts of radioisotopes application 4.1 Gamma Radiography The technology involving radioisotopes application in gamma radiography equipment has its own benefits mainly to the industries. This including the reduction of cost in buying gamma radiography equipment over x-ray machine. Cost reduction can also be related to the need of external electrical power by x-ray machine as compare to gamma radiography equipment that does not require power to operate. Gamma radiography has also makes the maintenance process much easier by eliminating the need to dismantle production line machine component to identify flaws. The use of gamma radiography has minimal risk to the industry. The worst case to happen is the exposure to the staff operating the maintenance and inspection procedure. Exposure to gamma radiation may lead to the degeneration of health depends on the level amount of exposure received. To prevent this, the standard in manufacturing the sources of gamma radiation must be controlled. That of course to make sure the use of titanium case as the main material for radioactive capsules. Radiation suit must also be worn by maintenance staff at all times while operating such procedures. 4.2 Insect Control Sterile Insect Technique or SIT has been proven effective in controlling insect population which has greatly contributed in improving crops production as well as reducing the number of health cases related to diseases carrying insects. The use of radioisotopes technology over conventional chemical insecticides also reduce the risk of hazardous chemical substance. This provide a much cleaner pest and insect control mechanism mainly in agriculture. While SIT continue to carry such good reputation in agriculture, there has been some debate that the radiation might spread to general population not only affecting insects but also to the environment where the insects are released at. In contrary to that concern, the use of SIT is a calculated risk that ensure a zero harm to the environment. This was made sure by thorough research programmes to select the most suitable radioisotopes to be used in agriculture. The main criteria of radioisotopes used is the rate of half-life cycle and the minimal impact to the environment. Plus, the sterilization takes place in a controlled lab involving the exposure of radiation to the insects before it hatches. The insect will only be released to designed areas after they hatches and at the end of the half life cycle. 4.1 Food Preservation Food irradiation has become the most reliable way of preserving food. In contrary to other preservation method, food irradiation does not alter the taste and the structure of the preserved food. Irradiation also covers a very wide range of food including meat, grains and vegetables. Plus, food radiation also kill potential harmful microorganism that might harm human health. Like any other radioisotopes applications, irradiation has cause some concern to the society. One of the issues that came up is whether or not the radioisotopes used will affect ones who consume food preserved by irradiation. Radiation poisoning can be fatal to human thus elevating the number of people questioning the reliability of this technology. Little that they know that the technique is a result of numerous trials and research and decades of development before it was approved to be used in food preservation. Irradiation uses a safe amount of radiation which has already been proved harmless to human. Apart of the health issue posed by irradiation, this particular method of food preservation also has limitation on extending food lifespan. This related to the application involving meat preservation which still need a proper refrigeration to stay fresh. Conclusion Radioisotopes has been very beneficial to mankind. The application cover a wide range of field including gamma radiography, insect control and food preservation. Since the application of radioisotopes in atomic bomb, this technology were regarded as the most promising application of our new knowledge of the atom. Venturing into new fields come together with substantial risks. Risks due to our ignorance of what and how it should be used as well as risks due to the lack ethical values in developing radioisotopes technology. It is up to us to make full use of this great technology without diverging from our concern in ethics and scientific values.

Thos Pynchons The Crying of Lot 49: No Escape Essay -- Crying Lot 49

     Ã‚   There are two levels of participation within The Crying of Lot 49:   that of the characters, such as Oedipa Maas, whose world is limited to the text, and that of the reader, who looks at the world from outside it but who is also affected the world created by the text.3   Both the reader and the characters have the same problems observing the chaos around them.   The protagonist in The Crying of Lot 49, Oedipa Mass, like the reader, is forced to either involve herself in the deciphering of clues or not participate at all.4 The philosophy behind The Crying of Lot 49 seems to lie in the synthesis of philosophers and modern physicists.   Ludwig Wittgenstein viewed the world as a "totality of facts, not of things."1   This idea can be combined with a physicist's view of the world as a closed system that tends towards chaos.   Pynchon asserts that the measure of the world is its entropy.2   He extends this metaphor to his fictional world.   He envelops the reader, through various means, within the system of The Crying of Lot 49.    Pynchon designed The Crying of Lot 49 so that there would be two levels of observation:   that of the characters such as our own Oedipa Maas, whose world is limited to the text, and that of the reader, who looks at the world from outside it but who is also affected by his relationship to that world.3   Both the reader and the characters have the same problems observing the chaos around them.   The protagonist in The Crying of Lot 49, Oedipa Mass, like Pynchon's audience, is forced to either involve herself in the deciphering of clues or not participate at all.4    Oedipa's purpose, besides executing a will, is finding meaning in a life dominated by assaults on people's perceptions through drug... ...rying of Lot 49," Mindful Pleasures (Boston: Little, Brown, 1976), p. 3.      5   John Johnston. "Paranoia as a Semiotic Regime in The Crying of Lot 49,"New Essays on the Crying of Lot 49 (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991), p.         6 "Paranoia", p. 4.      7   The Grim Phoenix, p. 15.      8   Crying of Lot 49, p. 49.      9   Robert Hipkiss, The American Absurd, (University of Chicago: New York), p. 90   10   Paranoia as a Semiotic Regime, p. 6.      11   Crying of Lot 49, p. 58.      12   Crying of Lot 49, p. 22 .   13   The Grim Phoenix, p. 26 .   14   Paranoia as a Semiotic Regime, p. 1 .   15   Crying of Lot 49, p. 69.      16   Crying of Lot 49, p. 79 .   17   David Seed, Fictional Labyrinths of Thomas Pynchon (University of Iowa Press: Iowa City), p. 124.      

Mellon Strategic Analysis

Strategic Mangement CASE: Mellon 1)The most important general environmental factors for Mellon are; a. Economics: Mellon specializes in managing company’s finance, there for it is very important for the economy to prosper in order for Mellon to retain clients and perform their specialization. b. Political/Legal: Since Mellon operates out of the U. S and Canada, it is very important that laws and regulations are exercised to avoid conflict. There is a great deal of regulations associated with the finance and banking industry. c.Global Segments: It is very important that the Canadian market performs well because Mellon has a joint venture with CIBC who operates out of Canada. 2)The most important of the five industry forces are; a. Threat of substitute products: Mellon and CIBC offer a very unique service by combining both firms specialization, they are able to offer a one of a kind service for large firms. Therefore it is very hard for companies to find other superior service c ompared to Mellon’s. b. Rivalry among competing firms – Mellon and CIBC has a huge market share in this line of financial service.Mellon and CIBC offer the best services in its field while also offering the best customer service. The exceptional service combined with their long portfolio allows them to have the competitive advantage eliminating any rivalries. c. The industry is not attractive to new entrants 3)The two major competitors are UBS AG and Bank of Montreal. UBS AG is another financial services company that operates worldwide. I predict that this company will allocate more of their services to the U. S and Canada to compete with CIBC Mellon.Bank of Montreal offers banking services, they have a huge presence in Canada and also has locations in the U. S. I predict that they will create a joint venture with a financial service company such as UBS AG to compete with CIBC Mellon. Like CIBC Mellon. 4)The most important value chains are; a. Human Resources: CIBC and Mellon both possess a unique set of knowledge and skills. Knowledge and skills are transferred from one to the other; by doing this they are able to deliver their services. b.Finance: ICBS Mellon is a financial service provider, they not only service other firms but it is crucial they manage their own finance well in order to expand and finance future projects. c. Follow-up service: The company is all service base, in order for them to retain clients they must follow strict follow-up services and maintain a dependable CRM system. d. I believe the following value chains are neutral compared to their competitors. Each of the competitors possess equivalent value chains, ICBS Mellon has the competitor advantage due to their location of operation and clientele. )The important ratio’s for the company are Return on Assets, Return on Equity, Leverage Ratio, equity-to-loans, total capital. Was not able to find actually ratio numbers for Mellon. 6)SWOT; a. Strength: Control large mark et shares, strong human capital, good synergy through JV, large presence both in Canada and U. S, acquisitions of major banks, strong financial availability. b. Weakness: unable to control economic conditions, difference in laws and regulation. c. Opportunity: Global expansion, acquire more industry competitions. . Threats: global economy, other major banking and financial service institutions. 6&7) ICBC Mellon major advantages are their large presence in both the U. S and Canada. By acquiring many of the large players in the industry, they are able to reduce competition and remain in business despite the economic conditions. One of their greatest weaknesses is the uncontrollable economy. They are unable to control where the industry is leading; it could slow now new acquisitions and expansion into other global segments.They are Valuable because they are able to neutralize their threats by acquisitions, they are Rare because they are offer both financial and banking services, they a re not easy to imitate nor substitutable due to their excellence in servicing and market control. 8)Business level – Focus Strategy, Corporate Level – Moderate Level of Diversification w/ related constraints, International Level – Transnational Strategy. The above analogy fits because they operate both in the U. S and Canada, they utilize both the companies specialization to services their customers. The company offers a diversified selection of services, using all heir resources together to provide their services. 9)The firm’s problem is the downturn of the economics, they fear of not being able to control the outcome of it and that it may affect the joint venture relationship. They face many risk such as credit risk, operational risk, and market risk. Their main concern is the peace of mind of current customers and the ability to gain new customers under the circumstances. In this situation, they do not much control. The main focus should be to maintain the current customers. I believe they would take up to more risk by obtaining new accounts.They should try and balance the risk between the U. S economic and CAN. During this time, I believe they should even leave the markets that is creating most risk for them and focusing on what is safest. They need to implement Strategy to stay competitive in the market. By focusing on Strategy, they will remain strong while the other companies take the damage from the economic downturn. 10) a) Should ICBC Mellon focus more of their business in Canada due to their better economy? b) Would ICBC be better off if they had broke off the Joint Venture when times got tough as it is now?

