Just Do It For Me The Roles and Responsibilities of A...

As new teachers leave the world of the University for the world of teaching, they often do not fully understand what is expected of them. The roles and responsibilities of a teacher can be vague and hard to understand when a new teacher is unwilling to ask questions of a mentor teacher, or the mentor teacher is unwilling to aid the new student. As Cathrine Le Maistre states in her paper, titled â€Å"Mentoring Neophyte Teachers: Lessons Learned from Experience† there is a much higher level of attrition after the first year of teaching than in any other year (2000). She believes that new teachers should be taught how to use their own minds, and not simply be given â€Å"manila folder of notes† (La Maistre, 2000. p. 84) and be expected to follow†¦show more content†¦Also, if you plan on teaching someone, it is not enough to hand the student a set of notes and expect them to understand; a mentor teacher should look at their student teacher as a student, which is w hat they still are and explain the process to them like they are a student. Student teachers and first year teachers are very similar, and should not be treated the same as experienced teacher; they should be given more guidance so they are better able to become experienced teachers in the future. Since new or student teacher will not understand fully the roles and responsibilities of a teacher, it is up to the mentor teacher and other experienced teachers to guide them through the process of becoming a teacher. Most schools that hire first year teachers will have a mentor program in place, however, according to Thomas M. McCann and Larry R. Johannessen, authors of â€Å"The Role and Responsibility of the Experienced Teacher† explain how simply having a mentor program is not enough to guarantee the success of a first year teacher. McCann and Johannessen explain what makes a poor mentor program; one in which there is an over emphasis on specific meeting times, and the time com mitment of such a program is actually counter-intuitive as both sides of the mentor relationship will become frustratedShow MoreRelatedRoles and Responsibilities of a Teacher Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesAssessment Question 1 – Roles and Responsibilities as a Teacher As in every profession, roles, responsibilities and boundaries are set in order to define the line indicating the acceptable limits. Many people think the role of a teacher is just to teach students new skills; however the role goes much further than this, it can include assessor, verifier, advisor, record keeper, course designer, working with employers and personal tutor.   Within this position there are naturally a huge numberRead MorePersonal Statement On Curriculum And Its Goals1567 Words   |  7 Pageswere to sit down with teachers, parents, community members, and even law makers I don’t think that you would get the same answer between any of them about what the general goals of curricula are. For me, it is a struggle to sit down and begin to think about what the goal of curricula. As a student and a teacher that has seen the changes in curricula my experiences have definitely influenced my thoughts about what the goals of curricula should be and the roles of the teacher, student, parent, andRead MoreMy Dream For My Future Teaching Career897 Words   |  4 PagesTeachers have the ability to shape the minds of the next Albert Einstein or Vincent Van Gogh. Even at a young age, students are able to be molded since they are very impressionable. Of course I have been dreaming to be a teacher since middle school, but that dream never held any so rt of substance or pathway for myself. Since the dream started, I have had the pleasure to meet amazing teachers who have showed me what it truly means to have passion. Therefore, the ability to inspire curiosity, becomeRead MoreA Teacher s View On The Purpose Of Schooling989 Words   |  4 Pagesstatement of philosophy begins with the educator s view on the purpose of schooling. In what ways are teachers going to challenge students to have high achievement standards? Along with goals for students, what are their responsibilities going to entail? These two questions play into the most significant focus of a teacher s philosophy: what is my role going to be as a teacher? What standards do I want to be the focus of my classroom? Also, a personal philosophy is not strictly in the classroom;Read MoreStudent Learning : Behavior Perspective And Cognitive Perspective Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesAs a teacher, providing a safe, comfortable classroom environment while being proactiv e in keeping good behavior in the classroom is very important. Doing these two things maximize opportunities for student learning. Behavior Perspective and Cognitive Perspective: The behavioral perspective is when learning and behavior are explained in terms of stimulus-response relationships. The cognitive perspective is the approach to human behavior that focuses on how we think, with the belief that such thoughtRead MoreMy Role As A Teacher1600 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant to realise that the cycle involves at all times the effective interaction of the teacher and the learner(s). It is vital that throughout the whole process, continuous assessment is conducted, and constructive feedback is given at each opportunity .All the information gathered during the teaching process should be accurately recorded. 2: My role as a Teacher will at some point in my career will need me to work with of the professional organisations, whether that be internal or external. SoRead More My Personal Philosophy of Education Essay1486 Words   |  6 Pagesand views of learning reflect the idea I have of how I would have liked my teachers to teach. Major philosophical approaches: My interest in teaching stems from my belief that teachers can have an incredible amount of influence over the life of their students, and with this privilege comes a great deal of responsibility to the student. Knowing this, it seems like a no-brainer to me that a teacher, just because of the enormous amount of time a student spends in school, shouldRead MoreRole Of A Modern Primary School Teacher1114 Words   |  5 PagesWhat am I? The role of a modern primary school teacher within a classroom is almost impossible to describe in full. Teachers are managers; they have an army of children before them that need guidance, support, care and discipline. Teachers are carers who provide emotional and pastoral care. Teachers are educationalists tasked with transferring knowledge and skills that will enable that child to develop and learn independently. But, first of all, a teacher has to prioritise the many important tasksRead MoreThe Importance of Education and Teaching Essay1369 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"I do not want to go to school today!† â€Å"I hate my teacher, and she hates us!† â€Å"Shes boring and we do not even learn anything!† â€Å"Ugh, why do I even have to go?† At one point or another in our lives, we have all been in this situation. Whether it was watching a friend or sibling throw the tantrum, or if it was you yourself, we have heard the excuses above plenty of times. Iro nically, these are not always excuses used in hoped of enjoying a day off from school, as sadly, these â€Å"boring† and â€Å"hateful†Read More Philosophy of Education Essay1211 Words   |  5 Pages Philosophy of Education Ever since I was a little girl I had this dream of being a teacher. Whether it was making up â€Å"pretend† tests or having my younger brother sit through my instruction, I knew that I was a born teacher. And now that I have grown and matured into a responsible young woman, I feel that my place in this world is in the classroom. I feel that the children are our future and we should teach them everything we know to the best of our abilities. Every summer since

