Problems Faced With Airport Security - 1446 Words

When tragedy struck the nation on September 11th, the minor problem of airport security breeches suddenly became one of the biggest concerns facing our nation. Ever since the late 1980s there had been many promises and plans to shape up airport security, but according to experts there has been little, if any, real improvement in public safety since that time (Morris 28). Its obvious to assume that because of the lack of improvement, great tragedy struck our nation on September 11th. Since September 11th there has been great attempts in fixing the problems that we face with airport security, but yet there are still breaches in airport security, we are still not safe. There are several factors behind the problems with airport security; they range from inadequate machinery used, to poorly trained screeners. A proposal needs to be raised, one that would seal up the remaining gaps that we still face regarding the issue of airport security. Due to all the complicated factors that we have to deal with in regards to airport security, a proposal will be raised. With the proper precautions, the events of September 11th could have been prevented. The question raised is, what are the problems with airport security? The issue rather complex involves three main areas; they include policy, technology, and personnel. The main problem is the personnel, and it starts with the screeners. A screener is someone who stands watch as travelers put their items on the X-ray conveyor belt (schwartzShow MoreRelated Changes in Air Travel Essay1088 Words   |  5 Pageschecked baggage and improve passenger screening procedures. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was chartered to oversee these changes. The major obstacle was old antiquated equipment that was unable to handle the demand which resulted in a significant delay in time it took to process passengers. With the recovery of the airline industry since the attack the cha llenge is how passengers move through the airport quickly and efficiently. Through the history of air travel there have been manyRead MoreCase Study : Auckland Airport And The Largest Commercial Real Estate Services And Investment Company1065 Words   |  5 Pageseasily identify further necessary action to reduce energy consumption across hundreds of Microsoft building worldwide (â€Å"CBRE,† 2016). 2. Auckland Airport The Auckland Airport is the second busiest regional airport after Sydney Airport and serves approximately twenty international airlines and millions of passengers every year. For reporting, the airport used IBM Cognos software and Oracle data warehouse, which generated in PDF files monthly. In order to optimize its operations, management requiresRead MoreAllocating Financial Risk1196 Words   |  5 PagesAllocating Financial Risk 2 Select one of two recent airport PPPs – St. Petersburg, Russia, or Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Describe the PPP process used and what were the critical issues that needed to be overcome? Assess the factors that will be crucial to the PPP’s future sustainability. This memo examines the public private partnership used to develop the Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg, Russia. Pulkovo was the first airport to be developed in Russia using a PPP. The contract is betweenRead MoreDoes Everything Have A Price?947 Words   |  4 Pagestangible goods, but can be applied to wait times at airports, tickets to church services, and even reproductive rights. The market is a living breathing entity that evolves morally alongside the consumers who keep it running. Although some may be persuaded by money, there are still many who stand firm in their moral beliefs. Those who believe money and markets have no business involving themselves in the reproductive rights of women, national security, or religion. This back and forth poses a veryRead MoreWe Need new Ways of Security to Attack Terrorism Essay1114 Words   |  5 Pagesconstitution is not always as clear as everyone likes to believe and there is a lot of uncertainty in constitution as new issues arise. Thomas Jefferson once said, â€Å"â€Å"The dead should not rule the living†; he understood that new pr oblems would arise as America aged. One of the biggest problems that has arisen has in the twenty first century has been terrorism. To counter act this terrorism we had to do something. One thing we began doing is racial profiling. It sound like a terrible thing to do but, we haveRead MorePassenger Terminals and Movements Essays1094 Words   |  5 PagesThe Airport industry has faced quite a variety of problems with its facilities since the beginning of Air Transportation but more importantly with the economy growing and having to travel faster its biggest problem has been with passengers being able to go from the beginning of the check-in process to the departure gate. One of the biggest problems which is hard to fix is the uniqueness that every passenger possesses when flying, not all passenger are the same; some need more assistance and or accommodationsRead MoreThe Attack On The World Trade Center1455 Words   |  6 Pagesrepresented economic power and freedom. The attack on the World Trade Center created an impact on the financial standing of America, a loss resulting in billions to the airline industry, increased spending due to domestic security and the constructing of a federal agency, Homeland Security. All of these were results of the tragic attack on September 11 on the US economy. The World Trade Center was a sign of freedom and economic power in America, there were many companies along with workers that sufferedRead MorePower Of The Buyer : High. Buyer Power1224 Words   |  5 Pages$86.0 billion in overall annual revenue and 168,400 employees in 2013, Boeing is one of the world s largest aerospace companies. Another example is United Technologies Corporation (UTC) with a market Share of 13.1% Otis, UTC climate, controls and security, UTC aerospace systems, Sikorsky, and Pratt and Whitney. However, only the last three segments are industry-relevant. There is already more than 50% market share taken in this industry between these two manufactur ers making the airline industry withRead MoreThe Global Air Transport Industry1515 Words   |  7 Pagessupplying the tourism industry are supported by visitors that fly in. These include employment and activities of suppliers to the air transport industry, places like aviation fuel suppliers; construction companies that build airport facilities; manufacturers of goods sold in airport retail outlets; suppliers of sub-components used in aircraft; and a wide variety of activities in the business services sector. Companies in the air transport industry support over 9.8 million indirect jobs through the purchaseRead MoreThe Marketing Strategies Of Ryanair1344 Words   |  6 Pagesairline’s marketing position based on various factors and discuss whether Ryanair is doing well in terms of its marketing strategies. During the process of completing this assignment, there were not much problems on researching as there were plenty of information about Ryanair. The only difficulties th at I faced was to find the academic references. The scope of this essay summarizes the SWOT analysis of the airline, which most of the information were taken from Ryanair marketing-related websites. Introduction

Struggling with the Idea of Divorce in Constance...

Divorce it may be an Option! New research into the effects of divorce is slowly bringing around a more common belief that with the appropriate actions the effects divorce has on children can be minimized. Constance Matthiessen writes the article Harry Potter and Divorce Among the Muggles which helps to give a more personal view point into some of the thought processes and ways a parent may struggle with the idea of a divorce. The desire to shield children from the consequences of divorce is a natural thing for parents to worry and struggle with. Children are often one of the motivating forces in a marriage to stay and work out irreconcilable differences. Recent research is bringing to light findings that children from homes where there is high level of conflict may suffer more long term effects that children from divorced families. Most importantly though a parent or parents have the chance to minimize the effects of the divorce by how you teach your child to deal with problems and how they view the divorce during and shortly after it the divorces or separation occurs. In the article Harry Potter and the Divorce among the Muggles by Constance Matthiessen divorce and the struggles faced not only by the children in the family but by the mother of the children over her decision to divorce from her husband is discussed. For the rest of my life, I will search for the roots of their disappointments and failures in the decision I am

