Monday, September 30, 2019

Air India 5

2012 Flying Too Low: Air India 2009 & Beyond External Environment Analysis Group 10 Strategy analysis begins with an analysis of the forces that shape the competition in the industry in which a company is based. An important factor of the analysis is External environment analysis. The essential purpose of this analysis is to identify the opportunities and threats in the organization operating environment that will affect how it pursues its mission. Analysis the industry environment requires an assessment of the competitive structure of the company’s industry. It also requires analysis of the nature, stage, dynamics and history of the industry. Here, while analyzing the external environment of Air India according to the information presented in the case, we will concentrate on Porter Five Forces Model, PEST Analysis of the Air India, opportunity and threats to Air India. Finally, we will quantify all our analysis factors to come to a conclusion. Porter’s 5 forces model: Porter's five forces analysis is a framework for industry analysis and business strategy development formed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School in 1979. It draws upon industrial organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. Attractiveness in this context refers to the overall industry profitability. An â€Å"unattractive† industry is one in which the combination of these five forces acts to drive down overall profitability. Three of Porter's five forces refer to competition from external sources. The remainders are internal threats. Porter referred to these forces as the micro environment, to contrast it with the more general term macro environment. They consist of those forces close to a company that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. A clear example of this is the airline industry. As an industry, profitability is low and yet individual companies, by applying unique business models, have been able to make a return in excess of the industry average. We will see how these five factors are working for Air India. I. Rivalry among existing competitors: 1. Competition in domestic and international routes * On domestic front, private airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines * On international front, major competition was from companies like Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airlines, Qatar Airlines and new entrants like JA 2. Better performance by competitors 3. Rapid increase in market share of competitors 4. Poaching of employees by competitors II. Threat of new entrants: 1. Possibility of liberalization of Aviation Industry will weaken the entry barriers and thereby will lead to increase in number of new entrants 2. Business was very lucrative to attract new entrants 3. Consistent and rapid growth of demand for airlines offering scope for profitable business and low cost carriers 4. Examples GoAIR, IndigoAir, Paramount Airways, SpiceJet III. Threat from substitution: Road and rail services posing a major threat by offering cheaper, reliable, convenient services. Travel. In case of higher Air ticket fares, Air India could lose potential customers to Rival airlines and Indian Railways. The possibility of loss of market share to Indian railways further increases by the fact that over a period of time the rail ticket fares have marginally varied compared to significant variation in air ticket fares. IV. Bargaining power of suppliers: 1. Slow nature of aircraft sales, because the high value order placed by the industry can take several years to be delivered. 2. Labour unions are suppliers who have significant power. The performance and flexibility of the entire industry depends heavily on labour unions. 3. Aviation fuel is a commodity and its prices are decided by market forces and existing geopolitical factors such as OPEC. At times, oil producing nations at the behest of OPEC manipulate oil production target in order to keep the prices of crude to suit their profit intentions. High cost of fuel accounts for about 35% of the total cost and increasing cost is a threat to the company’s profits. 4. Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) is a major cost component for the Airlines in India. It is about 40% of the operating cost of the domestic carriers V. Bargaining power of buyers: The bargaining power of buyers refers to the amount of pressure customers can place on a business, thus, affecting its prices, volume and profit potential. Various airlines are competing for the same customer, which also results in strengthening the buyer power. Hence, the bargaining power of customers in the airline industry is very high since they are price sensitive and search for the best deals available. Customers are price sensitive. Many new players who are Low Cost Carriers attract these travelers by offering them low fares and those that are convenience oriented by providing them with frequent flights. While choosing which airline to fly with, customers enjoy switching costs through frequent flyer programs created by some airlines. PEST Analysis: PEST analysis stands for â€Å"Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis† and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. Some analysts added Legal and Environmental and rearranged the mnemonic to PESTLE. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis and gives an overview of the different macro environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. * Political factors are how and to what degree a government intervenes in the industry or firm. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labour law, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, government policies and political stability. Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and make decisions. * Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company's products and how that company operates. * Technological factors include technological aspects such as R;D activity, automation, technology incentives and the rate of technological change. They can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence outsourcing decisions. Furthermore, technological shifts can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation. In case of Air India, the analysis of external environment is as follows: Having done the required analysis, now let us quantify the opportunity and threats. 1| Poor control over decision making| T| 2| Drop in oil prices*| O| 3| heavy control and interference of government| O| 4| worsening service image| T| 5| Labour union| T| 6| inclination of society towards low cost travel| T| | global recession| T| 8| significant air traffic growth over a period of time| O| 9| restriction on FDI in Indian aviation industry| O| 10| Mergers among competitors| T| 11| possibility of opening of aviation market and privatization| T| 12| interest burden of new aircraft orders| T| 13| company's image perceived as public carrier| T| 14| near monopoly among Indian players in international routes| O| 15| over capaci ty of industry| T| 16| poaching of pilots from competitors| T| 17| declining debt equity ratio| T| 18| changes in ground handling policy| T| 19| agency problem| T| Here ‘T’ indicates Threat and ‘O’ indicates Opportunity Assigning the weightage to the important factors, in the sense of their importance in analyzing external environment and using rating scale of 1 to 5 where 3 indicates average favorableness of the external environment, we get- As the quantified average of all the external environment factors is coming slightly below average, we conclude that, the current external environment is not favorable to Air India but, it can work on its decision making process and improvement of service image as an immediate measure.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Lets Be Lefties For The Day Essay

Today I participated in an assignment designed to help the student to â€Å"accept that discrimination exists â€Å" (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.3). In our society the majority of people are right handed therefore everything is constructed to accommodate that, versus the small minority of people whom happen to be left-handed. Spending the day as a left-handed person was a challenge and lead to a lot of frustration and unaccomplished tasks. I was forced to think about different ways to do things, and also acknowledge how other people may perceive my capabilities and me. Loosing the use of my right hand was debilitating to me. I could not write down anything that was legible, my hand writing resembled that of a child. Trying to eat my lunch was interesting, it comes natural to cut your food with the knife in your right hand, but it’s quite awkward when you use your left hand. Just has an experiment, the whole experience been quite comical to watch myself struggle with the simplest of things. However I did reflect on how other people would see me and how it would affect my performance at work. How would my boss react if she saw me struggling with different tasks? How would she handle it? How would I want it handled? Would I be discriminated against because I was in a minority group? â€Å"Discrimination is the result of longstanding practices and/or behaviors that have a negative impact on members of subordinate groups† (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.2). We all know that people can adapt and learn different ways. it is crucial to be aware of diversity in a work place. Diversity is in every aspect of our life’s the workplace. America is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and definitions of self. It is important that managers and professionals relate and understand the cultures, ethnic and gender differences. But Affirmative Action and the Department of Labor have made it more difficult for employers and companies to discriminate against a  person on the grounds of cultural, ethnic and gender differences. The American workplace has no choice but to adapt and embrace diversity. The U.S Department of the Interior mandates that all managers and supervisors have a minimum of 8 hours annually of equal employment opportunity and diversity training. Diversity is a non-stop processes, no two people are exactly the same and each person brings with them different experiences and new ideas (Kirkman &Shapito, 2001). By providing education and training to the managers it helps foster more cultural sensitivity and the avoidance of stereotypes. As a supervisor or manager it is important to encourage people to be themselves, because everyone works better when they feel appreciated and accepted. Productivity is important to every company and performance will improve if people feel supported in their workplace. (Kirkman & Shapito, 2001). References Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2014). SOCS350 Cultural diversity in the professions: Week 1 lecture. Online Publication.f Nursing (2014) Individual discrimination vs Institutional discrimination Lecture Week 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/national-origin.html Kirkman, B., & Shapiro, D. (n.d.). The Impact of Cultural Values on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Self-Managing Work Teams: The Mediating Role of Employee Resistance. Academy of Managment Journal, 3(44), 557-569.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

As You Sow so Shall You Reap

Now go away.    The womans smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. What are you doing, lady? the man asked angrily. I said to leave me alone. Just then a policeman came up. Is there any problem, maam? he asked†¦ No problem here, officer, the woman answered. Im just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me? The officer scratched his head. Thats old Jack. Hes been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him? See that cafeteria over there? she asked. Im going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile. Are you crazy, lady? the homeless man resisted. I dont want to go in there! Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. Let me go, officer. I didnt do anything. This is a good deal for you, Jack the officer answered. Dont blow it Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. Whats going on here, officer? he asked. What is all this, is this man in trouble? This lady brought this man in here to be fed, the policeman answered. Not in here! the manager replied angrily. Having a person like that here is bad for business    Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. See lady. I told you so. Now if youll let me go. I didnt want to come here in the first place. The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street? Of course I am, the manager answered impatiently. They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms. And do you make a godly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings? What business is that of yours? I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company. Oh. The woman smiled again. I thought that might make a difference. She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer? No thanks, maam, the officer replied. Im on duty. Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go? Yes, maam. That would be very nice. The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, Ill get your coffee for you right away, officer. The officer watched him walk away. You certainly put him in his place, he said. That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this. She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently†¦Jack, do you remember me? Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. I think so I mean you do look familiar. Im a little older perhaps, she said. Maybe Ive even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry. Maam? the officer said questioningly. He couldnt believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. I was just out of college, the woman began. I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldnt find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat. Jack lit up with a smile. Now I remember, he said.. I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy. I know, the woman continued. Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right. So you started your own business? Old Jack said. I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered. She opened her purse and pulled out a business card.. When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons Hes the personnel director of my company. Ill go talk to him now and Im certain hell find something for you to do around the office. She smiled. I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your fe et If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you. There were tears in the old mans eyes. How can I ever thank you? he said. Dont thank me, the woman answered. Thank God who led me to you.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Design a total rewards program based on the organization that you have Essay

