Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid Essay

Importance of heroism and glory in the Iliad and in the Aeneid - Essay Example Heroism can be defined by actions that require bravery, nobility, and often sacrifice. Heroism is exemplified by the character of Achilles in The Illiad. Achilles is a great warrior who also reveals deep emotional complexities for the events that take place in the story. Foley defines the Greek hero as being unseasonable, either negatively or positively extreme and antagonistic towards the god who has the most similar characteristic to the hero (87). Achilles follows all three of these categories, including the last in his antagonism towards the god Apollo, with whom he shares not only character attributes, but similarities in physical appearance (Foley 88). The role of heroism, however, played an important part in culture for both the Greeks and the Romans as it represented the beginnings of the notion of salvation. The stories of Greek and Roman gods portrayed some of the worst characteristics in humanity, but often it was the hero who redeemed the nature of man kind by his actions (Progress 343). Glory can be defined by exaltation of its subject matter. In the case of The Aenid, the glory of Rome is justified through the exalted nature of the emotional context of the actions within the poem. The intent was to glorify the community of Rome, thus bring unity.

Marketing plan Essay Example for Free

Marketing plan Essay This Report presents the strategic Market entry plan of Victoria Secret in Singapore. Victoria Secret is an American brand owned by Limited Brands Company with retail of Lingerie, Women’s Wear and beauty products with annual revenue of USD 8. 7 billion and market share of over 50 percent in North America. It was launched in 1970 by Roy Raymond who started this chain when he had nightmare experience while showing Lingerie for his Wife. He believed that â€Å"Underwear† is not just an Innerwear but can be converted into a Fashion product by tuning in proper colours, styles and patterns and make a product a sex symbol. As it caters to large market in its home country it has been strongly based but now for better growth and more returns Victoria secret has started International expansion. It is one of the fastest growing Lingerie products under Limited Brands Company Umbrella and contributing more than 40% of profits. 1000 number of Stores give strong presence to Victoria Secret and Online shopping ads to the charm. Victoria Secret invests heavily on Advertising with USD 65 Million average for year. The brand symbolizes romance, class, love, desire and romantic moments. They marketed these products by show casing their products with angel looking models breaking ice of set standards of modelling. It is one of the most watched and appreciated Fashion Shows of the world and features world’s best Supermodel as there showstopper creating a feel of sensation in female gender. The brand also took lines from Dove Advertisements by redefining beauty and showing the product users with boosted confidence and sexier looks. The company has done horizontal integration by expanding product range from Lingerie products only to cosmetics, women wear and cosmetics. The appealing brand image gave quick returns on the new product range and helping Victoria Secret in capturing new markets at higher pace. Also what is helping Victoria Secret is its excellent supply chain and IT collaboration which have helped in cutting down overheads. As companies are looking for growth and stability the expansion into Asian market is unavoidable so is for Victoria secret. Singapore being expanding and booming economy can be next destination for Victoria Secret. Singapore also has high fashion conscious population with high income. Singapore being financial hub and supply chain hub is residence for people who have highest per capita expenditure on luxury brands in all segments. In Asia, Singapore boosts for being top market for growing luxury brands. Country also boosts strong tourism and having largest malls in South east Asia helps cater to being selected as best destination in Asia for expansion. Being business friendly government adds to positive of Singapore. Business environment Factors Demography Population rose 2. 5% in 2012. Total population was 5. 4 Million. The Demography of Singapore consists of mix of Chinese, Indians and Malays which account for 74 %, 9 %, and 13% respectively with maximum population between 20-64. Singapore also is world tourist attractor and counts for approx 12 million tourists a year. Total female population is approx 50% and this results in large market size. Female also play dominant role in the society as they also earn. This results in freedom of females and opportunity for them to satisfy their needs. Political Stability Singapore the synonym for freedom to do business was ranked in top 10 best countries to start business. It takes 3 Days on average to start business in Singapore and this is result of stable political System in the country. It has been ranked among top countries for business environment for consecutive 14 years setting benchmark. Singapore is worlds one of the least corrupt country in the world. It ranks 1’st in corruptions perception Index, 2013. The political Stability in the country has provided the most stable economy in South East Asia. Economy The Economy of Singapore is strong with 5. 1% in 3’rd of 2013. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Singapore was worth 274. 70 billion US dollars in 2012. The Expected Net GDP for Singapore is expected to beat market trends and grow more positively in 4’th quarter. The Economy is supported by FDI, skilled labour and fully planned and excellent Infrastructure. The Rising economy has lead to rising per capita income. With the current economic scenario Singapore will attract more youth and global players which will bring more fashion conscious society which will indeed help growth of luxury segment. Industry With rising brand conscious population and trending international brands today brand is equally important for innerwear as is for outer wear. This was proved by growth of this segment industry even during depression of 2008. The rising economies of scale and large production numbers has led to reduced price of product which has increased demand and purchasing capacity. The following factors have contributed largely for growth of this industry: 1) E-Commerce: With rising e-commerce trend and more sophisticated players coming in picture the market has been taken by storm by these players. The customers have not fallen but E-commerce has attracted more customers because of easy access and getting products sitting home. Singapore boosts well E-commerce network with many local players in market along with international Players. The E-commerce has led to fall in prices of product as it involves lesser overhead costs. Association with global E-Commerce players has helped Victoria Secrets attain marvel in other countries and can do the same in Singapore also. 2) Sophisticated Supply chain: With rising use of Sophisticated IT tools for inventory planning, forecasting, Designing and scheduling has helped to reduce costs and development of industry in total. Many Global Brands with innovation in Supply chain have set example for the world. Singapore boosts excellent supply chain network and being Supply chain Hub is excellent destination. Market Analysis Singapore Market size Increase in Per capita income has led to entry to Luxury and premium brands coming in Singapore. The Size of market is expanding and will have higher success rate in coming years. The Table Below shows the growth of Women’s Inner-ware in Singapore. Source: Euro monitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews, trade sources a) Target Females in Age group of 18-50 which means 200,000 females. Middle and Upper Class Tourists Young and Brand Conscious Generation. Competition Triumph , Aerie , Calvin Kline , Armani , Sorella , Etam , La Perla Adore-Me offers direct-to-consumer lingerie at about half of Victorias Secret prices Intimint asks customers to take a quiz and sends them new lingerie selections every month, based on their preferences True ; Co. sends women five bras a month, giving them the option of keeping what they like and sending back what they dont. Low Price and high variety local Players who have well established network in Singapore c) Porters 5 Forces 1) Supplier Power: LOW, As Victoria Secret has Production facilities in Thailand and India the supplier Power is very low. Buyer Power: HIGH, As Singapore already has high end Lingerie brands in its vicinity the Customers have wider options and can shift their preferences. The market has both lower prices segment and more premium segment. 3) Competitive Rivalry: HIGH, As Singapore already houses Premium Luxury lingerie brands who have worldwide recognition, Victoria Secret has high competition. 4) Threat of substitution: HIGH, The price range plays critical role as Victoria Secret has Competition with lower, same and high price range Products. 5) Threat of New Entry: LOW, Being well established worldwide name has its own fan following which attracts masses. New entries will take time to create impact and in that mean Time Victoria secret can come up with Contingency plan. Landscape a) Independent Women: Singapore being modern and economically sound has Independent women who earn well and spend well. This has led to brand conscious population b) Internet Penetration and Media sensitivity: Singaporeans are always connected to Internet. This has led to Strong E-commerce market here. The Media plays important role as Singaporeans try new western brands more frequently and invest heavily in it if the like the brand . Population Mix: Being strong economy Singapore has attracted  nationalities from various countries which have brought in sense of fashion, demand for authentic classy items. This Demand is of high end products. d) Location: With production plants in nearby countries such as Thailand and India and Strong Supply chain hubs the Location is also ideal. Singapore being small can’t accommodate Production facility so being centre for supply chain helps. ENTRY IN SINGAPORE: MARKET FEASIBILITY STUDY Design Victoria Secret is renowned for its strong designing team which comprise mixture of people around the world to understand each geographic trend. Once they understand the trends they create new trends in the market. It defines Sexiness as youthful, mature, energetic, adorable and intimate. The competitors have targeted another value like Triumph emphasises on Simplicity. Victoria Secret will benefit from point that Singapore is mix of many. The Design Teams have large market size which they can target with larger variety. Bold and Loud Brand Promotion This brand brings sense of comfort and pride among women. This is reflected in there promotion activities. The brand highlights the beauty of every individual and helps concealing imperfections with its unique designs. It is most bought product by models. Their Catalogues feature world’s hottest and sexist women in the world. Singaporeans are vivid about Fashion and Luxury products. With Rising Per capita income and proper promotion by hiring trending models of Singapore Victoria Secret can target masses. The Footfall in malls is one of the highest in Asia which can contribute to high sales if located at proper places. Rapid Growth of High-end Female Market Women are booming rapidly in Singapore who are either in White collar jobs, Leaders, Elites, working in Multinationals, entrepreneurs etc. These women have decent jobs, High disposable income and strong purchasing power. Maximum percentage of Women are highly educated. They are open and eager to accept and use trendy and fashionable Products with good quality. They Care about their Lifestyles, Health and bodies. This is supported by fact that Singapore has low obesity Rate of 7. 3 % in females and ranks much below America where obesity is 35. 5% in females. As women consider themselves independent and delicate it is highly possible for them to spend a remarkable amount of income on underwear and branded lingerie for self rewards. This will help Victoria Secret to enter the market easily and reap Benefits of growing and educated economy. Price Barriers and Distribution Channels Normal bra Ranges from 40-80 USD in US which reduces to almost half during sales. Singapore can also cater to demand with same or lesser Price as there are production facilities in India and Thailand. This will help in taming local players who play games of lower prices. Price would not be a Barrier for Victoria Secret to enter into Singapore. Having strong supply chain network with both these countries and being placed near the demand can be met. The Retail Distribution channels are strong and can be built easily in Singapore owing to small country size and Strong local infrastructure. Being Business friendly environment will help Victoria Secret to Establish Strong Distribution channels in Shorter Periods. Overview Retail market in Singapore is up by 3. 3% in August 2013 is back on track after falling slightly. Total number of Retailers in Singapore is more than 30000 with less than 1% for Lingerie Products. The Scope of market is high. Singapore is heavily sustained on Imports from US, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Market Challenges and Opportunities Singapore has tightened foreign nationals working in labour market and this has led to increase in labour markets. The Rentals have gone for toss and are very high. The overheads cost the most for setting up business in Singapore. Being business friendly country the market attracts large number of players who provide cheap products, copied items from various world renowned brands. With challenges are opportunities also, being supply chain hub the country can act as stepping stone to enter bigger markets like of china. The Strong judiciary System and quick decision making helps to curb challenges faced such as intellectual copyrights and those related to design copying. SETTING UP RETAIL OUTLET IN SINGAPORE 1) Documents Required for Registration The following documents/information is required for registering a Singapore branch office: a) A certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation of the foreign company. b) A certified copy of Memorandum and Articles (MAA) of the foreign company. c) Particulars of the directors of the foreign company. A memorandum of appointment and details of at least two persons resident in Singapore who will act as the agents for the Singapore branch office. e) A memorandum executed by or on behalf of the foreign company stating the powers of the local agents. f) Details of the registered office address in Singapore 2) Registration Procedure and Timeline The professional firm hired to handle the branch office registration will take care of all the necessary registration formalities. No physical visit of company executives is required from headquarters. The registration process consists of two basic steps: 1) Name approval 2) Entity registration. The name for the Singapore branch must be the same as that of the parent company. It will generally be approved unless it is identical to any existing company name or is vulgar in nature. Assuming necessary document are ready and there are no delays in the name approval process, registration of a Singapore branch can be completed in 1-2 days. The company registrar will send an email notification confirming the registration of the Singapore branch 3) Retail Outlets – Key Facts and Requirements a) Business Incorporation: Before one can begin operations, retail outlet must first be registered with the Singapore Companies Registrar, ACRA. This involves just two procedures that can be completed online within 24 hours. It is best if retail outlet offers unique products and services that are not currently available in Singapore’s colourful retail market. b) Approval for Premises: One must ensure that intended business premise is an approved location for retail business. To have retail outlet in a conservation building or private property, approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) is required for making additions or alterations to the premises. A Fire Safety Certificate from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) must be obtained to verify that retail outlet meets all fire safety requirements. If outlet is located in a shopping mall, the landlord may expedite the necessary approvals for you. 4) Licenses for Setting Up a Retail Outlet in Singapore Depending on the nature of the merchandise or products offered by retail outlet, apply for the relevant licenses. If outlet offers products which can affect human health and safety, relevant licenses may be required. To Import and sell cosmetics products domestically, notify the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before placing the product in the market via the HSA’s PRISM site. The fee for the notification of cosmetic products is pegged to each product’s risks and variation (colour etc). 5) Hiring Staff Starting a retail outlet or franchise means that one may need to bring on board employees from home country to oversee operations. If one intends to employ or transfer employees from home country, apply for the relevant Singapore employment pass on their behalf. The Singapore employment pass is however subject to approval by the manpower authority and must meet Singapore’s new productivity vision. 6) Taxation of Singapore Branch A Singapore branch is generally considered a non-resident company for tax purposes. Non-resident companies are not eligible for tax benefits resulting from available tax incentives and tax treaties meant for resident companies.   Annual Filing Requirements Section 373 of the Companies Act requires a foreign company to file its Annual Report and the audited accounts of its Singaporean branch office within two months of its Annual General Meeting, or within 7 months from the  end of its financial year whichever is earlier. Also, each Singapore branch is required to file a Tax Return on an annual basis. MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY Victoria secret can enter Singapore Market in following ways: American exporters use agents or distributors to serve the Singapore market and other markets in Southeast Asia. Singapore firms are aggressive when it comes to representing new products and usually respond enthusiastically to new opportunities. Singaporean companies are open to joint venture proposals. Price, quality and service are the main selling factors in Singapore. Prospective exporters to Singapore should be aware that competition is strong and that buyers expect good after-sales service. Selling techniques vary according to the industry and product, but are comparable to the techniques used in any other sophisticated market. It is also important for U. S. firms to visit their representatives and maintain a good relationship with them. Victoria Secret has expanded in Maximum countries with 100% ownership strategy expect countries where it is difficult or impossible. As Singapore is business friendly and Provides Option for 100% investment Victoria Secret should come as 100% subsidiary. RECOMMENDATIONS 1) Enter the Singapore with 100 % subsidiary 2) Launch all product range in one go from Innerwear, shoes, cosmetics and clothes. 3) Target Shopping Centres for their retail operations for better Visibility 4) Promotion using both international and domestic models for better appeal 5) Enter with 2-3 Stores in Initial Phase for better understanding and Expand Further after setting customer base 6) Join hands with E-Commerce industry both domestic and International to promote brand 7) Target not only Young but also Middle age and Old age 8) High Variety and Utmost quality to remain Core of Business in Singapore also 9) Customized Marketing using social media and Electronic Platform 10) Customized Designs for Singapore Customers as per their taste and like 11) Customer Engagement using print media 12) Virtual Trial Rooms and trained Women staff for guidance on shape and size