The Crisis Of The New Millennium - 1418 Words

In 2007, the United States experienced a crippling recession in the mortgage/real estate field. This crushed the American economy as countless individuals lost their homes due to foreclosure as banks and other various lending institutions were forced to freeze their practices to ensure their survival. While this seemed to happen virtually overnight, there were several factors that served as signs and eventual learning points, providing insight into the cause of the crash. One of the contributing factors to the mortgage crisis of the new millennium is an old age issue that has affected our country for years but has gone largely unnoticed because at times because it has the ability to have a positive or negative affect, consumerism.†¦show more content†¦In response to having an influx of these types of potentials borrowers who were not the most desirable candidates to lend to, the mortgage industry increased the practice of sub-prime lending, another cause of the mortgage crash. This is the concept of approving loans for individuals that are high risk or may have a greater chance of default on the loan. Some defining characteristics of these individuals include: low or bad credit score, low income, debt and no assets. To be fair this practice existed long before the mortgage crisis but was done in moderation and carefully monitored. But as the number of high risk applicants increased, the lending institutions allowed the practice of sub-prime l ending to be practice regularly. While facing pressure from the applicants to provide these loans, many lending institutions also faced pressure from within their own companies. Loan officers who are responsible for overseeing the loan process, began to direct the company underwriters to do whatever was necessary to make the loans successful. The underwriters responded by not accurately disclosing the risk of lending to these types of applicants and the loan closed successfully. This backfired when many homeowners validated their high risk status by being unable to make their loan payments as

Mediating Environment in Explaining Participation

Question: Discuss about the Mediating Environment in Explaining Participation. Answer: Introduction: In a country, it is proper to have a set of written principles and statement which help the authority to govern the country in an efficient manner. Throughout the passage of time, various changes, amendment, and developments have occurred. It needs to be mentioned that the issue of environment in the present world is garnering much importance and significance since the environmental situation is continuously getting deteriorated. As a result, it is the humans who are getting affected. However, In spite of this critical situation, people are still unable to understand the gravity of the situation. Hence, the modern system of law has decided to take the matter in its hands. As a consequence of this decision, the section of environmental law is created and to some extent is also incorporated into the other section of life. Regarding the statement, it is better to be aware that many meetings, conferences, and discussion sessions are conducted to actualize and enforce the laws of the envi ronment. Environment basically includes the entire ecosystems which apart from possessing its intimate aspects also includes the communities which exist within the environment along with the people living in this environment. Environment objects include both physical and natural resources. The environment impacts as well as get affected by the economic, social cultural and aesthetic conditions The environment law has always been a debatable issue. Unlike the other laws, the factor of the environment is often considered a controversial topic. This is because; the environment is basically a body which consists of inanimate objects. In other words, the environment is simply an object, a non-living, therefore it is futile to make laws for something which, to put it simply does not live or does not exist. However, this dominant opinion is challenged by the Christopher Stone. It should be mentioned that the Stone wrote the article reasoning that areas and natural objects must possess legal rights. Stone lend voice to the concept of land ethic that was advocated by Aldo Leopold. Taking into account the article Should Tress Have Standing into account, it can be said that environment does possess the right to hold legal rights Stone demonstrated that, in ancient times, children used to be treated as objects. This means the father had the right to do whatever they felt right with th e children, without taking the childs permission. Just like the children, the environmental objects which are present around us are unable to take actions on their own and taking this chance, people are treating the environment as a mere object, treating them unfairly. However, the children are living beings who possess their own individuality and their own right to live in this world; therefore it is illegal for the father to treat children as mere objects. Taking the point of living the environment is also looked down as mere objects; however, it is justifiable that the environment holds its respecting rights. It needs to be taken into account that the environment does hold its individuality and has its own existence, thus the factor of physical presence is given importance. Taking assistance from the article, another factor which should be mentioned is that the world of law is filled with insentient right-holders: corporations, trusts, municipalities, joint ventures, nation-state s partnership and such other abstract objects. If these abstract objects can hold importance in terms of legality, then it is legally unfair not to give importance to the environment when it possesses solid evidence of existence. Throughout the ages, as a result of several debates and controversies, several laws concerning the issues of environment are made; issues such as landscape, conservation, water equality, energy and such are created and have come into existence. Some of these international laws concerning the environment are The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth (1966), World Conservation Strategy by IUCN (1980), Rio Conference on Environment and Development (1992), Rio Summit 2012, Stockholm Conference concerning Human Environment (1972) and much more. Stone said that an individual must possess the capability of holding anthropological and existing legal order in order to conserve ad give full protection to the natural objects. Another aspect which is opined by Stone, an individual must have the ability to possess guardianship on the environmental objects. He also puts in front the question which is being discussed by many, stating the necessity and importance of law required to protect nature. Regarding this statement, he gave suitable explanations and opinions, validating the potentiality of the argument. The Stockholm Conference, held at the Stockholm, Sweden consists of 26 principles. All of these principles are related with for the conservation and betterment of the environment. A constructive Action Plan is made for the purpose, containing around 109 recommendation. Apart from this, a resolution is also constructed, keeping in mind the factor of the environment. The content of the environment stated that human rights need to be apartheid, asserted, and colonialism must be condemned at all costs. The necessity for conserving natural resources is also present. The Earths ability of production must be given importance and needs to be maintained. Pollution must not exceed the cleaning capacity of the environment. Human settlements must be carefully done so that the environment does not get affected. The government needs to make their own policies for the development and betterment of the people as well as the population. The Stockholm Conference also stated that environmental educatio n is indeed a necessity for the all-round development of an individual. Research concerning environment must b encouraged and promoted. World Conservation Strategy by IUCN (1980) is basically the first global document which discusses the topic of living resource. The significance of the document lie in the fact is that this was created as a result of the accumulation of various relevant data and information from the non-governmental, governmental organizations. The document also got necessary assistance from the experts who are engaged and deal with the environment. The document strongly asserts that in order to develop make the world sustainable for a living, it is necessary to support the process of conservation and preservation of the environment and its natural resources instead of hindering the growth and conservation of the environmental world. Rio Conference on Environment and Development (1992), this conference was held in Rio. This conference was better known as Earth Summi t. The only importance of this summit was that it highlighted the importance of possessing sustainable development in front of the public and the platform of the media. The Brundtland Commission, known formally as WCED or World Commission on Environmental and Development upholds the mission of uniting the nations in order to pursue together the objective of sustainable development. This commission stresses on the three main objectives of development: social equality, economic growth and environmental protection. It is noteworthy to state that the pillar of environmental protection has succeeded in gaining much attention and importance in recent twenty years. As a result of giving importance to the matter factor of environments, many people want to invest in this pillar which still needs development and improvement. Concerning this aspect, investment is made to better the situation of green technologies. The fact that the issue of environment has indeed become a great cause of concern and importance can be understood by the amount of international organizations or nations which have taken part for the promotion and welfare of the environment. The General Assembly of UN, NGOs such as IUCN has participated. Apart from them, various parties and conferences have also joined hands with each other for this great cause of concern. The chief concepts and principles of these international parties and conferences are balance, prevention and procedural. All the conferences, discussions, meetings which have taken place throughout the passage of time holds one single objective and that is paving way for the all-round improvement and development of the environment. In order to accomplish this objective, all of these conferences and meetings are conducted. The chief objective is that environment must be conserved and protected. All the objects which comprise the environment need to be properly preserved and in order to do this, necessary steps for improvement needs to be taken, initiated and enforced. The point can be further explained by giving one relevant example. As per the content of the Rio Conference of 1992, legal rules and regulations concerning environment along with its development are given importance. Apart from this, legal rules are formed stating the principles which needs be followed, keeping in mind the welfare and conservation of forest. FCCC of UN concentrates on the importance of climate change and how positive change is to be initiated concerning the factor of climate. Another factor which is mentioned in the conference is the factor of biological diversity. This suggests that proper steps must be taken to conserve the balance of the environment and apart from this; biological diversity needs to be maintained. The conference states that every organization must try its best not to harm the environmental objects and to consider the factor of the natural diversity of the environment. Institutional innovation must be encouraged. The Stones chosen article is very much relatable concerning this point. The article rightfully supports and considers the legibility of the environmental objects. Apart from supporting and upholding the law of environments, it also shows arguments whic h give proves the arguments. It is true that environmental rights are indeed necessary, however, it also possess certain loopholes, which means many people use this right for their personal benefit, making other the sufferer. This must not be encouraged at all. It is the responsibility of the legal makers or the law holders to take care of this negative aspect. The environmental laws sometimes are used to gain personal advantage. Several cases have been observed regarding this issue. Therefore necessary precautions must be taken for the purpose. Thus, in conclusion, it can be assessed that the laws concerning environmental objects is indeed important and significant and it is the duty of every citizen to maintain these laws and regulations which are given, initiated and enforced in order to get a better world. It needs to be remembered that the entire population lives within the environment; hence if the environment gets hampered and affected in any way then its population will also get into trouble. Therefore it is necessary to give importance to the rights related to the environment. As per the opinion of Stone, environments objects are indeed beings which possess their existence and are not abstract. Therefore, if the abstract objects can hold existence then proper importance must be given to the environment. Reference List Anaby, D., Hand, C., Bradley, L., DiRezze, B., Forhan, M., DiGiacomo, A. and Law, M., 2013. The effect of the environment on participation of children and youth with disabilities: a scoping review.Disability and rehabilitation,35(19), pp.1589-1598. Anaby, D., Law, M., Coster, W., Bedell, G., Khetani, M., Avery, L. and Teplicky, R., 2014. The mediating role of the environment in explaining participation of children and youth with and without disabilities across home, school, and community.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,95(5), pp.908-917. Axelrod, R.S. and VanDeveer, S.D. eds., 2014.The global environment: institutions, law, and policy. CQ Press. Greenwood, C., 2016. The 2015 Lionel Cohen Lecture: Magna Carta And The Development Of Modern International Law.Isr. L. Rev.,49, pp.435-435. Juergensmeyer, J. and Roberts, T., 2013.Land use planning and development regulation law 3d (Hornbook Series). West Academic. Keane, A. and McKeown, P., 2014.The modern law of evidence. Oxford University Press. Kubasek, N.K., Brennan, B.A. and Browne, M.N., 2016.The legal environment of business: A critical thinking approach. Pearson. Law, R.J., Covaci, A., Harrad, S., Herzke, D., Abdallah, M.A.E., Fernie, K., Toms, L.M.L. and Takigami, H., (2014). Levels and trends of PBDEs and HBCDs in the global environment: status at the end of 2012.Environment international,65, pp.147-158. Means, R.C., 2016.Underdevelopment and the Development of Law: Corporations and Corporation Law in Nineteenth-Century Colombia. UNC Press Books. Seidman, A., 2016.State and law in the development process: problem-solving and institutional change in the Third World. Springer. Stone, C., 2015. Should trees have standing.Toward Legal Rights for Natural Ob. Thomas, R. ed., 2015.The Modern Law of Marine Insurance: Volume Four. CRC Press. Von Glahn, G. and Taulbee, J.L., 2015.Law among nations: an introduction to public international law. Routledge. Young, C.L., 2016. Res Publicae in the modern world of minerals: has this Roman Law creation survived the introduction of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002.