Design a total rewards program based on the organization that you have studied thus far in the course - Essay Example ply goes to the scheme telling that organization wants to obtain productivity and outcome from its employees and in turn it will provide its employees valuable experience and reward. The following paper will represent the total reward program for the certain organization and will recommend changes to it. It will further assess and discuss the risks of implementing the program and the opportunities it can give to the organization. Certain metrics will be provided for evaluating the total rewards program. For the Sport & Health fitness center it is vital to provide the best services for its clients through excellent work of their employees. As it puts into practice different activities that are connected with the health improvement, it should take into an account professionalism in the execution of its employees’ duties. The organization offers affordable services and is aimed on people from all occupations and life styles and involves everyone from children to the elderly. Since modern life cause people to feel stress more often, for some individuals it is also the monotonous and inactive life and going in for various sport and fitness centers will be the way out that will provide them healthy life. These facts put fitness Centre in the forehand as one of the growing industries. However, the modern technologies and improvements in the recruitment spheres require deeper understanding of how such business should conduct its activities. Thus, Sport & Health fitness center experi ences currently certain financial problems, as the technology is advancing and it requires better acquisition of more modern equipment. It is also facing the challenge that is connected with the people’s understanding of fitness and its role in their lives. Along with it, the organization should revise its policy of providing service, as in the future it can face with the competition because health issue is obtaining more attention and thus more fitness establishments open its doors to

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Nike Fuel Band Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nike Fuel Band - Essay Example That is why some people call it activity tracker and wear them on their wrist. This will help the wearers monitor their physical activity, their daily activities in line with physical fitness like for example tracking the amount of calories they are burning. With a sheer understanding of the product’s features, advantages and benefits, one can say that it is especially formulated for athletic and health-conscious people who are looking forward to keep their body in shape and boost their athletic performance. Now generally one can say that there is a potential market for this product offering, but performing market segment analysis and identifying the segment’s market characteristics, and target marketing analysis is necessary to be employed in order to possibly define a new market segment that will help increase the demand for a certain product. Definition of the market segment In this section, the work at hand presents the actual market segments that the Nike fuel band exists in. A pie chart is shown to present with ease the relevant market share and potential market relationship. According to the case that Digital Ad Blog (2013) presented concerning the Nike fuel band and its target market, athletic individuals from 24 to 35 years old with medium-high disposable income are the potential targets of the product. The blog mentioned that these are individuals with high social usage, as 18% of them appreciate the idea of social media websites as their ultimate way out to compete with friends and family concerning their exercise goals and achievements while they want to combine altogether the quality and image, and efficiency and fashion to work out. This is supported by an article that tries to establish the fact that Nike fuel band would make sense among people who are sports minded and want to compete with other friends alike (Amsden, 2012). While athletic individuals may be the ultimate targets of the Nike fuel band, the other potential market bel ongs to the individuals who may not necessarily sports minded, but are just after of achieving a significant health gain linked to their healthy decisions in life (Reid, 2013). In knowing the above information, below is an approximate division of the market segments linked to the Nike fuel band, which are also the potential source of market share for the said product offering. Illustration 1. The potential market segments for Nike fuel brand with their approximate market percentage. It is in the above market segments where Nike fuel brand generate its market share. In particular and as already stated, the primary market of the product is the athletic industry. Considering this point, the target segment, which includes the athletic individuals, should make sense. However, there is also another market segment that tries to interact with the prevailing market of the athletic individuals, and generally would include people who are becoming conscious in their health. By critically assess ing these segments, one can therefore formulate the idea that the market for athletic individuals and people who are conscious of their health cannot be too far, but complementary. In other words, a significant market share for Nike fuel band generally comes from the health industry, but in a little portion of it because it particularly focuses on the gadget. As to what percentage it takes generally from the health i

Changing an organization's culture requires that every employee Research Paper

Changing an organization's culture requires that every employee embrace change - Research Paper Example To this end, the current CEO was installed to spearhead the reform needed to address the problems and institute changes. This department has been selected to lead the reform initiative. A survey will, hence, be designed as a preliminary step to this measure. In the context of the change intervention being planned by the Human Resources, this survey will identify the potential challenges within the department from the perspective of the employees so that they can be addressed and prevented in the future. In a way, this survey will serve as an evaluation of the organizational climate for various problematic issues. This follows the principle that employees serve as the sounding board for problems and that taking time to know what they think and feel will lead to the identification of â€Å"red flags† or warning signs that include workplace safety, ethics, corporate culture, and other organizational vulnerabilities. Surveys like this tend to reveal the reality of how and whether policies and procedures are effective and beneficial. (Burke and Cooper 2004, p. 246) The feedback obtained will collectively make up the basis of the changes to be implemented and the approaches to achieve this objective. II. Complete Survey Layout The employee survey will be divided into six sections. All of these would answer the specific objectives of the survey: employee profile; the corporate culture; perception about CF&F; Quality of Benefits, services, and support; and, Open questions. The format is a typical five-level Likert scale except in the open question section, wherein respondents are free to express their thoughts. It is expected that the data that will be collected will reveal patterns that would allow the effective and successful creation and implementation of reforms. Section I: Employee Profile Important personal information that could correlate with answers and perceptions such as gender, age, educational attainment, job position, tenure, job description, and s o forth. Section II: Corporate Culture Self-description of organizational values, initiatives and policies. The following are sample questions: I identify with CF&F’s core values. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree My colleagues treat me with respect. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree I am willing to offer an extra amount of time and effort in order for the organization to be successful. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree I am satisfied with the career path and opportunities offered to you at CF&F. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Section: III: Organizational Perception This section will contain employee knowledge of organizational policies and initiatives; the employees’ perception, among others. For example: Organizational policies positively affect my work performance. Strongly Agree Disa gree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Organizational policies and strategies are clearly communicated. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Senior management takes time to listen to me. Strongly Agree Disagree Agree Strongly Disagree Neither Agree or Disagree Section IV: Support, Benefits, Training. The existence as well as the quality of support and services available to employees, including employee benefits,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Farm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Farm - Essay Example Corn farming may seem to be an uncomplicated endeavor but this work entails a lot of hard work and sacrifices and it poses a variety of influences to the life of a society as a whole. This chapter gives a narrative account about a farm in Iowa specifically in a place named Greene County (Pollan, 2006). This farm is situated in a part described as having some of the richest soil in the world, a layer of cakey alluvial loam nearly two feet thick (Pollan, 2006, p. 33). The narrator in the story is driving the tractor of one of the farmers mentioned who is named George Naylor (Pollan, 2006). The principal crop that is being planted by Naylor is corn (Pollan, 2006). It is described how corn is planted by farmers throughout the years and the different government policies and innovations with regards to farming are also given consideration in this chapter. The chapter is worth reading for a variety of reasons. First, it is very informative for the reason that it tells the life of a farmer, which does not only focus on the typical life of a farmer wherein he plants and reaps his harvest. Conversely, the life of the farmer, Naylor is rooted with a variety of events that contributed to the manner how he manages his farm (Pollan, 2006). Second, it stirs up the interest of readers towards farming which for others may just be plain and simple but it portrays that there is more to farming than just planting and harvesting. Farming is highlighted to be in the bloodstream of Naylor because his father too was a farmer (Pollan, 2006). Corn farming is full of intricacies for the reason that a farmer must choose the right breed to plant in his soil and find means to increase his harvest such as choosing the right pesticide to drive pests away which could be detrimental to his crops, choose the right fertilizer that will make his crops stouter and the strategy to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Presentation - Essay Example wer in relations in the family influence the use of the Internet?’ Does anybody here ever thought of how parents can actually influence the children’s use of the Internet? Do you agree that our mother or our father has a role to play with regards to a child’s exposure to the use of the Internet? Please raise your hand if you agree that parents have a strong influence in the child’s use of the Internet. Well, the answer to the research question is basically ‘YES’. To address the research question, our team decided to conduct a combined quantitative and qualitative research survey so that we can get a generalized and subjective response from each of the 12 randomly selected research participants. To learn more about the degree in which parents can affect the child’s use of the Internet, my group purposely conducted a combined quantitative and qualitative research survey study on a total of 12 students who are currently around 18 years of age. Basically, we have randomly selected 12 students from our school to participate in the fieldwork. Some of the questions used in the survey include those that are answerable by ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This will eventually give us the opportunity to compute for the generalized result. For example, the first research survey question purposely asked whether or not the research participant is using the Internet at least once a day. The second research survey question asked if the research participants agree that parents (both mother and father) have a strong influence on how you use the Internet. Our team also used an open-ended question which will allow us to generate a more subjective response from each of the research participants. For instance, in question no. 3, the research participants were requested to explain why their mother or their father has more power in controlling their internet usage. Question number 4 purposely asked how their parents influence their use of the Internet when they were young. (Table I