The Four Theories of Government

Akira Simmons 3/5/09 Government There were fourdifferent theories of governments, the force theory, the evolutionary rule, the divine right theory, and social contract theory. The Force theory was when one person or group of people gained control of the area and forced others to submit to their rule. The evolutionary Rule basically said that the states would develop naturally out of family clans, tribes, ect. The divine right theory said that the state was created by God and God gave people of royal birth the â€Å"divine right to rule†. The social contract theory was created by Thomas Hobbes and he believed that before the state people were British. People lived poorly and to improve their lives people could enter into a social contract where a superior person would rule over the rest. None of these four different theories of governments would be a best fit for the United States today. The force theory should not be a government for the United States. A dictator or a group of dictators would make all decisions and there would be no rights for U. S. citizens. The people would have no say and would not be able to vote on anything. The dictator would have all control. In the United States today, we do not use the force theory, but rather a democracy. The Force theory would not be best fit for the United States because with one person having all control, the people of the United States would not have a government that would not be able to exercise their amendments. The evolutionary Rule would also not be a best fit for the United States because in the evolutionary rule, there is no one with control. There would be no form of government and the states would be separate depending on what family you were born into. The area the family clan or tribe originated from would become part of that state. The states would develop naturally rather than families moving throughout each state. This theory would not be a best fit for the United States because there would be no form of government and the families would be born into a state. The divine right theory is mostly based on religion and would not be a good way to govern in the United States because people practice different religions. God gave people of the royal birth the â€Å"divine right to rule†, but not all people believe in the same religion or God. Not only would religion be an issue but also the royal family factor. In the United States, there are no royal families, but there are wealthy, middle class, and the low class. The â€Å"divine right to rule† is not used in the United States because of the different religions. This theory would not be best fit for the United States because the United States does not rule based on religion and there are no royal families. The Social contract theory was created by Thomas Hobbes and he basically stated that the state people were British. People were poor and to improve their lives people would enter into a social contract where one superior person ruled over the rest. This would not be a best fit form of government for the United States today because not everybody lives poor in every state. Each state has a different group of lower class, middle class, and upper class. This also would not be good government for the U. S. because with one superior person ruling there would be no democracy. The United States does not use the social contract today because of these reasons. The four theories of forms of government were all different from one another. These theories are should not be used in the United States today because it’s a different time from when these theories were created. They also should not be used in the U. S. today because there are different reasons the theories would not work in the U. S.

Christmas Carol Essays

Christmas Carol Essays Christmas Carol Essay Christmas Carol Essay Essay Topic: A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens, 1812 1870, wrote A Christmas Carol, published in 1843 and it is one of Dickens most loved works. It is a heart warming story which was very popular at the time of publication. The novel aims to educate and enlighten the reader, as well as entertain, with the story of a cold, grasping man, by the name of-Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is certainly a bad employer and Bob Cratchit, his clerk, would know. He is a poor-family man; time off for the Christmas holiday isnt an issue, especially when you work for Ebenezer Scrooge. As Christmas Eve approaches so does the ghost of Marley, who was dead to begin with! Marley warns Scrooge of three ghostly visits. The ghosts show Scrooge his past, present and a frightening future without love, not to mention disaster for the Cratchits. The purpose of the ghost is to teach Scrooge a lesson in order for him to become a better person. The ending of the novel shows Scrooge can change, pennies are given to charity and certainly the Cratchit familys spirits are lifted as Scrooge gives generously. Charles Dickens wanted his novel to have an important message. He wanted to show that no one should be as selfish and money grasping as Ebenezer Scrooge because if they are they will die lonely and their meanness hurts others. Dickens teaches us that in society the rich people can ease the lives of the poor and make things better for them even with simple acts and gestures! However, we see that characters like Scrooge are unprepared to do so. Life in Victorian England was very difficult, if you were a poor person. Industrialization had bought factories, but unfortunately the working conditions were awful. The poor who worked there didnt get paid a lot at all and would really struggle. If you didnt get employment, then the work houses would be a last resort. This was better than being in prison though and was a warm shelter for Britain. Charles Dickens saw what conditions in the work houses were like and wrote about this in his famous novel Oliver Twist. Dickens was very aware of the poor conditions around, when he moved down to London. He realised (and was shocked at) how badly the rich treated the poor. He was determined to do something about it. By writing about London society and the conditions in which the poor lived, even though these characters were fictional, Dickens was able to raise awareness of poverty and injustice. Dickens wanted to show that rich people should be charitable and help the poor. These charities could make a difference. This relates to A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge is a tight fisted and an uncharitable man. The workhouses during Dickens time were in bad condition; they were a last resort to families. Indeed the charity workers inform us that, Many cant go there and many would rather die. This reveals the plight of the poor. Scrooge has money and if he gave to charity he could make a difference and perhaps save a family from the work house. We can see from the changes he goes through and learning from the ghosts, that by the end of the novel he can help save a life by being thoughtful of others and charitable; he can make a difference. In the first scene of A Christmas Carol Dickens gives the readers an impression of Scrooge in just the first few lines. We are told about Scrooges business, the firm was known as Scrooge and Marley and that Scrooge, Answered to both names. This tells us that Scrooge is just a business not a person who lives a proper life. The text states that Scrooge is tight fisted which gives the impression that scrooge is a mean and hard person. The simile hard and sharp as flint tells us that Scrooge is cold and brittle with no warmth in him at all. Flint was used to spark up a fire but theres no fire or warmth in Scrooge! Dickens says from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire. We see how Scrooge lives on his own and enjoys this when Dickens uses the simile, solitary as an oyster. This is odd because oysters make beautiful pearls but there is nothing lovely about Scrooge!