Road Accidents in India for Drunken Driving- MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theRoad Accidents in India as a Consequence of Drunken Driving. Answer: Introduction Road accidents have been recognized as a major cause of disability and death. It is a now public health problem all over the world, but has shown some decline in US and China (Bayan, Bhawalkar, Jadhav, Banerjee, 2013). But the problem of road accidents in India is growing and in a substantial number of cases alcohol use by the driver is identified as a cause (Gururaj, 2008). The social determinant of health that plays a significant part due to error in judgement by drivers when they are under the influence of alcohol. According to the Press Information Bureau, Government of India, the number of road accidents has grown from 2014 to 2015 by 2.5 percent,. The number of people killed in road accidents have gone up from 2014 to 2015 by 4.6 percent. Injuries due to road accidents have gone up by 1.4 per cent from 2014 to 2015. Every hour 17 people lose their lives on Indian roads (Press Information Bureau, 2016). The analysis of data by the bureau also reveals that 54.1 per cent of the p eople killed during the analysed period were aged between 15 and 34 years. India is a signatory to the Brasilia Declaration and has to reduce the accidents to 50 per cent by 2020. Very few studies on the effect of alcohol consumption by drivers before an accident have been carried out in India. 17 per cent of drivers involved in road traffic injuries have been confirmed or suspected to have indulged in drunken driving in India (Esser, et al., 2016). A review of studies on alcohol consumption or substance use by drivers it was found that 2 to 33 per cent of injuries occurred because the driver was drunk at the time of driving. 6 to 48 per cent of the victims that were killed due to road accidents were under the influence of alcohol (Das, Gjerde, Gopalan, Normann, 2012). Impact of Drunken Driving on Road Safety The impact of drunken driving is severe. Use of motorised vehicles is the major means of transport in cities and rural areas. The road users that are most vulnerable and are more likely to be victims of road accidents are pedestrians, cyclists and people who use two wheelers, such as, mopeds, motorbikes and scooters. Use of helmets is not strictly enforced and the riders are complacent about using protective gear. This makes them more vulnerable to head injury in case of a road accident. Young male adults have been found to be at a greater risk of injury and fatality. Maximum number of road accidents were reported after sunset and until midnight. This could be due to lower visibility and poorly lit streets and roads. More accidents were also found to have occurred on Sundays or other holidays than other days of the week. About 54.24% victims of road accidents (among the non-fatal cases) have been found to suffer from multiple injuries (Bayan, Bhawalkar, Jadhav, Banerjee, 2013). 46.2 2 per cent of the injured in road accidents have admitted to have consumed alcohol just before the accident (Bayan, Bhawalkar, Jadhav, Banerjee, 2013). Irresponsible drinking leads to drunken driving and the awareness about exercising restrain on driving motor vehicles after drinking is the reason for a large number of road accidents. Drunken driving is found to be the major cause of road accidents. Other causes include, indecision, driver fatigue, not using seat belts, distraction while driving, use of mobile phones when driving and confusion. Drivers may be inexperienced, prone to taking unnecessary risks, casual about following traffic rules, unaware of signals and signs on roads, impulsive and even aggressive (Ruikar, 2013; Gopalakrishnan, 2012). In 77.5% cases, driver's fault has been recognised as the cause for accidents in India. According to a WHO report on road accidents, India scores only 3 on a scale of 10 in enforcement of traffic laws and prevention of drunken driving There is a considerable impact of road accidents on the healthcare system of India. Emergency care and a long rehabilitation process for the accident victims and a economic cost of 12.5 billion dollars is spent. This does not account for losses incurred due to permanent disability in case of some victims. An important reason for the high incidence of road traffic accidents is due to complexity of traffic in India. Mixed traffic consists of slow and fast moving vehicles, pedestrians and even animals share the road infrastructure (Annadurai, Mani, Danasekaran, 2015). According to a survey in the North Eastern state of Assam, about 15% of drivers do not have a license at the time of accident, many preventable injuries occurred because seat belts were not used by car drivers and passengers, 19% drivers had consumed alcohol in the 24 hours prior to driving (Bhuyan Ahmed, 2013). The same survey reported that 66% of the injured in a road accident suffered from head and neck injuries, 44% had upper limb injuries, 41% suffered from lower limb injuries and 14% suffered from injuries on the chest (Bhuyan Ahmed, 2013). According to a WHO report on road safety status in India, of the reported road fatalities in India, 85% were men and 15% were women. The Gross Domestic Product lost due to injuries and fatalities from road accidents amounted to 3%. India does not have fixed speed limits in urban and rural areas. Though the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit of 0.03gm/dl is fixed and random breath analysis is done, enforcement of the law is poor. The public is not scared of being found out and so the incidence of drunken driving is quite high. Only 60% compliance for using helmet while driving has been found. 26% drivers or front seat passengers use the seat belt. Enforcement of the law pertaining to seat belt use is only 4 on a scale of 10. There is no law restricting the seating of children on the front seat There is no culture of exercising restraint on drinking alcohol if a person is going to drive within the next few hours. The reason why driving after alcohol consumption is dangerous is because even low doses of alcohol impair driver judgement. There is no evidence of the lower threshold at which alcohol does not impair judgement by drivers. The clinical outcomes of injuries upon an accident due to impairment after alcohol consumption are always poor. Not only sensory, perceptual and motor behaviours are affected upon alcohol consumption but cognitive function decline leads to divided attention and increased mental workload. Such impairment occurs even at BAC as low as 0.02 grams/100ml. The fact that most accidents after alcohol consumption occur at night points to the fact that excessive fatigue, lack of sleep and disturbance in the circadian rhythms could also add to the impairment (Ogden, 2004). Stakeholders who can stop Drunken Driving The key to prevention measures against drunken driving is spreading public awareness. Current efforts by authorities and non-governmental organisations drunken driving need to be