Fishing Disaster :: Environment Ecosystem Environmental Essays

Fishing Disaster Background: The ocean around the rocky shores of Newfoundland were once so full of cod that explorer John Cabot marveled in 1497 that they virtually blocked his ship. In the centuries to follow, fish became the one of the only reasons anyone ever came to Newfoundland, or stayed. Cod was the center of life in the Canadian Maritimes from the beginning. Starting in the 1950's, Huge European trawlers began to travel across the Atlantic to fish the waters off Newfoundland. Some refered to these super-ships as "Fish Factories". With the increased effort by these distant-water fleets, catches of northern cod increased in the late 1950s and early 1960s and peaked at just over 800,000 tons by 1968. However, by 1975 the Candian Government realized the devastating effect this was having on its fish populations and closed its waters to foriegn fishing boats. Although this temporarily staved off the growing crisis, European intervention had changed the nature of Canadian fishing, leading to the development of Canadian owned super-trawlers. Disaster Strikes: Throughout the 1980s, the annual catch of Canada's northern cod fishing fleet hovered around the 250,000 tonnes mark, as the Canadian government kept promoting more investment. Newfoundland's small-scale, inshore cod fishermen, however, were voicing concerns long before anyone else that the abundance of the northern cod population was not as healthy as scientists were reporting. Contradictory to scientific data, traditional inshore fishermen in Newfoundland began to notice declining catches before the mid-1980s. By 1986 the scientists also realized that the stock was declining, and by 1988 had recommended the total allowable catch be cut in half. Instead of acting immediately, in a precautionary manner to protect dwindling fish stocks by substantially reducing catch quotas at the first signs of overfishing, the federal government delayed conservation action, choosing instead quite moderate reductions of the total allowable catch beginning in 1989. It wasn't until 1990, following several years of analysis and re-analysis of data from stock surveys (without simultaneously reducing catch quotas) that the Independent Review of the state of the Northern Cod stock concluded that the population, the biomass, the spawning population, and the spawning biomass of the Northern Cod were all in decline and that fishing-related mortality was at dangerously high levels. By 1992, the biomass estimate for northern cod was the lowest ever measured. The Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans had no choice but to declare a ban on fishing northern cod.

Politically Correct Language Essay

Politically correct language is language that avoids offending or ostracizing particular groups of people – the word â€Å"homosexual† is the politically correct version of the word â€Å"faggot†. While politically correct language prevents conflict, and improves individuals and communities, it also has limitations. Sometimes it can disrupt the meaning and impact of the message we are trying to portray. Because of this, it is important to find an extent of political correctness that still enables freedom of speech. While people can define us by the language we use, the language we use also defines us. Being politically correct can make us better people. The way the receiver of our message construes our message determines whether it is politically correct. What is considered politically correct varies from person to person; while one Asian might find the term â€Å"chink† humorous, another might find it degrading. As a result, being politically correct requires assessing how the receiver of our message differs from ourselves, and how we can remain tactful despite these differences. This forces us to accept that people have varying beliefs; sometime sit even forces us to refine our own. Similarly, while we can define a community by the language the people within that community use, the language the people within a community use defines the relationships within that community. Being politically correct can improve the community we live in by creating an atmosphere where everyone is comfortable with sharing their ideas, without feeling restrained by the fear of being penalized for thinking differently. This enables us to productively debate diverse viewpoints, and broaden our own. It ensures that the future generation will learn how to be tolerant from a very young age, which is essential for the development of society. While being politically correct seems ideal, it also has limitations. Take the news. People trust the news to objectively impart what is happening in the world. One might debate that this gives them the responsibility to be politically correct, lest they create conflict or further segregate the world. However, being politically correct can disrupt the meaning of their message. The term â€Å"undocumented immigrants† could give people the impression that it is a slight mishap that the country forgot to document these immigrants, or that these immigrants were unaware that they had to be documented. On the other hand, the term â€Å"illegal aliens† makes it clear that these individuals are doing something illicit. It pressures them to do, and gives them no excuse not to do, what is right – get a citizenship, or leave. Being politically correct can also alleviate the impact of the news. If a child molester is on the loose, it is the responsibility of the news to warn society about it. Stating that a child has been â€Å"molested and terminated† instead of â€Å"raped and beaten to death† lessens the urgency parents will feel to be wary of their child’s whereabouts. While the latter is politically incorrect – it creates disturbingly vivid imagery – it is more effective in keeping the citizens safe. Nevertheless, the news should refrain from unnecessarily using politically incorrect language. They should use the world â€Å"black† instead of â€Å"nigger† because they are so interchangeable. If possible, the news reporter shouldn’t even label the people he is reporting about. This would conceal any irrelevant prejudices (which might inadvertently skew a viewer’s understanding,) that the reporter may have. It would also prevent the creation of unnecessary conflict and further segregation of the world. In conclusion, politically correct language – language that avoids offending or ostracizing particular groups of people – can improve individuals and communities. More importantly, it prevents the expression of prejudices that separate the world. On the other hand, political correctness also has limitations: it can disrupt the meaning and impact of our message. Because of this, it is important to find an extent of political correctness that does not disrupt the meaning or impact of our messages. Otherwise, we would no longer have freedom of speech, which is imperative to the progression of society.