Monday, September 23, 2019

PERSONAL STATEMENT Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal Statement Example mmunications and social marketing and specifically e-marketing; this has me achieve distinctions at the school of Business for Top Athletes in Austria. Further, a degree in +Apprentice for the profession of Retailer as well as a High school Diploma in Business Administration with distinctions. The culmination of my academic qualifications will be later this year at St. Poelten University of Applied Science on acquisition of my Degree in Media Management. With my experience at Bene AG as an intern this year in corporate communications and e-Marketing; my passion for marketing programs and campaigns was realized. Crucial skills in the world of technology were archived that incorporated web page optimization, e-newsletters preparation, e-marketing and e-mails. These gave me great impetus with respect to the contemporary world media skills. This was an extension of what I had achieved in my other placements at NXP for Event Management and Communications in 2009, as well as Camp Echo New York PR. The placement at Camp Echo was also a fascinating one that gave me overwhelming exposure with respect to publicizing and event managements for sports. This was realized alongside organization of trip, Presentation and Moderation of events. To top up on the above, with photography skills incorporating artistic, portrait, commercial and reportage; music and its production, as well as writing scripts, I worked for Hobby Photograph for NOEN particularly covering my hobby sports events. I am also a member of the â€Å"Event, Film and Radio’ team at the university as well as the Campus Magazine- SUMO. These activities have prepared me for the media activities and heightened my passion for further studies. This will make me realise the dream of my interests in social affairs, media and sports, America, forego languages encounter as well as travelling to experience different cultures. Media is a great part of my academic and career achievement and I truly feel that my Masters will

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Intellectual thought Essay Example for Free

Intellectual thought Essay An intellectual is a person who primarily uses intelligence in either a professional or an individual capacity. As a substantive or adjective, it refers to the work product of such persons, to the so-called life of the mind generally, or to an aspect of something where learning, erudition, and informed and critical thinking are the focus, as in the intellectual level of the discourse on the matter was not high. Jacques Barzun, a French-American intellectual.  The intellectual is a specific variety of the intelligent, which unlike the general property, is strictly associated with reason and thinking. Many everyday roles require the application of intelligence to skills that may have a psychomotor component, for example, in the fields of medicine, sport or the arts, but these do not necessarily involve the practitioner in the world of ideas. The distinctive quality of the intellectual person is that the mental skills, which he or she demonstrates, are not simply intelligent, but even more, they focus on thinking about the abstract, philosophical and esoteric aspects of human inquiry and the value of their thinking. Traditionally, the scholarly and the intellectual classes were closely identified; however, while intellectuals need not necessarily be actively involved in scholarship, they often have an academic background and will typically have an association with a profession. More broadly, any work of the mind may be termed intellectual property, whether or not its content is intellectual in the sense covered in this article. Intellectuals include not only philosophers, interested in epistemology, but also others in the arts and sciences, plus the humanities, with no boundaries as to fields of study.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Medical Treatment Using Computed Tomography (CT)

Medical Treatment Using Computed Tomography (CT) Breast Plan Part One Treatment Site / Diagnosis: Left Breast Treatment Modality: 2 Dimensional tangential Type of Patient Data: Computed tomography and virtual simulation Technique: Isocentric Prescription Isodose: 40GY in 15# Part Two Computed tomography (CT) was employed as an imaging modality for this treatment. In general, CT is the standard imaging modality employed. This is due to the ability of CT to provide a 3 Dimensional image of the tumour and the ordinary anatomy in that area, CT is particularly effective in visualising bony anatomy. It also provides the electron density data essential to enable accurate dose calculation and planning. Although CT scanning is the standard for treatment localisation, magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) are superior in defining soft tissue and tumour metastasis and so it is now advisable to employ CT-MRI fusion imaging in order to improve the accuracy of tumour localisation for treatment (Bhide and Nutting 2010). Tangential fields are normally used in the treatment of tumours of the breast. Virtual simulation (v-sim) is employed in order to generate lateral and medial tangential fields. V-sim ensures accurate field matching and acceptable coverage of the breast tissue, the chest wall and the surgical or mastectomy scar (Barrett and Dobbs et al. 2009 and Moran and Haffty 2009). Part Three The choice of beam energy is heavily dependent on patient size and separation; in general the chosen beam energy is 6 Megavoltage. For patients with a separation greater than 22cm, higher energy beams are usually used in order to improve dose homogeneity. Higher energy beams reduce the skin sparing effect of a lower energy; therefore care should be taken to ensure there is sufficient coverage of the superficial breast, mastectomy scar and clinical boarders (Barrett, Dobbs et al. 2009). The breast is traditionally treated by means of two dimensional conformal tangential beams. The beam arrangement is a lateral and medial beam. The field boarders are marked up clinically, usually by a specialist radiographer. The lateral beam is usually at mid axilla and the medial beam at sternal level. The beams are at tangents to each other avoid irradiation of the heart, lung, dose uniformity and no dose overlap to the contralateral breast (Lee and Harris 2009). Segmented beams were also selected in order to improve Planning Target Volume (PTV) coverage and allow for Multi Leaf Collimator (MLC) shielding without compromising coverage of the PTV whilst shielding out undesired hot spots that naturally occur in the inframammary fold of the breast tissue (Nakamura, Hatanaka et al. 2011). According to a study by Purdy 2004 ICRU 50 guidelines states that the isodose distribution within the PTV must be between 95% 107% .In order to achieve optimum dose distribution wedged beams are employed, wedges are tissue compensators that account for missing tissue in order to improve the homogeneity of the dose distribution (Barrett, Dobbs et al. 2009). This is particularly important in breast treatments due to the contour of the breast. The anterior surface of the breast is less dense than the tissue toward the chest wall, hotspots tend to occur around the areola for this reason wedges in this plan are 60 à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ ° and orientated with the thick end anterior in order to distribute the dose away from the nipple and conform more homogenously to the chest wall. There are also wedges on the segments in order to improve dose homogeneity in the superior/ inferior direction and to ensure acceptable PTV coverage (Haffty, Buchholz et al. 2008). Part 4 There is acceptable coverage of the CTV, in breast treatment, the aim is to treat all the breast tissue to the deep fascia the 95% isodose should conform to the chest wall but not include the pectoralis major (Barrett, Dobbs et al. 2009). The breast tissue is covered by the 95% isodose line and it adheres well to the muscles of the chest wall. There are no hot spots present within the plan due to the optimal use of tissue compensators as mentioned above. According to a study by Purdy in 2004, ICRU guidelines isodse distribution must be kept between 95% 107%, MLC shielding on the segments were employed in order to shield any hotspots present within the CTV without compromising target coverage or causing the plan to become too cold. Part 5 The critical organs that were contoured were the left lung. Although there is no dose volume histogram associated with breast treatments, there should be no more than 2cm of lung volume included in the treatment field in order to prevent late toxicities such as lung fibrosis and pneumonitis. It is also advisable to contour the heart on left sided breast treatments. Part 6 This plan is clinically acceptable, however as the treatment is being delivered to the left side, the heart should be taken into consideration. Deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) is becoming more common for left sided breast treatments. DIBH involves treating the patient on inspiration and breath hold through coaching either auditory or visually or both. During inspiration the breast tissue is lifted off the chest wall and thus results in less cardiac tissue and lung being irradiated (Vikstrà ¶m, Hjelstuen et al. 2011). Not all patients are suitable for DIBH if they cannot remain in breath hold for the length of time it takes to deliver the beam. However it is still important to remove the heart from the high dose area, this is achievable by the use of cardiac shielding created by MLCS. Although this has shown a reduction in the dose received by the heart, it also risks underdoing of the target (Bartlett, Yarnold et al. 2013). References Barrett, A., J. Dobbs, et al. (2009). Practical Radiotherapy Planning Fourth Edition, CRC Press. Bartlett, F. R., J. R. Yarnold, et al. (2013). Multileaf Collimation Cardiac Shielding in Breast Radiotherapy: Cardiac Doses are Reduced, But at What Cost? Clinical Oncology 25(12): 690-696. Bhide, S. and C. Nutting (2010). Recent advances in radiotherapy. BMC medicine 8(1): 25. Haffty, B. G., T. A. Buchholz, et al. (2008). Should intensity-modulated radiation therapy be the standard of care in the conservatively managed breast cancer patient? Journal of Clinical Oncology 26(13): 2072-2074. Lee, L. J. and J. R. Harris (2009). Innovations in radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer. The Breast 18: S103-S111. Moran, M. S. and B. G. Haffty (2009). Radiation Techniques and Toxicities for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer. Seminars in Radiation Oncology 19(4): 244-255. Nakamura, N., S. Hatanaka, et al. (2011). Quantification of cold spots caused by geometrical uncertainty in field-in-field techniques for whole breast radiotherapy. Japanese journal of clinical oncology 41(9): 1127-1131. Purdy, J. A. (2004). Current ICRU definitions of volumes: limitations and future directions. Seminars in Radiation Oncology, Elsevier. Vikstrà ¶m, J., M. H. Hjelstuen, et al. (2011). Cardiac and pulmonary dose reduction for tangentially irradiated breast cancer, utilizing deep inspiration breath-hold with audio-visual guidance, without compromising target coverage. Acta Oncologica 50(1): 42-50.