Economics of Toyota Group Samples for Students †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss aabout the Economics of Toyota Group Production. Answer: Essence of the Article According to the ABC News More than 2,500 Jobs to go as Toyota announces end to Altona Production article high costs of production and unfavorable economies of scale have largely contributed to the closure of Toyota Group production lines.Consequently,worker layoffs from 4000 to 1300 will be effected by the company in Melbourne.Further,the company assures its consumers of high-quality automobiles.Also,the article explores the uncertainties facing the laid off workers from automotive manufacturing plants and the support programs being availed to car industry workers in preparation for the transition to other occupation. Some laid off workers from the car manufacturing industry remained unemployed for long time whereas others are employed full time and partime in other Australian sectors. The author of the article is interested in the current state of the Toyota Company as it prepares to exit the car manufacture industry. In addition, the author expounds on the effects of the winding up operations of the Toyota Group on its existing employees. It explores the consequences of winding up of the Altona Production line on its workers and what the Toyota Company is doing to aid its workers who soon to be rendered unemployed are following its production winding up in Altona.Generally, the manufacturing production levels in the car industry in Australia has declined over the years due to high production costs, small market size, appreciation of the Australian dollar and low economies of scale. Economic Analysis. Predominantly, high production costs is uneconomical, burdensome and expensive for most manufacturing firms thus the reason why most car manufacturers are winding up operations in Australia to low production cost economies(Valadkhani,2016)Noteworthy, Australia s has the highest manufacturing cost of production structure among the worlds top 25 exporting countries according to the Boston Consulting Group (Elaine, 2014).Primarily, high production costs are fuelled by the high cost of raw materials ,infrastructure and wages thereby an increase in all these factors contributes to production costs for car suppliers. Further, high Australian dollar appreciation has contributed to high production cost since its the exchange rate (Vas, 2014) Further, the high production cost is blamed on the small market size and low economies of scale. Usually, high economies of scale are likely to sustain low production costs thus maximizing profits for most manufacturers.However,low economies of scale are likely to subject car suppliers to high manufacturing costs which in the long run cut on the profits of manufacturers thus leading to winding up of operations.Also,high cost of labor has contributed to high production and operating costs for car manufacturers thereby cutting in on the manufacturers profits through high wages demanded by unions and high operating costs thereby driving the manufacturing industry to a decline(Valadkhani,2016) Primarily, Eastern European countries and Asian economies ,particularly,China,is considered to have low production costs thus the high production levels.Usually,low-cost production areas are likely to experience high investment levels due to maximum profits possibilities and vice versa(Elaine,2014)Further ,profit maximization is the main reason for most car manufacturing firms which is unattainable given high costs of production currently crippling the Australian car manufacturing industry.Also,the high appreciation of the Australian dollar and cheaper imports has contributed to high production cost in manufacturing(Toner Stilwell,2014)The appreciation of the dollar has increased thereby making production and labor cost to be high thus reducing the profit margin for most car manufacturers. Further, the unemployment levels are likely to rise following up the winding up of car manufacturers in Australia. Notably, Mitsubishi, Ford, and Holden are winding up their operations in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics attributes 1m jobs to the car manufacturing industry which is roughly 8.5 per cent of the Australian task force (Valadkhani, 2016) Following the layoffs, theres high chance of long term unemployment and unfavorable job conditions for the retrenched workers. Notably, Holden s worker intends to lay off 2300 in South Australia and between 700 to 800 in Melbourne(Dowling,2015)However, some laid-off workers are likely to be fully and partly employed. Consequently, following closure of Ford manufacturers, research and development is a possibility for them through the retention of its production development and testing institution(Valadkhani,2016)Ideally, intensive investment into research and development plus innovation into the car manufacturing would help restore jobs, promote efficiency, productivity sustainability and quality in the car manufacture industry globally.Notably,innovation makes manufacturing firms more competitive(Toner Stilwell,2014) thus the need for the Australian Manufacturing industry to embrace its scientific capacity. An increase in innovation budget by manufacturing firms will increase efficiency, productivity, quality and output levels. Recommendations In addition, tariff and free trade arrangements have partly contributed to high production costs of Australias car industry thus the need for more government regulation and policies to protect the local manufacturers in Australia to spur manufacturing industry growth.Further,there's need for government funding and subsidies to its automotive industry(Dowling,2015)Implementation of labor cost-reducing policies will lower production costs through middle salaries and improve worker efficiency.Also,low cost of raw materials due to abundance availability will go a long way in reducing production costs(Mulligan , n.d)Further, reduction of overhead costs by car manufacturers will help maximize the profits and yield low production costs. Also, collaboration among Australian manufacturers will double their economies of scale and reduce theres production scale and in turn free up some funds for innovation through research and development initiatives(Foley and McLean,2016)Also, manufacturers international integration in the supply chain will help grow Australian small market due to its advanced technological and research industry(Foley and McLean,2016)Further innovative manufacturing like carbon revolution will boost mass supply and cultivate innovation culture in manufacturing industry. In my view, I think substantive investment into the research and development sector of the manufacturing industry will bring about efficiency and cost effectiveness while creating employment opportunities. Also, collaboration and partnerships among car manufacturers in Australia will boost low production rates due to large capital availability and propel research and development initiatives by the collaborated manufacturers. Partnerships are likely to stir expansion of firms thus developing large economies of scale which is beneficial for all individual car manufacturers.Moreover,implementation of low labor and raw materials costs will reduce the current high production costs for car suppliers thereby maximizing their profit.Largely,the implementation of technological techniques and practices will boost efficiency and productivity of automotive in Australia. References ABC News. (2017)More than 2500 jobs to go as Toyota announces to end Altona Production, (2017).ABC News.[Online]Available at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-31/toyota-set-to-close-in-melbourne-in-october/8227698[Accessed 16 May 2017] Dowling, J. (2015) Who killed the car Industry? The Sydney Morning Herald.[Online]Available at https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/who-killed-the-car-industry-20151112-gkx1c8.html[Accessed 16 May 2017] Elaine. (2014)Australia has the highest manufacturing cost structure among largest goods-Exporting countries: Study .Australian Manufacturing.[Online]Available athttps://www.australianmanufacturing.com.au/15915/australia-has-the-highest-manufacturing-cost-structure-among-largest-goods-exporting-countries-study[Accessed 16 May 2017] Foley, C, and McLean, K.(2016)The Australian Manufacturing Industry is not dying, It's evolving: CSIRO Study. The Conversation.[Online]Available at https://theconversation.com/the-australian-manufacturing-industry-is-not-dying-its-evolving-csiro-study-69398[Accessed 16 May 2017] Mulligan.(n.d)Ideas for Cost-Reduction in Manufacturing .Small Business.[Online]Available at https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ideas-costreduction-manufacturing-59401.html[Accessed 16 May 2017] Toner, P, and Stilwell, F. (2014)Why does Australia need Manufacturing Industry? Australian Options Magazine. [Online]Available at Http://www.australian-options.org.au/2014/02/why-does-australia-need-manufacturing-industry/[Accessed 16 May 2017] Valadkhani, A. (2016) Collapse of Australian Car Manufacturing Will Harm RD in other sectors: Study. The Conversation.[Online]Available at https://theconversation.com/collapse-of-australian-car-manufacturing-will-harm-randd-in-other-sectors-study-66984[Accessed 16 May 2017] Valadkhani, A. (2016) Collapse of Australian Car Manufacturing Industry .Swinburne University. [Online]Available at https://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/latest-news/2016/10/collapse-of-australian-car-manufacturing-industry-.php[Accessed 16 May 2017

Sustainable Tourism Climate Change free essay sample

Intro Explain climate change and sustainable tourism and how they link together and the purpose of the essay Note that there are other factors that affect sustainability not just climate change Middle Bruntland Report Rio Earth Summit Examples of approaches to sustainable development like- The Ladder of Sustainability (Baker et al 1997. ) Hunter’s Magic Pentagon Model Agenda 21 Conclusion Sum up the overall essay and determine, is climate change the most serious challenge to sustain tourism? With Reference to theory and practice, discuss whether climate change represents the most serious challenge to the sustainability of the tourism industry There are many ethical tourism concerns about human beings interaction with the environment, which has come at a detrimental cost of environmental problems resulting from man kinds actions. Climate change is at the heart of planet Earth’s issues and continues to increase. With the recognition of this alarming rate, humans are now striving to take a long term approach and implement sustainable tourism policies to overcome this. We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable Tourism Climate Change or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This paper will explore and critique the phenomenon of sustainable tourism using theory, practice and examples, and whether climate change is its biggest challenge. Sustainable development has long been difficult to define as it means different things to people with different views. However it is often referred to as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations’ (Bruntland Report 1987. ) It also makes up the environmental, economical and socio attributes of the tourism industry. Brutland’s Report, ‘Our Common Future Campaign’ continues to urge that there is a clear link between climate change and sustainable development,’ â€Å"Environment and development are not separate challenges, they are linked. These problems cannot be treated separately by fragmented institutions and policies; they are linked in a complex system of cause and effect’ Here it is evident that environment and development must work coherently together as one cannot be achieved if the other is suffering. Therefore the link between sustaining tourism should help prevent climate change and destruction of the world’s atmosphere if accomplished perpetually. In contrast, it is argued that there are many limitations to this link as climate change must go far beyond the strains of tourism to be accomplished. In addition to this, there are many other anthropogenic constraints that are also decrementing Earth on a local and global scale such as; damage to the environment, water droughts, noise, air, and water pollution. The core values of the Bruntland Report were to battle poverty, and accomplish economic growth whilst stabilising population numbers, inevitably the actuality did not meet the high expectations set out and was criticised. This soon led to the United Nations Conference on Environment Development (UNCED) ‘Rio Earth Summit 1992. ’ As a result of the conference ‘Agenda 21’ was set out by UNCED it was a plan related to sustainable development at local, regional and national levels. It strived for improvement and more sustainability.

Is It Safe to Use Free Papers

Is It Safe to Use Free Papers Is It Safe to Use Free Papers? The answer to this question is fully in the aim with which the free papers are to be used. It is an obvious fact that submitting a free paper to your school involves great risk to be expelled for plagiarism. Free papers can be downloaded by numbers of students and you have no guarantee that if you use it your call mate will not use the same paper as well. Of course free papers can be of use if you download them jut for examples. Completion of some of the written assignments requires knowledge of the structure and writing skills. If you go online to take a look at free papers to be used as samples it can help you understand the layout of the paper, some basic features, writing style to be used, etc. It is not a secret that for an average student leisure is a lot more pleasant way to spend time and money then then doing a written assignment therefore using a free paper from the Internet which is instant and doesnt cost anything seems very attractive. Some cannot stand this temptation and as a result and up having issues with plagiarism. The only safe alternative is ordering a custom written paper which will assure originality and quality. Moreover the free papers cannot be used as referential material or a source they can only serve as visual aid to let you better understand how work should be written. So next time when you go online trying to download a free paper think twice before you use it.

Five Writing Tics to Delete in Revision

Five Writing Tics to Delete in Revision Five Writing Tics to Delete in Revision Five Writing Tics to Delete in Revision By Maeve Maddox All writers strew less-than-perfect turns of phrase in their first drafts, unnecessary words and phrases that slow down writing. Here are five stylistic flaws that can be eliminated in revision. 1. Unnecessary prepositional phrases EXAMPLE: After all my hard work, the superintendents compliment was gratifying to me. BETTER: After all my hard work, the superintendents compliment was gratifying. The â€Å"to me† can be inferred by the reader. 2. Adverbs that are weak substitutes for a vivid verb EXAMPLE: The stranger walked threateningly toward us. BETTER: The stranger stalked toward us. I do not share the universal contempt for the -ly adverb, but I do take the time to examine -ly adverbs when I revise, replacing them with an evocative verb if I can think of one. For example: spoke softly = whispered crawled stealthily = crept spoke loudly = shouted 3. Stalling phrases like tried to, seemed to, began to, started to EXAMPLE: The suns reflection seemed to glisten and waver on the water. BETTER: The suns reflection glistened and wavered on the water. EXAMPLE: I took a detour down two short flights of stone stairs and started looking for the Last Chance Saloon. BETTER: I took a detour down two short flights of stone stairs and looked for the Last Chance Saloon. In most cases, these expressions merely stall the narrative. 4. Meaningless just EXAMPLE: He just climbed  to the top and fell asleep. BETTER: He climbed  to the top and fell asleep. EXAMPLE: She just wished the lift would move. BETTER: She wished the lift would move. When the adverb just conveys the meaning at that moment or merely, it has a function: I had just opened the letter when the phone rang. I have just enough flour to make this recipe. When just adds neither of these meanings, leave it out. 5. It as a sentence opener EXAMPLE: It was the comment about the dog that enabled the detective to solve the case. BETTER: The comment about the dog enabled the detective to solve the case. EXAMPLE: It was her lack of skill with small talk that held her back. BETTER: Lack of skill with small talk held her back. Replacing the vague sentence opener it with a noun strengthens a sentence. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Greek Words You Should KnowHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousThe Uses of â€Å"The†