Maslow Case Study

Maslow Case Study 15 1) Cindy’s first year of life was a very trying one, and according to Maslow, the primary needs on her hierarchy were not being sufficiently met. The first need is to have physiological needs satisfied for sheer survival purposes, such as receiving adequate food, water, elimination and sleep. Maslow explained that for a person not receiving these things, their idea of a perfect place would be one where there is plenty of food and water and they can sleep and eliminate whenever they want; if they had all of these things they would believe that they would be perfectly content and happy. For many, these needs are easily satisfied, but for Cindy this was not the case. The physician who performed Cindy’s checkups noted that she was not developing at the rate of normal infants her age, so she immediately suspected neglect, which would include not giving Cindy adequate nutrition. Since everyone of her checkups were late and infrequent, the physician began to question the amount of formula Cindy was receiving and learned that it was nowhere near enough for a child her age. Cindy had also developed a sever diaper rash accompanied by a yeast infect by the third check up which the physician was also very concerned about. The need to be physically well would also fall under the physiological needs. Although Cindy’s physiological needs were not fully satisfied, degrees of satisfaction would allow Cindy to have the needs of other stages working at the same time. Safety needs, or the need to feel a sense of structure, order, security and predictability, are next on Maslow’s hierarchy. Cindy’s mother was said to be a 40 year old drug addict who live in a relatively poor neighborhood that housed African Americans and Latinos, mostly. The mother had no home of her own and did not know who the father was, she would move from house to house where her friends would put her up for a little while. The mother would also stay with the grandmother from time to time. This constant moving, with no home of her own, inadequate nutrition, no love or affection shown and no predictability from day to day would definitely show that Cindy’s safety needs were not satisfied. The third need, the need for belongingness and love, was obviously also not satisfied. Her mother neglected her so much that on one occasion Cindy was dehydrated to the point of medical danger. Once she was finally fostered, her initial foster family was able to provide her with sufficient physiological and safety needs, however, they still did not provide belongingness and love. They showed her little affection and rarely held her or talked to her. By the end of Cindy’s first year, she looked as if she were only 6 months old developmentally. Also, when the family moved to another state they had no desire to adopt her, which also showed how little they cared for her emotionally. The outcome of Cindy’s first trying year of life was severe underdevelopment in which she could barley crawl at one year, an aversion to affection where Cindy would cringe at someone’s touch, and a sense of uncertainty and shyness to her. ) During Cindy’s second year of life, she was placed with a much better foster family would not only fulfilled her needs for survival and safety, they were also very loving. The family had two other daughters, who were trilled to have a baby sister to take care of, the mother stayed at home with the kids during the day and the father was there in the evenings when the mother was working four nights a week inside the home. Cindy had a clean, quiet environment where she was exposed to other chi ldren. She was also shown a lot of affection, which at first she resisted, but eventually she began to become accustom to it and even began seeking it out and developed more rapidly. By the time she was living with this family for six months, she had caught up to the development of children her age. Once Cindy’s biological mother overdosed and died, the option for adoption was there and the new family happily accepted Cindy into there life permanently. The outcome of all of this was that Cindy became a happy, confident child on the same level as other children her age. ) According to Maslow, if Cindy were to actualize, the type of values she would have to embrace would include an acceptance of herself, others and of nature in general, which would allow her not to feel a sense of anxiety, shame or guilt due to her situation as a child. Also, autonomy, appreciation for life events, creativity from an openness to experience and spontaneity, an unhostile sense of humor and a strong ethic al sense would all be values Cindy would have to embrace to be a self-actualizer. There are other characteristics that Maslow listed as belonging to these types o people, but these have a more immediate relationship to Cindy and her upbringing. Her early childhood would defiantly not give Cindy the predisposition to have these values, however, her fortunate situation in which she was later adopted by a loving and providing family would be able to give her the other needs she craves to reach self-actualization.

Intruder to Queen Elizabeths Bedroom

Intruder to Queen Elizabeths Bedroom Early on Friday morning, July 9, 1982, Queen Elizabeth II woke to find a strange, bleeding man sitting at the end of her bed. As scary as the situation must have been, she handled it with royal aplomb. A Strange Man at the End of the Queens Bed When Queen Elizabeth II woke up on the morning of July 9, 1982, she saw that a strange man was sitting on her bed. The man, dressed in jeans and a dirty T-shirt, was cradling a broken ashtray and dripping blood onto the royal linens from a lacerated hand. The Queen kept calm and picked up the phone from her bedside table. She asked the operator at the palace switchboard to summon the police. Though the operator did pass the message to the police, the police didnt respond. Some reports say the intruder, 31-year-old Michael Fagan, had planned to commit suicide in the Queens bedroom but decided it wasnt a nice thing to do once he was there. He wanted to talk about love but the Queen changed the subject to family matters. Fagans mother later said, He thinks so much of the Queen. I can imagine him just wanting to simply talk and say hello and discuss his problems. Fagan thought it a coincidence that he and the Queen both had four children. The Queen attempted to summon a chambermaid by pressing a button, but no one came. The Queen and Fagan continued to talk. When Fagan asked for a cigarette, the Queen again called the palace switchboard. Still, no one responded. After the Queen had spent ten minutes with the mentally disturbed, bleeding intruder, a chambermaid entered the Queens quarters and exclaimed, Bloody hell, maam! Whats he doing in there? The chambermaid then ran out and woke up a footman who then seized the intruder. The police arrived twelve minutes after the Queens first call. How Did He Get into the Queens Bedroom? This wasnt the first time that protection of the royal monarch had been found lacking, but it had supposedly been increased since the 1981 attack on the Queen (a man fired six blanks at her during the Trooping the Color ceremony). Yet Michael Fagan basically walked into Buckingham Palace - twice. Only a month before, Fagan had stolen a $6 bottle of wine from the palace. Around 6 a.m., Fagan climbed the 14-foot-high wall - topped with spikes and barbed wire - on the southeast side of the palace. Though an off-duty policeman saw Fagan climbing the wall, by the time he had alerted palace guards, Fagan could not be found. Fagan then walked along the south side of the palace and then along the west side. There, he found an open window and climbed in. Fagan had entered a room housing King George Vs $20 million stamp collection. Since the door to the interior of the palace was locked, Fagan went back outside through the window. An alarm had been set off both as Fagan entered and exited the Stamp Room through the window, but the policeman at the police sub-station (on palace grounds) assumed the alarm was malfunctioning and turned it off - twice. Fagan then went back as he had come, along with the west side of the palace, and then continuing along the south side (past his point of entry), and then along the east side. Here, he climbed up a drainpipe, pulled back some wire (meant to keep pigeons away) and climbed into Vice Admiral Sir Peter Ashmores office (the man responsible for the Queens security). Fagan then walked down the hallway, looking at paintings and into rooms. Along his way, he picked up a glass ashtray and broke it, cutting his hand. He passed a palace housekeeper who said good morning and only a few minutes later he walked into the Queens bedroom. Normally, an armed policeman stands guard outside the Queens door at night. When his shift is over at 6 a.m., he is replaced with an unarmed footman. At this particular time, the footman was out walking the Queens corgis (dogs). When the public learned of this incident, they were outraged at the lapse of security around their Queen. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher personally apologized to the Queen and measures were immediately taken to strengthen palace security. Sources Davidson, Spencer. God Save the Queen, Fast. TIME 120.4 (July 26, 1982): 33. Rogal, Kim and Ronald Henkoff. Intruder at the Palace. Newsweek July 26, 1982: 38-39.

Labour Governments 1945-1951 essays

Labour Governments 1945-1951 essays Writing of the Labour governments 1945-1951, a senior civil servant said: It put me in mind of Columbus voyage: when Columbus set out, he didnt know where he was going; when he arrived he didnt know where he was; and when he returned he didnt know where hed been. Assess the achievements and failures of the Labour governments of 1945-1951. Shortly after the Second World War, Winston Churchill decided to dissolve the wartime coalition, and was confident that he would be able to form a government of his own. The subsequent general election led to a surprising and overwhelming victory for his Labour opponents, and no one was more shocked by this landslide than the new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee. Atlees governments have since received heavy criticism from both the left and right wings of the political scale. The major complaint of the right winged commentators was that Labour introduced too much socialism, and that perhaps they ignored desperately needed industrial regeneration in this post war period, in favour of welfare reforms. Their counterparts on the left have argued that, although they may have introduced long overdue reforms they failed to break down the long standing class barriers or redistribute wealth, and thus accusing the Attlee governments of wasting an opportunity to create a true socialist state. Mos t of these critiques, however, have been formed with the benefit of hindsight. Inevitably no government is able to please the whole nation, and it is only when elected into office that the ideology that a Party commits to in opposition is put to the test. In order to assess the achievements and failures of Attlees governments, we must first consider the state of Britain when the Labour Party assumed power, and consequently observe the degree to which their policies and reforms benefited the country. The election victory in July 1945 was a surprise, as Winston Chur...