Feminism in Christina Rossettis Goblin Market Essay -- Feminism Femin

Feminism in Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market  Ã‚   The Victorian period marked the first traces of progress in the feminist movement, and poet Christina Rossetti embraced the advancement as her own long-established principles slowly became publicly acceptable. Her poem "Goblin Market" comments on the institutions in Victorian society that she and her feminist contemporaries wished to see altered, creating modern female heroines to carry out its messages. The goblins serve as malicious male figures to tempt the innocent heroines, sisters Laura and Lizzie, to corruption. According to the Victorian definition, a gentleman "never takes unfair advantage . . . or insinuates evil which he dare not say out," and possesses, among other qualities, the ability to avoid all suspicion and resentment (Landow 4). The goblins in Rossetti's poem succeed in contradicting every Victorian definition of a gentleman throughout the poem; the only male figures present, they represent the deleterious nature of men on the lives of women. In "Goblin Market," the mens' only beneficial purpose is "impregnation. Once both sisters have gone to the goblins and acquired the juices of their fruits, they have no further need of them" (Mermin 291). The poem begins with the goblins calling the sisters' attention to their delicious, exotic fruits, which represent the proverbial forbidden fruit--one taste leads to destruction. But the goblins depict their fruits as enticing. Rossetti uses rich imagery such as "Currants and gooseberries,/ Bright-fire-like barberries,/ Figs to fill your mouth,/ Citrons from the South,/ Sweet to tongue and sound to eye" (1) to stimulate the reader's senses, just as the goblins' calls provoke Laura and Lizzie. The goblins at... ...n 'Goblin Market.'" Victorian Poetry. Vol. 21, No. 2. Summer 1983. Phillips, W. Glasgow. "Theme in Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market'." The Victorian Web. 1992. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html. Plowman, Melanie. "As A Poet Speaking from Within Female Limitations." The VictorianWeb.1990.URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html. Rossetti, Christina. "Goblin Market." Goblin Market and Other Poems. Ed. Candace Ward. New York: Dover Publications, 1994. 1-16. Weathers, Winston. "Christina Rossetti: The Sisterhood of Self." Victorian Poetry. Vol. 111, No. 2, 1965. Wohl, Anthony S. "The Supposed Excessive Sexuality of Lower Classes and Tribal Cultures." The Victorian Web. URL: http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/hypertext/landow/victorian/vn/victorov.html.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

America Must Create Jobs Essay -- The Decline of America

Those living in the United States of America are experiencing some economically dark times. Unemployment is becoming increasingly worse. Social programs are failing. Prices everywhere are on the rise as wages are declining drastically. Class division has never been more distinct. Of those lucky enough to have secured the multiple jobs needed in order to maintain their subsistent existences, most make only a minimum wage, established by their state’s laws, which is then harshly taxed upon. Life is hard enough in our dying superpower of a nation, but even worse for the work force of America that must survive on minimum wage. It is an offending disappointment that our fellow countrymen and women must live the way they do. This raises a crucial question whose outcome affects much of the working population. Should minimum wage be raised? And why? There are several arguments being made by economists as to why the minimum wage must be increased. One reason that really pulls on the heart strings is that raising the minimum wage will assist American families. Many of those on minimum wage are working for what is considered â€Å"living wages† as opposed to a side wage. A living wage is much more substantial. These peoples’ needs must be taken into account if they are to survive. But survival isn’t enough. People are not robotic. They all deserve the same chance at happiness as everyone else. Over 28 million of the people in this country work for minimum wage. In the words of one economist that is fighting for the preservation of the family, â€Å"With more family income, some people would choose to retire, go back to school, or have children, making it easier for others who need jobs to find them. Working families would have more time for commu... ...evin-Waldman, Oren M. The Case of the Minimum Wage: Competing Policy Models. Albany: State University of New York, 2001. Print. Levin-Waldman, Oren M. Wage Policy, Income Distribution, and Democratic Theory. London: Routledge, 2011. Print. Mutari, Ellen, and Deborah M. Figart. Women and the Economy: A Reader. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2003. Print. "The Case for Raising the Minimum Wage." The Case for Raising the Minimum Wage. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. Staff, NPR. "Raising Minimum Wage: A Help Or Harm?" NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. "Top 5 Reasons Why Raising the Minimum Wage Is Good for You and Me." Alternet. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013. Adams, Mark. "Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts the Poor." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. "Why We Should Not Raise the National Minimum Wage." IVNus. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Exploring Existentialism and the Character Leanord in the Film, Memento

Exploring Existentialism and the Character Leanord in the Film, Memento Although Christopher Nolan does not acknowledge any philosophical basis for Memento, the film provides a character, Leonard Shelby, who serves as an example of several aspects of existentialism. Through Leonard, Memento illustrates Soren Kierkegaard's idea of truth as subjectivity, Freidrich Nietzsche's notion that God is dead, and Jean-Paul Sartre's writings on the nature of consciousness. In Concluding Unscientific Postscript, Kierkegaard differentiates between the subject as the knower, and the world (object) as the known: the only way we know the world is through ourselves. Kierkegaard emphasizes the importance of "how" the subject is related to the truth, and not the "what" (content) of the objective. He asserts that the truth can only exist in the subject, for if it lies in the world, we could never access (know) the truth the way we know ourselves. Kierkegaard explains that we can only discover the truth by turning inward: "passionate inwardness" is essential to finding the truth, as it is the way in which the subject is seeking the truth; the more passion the subject has, the closer she/he comes to the truth. "Passionate inwardness" is fueled by "objective uncertainty": if an individual sees objective proof of her truth, she will become less passionate; however, when she does not find reassurance in the objective, her inward passion will lead her to "the" (her) truth. This paradox relies on the subject believing passionately in the truth that exists in her while believing in a lack of objective support for that truth. Fridreich Nietzsche writes in The Gay Science "God is dead....And we have killed him," (99, Existentialist Philosophy) referr... ...f existence before essence is echoed when Teddy tells Leonard that he (Leonard) doesn't even know who he is: when Leonard answers he is his past self, Teddy cautions "That's who you were, not who you've become." While Leonard does not believe it, Teddy reminds him that he is responsible for his wife's death, not the men he tracks down and enjoys killing. Leonard refuses to acknowledge that he is his actions, to which Sartre would say "There is no reality except in action" (316, Existentialist Philosophy). Leonard seems to avoid responsibility for his freedom, most likely because he does see who he has become. Memento is a poignant affirmation that our actions make us who we are and that we are in fact responsible for the choices we make, whether we face our freedom, or flee from our anxiety as Leonard does. Now, where was I...? Existentialist Philosophy Memento

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Bernard Lawrence “Bernie” Madoff Scandal