Free Essays on Writing An Essay

How many people do you know that can write a good, organized essay? Writing an essay can be either easy or hard. Ultimately, it all depends on one’s approach. Some students simply cannot write a good essay, which is why they hate it. The writing of a good essay is a very simple process that is often made harder than it is. If one does not know how to write an essay, there are several steps that to follow. The three basic steps to writing an essay are as follows: discovering a topic, supporting the thesis, and editing the essay. Through these steps, you can write an effective and clear essay. First of all, you need to get some information and materials to discover a thesis and a topic sentence. For example, you can use freewriting, listing, and questioning. The freewriting technique is to help you write sentences or phrases without worrying about spelling or grammar mistakes. Freewriting is a good way to overcome mental blocks about writing. You can also learn the habit of thinking how to start writing a rough draft. Another helpful technique is making a list, also known as brainstorming. You start writing ideas and details that relate to your subject. Brainstorming can help you put the ideas in chronological order. Questioning is also a good method to find ideas and details. For example, a person may question themselves as to who, what, when, where, and why. Asking these questions can be an effective way of getting yourself to think about specific topics. The next step is supporting the thesis statement. Usually, you need three supporting paragraphs and those can be the body parts of the essay. You should organize adequate and specific details. Supporting paragraphs consist of the information which a person has gathered about their subject. Each paragraph has the importance of making the essay more complete. The thesis statement provides a person with the outline of the essay body. Then you may choose to a... Free Essays on Writing An Essay Free Essays on Writing An Essay How many people do you know that can write a good, organized essay? Writing an essay can be either easy or hard. Ultimately, it all depends on one’s approach. Some students simply cannot write a good essay, which is why they hate it. The writing of a good essay is a very simple process that is often made harder than it is. If one does not know how to write an essay, there are several steps that to follow. The three basic steps to writing an essay are as follows: discovering a topic, supporting the thesis, and editing the essay. Through these steps, you can write an effective and clear essay. First of all, you need to get some information and materials to discover a thesis and a topic sentence. For example, you can use freewriting, listing, and questioning. The freewriting technique is to help you write sentences or phrases without worrying about spelling or grammar mistakes. Freewriting is a good way to overcome mental blocks about writing. You can also learn the habit of thinking how to start writing a rough draft. Another helpful technique is making a list, also known as brainstorming. You start writing ideas and details that relate to your subject. Brainstorming can help you put the ideas in chronological order. Questioning is also a good method to find ideas and details. For example, a person may question themselves as to who, what, when, where, and why. Asking these questions can be an effective way of getting yourself to think about specific topics. The next step is supporting the thesis statement. Usually, you need three supporting paragraphs and those can be the body parts of the essay. You should organize adequate and specific details. Supporting paragraphs consist of the information which a person has gathered about their subject. Each paragraph has the importance of making the essay more complete. The thesis statement provides a person with the outline of the essay body. Then you may choose to a...

Whats a Bad SAT Score Nationally and by College

What's a Bad SAT Score Nationally and by College SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you taken the SAT recently? Are you wondering whether your score is bad? Or maybe you just want to know the score to beat before you take the SAT for the first time. In this article, we'll explain what a bad SAT score is, both in terms of the national averages and the colleges you might be interested in. What's Considered a "Bad" SAT Score Nationally? Looking at the 2018 SAT Total Group annual report, we see that a composite score below 1068 is below average. In terms of the sections, an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score below 536 is below average, while a Math score below 531 is below average. This means that if you want to be above average nationally, you'll need to beat a 1068 total score. According to the2018 SAT percentiles, any composite score of 920 or lower is in the bottom 25%. In other words, if you score at or below this benchmark, your score is definitely in the low range. (Learnmore about SAT percentile rankings here.) What Do Colleges Think a Low SAT Score Is? While your national rank is important,it’s far more important to think about what your score means in terms of the colleges you want to attend. After all, you take the SAT to get admitted to colleges, so their opinion is ultimately the most important. If you’re above a college’s average SAT score range- even if your score seems low nationally- then your admissions chances won’t be compromised. Conversely, you could have a score that looks good nationally- say, in the 90th percentile (a 1340)- but is far below the ranges of selective colleges, such asthe Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT. As you can see, it'smuch more important to consider SAT scores within thecontext of your target colleges. Now let's explore some score ranges to determine what constitutes a "bad" SAT score at various colleges. What’s a Bad SAT Score for the Most Selective Schools? If you’re aiming for the most selective schools in the country- think Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, MIT- pretty much any SAT scores that aren’t considered excellent nationally are seen as low. For example, at Harvard, the SAT middle 50% ranges(i.e., the 25th to 75th percentile scores) are 730-800 for Math and 730-790 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. That's pretty high! Additionally, since highly competitive colleges routinely turn away applicants with scores within their average ranges, it’s safest to aim for an SAT score in the top 50% of admitted student scores- not just to be within the middle 50% range. In fact, being in the lower half of a highly selective college’s score ranges can dramatically lower your chances of admission. For example, if the school’s normal admission rate is 10% but your SAT score is in the 25thpercentile for that school, your chances of admission are really just 5% or lower. Your SAT composite score should be 1500 or higher (about 750 or higher per section) if you want to be competitive at highly selective schools. Anything below that will significantly lower your chances. Anything below 1400 (about 700 per section) is decidedly low and makes your admission more unlikely. What’s a Bad SAT Score for Selective Schools? Once you’re out of the top 15 colleges in the country, a "bad" SAT score for a school is anything below its middle 50% range. We say "bad" not because the score is necessarily bad on a national scale, but because it could lower your chances of admission. To take one example, let’s look at Boston University. BU is a selective school, ranked in the top 50 nationwide. ItsSAT middle 50% score ranges are 660-760 on Math and 640-720 onEBRW. A bad score would be anything below these section score ranges, or roughly anything lower than a 1300 SAT composite. So even though a 1300 is a strong SAT score nationally (in the top 13% of test takers!),you'd need to get at least that scoreto be competitive at BU. What constitutes a "bad" SAT score at a selective school will vary by college, so look up the ranges of schools you're interested in using our guide below. What’s a Bad SAT Score for a Local State School? If you’re looking to get into a local university or less competitive school,SAT averages are much more forgiving. For example, let’s look at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Itsmiddle 50% ranges are 510-600 for Math and 490-600 for EBRW. Therefore, for UMass Boston, a composite score around the national average of 1068 on the SAT is definitely within range for admission. In other words, there are many universities that are much more forgiving of an average or just below average SAT score. Look up your local schools below using our guide to figure out what their score ranges are. How to Find a College's SAT Score Ranges We've compiled the SAT score ranges for hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide as well as info on their average GPAs and other admissions data. To find a particular college's SAT score ranges for admission, search for "[School Name] SAT scores site:prepscholar.com": The SAT score ranges page should bethe first or second result: Click the link to get not just that school's SAT score ranges but also its average GPA and admission rate.We even have a tool that allows you to plug in your GPA and SAT/ACT scores to estimate your chance of admission. Here is what our SAT scores page for Stanford looks like: How to Avoid Getting a Bad SAT Score Now that you know what a bad SAT score looks like, what can you do to avoid getting one yourself? First, look up the middle 50% SAT ranges of all colleges you're interested in. By doing that, you can figure out the kind of SAT score you'll need to aim for to be competitive at your target schools. If you want, you can fill out the table below to track the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores for each school you're thinking of applying to: School EBRW 25th %ile EBRW 75th %ile Math 25th %ile Math 75th %ile Composite 25th %ile Composite 75th %ile If you haven't taken the SAT yet or are planning to retake it, your target SAT score should be the upper bound of the middle 50% range of the most competitive school in your chart.As long as you make that score, you'll be competitive wherever you apply. Even if you miss it by a little bit, you'll likely be well within range for most colleges on your list. What’s Next? We’re covered what a bad SAT score might look like. So what’s a good SAT score? An excellent one? Find out here. How do you improve a low SAT score? Get expert tips for bringing up a low SAT Math score. Read our guide to getting a perfect SAT score, written by our resident full scorer. Even if you’re not aiming for a 1600, following these principles will help you reach your score goal. Not sure you can study alone? Consider using the PrepScholar SAT prep program. We take the hard part out of the studying process by analyzing your weaknesses and giving you targeted practice questions. Learn more about the SAT by reading our complete guide to the exam. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Using the Word Humility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Using the Word Humility - Essay Example Applying this term can assume different articulation with the same effect of being modest and lowly. The word often has a positive connotation because it meant being non-offensive and is neither rash nor arrogant. Humility also has the religious connotation that it is considered a virtue. Taking on its religious meaning, humility meant the acknowledgment of his or her defect and shortcomings being a mere creature of a Supreme Being. Being such, humility is the acceptance of a divine grace for assistance, guide, wisdom, etch of a deity of an organized and hierarchal religion. Humility is often a precursor of any divine grace because it makes one a loyal servant deserving of God’s grace of any religious affiliation. Humility can also be taken as deference to a god or Supreme Being that our talents, capabilities and whatever we have come from Him. The philosophical meaning of humility can take in the form of ethics. Philosophically, being humble or modest meant being non-offensive to those who do not possess exemplary characteristic or those who do not have much in life. It is the modest estimation of one’s capability or worth so as not to intimidate or make others uncomfortable. In short, humility is also taken as a way to level down to others so as to make them feel welcome or not to intimidate them with one’s stature or bearing. Humility can be taken as a way to subordinate to oneself to authority. This is the realization that the act of submission to a higher authority will be good to everybody and thus humble enough to submit. This can be observed in government, organizations, and associations of people. For example, we can cite the government and its subjects on how humility assumes a different meaning. The people must humbly submit before the law that governs society to establish order. This is to subordinate the individual’s caprices to the greater good of society.