Magazine ad analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Magazine ad analysis - Essay Example Thus, designers pay meticulous attention to every minute detail of an image that the ad portrays, in order to ensure that it stays engraved in the viewers’ memory. The ad of Arby’s Burgers, appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which is appended as Annexure-I, is a relevant example that illustrates how creativity, aesthetics, color schemes, contextual nuances, enticing textual messages etc can be deftly aligned to enhance the appeal of an advertisement. This ad announces Arby’s plan to launch an â€Å"exciting† range of â€Å"new menu items† in the next March (Rovell). It functions on different levels to pique the interest of its audience and entice them into buying this product. The ad’s primary objective is to provide the intended audience with clear and specific information about the Roastburger, which is part of their new menu being launched. On the one hand, it conveys to them through textual messages that the burger is â⠂¬Å"exciting,† â€Å"done better,† â€Å"mouthwatering† and it will make them â€Å"drool† (Rovell). These are the most apt descriptions for the consumers to understand that Arby’s is offering a highly palatable food item. On the other hand, it uses the image also to give the consumers a vivid idea of the contents of the burger, by clearly showing green leaves, onion strings, big chunks of roasted meat, slices of tomato and cheese. Thus, the ad effectively integrates visual and textual communication methods to describe the product. In order for an ad to be effective, it should be able to sell the product or make the viewers buy the product. Arby’s ad uses various strategies to attain this objective. The crossed hands over the burger connotes to a woman covering her breasts. Thus, the ad is a definite eye catcher and has an instant appeal. The most primal sense that woman’s breast evokes in humans is hunger as breast milk is their first food. Thus, the ad has high contextual relevance and the audience can easily relate it with the product. Similarly, the textual messages in the ad directly link to the food item’s taste and, therefore, it will remain on the consumers’ subconscious mind long after they have viewed it. The words used in the textual message are highly alluring and the burger’s image also is indicative of its taste. Thus, through the manner in which it combines the immense possibilities of written and visual communication, the ad will definitely be able to lure its audience into buying the product. The ad relies heavily on the dexterous juxtaposition of color schemes to attain aesthetic beauty and create an impact on the audience. The background has a very light tone at the bottom and as it scales to the top, the hue is rendered darker because otherwise it would overemphasize the brown-yellow buns. Similarly, the color of the buns compliments the skin of the arms and thus makes the connotation to human breast conceivable. Further, by using darker hue around the thumb, the ad suggests depressions on the bun’s surface, to accentuate the softness of the bun. The burger’s filling begins with green and immediately contrasts with deep red, which gives it a catchy outlook. The color scheme then shifts to a brown tone of the roasted meat and softens out to the yellow of the cheese, which blends well with the color of the human hand and the bread. The deftness of the color scheme becomes evident even from such minute detail as the model’

SEC project EBAY Inc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SEC project EBAY Inc - Assignment Example The Independent Auditors Report contained in the annual report of the company in 2012 was prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers. PricewaterhouseCoopers is the auditor of the company. 5. Is the company on a calendar or fiscal year? The company’s accounting cycle is based on the calendar year which means they reflect economic activity from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. 6. List the names of any 3 liability accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three liabilities accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the company are short term debt, accounts payables, and long-term debt. 7. List the names of any 3 Stockholder Equity accounts from the Balance Sheet. The names of three equity accounts reflected in the balance sheet of eBay are common stock, treasury stock, and retained earnings. 8. List the names of any 3 Asset accounts from the Balance Sheet. Three asset accounts reflected in the balance sheet of the firm are cash, account receivable and long term investments. 9. What is the to tal dollar value of their Current and Total Liabilities? The value of the current liabilities of eBay at the end of 2012 was $10,924 million, while the value of the total liabilities of the company was $16,209 million. 10. What is the total value of Stockholders Equity? The total value of the stockholders equity of the company in 2012 was $20,865 million. 11. ... The price of EBAY common stocks as of April 27, 2013 was $52.54 (Yahoo, 2013). 14. What was the highest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The highest price that the eBay common stock was traded during the last 52 weeks is $58.04. 15. What was the lowest price that the share traded at over the last 52 weeks? The lowest price that the common stock of eBay was traded during the last 52 weeks was $38.00 16. Provide a brief explanation for the 52 week high price and 52 week low price of the company. In other words, why did the company’s stock price go up and come down or vice versa? In order to visualize the movement of the price of the common stocks of eBay during the last 52 weeks a graph of the price of eBay’s common stock for the last year is illustrated below. (Yahoo, 2013). The graph shows that during the last year the eBay common stock has experience an upwards trend it its prices. A potential reason that the stocks of the firm climbed is due to t he good results of the quarterly financial statements of the company. 17. Write about any recent activity/event affecting the company in your own words. Do you think this activity had any effect on the stock prices? The different business activities of eBay have helped the company maximize the shareholders wealth of the investors. The company has been aggressively targeting growth in the European continent. Due to the growth in the region the company recently opened an international operations center in Dundalk, Ireland (Ebayinc, 2013). The firm has been keeping up with the latest technological trends. The PayPal subsidiary of eBay developed a phone application that allows people to send and receive money worldwide using the capabilities of their

