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

The Internal Assessment - Essay Example Service spending showed a modest rebound in the later parts of the year. The core inflation declined in the year 2013 to as low as almost full percentage point below the Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System’s long term target. The Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System’s long term target was at 2%. The bank also experienced an increase in US household net worth in the year 2013. There was an approximate growth of 12% in the home prices in the year 2013. However, signs of deceleration were seen in the final parts of the year. The treasury yield also experienced a rise over the course of the year despite the speculations that the Federal Reserve would adjust their pace of purchasing mortgage backed securities. Despite the fact that there was a federal government shutdown in the month of October, there was very minimal impact on the performance of the economy of the United States of America. the federal reserve made an announcement that it will reduce its security purchases in the year 2014. However, they had no intentions of raising the federal fund rates unless the employment rate had reaches the 6.5% threshold. Non-interest expense experienced a decrease from $2.9 billion to $69.2 billion. With relation to the project New BAC, which was first introduced during the third quarter of 2011, the bank continued to get cost saving in some noninterest expense categories (Adrien, Anderson, Garden, Lusthaus and MontalvaÃŒ n 89). This helped them in the process of streamlining their workforce. The bank expects the total savings from this project to get to $12 billion by the year 2015. $1.5 billion per quarter of the same has already been realized by the year 2014. The bank’s effective tax rate for 2013 was driven by their recurring tax preference items and by some tax benefits relating to non-U.S. operations, including additional tax benefits from the 2012 non- U.S. restructurings. These benefits were partially offset by the $1.1 billion

New System Proposal Essay Example for Free

New System Proposal Essay I feel that a business requirement would drive the projects creation and use because this will help the company, business, or organization deliver to provide value. There are many ways such has products, systems, software, and processes are the ways how to deliver or meet the business requirement. First you would need to set some goals for the business, company, or organization these needs need to be visualiable to the eye. So everyone can see them. Secondly you would need to come up with some proposals on how the company, business, or organization will meet the goal that they have set. You and the team should set an agenda to work on so you and the team can have the proper documentation for the goals that you have made for the business, company, or organization. Always notify the proper people about the goals that you set , that way no one can say that they did not know about the goals.Always leave room for feedback from others in your requirements and a flowchart that will be good to have to present along with the requirements, People get a better understanding of what is being said if they have something to look at, this will show what is expected and what have been achieve. But always keep in mind that different projects requirement call for different requirements example small projects are usually simple and easy to create, large projects may need extra care and mastery to be able to present a quality requirement.There are four prerequisites the first is the project charter and second is the current environment assessment which should include a start and end p oint, level two and three process functions, define areas of rework and non value added steps, cycle time capacity and rework information for each process step as available and baseline for each CTO for the current environment. Third is the measure phrase the the current measures that includes a definition of how the product services characteric is to be quantified target/nominal is the aim of the services specification limits is what the customer will allow in the delivery of services or product of service. Allowable defect rate is how often a service or product will be produce for a business, company, or organazation. Fourth is the target environment assessment that has the following categories people, systems, systems/people and fishbone. The business requirement can be a success or a failure for your business, company, or organization that depends on how work to succeed with the goals that you made in order for your business, company, or organization . Who makes goals and not strive for success. Reference en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Business-requirement. docs.oracle.com/cd/E19199-01/817-5759/bus-analysis.html.

Tree for Thought :: Free Essay Writer

Tree for Thought On a winding hillside along Birch Lake, various trees and organic landscapes hide my sacred place. It is located in the backyard of my grandparents’ house. To the average outsider, it is just another pine tree growing among piles of leaves and pine needles that blanket a grassy hill leading down to the lake. In my world, it was a place where I could lie at an acute angle and visit a tree I gave life to. I still remember the smell of the freshly baked bread my grandmother made that morning. I was only six years old, but when a fresh loaf of bread came out of the oven, I had the appetite of an adult. After stuffing ourselves, Grandma and I made our way to the shed in search of tools to plant a tree. As we searched for a shovel, fumes from the leaky gas tank of the lawnmower kept us in high spirits. We eventually found a spade and looked for a place to dig. The hill in the backyard was blocked off with a short fence. Dilapidated stairs led down to the beachfront. Grandma and I scaled the foot-high fence and sidestepped down the incline. About ten steps down, we found the perfect place for the tree. She gripped the ribbed, rubber handle of the shovel and began carving a hole into the fertile soil. I cradled the newborn tree, making sure he would be able to enjoy the new home we were making for him. The clouds were threatening as if they were predators preparing for an attack on their prey. The rolling thunder, snarling and growling, kept us working at a fast pace. My grandmother assured me that Spike that’s what I named the tree ¾would be fine when the storm struck later that afternoon. Once she finished digging the hole, we could have fit a soda can perfectly inside, but Spike fit much better. He seemed to like his new home. In time, mossy friends would keep him company, rain would nurture him, and dogs would soon make him their own. Grandma sent me back up the hill to grab the watering spout so we could feed Spike’s green needles the nutrients they needed to keep him alive and well. We were careful not to drown him, knowing that he would receive more water later that day.

Mother in law

Ever since ancient times, the relationship between a married woman and her mother-in-law has often been the butt of many jokes. Mother-in-laws generally view their daughters-in-law with suspicion and are not able to tolerate their mistakes. Is there a psychological explanation for the mother-in-law type of behavior? The mother might have an overwhelming sense of responsibility for her son. She might be a woman with no clear boundaries. She allows her son to be the focal point of her life and does not have a clear understanding of his life. Such a woman will often be an unwelcome intruder into her son’s life. There are other mother-in-laws who have the unnatural fear of losing their relationship with their son. A mother with this fear works hard at being what her son needs her to be. This makes her less honest and fearful. There are other mothers who think it’s their duty to protect their son from other bad people and sometimes, this might even include his father. This gives her a false sense of importance. There are women who never outgrow the idea that their son is a grown up man now. Such women tend to be over possessive mothers in law who continue to baby their son and even smother him with sweetness whether he likes it or not (Sadasivan, 2006). These abnormal traits in a mother in law can lead to conflicts with the daughter in law. It is possible that an aggressive mother-in-law who has difficulty in coping with her son’s wife may be suffering from Sons Detachment Disorder (SDD). The mother finds it difficult to detach herself from her son and allow him to live and independent life. Because of this attachment, she feels the need to control her daughter-in-law and any resistance by her is viewed with hatred and anger. Control, hate, and anger are the three main qualities of this disorder. Every human being desires freedom and in any relationship the threat to freedom is the greatest danger. In the case of mothers-in-law, there is a desire to control and this affects the freedom of the younger ones.   When there is an overwhelming desire to control, mothers are not willing to let go of their sons even when they get married. Mothers try to make decisions for their sons even after their marriages and control them by keeping track of their expenditure patterns, where they are going, what they are wearing and advising them even in matters such as where to buy a house. Many mothers feel more in control when they are able to predict the behavior of others and when others meet their expectations. Hatred and anger are often signs of insecurity. Here, the mothers might have a feeling that their sons are leaving them for another woman and this arouses a lot of hatred and anger towards her son’s wife. This is more compounded when the mother in law also happens to be a widow. Such anger and hatred can cause destruction not only to their sons and wives but also to her. Sometimes, the problem may lie with a daughter-in-law’s perception of her mother in law. When a woman gets married, she needs to cope with a new family with new rules. She often fears her mother in law even before knowing her because of her exposure to the image of a mother in law as evil personified in the media. A mother-in-law is often depicted as a dragon personified in TV serials and novels. Due to this stereotyping of mother-in-laws, the son’s wife enters her new life with a lot of doubt, anxiety and worry. In this case, even a small remark by her mother-in-law will be seen in an enlarged dimension. She might be so wary of her that she does not communicate much with her mother-in-law. This can lead to a huge gap between the two women and lead to mother-in-law based conflicts. In this case it’s easy for the mother in law to judge her incommunicative daughter in law as a careless and destructive person. Another reason contributing to this conflict is that the mother in law might be too dependent on her son for her self-esteem needs. She needs him so that she might get a sense of importance. When she sees her son beginning to rely more on his wife, she feels upset and might start feigning sickness just to get the immediate attention from her son. Apart from the reasons cited above there might also be the case of mothers-in-law hating their daughters-in-law due to their personal reluctance to accept another woman into the household. There are likely to be differences based on status, education, age and culture between a married woman and her mother in law. These differences might make the connection between the two women more difficult. However, no problem is so complex that it cannot be solved. Every relationship needs some time, patience and understanding and trust to develop. Once developed, it’s possible that the two most important women in a man’s life might become the best of friends. Source: Sadasivan, Padma (2006). The Mother-in-Law – Daughter-in-Law Syndrome. http://www.womenexcel.com/relati