The War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The War of 1812 - Essay Example 218-19). In 1807, Jefferson persuade Congress to pass a drastic measure, the Embargo Act, prohibiting American ships from engaging in any trade with any foreign port; he thought it would punish the British by denying them American agricultural goods, but, instead, it was "a complete disaster for the economy" (Roark; pp. 218-219). It hit New England merchants and southern planters particularly hard, bringing trade to standstill. It was also hard to enforce, and had little of the intended impact on the British who simply turned to South American countries for agricultural goods. (Roark; pp. 218-219). The embargo stayed in place until Jefferson left office, but was then replaced by the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 which prohibited trade with only Britain, France, and other colonial possessions (Roark, et al; pp.218-219). In 1810 the Act expired and was replaced by a new law that reopened free commercial relations with either Britain or France, whichever stopped restrictions on neutral shipping f irst. (Roark, et al; pp.218-219). Napoleon, wanting to entice the United States into re-imposing its embargo against England, declared that France would never interfere with American shipping. Madison believed the French and reinstated the embargo against England, but French leaders continued to seize American ships. Many Americans felt that the nation was on the verge of war, but were unsure whether the correct target was England or France (Roark, et al; pp.219-220) "But maritime issues were only part of the reason for the conflict between the United States and Britain" which led up to the 1812 War. (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). In the face of constant encroachments of white settlers west onto Indian lands, Indians began consolidating alliances with British Indian agents (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). American concern over this was compounded by the two "dynamic Shawnee Indian leaders", war Chief Tecumseh, and his mystical brother Tenskwatawa, known as the "prophet", who united many tribes of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan in a confederation to protect their lands. (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). The Governor of Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, negotiated a treaty with "unrepresentative Indians" to purchase three million acres of territory at bargain prices, thus helping Tecumseh work with southern tribes as well. In 1811, alarmed at the brothers' growing power, Harrison met the Shawnees at Tippecanoe Creek, and captured and destroyed their strong hold, Prophetstown. (Roark, et al; pp. 220-222). After Tippecanoe, Tecumseh allied with British military commanders in Lower Canada, and American conflicts with the Indians soon merged into a broader confrontation with England. In June 1812, Congress declared war on England in a "sectionalized vote" with New Englanders largely opposing it (Roark, et al; pp. 223). The war did not go well: a planned invasion of Canada failed, and the British grabbed forts on the Great Lakes. On the home front, New Englanders, led by Federalist merchants, openly opposed the war, and carried on illegal trade with England. (Roark, et al; pp. 223). Federalists gained political strength in the election of 1812, demonstrating discontent with the war. American fortunes improved somewhat with

The Concept of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Concept of Globalization - Essay Example Businesses and markets across the world are now linked such that a business in one country can have customers from any part of the world. This is as a result of expanded business operations and easy access of world markets resulting to globalization of markets. Advancement in IT has aided in removing physical barriers like boundaries. Factors of production are central in the globalization process since nations exhibit differences in quantity and quality of these factors (Lechner, 2009). Nations that have less of one or more factors e.g. labor tend to seek it from others while they export what they have in surplus e.g. food in case land is put into proper use. Due to this interaction global institutions have emerged e.g. UN, IMF and The World Bank among others that control interaction between nations (Haugen and Mach, 2010). Some offer credit, others ensure peace and stability while others ensure credibility of international trade. Globalization has turned the world into one big marke t place where nations showcase what they have in plenty and seek what they are short of. Consumers are now free to shop for commodities from any part of the world. In the process goods and services, money and culture are exchanged making the world to be one big community. References Haugen, D. M. and Mach, R. (2010). Globalization. Greenhaven. Lechner, F. J. (2009). Globalization: The making of world society. Wiley-Blackwell.

Does a government imposed price control provide an efficient market Term Paper

Does a government imposed price control provide an efficient market - Term Paper Example This effect is long-term as the elasticity of supply is high and the availability of the product is being rationed by price, eventually black market arises to compensate this shortage. This is a clear indication that the government intervention has reduced the efficiency of the market and created new market failure characteristics like the emergence of a black market where goods and services evade tax through smuggling in addition to violation of several other rules of the trade (Mises, 197-248). On the other hand, price floors raise the equilibrium price for they are set at minimum. These price floors are inclusive of reduced wages and agricultural marketing boards. On condition that the price floors bind, then they will definitely decrease the amount of goods in demand and increase the quantity which is being supplied. Eventually this will create a surplus in the market and thus lower the prices below the equilibrium price. Economists argue that lowered wage laws may subsequently result to increased levels of unemployment and this phenomenon mostly affects the youth as business units often offer high wages (Riesman, 35-78). A free market is a market where the equilibrium price is controlled by forces of demand and supply. When a tax is imposed on such a market; there emerges a difference between supply and demand prices and the equilibrium is disrupted and this results to a tax wedge. When a tax has been imposed on any transaction in then market, the resulting difference between the demand and the supply price is commonly referred to as the tax wedge. Taxes are mandatory payments to the government from the society and they have substantial influence on the normal market trends; basically of the buying and the selling price difference (Mises, 327-361). In a competitive market which is devoid of these price regulations from the government, the equilibrium price is

Ovid Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ovid - Research Paper Example This qualification seemed quite trivial and the naiad didn’t worry about it, believing her son would surely live for a long time. As he grew up, Narcissus was a very beautiful individual, causing everyone who saw him to fall in love with him. However, Narcissus never found anyone he felt was worthy of his attention. One of those who had fallen in love with him was the nymph Echo, who shriveled up to nothing more than her voice when Narcissus rejected her love. Another hopeful lover was more aggressive and pleaded to Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, that Narcissus should fall in love with himself and yet be unable to accept his own love. Nemesis granted the request by fulfilling the fate that Tiresias had foresaw. She caused Narcissus to know himself. When Narcissus bent over a clear silver pool for a drink of water on a hot day, he saw his reflection and thus ‘knew himself’. He promptly fell in love with the image he saw in the pool and did everything he could t o reach out and connect with the figure but, since it was only a reflection, all his efforts only caused the object of his adoration to disappear. Finally realizing that the image he is seeing is a reflection that he will never be able to hold, Narcissus beats his breast in grief and dies there by the side of the pool. Thus, no matter how much he might have been unable to know himself in any other way because of his own arrogance, the simple procedure of seeing his own reflection, thus knowing the image others had loved, was enough to bring about his fate. These types of stories are told through a central linking frame, which also links it to other important classical writers like Chaucer, Dante and

Service Quality in Higher Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Service Quality in Higher Education - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the three surveys conducted used various statistical measures such as QFD technique, and some multidimensional matrixes. Some of the research instrument included the QFD model, the QFD matrixes, and the data got analyzed by use of the statistical packages for social scientists (SPSS). Some of the processes that got included in these studies included delivery of teaching, the design of study programs, assessment of students, management of the administrative services and research activities. Others include career orientation services, student admission, and hiring, development and evaluation of the teaching personnel. The conclusive statement got made student’s study program, assessment of students and the teaching process are important aspects of improving education quality and the introduction of quality management in the higher education systems. Service quality in higher learning has emerged as one of the key most fundamental factors that drive ma ny academic institutions towards realizing their set objectives, goals, and educational aims. There are some processes and methodologies adopted by some learning institutions for the main purpose of upgrading the quality of their education services as well as academic provisions. By undertaking this procedure as well as the policies meant for improving their education quality and standards, these institutions have gotten in a position to meet nearly all requirements set by the ISO 9001:2008. There are some strategies taken to improve service quality in higher education, among them including the application of quality function deployment towards upgrading the standards in higher education. In this case, it entails the concerns from the employer’s perspective. It involves the use of the use of various paradigms and investigation procedures which gets implemented for the purpose of purpose of coming up with solutions for realizing high academic qualities.