The Art in Great Britain Essay Example for Free

The Art in Great Britain Essay The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. The very idea of art has also been a matter of controversy. The philosophical usefulness of a definition of art has also been debated on. Contemporary definitions are of two main sorts. One distinctively modern, conventionalist, sort of definition focuses on arts institutional features, emphasizing the way in which art changes over time, modern works that appear to break radically with all traditional art, and the relational properties of artworks that depend on the works relations to art history, art genres, etc. The less conventionalist sort of contemporary definition makes use of a broader, more traditional concept of aesthetic properties that includes more than art-relational ones, and focuses on arts pan-cultural and trans-historical characteristics. 2.1. Painting According to Encyclopedia Britannica, painting is the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two dimensional visual language. The elements of this language —its shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce sensations of volume, space, movement, and light on a flat surface. Earliest art †The oldest art in England can be dated to the Neolithic period, including the large ritual landscapes such as Stonehenge from c. 2600 BC. From around 2150 BC, the Beaker people learned how to make bronze, and use both tin and gold. They became skilled in metal refining and works of art placed in graves or sacrificial pits have survived. In the Iron Age, a new art style arrived as Celtic culture spread across the British isles. Though metalwork, especially gold ornaments, was still important, stone and most likely wood was also used. This style continued into the Roman period, beginning in the 1st century BC, and would find a renaissance in the Medieval period. The arrival of the Romans brought the Classical style of which many monuments have survived, especially funerary monuments, statues and busts. They also brought glasswork and mosaics. In the 4th century, a new element was introduced as the first Christian art was made in Britain. Several mosaics with Christian symbols an d pictures have been preserved. The  style of Romano-British art follows that of the continent, there are some local specialities, influenced by Celtic art; the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan is one example.†( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_art#Earliest_art) The Romantic period (in the second half of the 18th century in Europe) produced the very diverse talents of William Blake, J. M. W. Turner, John Constable and Samuel Palmer. The Victorian period saw a great diversity of art, and a far larger quantity created than before. In the 19th century publicly displayed religious art once again became popular, after a virtual absence since the Reformation ( the English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church). „What happens to the imagination in a society that distrusts images? What do artists do when their work has been outlawed? In the immediate aftermath of the Reformation painters and sculptors became refugees. Their main employer, the Church had dispensed with their services and their visions of dread and consolation had been exorcized. Now they would have to put the imagination to other uses and find other places in which to express it. They would have to adapt to new circumstances and find new opportunities if their skills and their capacity for dreming were to persist. Looking at British art of this period is like watching a house at night. Lights go out in some rooms and come on in others, sometimes where you least expect them.† ( A History of British Art, Andrew Graham-Dixon, published by BBC Worldwide Limited, 1999). The British contribution to early Modernist art (from the 1860s to the 1970s), was relatively small, but since World War II British artists have made a considerable impact on Contemporary art (art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II), especially with figurative work, and Britain remains a key centre of an increasingly globalized art world. 1. English Art over time: †¢ The Medieval period (10th–15th centuries) The painting and sculpture of this period was religious and sometimes had an international rather than distinctively national character. The Middle Ages and their legacy: â€Å"It is usual to regard English painting as beginning with the Tudor period and for this there are several reasons. When Henry VIII abolished  Papal authority in England in 1534 and ordered the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 he automatically brought to an end the tradition of religious art as it had been practiced in the Middle Ages and in monastic centres. The break was so complete that painting before and after seem entirely different things, in subject, style and medium.†(A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Painting was practised in England for many hundreds of years before the first Tudor came to the throne. â€Å"The development of linear design in which English artists have always excelled can be traced back to the earliest illuminations, which witness a great flowering of Christian art in the British Isles. It may be called an Anglo-Hibernian art, brilliantly evolved in Irish monastic centres and brought to Northumbria in the seventh century. The linear style took its way southwards. It was practised in the scriptoria of monastic studios of York, St. Albans, Glastonbury, Winchester, Canterbury. There was always a sort of influence between England and the Continent. England in the Anglo-Saxon period was influenced by a style of free outline drawing, ultimately derived from classical models. The Carolingian Utrecht Psalter of the early ninth century, once kept at Canterbury Cathedral, with its freely sketched pen groups became a model for English artists, especially of those of Winchester, long a principal seat of Anglo-Saxon and later of Gothic art.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). In the development of Gothic painting, from the thirteen century, England and France came so close together that it is possible to speak of an â€Å"English Channel† School. In that period there was a tendency in wall paintings, in cathedrals such St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster, Eton College Chapel, the Norwich Cathedral. Portraiture was another element used in the Middle ages. It was especially in the form of royal iconography. A good example is the portrait of Richard II in Westminster Abbey by an unknown artist, still impressive in design though it has been much repainted. †¢ Tudor and Elizabethan: 15th–16th centuries The Italian sculptor Torrigiano introduced the Renaissance style in his tomb of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey (1512–18). In Elizabeths reign English painters developed a distinctive style in the portrait miniature.  Nicholas Hilliard and his pupil Isaac Oliver were the outstanding figures. Portraiture was to become one of English arts most enduring achievements. †¢ 17th century: In this period the English art was once again revitalized by foreign artists, in particular the Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens, who visited England briefly, and Anthony van Dyck, who settled in England to become court painter to Charles I. †¢ 18th century: English art at last became robustly independent, with great achievements in portraiture and landscape. Portraiture was transformed by two outstanding figures, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Both brought a new subtlety and refinement to portraits, their images an expression of the wealth and confidence of English society. The Royal Academy was founded in 1768, and as its first president Reynolds was able to promote a classicism based on art of the Italian High Renaissance. Landscape painting was established in England by the work of foreign artists such as Canaletto. The first British artist to excel at landscape was Richard Wilson. †¢ 19th century: The Pre-Raphaelite movement, which was established in the 1840s, dominated English art for the rest of the century. Its members – such as Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and John Everett Millais – concentrated on religious, literary, and genre subjects, their style was colourful and minutely detailed. By the end of the century English art was being influenced by French artists, in particular Edgar Degas and the Impressionists. †¢ 20th century: In 1910 an exhibition arranged by the critic Roger Fry introduced English artists to post-Impressionism (a theory or practice of art originating in France in the last quarter of the 19th century that in revolt against impressionism stresses variously volume, picture structure, or expressionism) and fauvism (a movement in painting typified by the work of Matisse and characterized by vivid colors, free treatment of form, and a resulting vibrant and decorative effect). Important English Painters: William Hogarth (10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was the first great English-born artist to attract admiration abroad, best known for his moral and satirical engraving and paintings William Hogarth will be remembered as the father of satirical caricatures and moral paintings, a genre which would later develop into cartoons. His determination and stout middle-class values made him one of the most innovative artists of his generation and he brought art to the common man for the first time in history. The artist was heavily influenced by 18th century life, culture and his middle-class upbringing. He believed that art should have moral as well as aesthetic qualities and tried to bring this into all the work he produced. As Hogarth became a prominent figure in the London art scene he was influenced by a number of things. These included politics, art, literature and the theatre. â€Å"Hogarth lived and worked during the Rococo period in 18th century London. The Rococo style was popular in both England and France at this time and was embodied by flowing lines and intricate decoration. The London social scene that features in so much of Hogarths work ranged from super-rich aristocrats living flamboyant lifestyles to the incredibly poor working-classes with no money and little hope for a better life.†(The Englishness of English Art-an expanded and annotated version of the Reith Lectures broadcast in October and November 1955, Nikolaus Pevsner, Penguin Art Architecture). In the 19th century the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood was inspired by Hogarths use of symbolism and text to convey a moral message. However it is possibly the biggest testament to the artists skill and with that the new medium of the comic strip arose from his work, a genre which is still popular today. Important paintings: A Rake’s Progress, The Tempest, Captain Coram, Marriage-a-la-mode, The Good Samaritan, The Four Stages of Cruelty. Another important painter was William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) born in London, was an important poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, it took years before historians and critics discovered the importance of his work on the development of printmaking and fine art painting. Although Blake rarely travelled further than a day’s walk outside of London during his lifetime, his paintings and poetry demonstrate a diverse imagination and awareness of the world around  him. He is now considered an important figure in the history of both poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. â€Å"Blake was a Londoner and it was London, not some romantic place near a river in the countryside, that was the site of his visions. In his visions, he saw a different London than all those other people that ran through its streets. Blake saw London as a heavenly city; he saw angels, souls, prophets. Hence, to him, London was a â€Å"Heavenly London†, a â€Å"Jerusalem†, one of his best known poems.† (A Concise History of English Painting, William Gaunt, Thames and Hudson, London, 1964). Famous Blake paintings include: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Four Zoas, The Angel of Revelation, The Descent of Christ, Great Red Dragon, The Last Supper. Edward Kelly Edward Kelly (born 1946) is a contemporary English painter. He was born in Liverpool, England in 1946. He studied at Liverpool College of Art between 1963–67, during which time he studied in Italy. Edward Kelly paints from a wealth of knowledge of paint and form. In over 48 years of dedicated practice, study and struggle he has constantly explored new aspects and elements of painting, always pushing forward on the frontiers of painted expression. His techniques are precise from practice and intuitive from experience. He makes art with a passion. The paintings speak for themselves.

Just Another Scar :: Personal Narratives

Just Another Scar It began on one smoldering hot day in Tucson. This was another usual day for the residents of Tucson, so hot we could cook an egg on the sidewalk. My dad was outside working on the car, sweating more and more with every turn of the wrench. My brother was shooting hoops in our driveway trying to improve his skills. With the sun shining down and the bouncing of my brother’s basketball I realized I needed to be outside having fun and getting tan as well. I grabbed my sunglasses, laced up my Nike’s and headed outside for some fun in the sun. I played an intense game of one-on-one with my brother. Of course he beat me drastically. My dad had paused occasionally to cheer me on and then continued working on the car. The sun was getting hotter and I was getting weary of playing basketball. I decided to take a ride on my bike. I had this incredible bike that I got the year before for my 13th birthday. It was a vibrant teal color with black stripes below the handlebars and along the side. It was my first mountain bike. I checked my tires to make sure there was enough air and pulled my bike out into the driveway. Our driveway is not concrete so it was hard to get started and ride my bike to the road through the deep piles of gravel. Once I got onto the road it was exhilarating. The sun was scorching, so it felt good to have the cool breeze blowing through my hair. I turned right onto the street and started to ride, I had just gotten used to changing gears while streaming down the road so I was ecstatic. I live in a neighborhood that has tons of hills, so I knew right away that my bike ride was going to be a fun one. I wore shorts and a tank top so I felt the sun beating down on me from above. There was a slight hint of barbeque in the air and it made my mouth water. The trees were rustling around me and I was off! I darted around the first corner of my neighborhood and sped off down the hill that followed. I was good enough to take my hands off the handlebars while I was riding because the momentum of the bike kept me going straight, it was like being on a roller coaster, throwing my arms up in the air and ride. Just Another Scar :: Personal Narratives Just Another Scar It began on one smoldering hot day in Tucson. This was another usual day for the residents of Tucson, so hot we could cook an egg on the sidewalk. My dad was outside working on the car, sweating more and more with every turn of the wrench. My brother was shooting hoops in our driveway trying to improve his skills. With the sun shining down and the bouncing of my brother’s basketball I realized I needed to be outside having fun and getting tan as well. I grabbed my sunglasses, laced up my Nike’s and headed outside for some fun in the sun. I played an intense game of one-on-one with my brother. Of course he beat me drastically. My dad had paused occasionally to cheer me on and then continued working on the car. The sun was getting hotter and I was getting weary of playing basketball. I decided to take a ride on my bike. I had this incredible bike that I got the year before for my 13th birthday. It was a vibrant teal color with black stripes below the handlebars and along the side. It was my first mountain bike. I checked my tires to make sure there was enough air and pulled my bike out into the driveway. Our driveway is not concrete so it was hard to get started and ride my bike to the road through the deep piles of gravel. Once I got onto the road it was exhilarating. The sun was scorching, so it felt good to have the cool breeze blowing through my hair. I turned right onto the street and started to ride, I had just gotten used to changing gears while streaming down the road so I was ecstatic. I live in a neighborhood that has tons of hills, so I knew right away that my bike ride was going to be a fun one. I wore shorts and a tank top so I felt the sun beating down on me from above. There was a slight hint of barbeque in the air and it made my mouth water. The trees were rustling around me and I was off! I darted around the first corner of my neighborhood and sped off down the hill that followed. I was good enough to take my hands off the handlebars while I was riding because the momentum of the bike kept me going straight, it was like being on a roller coaster, throwing my arms up in the air and ride.