Oedipus Rex

The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says â€Å"Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony† (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself a nd he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.In the book the chorus says that â€Å"great laws tower above us† (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This ma kes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts. Oedipus Rex It is edifice alt to decide whether there should be a set criteria for a hero; professors use one man's SST ROR as a basis for questioning: Oedipus Rexes. Sophocles' play explores the adventures of a man and his actions, and how the two affected the way his life ended. He carried out m cost of Aristotle requirements for a highhanded man, including his pursuit of truth and a high stance in society. A key factor in his life was one that did not meet the standards, however: his I ace of good fortune.His tale challenges readers to brood over some important questions: What is a hero, and is it actions or fate that decides? One of the most important concepts Aristotle focuses on is one's good fortune e. He claims that, ‘The gifts of good fortune also are commonly thought to contribute to hi kindnesses. For those who are well born are thought worthy of honor,† (Witt, 160). A person that is highhanded generally has good things happen to him. Aristotle idea is mode irately accurat e; Decoys 2 people that aim for integrity usually encounter positive outcomes.Although it is out of his control, Oedipus fails to meet Aristotle standards in this division. The entire y of his bad luck is displayed during the final Antiheroes of the story: Ah Situation!†¦ When I was cast upon you, why did I not die?†¦ Then should never have shown the world my execrable birth†¦ My own blood, spilled by my own hand†¦ O marriage, marriage! That act that engendered me, and again the e act performed by the son in the same bed†¦ God hates me†¦ (Witt, 128) As Oedipus physically blinds himself, he finally reveals the truth about his life. Acknowledges being cursed as a baby and led to the land of Situation out of p tit, and the horrific actions he went on to commit thereafter; he ended up fulfilling his destiny Of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. His whole life is spent running from the c ruse that was lain upon him, but fate brought him strai ght to it. Oedipus' unruly behavior is due to his lack of good fortune and the unmovable hand of fate. According to Aristotle, a highhanded man's fate tends to be positive, therefore making him more worthy of honor.In Oedipus' case, he lost all sense of respect once his true identity was revealed, making him a step below Aristotle ‘s specifications in this area. Aristotle also portrays the ideal man as one who values and strives for the true the. In â€Å"The Highhanded Man† he states, â€Å"He must care for the truth more than for what en will think of him, and speak and act openly. He will not hesitate to say what he thinks,† (Wi TTT, 160). The man described here is constant in his beliefs and is not afraid to make them know n, no matter what the consequences are.This is an extremely important virtue for any person to have, because one cannot truly believe in anything if he/ she does not believe in themselves enough to speak openly. Oedipus exhibits this trait during his conversation with his wife's brother Kerr Decoys 3 You murderer! Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me†¦ Am I†¦ A fool, that you should dream you could accomplish this?†¦ Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Witt, 116) This passage occurs after Terrifies admits his knowledge of Oedipus' past. Up on his return, the outraged king accuses Akron of attempting to steal his throne.Oedipus, of co ruse, is wrong in his accusations, but his underlying motive is to discover the truth. His search for answers overcame his fear of losing Akron as a friend. This selfless act would be considered as hi shinnied according to Aristotle standards. High social stature is another characteristic that a man must possess in order to be considered as highhanded. In Aristotle words, â€Å"The highhanded man, then, respect of the greatness of his deserts occupies an extreme position,† (Witt, 159). A man can not be regarded as highhanded unless his position in society is high, as well.Although there are many locals, honorable men, it is nearly impossible for one to be noticed as such without b Ewing relatively famous. Oedipus is welkin, for he holds the most important rank in the cit y, as he states in the beginning of the tragedy: â€Å"†¦ L have come myself to hear you l, Oedipus, who o bears the famous name,† (Witt, 110). In this passage, the king is addressing the people o f his city regarding their wishes to speak to him. Aristotle states that a highhanded ma n must be great in all ways, including his social status.As a fractals king, Oedipus fits this part o f Aristotle criteria perfectly. Oedipus exhibits many of the qualities Aristotle literature â€Å"The Highhanded Man† requires, despite his lack of good fortune. Looking into the origins of the mod render hero allows one to ponder about his or her own morality. Oedipus was an Larson d admirable man; he appealed to the people, sought justice, an d applied punishment where it w as deserved even Decoys 4 against himself. The wrongs he committed unknowingly were seemingly Univac addable, and every eve he made in between was aimed at goodness. Oedipus Rex The Oral Presentation gave me a clear idea about how and what the author was trying to convey through his book. Not being from the time period at which the play was written made it difficult to interpret what Sophocles was trying to portray. Even though the presentation clarified most of my questions, I was still left pondering certain aspects of Oedipus Rex. In the book, the main question for me was if Oedipus really had control of his life or what he being controlled by the gods and fate. When Oedipus heard the prophecy for the first time, he tried to run away from it.That gives me inkling on Oedipus that tells me he believes in the prophecy and it will come to pass. When he really does kill his father without knowing and later tried to find the killer he says â€Å"Now my curse on the murderer. Whowever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many let that man drag out his life in agony† (Sophocles, 280 – 283). In reality he places that curse on himself a nd he really did spend the rest of his life in pain and agony as well as exile. In the presentation it shows the respect Greeks gave to the gods and elder as well as to their advice and wisdom.Also since they respected the gods, who were almighty, would punish you if you resisted their will. In the book it shows that because Oedipus killed his father, the plague started and until there has been justice and the man caught for the crime, the plague will keep killing people. In the presentation, it showed us that the plague was active during the time the play was written and it transfers over to the book because the author is trying to tell us that people were losing faith and thus causing plague which scared people to pin their hope on some higher power.In the book the chorus says that â€Å"great laws tower above us† (Sophocles, 957) which shows that people considered gods as the greatest Justice. That proves the fact that they respect the gods at the highest of level. This ma kes me want to learn more about their belief as well as what the prophecy meant to them. I also want to learn more about how the belief affected their everyday life and thoughts as well. That ends my thought on what I have learned from the presentation. The reflective essay also helped clear my thoughts on what I had learned from the presentation and sort out the facts. Oedipus Rex It is edifice alt to decide whether there should be a set criteria for a hero; professors use one man's SST ROR as a basis for questioning: Oedipus Rexes. Sophocles' play explores the adventures of a man and his actions, and how the two affected the way his life ended. He carried out m cost of Aristotle requirements for a highhanded man, including his pursuit of truth and a high stance in society. A key factor in his life was one that did not meet the standards, however: his I ace of good fortune.His tale challenges readers to brood over some important questions: What is a hero, and is it actions or fate that decides? One of the most important concepts Aristotle focuses on is one's good fortune e. He claims that, ‘The gifts of good fortune also are commonly thought to contribute to hi kindnesses. For those who are well born are thought worthy of honor,† (Witt, 160). A person that is highhanded generally has good things happen to him. Aristotle idea is mode irately accurat e; Decoys 2 people that aim for integrity usually encounter positive outcomes.Although it is out of his control, Oedipus fails to meet Aristotle standards in this division. The entire y of his bad luck is displayed during the final Antiheroes of the story: Ah Situation!†¦ When I was cast upon you, why did I not die?†¦ Then should never have shown the world my execrable birth†¦ My own blood, spilled by my own hand†¦ O marriage, marriage! That act that engendered me, and again the e act performed by the son in the same bed†¦ God hates me†¦ (Witt, 128) As Oedipus physically blinds himself, he finally reveals the truth about his life. Acknowledges being cursed as a baby and led to the land of Situation out of p tit, and the horrific actions he went on to commit thereafter; he ended up fulfilling his destiny Of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother. His whole life is spent running from the c ruse that was lain upon him, but fate brought him strai ght to it. Oedipus' unruly behavior is due to his lack of good fortune and the unmovable hand of fate. According to Aristotle, a highhanded man's fate tends to be positive, therefore making him more worthy of honor.In Oedipus' case, he lost all sense of respect once his true identity was revealed, making him a step below Aristotle ‘s specifications in this area. Aristotle also portrays the ideal man as one who values and strives for the true the. In â€Å"The Highhanded Man† he states, â€Å"He must care for the truth more than for what en will think of him, and speak and act openly. He will not hesitate to say what he thinks,† (Wi TTT, 160). The man described here is constant in his beliefs and is not afraid to make them know n, no matter what the consequences are.This is an extremely important virtue for any person to have, because one cannot truly believe in anything if he/ she does not believe in themselves enough to speak openly. Oedipus exhibits this trait during his conversation with his wife's brother Kerr Decoys 3 You murderer! Do you think I do not know that you plotted to kill me†¦ Am I†¦ A fool, that you should dream you could accomplish this?