strengthened. The next step is use of breath analysers consistently throughout the year and strict enforcement of the law against drunken driving. The current penalty of INR 2000 is hardly a deterrent. The permanent cancellation of license after breaking the law on drunken driving is required. Police action against drivers with detectable levels of alcohol in their systems is very lenient. The problem of driving after alcohol consumption is serious enough to warrant harsher punishment Several approaches towards prevention of accidents have been used effectively to control injuries and deaths due to road accidents. Wide pavements for pedestrians and cyclists, zebra crossings, foot bridges or underground crossings for pedestrians can reduce the occurrence of road accidents. Use of helmets by two-wheeler riders and pillion riders must be enforced stringently, so that head injuries due to falls and collisions can be avoided. But all these steps must be taken in conjunction with a complete ban on drunken driving. Strict enforcement of traffic rules is often the key to prevention of road accidents. Awareness among the public, constant reinforcement through messages to spread awareness against drunken driving, strict punishment and enforcement of traffic rules among the public, stringent tests for driving license, and scientific engineering can bring a reduction in the incidence of road accidents (Gopalakrishnan, 2012). Easy availability of alcohol near highways had often been cited as the cause for easy access for drivers. A new Supreme court order disallows serving of liquor by restaurants and hotels within 500 meters distance from the state and national highways(Rautray, 2017). Paucity of research in India on the harms of drunk driving also reduces the pressure on the policy makers to frame newer, more stringent and strict laws. For the magnitude of the problem, the number of studies is quite small (Sivakumar Krishnaraj, 2012). Simulation studies on the effect of alcohol consumption on impairment of driver judgement need to be carried out in the Indian context. Experience of countries where law enforcement has reduced accidents due to alcohol consumption must be used to frame laws that prohibit irresponsible behaviour by drivers. Due to poor understanding of the scale of the problem, often the public at large underestimates the problem. The approach of law enforcers is also casual. Use of technology to detect alcohol consumption in vehicles can help control the problem. Cars and motor vehicles can be fitted with alcohol sensors or detectors in driver's breath so that the engine of the vehicle does not start upon detection of alcohol. Another approach is to use an alcohol sensor on the steering that can detect alcohol in the driver's breath and switches off the ignition of the car (James, Aparna, John, 2014). In conclusion, the statistics of drunken driving and fatalities and injuries due to drunken driving in India are alarming. While most countries have been able to reduce incidence, in India, the number of accidents continues to grow. Complexities of traffic and poor use of helmets and seat belts has compounded the problem. The vulnerable groups are pedestrians and drivers and riders of two wheelers. The extent of injuries is severe, many suffer from head injuries, suffer from fractures and some become disabled for life. The poor road infrastructure contributes to the problem. Poor lighting causes more accidents after sunset. Due to impaired judgement upon consuming alcohol drivers drive in a rash manner. Public awareness about the impact of drunken driving is low, so the problem continues unabated. No sale of alcohol near highways might improve the situation. But the enforcement of laws related to blood alcohol concentration of 0.02 grams/dl need to be more stringent. Harsher punishm ents like cancellation of license are required. Preventive steps to curb drinking and driving need to be strengthened. While protective strategies for pedestrians and cyclists can reduce accidents. Use of wide pavements, zebra crossings. well lit roads and foot bridges can reduce road accidents, more research on how to prevent accidents in Indian conditions is required. . Collaboration between various stakeholders, such as, policy makers, town planning experts, law enforcement agencies, public and the researchers is important to bring about the desired change. Use of technology that deters or makes it impossible to drive can be done by embedding cars with devices that stop the engine on detecting alcohol in the driver's breath. The road to safety is long and full of challenges but unnecessary loss of life and pain must end. References /PrintRelease.aspx?relid=146093. (2016, June 9). Retrieved from https://pib.nic.in/: https://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=146093 Annadurai, K., Mani, G., Danasekaran, R. (2015). Recurring tragedy of road traffic accidents in India: Challenges and opportunities. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, 19(7): 434435. Bayan, P., Bhawalkar, J., Jadhav, S., Banerjee, A. (2013). Profile of non-fatal injuries due to road traffic accidents from a industrial town in India. International Journal of Critical Illness and Injury Science, 3(1): 811. Bhuyan, P., Ahmed, F. (2013). Road Traffic Accident: An Emerging Public Health Problem in Assam. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 38(2): 100104. Das, A., Gjerde, H., Gopalan, S., Normann, P. (2012). Alcohol, drugs, and road traffic crashes in India: a systematic review. Traffic Injury Prevention, 13(6):544-53. Esser, M., Wadhwaniya, S., Gupta, S., Tetali, S., Gururaj, G., Stevens, K., Hyder, A. (2016). Characteristics associated with alcohol consumption among emergency department patients presenting with road traffic injuries in Hyderabad, India. Injury, 47(1):160-5. Gopalakrishnan, S. (2012). A Public Health Perspective of Road Traffic Accidents. Journal of Primary Medicine and Primary Care, 1(2): 144150. Gururaj, G. (2008). Road traffic deaths, injuries and disabilities in India: current scenario. The National Medical Journal of India, 21(1):14-20. James, N., Aparna, C., John, T. (2014). Alcohol Detection System. International Journal of Research in Computer andCommunication Technology, 3(1). Ogden, E. M. (2004). Effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs on Driver Performance. Traffic Injury Prevention, 5(3):185-198. Rautray, S. (2017, April 1). restaurants-within-500-metres-of-highways-cannot-serve-liquor-sc/articleshow/57940617.cms. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/hotels-restaurants-within-500-metres-of-highways-cannot-serve-liquor-sc/articleshow/57940617.cms Ruikar, M. (2013). National statistics of road traffic accidents in India. Journal of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Rehabilitation, 6(1):1-6. Sivakumar, I., Krishnaraj, R. (2012). Road Trffic accidents due to drunken driving in India- Challenges in Prevention. International Journal of Research in Management Technology , 2(4):401-406.