unethical in the conduct of business. A Ponzi scheme also known as a pyramid scheme is an illegal savings scheme where unwary savers are lured into putting their money into the fraudulent organization’s account with the promise of unusually high returns. On the surface this may look legitimate. But the problem is that unlike financial institutions who lend out or invest customer’s funds Ponzi schemes use funds received from newer entrants to pay out the earlier entrants exorbitant interest rates. They arouse others greed by enticing them with the prospect of high returns.They pretend and falsify their financial records to create a false sense of stability. No sane government can register such schemes. They therefore operate illegally. Mr. Madoff stands accused of nepotism. This is a business practice why by the owner employs relatives and close associates. Suffice it to say that Madoff had more than 25 employees. However those in key positions were family members most o f whom owned shares of the company. These included his wife Ruth Madoff, two sons Mark and Andrew Madoff, his brother Peter Madoff, Peter’s daughter Shana, and Madoff’s nephew Charles Weiner.It is unethical to use a well positioned family team to cover up illegal dealings. It is unethical to sent more than $250 million from his New York-based firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities obtained ripping off unsuspecting savers in a Ponzi scheme to Madoff Securities International Ltd in the UK, and then back to accounts in the U. S. Question 2: Name three types of parties who were impacted by the actions of Mr. Madoff, and describe how they were impacted. Madoff’s friends included business associates who knowingly or unknowingly served to lure customers into his business.While the going was good, they were well rewarded. They occupied positions in charitable organizations, and received hefty compensations for their services and cooperation. However when the sche me was busted they lost their positions, face, as well as their incomes. Some politically correct friends had to refund monies that had been given to them through Madoff sponsored organizations. The worst party hit was his customers. Many of them were ruined financially for life. The total loss to investors is reckoned to be somewhere between 12 to 20 million dollars. On the flip side, there are those who gained.According to minutes from the trustee about $36 billion was invested into the scam, returning $18 billion to investors, with $18 billion missing. This being a pyramid scheme about half of Madoff's investors were â€Å"net winners,† earning more than their investment. The extend of embarrassment Madoff’s family experienced can only be imagined. Apart from loosing face, they lost a lot of assets. Their bank accounts were frozen and property confisticated. They are also facing legal charges for negligence, and breach of fiduciary duty by virtue of being accomplice s with Madoff.Question 3: Describe three business safeguards (risk management) that may have prevented the harm caused by Mr. Madoff. Government regulations: The hedge funds industry is considered as low risk. While the law enforcers are very strict with the banking and insurance sectors, they do not pay much attention to hedge funds. This made it easy for a smooth operator like Madoff to receive money from investors and manage the same which is illegal. He achieved this through engaging various institutions who were themselves under government regulations. Stricter regulatory and standardizing approaches of the hedge fund industry need to be put in place.a ‘best practice’ charter should be drawn and implemented. Proper audit of the Madoff’s transactions would have revealed anomalies. Independent external auditors would have done the job sufficiently. Question 4: Describe three ways private investors might have better protected themselves from risk. Due diligence in this case is the process of monitoring and reviewing the operation and management of hedge funds and those managing them. The collapse of Madoff was an expensive lesson in the importance of investors and their advisors carrying out thorough due diligence and not relying on word of mouth endorsementDiversification of risk: the nature of a pyramid scheme is to so attractive that potential investors have no other option but put their money in there. With high returns and no fees charges investors were sold. It did not occur to them to avoid putting all their eggs in one basket. There are two types of investor’s risk: systematic risk and market risk. Systematic risk is associated with a single security and is reduced by diversifying or investing is other types of securities. Market risk is occasioned by economic forces and can not be wished away. (Petty 2007)Refraining from greed: The saying that ‘when the deal is too good, think twice came true for the victims of the M adoff scam. The profile of its victims is not simple individuals disconnected from the financial markets and its remote mechanisms but investors who presumably have an expert knowledge of the trade of financial investment: rich private individuals and large financial institutions. The deal was just too good that they closed their eyes to anything else. It is a lesson to all that when investing one has to be level headed and not let themselves be overtaken by greed.Question 5: Describe three legal actions that possibly may be brought against Mr. Madoff under criminal or civil law. Securities fraud: the SEC regulates against trading based on information that is not available to the public, Accounting fraud and misrepresentation (presenting misleading or untrue information about a company, or its securities, to an investor or the public). This crime earned him a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; fine of the greatest of $5 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense; r estitution.International money laundering: In his book ‘Money Laundering’, Leonard Jason-Loyd describes it as a form of criminal activity where by money is placed in banks then passed through a number of transactions to act as a smoke screen in order to hide the origin of the cash and later returned to the launderer via the legitimate financial system. (p. 2). Madoff’s crime of transferring funds between his New York-based brokerage operation and the London trading desk earned him a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, fine and restitution.False Statements: Making a false filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission including processed stock trades, use of client money as collateral to obtain loans. This earned him a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, fine and restitution. References Caruso, D. B. , February (26, 2010) (2 June 2010). Former Madoff Aide Charged with Conspiracy, and Securities Fraud. The Associated Press Retrieved from www. law. com/jsp /article. jsp? id=1202444611999 – United States Lloyd L. J. (1997). The Law on Money-Laundering: Statutes and Commentary, London, Great Britain, Frank Cass & Co.Ltd ‘Madoff scandal poses challenges for directors’ (21 Dec 2009) (2 June 2010) Risk Management Lessons from Madoff Fraud Retrieved from www. lloyds. com †º Petty, w. , Keowon, A. J. , Scott JR, D. F. , Martin, O. N. , Burrow, M. , Martin, P. , Nguyen, H. (2006) Financial Management, Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia, Pearson Education Australia. Silver, V. , Glovin, D. , (2009, 13 Feb), (2 June 2010). Madoff Scandal Ensnares Order of Patron Saint for Moralists. Bloomberg News, Retrieved from www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601109& refer=home

Monday, September 16, 2019

Language and Identity Essay

Who am I? What is it that defines that personality? Anzaldua argues in her essay that the language is what defines one’s identity. Language is indeed an important component of culture, and culture is known to be a crucial definer of identity. People use language to connect to their identities and communicating their realities and values to themselves and to the world around them†¦ In other words, language is important because people use it to express their thoughts and beliefs. â€Å"People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances† (Baldwin 109). Consequently, language does not necessarily define identity as much as identity defines language. People decide on what language to use in order to communicate with their communities according to their identities. One’s identity defines and regulates the use of language and not the contrary. People speak different languages; this difference is used to identify and distinguish between different people, different ethnicities and races. The human need to belong to a group makes them abide to a specific language and dialect that represents their specific community and differentiate it from the rest. Language is what connects people to their communities; they are directly connected to people who speak the same language as them. Anzaldua argues that â€Å"Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic, I am my language† (Anzaldua 136), which strongly supports the fact that language is used to ensure that people belong to group. Talking the same language and using the same expressions defines to which group people belong to, it also evaluates the truthfulness of the affiliation. â€Å"Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself†, which basically states that language shapes one’s identity. This statement however, does not apply to all situations and communities and is certainly not constant. There are people who cannot identify to a specific group but rather to a variety of communal affiliations. Most people speak multiple languages; each language connects them to a specific culture and group of people. Tan clearly mentions in her story that she had to speak two different languages to her Asian mom who had her own made up English. Tan relates to both her Asian descent and American belongings by using her mom’s made up English to speak with her mom, and uses the proper English to give lectures and speak to most Americans. On the same grounds, Anzaldua learned through her life experiences to frequently use multiple types of English, and many other Dialects of proper Spanish and Mexican Spanish. She uses each language to communicate, connect and affiliate to specific people according to their background. This proves that the assumption that language defines culture and identity fails. What happens to the people who speak many languages, do they not get the benefit and pride of belonging to a certain community? Rather the contrary, they belong to multiple communities and they choose which group they want to communicate with and with which language. People have the ability to switch from a language to another to be part of a group and this supports the idea that identity defines and shapes language, and not the opposite. Language is used as a way to identify with people, but it is also used to distinguish between them. People use language to differentiate between people and associate them to a specific culture and community according to the language they speak. America is known for having a diverse population, and people are identified based on their language; Mexicans can be recognized to be Mexicans because of their accents even though they might be Caucasian. Tan argues that her mom spoke broken English that limited the people’s perception of her capacities. â€Å"People in department stores, banks, restaurants, did not take her seriously† (Tan 144)which strictly proves that people who do speak the proper language of the specific group they happen to be in generates a different treatment than that a true English speaker. Baldwin denounces that black Americans are treated differently than white Americans because they speak English with a different accent. When speaking â€Å"Black English, you have confessed your parents, your youth, your school, your salary, your self-esteem, and, alas, your future† (Baldwin 110) according to Baldwin. People associate language with background which then leads to choose to treat that specific person a talk to him a way they associate with the people who speak that exact same language. In this case, for the minority, it is language that assumes their behavior, but for the other dominant group, it is identity that shapes behavior. It is their identity that tells them that a specific language must be allocated with that specific type of person and then treat them in the way it is conventions set. People speak a specific language because it is in their identity to do so, and they choose to treat people differently according to language. This allows me to conclude that identity defines language, and language triggers behavior. Language is a major crucial component of our everyday life; it is used to differentiate between different categories of people, connect with one each group, and then choose how they will address those people. People argue that it is language that defines which type of person you are and shapes your identity. The arguments and the authors I quoted obviously proved the contrary, and stated that it is one’s identity that sets up and decides on the language used. References: Anzaldua, Gloria.  «How to Tame a Wild Tongue. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason T ougaw. Fields of Reading. New york : Bedford/ St. Martin’s , 2010. 131-141. Baldwin, James.  «If black english Isn’t a language, Then Tell Me, What is. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason Tougaw. Fields of Reading. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2010. 109-113. Tan, Amy.  «Mother Tongue. » Nancy R Comley, David Hamilton, Carl H Klaus, Robert Scholes, Nancy Sommers, Jason Tougaw. Fields of Reading. New York : Bedford/St. Matin’s, 2010. 142-147.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Original Writing – A Short tale