†¦ Thrones may be won or bought: you could do neither. (Witt, 116) This passage occurs after Terrifies admits his knowledge of Oedipus' past. Up on his return, the outraged king accuses Akron of attempting to steal his throne.Oedipus, of co ruse, is wrong in his accusations, but his underlying motive is to discover the truth. His search for answers overcame his fear of losing Akron as a friend. This selfless act would be considered as hi shinnied according to Aristotle standards. High social stature is another characteristic that a man must possess in order to be considered as highhanded. In Aristotle words, â€Å"The highhanded man, then, respect of the greatness of his deserts occupies an extreme position,† (Witt, 159). A man can not be regarded as highhanded unless his position in society is high, as well.Although there are many locals, honorable men, it is nearly impossible for one to be noticed as such without b Ewing relatively famous. Oedipus is welkin, for he holds the most important rank in the cit y, as he states in the beginning of the tragedy: â€Å"†¦ L have come myself to hear you l, Oedipus, who o bears the famous name,† (Witt, 110). In this passage, the king is addressing the people o f his city regarding their wishes to speak to him. Aristotle states that a highhanded ma n must be great in all ways, including his social status.As a fractals king, Oedipus fits this part o f Aristotle criteria perfectly. Oedipus exhibits many of the qualities Aristotle literature â€Å"The Highhanded Man† requires, despite his lack of good fortune. Looking into the origins of the mod render hero allows one to ponder about his or her own morality. Oedipus was an Larson d admirable man; he appealed to the people, sought justice, an d applied punishment where it w as deserved even Decoys 4 against himself. The wrongs he committed unknowingly were seemingly Univac addable, and every eve he made in between was aimed at goodness. Oedipus Rex Sophocles in Oedipus Rex introduces the horrors of veracity through the journey the tragic hero Oedipus takes on. This tragedy encompasses all the concepts of Aristotle’s Poetics in regards to a complex plot. According to Aristotle, a tragedy is an event that has to arouse pity and fear to the readers; Oedipus contains all the features of this demand. In terms of Oedipus’ tragedy, he’s seen as the cursed one who consequently has to suffer the tragic repercussions of fate. In Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, destiny persecutes Oedipus as it demonstrates elements such as his hubris that is exemplified through his behavior, his tragic flaws that is hamartia and the reversal of his tragic discovery that leads him to fulfill the prophecy. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the author depicts Oedipus’ tragic flaw of hubris through his kingship in Thebes. His pride qualifies as Aristotle’s concept of a tragic character. Aristotle’s tragic character is defined as a character that must occupy a high status and also embody virtues. Aristotle defines Oedipus’ hubris as â€Å"his excessive pride that causes the hero to ignore a divine warning break of moral law† (Aristotle 43). Oedipus is confident about solving the murder of king Laius. His character’s self-belief is exemplified through this quote; â€Å"by the mouth of messengers, I have myself came hither, Oedipus, known far and wide by name (Sophocles 1)†. This demonstrates how Oedipus is confident in his popularity, because he was the one who solved the Sphinx’s riddle and therefore believes that he deserves immediate respect and recognition. Oedipus illustrates himself as being the only intelligent one in all of Thebes, â€Å"with [his] readiness to afford all aid; hard hearted must [he] be (Sophocles 1)†. This passage clearly exhibits his arrogance as it also clarifies his hubris, which, in in end, leads to his downfall. Furthermore, he speaks to people in a pretentious manner; â€Å"what you come see is known already – not unknown to me (Sophocles 3)†. This once again acts as an addition to Aristotle’s concept of hubris. Oedipus permits himself to freely behave with a highly conceded attitude that is exemplified through â€Å"Come to each singly; by at my once groans for the city, and for myself, and you,† (Sophocles 3). The structure of this quote indicates Oedipus’ high attitude towards the problems that dawn upon Thebes. Instead of showing his audience that his primary concerns re of himself, his focus is the security of the town. In doing so, it displays the tenacity of his pride and thinking he can save the city of Thebes by himself, yet also displaying his dedication, which can be seen as a heroic quality: â€Å"I [am] confident, nor prone to fear (Sophocles 4)†. His hubris is once again exemplified when questioning the blind man, Tiresias. This man is known to only speak the truth, and when threatened by Oedipus to express that knowledge about the murder, it leads to a tragedy, rather than enlightenment, in this plot. Tiresias reveals the truth to Oedipus because of his perseverance in uncovering the truth. As he lets his hubris blurry his sight by believing he was lied to by Tiresisas and Creon because he thinks he is too virtuous to have committed such actions. Oedipus rejects all possibilities of such and rather refers to it as a plan to try and throw him off his reign: â€Å"For you would rouse a very stone to wrath – will you not speak out ever but stand thus relentless and persistent (Sophocles 13)†. This passage shows that there is a lingering fear within the king’s mind. He uses the excuse that they are trying to overthrow him because he was the one who solved the riddle of the sphinx, which potentially means they were jealous of his position. Oedipus believes that by tricking him, they would reign over Thebes. Oedipus’ negligence in accepting responsibility, along with his surplus of pride leads to his refusal in accepting the truth and instead opts to blame others. Tiresias tells him â€Å" you censure; but your own, at home, you see not, and blame me! Sophocles 13)†: this shows that Tiresias has had it with Oedipus’ hubris and him not being able to accept the truth, foreshadowing that Oedipus’ greatness is a tragic harbinger of his fall. Oedipus pushed himself into his fate which destruction is brought upon him through his ruthless means and arrogance. Oedipus’ hubris is portrayed through his thoughts, words and actions which eventua lly begin to work against him. Oedipus’ egoism leads him to think that he is perfect in everything, however, his superior attitude leads him to what Aristotle defines as one of the key points of a tragedy; hamartia. Aristotle’s meaning of hamartia is defined as â€Å"the change of fortune should be not from bad to good, reversely from good to bad. It should come about as the result not of vice, but of some great error or frailty in a character either such as we have described or better rather than worse (Aristotle 23). In Oedipus’ case, hamarita is seen when he wants to know the truth but also plays a role in leading to his downfall . The notion of hamartia is seen during Oedipus’ discussion with Tiresias: when the blind prophet reveals the truth to him. Oedipus disagrees with Tiresias’ statement, as he proclaims, â€Å"For I shall not be found a murderer (Sophocles 21)†. This passage indicates that he can’t be seen as the man who has killed the former king, although his determined search for the truth will uncover to him that that is exactly what he is. Because of this discussion, Tiresias abandons the scene thereby leaving Oedipus alone in his frustration, â€Å"this be the last time I shall gaze on thee, who am revealed to have nee born of those of whom I ought not – to have wedded whom I ought to be – and slain who I might not slay! (Sophocles 42)†. Oedipus believes he has evaded fate, but ironically he has fulfilled everything the oracle had explained to him, and it is is hamartia, his search for the truth that has pushed him to these realizations. Subsequently, he consults his wife Jocasta by telling her that Tiresias condemned him and revealed his prophecy. Jocasta, already knowing the truth, attempts to persuade him by giving up his search. However, because of his hamartia, Oedipus does not stop his search he continues with his attempts at finding out the truth about the prophecy of him killing his father and sleeping with his mother. This is seen as Oedipus’ annoyance of the truth, â€Å"more miserable than I am? Who on earth could have been born with more of hate from heaven? (Sophocles 29)†. This passage shows Oedipus’ realization that perhaps the prophet was right. â€Å"I am at the horror (Sophocles 41)†, indicates that Oedipus, beginning to panic, decides to consult the old man who knows the events. His hamartia is that which compels him to do so. However, the prophet refuses to say anything, so Oedipus says, â€Å"tell me the whole truth, or you will come to it! (Sophocles 41)†. Oedipus is once again arrogant in discovering the truth, but still seeks it. The old man, threatened for his life, begins to tell the tale of the patricide, â€Å"†¦and I hear. But I must hear – no less (Sophocles 41)†. The truth is out there now; Oedipus has uncovered the mystery of the murderer. It is Oedipus’ actions that bring things into motion, but it is his fate, pride and his hamartia, as he relentlessly wants the truth, that lead him to his downfall. Oedipus’ ignorance comes from his fear concerning the appalling horror of the possible truth and its devastating implications. This falls into the category of Aristotle’s concept in what makes a good tragedy; peripeteia. Aristotle defines it as the â€Å"reversal of the situation [which] is a change by which the action veers round to its opposite† (Aristotle 20). This concept is the reversal of a situation, which is the transition from ignorance to knowledge. The situations encompass scenes of suffering and of painful actions. In Oedipus’ case, his downfall is where he finally realizes that his prophecy of â€Å"self-slain† (Sophocles 44) was predestined to occur. Peripeteia, necessary for a complex plot, occurs when he realizes this, as we see in that quote. By this truth being actually understood, all consequences fall into place for Oedipus. First off, Jocasta, Oedipus’ wife and mother, knew the truth about Oedipus all along; she even pierced his tendons when he was younger so he couldn’t run away when she put him in a forest. After she found out that Oedipus discovered the truth, she locked herself in the bedroom alone and hung herself, â€Å"for whom it was impossible to watch, the ending of her misery (Sophocles 45)†. Oedipus is slowly introduced to the miseries of this truth; â€Å"say where he could find his wife – no wife, rather the [dead-corpse] of his mother (Sophocles 45)†. With his mother/wife dead, he could no longer handle the outcome of what his life came to be, so he no longer knows how to act, and is compelled to doing the most extreme of actions: â€Å"what followed; snatching from her dress gold pins wherewith she was adorned, he lifted them, and smote the nerves of his own eyeballs, saying that they should see no more (Sophocles 45)†. Oedipus could not put up with the realization; so instead, he opted to remove his sight. He could no longer bear the physical world and chose to focus on the psychological torment that accompanies the contemplation of the truth: â€Å"What deity was it that with a leap so great – farther than farthest – sprang on thy sad fate? Woe is me, woe is me for thee – unfortunate! (Sophocles 46)†. As blood is shrieking out of his eyes, he blinds himself in agony, demonstrating that nothing is worse than looking at the miserable truth. The irony is that even though he no longer has sight; he can now finally see the truth of the prophecy. As said when he was king, whoever the murderer was to be exiled from Thebes, so in order to fulfill this statement, he asks Creon, the new king â€Å"lead me to exile straight; Lead me, O my friends, the worst of murderers, or mortals most accurst, yea and to Gods chief object of their hate. (Sophocles 48)†. In addition to the demand of exile, he also asks Creon to take care of his daughters, as he can no longer bear the sight f them: â€Å"Knowing what is left of bitter in the life which at men’s hands you needs must henceforth live (Sophocles 53)†. This shows that Oedipus is talking to his daughters and telling them the truth, which is that no one will want to marry them because they were born from an incestuous marriage and because of this, they will be excluded from this society: the horrors of his actions cease to stop. Oedipus is then exiled from the city, expressing â€Å"to Gods, above all men, I am a mark for hat (Sophocles 53)†. Oedipus loses his sight and family, exiled from the city of Thebes, but gains the truth and lives in humility. Oedipus’ hubris was a mixture of rage and pride that unfortunately was possessed. The Greeks believed that this sin was grave and one of the most dangerous because people with such pride thought that they were above the Gods. Seeing that Oedipus’ arrogance is so strong as a consequent it led to his downfall. Therefore the result of hubris led him to a tragic fate. It is only when Oedipus’ plucks out his eyes that he returns to a human state. Oedipus’ character brings out his hubris, hamartia and recognition that enable it to fit under the concept of Aristotle’s complex plot.

CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM essays

CIVIL RIGHTS IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM essays The era of modern terrorism began in 1968 with the hijacking of an airliner flying from Rome to Tel Aviv (Dershowitz). The distinguishing between earlier criminal aviation hijackings and the pattern of terrorist hijackings is that prior to 1968, the motive was either to divert the ransom it for money. Modern terrorists learned very quickly that their reached more easily through terrorism than through peaceful negotiation if abiding community at large is unprepared to respond decisively. Terrorism particularly successful when elements of the government are sympathetic to objectives, since it can provides a perfect excuse to make concessions that The psychology of terrorism is simple enough, it is the same behind old-fashioned kidnapping: the idea is if you want to coerce someone effectively, just threaten to do something that he fears worse than the your demands. Terrorism is much easier to employ successfully in societies that incorporate a concern with civil rights, and comparatively more societies that are not particularly preoccupied with civil rights issues. instances where terrorism is employed purely for vengeance, the goal of universally the same: to bring greater attention to one's cause than non-violent political discourse. Anecdotal evidence from the former Soviet suggests that the most effective way to eliminate terrorism is to adopt responses and to extract information through any means deemed necessary. is that more ruthless societies are better protected against terrorism than where human rights are widely respected and protected. In Why Terrorism Works, Alan Dershowitz provides a convincing into the effectiveness of terrorism once it is allowed to achieve any graphing the long history of Palestinian terrorism against Israel and the world for the purpose of calling attention to their political aims. He instance of terrorism by the PLO...

14 Incredibly Shocking Confessions from Nurses

14 Incredibly Shocking Confessions from Nurses Being a nurse is a tough job, but somebody has to do. When you’re dealing with hundreds of patients a day, you’ve got to develop a tough exterior and occasionally break the rules. Here are 14 confessions from nurses who went the â€Å"extra mile†.  Ã‚  Ã‚   [Source: Imgur]

Quotes From Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Quotes From Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad The  Heart of Darkness,  a novel  published in 1899, is a famous work by Joseph Conrad. The authors experiences in Africa provided him with plenty of material for this work, a  tale of a man who gives into the enticements of power. Here are a few quotes from Heart of Darkness. The River The Congo River serves as a major setting for the books narrative. The novels narrator, Marlow, spends months navigating up the river in search of Kurtz, an ivory trader, who has gone missing deep in the heart of Africa. The river is also a metaphor for Marlows internal, emotional journey to find the elusive Kurtz. The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day, after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth.Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!In and out of rivers, streams of death in life, whose banks were rotting into mud, whose waters, thickened with slime, invaded the contorted mangroves, that seemed to writhe at us in the extremity of an impotent despair. Dreams and Nightmares The story actually takes place in London,  where Marlow tells his tale to a group of friends while they are on a boat anchored on the River Thames. He describes his adventures in Africa alternately as a dream and a nightmare, trying to get his listeners to mentally conjure the images that he witnessed during his journey. Nowhere did we stop long enough to get a particularlised impression, but the general sense of vague and oppressive wonder grew upon me.  It was like a weary pilgrimage amongst hints for nightmares.The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealth, the germs of empires.Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems I am trying to tell you a dream   making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is the very essence of dreams. Darkness Darkness is a key part of the novel, as the title implies. Africa at that time was considered a dark continent. Once Marlow finds Kurtz, he sees him as a man infected with a heart of darkness. Images of dark, scary places are scattered throughout the novel. And this also  ... has been one of the dark places of the earth.Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinizing the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes.We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. Savagery and Colonialism The novel takes place at the height of the age of colonialism and Britain was the worlds mightiest colonial power. Britain and the other European powers were considered to be civilized, while much of the rest of the world was considered to populated by savages. Those images permeate the book. In some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him ...  .When one has got to make correct entries, one comes to hate those savages   hate them to the death.The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham - Essay Example It has increased far more in 2011 from 2010 than that of in 2010 from 2009. But the reported percentage is not at all a good indicator of asset performance (NYU, 2012). Debt ratios Debt ratios determine the company’s over debt load an also mix of equity and debt. So these ratios evaluate the financial risk the company and its shareholders have been facing. Debt ratio is a compared unit of company’s total debt with respect to its total assets. Specifically it shows the amount of leverage the company is using. Higher debt ratio means the company is highly dependent on its leverage and the equity position of the company is very weak. So higher the ratio means more risk the company and its shareholder has been taking. Although the total liabilities of the company has been increasing over the year but the total assets also has been decreasing in similar proportion. As a result the ratio has increased more in 2011 than it decreased in 2010 from 2009. Debt equity ratio represe nts the overall status of debt of the company. It compares the total liability of the company with respect to the shareholders fund. ... The company improved a lot in terms of shareholder’s equity in 2010 than that of 2009 as it reported the shareholder’s amount of ?13,063,000 from tremendous growth from -?290,000 in 2009. But in 2011 again it has come down to huge deficit of its shareholders’ fund. So, due to the deficit of the shareholders’’ equity in two alternative years except 2010 with respect to huge liability of the company, the shares of the company have become worthless. The main reason behind this the company is highly depended on its creditors which adversely affects the interest of investors or the shareholders towards this company. Interest coverage ratio is an indicator that determines the how easily the company can pay its interest on the basis of its gross earnings before paying interest and tax. Higher the ratio means the company’s gross earning is very high and it can easily pay the interest of its outstanding debt. This company has been reporting negative g ross income i.e. loss before paying tax and interest. So has been able to pay interest expense of its outstanding debt and these have remained due or payable for the company (JMU, 2010). Liquidity ratios Current ratio represents the working capital position of the company as it is one of the important indicators of liquidity of a company. It measures the performance of the company regarding its short term ability to pay the short term liabilities of the company. The3 current ratio of the company is has been lower than 1 in all the tree consecutive years that means it has not been able to pay its liabilities as has remained lower than liabilities. Quick ratio or acid test ratio indicates that the company has enough short term

Potential output of Georgia(country) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Potential output of Georgia(country) - Essay Example Georgia are agriculture (12.5%), industry (27.9%) and services (59.6%).3 According to Georgia Economic Review (2009) the nominal Gross Domestic Product of Georgia has increased from 8,564 in 2003 to 19,070 in 2008. It means that in the last five years, the total increase in nominal GDP of the country is about 123%. The real GDP growth rate 2008 of Georgia is 2.1% which means that the output level of the country has increased. The global financial crisis 2007-2009 has lowered the GDP of many countries while the output of Georgia even during the crisis has remained positive. The value of nominal GDP shows that major increase in nominal GDP is brought by inflationary pressures and increase in the worth of goods and services; however, real GDP explicitly shows that a small increase in output of the country has been also seen. Georgia is considered as a country rich in energy resources. However, in 2007, the total oil extraction was 55-60 thousand tons which was very low as compared to the annual demand of 750 thousand tons.4 On the other hand in the same year, the annual consumption of electricity in the country was about 8.5 billion kWh while the country production was higher than consumption, thereby making Georgia a net electricity exporter.5 â€Å"It is the only country in the region (which doesn’t have its own gas resource) that was not affected by gas crises in January 2009 (Georgia Economic Overview).† Georgia has huge opportunities in hydro energy because of the construction of 500 kv power transmission line to Turkey, 78 MV Paravani HPP and 38 MW Mtkwari HPP. Surprisingly, although its hydro energy output is so huge however, only 18% of hydro potential has been used. The overall industrial production growth rate of Georgia in 2008 is -1%. The potential output of agriculture sector of the country has started to cover the wreckage caused by civil unrest. In the Georgian agriculture, winemaking is the major area however, since Russia was the major importer of

The Belief in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Belief in Education - Essay Example The children were having their Hindi lessons. And the teacher was seated on a chair placed inside the broken walls. We greeted each other and the children gathered around me trying to communicate with me in whatever few English words they knew. The teacher told me, â€Å"We had a proper school until last year. But it was destroyed last year in a grenade attack. You might know that in Kashmir we are having some trouble with extremists and there was a shoot out between the army and them. Thank God, it was vacation time. No child was hurt. But we lost the school building.† I was shocked though I knew a little bit about the situation in Kashmir. Even some of our friends had warned us not to go to Kashmir, but my father said, â€Å"What is the use of visiting India without seeing the paradise on Earth!† Our tour operator also said we could visit some safe areas of Kashmir if we insisted. â€Å"Why do you take this much risk to continue the school?†, I could not help a sking the teacher, â€Å"can't the children go to some other school in a safer place?† The teacher smiled and said, â€Å"You know, 25 years back, in this village, every house had at least one man who was with the extremists. But after this school came in 1985, we have two doctors, 13 school teachers, and one deputy collector even, all of them completing their 10th standard in this school. And we have fewer extremists. And of course, less unemployment. If this school is not functioning, the next nearby school is 35 kilometers away from here. How many of these children do you think will be able to go there?† I bade the children and teacher goodbye and walked back to our car. Faces of impoverished child soldiers from Sri Lanka, Africa, Lebanon... that I have seen on television flashed before my mind's eyes. Hadn't their fate been different if they had the opportunity to get a proper education? Until then I had never realized the transformation that education could bring into a man or woman. As I lived in a country where there are universal education and better opportunities to avail it, education was like environment. I was inside it and was never aware of its existence and how it molded me. Now I started thinking.