How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips

How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you dream of traveling for work, touching down in a new city every day and experiencing different cultures regularly? Do you love helping people, and live for customer interactions (even the not-so-pleasant ones)? If so, you might want to consider a career as a flight attendant. Despite their glamorous TV and movie reputation, flight attendant jobs are difficult. They’re also competitive to get. In this article, I’ll break down how to become a flight attendant by first deciding if a job as a flight attendant is right for you and, if so, how to apply for flight attendant jobs. Becoming a flight attendant is an exciting, unique career path that has the potential to transform your life. Interested in Becoming a Flight Attendant? Consider These Questions First Flight attendant jobs are exciting, unique, and well-respected. They can also be exhausting and intense and require you to make significant sacrifices in your personal life. Before beginning the lengthy application process to be a flight attendant, consider these questions. Are You Okay With Working Long, Difficult Hours? A flight attendant’s schedule, at best, includes long, difficult work days. At worst, a flight attendant’s schedule can be unpredictable and exhausting. Once becoming a flight attendant, you’ll be responsible for having specific days where you’ll have scheduled trips to complete. You’ll also be responsible for a handful of days each month where you must be on-call to jump on a trip if required. Your on days, and your on-call days, can be any days - weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. As a first year flight attendant, you’ll likely have to be on or on call for most major travel days, and have less seniority in picking which trips to fly. That means that you’ll probably be working on holidays and almost definitely be working on at least some weekends. The trips you take will often be extremely difficult and tiring on your body. If you mainly fly short, national flights, you’ll likely have two or more flights in a day and be responsible for overseeing the customer service needs of hundreds of customers. If you fly international trips, you’ll probably only have to fly one trip a day, but you’ll typically have a quick turnaround time before you have to be on your next flight. The toll of traveling to so many different places so quickly can heavy on your body, as you’ll often be adjusting to different time zones and getting up extremely early or staying up very late. Are You Able to Commit to an Intense Training Process? Flight attendant training is a long, intense process. For flight attendant training, you’ll need to move to a specified training location, where you’ll live with other flight attendant trainees for the duration of the training, which can last for several months. Most airlines only have two or three training facilities, so you’ll likely be far away from home for the entirety of your training. Training days themselves are mentally and physically exhausting. You’ll be learning rules about how to keep people safe in the air, as well as practicing the physical skills you’ll need to help pack the planes or conduct safe evacuations. Would You Be Okay Moving For Work? Airlines have hubs where many of their flights originate, and their flight crews are often required to live nearby so that they can be ready to jump on a flight at a moment’s notice. If you don’t live near your airline’s hub, you’ll likely have to move, at least for the part of the month where you’re on-call. That can mean leaving your friends and family behind for large amounts of time. Do You Like Dealing With Customers? As a flight attendant, you’ll have to deal with customers all the time - and they won’t always be pleasant or happy to work with you. If you don’t like dealing with customers, being a flight attendant probably isn’t the right job for you. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Flight Attendant Requirements Still want to be a flight attendant? Applying for a job as a flight attendant is highly competitive. For instance, Delta regularly receives 100,000 applications during its open enrollment periods, from which they only accept several hundred trainees. Many airlines have strict requirements for their flight attendants. In this section, I’ll talk about what some of those requirements are. Keep in mind, however, that every airline has different requirements of its attendants. Flight Attendant Requirements for Minimum Age All airlines have minimum age requirements from applicants. These can range from 18 to 21 years old, depending on the airline. There is no maximum age requirement for flight attendants at any US airline. Flight Attendant Requirements for Physical Ability One of the greatest myths about being a flight attendant is that you need to be a beautiful supermodel in order to be a flight attendant. Not true! Airlines don’t have physical appearance requirements, but they do want you to look neat and well groomed. Normally, airlines tend to look for conservative, classic styles of dress and appearance. That means that your hair should be dyed a natural color and you shouldn’t have any visible tattoos or piercings, besides ears. In terms of height and weight, airlines require that you’ll be able to reach the overhead bins to store luggage and that you can fit into the jump-seat easily. Other than that, there are no hard or fast cutoffs for height or weight. Airlines require their flight attendants to have 20/20 vision, which can be achieved either naturally or through the use of contacts and/or glasses. Finally, some airlines may require you to undergo a medical or physical fitness test to ensure that you’re in good enough health to fulfill the job’s requirements. Flight Attendant Requirements for Education All US airlines require that you have a high school diploma or GED to apply. You must also be able to pass a full background check and drug screening. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Finding a Job Flight attendant jobs can be difficult to find. Airlines often have hiring windows throughout the year during which they accept applications. Very few US airlines are hiring year-round. To that end, here are some tips for finding the flight attendant job of your dreams. Decide Which Airlines You’d Like to Work For First, you should decide what airlines you’d like to fly for. All of the US airlines are very different. When considering which airline you’d like to fly with, think about the following questions. #1: Where do I want to fly? Not every airline flies the same places. If you’ve got your heart set on making it out to the Pacific Northwest, make sure you’re applying to an airline that flies there.#2: What’s my customer service philosophy? Each airline has its own philosophy about customer service. Read up on the airlines to see which matches your own customer service philosophy.:3: What’re other flight attendants saying about working for this airline? You can use online company review sites like Glassdoor to get a sneak peek into what it’s like to work at a different airline. These reviews can help you see the positives and negatives a company, so you can make a more informed decision about where to apply. Always take these reviews with a grain of salt, however–just because someone else had a bad experience, doesn’t mean you will, too. Use Job Search Sites Job sites like Indeed.com and Monster.com can help you find out when companies are hiring flight attendants. You can also check Flight Attendant Career, a website that provides information about open applicant periods for all airlines in one place. Check the Websites of Airlines You’re Interested In Another great way to find flight attendant jobs is to watch the websites of the airlines that you’re interested in applying to. They’ll often have information about open positions on their sites. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Applying for Jobs As I mentioned, applying to be a flight attendant is very competitive. In this section, I’ll talk about how you can stand out from the crowd during the application and interview process. How to Present a Polished Flight Attendant Application Hiring managers at airlines have to look through hundreds of thousands of applications. Here are a few tips to make your application stand out. Show Off Your Skills Airlines are often looking to hire flight attendants who have special skills, like exceptional customer service ability or a passion for travel. If you’ve proven yourself to be able to work with people in different situations, you’ll definitely want to highlight this on your application. For instance, if you’ve encountered and had to serve people from different backgrounds in a previous job, it’ll show that you’ve got what it takes to deal with people. Similarly, airlines are looking for candidates who will enjoy traveling, which will obviously be a large part of your job description. If you’ve traveled a lot, highlight that, even if it’s in a later section of your resume, such as personal interests or skills. Finally, if you’re looking to fly internationally, fluency in another language can help you truly stand out from the pack, as you’ll have to help customers whose first language isn’t English. Make sure that your application reflects any unique skills you have that’ll help you standout from the crowd. Highlight Your Experience If you have previous experience as a flight attendant or in other high-stress customer service fields, make sure you note that on your application and resume. Airlines are looking for flight attendants who’ll be able to provide exceptional customer service to all of their customers. When highlighting your customer service experience, make sure you provide context. For instance, if you’ve worked in a shop before, quantify the number of customers you dealt with on busy days, which’ll show that you can handle numerous customer interactions in one day. Even if you’ve worked in a less relevant position, highlight how you’ve had to be flexible and helpful to different groups of people. Check Your Application Carefully Because hiring managers need to quickly screen hundreds of thousands of candidates at one time, you’ll need to make sure that your application is free of errors or mistakes that may automatically disqualify you from the position. Check for typos or other easy-to-correct errors that’d make your application look less professional. Make Sure You Fulfill the Requirements Before applying, make sure you fulfill all the requirements for employment. For instance, if the airline requires that you have a passport, make sure you’ve got one. If you don’t, the hiring managers will likely get rid of your application right away. How to Stand Out at Your Interviews Flight attendant interview days can be stressful affairs. You’ll often be interviewed amongst hundreds of your peers who’re applying for the same limited spots. Follow these tips to stand out from the pack. Make Sure You Look Professional As I mentioned previously, airlines place a high value on having their flight attendants be neatly groomed. Make sure you’re wearing a professional outfit, that your hair is neatly combed, and that you are awake and alert during the interview. Practice Flight Attendant Skills Airlines may have you demonstrate flight attendant skills during your interview, such as making an announcement on the PA loudspeaker of an airplane or dealing with an unruly customer. Prepare for these scenarios ahead of time by practicing what you’d say over the loudspeaker (remember to speak slowly and clearly) or how you’d deal with an angry customer. Coming in prepared for any scenario will help you stand out and give you a sense of calm during the interview process. Demonstrate That You Can Work Well As Part of a Team Flight attendants are part of a team. They work with other flight attendants on the plane, as well as with the captains and first officers who fly the planes. Make sure that you demonstrate your ability to be a good teammate during the interview process. Be prepared to highlight specific examples from your previous work where you’ve had to collaborate with other employees or positively resolve a workplace conflict. If there are any group activities, treat your other applicants cordially and respectfully, even though you’re competing for the same job. Training to be a Flight Attendant Once you’ve been provisionally hired as a flight attendant, you still have to complete the long and difficult training. Not everyone who’s accepted to training makes its all the way through to officially become a flight attendant. Knowing what you’ll face when going into training can help prepare you. Flight attendant training is an intense, multi-week program. You’ll be in training from anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. You’ll likely have to move away from home to be at the training, which means you’ll be away from your friends and family. Your training will consist of educational and physical portions. You’ll learn about the codes, rules, regulations, and theories you need to know to safely transport passengers from one place to another. You’ll also go through the physical requirements of being a flight attendant. You’ll learn how to evacuate a flight, how to stow and remove luggage, and how to protect and see to passengers in the event of an emergency. To complete your training, you’ll be required to pass a safety, emergency, and evacuation test administered by the FAA. For most airlines, you must pass with a 90% or higher in order to be accepted as a flight attendant. Review: Is a Career as a Flight Attendant Right for You? If you’re wondering how to become a flight attendant, it’s first important to understand if being a flight attendant is right for you. Flight attendant jobs are quite difficult, and the path to becoming a flight attendant is long and competitive. Make sure that your application is polished and competitive so that you standout from the pack.

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Social Psychology - Essay Example Its roots, dynamics and occurrence have been the subject of countless debates and contentions from scholars in various fields of human knowledge. All of them strive to uncover why an individual would strap onto himself an explosive and detonate it in places full of bystanders. Each field tries to understand how an ordinary student ends up planning and carrying out a kidnapping for political ends. Scholars explore the reason behind why groups of individuals have so much contempt for a state or group of states. Experts analyze the basis of the various doctrines of hate and malevolence against a particular class of people or a sector in society. Despite all these efforts and undertakings to that dissect and formally study terrorism it is not common that it be understood from the standpoint of social psychology. By rationalizing the phenomenon of terrorism within the framework of the workings of the human mind new insight may be derived about it. Psychology in general has delved into terrorism before not in the specific context of Social Psychology. The latter would present a new perspective as to the understanding and analysis of terrorism, its participants, their beliefs and psychological dimension of the same. For the purposes of this paper the concept of terrorism which will be explored will involve terrorism carried out by terrorist groups such as Al –qaeda, Jemaah Islamiya and Hezbollah. This is distinct and separate from state sponsored terrorism as in the case of the Third Reich under Hitler and the former U.S.S.R. under Stalin. The usual definition of terrorism is something like "the use or threat of violence, by small groups against non-combatants of large groups, for avowed political goals." The key to this definition is the combination of small groups killing non-combatants. Terrorism is the warfare of the weak, the recourse of those desperate for a cause that cannot win by conventional means McCauley (n.d.). The attack

A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

A - Essay Example Slight mistakes in any of the field listed would render the whole project being undertaken futile. The computer is the core of every operation in the current generation of trade and general life. That is why it is taken first as the core qualification for any other do. Continuous development on it brings experience especially when applied to the other fields of concern as listed. I am also a philanthropist. Based on acquisition of all these qualifications, the main aim is profitability and objectivity to the society. The computer society degree has a major aim of easing problem solving skills in the society; the business operations degree will be endeared toward helping profitable engagements in the society. The degree in youth and women empowerment is meant to develop a strong team of women and youth in the society. This is a show if value and giving back to the society in spite of having achieved much in the long run as an individual. One aspect of me that is very predominant therefore is that of bringing change to my immediate environment. This change started with me. The first thing is to get the valuable education required. It is also systematic in that it starts with a foundation on computers. The next change applies to the immediate society; the women and children. This is my society. Developing it will be developing me as a person and the world at large. This equally creates a trend of change in me. This knowledge to the society will create independence in their minds and actions which at the far end makes a society that knows itself and the environment around it. Conservation, business knowledge to marketers and health issues are just but a piece of the society that will be created by my founded knowledge. On top of the above, I am a problem identifier and solver. Though the solving ability will be dependent on the eventual qualifications, the foundation of this lies in the willingness to take up the challenge. The society is marred by