The Strategy Adopted by Ikea free essay sample

Explain, in details, the strategy adopted by IKEA, and how it successfully did the positioning. ***At business level strategy Focus Strategies By implementing a cost leadership or differentiation strategy, IKEA choose to compete by exploiting their core competencies on an industry-wide basis and adopt a broad competitive scope. Alternatively, IKEA can choose to follow a focus strategy by seeking to use their core competencies to serve the needs of a particular customer group in an industry. In other words, IKEA focus on specific, smaller segments (or niches) of customers rather than across the entire market. Focused Business Level Strategies involve the same basic approaches as Broad Market Strategies. Focus strategies can be based either on cost leadership or differentiation. Focused Cost Leadership Strategy IKEA that compete by following cost leadership strategies to serve narrow market niches generally target the smallest buyers in an industry (those who purchase in such small quantities those industry-wide competitors cannot serve them at the same low cost). We will write a custom essay sample on The Strategy Adopted by Ikea or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Global furniture retailer IKEA provide customers with â€Å"affordable solutions for better living† through use of the focused cost leadership strategy.The company offers home furnishings that combine good design, function, and quality with low prices. IKEA does this by offering low-cost, modular furniture (assembled by customers), using self-service as an alternative to having sales associates follow and pressure customers to buy. IKEA displays its products in room-like settings so that customer can view different combinations of furniture, eliminating the need for assistance from sales associates or decorators to visualize the setting and reducing employee costs. Customers also pick up their own purchases to reduce the company’s costs. Finally, stores address the needs of shoppers (e. . , extended hours and in-store childcare) while they shop. Focused Differentiation Strategy IKEA following focused differentiation strategies produce customized products for small market segments. They can be successful when either the quantities involved are too small for industry-wide competitors to handle economically, or when the extent of customization (or differentiation) requested is beyond the capabilities of the industry-wide differentiator. For example, Manufacturers such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini compete in the tiny super car category with prices starting at $150,000 and running as high as $600,000. These cars are more than just transportation. Just as was noted for industry-wide differentiators and low-cost producers, IKEA choosing to focus must be particularly adept at completing primary and secondary value chain activities in a superior way. Issues related to the five competitive forces are similar to those discussed for the differentiation and cost leadership strategies, except that the competitive scope of the focus is on a narrow segment rather than the industry. ***At corporate level strategyThe IKEA international strategy uses a franchise corporate level strategy spreading risks and sharing resources. And as IKEA has moved into an ever expansionist mode, pursuing both multi-point competition and vertical integration to achieve market power, it found markets ready and willing to adopt the IKEA mindset of low cost, European designed furniture – â€Å"supplying Scandinavian design at Asian prices†. Britain, for example, was wallowing with a complacent Habitat (nicknamed â€Å"Shabitat†) which IKEA came to own. This was another key to the IKEA success story – timing. An industry-wide competitor may recognize the attractiveness of the segment served by the focuser and mobilize its superior resources to better serve the segments needs. Preferences and needs of the narrow segment may become more similar to the broader market, reducing or eliminating the advantages of focusing. There are a focusing IKEA may be â€Å"out focused† by its competitors. A large competitor may set its sights on an IKEA’s niche market. Customer preferences in niche market may change to more closely resemble those of the broader market.It often involves compromises becoming neither the lowest cost nor the most differentiated IKEA. It becomes to â€Å"stuck in the middle†. The strong commitment are lacked and expertise that accompanies IKEAs following either a cost leadership or a differentiated strategy. 4 Based on your answer to the above, how can managers guard against such risks? A mixed strategy is not advisable because cost leadership and differentiation may call for inconsistent policies and conflicting demands on operations, budget allocations, choice of suppliers and distributors, etc.Pursuing them simultaneously may reduce the effectiveness of the policies resulting in weak or no advantages. It may also make it more difficult to create a clear image in the minds of customers. Priorities may also be unclear in the minds of staff. On the other hand, IKEAs in reality rarely competes purely on cost or differentiation. This shows that combining the two is possible. As long as the strategy does not require mutually conflicting practices, it is fine to mix the two. IKEA makes very few products internally and relies almost totally on its network of hundreds of suppliers.These collaborative long-term partnerships with suppliers are rooted deeply in IKEA’s corporate history, and the character of these ties has become part of the culture. It is through the suppliers that IKEA has been able to make innovative designs featuring environmentally responsible materials and an efficient use of resources and translate them into bottom-line results. The key suppliers, in turn, use links with IKEA as vehicles to stay innovative, because innovation is the only choice if the supplier wants to retain this powerful buyer; IKEA is powerful enough to be coercive, and â€Å"the giant† is not to be dismissed easily.Another aspect to consider in this case is a process that starts with regulation, which has prompted IKEA to work with key suppliers to meet the new requirements (pushing them to do so at equivalent or minimally increased costs). They develop a higher-quality product, which motivates IKEA’s competitors to match the design and materials innovations as well as the economic efficiencies. Meanwhile, the suppliers improved skills and capacities make it more competitive, enabling it to expand its business with old and new buyers.Consequently, the industry is stimulated to match and exceed the IKEA example, the natural environment wins because waste or pollution is reduced or eliminated, and the customer benefits by being able to purchase a better-quality product. Students should emerge from the discussion with a sense of how IKEA illustrates the ripple effects through markets, industries, and societies of innovation around environmental concerns (and IKEA is not an isolated example, merely an illuminating one).IKEA save to create by successfully transferring capabilities and competencies from one SBU to another SBU. The value is created from economies of scope through: Operational relatedness in sharing activities say purchase and sales ; corporate relatedness in transferring skills or corporate core competencies among units. The difference between sharing activities a nd transferring competencies is based on how the resources are jointly used to create economies of scope.