An essay about Children of a Lesser God film Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An about Children of a Lesser God film - Essay Example A typical example of some of these basic characteristics is the influence of gender in communication. Gamble and Gamble (2007) in their book The Gender Communication Connection bring out some of the very peculiar gender characteristic concepts of communication. Interestingly, some of the core concepts in the books are also reflected in the film Children of Lesser God. Below are some of the discussions on the key concepts discussed in chapter five (5) of the book. One of the major concepts tackled by Gamble and Gamble (2007) is the issue of perception process. It is said that perception generally refers to how we see other people from our own point of view (Huggai, 2009). This is very much application in communication and influences communication greatly because â€Å"the way that you see people will greatly determine how you interact with them and what you will get from them† (Brewster, 2012). This means that perception has the power to start communication, sustain communication, as well as influence the input and outcome of a given communication. NOVA (2005) identifies three major processes in the perception process. These are selection, organization and interpretation. Gamble and Gamble (2007) adds a fourth dimension and this dimension is response. The most important fact however is that Gamble and Gamble (2007) looks at the perception process from a gender point of view, where they make it clear that men and women certainly have di fferent styles and approaches to reacting to the perception process and thus have different ways of listening. Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff give a well illustrated format in the differences pointed by Gamble and Gamble (2007) are displayed by men and women in the film Children of Lesser God. In the film –as highlighted in the book, we see a very vast difference between how men and women perceive communication. This difference is further consolidated by the fact that even though the female role was being played by

Conference narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conference narrative - Essay Example Overall; the point is about how consuming would influence learning. Primarily, we went to the UW library to listen to a presentation, which gave us the method about getting resources. The primary objective is to find two-scholar resources about how caffeine and milk would influence learning. In the beginning, I thought it was easy. However, the scholar articles are too long to read, and more, it is hard to know the evidences they have given. I used the Wikipedia a lot in to help understand the concept. However, with time, I came to understand all these articles, and I was ready to discuss all the details to my classmates on Monday. On September 8, I primarily talked about how the caffeine and milk would affect learning. Caffeine would help damage, diminish and obstructs the minds of receptors on our cerebrum. This would support the cerebrum movement. Subsequently, understudies as well as students could remember stuffs quickly. In any case, the research demonstrates that individuals should not drink caffeine, or other beverages containing caffeine when they are sick, because it may cause various therapeutic complications. In addition, the aspect of Milk and its use was the subject as I shared with the members of the group. At the end of the class, I discover one thing intriguing is that, individuals just thought about their part and would disregard others work, even we were in the same group. During the presentation based on my views, my group points out that I need to speak more about how caffeine and milk would influence learning instead of saying something about how it affects ones health. From this perception, I realized that as the only international students in our group, the language barrier was an issue and would be a huge problem since my native language was Chinese. Had no option but to try my level best as far my topic was of concern. Therefore, had to make a plan on

An essay about Children of a Lesser God film Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An about Children of a Lesser God film - Essay Example A typical example of some of these basic characteristics is the influence of gender in communication. Gamble and Gamble (2007) in their book The Gender Communication Connection bring out some of the very peculiar gender characteristic concepts of communication. Interestingly, some of the core concepts in the books are also reflected in the film Children of Lesser God. Below are some of the discussions on the key concepts discussed in chapter five (5) of the book. One of the major concepts tackled by Gamble and Gamble (2007) is the issue of perception process. It is said that perception generally refers to how we see other people from our own point of view (Huggai, 2009). This is very much application in communication and influences communication greatly because â€Å"the way that you see people will greatly determine how you interact with them and what you will get from them† (Brewster, 2012). This means that perception has the power to start communication, sustain communication, as well as influence the input and outcome of a given communication. NOVA (2005) identifies three major processes in the perception process. These are selection, organization and interpretation. Gamble and Gamble (2007) adds a fourth dimension and this dimension is response. The most important fact however is that Gamble and Gamble (2007) looks at the perception process from a gender point of view, where they make it clear that men and women certainly have di fferent styles and approaches to reacting to the perception process and thus have different ways of listening. Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff give a well illustrated format in the differences pointed by Gamble and Gamble (2007) are displayed by men and women in the film Children of Lesser God. In the film –as highlighted in the book, we see a very vast difference between how men and women perceive communication. This difference is further consolidated by the fact that even though the female role was being played by

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

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

Change Management Plan and Communication Plan Essay Example for Free

Change Management Plan and Communication Plan Essay Workers react to change differently and often feel threatened by it. Reaction to workplace transformations usually manifests itself in one of three ways. There is proactive reaction that sees change as an opportunity to try new and improved things. Reactive workers resist change and try to keep things as they were. Inactive employees take the neutral position and straddle the fence watching the struggle between other employees. Older workers within the company tend to resist change because they want to do things the old way. Employees may feel a loss of identity. They may feel a loss of control. Workers also experience a loss of meaning, belonging, and even a loss of their future. Trying to make the changes seem positive does not erase the uncertainty, rumors, or the ambiguity (Jones, 2011). Managers should strategize on the best way to enforce any changes at Riordan Manufacturing. There should be some expectation of resistance in regard to any change. There should be time restraints and deadlines put into place. The changing process may affect deadlines until everyone is on task with the operational changes and new policies. Managers must plan ahead for any resistance at Riordan. Forming task teams that oversee each department affected by the changes over the next 12 months is one strategy that can prove useful. New goals and expectations as a result of the changes should be outlined and followed. There should be effective communication skills with floor managers and employees (Gul Sahin, 2011). The process can run smoother if the employees at Riordan feel motivated, and teamwork encouraged. There will be employee evaluations over the next year to monitor the success or failure of the changes. New system changes, problems, and success will be determined weekly in a detailed report. The reports from the task team and the floor managers will determine the feasibility of the changes. Employees will be required to take assessments to ensure that they fully understand the new operations. New records will be maintained,  updated, and signed by each employee. Training and educational courses will be provided, including computer classes. References Gul, H., Sahin, K. (2011). The Information Society and Public Employees Perception of Transformational Leadership. Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal(25), p237-249. doi:64368178 Jones, T. (2011, January). Use Resistance to Enact Workplace Change. Business Journal Serving Fresno the Central San Joaquin Valley, p.11. doi:10797394