Development Appraisal and Cost Forecasting Research Paper

Development Appraisal and Cost Forecasting - Research Paper Example The rent that can be acquired on the site will be 3190 per square meter. This makes the developer to get the capital back in 8.6 years. The profits start from 9 the year. According to the third unit the developing, investment and rental activities are not feasible. The developer can choose between the above two options and can decide on it. As per the competition he cannot get the bid less than the 22353.84 GBP per square metre. By calculating the profit the investment can be compared with the A out of the comparables given to compare the rental activity. This is because the rent is higher in that case and the developer is using steel and dress stones to clad externals. The maximum bid that can be offered to get the bid can be decided by taking into account that the pension fund is offering 610 basis points above LIBOR. This will make the investment of 27500 GBP per square meter increased by 2612.5 GBP per square meter. The maximum investment the developer can offer per square meter to get the bid is 30112.5 GBP. To this the other charges should be added. They are architect costs, solicitor costs, VAT, valuation fee stamp duty and LIBOR and they amount to 19.35 percent. This increases the amount to be invested per square meter to 35984.4375 GBP per square meter. The developer cannot invest or bid more than this per square meter. Any customer can invest 2.5 times the disposal price to buy a flat. ... Any customer can invest 2.5 times the disposal price to buy a flat. This gives 1,25,000 GBP for each flat and the revenue on selling the total 6 flats will be 7,50,000 GBP. The cost of land is 3,88,000 GBP. The profit of the company if the flats are sold for 7,50,000 GBP should be 165000 GBP. The cost of the flats for the company should be 585000 GBP. The cost of built ceiling shouldbe 585000 - 388000 = 197000 GBP. The company should built the flats at the cost not more than 1,97,000 GBP. 3. Anticipated Profit from Scheme Cost of site = 470000 + charges = 470000+11750+ 7050+82250 + 2500 = 573550 GBP The cost of interest rate 10 percent per annum. This makes the total cost of site = 659582.5 GBP. The expected rentals on each office space developed by client = 7500 x 25 x 12 + 500 = 2250500 GBP per year. 1 acre = 4046.9 square metre 2 acres = 8093.8 square metres. The developer is anticipating 7.5 percent of profit. In the coming 3 years of time. The cost of land is 573550 GBP The rentals can be acquired in 3 years = 6751500 GBP. The cost f built should be not more than 6751500 - 573550 = 6177950 GBP. The anticipated profit of the developer will be 573550 GBP in a three years period. Section B The wall area of the building I = 2x22/7x 11.25 x 2.3 = 162.64 Square metres The floor area of the building I = 22/7x 11.25 x 11.25 = 397.76 Square metres. The wall to floor ratio = 0.40. This implies that the building is stable regarding the wall to floor ratio. The wall area of the building ii = 80 x 2.3 = 184 square metres The floor area of the building ii = 20 x 20 = 400 square metres. The wall to floor area ratio is = 0.46. though this is substantially stable and efficient, the stability is les than the i building. The wall area of

Sustainablility practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainablility practice - Essay Example nd, that the recent growth in tourist related number is adversely impacting not only the local culture endemic to the land, but is also causing irreparable harm to the environment. As such, sustainable tourism activities, such as the one describe herein, are essential to the future of the country, in addition to the necessity of meeting the current needs of the people and land. The objective of this report is to highlight sustainable tourism operations in Thailand and to illustrate the critical need to further develop this endeavour in order to protect both the land and the environment of this Southeast Asian nation. This objective was primarily accomplished by researching currently literature related to sustainable tourism in Thailand, as well as conducting an in-depth analysis of the Thailand Tourism Authority of Thailand’s website. It was discovered that, while sustainable tourism is on the rise throughout the nation, there is still far too much reliance on international projects, which are creating harm to the land, the people, and the culture. In the future, more focus is needed in terms of developing tourist operations that are directly impacting the people of Thailand, while doing little to no harm to the environment in which they live. Throughout time, tourism has been in a constant state of change, and along with it has come a consistent need to look towards the future. For tourism to be sustainable, and for it to have a positive environmental effect for future generations, companies must look for ways to protect the lands in which they operate. The average tourist today has different expectations that have been evolving over the years. While the tourist industry has struggled at time to keep up with global demand, it has largely performed brilliantly across various sectors (Hamzah & Hampton, 2011). The flip side of this, however, has bough about grave environmental concerns that, left unaddressed, will completely alter the tourist landscape of

Five Effective Leadership Qualities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Five Effective Leadership Qualities - Assignment Example Lastly, a leader can only be regarded as effective if he/she is able to achieve the organizational aims and objectives. In order to become an effective leader and influence others, an individual requires certain leadership qualities including the quality of being courageous, emotionally intelligent, and able to motivate others, open to challenges and a sound communicator. Body Courage is defined as an individual’s ability as well as willingness to counter fear and taking steps that may seem difficult. Courage is one of the most important qualities a leader should possess as courage is the quality that helps a leader in conducting most of his/her task. A leader is required to perform various activities such as taking risks, getting involved in unknown scenarios, communicating a positive vision of change to followers and without the quality of courage a leader cannot perform any one of these tasks. Any individual can perform tasks and make decisions that are taken on routinely basis and that comply with the culture of an organization. But a leader is one who has the courage to face unforeseen circumstances and take decisions that are novice. A leader has to show courage as a tool to motivate his/her followers because it is the followers who look up to their leaders and if they fail to spot courage in their leader, they will be de-motivated. Winston C hurchill is highly regarded for being a courageous leader. He once stated that that courage is the quality due to which an individual is able to stand up and speak for him and for others and it is this quality that enables an individual to take retaliation and face criticism in a positive manner (Warrell, 2013, p.92). Churchill is highly renowned for being a person who had the quality of moral courage as he knew what should be done in a particular scenario, but due to his moral courage he chose to perform activities that are morally correct. Another key quality that individuals need to possess in order to become effective leader is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a quality that an individual is said to possess when he/she has the ability to not only be aware of his/her own emotions, they should even be aware of emotions experienced by others and he/she should have the ability of controlling emotions and responding to the emotional issues experienced by others. In c ase of leadership, an emotionally intelligent leader is one who recognizes his/her own emotions and can control those emotions while making decisions and the leader even needs to be aware about the emotional issues experienced by followers in order to help solve those issues in order to motivate followers. According to a research conducting by Bommer during the period of 2005, an emotionally intelligent leader has the ability to positively change the attitudes and behaviors of other individuals. Emotional intelligence is qualities that can help leaders conduct various tasks that are required of him (Ciulla, 2008, p.88). A leader is expected to be a conflict resolver in conflicts that arise between lower level of employees and conflicts that arise within the employees who work at the same level. Emotional intelligence can help leaders identify the grievances that employees of the lower level of the organization have with the decision making level of employee

National versus Military Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

National versus Military Intelligence - Essay Example Intelligence used by the government therefore must be a community effort and the community has the responsibility of providing the required information to enhance the success of the intelligence. Since September 2001, there has been an increased need for improving the levels of intelligence and sharing of information. Police had a significant role in the study of national and military intelligence but this was curtailed when it was discovered that the police were in some way involved in abuses such as opposing the governmental operations. Information sharing is however an important aspect in intelligence whether national or military (George &Bruce, 2008). National intelligence is an integration of various departments of intelligence in a country that aims at covering the broader aspects of national policy and national the security of the entire nation. It is concerned with various departments and is more competitive than any intelligence department can be. National intelligence therefore is a complex body made up of various intelligence units and it aims at maintaining security of the entire nation. Various defense departments also constitute this body and together, they ensure the national security. National intelligence services ensure that using various departments and units, it detects any likely terrorist activity that is planned against the country. It does this by collecting and conducting an analysis on information in with regard to any possible terrorist activity. National intelligence acts as a program that establishes a counterterrorism centre for coordinating across every departmental line and serves as the primary execut ive branch organization for strategically planning of operations that are suitable for countering terrorism. It addresses efforts that are aimed at establishing tight national border controls as well as increasing the security in transportation against the terrorist activities. Military defense

Five Effective Leadership Qualities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Five Effective Leadership Qualities - Assignment Example Lastly, a leader can only be regarded as effective if he/she is able to achieve the organizational aims and objectives. In order to become an effective leader and influence others, an individual requires certain leadership qualities including the quality of being courageous, emotionally intelligent, and able to motivate others, open to challenges and a sound communicator. Body Courage is defined as an individual’s ability as well as willingness to counter fear and taking steps that may seem difficult. Courage is one of the most important qualities a leader should possess as courage is the quality that helps a leader in conducting most of his/her task. A leader is required to perform various activities such as taking risks, getting involved in unknown scenarios, communicating a positive vision of change to followers and without the quality of courage a leader cannot perform any one of these tasks. Any individual can perform tasks and make decisions that are taken on routinely basis and that comply with the culture of an organization. But a leader is one who has the courage to face unforeseen circumstances and take decisions that are novice. A leader has to show courage as a tool to motivate his/her followers because it is the followers who look up to their leaders and if they fail to spot courage in their leader, they will be de-motivated. Winston C hurchill is highly regarded for being a courageous leader. He once stated that that courage is the quality due to which an individual is able to stand up and speak for him and for others and it is this quality that enables an individual to take retaliation and face criticism in a positive manner (Warrell, 2013, p.92). Churchill is highly renowned for being a person who had the quality of moral courage as he knew what should be done in a particular scenario, but due to his moral courage he chose to perform activities that are morally correct. Another key quality that individuals need to possess in order to become effective leader is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a quality that an individual is said to possess when he/she has the ability to not only be aware of his/her own emotions, they should even be aware of emotions experienced by others and he/she should have the ability of controlling emotions and responding to the emotional issues experienced by others. In c ase of leadership, an emotionally intelligent leader is one who recognizes his/her own emotions and can control those emotions while making decisions and the leader even needs to be aware about the emotional issues experienced by followers in order to help solve those issues in order to motivate followers. According to a research conducting by Bommer during the period of 2005, an emotionally intelligent leader has the ability to positively change the attitudes and behaviors of other individuals. Emotional intelligence is qualities that can help leaders conduct various tasks that are required of him (Ciulla, 2008, p.88). A leader is expected to be a conflict resolver in conflicts that arise between lower level of employees and conflicts that arise within the employees who work at the same level. Emotional intelligence can help leaders identify the grievances that employees of the lower level of the organization have with the decision making level of employee