Ovid Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ovid - Research Paper Example This qualification seemed quite trivial and the naiad didn’t worry about it, believing her son would surely live for a long time. As he grew up, Narcissus was a very beautiful individual, causing everyone who saw him to fall in love with him. However, Narcissus never found anyone he felt was worthy of his attention. One of those who had fallen in love with him was the nymph Echo, who shriveled up to nothing more than her voice when Narcissus rejected her love. Another hopeful lover was more aggressive and pleaded to Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance, that Narcissus should fall in love with himself and yet be unable to accept his own love. Nemesis granted the request by fulfilling the fate that Tiresias had foresaw. She caused Narcissus to know himself. When Narcissus bent over a clear silver pool for a drink of water on a hot day, he saw his reflection and thus ‘knew himself’. He promptly fell in love with the image he saw in the pool and did everything he could t o reach out and connect with the figure but, since it was only a reflection, all his efforts only caused the object of his adoration to disappear. Finally realizing that the image he is seeing is a reflection that he will never be able to hold, Narcissus beats his breast in grief and dies there by the side of the pool. Thus, no matter how much he might have been unable to know himself in any other way because of his own arrogance, the simple procedure of seeing his own reflection, thus knowing the image others had loved, was enough to bring about his fate. These types of stories are told through a central linking frame, which also links it to other important classical writers like Chaucer, Dante and

Strategic Human Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Planning - Essay Example "The range of activities and themes encompassed by SHRM is complex and goes beyond the responsibilities of personnel or HR managers into all aspects of managing people and focuses on management decisions and behaviors used, consciously or unconsciously, to control, influence and motivate those who work for the organizations - the human resources" (Price, 2007) What Charmagne was considering was a combination of this and Issues-Based Strategic Planning, under which goals are prioritized. According to her, producing products with good quality corresponding to the specifications of the contract is more important than getting the larger contract. She is also carrying out a cost-benefit analysis which helps her predict that recruiting trained workers from the market in this short span of time means high costs for the firm. Probably even higher than the benefits that they will enjoy from the large contract. However, she is more concerned with delivering a good quality product rather than motivating Proper Corporate Strategic planning comes with proper analysis of all the different aspects of the scenario, its alternatives and the external factors affecting decisions. Charmagne's strategy is not based on impulse but has facts, figures and practical study to support her argument. And when she is challenging Brian, this strategic plan will help her put forward her points to him concretely and more clearly.