Pricing and Distribution Channels: Hilton Amsterdam

Pricing and Distribution Channels: Hilton Amsterdam Selling a hotel room used to be simple; business would literally walk in off the street. No more. As the number of channels a customer can use to book a hotel room grows, hoteliers will be forced to take a more holistic view of their technological infrastructure, as quoted by Bruno des Fontaines (2007), Vice President for Amadeus Hospitality Group Asia Pacific. Revenue Management is a complex phenomenon with many factors affecting the final outcome. Out of these innumerous factors, playing their role in revenue management, price is indeed one the most powerful tools a hotel can use to increase revenue. The key however is to know how to set the right prices and which distribution channels to use in order to maximize your revenue. Tools using which, any product or service is provided to end consumer, constitute Distribution Channel of that product or service. Success or failure of a product relies greatly upon distribution channels. In hospitality business, a successful channel management strategy consists of selling inventory at the highest possible rates, while pushing reservations through the lowest-cost channels. (Barash 2005) It is therefore of prime importance that a hotel chooses most effective distribution channels in order to manage prices and eventually to maximize its revenue. There is, however, a great array of approaches available to manage distribution channels which makes it a very challenging task for hoteliers, requiring for them to understand all distribution options available. In past hotel distribution channels used to be most simplistic, the traditional main distribution channels were: Brochures Advertising guide books mail shots call centers and Travel agencies. All of these modes, even though very simple and easy to manage, are extremely expensive and have a very limited range. They could be effective for local clientele only. With the passage of time and advancement in technology, other sophisticated and complex distribution channels originated that were never even thought of, such as Central reservations Global Distribution systems Hotel Booking Agent Tour Operator Online wholesalers However most of these channels only acted as a go-between hotel and the global-distribution-system (GDS)/travel agent. (Barash 2005). This wide array of distribution channels no doubt provide a great deal of benefit to the hotel in the sense that its availability to customers increases infinitely, customers all over the world can get to know about any hotel anywhere in the world through a travel agent or website etc. however at the very same time this phenomenon makes hotel distribution channels most complex and difficult to manage. Reasons for decline of GDS as an effective distribution channel as reported by HeBS (2002) can be due to following reasons: Slower than expected travel industry recovery and the weak economy Channel shifting from traditional Consumer-Travel Agent hotel reservations to online bookings (leisure and unmanaged business travelers) and self-booking corporate systems. Growing popularity of online business models (e.g. merchant) that do not utilize the GDS. The emergence of direct interfaces between major online agencies and major travel suppliers thus bypassing the GDS. Services like WorldRes, which utilize direct interfaces to the major hotel brands CRSs also undermine GDS distribution. Decreased corporate travel: the latest survey by NBTA (September 2002) showed that 68% of corporate travel managers said travel was down in their companies from last year, in some cases by as much as 20%. Also, 72% of them said that current travel is below the 2000 levels-the last time travel was at normal volumes. Distribution of hotel rooms through traditional distribution channels such as GDS/travel agent and call center/reservation office, proves to be inefficient and extremely expensive, especially in light of the current weak economic situation. Focusing only on traditional distribution channels will result in lower occupancy rates, and higher distribution and operational costs. In this current scenario internet channels are emerging as more popular distribution channels that are being given increasing preference over traditional channels of distribution. Internet distribution of hotels is of two types: Direct Online Distribution Indirect or Third party online distribution Direct online distribution is where hotel pushes its property through a website constructed and owned by the hotel itself. Whereas third party web-based travel intermediaries such as online travel agents, have a certain number of rooms allocated to them that they sell through their own sites where mostly air tickets and car rentals are also offered among other things. The indirect distribution channel can be further subdivided into further subcategories such as channel to sell distressed inventory such as priceline. (HeBS 2002) A hotels revenue is greatly affected by the method that a customer uses to book his/her room. If a lot of middle parties are involved in booking process then hotels share, in the amount that a guest pays for booking a room, can reduce to a great extent. According to Marvel (2004) a room booked through a travel agent and the GDS (global distribution system) typically costs the hotel 15% of the reservations total. Contrary to popular belief, third-party websites are no bargain either for the hotelier, as they keep about 13% of a bookings value. So-called merchant websites (such as Priceline.com or Hotwire) which basically buy inventory from hotels usually average a 33% mark-up on the rooms they sell. Bookings arriving via the central reservation system of voluntary chains (such as Minotel) can cream over 25% of the clients original payment between travel agent, tour operator and chain fees. Many tour operators working in mass leisure destinations only pay 50%-60% of the normal room pri ce to the hotelier who is lodging their clients. Looking at Hilton Amsterdams site also reveals similar facts, as can be observed from following table: ADVANCE PURCHASE FULL PREPAYMENT, NO REFUND OR CHANGES (price in GBP) Hilton website 243 Laterooms.com 258.76 Orbitz 243.5 Booking.com 254.871 (Rate differences between Hotels website and other online sources: The rate for Twin Hilton Deluxe Amsterdam room, on different booking sites available online, for one day 30th April 1st May 2011. These rates were observed on 4th April 2011) The fact can be clearly observed that best rates for room bookings are given by hotels own website, and obviously so because direct online booking on hotels own website has proven to be the best and cheapest source of distribution for a hotel. eTRAK Full Year 2009 report on hotel bookings by distribution channel as quoted by Starkov (2010) shows that the online channel is the only channel that is growing even in todays difficult economic conditions where demand for rooms is far less than the supply, Internet bookings for the top 30 hotel brands increased by a remarkable 6.6% in 2009 vs. 2008. Whereas hotel room bookings through GDS and Voice Channels, decreased considerably. HeBS findings based on the latest eTRAK benchmark report, surveys and industry data from PhoCusWright and ARC as quoted by Starkov (2010) are as follows: 1) GDS Channel Is in Steady Decline: GDS hotel bookings via the CRS of the top 30 hotel brands declined by 3.7% 2009 vs. 2008, and constitute 23.6% of total CRS bookings in 2009 vs. 27.3% in 2008 (eTRAK). Back in 2006, GDS CRS reservations constituted 31.3% of total CRS bookings for the top 30 brands. GDS share has decreased by 24.6% from 2006 to 2009, when it was reported at the 23.6% level. Travel Agency Share from Total Travel Market in the U.S. dropped from 41% in 2006 to 33% in 2009 (PhoCusWright). U.S. Travel Agency Locations decreased by 7% in 2009 vs. 2008. The number of locations has been decreasing at an average rate of 4% every year since 2001, and the number of travel agencies has declined from as high as 35,000 in 1995 to less than 16,450 in September 2009 (ARC, HeBS). 2) The Voice Channel Contribution Is Decreasing: Voice channel hotel bookings via the CRS of the top 30 hotel brands declined by 2.9% in 2009 vs. 2008, and now constitute 22.2% of total CRS booking in 2009 (eTRAK). Last years decrease is in addition to a decline of 2.8% for the full 2008 vs. 2007 (eTRAK). The Voice Channel is in decline for the 6th consecutive year (HeBS). 3) The Shift from Offline to Online Channel is Permanent: 54.2% of overall CRS bookings for the top 30 hotel brands come from the online channel, which is an increase of 6.6% vs. 2008 (eTRAK). 60% of leisure and 40% of business travel will be booked online in the U.S. this year (PhoCusWright). 45% of hotel bookings in 2010 will be via the Internet (direct + indirect online channels) (HeBS). 4) Direct online bookings are on the rise: In 2009, 70.9% of online bookings came from the direct online channel (i.e. the major hotel brands own websites), while 29.1% came from the indirect online channel i.e. the Online Travel Agencies. Whereas in 2008 direct online bookings constituted 75.2% part of online bookings and indirect bookings were 24.8%. This represent a great increase in the number of bookings made directly on the hotels website as compared to indirect bookings. (Starkov 2010) Hotel management perceptibly has greater interest in promoting the online booking, especially direct booking on the hotels own site, because it is far cheaper. According to a report on E-commerce estimated cost of direct reservations by traditional means (i.e. fax, telephone, e-mail, etc.) could be as much as 300% higher than processing the same reservation through the GDS, which costs between $3-$5.Furthermore, most reservations, passing through the GDS, are generated by travel agents who charge an average fee of 10%. Bookings via a chain central reservation system cost the hotel $6 to $10 and reservations by a toll free telephone number $4 to $8. However for hoteliers the cheapest and most satisfactory mode of booking a room is direct online booking variable cost of which is only about $1.50. (Marvel 2004). Even though GDS still constitutes the major distribution channel for hotel rooms with a 68% share in 2003, their share is diminishing fast due to higher growth rate of the internet, according to Marvel (2004) overall electronic booking increased by only 1.6%, while online reservations rose by 35.5%. However the best source of distribution for any hotel is direct online booking because in indirect bookings the third party intermediaries take away the major chunk of hotels revenue in the form of commission. Therefore the major concern of hoteliers nowadays is to devise ways to attract customers to make room bookings directly to the hotels website. Several examples of such efforts are as follows: Four Seasons do not allow any direct bookings over third-party websites. Hilton (USA) declines HHonors points or air miles for online bookings to all the bookings that are made indirectly i.e. not on Hiltons own website. As of January 1, 2004, Starwood has also take a step in this regard i.e. all bookings made through indirect internet channels will not be eligible for any in-house benefits. Marvel, M. (2004). Therefore all in all direct online bookings are on the rise and they appear to be the preferred mode in present conditions of recession. However in order to take advantage of this growth in the online distribution channel especially the direct online channel, hoteliers need to make strong and proactive Direct Online Channel Strategy. This strategy should be backed by funds. Hoteliers must carefully employ ROI-centric initiatives, including website redesign, website optimization and SEO, paid search, email marketing, online display advertising and proven social media initiatives. (Starkov 2010) Even in this economy, the budget for internet marketing, and most importantly of direct online channel, should not be decreased or even diminished, because after observing past trends and results of various researches it can be safely said that online channel is the only growth channel for hoteliers and the only light at the end of the tunnel in this environment. Even in these difficult times we see Return on ad spend (ROAS) as high as 3500% from Internet marketing campaigns we run for our clients. (Starkov 2010) Another obvious pattern in Hilton Amsterdams direct online pricing is that the rates given on hotels website are the most expensive when the booking is completely flexible (customer has complete liberty to alter his/her plans as well as they get their full money returned if cancellation is made before or on the day of arrival) whereas other sites give cheaper rates in this situation. However on the other end Hotel website gives best rates in case of fixed reservations i.e. reservations in which no room is available for any changes and in case of cancellation hotel keeps all the money. This could be due to the reason that in case of cancellation hotel has to bear the entire cost whereas booking sites that usually have rooms allocated to them do not have to face any such penalties. ADVANCE PURCHASE FULL PREPAYMENT, NO REFUND OR CHANGES (price in GBP) FLEXIBLE RATE, (Price in GBP) Hilton website 243.524 278.438 Laterooms.com 258.76 277.31 Orbitz 243 262 Booking.com 254.871 273.201 Another observation is that Advance booking rates are different from immediate booking rates. It is an effective tactic to increase confirmed sales. Customers are encouraged to book their rooms well in advance, by offering them lower than usual rates. Booking cycle of a hotel determines how well in advance customers can book rooms, a hotel offers greater discount at the beginning of a cycle whereas higher rates are offered towards the end. (Ismail, 2001). This also helps in managing the bookings in lean seasons i.e. in off seasons lower booking rates are offered to attract greater distribution. Best rate for Hilton deluxe twin room decreases to  £202 from  £243 if the booking date was moved from 30th April to 31st April. Hilton also offers package rates, hotel package comprise of a hotels room combined with any other service of the hotel, most commonly it is room and meal package that hotels offer. There are many kinds of package deals available at Hilton hotel, such as: Bread and breakfast package, where room is bundled with breakfast for two at a discounted price. Another package combines air ticket, car rental and room all three in one package price. Beside package pricing Hilton also offers group rates, i.e. booking a larger number of rooms for a party mostly at a lower rate. Keeping in view the benefits and complexities of using multiple channels in hotel distribution we can say that the key to adopting best distribution channels and increasing revenues is to choose distribution channels as per hotels needs without falling prey to an increasingly convoluted snakes nest of technology. Managing these distribution channels also costs money and considerable time of hotel employees. . (Fontaines 2007) Complex hotel distribution systems are strategically dangerous for a hotel as managing a complex distribution may raise the price for customer who may switch to low cost channels. Spend Analysis: Application and Strategies Spend Analysis: Application and Strategies In spend analysis, skills to do with data analysis are extremely important. However, experts in related fields question the use of a software application to automatically generate the required data. In most cases, automated application does not necessarily give the accurate data as some processes require practical skills needed in the respective field. In everyday life, individuals come across a lot of information and data that is less likely important in decision making. This implies that an individual must possess data analysis skills to identify the information that is required and the less vital. In decision making, some major characteristics of vital information are; consistency, having a pattern and without errors. â€Å"Spend analysis is referred to as the systematic review of historical purchase data† (Pandit Marmanis, 2008). One of the major reasons why spend analysis is carried out is to be able to identify savings opportunities. Despite the fact that there are several indicators used to identify such opportunities, an automated software application would be incapable of successfully identifying such opportunities depending on the order of accuracy and precision. Some of the key indicators in spending analysis require analytical skills such as in price and applying best practice in various processes in an organization or household setting. If there is a consistent increment of prices of goods and services with time, it would be prudent for an individual or an organization to pay more attention to the purchases in specific categories and ensure that the factors leading to the rise in prices is well addressed. Such a process would require data analysis skills with specific attention to identifying a pattern of price increase. The application of best practice has over the years not been fully adopted by businesses. This is because, this technique is considered as simplified and less likely to come up with a saving opportunity. However, there is always the likelihood that an organization or an individual is overpaying for goods and services. Best practice requires data analysis skills which are applied to areas that provide the best cost saving strategy. Other indicators in spending analysis, such as the purchase price variance (PPV) can use software application to identify patterns or any irregularities from the data collected. According to Barone Franco. (2012) the six sigma methadolo0gy is used to enhance organizational performance through the use of statistical process meant to reduce process variation that characterizes most organizations. Currently, the six sigma methodology is commonly used by many organizations to identify areas of wastage in addition to improving the overall productivity of the organization through the improvement of business processes. The six sigma indicator shows the variation in parts, processes and products. However, of importance to note is that the six sigma method is not used independently in an organization. Most of the businesses that use six sigma also incorporate other lean methods. The six sigma methodology has over the years evolved to become a dynamic process that is used to improve performance and also maintain the process environment. Whats the strategy does is identify the major causes of performance gaps, then propose appropriate methods of addressing the performance gaps with an overall aim of increasing performance. The six sigma uses a sequential method known as the DMAIC, which stands for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. This is the guide that is used to identify the performance gaps and propose remedies to the gaps. Define: This step is expected to identify the performance gaps and develop alternatives that would lead to a higher sigma. Measure: In the step of measuring, there’s the use of metrics to come up with the baseline data to be used to identify the major cause of the problem. In addition, information must be gathered first before any data is incorporated. Analyze: In this step, statistical tools are used to confirm that the problem identified is admissible and that the factors found to cause the problem are the root causes of the problem. Improve: This step seeks to offer alternative solutions aimed at addressing the problem. Some of the key questions that are frequently in this step include; which way is cheaper, which way is faster? There are many solutions that are commonly identified as the alternatives to performance gaps. The most common solutions under this step include; mistake proofing and cellular manufacturing. Control: The control stage is also known as the institutionalization stage. This stage modifies parts, processes or products in accordance to the proposed solutions and also periodically monitor the changes that arise from such substitution. When carried out effectively, spend analysis can be greatly beneficial to an organization. This is because in addition to maximizing productivity and efficiency of business processes, spend analysis also encourages insightful decision making that is backed by both facts and figures. In addition, spend analysis is responsible for viable, cost-saving techniques that assists businesses identify areas of wastage and address the issue for better performance. These roles on spend analysis are more inclined to the financial aspect of business. Most of the problems that spend analysis aims to solve are issues to do with the expenditure and supply management. While most business processes seem intertwined and thus cannot occur individually, the financial aspect of business is the hub of all the performance gaps that spend analysis seeks to solve. By analyzing the concept of ‘spend’ most businesses are able to compare the spending behaviour with the production output and identify areas that need to be improved so that the organization can achieve higher performance. As stated by Ramsey and Silverman, (2002) research has established that businesses that use spend analysis are more likely to improve on performance with an approximated improvement rate of 24% in terms of general efficiency. With such statistics, there is no doubt that spend analysis has immense benefits to an organization in terms of driving performance and through the establishment of viable cost-saving techniques. Considering that spend analysis is a process that is meant to improve on the efficiency of products, processes and parts, there are numerous challenges that most organizations face during the implementation stage. Most organizations consider the spend analysis to be a dynamic process that is difficult to initiate and manage. More importantly, the processes involved in spend analysis require a high level of accuracy. For a business to develop a well leveraging spend analysis, integration of data from various different sources is required. However, a spend analysis is not only made possible by accurate data. There are various other factors that complement the methodology including finance, supply chain and IT. The prevailing economic times dictate that organization take advantage of any spending opportunity that comes across. The best technique to do this would therefore be through spend analysis. References Barone, S., Franco, E. L. (2012). Six Sigma methodology. Statistical and Managerial Techniques for Six Sigma Methodology: Theory and Application, 1-21. Ramsay, J. O., Silverman, B. W. (2002). Applied functional data analysis: methods and case studies (Vol. 77). New York: Springer. Pandit, K., Marmanis, H. (2008). Spend analysis: the window into strategic sourcing. J. Ross Publishing.