Operation and Strategy management for Ryanair Essay

Introduction The company chosen in this report is Ryanair in the airline industry. Ryanair is a low cost budget airline travelling across 1600 routes from 57 bases connecting 180 destinations in 29 different countries (Ryanair.com). Ryanair first started its operations in 1985 between Ireland and London. The first year it commuted around 5000 customers but the company really took off in 1990 when Michael O’ Leary was appointed the CEO of the company. The company was envisaged by its CEO Michael O’ Leary and adapted the Southwest airline model from America and brought it to Europe and since then the company has also embraced a no frills, low cost model where it plans to get their customers from A to B at the cheapest rate possible. This has revolutionised the travel industry and made travel cheaper and reliable within Europe. Ryanair has a strong hold on market in most of the countries Europe with 44% in Ireland where its headquarters are, followed by 23% to 21% in Poland, Italy and Spain (centreofavaiation.com). In the UK the company holds a modest 16% of the market with its overall customers estimated at 81.5 million for the year 2014. The company gets a stiff competition from Easyjet, Lufthansa, Aerlingus and Alitalia. These airlines try to follow the same model as well but Ryanair has been the leader by far  generating revenues of â‚ ¬3.789 billion for the fiscal year 2013 with profits of â‚ ¬374.6 million. Figure 1: Market share of different airlines ( Source: Centreofaviation.com) PEST Analysis Political Factors: The political factors tend to affect the airline industry the most if they are flying from one country to another. In case of Ryanair, it only flies within the EU, thus there is no question of arising uncertainties. One factor which has helped the airline sector grow is deregulation. In 1978 the United States removed government control over many aspects of air travel, including fares and routes, in the Airline Deregulation Act (Liberty of Economics and Liberty). This shifted the power to the market sphere. Following the success of this, Europe completed their own faze of deregulation by April 1997. This allowed passenger planes to fly between member states freely. Ryanair added several new routes to their repertoire after deregulation, taking the opportunity to add routes to new parts of Europe and Scandinavia. A further form of deregulation came in March of 2008 when the EU and United States agreed to let any city within each other’s territory fly between each other. This was called the Open Skies Agreement. Although Ryanair have still to take full advantage of this, they have announced their desire to start transatlantic flights at a very low cost to the consumer (RTE, 2007). This unprecedented step could shake the air flight market, increasing the volume of passengers able to fly more freely across the Atlantic and could have a knock on effect with Ryanair’s transatlantic competitors, forcing a change in the market. In 2012 a new law was introduced where all flights coming to and from the EU had to buy their CO2 emission allowances, whereas before they were exempt from the Emissions Trading Scheme. Many airlines have expressed their anger at their inclusion in the scheme, pointing to the fact that only 2% of global CO2 emissions are caused directly by air traffic. Many airlines have increased ticket prices to cope with the extra costs incurred. Ryanair have passed on the cost to customers in the form of a 25c charge (Irishtimes.com) Economical: During a deep recession Ryanair has flourished, recording a +18.71% 1 year return in 2012 ( Bloomberg, 2014) and announcing that it is Europe’s leading scheduled airline. In comparison to other airlines that are cutting jobs and have planes grounded, Ryanair are experiencing high demand and adding extra flights, creating new jobs for many sectors in their business, from pilots to sales and marketing people (RTE, 2007) One of the upmost problems facing the airline industry is the fluctuating oil prices. To compensate the rising oil prices most airlines have to put ticket prices up, which directly affects their customers. However, under the exceptional leadership of Michael O’Leary, Ryanair has addressed the problem through hedging. Hedging could be termed as an agreement between the oil companies and the airlines where oil prices are agreed in advance. In Ryanair’s case they have increased its fuel hedging capacity to 90% of its requirements (Centre of Aviation). This exceptional thinking by Ryanair gives them a cost cutting advantage over its competitors and thus still being able to offer its customers the same low fares which have been Ryanair’s forte. Social: The airline industry as per any other industry has to comply with the customer’s requirement to sustain in the market. A very god example that could be stated in this case is that of Ryanair, whereby, during the recession times when the unemployment grew to almost 15% and thus people did not have much money to spend, Ryanair gave its customers cheap flights to commute from one place to another taking away all the inflight luxuries. This has helped the airline grow even in the toughest times the economy has faced and thus also creating new jobs. But also to with stand the competition by other luxury airliners, Ryanair would offer its customers to book their cars and train tickets while booking their flights as it mostly flies to secondary airports. This, therefore not only attracted middle class customers but also people on business. The airline industry especially in Europe has had a last few troublesome years due to natural disasters that have cost the company extensive amoun ts. To point out a few, the ash cloud in 2010 cost the company 29.7 million Euros (Irish times, 2011) and these are huge costs for the airline to bear and thus, to compensate these compensation chargers Ryanair now chargers a â‚ ¬2 levy to compensate these claims in the future (Irish times, 2011). Technological: In the current climate technology plays an important part in the airline industry. Firstly, with the increasing fuels costs, fuel efficient aircrafts can save the companies a substantial amount of money. Another way is the internet; with the growth of internet all the companies’ use online advertising to push the sales and television advertising is also second to none. The internet is also a medium where people look for cheap airline tickets. In the case of Ryanair, the company makes the utmost use of technology to cut the human involvement out and thus keeping the costs down. It has a very good online ticket booking system where 85% of its tickets are booked (Ryanair.com). In 2009, Ryanair introduces the self-service kiosks whereby the passengers can check in using the machine and thus taking the human element out of the equation. This service was already available for passengers travelling without luggage but it was now developed for the customers travelling with check-in lu ggage. This was a chip and pin service developed in collaboration with Ingenico and thus gave the company a competitive advantage over its competitors and thus delivering low price flights for its customers (BBC News, 2009). Value Chain Analysis: A firm’s competitive advantage could be determined by the value chain analysis. The value chain consists of primary and support activities. Understanding the company’s linkage between the primary and secondary activities gives the company’s business model and helps one understand the secret of withstanding the competitive advantage. Figure 2: Value Chain Analysis model In the case of Ryanair, a clear linkage could be made between the inbound and outbound logistics in the primary activities to the Technology development in the support activity. Now, to obtain a clear understanding of this model, inbound logistics are the deals that the company is able to acquire from its suppliers on the promise of higher volumes. These include food, drinks, duty free goods, fuel which have to be delivered, stored and controlled on time as to avoid any delays for the aircraft. Ryanair, also puts a great deal of  effort in its operations as it promises its customers a 25 minute turnaround period which could be one of its core competencies and for the company to do so all the inbound logistics should be delivered on time. This 25 minute turnaround period also, gives the company the advantage of flying two extra flights on the same route compared to its competitors and enables high aircraft utilisation. The company also offers nonstop direct services to its destinati ons and does not link with any other airline, thus giving them a timely departure from the airport and also avoiding the costs for through services for its passengers and does not have to rely on other flights coming on time to schedule their departures. This has helped them gain a competitive advantage over its competitors as 95% of Ryanair’s flights are on time compared to 88% that of EasyJet. Ryanair also uses the standard Boeing 737 model of aircraft and thus, the company manages to get maintenance services and spares at a very minimum cost. This also reduces the cost of staff training and offers flexibility in scheduling aircrafts and crew assignments. On the outbound logistics, Ryanair operates to the secondary airports and thus have to arrange onward journey for their customers. They have teamed up with certain vehicle companies to give its business customers the advantage of that service however some of the routes are so obscure that these services cannot be provided constantly, a prime example are some of the Scandinavian routes. Thus, Ryanair has certain limits when acquiring the market share. On the contrary, Ryanair’s competitor EasyJet does the opposite and flies to major airports and cities and thus paying higher landing charges which are then reflected in the fares for their customers. The advantage of flying to secondary airports is that Ryanair pay fewer chargers and they are also in a position to bargain with the airport authority and get a deal that favours them and the secondary airports are less congested and thus turnaround times are much faster (Centre of Aviation), 2014). The inbound and the outbound logistics are coupled nicely with the technology to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Ryanair has tried to eliminate the human element as much as they can. They have introduced kiosks at the check-in desks for customers to check-in themselves at their own leisure. Thus, reducing staffing costs which is then reflected in the prices they charge their customers. The company doe s not invest much in advertising as well, the main advertising is  done through its very own website and 90% of the tickets are booked through the website as well( Ryanair.com). It only uses ticketing agents when they’re opening new routes and trying to venture into unknown markets; otherwise it is the website that people book their tickets through. The company constantly monitors its planes minute by minute through its own website and thus, keeping the human element out and using its website for mainly everything saves them on an average â‚ ¬6 million a year (BBC news, 2014). Amongst all the competitive advantage the company have, the one that has not been mentioned is the good leadership of Michael O’ Leary and his ability to create a vision for the company. He has successfully managed to adapt to the change as and when required and adopt different model to envisage the change for the betterment of the company which has helped the business to grow. Conclusion: To conclude this report, Ryanair has emerged as a successful company since it was established in 1985. It had a few hiccups on the way for the first 5 years but since Michael O’ Leary took the reigns over in 1990 as the CEO the company has gone from strength to strength. Its success has been helped by the conducive nature of the industry and the external elements within the airline industry. This industry has its threats but since the de regulation act and the expansion of EU, there have been a lot of commuters within these countries for business and leisure, thus this higher demand and low costs have helped Ryanair emerge as a low cost budget airline. Just because the company operates all its routes within the EU, it does not really have to deal with changing political factors and that it has always used them to their advantage. Ex. De regulation act and the open skies act even though the company has not started its flights to the US as of yet. The changing oil prices are a c oncern for every airliner but Ryanair counteracts through a process call hedging and uses the most advanced technology to remove the human element to curb the costs down for its customers and another reason for its success even during recession is because it gave the customers cheap flights to commute taking the luxuries out which were the demands at that time. Ryanair has a competitive advantage by the virtue of its inbound activities and the outbound activities combined with the technological  aspect of it. It uses the same standard Boeing so the costs are less and also, flying at secondary airports mean less landing charges and they’re also in a position to get a favourable deal for themselves from the airport authorities. The turnaround time is only 25 minutes as well and thus giving their customers more daily flights from the same destinations compared to its competitors. Refrences: Belobaba, P., Odoni, A., & Barnhart, C. (2009). The global airline industry. Hoboken: AIAA, Inc Helm, C., & Jones, R. (2010). Extending the value chain: A conceptual framework for managing the governance of co-created brand equity. The Journal of Brand Management, 17(8), 579-589. McCormick, T. (2010). Understanding costs using the value chain a ryanair example. Dublin: Institute of Chartered Accountants In Ireland. Research and markets: European low cost airline industry continues to prosper.(2004, Business Wire, pp. 1. Research and markets: European low cost airline industry continues to prosper.(2004, Business Wire, pp. 1. Research and markets: PEST analysis.(2003, M2 Presswire, pp. 1. RTE 2007. http://www.ryanair.com/doc/investor/2012/q1_2012_doc.pdf[Accessed 20 March 2014]. http://www.ryanair.com/en/about/ryanair-and-the-environment[Accessed 20 March 2014]. Aviation, C. C. (2011, May 25). CAPA Centre for Aviation. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from Ryanairearnings up 26% but change in tack for 2012: http://www.centreforaviation.com/analysis/ryanair-earnings-up-26-but-change-in-tack-for-2012- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0112/breaking26.htmlEdwards, N. (2012). http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=27620789 accessed on 2/04/14. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22659822 accessed on 1/04/2014 http://www.air-passenger-rights.co.uk/tag/the-irish-times/ accessed on 5/04/14 http://wwwnews.live.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23487106 accessed on 10/04/14