A few miles south of your usual city packed with loud, noisy, busy people lay a small village of friendly folk. It was Spring in the land and in that one rural village the orchards blossomed, birds sung and the sun did not want to stray from this peaceful green valley. Only one particular person could hear the sound of trickling water at that precise moment, a Master Will Briscoe. He lay peacefully against one of the white blossom trees. His tatty breeches and white shirt flickered around in the wind. His toe poking out of a hole in his sock felt light blossom brush against it tenderly touching the surface. He was drifting off into a deep sleep until â€Å"Ahoy there!† called a certain Tom Davis. He stood around 5 foot 5 inches tall with brown, curly hair tied up in a ponytail that was blowing in the breeze. His shirt was a perfect white and had a pendant poking out the top which looked to be a sharp tooth of some kind. His friend who had arrived with him was of the larger sort of size, so as to speak. He had what looked to have once been food down the front of his shirt. He had chubby cheeks, and wild black hair. His eyes were a friendly kind of brown and he wore odd socks having not been fully awake when dressing that morning. â€Å"Tom, Brown,† Will replied while nodding at each of them in turn. Brown as he was called was the second, larger and grubbier of the two boys, his actual name was Tim, Tim Brown. But his friends felt the name Tim just didn't suit him and with not much brains between the lads Brown seemed like an easy and suitable name. So Brown it was and they had stuck to that name since their first meetings of each other. â€Å"Will, you got a moment?† Tom asked. â€Å"They're wanting hands to help prepare for the festival tonight,† he finished. â€Å"Sure,† Will replied, â€Å"I was only down here to get away from the house.† Brown who was watching the bees fly from flower to flower turned towards Will and asked with a soft tone, â€Å"Trouble at home again?† â€Å"Nah just the landlord being a jerk that's all.† â€Å"Nothing new then, † Tom added. They chuckled on while walking back towards town, the trip from town to the orchards was short, which may have been why Will spent so much time there. Or maybe he just preferred the peace compared to the hustle and bustle of town. As the boys approached the town they could see the outline of another friend of theirs Ray Staines, Ray wasn't small but he wasn't really very tall either. He had short blonde hair and to be honest just usually tagged along with the group. â€Å"Hi Will! Hi Tom! Hi Brown!† Ray shouted enthusiastically. â€Å"Going to help with the festival?† â€Å"Yes,† Will replied while casting quizzical looks at the others. â€Å"We can all go together right?† asked Ray. â€Å"Sure,† Will answered. By the time they had arrived there was only a few hours till the festival begun. They moved over towards the man who seemed to be directing everyone about. â€Å"Hello there,† the man boomed. He was large, balding and his only other distinguishable feature was his button nose. His name was Riordan, Captain Riordan when addressed. â€Å"Sorry lads we've just finished setting up for the evening, so you can't get any discounts for helping to set up, so go home freshen up and spend lots of money tonight,† he said while chuckling to himself. Will, Tom, Brown, and Ray split up. â€Å"See you later guys!† Will called while walking home to prepare for the night's festival.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Diabetes for Indigenous Australians

A Holistic approach is fundamental in the aspect of Health and Wellness, not just for a sound mind but also for a fit body. As such, the endeavor to a better living is not without it’s faults. Australians struggle everyday to attain that continuum with programs and activities that better enable them to meet their goals, and one of those issues are Diabetes, for which part most are Type 2. It is a potentially preventable disease we’re the core causes of it are usually inadequate physical activity and poor dietary management.Over the years there have been programs that help aid the fight with this illness, and in that time there is still much to learn about it. On how it affects people based on their differences, how the culture may or may not hinder the prospect of growth and development, the well being of Australians, more so the Indigenous Australians as they are more susceptible to encounter this illness in their lifetime. Also further knowledge would enable to facili tate further understanding of the disease and in doing so, would aid in the plight for wellness.According to World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic disease, that occurs when a person’s pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produce thus leading to an increase in concentration of glucose in the blood (WHO 2013), There are 2 main types, Type 1 Diabetes, which usually occurs from a younger population-childhood or young adulthood, it’s when the pancreas no longer produces the insulin needed.On the other hand, Type 2 Diabetes, are the ones that stem from older generations, usually adults over the age of 45 though reports have shown it occurring at a younger age, that are usually aggravated by poor dietary management and lack of physical activity, it occurs when the pancreas is not producing adequate insulin and the insulin is not working effectively as it is suppose to. For Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Aus tralians most population suffer from Type II Diabetes, it is one of the leading cause of death and approximately 3. million Australians have been diagnosed with this disease (Australian Diabetes Council 2012), the highest of which are Indigenous Australian which are around 3 times more likely to have it, thus the impact of diabetes in the lives of people often cycle with their living issues, as poverty hinders growth and understanding and likewise their means of coping with the disease are reflected with reports of anxiety, stress or sometimes depression, or sometimes even death.The first case of diabetes recorded among Indigenous people was in Adelaide in 1923; in the past Indigenous people were healthy and did not suffer from this illness. But in the 1960s there was a study found that showed the correlation of attaining diabetes to the development of the â€Å"westernized lifestyle†. Since then Type 2 Diabetes has been accredited as a critical importance in the health dilem mas for the First People across Australia.Following that subsequent studies have found that an ever more input should be placed upon the aspect on how to proceed in terms of, how to deal with the situation at hand and improve the care provided based on that foundation. According to HealthInfonet (2007) the prevalence of this disease are among Indigenous people come from surveys conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the more recent was done on 2004-2005 by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NSTSIHS).In the report it shows that 6% of Indigenous people who participated have Diabetes or shows signs of a high amount of sugar levels, these problems were frequently reported by Indigenous people who inhabit rural areas 9%, than those living in non-remote areas 5%. The least affected group is the young people while as they grow older the numbers of cases increase exponentially. There are several factors that agitate diabetes but for the most p art it is obesity that aggravates it.Primarily type II diabetes is a preventable disease, by just a change of how and what you consume a day and also proper weight management through regular exercise. But what happens is that because of the previous history that transpired between the Indigenous Australians and the Non-Indigenous Australians they have this wall of animosity that had gone through the colonization and has hindered the information to be given and accepted through distrust, racism and other dilapidating factors (Australian Indigenous HealthInfonet 2007).Indigenous people, some that are in a state of poverty, opted for thrifty and cheaper alternative to their diet that was introduced by commercialized industries. This in turn, without knowingly, had a decline in their concept of what the proper nutrients that are needed for physiological equilibrium and has hindered their health dramatically over the years because of instability whether it is financially, socially or eco nomically (Thackrah and Scott 2011), leading to an nmanaged weight and lack of knowledge or understanding that increases rate of mortality that is likewise preventableThe perspective of the Indigenous people livelihood from a socioeconomic aspect, are reflected by low income due to lack of better jobs that is the cause of low leveled education, and in turn a decline of understanding leading to the hesitance to access health service which are sometimes provided. These factors aid in the inability of these people to access of a higher status of health and also their inability to partake in improvement that would be beneficial to them (Willis, Reynolds and Keleher 2012).Within those factors education provides a vital role in the stance with improvement or oneself and others. As an increase in knowledge and understanding, the environmental barriers may be tossed for improvement. Also it goes without saying that the health worker, or individuals that are faced with the prospect of aiding the Indigenous people should have an understanding on the management and treatment of each people to better enable certain programs to facilitate lifestyle improvement.The Diabetes management and care program is a recognized project by the government of Western Australia in Kimberly, it is manage by Indigenous communities and their aim is to arrest the rising incidence of Type II Diabetes by working with the people in developing own health plan that lets them sustain and manage it themselves.They also promote the improvement of health to residents by incorporating the prevention, management, treatment and care for people suffering Diabetes, also they promote lifestyle changes for a healthier community. http://www. who. int/topics/diabetes_mellitus/en/ http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/chronic-conditions/diabetes/reviews/our-review http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/Home http://www. australiandiabetescouncil. com/About-Diabetes/Diabetes-Facts http://www. ealthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=802 http://www. caritas. org. au/learn/countries/australia http://www. kwinana. wa. gov. au/Documents/Publications/Healthy-Lifestyles-Plan. aspx http://www. healthinfonet. ecu. edu. au/key-resources/programs-projects? pid=345 http://eview. anu. edu. au/cross-sections/vol6/pdf/ch05. pdf http://www. diabetesaustralia. com. au/Documents/DA/What's%20New/12. 03. 14%20Diabetes%20management%20booklet%20FINAL. pdf References;

Friday, September 13, 2019

The future of e Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The future of e Marketing - Research Paper Example McCole (2012) argues that the current wave of marketing is directly intertwined with such social media through COBRA and eWOM models. Among the prominent ways that such marketing occurs in social media is through campaigns that give discounts or deals to individuals that follow the specific organization on the social networking platform, such as Facebook or Twitter. Among prominent element of such marketing is through mobile technology. In these situations individuals grant marketers their cell phone number, and the specific organization can then engage in texting campaigns. Finally, specifically tailored marketing is occurring through data analysis that is gained through individuals’ interactions on social media networks. While social media marketing constitutes the current wave of e-marketing, this research recognizes that with the rapid pace of technological change current trends will soon change. As such, it’s crucially important for organizations to consider the potential future of e-marketing. One prominent mode of thought has considered the aspects of the current marketing system that are unsustainable. An example of this is the current pay-per-click system. Facebook currently implements an advertising model where marketers pay a set fee every time a consumer clicks on a specific link. These models have been challenged by increasing manipulation of the data results, leaving both marketers and hosting bodies unable to gather accurate results. With this recognitions one can rightly assume that the future of e-marketing will still greatly be intertwined with search portals, leaving search engine optimization a major element of future marketing efforts. Another major consideration in terms of the future of electronic marketing is the current state of email marketing. Email marketing has long been a cornerstone element of marketing efforts. Spam efforts persist, but more

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Essay on the Movie Minority Report (2002) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