The Hartford Whalers Are Going Going ... :: essays research papers

The Hartford Whalers Are Going Going ...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hartford Whalers are in a very tough situation at this time. When Peter Karmanos bought the team in May of 1994, he inherited the worst lease agreement at the smallest arena in the NHL.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hartford Civic Center lease agreement creates profit for private companies; however, the lease causes the Whalers to lose money. The mall is owned and operated by Aetna; therefore it has nothing to do with the Whalers. The city of Hartford owns the coliseum, parking garage, and exhibition hall. The state of Connecticut pays a 1.6 million dollar annual leasing fee to take control of the coliseum, parking garage, and exhibition hall. The state hired Ogden Entertainment Services to run the coliseum, and Ogden receives all of the revenue from luxury boxes, the coliseum club, advertisements, rental fees and the exhibition hall. The state also hired Kinney Systems to run the parking garage and Service America Corporation to run the concessions. Both companies receive all revenue from the service they run. After all of this, there is no money left for the Hartford Whalers (Swift & Arace, 1+).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The reason why these three companies keep all of the revenue from the Civic Center can be blamed on Richard Gordon, the former owner of the Whalers who did not want the city of Hartford to run the Civic Center. In 1993, the state decided to negotiate a new lease with the Whalers. The state of Connecticut did not want to run the coliseum so they hired three private companies to take this job. These companies would only run the Civic Center if they could keep all of the revenue from the service they controlled. Richard Gordon accepted this lease because this agreement would repay him for an additional ten million dollars in loses and he sold the team a year later (Lang 53-69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Hartford Whalers is the only major league team in Connecticut and at the Civic Center. They currently have a bad lease which causes them to lose money. The Hartford Whalers play all exhibition, regular season, playoff games, the training camp, and some practice time rent free at the Civic Center. However, the Whalers get no revenue from concessions, luxury boxes, parking, and the coliseum club. The Whalers get sixty percent of the revenue from advertisements along the boards but no revenue from all other ads around the coliseum (Swift, 1+). The Whalers can leave Hartford after the 1997-98 season if they lose a cumulative thirty million dollars from 1994-95 through 1997-98. They must also pay a five million dollar penalty to leave Hartford.