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace

Effect of Cultural Differences in Global Marketplace Abstract This paper proposes a study on the threat the new entrants in global markets encounter mainly about the trouble arising from cross-cultural differences. This proposal investigates some of the applicable background work on the topic and sets some of the aims, objectives and research methodology that help for the better understanding of the topic. The main emphasis in this research is focus on the cross-cultural threats most businesses face during their plans to enter into the international markets. The expanding of business operations into external markets is very important in this competitive world. But this expansion into international markets is associated with high degree of risk. This research considers two countries Europe, Middle East and North America and the mode of internationalization are the Export business. Background: Business who enter new markets face many problems and this threats faced by new entrants is faced from many years. This is extensively considered in the literature but unlike nuances from this topic can be analysed. If there is risk connected to the reality that a business enters a new international market, huge levels of uncertainty could be associated when business go into new markets in different countries, this due to the existence of cultural aspects may weaken the achievement of the new business. In a situation in which Globalisation plays a most important role in home economies, the focus of going into new international markets is an additional and more pertinent. Apart from this in some of the industries the national market is not sufficient to cover up every aspect of the production of the business, and consequently, there is a need for such business to enter into new markets, for example, find the financial support for growth and development. Thus, the entry in international markets in this perspective may not be a choice but relatively it is an obligation. Business decisions are extremely surrounded in a sociological framework where culture plays an important role. To that degree, the significant threat of entering international markets can be differences in the culture that may weaken the progression of entering the new market of the achievement of the international project. For every business to decision of entering into a new international market requires huge resources, more often than not there are resources that require to be assigned to the decision of global entry, and that managers need to execute to the procedure of entry. But large investments into the new ventures in international markets does not in reality give success to the firm, the crucial lies only if the business enters the new markets before its competitors as these cultural aspects of the new markets can hinder performance in the beginning and to understand the culture, manage peoples preferences and to be successful requires a long-term process (Mascarenhas 1998). Moreover, the study also demonstrates that new entrants typically require placing smaller amount of capital in the procedure of entering the new market, and consequently this plan can be pursued by business with few resources if they are initial entrants. There are quite a lot of patterns that business can choose when entering in new trade places, and the pattern or the procedure the business adopt during entry may describes the success of the decision. In addition to this the pattern of entry also has an significant impact on the consequence of the new project. This framework identifies three underlying constructs that influence the entry mode decision. These constructs are linked to considerations that have been previously discussed in the literature. It is argued that a businesss choice of entry mode depends on the strategic relationship the business envisages between operations in different countries. A particular entry decision cannot be viewed in isolation. It must be considered in relation to the overall strategic posture of the business. Further, the paper argues that different variables often suggest different entry modes, and that resolving these differences involves accepting trade-offs. Hill et al. (2006: p. 117) Different types of entry refer to the procedure the business decides to enter the market. There are different types of expanding its business globally like Export its good to the new markets international also is a form of international business, these Exports may be Direct or Indirect, business can even start its global business through Contracts like licensing and franchising; and Foreign Direct Investment this includes funding of business in other countries either as a whole or a part of the business (Armstrong and Sweeney 1994). There is also a significant feature that the business needs when going globally, learning. The importance of organizational learning for a companys survival and effective performance has been emphasized in the literature (Barkema and Vermeulen, 1998; Barlett and Ghoshal, 1987a, 1987b; Hitt, Hoskisson and Ireland, 1994; Huber, 1991). According to Zahra et al. (2000) New ventures competing in international markets, for instance, draw from multiple knowledge bases in their different business operations and learn new skills that augment current capabilities. This viewpoint serves to emphasize the reality that later the primary experiences in terms of new ventures in international markets, helps gives the business an opportunity to learn, and with the help of this knowledge which the business gains in the process of learning can help them to be confident and which in turn helps them to reduce the level of risk associated with international business. Yet, a key problem the new entrants fac e is the distance of culture among the countries. Within each of the management disciplines there is a Significant literature which assumes that each nation has a distinctive, influential, and describable culture it shapes everything' (Hickson and Pugh, 1995: 90) A very important aspect of the process of internationalization is the distance between certain cultures. This issue is very central to the international Business literature, as it can be conbusinessed by Sousa and Bradley (2006: p. 49) Cultural distance and psychic distance are two factors that are widely used in the international business literature. A large number of studies use both concepts interchangeably with no clear distinction between them. The authors propose a new model to assess cultural distance and psychic distance separately. Through the use of survey data of more than 300 managers, this article shows that both concepts are conceptually different and that psychic distance is determined by cultural distance and the individual values of the managers. Hofstede is a pioneer in explaining the cultural distances among the countries with his work cultural consequences in 1984. He worked on the employees of IBM in different countries and identified four cultural dimensions, even though the scope of his research is limited as there no IBM offices in some countries, but his work is widely accepted in the study of national cultural differences among countries . The existence of cultural problems can be to some extent eliminated by adopting a evolutionary process by business during the process of entry into international markets. Hashai and Almor (2004: p. 465) demonstrate this gradual process of entering the market that can be used as an argument in favour of the actual difficulties in entering international markets, since three levels of entry are referred. Results show [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the following internationalization sequence over time: (1) exports are employed initially in order to serve customers in psychically close international markets; (2) subsequently, greenfield marketing subsidiaries are established in these markets; (3) finally, businesss engage in mergers and acquisitions, create subsidiaries that incorporate several value-adding activities and penetrate psychically distant international markets. Hofstede (1989), states that the main risk in internationalization is: signifying that in spite of the existence of a few cultural gaps, which may not be very troublesome or are even opposite, differences among two cultures in terms of uncertainty avoidance can turn into a possible foundation of problems for business who are looking for international markets due to the linked gap in acceptance of the level of risk, formalization, and the approximating. This viewpoint is very significant, and it can be linked with the resource- based viewpoint. In order to spend in global markets, business requires also investing in their information and adjustment to the host countries culture. However, as a consequence of the internationalisation process, business are expected to obtain awareness regarding global sites, organizational features and other country specific information (Barkema et al., 1996) as there should be more open to communication with fresh cultures. Ultimately, as an instance of threats of entry into international markets, there are five factors which are identified with the export of goods among the countries. From the analysis of the prior experiential literature, five common export threats have been identified. The prior among them are the non-exporting business tends to recognize obstacles in a different way from export trade. They put additional importance on factors inhibiting the commencement of export actions, while exporting trade stress operational, practical and market associated troubles. Next, the character, as well as the level complexity of export impediments varies not only among export stages, but also between businesses at the equal stage of export growth process. Next, the outside environmental aspects widespread in every nation mainly control perceived export problems. Next, industry-specific aspects are often accountable for variations in the supposed level of export threats across industry. Lastly, the level of the industry frequently determines the characteristics and pressure on export threats, with minor business feeling their inhibiting impact more powerfully. Smit h et al. (2006: p. 54-55) Aims The main aim of this piece of research is to find out the processes which national business adapt while entering into new international markets and to calculate the degree of which cross-cultural characteristics of the host country can contribute to the decision making. Therefore, in this research it will be required to find a connection between the cultural distance of the two countries and the power of their global business. In other expression, one can aim to study whether: are the firms more expected to invest in nations that are culturally closer? As a result, the intention of this research is to estimate the degree to which the cultural distance plays an significant part on the choice of participating in the economy of a certain country. To that extent, this research is evaluating, finally, if the cultural closeness of certain countries is a feature of magnetism by business for a venture. In order to find out the part of cultural closeness, one will calculate the cultural threats business encounter in going into global markets. The centre of this research is businesses who are the first time entrants into the new international markets. For that motive the problem of cultural distance is understood so closely. This is also based that business going into new markets with a little experience in global ventures are less affected by the risk when entering into a new global market. The basic theory in this research is that cultural distance plays a significant role for the first time entrants when compared to other business. In order to believe in this objective, a viewpoint on the resources that are necessary to enter a global venture will be the base for the explanations sought after. The main hypothesis is that, venturing into new markets where there is a high degree of cultural distance embodies high degree of risk and, consequently, huge investments is required to understand and bridge a gap between these cultural distance among countries. Research Methods: Data As the main focus of the research is to find out the relation between the cultural differences among nations and course of internationalisation of the company, different sources of statistics and information will be used. In order to know the relation we need to under the cultural differences among the countries, as this will enable the research with better understand of the concept. To get this information, Hofstede (1984) work is used to get the information on cultural distance. The model developed by Hofstede (2001) provides a set of variables that permit the relationship of cultures with respect to various business approaches. The study of cultural consequences of Hofstede is performed using data gathered from IBM workforce in different countries around the world. In spite of being a good method for understanding the cultural distance among countries, the model itself has some draw backs, as the staff of IBM are not only influenced by the national cultural but also are influenced by the organizational culture and hence this study may not reveal the pure information on the national culture, as the employees are also inclined by IBM policies and procedures. But however the framework depicts the cultural difference among the countries in five dimensions: They are The first among them is the power distance: this depicts the distance between individual of different ranks. The next is Individualism this reflects the extent to which an individual relies on a group or collective approach to issues, or the extent to which the individuals takes individuals initiative to solve problems. Uncertainty avoidance, which reflects on peoples attitudes on ambiguity in a society or country. The third is Masculinity, the gender differences, in more masculinity, results in assertiveness, competitiveness and need to achieve results; low masculinity suggests co-operation and more caring approaches. Lastly, the fifth dimension which is the result of the work of Hofstede, with the Chinese cultural connection group (1987) which resulted in another dimension called the Long term orientation, more Asian culture prefer long term bond and oppose short term contracts. The subsequent resource of information is associated with the exports. Information will be collected from the World Trade Organization (2008) and contain data about the selected countries for the research, North America, Middle East and Europe. Ultimately, the information required is different sources of information about the flows of foreign direct investment among each pair of groups of countries. The data for this dataset will be gathered for each pair of countries in isolation and thus different sources will be used. To understand the proximity of the relationship among the pair of countries can be understood from the information gathered about the cultural distance with the help of Hofstede framework. This understanding of the closeness of the culture will help to answer the question whether business are only ready to trade with those countries which are narrow in terms of cultural distance. The methods used for analysing are: In order to assess the level to which the aspect of cultural distance plays a significant part on the business decision on the new ventures with certain nation, can be analyzed with the help of analysis of the pair of countries from the selected parts of the world. This examination will integrate assess of the comparative distance of the two countries, and an evaluation of the relative influence of the exports and of Foreign Direct Investment in the total exports and Foreign Direct Investment of each country. The information will provide a chance to spotlight on the connection between the cultural distance and the actual international link of business in the two groups of countries, with numerical techniques. This examination will be complimented with relative details of the culture of the both the countries. 5. Expected Outcome It is expected that countries with similarities in terms of culture verify higher levels of international trade, not only in terms of exports, but also in what regards to international trade. The theory on the resources applied in the participation of a new joint venture can also provide a contribution in this respect. Countries with higher similarities may embody a lower risk of investment and therefore, businesss will be seeking to invest firstly in countries in which they know what to expect. However, it is also certain that after having invested in a number of countries to which cultural similarities are found, a business may be seeking to expand to other countries, culturally more distant. This may be due to two reasons: the first one is related to the need of expansion, and once all countries to which cultural proximity is found already have the presence of the business; the second one is related to the international experience and the confidence of investment the business has gained in the countries it has invested previously, and is now ready to take a step further and to operate at a higher risk.