Africa Essay

Between 600-1450, Africa went from governments with increased wealth from trade with varying religious traditions, also with some beliefs of polytheism; to governments with extensive powerful bureaucracies with many people converting to Islam. the more advanced forms of government ,trade and local traditions however, remained constant. Prior to the introduction of Islam as a religion, there were various belief systems with animistic beliefs. There was also some polytheism as well as monotheism. all the traditional religions remained, although Islam became the more prominent religion. Islam became an important religion because of trade and umayyad conquest out of the middle East into North Africa . Islam also became the more important religion because of the Kings of Ghana and later Mali, who had converted because it benefited them in that they got more money. The conversion of authority figures influenced people to convert, as well as they were convinced by an authority figure . The introduction of Islam and the connection to trade routes in the Dar-Al-Islam marked a turning point for Africa. During this time, after the fall of Rome, the power vacuum then led to the Umayyad conquest out of the middle East into North Africa.Also West Africa’s connection to Northern Africa via Trans-Saharan trade by Berber nomads allowed for the spread o9f islam to sub-saharan Africa. Trade and conquest brought Islam to North Africa, making it a slow ,but widely growing religion in Africa at the time. After the introduction of islam and the connection of trade routes in the Dar-al-Islam, political changes were prominent within africa. The Qur’an also promotes trade as a blessing to humanity, so trade had increased steadily. Because of the increasing trade, organized governments increased considerably. Increased Trans-Saharan trade of gold for salt led to the need to regulate trade. it also led to increased wealth. the increased wealth in turn led to a more powerful government with an extensive bureaucracy and also led to the government controlling and taxing their trade routes. the kingdom of ghana fell and became the Empire of Mali which had control over the greater region. The kingdom of Ghana went from governments to stateless societies. Although africa went through many changes, there were still some continuities. for example, although people converted to Islam, it was a very slow process and initially it was only the kings and merchants were converting because it benefited them; local traditions were still prominent because of thousands of years of the local animistic beliefs being passed down. Most people still practiced animistic worship and rituals. Another continuity would be the advances in government. There were still many advancements in government because of the steady increases in population and the need for regulation. Another continuity would be how trade is constant throughout the area. This is because it is needed to increase wealth and grow the economy to increase the population.

Free Essays on Self-ethnology

Self-Ethnography Anthropology is the study of humankind. Within this study, there is a subfield that focuses on the study of contemporary societies, which is called cultural anthropology or ethnology. On February 25, 1980, I was born into this world where there exists numerous different societies. Twenty-one years later, I am going to discuss the aspects and experiences that has made me who I am today. These aspects and experiences all started from my parents and their background, the culture which I was brought up in, and then into the family I grew up with, my friends, education, American society, and other personal experiences. They have all contributed to my enculturation and continue to expand into my future. Enculturation is the process of social interaction through which people learn and acquire their culture. It starts from the day a person is born and works until the person dies because people can always learn new things. Culture is a shared way of life that includes values, beliefs, and norms transmitted within a particular society from generation to generation, and a person should be proud of their culture and where they came from. I was born into an Asian culture with a Vietnamese ethnicity since both of my parents were born in the country of Vietnam. Ethnicity refers to the cultural Tran 2 differences among populations usually based on attributes such as language, religion, lifestyle, and cultural ideas about common descent or specific territory. The difference with me was that I was born in a town east of Houston named Channelview, Texas. Both my parents immigrated to America in the late 1970s as a result of the Vietnam War. They fled over here in search of freedom and opportunities from communism. By doing that, they have opened doors and allowed my sisters and I a better life. We have had the chance to live life the â€Å"American way† in certain aspects, but the majority of our enculturation is still ... Free Essays on Self-ethnology Free Essays on Self-ethnology Self-Ethnography Anthropology is the study of humankind. Within this study, there is a subfield that focuses on the study of contemporary societies, which is called cultural anthropology or ethnology. On February 25, 1980, I was born into this world where there exists numerous different societies. Twenty-one years later, I am going to discuss the aspects and experiences that has made me who I am today. These aspects and experiences all started from my parents and their background, the culture which I was brought up in, and then into the family I grew up with, my friends, education, American society, and other personal experiences. They have all contributed to my enculturation and continue to expand into my future. Enculturation is the process of social interaction through which people learn and acquire their culture. It starts from the day a person is born and works until the person dies because people can always learn new things. Culture is a shared way of life that includes values, beliefs, and norms transmitted within a particular society from generation to generation, and a person should be proud of their culture and where they came from. I was born into an Asian culture with a Vietnamese ethnicity since both of my parents were born in the country of Vietnam. Ethnicity refers to the cultural Tran 2 differences among populations usually based on attributes such as language, religion, lifestyle, and cultural ideas about common descent or specific territory. The difference with me was that I was born in a town east of Houston named Channelview, Texas. Both my parents immigrated to America in the late 1970s as a result of the Vietnam War. They fled over here in search of freedom and opportunities from communism. By doing that, they have opened doors and allowed my sisters and I a better life. We have had the chance to live life the â€Å"American way† in certain aspects, but the majority of our enculturation is still ...

Why You Should Avoid Racist Halloween Costumes

Why You Should Avoid Racist Halloween Costumes Once upon a time, Halloween costumes were simple. Witches, princesses, and ghosts surfaced as the most popular get-ups. Not so anymore. In recent decades, the public has taken a fancy to costumes that make a statement. Unfortunately, these costumes sometimes make statements viewed as racist or anti-Semitic, such as when Englands Prince Harry donned a Nazi outfit to a party. Want to make a splash with your Halloween costume but not one that’s racially offensive? Then avoid the following get-ups. Ghetto Person/Black Person Rappers introduced the term â€Å"ghetto fabulous† into the American lexicon in the 1990s. The term refers to the flamboyant fashions that arise from the streets of inner cities. Who knew in the ’90s that college kids nationwide would throw parties in the new millennium with â€Å"ghetto fab† themes? Guests at such parties sport lots of â€Å"bling,† or ostentatious jewelry. Some might cover their teeth with fake gold or platinum caps and their heads with do-rags. Women might wear huge hoop earrings, fake fingernails and the scanty clothing that rap video vixens wear. Men might style their hair in cornrows or don Afro wigs. The problem with these ghetto fab costumes is that they invoke stereotypical images of African Americans as low-class, gauche, thuggish and sexually provocative, among others. These costumes tend to be classist and racist, impelling black college students who become aware of â€Å"ghetto fab† parties to have disciplinary action taken against party organizers for creating a racially hostile environment on campus. Redneck The flipside of the ghetto fab costume is the redneck or hillbilly Halloween costume, which is also both racist and classist. Those opting for such a costume might wear a mullet wig, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat, along with jeans and a plaid shirt. Such costumes promote the stereotype that poor whites are ignorant and worthy of ridicule. They suggest that poor and working-class whites are inherently inferior to their more affluent counterparts. Geisha Girl Oddly enough, the geisha girl costume is popular among girls and women, alike. Considering that geishas are perceived to be high-end prostitutes in many circles, that’s cause for concern. Also troubling is that, along with the dragon lady, china doll, and lotus blossom, geisha girl is a racial and sexual stereotype thrust upon Asian women. The geisha stereotype is one that paints Asian women as submissive, doll-like and existing only to sexually gratify others. A contributor to Racialicous.com who goes by the name Atlasien poignantly spelled out why she objects to the appropriation of the geisha image. â€Å"Geisha are not very relevant in modern-day Japan. They’re a fossilized archetype, almost like a ninja,† she remarked. â€Å"But a lot of people, especially white people, are invested in defending geisha, in putting them on a pedestal. And when they do that, it does harm to Japanese-American women and to all Asian-American women.† Muslim The 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon not only put Arab and Muslim Americans under additional scrutiny in the U.S., but they also resulted in a rise in costumes related to Islamic fundamentalism. Want to wear a burqa for Halloween? There’s a costume for it. How about a Muslim suicide bomber? That costume’s available as well. The question is why would you want to wear one of these costumes? They’re far more likely to offend people you encounter than to make them laugh. To boot, they raise the worst stereotypes about Muslim Americans, the overwhelming majority of whom are peaceful and law-abiding citizens. American Indians (With or Without Cowboys) Considering the backlash against Native American mascots in sports, it should be no surprise that donning an American Indian costume is likely to rub some the wrong way. Whether you’re a kid dressing up as an Indian during a Thanksgiving play or an adult rooting for your favorite sports team while wearing faux war paint and a headdress, you’re likely to get a reaction because these costumes typically paint Native Americans as cartoonish and savage. Throwing cowboys into the mix only adds insult to injury. When European â€Å"cowboys† settled the Americas, they not only set out to appropriate Native lands but to decimate or neutralize the indigenous population. â€Å"Cowboys and Indians† parties make light of the atrocities committed in the name of manifest destiny. A January 2009 editorial written by college student Tefari Abel Casas Fuchs reveals how emotionally damaging â€Å"Cowboys and Indians† parties can be to Native American students. In addition to these issues, the sexy Pocahontas costumes on the market for women are racially offensive as well. Not only do they sexualize Pocahontas, a young adolescent girl, but Native American women generally. All too often, the sexual relationships Native American women had with European settlers were exploitative or abusive, with Native women regarded as the derogatory term â€Å"squaw.† Gypsy Gypsy getups frequently make the rounds at Halloween functions. Like Native American costumes, however, these costumes typically paint Gypsies, more appropriately called Roma, in cartoonish terms. â€Å"The romanticized image of the ‘Gypsy’ is alive and well in song lyrics, novels, costume parties, musical groups, and other forms of cultural imagery: ‘They are exotic women in colorful skirts, dancing in sensual swirls....’ They dance by campfires, travel in caravans, tell fortunes with crystal balls or Tarot cards,† notes advocacy group Voice of Roma. In addition to this, the Roma are stereotyped as being beggars, pickpockets, and con-artists. A case in point is that one can use the expressions â€Å"I got conned† and â€Å"I got gypped† interchangeably. Rather than counteract such stereotypes, Gypsy costumes promote them, ignoring the fact that the Roma have long been persecuted and continue to face virulent discrimination throughout Europe. During the Holocaust, approximately 1.5 million Roma were exterminated. In the present, Roma are denied their rights to housing, employment, healthcare, and education, according to Amnesty International. The agency also reports that Roma are often victims of forced evictions, racist attacks, and police brutality. How stiff is bias against the Roma? When Madonna asked for Roma discrimination to stop during a concert in Bucharest in August 2009, the crowd reportedly jeered. Wrapping Up When choosing Halloween costumes with a racial bent, err on the side of caution. You’ll be less likely to offend if you dress up as a specific person rather than an anonymous member of a racial group. In other words, consider going as Barack Obama for Halloween rather than a black guy, any black guy. And be sure to avoid changing your features in a way that’s offensive. This means not wearing blackface to be President Obama or taping your eyes so that they slant if you’re dressing up as Bruce Lee. Plenty of Obama masks are available in Halloween stores, and a black wig, fake scratches on the face and a martial arts outfit might be all you need to be Bruce Lee.