Organic Farming

Mary Sears Taylor ENG 1120 Blair Date Sustainable Agriculture: The Switch from Industrial to Organic P1: Agriculture is the most important user of environmental resources and plays a crucial role in the economy, human health, and production of food and fiber. Currently the debate over agriculture is how to feed the world’s growing population, but in a non-damaging process. Agriculture needs a change resulting in sustainability, but the debate begins with how to achieve sustainability in agriculture. One side insists on expanding the current system of industrial agriculture, which depends on monoculture and mechanization.This modern approach to agriculture, which developed during the 20th century, has successfully fed the growing population, but has resulted in devastating effects on the environment and human health. Organic farming techniques, on the other hand, have recently been introduced as another possible solution to sustainable agriculture. Organic methods, including of crop rotation, pest management, and cover crops, have proven to be less damaging to the environment. Despite the proven benefits, some believe that organic farming methods will not produce enough food to feed the world’s growing population.Therefore, this side of the agricultural debate insists on merging organic farming and industrial agriculture together. Even though feeding the world’s growing population is essential, human health should never be at cost. Organic farming needs to completely replace industrial agriculture. According to Gracelinks. org, â€Å"Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. This definition proves that industrial agriculture does not meet the requirements of sustainability due to its cause of land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. Industrial agriculture has successfull y produced an abundant amount of food, but the harmful effects it causes on the environment and public health are unacceptable and unsustainable. P2: Sustainable agriculture techniques aim to embrace farming practices that mimic natural ecological practices.Methods that are sustainable will benefit the farmer, the land, and the community as a whole. Brodt Sonja from The Nature Education Knowledge Project states, â€Å"Agricultural sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. † This definition only begins to prove that organic farming is more sustainable than industrial agriculture. Industrial techniques compromise future generations’ ability to meet their needs.Even though industrial methods produce an abundant amount of food, the impacts are overwhelming on the environment and human health, resulting in an unsustainable world. Despite those who support i ndustrial agriculture or a combination of industrial and organic methods, I found research which proves that organic farming is solely the answer. The results I found confirm that the key to sustainable agriculture involves a complete shift of methods. After researching the debate, I am confident that a change from industrial to organic is vital to improve our environment and attain a sustainable agriculture.The organic farming approach to agriculture has proven to be more beneficial to the environment and public health, along with producing high yields. Agriculture will be made sustainable and ecologically sound by adopting organic farming techniques such as crop rotation, crop diversity, cover crops and pest management. These organic farming methods will continue to feed the world’s growing population without damaging consequences. P3: Sustainable agriculture strives to provide an abundance of food while using methods that do not harm the environment and improve human healt h.The Union of Concerned Scientists states, â€Å"Sustainable agriculture is grounded in the idea of stewardship: preserving the resources that allow us to meet our own needs, so that future generations can meet theirs too. † This means that an approach to farming needs to be economically viable, environmentally friendly, and beneficial to the society in order to be sustainable. Impacts of agriculture currently include land degradation, limits to water availability, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. These negative outcomes are caused by industrial agriculture methods.Yet, some people argue that industrial agriculture is more sustainable than organic farming. P4: Industrial agriculture is the current form of agriculture used in the United States and other developed countries. Economy Watch defines industrial agriculture as a â€Å"modern form of capital intensive farming which requires huge amounts of innovation in agriculture machinery. † The properties of industria l agriculture, which include monoculture, the practice of growing a single crop year after year, and reliance on chemical fertilizer, both result in destructive effects on the environment.Despite these consequences, industrial agriculture produces an abundant amount of food. Therefore, some people argue that the techniques of industrial farming need to be adjusted, not replaced. The article, â€Å"Will Organic Food Fail to Feed the World,† written by David Biello, argues a hybrid approach to sustainable agriculture. Biello states that industrial technologies have â€Å"fed the swelling human population† and â€Å"the world already produces 22 trillion calories annually via agriculture. The evidence supports his argument that the methods of industrial agriculture result in an abundant production of food that successfully feeds the growing population. However, the methods used to produce the great amount of food are harmful to the environment. David Biello also attempts to argue that organic farming will not supply enough food. Quoting environmental scientist Verena Seufert, from McGill University, Biello states, â€Å"We found that, overall, organic yields are considerably lower than conventional yields. By quoting Verena Seufert, Biello uses an ethical appeal to support his argument. It proves the importance of industrial agriculture due to its high yields and food production. His solution to agriculture, combining methods of both industrial and organic farming techniques, is not sustainable. The impacts caused by industrial agriculture out way the benefits. There is a completely sustainable approach that allows farmers to produce enough food without harming human health or the environment. The approach is organic farming.Even though industrial agriculture produces an abundant amount of food, the methods rely on mechanization, monoculture, and synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. The reliance on these methods exhaust the natural resou rces that human life depends on. The Pesticide Action Network states, â€Å"Industrial agriculture treats the farm as a factory, with inputs (pesticides and fertilizers), and outputs (crops. )† The use of comparison between farms and factories, two very opposite areas, informs the reader of the negative impacts of industrial farming.The production of food in factories and the use of chemicals result in negative externalities. The reliance on monoculture in industrial agriculture results in a threat to biodiversity. Monoculture farming depends heavily on chemical inputs because growing the same plant in the same place year after year quickly depletes nutrients that plants rely on. The only way to replenish the nutrients lost, is by adding synthetic fertilizers. The synthetic products added to soil deplete the nutrients in crops as well as producing harmful pollutants into the air.The Pesticide Action Network notes that industrial agriculture uses 70% of the planet’s fre sh water along with being responsible for 1/3 of global greenhouse gas emissions. These outrageous percentages can be reduced only if industrial agriculture is replaced. Industrial agriculture has a high price tag as well. In the article â€Å"Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems,† David Pimentel quotes the National Research Council when stating, â€Å"The cost of excessive fertilizer use- that is, fertilizer inputs that exceed the amount crops can use- is $2. billion per year. † Pimentel’s use of ethos and logos together successfully persuades the reader away from industrial farming. The harmful chemicals and high costs make industrial farming unsustainable. If sustainable agriculture is the goal, industrial methods and techniques must be replaced all together. Despite the arguments supporting industrial agriculture, organic farming has proven to be the solution to sustainable agriculture. The beneficial results include more fertile soil, greater biodiversity and healthier food products for consumers.These benefits support the requirements of sustainability and are achieved through organic agriculture techniques. Organic farming methods include crop rotation, pest management, crop diversity, and absence of chemicals. By adopting these methods, farmers will produce sustainable farms that can feed the world’s growing population, without negative externalities that halt future generations from succeeding. Crop rotation is the process of growing different crops in succession in the same field or area. When farmers use this organic farming method they avoid consequences such as soil degradation.Crop rotations help to replenish nitrogen in the crop’s soil, therefor chemicals are not needed to replenish the soil’s nutrients. Crop rotation also provides a solution to pest problems. Many pests prefer a specific crop, therefore continuing to grow the same in crop year af ter year guarantees pests a steady food supply. The Union of Concerned Scientists’ article, â€Å"Sustainable Agriculture Techniques,† states that â€Å"rotation reduces pest pressure on all the crops in the rotation by breaking the pest reproductive cycles. † This statement proves that organic farming methods are able to reduce the presence of pests.By planting different crops in a series, farmers decrease the chance of pest problems, in addition to using non-chemical fertilizers. The use of crop rotation allows farmers to produce healthier soil due to the absence of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The use of different plants in a row allows for an increase in soil organic matter which is healthier for the soil and crops being grown. The article, â€Å"Sustainable Development: Five Ways to Get Rid of Pests without Using Chemicals,† argues that the switch from chemical pesticides has led to better soil health.The article quotes Thakur Das, a rice far mer with experience from switching to organic farming, and states, â€Å"Most farmers use chemicals, but their soil is totally dead. † This use of ethos sways the reader to believe the argument. Interviewing a farmer with experience, proves that organic farmers have healthier soil in comparison to farmers who use chemicals. Healthy soil is one of the most important elements of agriculture. Enriched healthy soil can improve yields and produce crops less vulnerable to pests. Another unique benefit of organic farming is its ability to improve biodiversity.Biodiversity in farming is a key contributor to sustainable agriculture. While industrial techniques lack in biodiversity, organic methods increase and support biodiversity. James Randerson, author of the article â€Å"Organic Farming Boosts Biodiversity,† discusses seventy-six studies that measured biodiversity. After the studies were reviewed, the results proved that sixty-six out of ninety-nine found organic farming m ore beneficial to wildlife. Randerson states, â€Å"Organic farming increases biodiversity at ever level of the food chain. His use of logos blatantly displays the evidence to the reader, supporting the argument that biodiversity is increased through organic farming. In addition to Randerson’s proof regarding biodiversity, the article, â€Å"Sustainable Development: Five Ways to Get Rid of Pests without Using Chemicals,† also proves that crop diversity improves agricultural biodiversity. Currently, pests thrive in monocultures. Monoculture is simply the practice of growing a single crop over a large area. This results in negative effects on the environment. An easy solution to this is crop diversity.The article quotes sustainable agriculture expert, Jules Pretty, when stating, â€Å"Farm biodiversity is a more sustainable method of dealing with pests. † The use of ethos helps persuade the reader that crop diversity is a sustainable method. Due to Pretty’ s expertise, the information provided is likely to be true. Chemical additives, which pollute air and destroy crops, are in no way helpful to agriculture. Using techniques such as crop diversity will decrease the need for chemicals. Organic farming methods have proven to increase biodiversity in agriculture, making it a more sustainable approach.The use of organic farming methods result is a sustainable farm. Sustainable farms produce foods without excessive use of pesticides. This process makes the food healthier for the consumer. Research from the Green Peace Corporation states that â€Å"organic crops contain significantly more vitamin C, iron, and magnesium. † Each of these are important to human health. The research supports organic farming, as opposed to industrial agriculture. Sustainable farming successfully produces healthy food in an environmentally friendly manner.