Movie Piracy is Stealing Essay -- essays research papers

With the growing number of internet users participating in movie piracy, this creates a network of users who no longer need to go the movie theatre or video store to watch a movie. Movie piracy has grown enormously in the past few years making it easier than ever to find box office releases with the simple click of a button. This creates a world where it is okay to steal billions of dollars from movie producers, because most of those participating in piracy see nothing wrong with it. Although there are consequences for downloading copyrighted content, it is nearly impossible to prosecute each user who is downloading a particular movie. Instead of relying on punishing those who are downloading the content, it is most important to make this content unavailable getting rid of this problem altogether. In a recent survey conducted on 3600 internet users in nine countries, it was reported by the Motion Picture Association of America that twenty-four percent of internet users have downloaded a movie over the internet, and seventeen percent of those who hadn’t said they expect to start within the next year (Pruitt). Just about any internet user can easily find and download a movie within a few hours by typing its name into a search engine. With this method being more convenient and less costly than going to the movie theatre, it should not be a surprise that so many people are doing it. â€Å"Only two years ago, it took 72 days to get a highly watchable version of "Finding Nemo" online.† (Hernandez) Today, in the world of movie piracy this would rarely happen though. Most box office releases are available online within a few days or even hours of the box office release. â€Å"Last summer's blockbuster "Spider-Man 2," for example, was downloadable in first-rate form within seven hours of its premiere to the public†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hernandez). This shows that movie piracy is becoming more important to internet users, and piracy will continue to grow unless something is done about the problem. With the availability of pirated movies being so great, you cannot place all the blame on those who are downloading the files, or buying the bootlegs. The problem is those who make these files available. The website vcdquality.com lists releases of pirated movies, and the source of the release. The most common source for movie releases is CAM or telesync (VCDQuality). This means th... ...g hands, making it almost impossible to determine the source of piracy. For this reason copy protection must be implemented into DVD screeners. With the growth of technology and the other forms of copy protection currently available it is a surprise to me that this has not already been implemented. Napster currently uses a form of copy protection on their music file that does not allow them to be copied or played without the license. If this was implemented into screeners and DVDs in general this would cut down on piracy drastically. With the problem being so widespread and the solution being so straight forward it is a surprise that barely anything has been done to prevent piracy. Security is used in just about every aspect of life, and the problem of piracy is just as extensive as that of shoplifting, Even to use the same security in a movie theatre as you would in a department store makes perfect sense. With security in movie theatres currently being next to nothing and copy protection on DVDs being unheard of, the amount of piracy that occurs should not surprise us. We are living in the digital age where we should expect these types of activities and take the proper action.

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the

The Economic and Political Motives of the American Constitution vs. the Articles of Confederation Introduction The Constitution of the United States of America is often revered and thought of as the basis for all democracies around the world. However, when it is used as an example of the perfect democracy, the facts and history behind its creation are often left out. While it is a fascinating document, it is not the pinnacle of perfection that we often hold it up to be. It had a stumbling start, full of problems and arguments, instead of the immaculate conception that is often described. Its beginnings were much humbler, and they started with the Articles of Confederation. It is somewhat strange that the American people know so little of the fundamental nature of their system of government. Their acquaintance with it extends only to its outward form and rarely includes a knowledge of the political philosophy upon which it rests. The sources of information upon which the average man relies do not furnish the data for a correct understanding of the Constitution. (Smith, Allen, 1965: 30) What I propose to show is that the Constitution of the United States is not necessarily the best form of government for the United States, but that a reworking of the Articles of Confederation would have been sufficient. The motives I would like to call into question are those of the Framers of the Constitution, but also those of the Framers of the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation are often historically overlooked, but they play a major role in the creation of the Constitution. By examining the creation of the Articles of Confederation and its demise, I hope to shed some light on why the Constitution was created an... ...an Company, 1936. Bourgin, Frank. The Great Challenge: The Myth of Laissez-Faire in the Early Republic. New York: George Braziller, 1989. Campbell, R.H. and A.S. Skinner, eds. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Glasgow edition of the works and correspondence of Adam Smith. Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1981. Jensen, Merrill. Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774-1781. University of Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1940. Kenyon, Cecelia. The Antifederalists. New York: Bobbs-Merrill Co. Inc., 1966. McDonald, Forrest. We the People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1958. Smith, J. Allen. The Spirit of American Government. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1965.

Ridoran Manufactoring

Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Team B- Diana Barris, Nicole Bell, Jacqueline Chaney, Shawnda Davis, Hadeel Raouf, Kelly Tyler HRM/324 Annette Clark-Davis February 11, 2013 Riordan Manufacturing Compensation Plan Riordan Manufacturing is a worldwide plastics manufacturer that is headquartered in San Jose, California. Their organization has over 500 employees and prides themselves on providing their customers with high quality merchandise to satisfy their plastics needs.They hold an ISO 9000 certification which is an organization that establishes and measures quality control. In order to meet or exceed the level of quality required under ISO standards, Riordan Manufacturing will need to have knowledgeable and skilled employees within their organization. To attract premier candidates for their company, the compensation plan that is designed will need to be fair, rewarding, and competitive.This paper will outline the compensation plan for Riordan Manufacturing and include an eva luation of current trends and predict future trends, internal and external equity, a wage management process and retirement plan, financial influence on the plan’s options, and discuss the methods in which the plan will be communicated to members of the organization. Key Objectives According to Martocchio (2009), â€Å"Compensation professionals promote effective compensation systems by meeting three important goals: internal consistency, market competitiveness, and recognition of individual contributions† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 9). It is essential that these objectives are met to retain employees and make them feel valued and appreciated; all while functioning within the organizational budget. As Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees and remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. As â€Å" compensation systems are changing† (Martocchio, 2009, p. 23), Riordan Manufacturing will do well o consider plans offered by their competitors so that they will remain an industry leader. Trends and Issues An evaluation of current trends and issues in the company’s total compensation shows the company meeting goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas. Riordan Manufacturing wants and â€Å"will maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that our employees are well informed and properly supported, we will provide a climate focused on the long-term viability of our company.Our Future must be focused in achieving and maintaining reasonable profitability to assure that the financial and human capital is available for sustained growth† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). The company’s current trends such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet th e organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated. However, technology changes each day and in today’s business world it is important to keep the company’s IT system updated to meet the demands of the customers, and the day-to-day operations. Riordan has a system to track historical sales. In the past, most sales data was recorded using paper and pencil. In the last few years, the firm has managed the information electronically† (University of Phoenix,  2013, p. 1). In the future it is best the company does an update to improve the communication between the different sites, employees, monitor inventory, customer demands, and sales. The company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth within the company. Internal and External equityInternal equity is based on the employee's values and fairness, the values, and fairness of the pay relationships within the organization. â €Å"The pay relationship within the organization has an affect on three compensation objectives. They affect the employee’s decisions to stay with the organization, to become more flexible by investing in additional training, or to seek greater responsibility† (Milkovich, 2008, p. 64). The external equity is based on how the employee sees the company's pay structure and compensation system. What the employer pays, relative to what other employers will pay for the same type of work.The Riordan Manufacturing Company works toward a fair base system, attracting, and maintaining good workers when considering internal and external equity. Implementing job analysis, employee evaluations, work structure, pay ranges, and pay grades are ways the company endorse internal equity. Marketing surveys, supplying a competitive pay system, and salary surveys are used to implement external equity. This will allow the company to manage and implement a compensation structure that will add value and continue to make the organization successful. Wage Management and RationaleRiordan Manufacturing’s salary administration program was created â€Å"to achieve consistent pay practices, comply with federal and state laws, mirror our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, and offer competitive salaries within our labor market† (University of Phoenix,  2004,  p. 11). Employee compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, and salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive (University of Phoenix,  2004).Merit-based pay adjustments may be offered for excellent employee performance. Riordan manufacturing’s salary administration program is review periodically and reconstructed when necessary (University of Phoenix,  2004). A retirement plan and how partic ipation will be driven Riordan Manufacturing wants to make sure their employees participate in the company’s retirement plan. We will offer 401(k), Pension Plan and Profit Sharing plan. We feel that the futures of our employees are important.The way the Riordan will drive participation is by communicating clearing, emphasizing the benefits of plan participation, and to be creative. Communication is very important, using poorly or confusing materials do little to encourage plan participation. Some points to remember when communicating the plan information is to use examples that employees can relate to, keep communication brief and, use graphics like charts. Also making sure that we highlight key points will drive participation. Being creative is always a great way to encourage employees.An example would be to hold contest to promote participation. How will it be communicated? Want to promote retirement plan participation, so we want to make sure that the plan is communicated the best way possible. Since everyone works at different shits there will be different times that are available for the employees to sign up for. The discussion of the retirement plan will be in a classroom setting with a representative to explain the retirement plans that Riordan Manufacturing will offer.In these classes there will be handouts with information explaining the plan in detail and also a shorter version that will highlight the key points of the plan. In this setting this will promote participation because someone will be there to help with any questions that the employees may have and also help with the initial sign-up of the plans offered. Conclusion: Riordan Manufacturing’s goal is to maintain an innovative and team oriented working environment. By assuring that all employees are well informed and properly supported.Riordan Manufacturing considers themselves to be a leader within their industry, they understand that listening to the voice of their employees an d remaining flexible regarding the compensation benefits offered worth together in alignment with their company mission. The company meets goals in certain areas, but needs to improve in other areas, and the current trends of the company such as the flexible benefits program, salary administration program, and the CRM system is used to help meet the organizations vision and goals, and keep the employees interested and motivated.However; the company should prepare to make some changes in its current infrastructure to sustain profitability and growth. In Riordan Manufacturing; the Employee’s compensation is based on several factors including but not limited to job analysis, evaluations, the duties and responsibilities of the job, as well as the salary survey data on pay practices of other organizations in the same labor market, to ensure Riordan’s compensation plan remains competitive. References Martocchio, J. J. (2009).Strategic compensation: A human resource managemen t approach (5th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Milkovich, G. T. , & Newman, J. M. (2008). Compensation (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix. (2004). Riordan Manufacturing Employee Handbook. Retrieved. from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. University of Phoenix. (2013). Week Five overview. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, HRM324 – Total Compensation website. York, NY: McGraw