How to Write an Informal Essay

How to Write an Informal Essay How to Write an Informal Essay Purpose of an Informal Essay The purpose of an informal essay is mainly for entertainment and enjoyment. An information essay is written in a relaxed style, but still has a definite structure to it. When writing an information essay, you are free to express your opinion more openly than with a formal essay. Informal essays are used to write about personal experiences, controversies, news issues, etc. Unlike a formal essay, an informal essay has a conversational or amusing tone, to appeal to the reader’s sense of fascination. Informal essays are not necessarily politically correct because they are of a laid back nature. Segments of an Informal Essay Even though an essay is informal, it still needs to be written with an organized structure to it with the following segments: The Purpose The Title The Body The Conclusion Purpose Even though this type of essay is informal, you still need a valid thesis statement that gives the reader an idea of the purpose of the essay. This would be the main idea of your topic. Title Just like with a formal essay, your title is an important element of your essay. The title often lets a person know whether or not your essay is worth their time. Many people will read an essay just because of its title. The title should persuade the reader and let them know the main idea of the essay. Body With an informal essay, you can use a few effective techniques for the body. For example, you can use the ‘compression’ technique. This stresses the important points of the essay to the reader. Another technique is ‘time inversion’. With this, you begin the essay by detailing the middle part of the story first and then go from there. Yet, another informal essay writing technique is called ‘withholding’, where you provoke questions from the readers but you do not give them the information. ‘Foreshadowing’ is another informal technique that uses a thriller connotation and remains unpredictable to the reader. No matter what technique you use, the body of your essay gives the reader a full view of your essay topic. The body of the essay describes the main content of your story. The body should also contain all of the key points about the topic, and it is good for the essay to contain a paragraph on each key point. Conclusion As with any essay, the conclusion sums up all of the key points, the purpose, and the topic. In addition, all of this should tie back into your introduction and summarize the purpose of the essay. Also, with an informal essay, be sure that it still has structure even though it is written for pleasure purposes. At you will get quality informal essay help from certified academic writers. All custom informal essays are of the finest quality and written from scratch. Fill in the order form now!

Indians and Alcohol in Early America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Indians and Alcohol in Early America - Essay Example Professor Mancall fascination with other subjects -- Geography, for example, or other things Dutch -- served his writings as well, and also made for interesting subjects in his essays and short script pieces. A very important author, who deserves to be more widely translated,. Peter C. Mancall has a unique talent among contemporary History authors. Emphatically Europeans -- and the grand old man of contemporary Indian History --, his books easily transcends national borders. There is not anything regional about his writing. If anything symbolizes his writings, it is certain darkness and a certain message. The gloom is not oppressive in his writings particularly in his book "Deadly Medicine, Indians and Alcohol in Early America". Professor Mancall is not out to weigh his reader down. He is, however, a realist, and insists that certain things need be said. Teachers and students and workers are satisfied with his teachings and we as readers do not see many of his critics -- Peter C. Mancall will have none of that. He presents the fact, cruel as it seldom is. He feels no immense push for to round off his stories with ends in a meaningful ways.The message is also persistent: He shares a sense of how to employ it with ecstasy, drowning into deep history. Years of writing and teachings have giv... He is among the few male authors able to create particularly strong History environment. A gifted illustrator, he skills his books. The words alone suffice, but Peter C. Mancall illustrations and sense of presentation manage to improve even on these. There is no question: Peter C. Mancall is one of the major authors writing in History today. Review On "Deadly Medicine, Indians And Alcohol In Early America" This book "Deadly Medicine, Indians and Alcohol in Early America" consists of seven chapters excluding the prologue and epilogue. The book consists of 296 pages in all. The book basically describes alcohol since the American ancient times and its impact upon the early Indians who settled in early America. Alcohol violence has destroyed and ruined American Indians from the time of seventeenth century, when European colonist began doing business of furs and alcohol. In the first book to investigate the genesis of this current social crisis, Peter C. Mancall discovers the liquor's business overwhelming contact on the Indian societies of imposing America. The Professor Mancall pursues the track of liquor from the West Indian manufacturers to the regal vendors and on to the Indian customers in the eastern woods. To learn why Indians contributed in the alcohol business and why they practiced such a commanding longing for alcohol, he concentrate on present health views on alcoholism and re-inspects the colonial period as a time when Indians were outlining novel approaches for endurance on earth that had been fundamentally distorted. Lastly, Professor Mancall evaluates Indian consumption in New France and New Spain with that in the British settlements. Everlastingly devastating the label of t he

Strategic Marketing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic Marketing Assignment - Essay Example It has same responsibilities as in any large corporations that could be found. 3.2.2 Senior management is comprised of talented and experienced people in the industry, and was given specific responsibilities in the company’s operation. Giving responsibilities is an act of recognition of talents which according to Deutsch, Barry n.d. is one way of keeping best employees. An example is Neil Montefiere, the current CEO and Executive Director of StarHub who brought with him his 36 years of telecom experience. Neil was chosen as Asia’s Best Executive and one of the 100 most powerful people in the industry in 2010. (See Annex 1 ) Corporate culture is defined as an organization’s shared values, symbols, behaviors and assumptions or simply put, ‘it is the way things are done†. (Jason, Martin. M. 2006) StarHub has a vision â€Å"to be Singapore’s first choice for information, communication, and entertainment services† and a mission â€Å"To provide every person, home and business in Singapore with world-class multimedia services and content. (Starhub 2012) StarHub considers people as their as their most important assets in the communication industry. Management fosters a work culture that values teamwork, customer responsiveness and reliability. Its core values are Excellence, Integrity and Teamwork. In setting up, Pophal, Linda.( 2009)said goals for business should be realistic, measurable and achievable. For this purpose, goal is to increase customer base by 10% in 2013. But how could this be done? These could be done by wrapping up the 4Ps of business – the product, price, place and promotion. Although Starhub Mobile is the last entrant to the Singapore’s mobile market, operating nation-wide, it is now the nation’s second largest mobile service provider. It is recognized by customers due to its innovative and pioneering services and pricing plans offered to users. For