On the Movie Minority Report (2002) - Essay Example Under great protest, the husband is arrested and incarcerated, away from harm. When Cruise's character, John Anderton, begins to question the validity of the Pre-Crime system, he is soon himself targeted as an "enemy of the state", as it were. He notices that the female precog has an extra vision; one that is not registered on the official Pre-Crime system, and begins to investigate. This brings about the events that lead to the conclusion of the film; the founder of Pre-Crime is himself shown as no more than a murderer. After losing everything in the pursuit of this truth, including his eyes, Anderton regains the most important part of his life: his family. This is only possible after he has accepted that his kidnapped son would never return to him. After this devastating realization, Anderton is able to make a new beginning; his wife returns to him, and they have the promise of a new child. The precog siblings are also able to make a new beginning in a sort of paradise setting, secluded from the world that would exploit them. When the corruption of those in power is exposed in the film, those who suffer, namely John Anderton and the precogs, find peace. In this way, the sacrifice of the good results in corruption, while the exposure and punishment of the corrupt means peace and redemption. I. THE ROLE OF POWER AND POLITICS In terms of politics, power is a prominent theme in the film. This manifests itself in a variety of ways. Most obviously, the powers that be in terms of the Pre-Crime Department are corrupt. Secondly, there are underlying elements of social and personal morality that seek to overthrow and expose the corrupt power that rules, as well as often oppress society and also individuals. Thirdly, some authors have suggested an underlying religious theme of suffering and redemption. The most direct manifestation of political power in the film is the founder of Pre-Crime. Like many politicians, he hides the true corruption of his past under a veneer of creating the perfect, crime-free world. In this, he succeeds only for a while. The film appears to suggest, according to Tricia Snell (2007), an underlying social code of morality that continually attempts to restore the good where it has been corrupted. The main power in the film is the Pre-Crime Department. It has however itself been corrupted by means of a murder its founder committed. The representative of morality in the film is John Anderton, who has himself been so damaged by crime that he initially fails to recognize the corruption of the one thing that still provides meaning to his life. After losing his son and wife, Anderton is blind to the faults of his one remaining anchor in life. When this final connection betrays him, Anderton is forced to use his inner sense of morality as a new anchor in a world that has betrayed him on both a personal and professional level. Snell (2007) also mentions the issue of human rights in terms of how the precogs are practically imprisoned and drugged for life in order to serve the well-being of humankind. The rights of the precognitive siblings are sacrificed for the right of society to a crime-free life. In this, Anderton serves as the connection between restoring the rights of the precogs and exposing the corruption of the Pre-Crime

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Henry Ford and Entrepreneurship Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Henry Ford and Entrepreneurship - Term Paper Example In 1891, Ford was hired by the Edison Illuminating Company as an engineer from where he polished his skills later becoming a chief engineer in 1893. 1896 saw the birth of the Ford Quadricycle, a horseless carriage he had in mind. In 1898, he made his second car and it was more technologically advanced than the first one. At this point, he managed to share his initially blurred vision with the masses bringing them on board. This was despite the failures he encountered as it was a big risk trying to convince the business moguls of that time to pump capital into a business that had fallen not once but twice. However, the success of the racing cars baited more financial bankers who now wanted to be party to Ford’s success. The eve of June 16, 1903, marked a breakthrough for Ford with the incorporation of Ford Motor Company. This therefore marked and footnoted him as a force to reckon with. Over the years, scholars have come up with different entrepreneurship theories that entrepre neurs can be categorized. As much as the words entrepreneur and entrepreneurship are used interchangeably, what are their meanings? Van Praag (1999), Essai sur du commerce, in general, admits to Richard Cantillon being the first economic scholar to bring to light an entrepreneur as a pivotal in economics. Say (2001) describes an entrepreneur as the main agent of production in any economy. He further illustrates an entrepreneur as an input in the process of production hence a manager of the firm.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

It depends what you choose for report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

It depends what you choose for report - Essay Example Walgreens was founded in 1901 and it has established its drug stores in forty seven states. In the Fortunes magazine Most Admired List (2015), Walgreens Company was ranked fifth in the food and drugstores category. The company was also ranked number three among food and drugstores in the Fortune magazine 500 largest U.S based companies (2015) (Fortune magazine). Consequently the magazine also ranked Walgreens number thirty seven overall in terms of revenue. In the fiscal year 2014, Walgreens recorded $ 72217 million in revenues, $ 2450 million in profits, $ 35481 million in total assets, $ 62739 million market value and $ 19454 million in total shareholder equity (Fortune magazine). Consequently, the percentage profit for the fiscal year was 3.4 percent on sales and 6.9 percent on assets. This report gives a deep insight of Walgreens Company and gives a better understanding of the company in relation to its operations, business practices, organizational strategies and growth prospects. Knowledge of Walgreens Company is vital in helping and guiding a prospective employee to make informed decision about whether to work for Walgreens or not. The primary strength that is enabling Walgreens to stays afloat is the fact that it is the market leader. This is attributed to many factors such as increase sale of generic drugs and favorable demographics. One of the major weaknesses that hinder Walgreens from operating optimally in the existence of fierce competition in the drug store industry. Although Walgreens is the current market leader, existing and new drug companies are reducing its market share. Another major weakness is the reduction in foot traffic to Walgreens drug stores. It is imperative for potential employees to carry out an assessment of the company they intend or aspire to work for so as to make informed and better decisions. The following are some of the considered factors: The compelling need for Walgreens to reorganize, reinvent and improve

Monday, September 9, 2019

Discuss the different issues related to IT-enhanced firm performance Essay

Discuss the different issues related to IT-enhanced firm performance - Essay Example Technology can become the main source of sustainable competitive advantage and a strategic weapon especially in the hospitality industry (Buhalis & Main, 1998). Information plays a pivotal role in the description, promotion, distribution, amalgamation, organization and delivery of hospitality and tourism products (Main, 2002). Technology can offer advantages in the management of operations, in the delivery of services and also be useful as a strategic support system. It helps in forming strategic alliances, in developing strategic distribution methods, communicating with customers and partners, and satisfying consumer demand. Camisà ³n (2000) contends that there are two approaches to introducing IT into business – the first focuses on the introduction and management of IT and the second is the management of the systems that use IT. There is abundance of information available in any business and through IT business re-engineering is possible which can help to enhance the intra-organizational information systems. Markets have become turbulent which enhances the need for managers to be able to predict change. There is a need for information and information has become a strategic resource which can give a firm competitive advantage. Hence the role of IT has to be strategic so that it can back the management functions. The information systems should allow effective measurement and monitoring of the strategic factors. It has been found that firms that take up IT as an asset and dedicate specific resources to the information system have achieved their business goals. Hence information and technologies t hat optimize its management should become the main resource used by the administration. This also help to free up resources – mostly people – who can devote their time and attention to focus on other jobs that add value to business. To increase competitive

Designing an Daptive Mobile Learning Using Multiple Intelligence (MI) Dissertation

Designing an Daptive Mobile Learning Using Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory - Dissertation Example Ubiquitous learning is highly contextual and involves multiple technologies like mobile, wireless, sensing, etc. Context-aware ubiquitous learning platform (CULP) is one such platform that is found to enhance the efficiency of learning (Gu et al., n.d.; Hwang et al., 2011; Hwang et al., 2010). Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory is â€Å"a classical model by which to understand and teach many aspects of human intelligence, learning style, personality and behaviour - in education and industry† (Chapman, 2009). Earlier tools were limited in providing real-time support through mutual collaboration; however, most recent tools for adaptive learning through multiple intelligences have state-of-the-art technologies enabling a real-world adaptive learning environment for CULP. Multiple Intelligences, Artificial Intelligence, Fuzzy Logic and Neural Networks are also used in developing ubiquitous learning tools (Cabada et al., 2008). The models for such tools will be studied in this paper to help design a new model that can address the short-comings in the present models. The proposed model for ubiquitous learning will be a comprehensive and highly adaptive model based on the use of multiple intelligences. ... FRAME) (Figure 1) addressed the issue of information overload, navigation of content and collaboration for gaining the relevant knowledge by focusing on the integration of mobile technology, human learning capacity and social interactions. Figure 1: FRAME model for mobile learning. Source: (Koole, 2011). Context-sensitive learning schedule framework, mCALS, uses context-aware location and time information to schedule learning. Verification for the strict adherence of schedule for learning is also incorporated in this framework (Yau et al., 2010). Sung’s (2009) Ubiquitous Learning Environment (ULE) model uses MI theory and effectively combines the advantages that an adaptive learning environment and ubiquitous computing have to offer along with the flexibility of mobile devices. This combination enables learning collaborators, content and services to be available in a context-aware framework. While the models discussed have been able to allow interaction based on context-awaren ess, Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), similar to Artificial Intelligence (AI), has a low-end model called TenseITS which offers the flexibility of learning English tenses and does not take into consideration the individual needs of the learner in terms of location. C-POLMILE is another standard model of ITS that offers synchronised learning capability over PC and a mobile environment, and is used for C programming. MoreMATHS is another extension of ITS, used for mobile revision for Maths as it offers a Math learning environment that is mainly on the PC with revision enabled on a mobile device. Similarly, SQL ITS is another customized ITS for MS SQL database administration that can be synchronised with the mobile device (Bull et al., 2004). Cui and Bull (2005) note that TenseITS adapts to the

Sunday, September 8, 2019

The American Civil Rights Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Civil Rights Movement - Essay Example After the unfortunate murder of King, Black leaders, such as Stokely Carmichael joined the Black Panther movement, and coined the phrase ‘black power’. He advocated Black liberation from oppression and discrimination by any means possible. Therefore, it proved to be a radical movement which utilized violence. The movements’ violent message permeated into most parts of black society. Consequently, blacks treated whites as their enemies and old gang rivalries based on cultural divides were galvanized.Nevertheless, the movement as a whole was nonviolent and very successful. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which made it possible for southern African Americans to cast vote. Prior to this Act, discriminatory literacy tests and poll taxes had restricted black from voting. Furthermore, in 1968, President Johnson signed the Rights Act which banned discrimination in the sale, rental, and finance of housing. In 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting int erracial marriage was unconstitutional. Consequently, sixteen states that still banned interracial marriage were forced to revise their laws. In my opinion, the Civil Rights movement transformed the USA completely. Without these brave and audacious African leaders and free thinkers, battling against an unjust society was nearly impossible. Many of the protestors and leaders of the different movements were either targeted by the authorities or tortured by the police. Individual leaders, such as Martin Luther King were even murdered while trying to battle.