Walmart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Walmart - Research Paper Example Thus, the legacy of Wal-Mart began with this legendary entrepreneur and former military veteran Sam Moore Walton. He opened his first store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart grew significantly in the 1970s (Murphy, 2008). The first Wal-Mart distribution and official Wal-Mart Home Office opened in Bentonville, Arkansas in 1971. Forbes magazine ranked Wal-Mart number one among competitors for the eighth year straight in 1983. Walton had invested 345% of the capital just to open the first Wal-Mart store. On April 5, 1992, Sam Walton passed away. Just before his passing President George H.W. Bush presented him with the Medal of Freedom during a ceremony at Wal-Mart headquarters, this award is the nation’s highest civilian honor (Soderquist, 2005). International success Ever since then, Wal-Mart grew to twenty four stores in Arkansas, and had already reached up to $12.6 in sales. By 1968, Wal-Mart had opened its stores outside Arkansas in Missouri, Oklahoma, Claremore and Sikes ton. To this date Wal-Mart International Operations expand a cross twenty six markets. However, it was soon known as the top most retailing outlet in the world. Wal-Mart had seen immense growth ever since it was opened. The strategies and the milestone were right on the track of perfection. The history of Wal-Mart is the perfect example to learn how to manage growth without losing sight of your values. Wal-Mart stock was offered for the first time in New York Stock Exchange in 1972 (Frank, 2006). With this infusion of capital, Wal-Mart grew to about 276 stores in 11 states within a decade. By the 1980’s, the Sam’s Club members-warehouse store was opened. Then the first Supercenter was opened in 1988, which features a complete grocery and 36 departments of general merchandise. The sales had grown immensely from $1 billion to $26 billion only in 1980. In the 21st century, there are 10, 185 Wal-Mart stores throughout the globe in 27 countries, 2.2 million associates emplo yed and more than 176 million customers a year. Internal and External analysis Walton knew that the major factor that has to be controlled is the payroll. If he wanted to continue keeping the costs down, he had to clearly look into the payrolls and the recruitment. Walton wrote in his autobiography, "No matter how you slice it in the retail business, payroll is one of the most important parts of overhead, and overhead is one of the most crucial things you have to fight to maintain your profit margin." The way Walton controlled the payrolls was to hire as less people as he could, and pay them more than he had to for that job (Robert, 2005). Because of this unique approach, Walton was always opposed by the unions and he had to fight them. He wanted to give the best life to all the Americans whether benefiting them with low priced goods or whether by employing them on a pay above average. His employees nevertheless accepted this and loves working with Walton. Even when Wal-Mart reached other countries, Walton used to travel country to country to keep in touch with his employees. He also gave his employees a stake at the company. He introduced a profit sharing plan that allowed the employees to put in a certain percentage of their wage in the stock purchase. As a truck driver stated that Walton told him 'If you'll just stay with me for twenty years, I guarantee you'll have $100,000 in profit sharing' †¦

Bribery and Corruption in relation to International Business Research Paper

Bribery and Corruption in relation to International Business - Research Paper Example This is because bribery and corruption imposes large costs on conducting business, misallocates a nation’s resource, undermines the efficiency of a market and it also distorts competition. Bribery encourages unethical practices, erodes the public trust on their leaders, undermines significant development projects and slows down the economic growth of developing nations (Tanzi 20). Bribery becomes defined as the practice of giving something, usually money, to influence an individual in the execution of his/ her duties. Bribes are not only in the form of money, but also other advantages such as offering to pay for someone his/ her travel costs. Bribery also involves a business firm from one country giving financial or non financial benefits to officials or executives of other countries to gain a commercial benefit. Corruption, on the other hand it gets defined as the use of the public office for personal gain (Montagnon 13). The ever increasing growth in investment and the inter national trade in a number of the past decades have become accompanied by an increase in corruption and bribery. According to the World Bank, it has become estimated that nearly 5 percent of exports to the developing nations goes to the corrupt officials. It gets shown that nearly over a trillion dollars get paid as bribes each year (Cohen 24). Bribery is costly to the nations where it is prevalent. According to surveys done, money lost to bribery and corruption is the biggest potential source of funding available to a number of new democratic governments aside from direct foreign investment. Tackling the issue of bribery can lead to an increase in the national income and stimulate the economic growth, which in turn will lead to improvements in the quality of life. A reason for the rapid growth in corruption in the global market is due to the privatization of public enterprises globally. This has become accelerated by governments and the western creditors, and executed in a way that allows the multinational companies operate with impunity. These multinationals get supported by their governments and their respective agencies that give them room to participate in the practices at a vast scale. Most governments and the donor agencies like the International Monetary Fund create anti poverty and proper governance agendas, but what they do send different messages about where their priorities lay. Stern action against corruption and bribery has to include sanctions by developing countries against these multinationals that engage in these mal practices. Effective political transparency to disengage the room under which corruption exists (Montagnon 33). To these multinationals, bribery and corruption ensures they get contracts which they could not have succeeded in getting, or to do so in clear terms. Annually, these multinationals pay large sums of money in bribes to get a friend and to influence contracts. These bribes become estimated to be 80 billion US dollars (Co ok 26). This is the same amount UN estimates to be able to eradicate poverty in developing countries. The US Commerce Department provided the report that in the 5years preceding 1999 bribery was a serious issue in commercial contracts that were worth US $145 billion. In the 1996 issue of the magazine World Business, it got reported that bribes amounting to $ 3 billion got paid by the German companies. The French secret service report showed that nearly $2

THE DEATH OF CHRIST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

THE DEATH OF CHRIST - Essay Example It begun after the Last Supper with his twelve disciples, when the apostle Judas Escariot betrayed him, the Jews accusing him of blasphemy. It was his own people who brought him to Pontius Pilate, a Roman leader to be punished and crucified in Nazareth between two convicted thieves. Christ death is very important especially to the Christians, as it depicts how their Messiah have come to the world to redeem men of all the evil of sins through his sinless blood and sacrifice. We are all born of original sin, since the fall of Adam and Eve. Through Christ’s death, we are saved of such original sin. He is the â€Å"lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world† (John 1:36). He had to suffer a painful death in order that men would appreciate the salvation and the love of God for us, that he was willing to give up His only son in order to save us. He was scorned, beaten, spitted on by the people of Nazareth and the Romans, in so that in every violent act of man on the inn ocent Christ, such sin was forgiven upon his death. We see in this the violence of our own sins upon the life of one who was innocent. Taking every pain and insult humbly, as he accepts the sin of men in order to save them, who did not believe in Him.