Defining the Nature of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defining the Nature of Happiness - Essay Example The happier you are, the better your life is going for you. Yet the nature of happiness remains controversial. Some claim that happiness is fundamentally a matter of sensory pleasure and pain - if you are experiencing a favorable balance of pleasurable sensations over painful ones, you are happy. Others say that to be happy is to be getting your desires satisfied, whatever these desires may be. Still others say that to be happy is to be satisfied with your life as a whole."1 There are many ways which a person can do to himself to feel happy. Everybody is in the pursuit of happiness and in my view there is no way that person feel ultimate happiness. Some aspect of art and some of science are necessary for sense happiness for short time period. Nothing is forever neither happiness; it doesn't mean that the person feel guilty or sad because of that thing which made him happy. Everybody after sometime will have new aim to fulfill which they think will make them happy. Satisfaction leads to happiness, so in whatever condition we are we should do ignore our bigger aims and concentrate on little things which will make us happy on daily basis. We should count all our blessings and write it in a journal which will give you satisfaction. You should practice some acts of kindness like give charity or help someone genuinely. Relish joys of life, remember all the good moments of your life which will make you smile in less happy moments. If there is a mentor who has helped you in any way which had made things better in your life, thank him. Forgive a person who has hurt you by writing an email or giving him a phone call and it will help you a lot to move on. Personal relationship should be developed like visit family or spend time with friends; you will not feel lonely and sad. There is nobody who hasn't seen hardships of life, so religion will be your savior and believe in 'this shall too pass'. You have to take a lot of care of your body because healthy life is necessary to be happy, irregular timings of sleeps and meals will lead to sickness and you will be worried. Take plenty of sleep, practice smiling and exercise to feel better3. One of the greatest delusions related to happiness is that one need money to be happy. But if you study people around then you will feel there is not much truth in it, as rich people do not automatically become happy if they get money and poor people do not automatically unhappy if they don't get money4. Another big misconception about happiness is that one needs someone else to be happy. Happiness comes from within oneself and a person can himself control their happiness. The third big misconception about being happy is that one needs to be lucky to be happy. Happiness doesn't depend on luck. Happiness is to open oneself to happiness and to look for places where one can find happiness. So one should have a positive approach towards life; one should not wait for happiness to come to them but you have to open your life to be happy. There are many realistic benefits which can cultivate higher levels of personal importance, satisfaction and happiness, besides just "feeling