Cultural Destruction Essay

Development of society has forced the Native culture to vanish due to the break their tradition has undergone in the past. The Natives were forced to adapt the white tradition thinking it would benefit them in the long-run. Both â€Å"The Loons† by Margaret Laurence and â€Å"Compatriots† by Emma Lee Warrior portray similar messages about the Natives. The main characters Hilda and Vanessa represent ignorance because of their stereotypical nature towards the culture. However, as Vanessa matures she goes through a realization and understands the sorrow and pain of Piquette and her tradition other than herself. Vanessa’s final understanding of Piquette’s life and culture symbolizes the loons. Both short stories reveal the lack of knowledge and understanding the white society knows about the Natives. The perception that Vanessa classifies Piquette as shows how ignorant and narrow-minded she is as a child. The knowledge young Vanessa has about the Natives are based on stereotypes from her peers, which only consists of their physical appearance and territory. â€Å"It seems to me that Piquette must be in the same way a daughter of the forest, a kind of junior prophetess of the wilds, who might impart me, if I took the right approach, some of the secrets which she undoubtedly knew-where the whirlpool made her nest, how the coyote reared her young, or whatever it was that it said in Hiawatha† (Laurence 112). This description of Native life shows the reader that Vanessa really has no clue what Piquette’s life is like, she may live in a forest but her secrets are dark and deep. Vanessa thinks that if she leaves Piquette with a good first impression then she’d reveal those secrets to her. Young Vanessa most likely picked up this stereotypical opinion from her surroundings, which is seemingly a vision from the white society’s point of view. However, Vanessa’s perspective is limited because she is born as part of the white culture. Due to Piquette constantly brushing Vanessa aside when she attempts to be friendly kills Vanessa’s beliefs to what it means to be a Native. In addition, Hilda as well shows ignorance towards the Natives. Hilda also has an ignorant view of the Native culture. Hilda is anxious to learn about the Indians and their tradition as she follows Lucy around seeking for â€Å"real† Native experiences. She searches for Helmut in hopes of fulfilling her desire to understand the complex history and modern day reconstruction of the Native culture. â€Å"’I want to see him,’ Hilda said, ’I heard about him and I read a book he wrote. He seems to know a lot about the Indians, and he’s been accepted into their religious society. I hope he can tell me things I can take home. People in Germany are really interested in Indians. They even have clubs’† (Warrior 171-172). Hilda believes that Helmut knows a lot of information about the Native’s lifestyle due to the fact that he wrote a book about them and also dresses like them. Her being narrow-minded blocks the true perception of Helmut being phony because the Native’s themselves are not concerned of their own culture. â€Å"Shit, that guy’s just a phony. How could anybody turn into something else? Huh? I don’t think I could turn into a white man if I tried all my life. They wouldn’t let me, so how does that German think he can be an Indian- they’re crazy† (Warrior 174). This statement proves the inequality in our society between the Natives and whites, the option of ethnic change remains both socially and politically acceptable for those with privilege and power only. Although, young Vanessa and Hilda are perceived as ignorant, young Vanessa has an epiphany at the end of the story. As Vanessa matures, she goes through a sudden realization of everything that happened at Diamond Lake during that summer with Piquette. Many things has cause Vanessa’s final understanding of Piquette’s struggles as she recognizes her father’s effort to try to open up her perspective to the bigger world when she was a child, forcing her to leave her boundaries due to Piquette’s stubbornness to express herself. The significance of her father’s effort becomes valuable to Vanessa when she returns to Diamond Lake and sees the changes. â€Å"The small pier which my father had built was gone, and in its place there was a large and solid pier built by the government, for Galloping Mountain was now a national park, and Diamond Lake had been renamed Lake Wapakata, for it was felt that an Indian name would have a greater appeal to tourists† (Laurence 119). The government’s idealization of  the lake shows how their ignorance connects with young Vanessa visualizing of Piquette as the â€Å"daughter of the forest†. Although, Vanessa’s knowledge of Piquette’s life is much clearer, she still doesn’t understand the Native culture. Vanessa also realizes that trying to gain more knowledge and understanding about the Native culture through Piquette won’t get her anywhere because Piquette is as clueless as her. She accepts that her understanding towards the tradition is not going anywhere further than what the white society views it. However, Vanessa acknowledges the effects the white society has done to the Tonnerres’ family and the Natives. Piquette had the mindset of an adult while growing up due to the struggles her family has undergone. â€Å"’The mother’s not there,’ my father replied. ‘She took off a few years back. Can’t say I blame her. Piquette cooks for them, and she says Lazarus would never do anything for himself as long as she’s there† (Laurence 110). The effects of hatred and discrimination they’ve gone through drove them into a dark hole of poverty causing Piquette’s mother to leave, which fully shaped her life. To cease ra cism, she marries a white man to attempt to acquire identity. â€Å"For the merest instant, then, I saw her. I really did see her, for the first and only time in all the years we had both lived in the same town. Her defiant face, momentarily, became unguarded and unmasked, and in her eyes there was a terrifying hope† (Laurence 117). Piqutte desperately tries to fit in with the white community that constantly rejects her and as a result, Piquette surrenders herself to them by marrying a white man to satisfy her craving to belong in the society. Also, another reason she marries a white man is because she refuses to let her children to go through the same treatment she experienced as a child. However, her husband either left her or she left him, which drove her to alcoholism. Vanessa uses the loons as a symbol to represent the Native culture and Piquette’s life. Vanessa uses the loons’ sadness and disappearance as a metaphor for Piquette’s life. The government destroying the loons’ natural habitat represents the white society invading the Native’s territory. The government spoils the wilderness, the most important thing they should value. â€Å"It seemed to me now that in some unconscious and totally unrecognised way,  Piquette might have been the only one, after all, who had heard the crying of the loons† (Laurence 120). The white society misunderstood Piquette and her culture instead of embracing them. Piqutte is the only one who understood the crying of the loons due to the similar struggle they’re going through. â€Å"Perhaps they had gone away to some far place of belonging. Perhaps they had been unable to find such a place, and had simply died out, having ceased to care any longer whether they lived or not† (Laurence 120). The loons either died or left Diamond Lake trying to find another place to fulfill their needs because they’re forced to leave the society by ignorant people, just like Piquette and the Natives. In conclusion, the Native culture in today’s society is scattered due to the destruction the culture experienced in the past. The white culture thought it was a good idea to get rid of the Natives thinking it’ll help them, but in reality it just made many lives miserable. People are trying to revive the culture by learning about the tradition, but since it wasn’t passed down to generations, people only practice the information they think they know.