A Little Cloud Essay Example for Free

A Little Cloud Essay â€Å"A Little Cloud† is one of the stories in James Joyces Dubliners. The story is about Thomas Chandler who was reunited with his friend Ignatius Gallaher. He was not able to fulfill his ambition of becoming a writer because he became a family man. With a wife and a son of his own, he envied his friend and felt inferior rather than be happy for his friends success. His career could be greater than his friend’s but he gave up his love for poetry since he got married. Feeling dismayed and envious of his friend, Chandler thought that he could have produced his own book of poems if he pursued his poetry writing. Chandler and Gallaher met up at a bar where they talked about the struggles of the latter to succeed. Chandler admired Gallaher’s gruff manners and his tales from the foreign cities. He insisted that his friend should also be married like him someday. However, Gallaher refused because as bachelor, he can go on and move freely from one place to another with mistresses around him. When Chandler got home, he began contemplating on his life while looking at his wife’s picture and holding their son. Afterward, he questioned his married life. He knew that he could go out of Dublin like his friend and be successful if only he did not marry early and settle with a family of his own. He didn’t realize that his child was already crying until her wife returned home who. When she saw that the baby was crying, she snatched the baby away from him, leaving him frustrated as he blamed his thoughts for what happened. Another story from the Dubliners is â€Å"Counterparts. † The story is about Farrington, a copy clerk in one firm where he used to copy legal documents for Mr. Alleyne. One day, he failed to do his job and missed to produce one copy of an important document. This made his boss angry and gave him a deadline to submit the document before the closing time. However, he was looking forward for a night out drinking with his friends later. This distraction caused him to daydream about the happenings later instead of working properly. As a result, he failed to complete to copy the documents his boss asked of him. Farrington thought that Mr. Alleyne will not know that the documents were incomplete, but he was wrong. When Mr. Alleyne found out about it, he went to Farrington’s desk with Miss Delacour, their client. His boss started ridiculing him but he fought back, claiming ignorance while insulting his boss with witty remarks. This amused Miss Delacour and his co-workers. Afterward, he left the office without completing his tasks. He decided to pawn his pocket watch in order to have money for drinking with his friends. He met his friends and told them how he insulted his boss. Upon leaving the pub, they decided to transfer to another place where they continued drinking. Farrington got frustrated because of the huge amount of money being spent on drinking. He wanted to impress other people and went on an arm wrestling. Much to his dismay, he lost. Feeling dejected, he went home only to find out his wife was not there and there was no food to eat. This made him very angry which caused him to beat up his son. The characters of Chandler and Farrington both experienced frustration and depression. To ease themselves of their disappointments in life, they drank with their friends. Instead of working hard to counterfeit their downfalls, they stuck to their old (or unpleasant, as in the case of Farrington) ways. Although Chandler dreamed of becoming a successful writer, he was not determined to pursue it. In the case of Farrington, the short-lived joys of life made him forget his responsibilities at work. Instead of saving himself from poverty, he pawned his watch to get money for beer. To release their frustration, they placed the blame on others. Both characters displayed negligence, particularly as a father. Chandler was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he forgot that his baby needed his attention. Farrington, on the other hand, was so upset that he ended up beating his own son. I think their behavior was really unpleasant because as a man, they should stand up for the decisions they made, instead of easing their frustrations by drinking and placing the blame on others.

Wedding Speech by a Childhood Friend of the Groom -- Wedding Toasts Ro

Wedding Speech by a Childhood Friend of the Groom Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the bridesmaids, I would like to thank Scott for his kind words. For once in my life, I find myself agreeing with him - they look stunning and did an excellent job today. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jason. I’ve been Scott’s best friend for nearly 20 years. I’ve known him for a similar period. And all the time we’ve spent growing up together means that he’s had as much of a part in developing my sense of humor as anyone. So, while I have tried to make this speech funny, it’s his fault if it’s not. I have very fond memories of growing up with Scott. I’ve been his partner in crime on many a wild occasion and, in quieter times, a close confidant to whom he could tell almost anything. And I do mean anything – which has provided me with ample material for my speech this afternoon. Although I did agree not to divulge any details of the stag night, like about the Danish stripper he got chatting to in the hotel bar. So I won’t. Scott and I have done many things together during our almost life-long friendship – although they’re probably not quite as interesting to relate as the story about that Danish stripper, but I gave him my word on that one. Anyway, over the years we've built go-carts together, rode our bikes together, played football together, bunked school together, tried to... ...r. And I, as much as all of you, want that happiness for myself. Er, sorry, I mean, I want their happiness to last forever. And I do. So although I’m not actually married myself [turn to bridesmaids again], I thought it might be helpful if I offered them each a little piece of advice. Pamela: no matter how far away you are from your loved one, when you’re married, you’re never alone - because you know where my flat is. And Scott: getting married bestows upon you many, many obligations. But remember, foreplay is only optional. Ladies and gentlemen, on a final and serious note, please be upstanding and raise your glasses to my very best friend and his beautiful new wife. To Scott and Pamela.

Challenges of Raising a Disabled Child Essay

Caring for a child with a disability can be challenging due to parenting responsibilities and the difficulties they encounter when interacting with an often unreceptive environment. Consequently, parents can be at increased risk for excessive levels of personal distress which in turn can adversely affect the well being of the child and the entire family unit (Plant & Sanders, 2007). Parents of children with disabilities can be at an increased risk for psychosocial distress (Parish, Rose, Grinstein-Weiss, Richman & Andrews, 2008; Plant & Sanders, 2007). The parenting responsibilities for parents of children with disabilities often require a significant amount of time to complete, can be physically demanding, can disrupt family and social relationships, and can adversely affect caregiver employment (Brannen & Heflinger, 2006; Seller & Heller, 1997). Perhaps as a consequence of these additional impacts, family caregivers of children with disabilities can be at increased risk to experience depression, physical health problems, and decreased quality of life (Feldman, et al. , 2007; Ones, Yilmaz, Cetinkaya, & Calgar, 2002). The added challenges of caring for a child with a disability may lead to more stress and greater physical and emotional health risks for parents and their families (e. g. , increased conflict with spouse; Murphy, Christian, Caplin & Young, 2006) compared to families without a child with a disability (Feldman et al. , 2007). This topic is particularly personal for me because I know first hand the psychological affects and challenges that a handicap child could have on parents, family members, and friends. My son was two months when I notice that something just wasn’t right with him. I noticed him favoring one side instead of looking straight ahead. I mentioned my concerns to our family doctor. His doctor didn’t see it as a problem. She said to just continue to watch him. Two months passed and still no change, so at his next appointment I expressed my concern again. I insisted that she run tests on my son immediately. I knew something seemed different; I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I had already had two other boys so something just didn’t sit right with me. The doctor sent my son to be tested at University of Maryland Hospital and my son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus Dandywalker Malformation with Palsy. He had to have surgery at six months to have a shunt placement to drain the water from his brain. I was devastated. My husband and I went through several defense mechanisms. The first I believe was denial. We didn’t want to face the fact that something was wrong with our child, our baby. He seemed so perfect when he was born just a few months ago. We went through repression, rationalization and intellectualization. We couldn’t wrap our minds around the fact that our child would be different from other children. Nobody wants to believe that something is wrong with their child. I felt a little embarrassed for fear of what people might think about our child or what someone would say. So many things raced around my mind. We wanted to blame the doctors; maybe they did something wrong in my prenatal care. I went over in my mind again and again of every little thing I did when pregnant to ensure that I had did everything I was supposed to do. I didn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. What happened? We tried to search our family history genetics. We just came up empty. My husband and I became depressed, frustrated, and angry. I felt helpless about my son’s condition. I wasn’t sure what to do. Finally, I began to investigate my son’s condition. I read all I could get my hands on. I searched for schools and other medical resources to help me address my son’s needs. In the back of my mind I was still trying to make sense of the fact that my son had a developmental and neurological problem that would affect him for the rest of his life. I wondered what restrictions we would face now and in the future. I still wasn’t sure if I could cope with his lack of development neurologically, physically, mentally or emotionally. I began to question God. I wondered why me. I wasn’t sure if I would have to stop working. I wondered how we as a family would work together to stay a family. I had so many questions, but no answers. I prayed asking God for help and guidance. Later, I began to realize that I had to be strong. I had to accept what the reality was with my son and his disability. It hasn’t been easy. We faced many financial problems, medical issues, several hospitalizations for my son, divorce; daycare issues especially since my son needed twenty four hour daycare. Day care is very expensive as well as diapers and wipes for disabled children. Insurance covers some things but not enough. A person has to be making next to nothing in order to get any assistance from the government; we needed assistance regardless of what we made monetary. I would have never known what disabled families went through to get their voice heard and children’s needs assisted unless I had to face these great challenges myself. So much goes into raising a child with disabilities. There are many variables that factor into taking care of a disabled child. Financial hardships are another important factor that influences parents’ wellbeing. In general families with children with disabilities experience much higher expenditures than other families (Newacheck and Kim, 2005) found that, on average, the total annual health care expenditures for children with disabilities were more than three times as much compared to children without disabilities. The financial strain incurred by families of children with disabilities is likely due to increased expenses related to the child’s needs as well as loss of employment or inability to work because of parenting responsibilities (Murphy et al. , 2006; Parish et al. 2008; Worcester et al. , 2008). Inability to engage in employment can also lead to feelings of isolation, a lack of fulfillment and low self-esteem (Shearn & Todd, 2000). Families of children with disabilities often report feeling isolated from the community (Freedman& Boyer, 2000; Worcester et al. , 2008). What I’ve learned from researching the challenges of raising a child with disabilities; as well as bein g a parent of a disabled child is that there is still so much more to be done. There is still research that hasn’t been touched regarding parents and their disable children. We the parents have to be the voices for our disable children. We have to be better informed about what our disabled children rights are. We have to be willing and ready to fight on behalf of our disable children. Parents and state officials have to work to get better laws passed to accommodate disabled children. Disabled children need better health care programs, better schools; a place for them to be themselves. Parents need a place to relax and not have to worry about dirty looks that people who don’t have disabled children give them. Parents shouldn’t have to feel ashamed that they have disabled children. We shouldn’t be looked down upon because our children are different. Our children shouldn’t be bullied or treated like they are worthless. Our children are special. They deserve the best that we can help them to achieve in life. They deserve a chance like the rest of us. We’ve got to come together and help each other to provide a better life for all! The questions we should ask researchers to study are many. One could be what’s being done to assist parents with disabled children? Are there programs to assist parents in child care for disabled children? Normal daycare centers are for infants through 12 years of age. As of today my disabled son is 16 years old and there’s really no day care for children his age. Another question is why do they go according to parents’ income in order to assist with social security disability? A parent shouldn’t have to be jobless in order to obtain assistance from social security disability. Yet a person who walks into social security disability and say my back hurt or that they have a condition can obtain money; work the system while the truly disabled suffer. There are so many people working the disability system and really aren’t disabled. We have to help the programs we have for our disabled children actually help the disabled children. In conclusion caring for a child with a disability can be challenging, but many of these challenges are likely due to a lack of necessary environmental supports. Future research should expand on these findings and policy makers, scientists and providers should give particular attention to the environmental support needs of parents in order to create policies and interventions that are more family centered.