Regional economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regional economy - Essay Example Regarding political context, consolidated investments in Research and development activities are particularly promoted to be enhanced, especially in business sector. Correlation analysis of the European Union Research and development policy, higher education activities, innovative business participation and regional economic growth justifies the European Union Research and development policy and financial mechanisms applied in the European Union regions, where coherence is stimulated. According to the conducted research it can be stated that in these regions expenditure of business sector on Research and development activities increases the GDP per capita in PPS, the labour productivity per hour worked, but governmental sector expenditure on Research and development activities has a small negative influence on the GDP per capita in PPS. Higher education sector expenditure on Research and development activities in these regions induces the increase of the number of students, but no in fluence on economic indicators is noticed. However, the correlation analysis shows the differences exist regarding the influence on regional economic development between the different regions of the European Union, the USA and Japan. Some premises could be made, which may create difficulties in the European Union regions, where cohesion is stimulated, to implement some financial and management mechanisms, aimed to stimulate Research and development activities, and that are used in the European Union regions, where cohesion is not stimulated, in the USA and in Japan. Paragraph Sources:- i. European Communities (2006). Creating Innovative Europe. Report of the independent expert group on R&D and innovation appointed following the Hampton Court Summit and chaired by Mr. Esko Aho Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities ii. Eurostat (2009). Accessed on 2009-01-10 by http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal iii. Melnikas, B.; Dzemydiene, D. Evaluation of Re gional Economic Clusters In Central And Eastern Europe. Intellectual Economics. 2007, 1: 46–54. 2. How has regional policy within the union developed in an attempt to promote cohesion and balanced geographical growth Substantial progress has been made in understanding the sources of uneven economic Development at the regional, national and international scales, but no single theory or Disciplinary perspective is up to the task of such understanding. This literature review Suggests that traditional theories of economic growth have been complemented by three Principal advances in theory and measurement: economic geography, and especially Theories of the relationship between transport/trade costs and spatial agglomeration; Economic growth theories and especially those that focus on the sources of innovation And knowledge-creation in the economy, and on their territorial distribution; and Institutional theories, which centre on the capacities of economies to absorb knowledge And innovate, to organize them efficiently, to adapt to change, and to avoid lock-in By inefficient practices or rent-seeking interest groups. Taken together, they go a long Way toward

Human digestion Essay Example for Free

Human digestion Essay The salivary glands are the first to react in the digestive process, which are usually triggered by either the sight or the smell of food. Food enters the digestive tract through the mouth where the teeth, tongue, and salivary glands help moisten and break down the food within minutes. The food then becomes something called a bolus, which will travel through the pharynx, then through the esophagus, and into the stomach. As the food travels through the pharynx the epiglottis is in place to prevent food from entering the lungs. Once the bolus enters the stomach it is broken down with acid secretions. The food is partially digested within the stomach. The bolus then becomes chyme (a semiliquid food). Chyme usually leaves the stomach during a time frame of 2-6 hours. The small intestine is where most of the digestion and nutrient absorption takes place with the help of secretions from the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The small intestine consists of three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. Anything that is not absorbed in the small intestine then enters the large intestine travelling through the sphincter. The sphincter prevents any of the remaining food from re-entering the small intestine. The large intestine is made up of two major parts: the colon and the rectum. The colon aids in the absorption of leftover water, vitamins, or minerals. Anything left over after this process is considered waste product (feces) and is then excreted from the body via the anus, which is attached to the colon. Reference Human Digestion Activity. Retrieved August 21, 2009 from http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/axia/sci241/sci241-digestivetract.html

Girls becoming more involved in violent gang related activities

Girls becoming more involved in violent gang related activities In the past half century academic literature and research regarding female youth crime has vastly popularised. Previous to this, society and theorist treated young women and women as homogenous and treated youth crime as a way to describe male youth offending. However over the past half a century, theorist such as Frances Hiedensohn (1968) drew attention to a largely ignored field of human behaviour namely deviance and criminal women. In this essay question several key issues are going to be addressed. Firstly this essay will explore a historical context of female youth offenders (FYOs), this will prove significant, if we seek to answer the essay question we have to make the distinction between the numbers of female youth that previously were involved in violent and gang-related activities, and compare them to recent female youth involvement within the same field. Secondly this essay will explore the media aspect on the subject to deeply seek/find out if young women are becoming more involved within violent activities or media representations are the results of the recent claims, furthermore moral panic will be examined in this section and offer an insight into how that impacts young female offenders and the public perception that accompanies them. Thirdly the double standard of morality theory will be discussed and work drawn on from the Youth Justice board (YJB) and the issue surrounding the double standard of morality will be essential in answering the essay title. Finally in the conclusion the essay will ultimately address/answer the essay title and give a clear unanimous understanding of the involvement of young women in violence and gang-related activities. Along with the above a wide range of academic sources such as official research statistics, articles, web pages, journals and academic literature will be used to portray a clear understanding and support a clear organised framework. Throughout recent history work undertaken on violent and gang-related FYOs has been few and far between. However upon entering the 21st century a new emergence of young female gangs and a new phenomena regarding young female violence has been socially displayed as a major social problem in which a new generation of teen mothers, binge drinking girls and unemployed young women are to blame. Historically criminological theory has been dominated by males. Female deviance was seen as primarily one of sexual immorality and as such, a blight on the moral fabric of society rather than direct malice against one individual. In the criminological field, females have been relatively ignored up until recent times. In recent times a fair assumption to make regarding violent and gang-related FYOs, would be to assume a massive increase in the subject however looking back as far as the early 20th century, women were involved in violent and gang-related incidents. During the early 1900s, male theorists emerged trying to explain why young women committed crimes. These women were said to be tomboys who were trying to assume a male role (Trasher, 1927:41), suffered from penis envy (Freud, 1924:12), and even that they were deceitful to overcome such things as their lack of a penis, menstruating, and their wanting to be stronger (Pollak, 1950:27). Leading on from this, starting in the 1960s rates in female violence and crime increased. Women were found to participate in more violent acts almost becoming more like men (Simon, 1975). The House of Commons 1999 research paper revealed By 1971 women numbered only 3% of the total prison population. The proportion of women prisoners has risen slightly since the 1970s; in 1998 5% of all prisoners were female (House of Commons 1999:15). As these findings show, numbers of female offenders has steadily risen within the past 30 years. It is important to note, during this 1980s crime rates peaked and almost dou bled the rates previously recorded. Another significant thing to take into account is the age in which young female offenders were committing violent crimes. The Home office (2004) reported the peak offending age for girls was 15 compared to boys at 18. On average young women were committing violent crimes at a younger age than their male counterparts. Following on from the increased crime rates of the 80s, Schramm (1998) in September 1998 found percentage rates of 88% amongst females crime which involved assault. Additionally rises have been detected in the admission of females appearing before the youth court. In 1999 women made up 21% of all cases that appeared before a justice court, in comparison to a 4% increase detected in the year 2000. However the youth offending act (1984) is arguably an excuse to why increased crime levels have been detected. The implementation of stricter charging saw an increase in police charges, but this does not necessarily mean actual crime increase d. In contrast to the use of informal techniques used by the police the youth offending act practically called for higher levels of police charging. Additionally whilst Rutter et al (1998) suggests the number of arrests of girls for violent offences more than doubled and has increased by 250% in the last quarter of the century, we have to keep in to perspective the small amount of FYOs and when statistically handling small numerical numbers the slightest numerical increase results in a large percentage increase. From the statistics above it is easily identifiable, that female involvements with violent offences are becoming more prominent. It is significant this essay examined a historical context, as this gives a fundamental inkling into the basic numbers of females involvement with violent crimes. Leading on from this historical framework, the media will be the next aspect this essay will discuss. This is equally significant as analysing the role of the media and the moral panic that accompanies it, helps us conjure up further ideas to whether females are becoming more involved with violent and gang-related crime. The media holds a substantial role in influencing the publics opinions, thoughts and actions. Girl violence has become a very newsworthy and common topic in recent British newspapers. This is purely because of the offenders gender along with the way violent girls seem to challenge the common perceptions of nicely behaved girls and how they are supposed to act. This also links in with the double standard of mortality which will be discussed later. Newspapers usually use horrifying titles such as Ladette Britain: Violence among women soars as record 250 are arrested every day (Daily Mail 29/1/10) or Violence is just a fact of life say teenage girls, (Daily Telegraph, 7/10/00) to portray research findings. However in some cases, inaccurate and biased data is manipulated into sensational newspaper headlines. Titles such as one girl she was too scared to leave the house for fear of being attacked, was manipulated from the quote one girl told she was afraid to leave the house for fear of b eing sexually attacked (Batchelor 2001:58). An important thing to note would be newspaper headlines dont capture or represent the typical British female, furthermore it could be argued, that they only write on violent female youth crime because it generates a strong supply for an interesting thus newsworthy story. Arguably the primary concern with misrepresenting the reality of young womens lives is that it can contribute to unrealistic public attitudes, which in turn can create misdirected public policy and moral panics. Work conducted by Gelsthorpe and Sharpe (2006) state current perceptions of girls apparent violent behaviour can perhaps be seen as an indication of prevailing societal concerns about morality: girls purported violence is seen as a threat to social order, just as during the last century their sexuality was the primary focus of attention (56). In basic terms, they depict how violent behaviour in young women maybe a new phenomena to society thus being susceptible to moral panics. They later discuss how old concerns about girls status on binge drinking and high teen pregnancy rates relate to the moral panic of increased female violent offences. In the case of a moral panic, frequently government policy is implemented to prevent a potential problem from escalating. Following on from this, research produced by Chesney-Lind (2001) and Steffensmeier et al (2005) proposes that girls are being prosecuted more willingly for offences that may not have been prosecutable in the past. This harsher approach is debatably due to the moral panic aspect of the spectrum and how the government want to be seen as taking action against this social threat. This ultimately leads to a negative perception on young females as it shows them in a negative setting. As briefly mentioned above, the media and the double standard of morality theory are very much linked together. The way the media use misrepresented and stereotypical views of women as a tool for creating a good taboo story, as opposed to how females should conform to the ideas of womanhood. The double standard of morality theory also looks at differences between men and women and attempts to challenge why women are interpreted differently by criminal justice professionals. Discussing this is important due to the implication the theory still subconsciously has on todays criminal justice system. Additionally analysing the theory may help to offer an insight into the treatment of young women. This also inter-links with the media portrayals of young female offenders as both approaches impose the same views on them. The double standard of morality is the morality co-existent with chivalry imposes double-standards on men and women, in terms of this essay that is relevant to note that the theory condones the same behaviour in one sex (males) while punishing it in the other (females). Key theorists such as Kennedy and Carlen believe women get treated differently due to the perception and ideas regarding womanhood. Kennedy continues to explain; ideally women should conform to the appropriate ideas of womanhood. Carlen elaborates that female offenders are seen as other than real women, other than real criminals and other than real prisoners (1988:34). A key distinction made in the double standard of morality theory is the idea that society expects men to get into trouble, and that mens criminality is normal and inherently natural. Women on the other hand, in particular girls are seen as sick, mad, disturbed or deficient and in need of treatment because the behaviour does not equate with the idea of h ow a woman is supposed to behave. These women are said to be doubly damned and doubly deviant (Bottoms, 1996: 1). They are seen as mad not bad (Lloyd, 1995: 36). These behaviours frequently lead to interpretations of being mentally abnormal and unstable. The theory is undoubtedly gender bias and doesnt seem to understand, changing social and economic conditions, environmental influences, cultural traditions and physiological factors must be taken into account when dealing with crime. It fails to acknowledge the myriad of complex interplays of cultural and biological factors that make people individuals. The way this impact on YFOs is by the treatment they receive from criminal justice professionals. In 1987 Hilary Allen argues mental health explanation (including PMS) for female criminality results in lighter punishments by the courts. However, Eileen Leonard five years previous challenges the chivalry factor pointing out how bad women are treated more harshly than some men. As we c an see the differential treatment women receive is a mixture between positive and negative, but this still has to be taken into account as it portrays the way young female offenders are viewed. Todays criminologists are looking more closely at female offenders than ever before. In concluding this essay and taking into account the argument presented throughout. We will evaluate the effects social history, the media and moral panics have on young female offenders and how this affects the way they are portrayed and treated. This essay will ultimately answer whether or not young females are becoming increasingly involved in violent and gang-related crime. Two books published in 1975 Fred Adlers sisters in crime: the rise of the new female criminal and Rita Simmons women in crime, led to a new view of gender and crime. Although both books looked an increase in violent female crimes they both reached different conclusions. Adler stressed the impact of the womens movement. She believed as the roles of women changed, their criminality will be more like that of men. She noted, When we did not permit women to swim at beaches, the female drowning rates were quite low. When women were not permitted to work as bankers the female embezzlement rate was low (Adler, 1975:31). In other words, there was an assumption that because women were confined to the private world with limited access to the public world, they lacked opportunity for crime. Additionally now that women of the current era have more freedom there is more scope for women to be categorised as criminals. In reading this essay it would be fair to assume, that moral panics play a huge role in generating public concern around young female offenders. The moral panic produced by the small increase in female offending patterns contributes to the increasing criminalisation of, and punitiveness towards, them. The small rise in violent female offending has little symbolic significance. Many academics have argued that youth is a social category which has the power to carry a deeper message about the state of society. The collective agonising about girls violence thus perhaps symbolises regrets about the changing social order in late modernity. Ultimately it can be answered according to available evidence including the Youth justice board there certainly is an increased number of convictions for girls and young women for violent offences. However it is not possible to directly attribute these to a real increase in actual offending in this area (for example, self-report data would not suggest an increase). However based on facts and statistics, it shouldnt be a huge public concern. Girls continue to commit fewer and less serious offences than boys and are less likely to reoffend. Young females are no more threatening to society than any other particular group of people but due to gender and the nature of the crime it gets reported on more frequently thus more open to public scrutiny and perception.