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Business Case Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Case Analysis - Term Paper Example Talking about the mission and vision of the company, it can be said that vision of a company represents the long terms goals, while the mission comprises of multiple short term goals. Talking on this note, it can be said that the company Pfizer’s long term goal is tremendously focused on the global well being. Talking on this note, it can be said that the vision of Pfizer is to work together for the development of a better world (Pfizer-a, 2011). Talking about the global pharmaceutical giant’s mission statement, it is very interesting to note that the company’s focus is to apply science and other global resources for the improvement of health of human life at every stage (Pfizer-b, n.d). The company also tries to focus on various key values which comprises of integrity, performance, innovation, collaboration, respect for people, care for community, leadership, focus on quality as well as customer (Pfizer-c, 2009). While analyzing the mission and vision statement, that the company has developed in regards to serving the markets of emerging as well as developed economies, it has to be said in these regards that the goals of both long and short term are highly in perfect compatibility and synchronization with the core competencies and strengths of the organization. B. It is of considerable importance to mention that the generic strategies of Porter are being designed on the framework of competitive edge as well as competitive advantage. Talking more the competitive edge achieved by the firms, it can be said that the edge factor coupled with the issues of competitive advantage leads to the process of formation of various scenarios like cost leadership, differentiation, cost focus, as well as focus on differentiation. It is of significant importance to mention that the firms needs to focus on developing their own unique kind of competitive advantage by trying to develop on one of the four scenarios, by using their strengths of business processes as well as the opportunity available in the market (Generic Strategies pdf). Talking about Pfizer, it can be said that the value chain activities of Pfizer is much diversified in nature. It is of significant importance to mention that for the purpose of generating and delivering values to the company’s stakeholders, Pfizer focuses on the process of employing and exploiting multiple key value points that are developed by the company to attain simultaneous growth and delivery of values. It is important to note, that Pfizer tries to follow more of a differentiation sort of strategy. Talking on this note, it can be said that the strategy of differentiation is often achieved by a company through the application of various business process that helps in superior service with regards to the price of the product or service of the company. It is important to mention that the company, apart from trying to gain a quality based advantage, also tries to achieve and excel in regards to te chnical innovation so as to increase process efficiency. This helps in a great way to communicate to the consumers about the company’s steady endeavours towards providing maximum amount of beneficial and related value (Stonehouse & et.al, 2007, p. 177). It is interesting to note that Pfizer in an attempt to achieve its differentiation strategy has focused in developing significant amount of edge in

Friday, September 6, 2019

Lenins Power Essay Essay Example for Free

Lenins Power Essay Essay Lenin was able to consolidate his power because of the weakness of his opponents. Find evidence to support or refute this statement. Chloe Tomlinson There were many different equally important reasons why Lenin and the Bolsheviks were able to hold on to their power. For Lenin, and the Bolsheviks, winning political power was relatively easy, compared with retaining it. They had many different objects to overcome, such as; Russia was in chaos, politically and economically, and normal government had broken down in large areas, yet despite all these problems Lenin was able to consolidate his power – and create the world’s first communist state. There are four main topics in which Lenin was able hold on to his power; Trotsky’s organisation of the Red Army, the disunity of white oppression, war communism and the leadership qualities of Lenin. The first topic to discuss is Trotsky’s organisation of the Red Army. The Red Army refers to the traditional colour of the communist movement. The conception was that it should be â€Å"formed from the class-conscious and best elements of the working classes.† All citizens of the Russian republic over the age of 18 were eligible. It introduced new methods and orders, one of the foremost order he issued was, â€Å"I give warning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Trotsky was a superb leader and built it for nothing. Trotsky also had previous experience in relation to armies, he was very courageous, exactly the type of leader that was needed. This formation of the Red Army was very supportive towards Lenin as they were a formidable fighting force, and by 1921 had seen of many threats. For example, the White army, Green armies and various interventionist armies. A second reason in support of this statement is the disunity of white oppression. In June 1918 the Russian civil war broke out. The supporters of the government were called the Reds and their opponents the Whi tes. Japan, Britain, France and the US intervened on the side of the Whites. However the aid was half-hearted and morale among many of the foreign troops were low. The white oppression was seen as a weakness of Lenin’s opponents as the â€Å"whites†, as they were referred to, lacked good leaders, commanders were often cruel, an white generals did not trust each other. Bolshevik forces defeated the different White generals who never fought together and were separated from each other. The main White armies under the Generals Kolchak Denikin, Yudenich, and Wrangel were each in turn crushed. Some of the factors contributing to the Reds victory was due to; the Control of industry,  Bolshevik unity, White disunity. Bolsheviks outnumbered the reds by about three to one and also the fact that most of the industry and railways remained under Bolshevik control A third reason why Lenin was able to consolidate his power was due to War communism. This topic of discussion falls into the category of one of the longer-term effects in Lenin’s chief policies enacted by his aims and ideology. War Communism was an emergency programme establi shed by Lenin during the civil war. It was also a method he used to try and consolidate his power and maintain control of the country. War Communism- helped Lenin achieve his aims of controlling Russia and move towards a more socialist state. The industry was nationalised, grain requisitioning from the peasants to be able to fight the civil war, banning of private trade, labour discipline and the Red Terror. All helped Lenin and the Bolsheviks win the Civil War and so securing their power as well as carry out Bolshevik ideology. As War Communism made Lenin able to win the civil war and secure his power, it was therefore very possible to argue that Lenins rise to power was not complete until after the civil war when he had full control over the country. War Communism was in favour of Lenin being able to consolidate power as the Bolsheviks used terror effectively. There was a six week period known as the Red Terror that saw any remaining aristocracy (most begun to flee the country after February revolution). Monarchists and riches middle class, were arrested, executed, exiled or stripped of their power, estates and pr ivilege. Additionally, in March, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed with the Germans, was the Bolsheviks ending the war. Russia lost the Ukraine, its Polish and Baltic territories, and Finland. The treaty was hugely unpopular in Russia but necessary if the Bolsheviks were to establish control of Russia. Lenin believed that the revolution would soon spread to Germany and this would reduce the effect of the Treaty. A final point that supports the statement of Lenin consolidating his power due to the weakness of his opponents was due to the fact that Lenin had good leadership qualities. An example of this would be that the Bolsheviks were highly disciplined party that was fiercely loyal to Lenin and was also a politically astute man. Lenin was able to adapt Marxism to fit the changing situation, keeping Bolshevik support and popularising the parties polices. Furthermore, another advantage was that radical parties were very popular in Russia before the October Revolution and Lenin was  skilfully able to take some of the policies of his rivals and make them appear to both Marxism and distinctly Lennist. T here is also a refute side to this statement as there is within every discussion. There are two main topics that refute such as my first viewpoint is that the Bolshevik party had no experience of running a country before and they did also not have the support from most of the Russian population. Therefore they were in a weak position and need more support. Lenin could not afford the popular tide of aspirations that had led to the failure of the Tsar as well as the Provisional Government, so he gave the people what they wanted in order to secure support for his reign. For example Lenin gave the Russian people Land reform. This was an aim that gave that gave the peasants the right to take over the estates of the gentry, without compensation to the landlords, and for themselves decide the best way to divide it up. This however, went against Bolshevik ideology and was the start of the kulak problem that Stalin was later to be faced with. Another point in refute to this statement is that Maxim Gorky, a leading Bolshevik party, intellectual, was particularly unhappy with Lenin’s actions. He revealed his despondency of the time, writing â€Å"the best Russians had lived for almost a 100 years with the idea of a Constituent Assembly as a political organ. Extra information on refute to this statement also comes from yet again, War Communism. This included forced seizure of grain, nationalization of all trade and industry and strict control of labour. As a result of this program and of the ravages of the war, industrial and agricultural production declined sharply, and the population suffered severe hardship. It caused a famine that led to the death of an estimated 5 million people. This would have made Lenin and the Bolshevik party massively unpopular as an estimated of 5 million people were dead and holding Lenin responsible as he introduced this emergency programme which resulted severely for everyone.