Essay --

Jack Zalewski Period: 2 1/1/14 John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, names that speak volumes, and during the end of the 19th century they were the quote on quote â€Å"kings of the United States.† With the Civil War over and the United States in a rebuilding process, corporations for steel, oil, and railroads grew rapidly in this time. Big businesses had economic and political effects on the United States, which caused responses by the Americans. The businesses were thriving and driving the economy forward, into a state of balance. These companies also controlled a big portion of the election outcomes and political ideas. The United States citizens did not always want these companies but the United States needed them to keep the economy. The economy slowly but surely began to return to a state of balance. The prices of food, lighting, fuel, and housing were lowing as a result of big business. Thomas Edison's creation of the light bulb made lighting homes easier and safer. Farmers were smarter with crop production, and grew what they needed to the grow so they would drop to a lower price but not low enough that it would cause an overproduction.(Doc. A) The North began to increase their use of industry by creating huge factories and increasing the use of railroads. The South had to find a new way to live without the use of slavery. Many southern planters turned to sharecropping as their agricultural base. Sharecroppers were tenant farmers especially in the United States. The would be provided with credit for things such as seed, tools, living quarters, and food. There was a â€Å"second† Industrial Revolution with the increase of factories in the North and even some in the south, and there was a sh... ...successful railroad riots. During the speech a bomb it throw into the crowd killing a policeman, police then raid labor and radical offices. Unions like the American Federation of Labor rose up as a powerful union against the big businesses. The Civil War is in the past and the United States needed to rebuild. The names of great businessmen like John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Big businesses had economic and political effects on the United States, which caused responses by the Americans. The United States citizens did not always want these companies but the United States needed them to keep the economy. Businesses were thriving and helping the economy improve, into a state of balance. Big business dominated the United States, but Americans were not having it, like LeBron James blocking Tiago Splitter in the NBA Finals.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 1~3

PART ONE The Phoenix 1 The Cannibal Tree Tucker Case awoke to find himself hanging from a breadfruit tree by a coconut fiber rope. He was suspended facedown about six feet above the sand in some sort of harness, his hands and feet tied together in front of him. He lifted his head and strained to look around. He could see a white sand beach fringed with coconut palms, a coconut husk fire, a palm frond hut, a path of white coral gravel that led into a jungle. Completing the panorama was the grinning brown face of an ancient native. The native reached up with a clawlike hand and pinched Tucker's cheek. Tucker screamed. â€Å"Yum,† the native said. â€Å"Who are you?† Tucker asked. â€Å"Where am I? Where's the navigator?† The native just grinned. His eyes were yellow, his hair a wild tangle of curl and bird feathers, and his teeth were black and had been filed to points. He looked like a potbellied skeleton upholstered in distressed leather. Puckered pink scars decorated his skin; a series of small scars on his chest described the shape of a shark. His only clothing was a loincloth woven from some sort of plant fiber. Tucked in the waist cord was a vicious-looking bush knife. The native patted Tucker's cheek with an ashy callused palm, then turned and walked away, leaving him hanging. â€Å"Wait!† Tucker shouted. â€Å"Let me down. I have money. I can pay you.† The native ambled down the path without looking back. Tucker struggled against the harness, but only managed to put himself into a slow spin. As he turned, he caught sight of the navigator, hanging uncon scious a few feet away. â€Å"Hey, you alive?† The navigator didn't stir, but Tucker could see that he was breathing. â€Å"Hey, Kimi, wake up!† Still no reaction. He strained against the rope around his wrists, but the bonds only seemed to tighten. After a few minutes, he gave up, exhausted. He rested and looked around for something to give this bizarre scene some meaning. Why had the native hung them in a tree? He caught movement in his peripheral vision and turned to see a large brown crab struggling at the end of a string tied to a nearby branch. There was his answer: They were hung in the tree, like the crab, to keep them fresh until they were ready to be eaten. Tucker shuddered, imagining the native's black teeth closing on his shin. He tried to focus on a way to escape before the native returned, but his mind kept diving into a sea of regrets and second guesses, looking for the exact place where the world had turned on him and put him in the cannibal tree. Like most of the big missteps he had taken in his life, it had started in a bar. The Seattle Airport Holiday Inn lounge was all hunter green, brass rails, and oak veneer. Remove the bar and it looked like Macy's men's depart-ment. It was one in the morning and the bartender, a stout, middle-aged Hispanic woman, was polishing glasses and waiting for her last three customers to leave so she could go home. At the end of a bar a young wo-man in a short skirt and too much makeup sat alone. Tucker Case sat next to a businessman several stools down. â€Å"Lemmings,† the businessman said. â€Å"Lemmings?† asked Tucker. They were drunk. The businessman was heavy, in his late fifties, and wore a charcoal gray suit. Broken veins glowed on his nose and cheeks. â€Å"Most people are lemmings,† the businessman continued. â€Å"That's why they fail. They behave like suicidal rodents.† â€Å"But you're a higher level of rodent?† Tucker Case said with a smart-ass grin. He was thirty, just under six foot, with neatly trimmed blond hair and blue eyes. He wore navy slacks, sneakers, and a white shirt with blue-and-gold epaulets. His captain's hat sat on the bar next to a gin and tonic. He was more interested in the girl at the end of the bar than in the businessman's conversation, but he didn't know how to move without being obvious. â€Å"No, but I've kept my lemming behavior limited to my personal relationships. Three wives.† The businessman waved a swizzle stick under Tucker's nose. â€Å"Success in America doesn't require any special talent or any kind of extra effort. You just have to be consistent and not fuck up. That's how most people fail. They can't stand the pressure of getting what they want, so when they see that they are getting close, they engineer some sort of fuckup to undermine their success.† The lemming litany was making Tucker uncomfortable. He'd been on a roll for the last four years, going from bartending to flying corporate jets. He said, â€Å"Maybe some people just don't know what they want. Maybe they only look like lemmings.† â€Å"Everyone knows what they want. You know what you want, don't you?† â€Å"Sure, I know,† Tucker said. What he wanted right now was to get out of this conversation and get to know the girl at the end of the bar before closing time. She'd been staring at him for five minutes. â€Å"What?† The businessman wanted an answer. He waited. â€Å"I just want to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm happy.† The businessman shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry, son, but I don't buy it. You're going over the cliff with the rest of the lemmings.† â€Å"You should be a motivational speaker,† Tuck said, his attention drawn by the girl, who was getting up, putting money on the bar, picking up her cigarettes, and putting them into her purse. She said, â€Å"I know what I want.† The businessman turned and gave his best avuncular-horndog smile. â€Å"And what's that, sweetheart?† She walked up to Tucker and pressed her breasts against his shoulder. She had brown hair that fell in curls to her shoulders, blue eyes, and a nose that was a tad crooked, but not horribly so. Up close she didn't even look old enough to drink. Heavy makeup had aged her at a distance. Looking the businessman in the eye, as if she didn't notice Tucker at all, she said, â€Å"I want to join the mile-high club, and I want to join it tonight. Can you help me?† The businessman looked at Tucker's captain's hat on the bar, then back at the girl. Slowly, defeated, he shook his head. She pressed harder against Tucker's shoulder. â€Å"How about you?† Tucker grinned at the businessman and shrugged by way of apology. â€Å"I just want to keep doing what I'm doing.† The girl put on his captain's hat and pulled him off of the barstool. He dug into his pocket for money as she dragged him toward the exit. The businessman raised a hand. â€Å"No, I've got the drinks, son. You just remember what I said.† â€Å"Thanks,† Tuck said. Outside in the lobby the girl said, â€Å"My name's Meadow.† She kept her eyes forward as she walked, taking curt marching steps as if she was leading him on an antiterrorist mission instead of seducing him. â€Å"Pretty name,† Tucker said. â€Å"I'm Tucker Case. People call me Tuck.† She still didn't look up. â€Å"Do you have a plane, Tuck?† â€Å"I've got access to one.† He smiled. This was great. Great! â€Å"Good. You get me into the mile-high club tonight and I won't charge you. I've always wanted to do it in a plane.† Tucker stopped. â€Å"You're a†¦I mean, you do this for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped and turned to look him in the eye for the first time. â€Å"You're kind of a geek, aren't you?† â€Å"Thank you. I find you incredibly attractive too.† Actually, he did. â€Å"No, you're attractive. I mean, you look fine. But I thought a pilot would have a little more on the ball.† â€Å"Is this part of that mistress-humiliation-handcuff stuff?† â€Å"No, that's extra. I'm just making conversation.† â€Å"Oh, I see.† He was beginning to have second thoughts. He had to fly to Houston in the morning, and he really should get some sleep. Still, this would make a great story to tell the guys back at the hangar – if he left out the part about him being a suicidal rodent and her being a prostitute. But he could tell the story without really doing it, couldn't he? He said, â€Å"I probably shouldn't fly. I'm a little drunk.† â€Å"Then you won't mind if I go back to the bar and grab your friend? I might as well make some money.† â€Å"It could be dangerous.† â€Å"That's the point, isn't it?† She smiled. â€Å"No, I mean really dangerous.† â€Å"I have condoms.† Tucker shrugged. â€Å"I'll get a cab.† Ten minutes later they were heading across the wet tarmac toward a group of corporate jets. â€Å"It's pink!† â€Å"Yeah, so?† â€Å"You fly a pink jet?† As Tuck opened the hatch and lowered the steps, he had the sinking feeling that maybe the businessman at the bar had been right. 2 I Thought This Was a Nonsmoking Flight Most jets (especially those unburdened by the weight of passengers or fuel) have a glide rate that is quite acceptable for landing without power. But Tucker has made an error in judgment caused by seven gin and tonics and the distraction of Meadow straddling him in the pilot seat. He thinks, per-haps, that he should have said something when the fuel light first went on, but Meadow had already climbed into the saddle and he didn't want to seem inattentive. Now the glide path is too steep, the runway a little too far. He uses a little body English in pulling back on the steering yoke, which Meadow takes for enthusiasm. Tucker brings the pink Gulfstream jet into SeaTac a little low, tearing off the rear landing gear on a radar antenna a second before impact with the runway, which sends Meadow over the steering yoke to bounce off the windscreen and land unconscious across the instrument panel. The jet's wings flap once – a dying flamingo trying to free itself from a tar pit – and rip off in a shriek of sparks, flame, and black smoke, then spin back into the air before beating themselves to pieces on the runway. Tucker, strapped into the pilot's seat, lets loose a prolonged scream that pushes the sound of tearing metal out of his head. The wingless Gulfstream slides down the runway like hell's own bobsled, leaving a wake of greasy smoke and aluminum confetti. Firemen and paramedics scramble into their vehicles and pull out onto the runway in pursuit of it. In a moment of analytical detachment, one of the firemen turns to a companion and says, â€Å"There's not enough fire. He must have been flying on fumes.† Tucker sees the end of the runway coming up, an array of an tennae, some spiffy blue lights, a chain-link fence, and a grassy open field where what's left of the Gulfstream will fragment into pink shrapnel. He realizes that he's looking at his own death and screams the words â€Å"Oh, fuck!†, meeting the FAA's official requirement for last words to be retrieved from the charred black box. Suddenly, as if someone has hit a cosmic pause button, the cockpit goes quiet. Movement stops. A man's voice says, â€Å"Is this how you want to go?† Tucker turns toward the voice. A dark man in a gray flight suit sits in the copilot's seat, waiting for an answer. Tuck can't seem to see his face, even though they are facing each other. â€Å"Well?† â€Å"No,† Tucker answers. â€Å"It'll cost you,† the pilot says. Then he's gone. The copilot's seat is empty and the roar of tortured metal fills the cabin. Before Tucker can form the words â€Å"What the hell?† in his mind, the wingless jet crashes through the antenna, the spiffy blue lights, the chain-link fence, and into the field, soggy from thirty consecutive days of Seattle rain. The mud caresses the fuselage, dampens the sparks and flames, clings and cloys and slows the jet to a steaming stop. Tuck hears metal crackle as it settles, sirens, the friendly chime of the FASTEN SEAT BELTS sign turning off. Welcome to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The local time is 2:00A.M., the outside temperature is 63 degrees, there is a semiconscious hooker gurgling at your feet. The cabin fills with black smoke from fried wires and vaporized hydraulic fluid. One breath burns down his windpipe like drain cleaner, telling Tucker that a second breath may kill him. He unfastens the harness and reaches into the dark for Meadow, connecting with her lace camisole, which comes away in shreds in his hands. He stands, bends over, wraps an arm around her waist, and picks her up. She's light, maybe a hundred pounds, but Tucker has forgotten to pull up his pants and Jockey shorts, which cuff his ankles. He teeters and falls backward onto the control console between the pilot seats. Jutting from the console is the flap actuator lever, a foot-long strip of steel topped by a plastic arrowheadlike tip. The tip catches Tuck in the rear of the scrotum. His and Meadow's combined weight drive him down on the lever, which tears though his scrotum, runs up inside the length of his penis, and emerges in a spray of blood. There are no words for the pain. No breath, no thought. Just deafening white and red noise. Tucker feels himself passing out and welcomes it. He drops Meadow, but she is conscious enough to hold on to his neck, and as she falls she pulls him off the lever, which reams its way back through him again. Without realizing it, he is standing, breathing. His lungs are on fire. He has to get out. He throws an arm around Meadow and drags her three feet to the hatch. He releases the hatch and it swings down, half open. It's de-signed to function as a stairway to the ground, designed for a plane that is standing on landing gear. Gloved hands reach into the opening and start pulling at it. â€Å"We're going to get you out of there,† a fireman says. The hatch comes open with a shriek. Tuck sees blue and red flashing lights illuminating raindrops against a black sky, making it appear as if it is raining fire. He takes a single breath of fresh air, says, â€Å"I've torn off my dick,† and falls forward. 3 And You Lost Your Frequent Flyer Miles As with most things in his life, Tucker Case was wrong about the extent of his injuries. As they wheeled him though the emergency room, he con-tinued to chant, â€Å"I've torn off my dick! I've torn off my dick!† into his oxygen mask until a masked physician appeared at his side. â€Å"Mr. Case, you have not torn off your penis. You've damaged some major blood vessels and some of the erectal tissue. And you've also severed the tendon that runs from the tip of the penis to the base of the brain.† The doctor, a woman, pulled down her mask long enough to show Tucker a grin. â€Å"You should be fine. We're taking you into surgery now.† â€Å"What about the girl?† â€Å"She's got a mild concussion and some bruises, but she'll be okay. She'll probably go home in a few hours.† ‘That's good. Doc, will I be able to? I mean, will I ever†¦?† â€Å"Be still, Mr. Case. I want you to count backward from one hundred.† â€Å"Is there a reason for that – for the counting?† â€Å"You can say the Pledge of Allegiance if you want.† â€Å"But I can't stand up.† â€Å"Just count, smart-ass.† When Tucker came to, through the fog of anesthesia he saw a picture of himself superimposed over a burning pink jet. Looking down on the scene was the horrified face of the matriarch of pyramid makeup sales, Mary Jean Dobbins – Mary Jean to the world. Then the picture was gone, replaced by a rugged male face and perfect smile. â€Å"Tuck, you're famous. You made the Enquirer.† The voice of Jake Skye, Tuck's only male friend and premier jet mechanic for Mary Jean. â€Å"You crashed just in time to make the latest edition.† â€Å"My dick?† Tuck said, struggling to sit up. There was what appeared to be a plaster ostrich egg sitting on his lap. A tube ran out the middle of it. Jake Skye, tall, dark, and unkempt – half Apache, half truck stop waitress – said, â€Å"That's going to smart. But the doc says you'll play the violin again.† Jake sat in a chair next to Tuck's bed and opened the tabloid. â€Å"Look at this. Oprah's skinny again. Carrots, grapefruit, and amphetamines.† â€Å"Tucker Case moaned. â€Å"What about the girl? What was her name?† â€Å"Meadow Malackovitch,† Jake said, looking at the paper. â€Å"Wow, Oprah's fucking Elvis. You got to give that woman credit. She stays busy. By the way, they're going to move you to Houston. Mary Jean wants you where she can keep an eye on you.† â€Å"The girl, Jake?† Jake looked up from the paper. â€Å"You don't want to know.† â€Å"They said she was going to be okay. Is she dead?† â€Å"Worse. Pissed off. And speaking of pissed off, there's some FAA guys outside who are waiting to talk to you, but the doctor wouldn't let them in. And I'm supposed to call Mary Jean as soon as you're coherent. I'd ad-vise against that – becoming coherent, I mean. And then there's a whole bunch of reporters. The nurses are keeping them all out.† â€Å"How'd you get in?† â€Å"I'm your only living relative.† â€Å"My mother will be pleased to hear that.† â€Å"Brother, your mother doesn't even want to claim you. You totally fucked the dog on this one.† â€Å"I'm fired, then?† â€Å"Count on it. In fact, I'd say you'd be lucky to get a license to operate a riding lawnmower.† â€Å"I don't know how to do anything but fly. One bad landing?† â€Å"No, Tuck, a bad landing is when the overheads pop open and dump people's gym bags. You crashed. If it makes you feel any better, with the Gulfstream gone I'm not going to have any work for at least six months. They may not even get another jet.† â€Å"Is the FAA filing charges?† Jake Skye looked at his paper to avoid Tuck's eyes. â€Å"Look, man, do you want me to lie to you? I came up here because I thought you'd rather hear it from me. You were drinking. You wrecked a million dollars' worth of SeaTac's equipment in addition to the plane. You're lucky you're not dead.† â€Å"Jake, look at me.† Jake dropped the paper to his lap and sighed. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Am I going to jail?† â€Å"I've got to go, man.† Jake stood. â€Å"You heal up.† He turned to leave the room. â€Å"Jake!† Jake Skye stopped and looked over his shoulder. Tucker could see the disappointment in his friend's eyes. â€Å"What were you thinking?† Jake said. â€Å"She talked me into it. I knew it wasn't a good idea, but she was persistent.† Jake came to the side of the bed and leaned in close. â€Å"Tucker, what's it take for you to get it? Listen close now, buddy, because this is your last lesson, okay? I'm out of a job because of you. You've got to make your own decisions. You can't let someone else always tell you what to do. You have to take some responsibility.† â€Å"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you. You're the one who got me into this business.† â€Å"Exactly. You're thirty years old, man. You have to start thinking for yourself. And with your head, not your dick.† Tucker looked at the bandages in his lap. â€Å"I'm sorry. It all got out of hand. It was like flying on autopilot. I didn't mean to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Time to take the controls, buddy.† â€Å"Jake, something weird happened during the crash. I'm not sure if it was a hallucination or what. There was someone else in the cockpit.† â€Å"You mean besides the whore?† â€Å"Yeah, just for a second, there was a guy in the copilot seat. He talked to me. Then he disappeared.† Jake sighed. â€Å"There's no insanity plea for crashing a plane, Tuck. You lost a lot of blood.† â€Å"This was before I got hurt. While the plane was still skidding.† â€Å"Here.† Jake tucked a silver flask under Tuck's pillow and punched him in the shoulder. â€Å"I'll call you, man.† He turned and walked away. Tuck called after him, â€Å"What if it was an angel or something?† â€Å"Then you're in the Enquirer next week too,† Jake said from the door. â€Å"Get some sleep.†