Social Effects Of The Cruise Industry Tourism Essay

Social Effects Of The Cruise Industry Tourism Essay The social impact of the cruise industry on the cruises particular destination has a few positive effects. When cruise tourists arrive at ports of destination, interactions between local residents and cruise tourists can benefit both parties. The cruise tourists have the opportunity to gain knowledge regarding the lifestyle and culture of the local people, and vice-versa; residents can learn about the lifestyles of their guests from various places around the world. However, a high interaction level between residents and cruise tourists can have drawbacks. Tourists can limit the personal space of residents, due to the high population of cruise tourists. Eventually, high levels of interaction between cruise tourists and local inhabitants could change the local inhabitants unique lifestyles. This brings to light the point of social damage, as social and cultural damage is one of the main arguments against tourism. In the context of tourism, cruise tourists are typically wealthier than l ocals of popular cruise destinations. This evidently creates social problems; for example, hierarchies are created that can cause tension between cruise tourists and locals. Furthermore, new and unusual ideas brought in by cruise tourists can make locals envious and want to copy the tourists who can seem more wealthy and stylish. Social damage caused by the cruise industry can also be supported by the idea of competition of space. This is triggered when large amounts of cruise tourists, usually two or three cruise ships, arrive at small ports. When large amounts of cruise ships arrive, the number of cruise tourists ratio to locals is large. According to Espinal, 2005, Bahamas has 11 cruise guests to 1 local; Aruba has 8 cruise guests to 1 local; Antigua and Barbuda, 7 to 1; and Dominica, 5 to 1 (When was this? Was this the case for the entire year of 2005? Was it an average?). However, this ratio is only true to small parts. Large cities such as Miami, Barcelona, and European countries differ. In fact, highly populated cities have the opposite effect, because cruise tourist numbers are rather small compared to on-land tourists or residents. The competition of space enhances through the fight for cruise ships by neighbouring ports to attract cruise ships for economic benefits. The fight continues between the c ruise ship industry and the cargo shipping industry to gain port space. Another dilemma of space continues between on land tourists and cruise tourists. When cruise tourists arrive at destinations, on land tourists are forced to wait in line for attractions such as monuments and museums, and wonder why it is overcrowded at the beach. Finally, the idea of competition of space limits the transportation benefits. What hurts transportation the most is when large amounts of cruise tourists arrive at destinations which causes volatility in the demand for transportation (e.g. taxis). Environmental Impact of the Cruise Industry The cruise industry is the fastest growing industry in the travel industry. With enormous growth in the number of passengers, the number of cruise ships at sea, and the increased variety of destinations, followed by bigger and more luxurious cruise ships to keep up with the increase of demand; the substantial growth in the industry follows with increasing impact on the environment. Like many hospitality and travel industries, the negative impacts on the environment outweigh the positive impacts. Even though the cruise industry is relatively small compared to the airline industry, cruise ships and their passengers generate more volume of waste and pollutant emissions while travelling and docked in port. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a one week voyage generates more than 50 tonnes of garbage. During that same week 3.785 million litres of waste water is produced. That is water that is harmful to the ocean life and cannot be dumped back into the ocean wi thout it being treated. Furthermore, 794,850 litres of sewage, 95,000 litres of oil contaminated water, and 568 litres of hazardous waste is produced. These numbers are multiplied by more than 200 cruise ships sailing the world 365 days a year. In comparison to other travel industries, a cruise ship such as Queen Mary 2 emits 0.43 kg of Carbon dioxide per passenger mile, compared to 0.257 kg for a long-haul flight (Climate Care). In comparison to on-land tourists, cruise ship passengers generate 3.5 kg of garbage while 0.8 kg of garbage is generated by on-land tourists. (http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/sust-tourism/env-3main.htm). In addition to pollution, coral reefs are taking significant damages. According to Ocean Planet, there are 109 countries with coral reefs. In 90 of them, reefs are being damaged by cruise ship anchors and sewage. It is said 70% of cruise destinations are in these biodiversity hot spots. However, it is not the amount of pollution and damages generated by cruise ships that most are concerning, but rather, the way cruise ships dispose their waste. Cruise ship waste disposal is highly unregulated, where waste can be dumped a few short miles off shore, which is later brought back to shore due to ocean currents. In the past, discharge from cruise ships exceeds the water quality standards set by National Authorities in relations to bacteria level, metals, and hydrocarbons and plastic. In most cases, there was no monitoring, no enforcements and no deprivation from local authorities if cruise ships violated the pollution standards. While the cruise industry continues to promote itself as environmentally friendly, the truth is, there are many instances of cruise ships breaking the law. A single cruise company can accumulate hundreds of pollution violations, which have resulted in payments of millions of dollars in environmental fines. However, in some cases, environmental inc idents have been accidental, due to simple human and mechanical error, such as fuel discharge from cruise ship loading fuel at ports. Since the increased harmful effects on the environment have come to light, the cruise industry has done its part by improving their efforts in processing waste onboard. As technology increases, their ability to become more eco-friendly becomes a priority. Holland American Line has invested $1.5 million into a program called Seawater Scrubber Pilot. This program looks for opportunities to reduce engine emission on its ships. The Sea Water Scrubber system uses the natural chemistry of seawater to remove all sulphur oxide. The seawater is then treated to remove harmful components before dumping it overboard (world cruise industry review). Even though recycling and using green materials is only a small step, it makes a big difference. Take Crystal Cruises for example. They are introducing 100% recyclable coat hangers, which prevents 9 billion wire and plastic hangers from being sent to landfills each year. They are also using washable and reusable garment bags instead of plastic laundry bags (world cruise industry review). On the major scale, most cruise ship companies are taking steps to map out global routes where waste discharge will cause the least damage to delicate ecosystems. Another major effort that some cruise ship companies are implementing is scheduling their arrival and departure time so cruise ships use less fuel while docking. Princess Cruises has invested $4.5 million to implement a cold-ironing program in Alaska. This is when ships plug into a ports electricity supply while docked in order to get hydroelectric power on board. This is the same concept as a hybrid car. The cost of equipping each ship is $500,000 where the benefits outweigh the costs. In California, 70% of cancer risk is due to the toxic air contaminants created by diesel. The biggest contribution to these toxins is cargo-handling equipment and the ships use of diesel engines while at port. With the use of the cold-ironing program, ships will not create this harmful pollutant that cau ses many environmental problems. Companies are taking the next step to keep their ships as cool as possible to eliminate excessive stress on air conditioners in addition to maintaining speeds at fuel efficient speeds. Crystal cruises has begun auditing its ships lighting and energy consumption. They are saving more than 960,000 kW/h per year, which is equivalent to nearly 200 tonnes of fuel a year. Economic Impacts of the Cruise Industry Cruise tourism is the fastest growing tourism industry in the last twenty years. Since 1990, the cruise industry has an average annual passenger growth rate of 7.4 percent per year, and in 1980, more than 163 million passengers have taken cruises longer than 2 days. Of the 163 million passengers, 56 percent of the passengers were generated within the last 10 years (CLIA, 2008). The industry has high potential in providing economic benefits to port states. Conversely, accommodating large cruise ships into ports need a lot of initial investments to build infrastructure and to maintain those infrastructures. With cruise ships growing in size more investments is needed to withstand larger ships. With scenarios of high infrastructure cost, rapid growth in tourism may result in stagflation or even a decline in GDP (Chase, 2001). For small cities, significant foreign investment is needed for these infrastructures, and it is questionable for many whether construction of the ports is cost-efficient. The majority of the state ports generate economic benefits from cruise ship tourism by generating revenue through passenger spending, person head taxes, dockage fees, and port entry. Passenger spending is the greatest benefit in supporting cruise tourism due to great deal of new money coming into the economy and creation of new jobs. According to an annual study by the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), United States is the primary beneficiary of the Global economic impact of more than 75 percent of the cruise expenditures made with United States based business. U.S. ports account for 75 percent of 10.85 million passengers embankments worldwide. Since, United States is the majority of the Cruise Line industry, we will analyse the economic impact on the United States. Economic Impact of the Cruise Industry on the United States The impact of the cruise industry on the United States has both negative and positive results. Reasons for the negative result are due to the increase presence in the European market, and the increase in the Caribbean ports used for cruise embarkment. As a result, United States experienced a decline in its share of the global cruise industry and experiences a decline in the number of passengers embarking for the U.S. ports (CLIA, 2008). Table 1-1 shows that in 2008 United States, passenger embarkment totalled 8.96 million, a 2.4 percent decline from the previous year, with the majority of the global passenger of 69 percent. Table 1-1 In 2008, decline in its market power is due to hurricanes disrupting destinations to the Caribbean. Hurricanes such as Ike severely damaged retail facilities at ports in Turks and Caicos for nearly a month. In addition, Hurricane Ike consequently shut down cruise terminal ports in Galveston, Texas, for nearly two months due to landfall. The biggest factor in decline of the United States embarkment was the transfer of Pride of Hawaii and the Pride of Aloha by Norwegian Cruise Lines. This resulted in a decline of more than 200,000 passengers, which accounts for 75 percent of net decline of passenger embarking from the U.S. ports (CLIA, 2008). The growth of the industry spending including passenger and crew has slowed to 2 percent to $19.07 billion in 2008. This was the weakest growth in domestic spending since BEA began compiling these statistics (CLIA, 2008). The expenditures by the cruise lines including wages and taxes totalled to $15.67 billion which accounted for 82 percent of spe nding. This was the weakest growth in the cruise line expenditure since 2001.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: essays research papers

Nineteen Eighty Four Short Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Canada, we have the freedom to do almost anything. In the novel Nineteen Eighty Four, there is no freedom. Although there are no laws in Oceania, there are consequences to doing thoughtcrime. The consequences are used not for punishment but for the limitation of people who may perform a crime in the future. There are many differences in our society today and the society that of Nineteen Eighty Four. In our society today, we encourage thinking. Even in schools, children are taught to express themselves in any way possible. Story writing, acting, or even art, there are a variety of ways to achieve that while in Oceania, children are taught to spy on their parents to see if they are having thoughtcrimes. Thoughtcrime is a word in Newspeak that controls any individual thought. One cannot think on his or her own. He or she can only think what the government tells or allows him or her to think. If they are ever caught with thoughtcrime, he or she would be vapourized. Freedom of speech is limited due to the fact that thought can lead to the destruction of the government. Speech is also restricted due the Newspeak. Newspeak limits the words one can use to eliminate thoughtcrime. Without words, one cannot fully express themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people of Oceania do not have the freedom of expression like we do. Without thought, there is no expressions of any kind, which makes him or her a goodthinker. A goodthinker is one that knows naturally, without thought, how to behave or act according to the government. In society today, there is freedom of expression everywhere. In magazines, on televisions, on people themselves and even communication. People express themselves through their clothing, while in the book, everyone wears the same thing. There is no freedom of expression whatsoever. In both magazines and television, people express their opinion all the time with no fear of being vapourized or the fear of the consequences the community of Oceania has to face. Today, people will protest against the government for what they believe in. For example, teachers protested Bill 160 in the streets against the government. There would never be public protests against the government in Oceania.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History is important for one to know of what has happened in the past and learn from it. We are able to learn history through books, videos and even from people.

In what ways can ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ be seen as a modern tragedy? Essay

The ways in which ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams can be seen as a modern tragedy, or indeed as any tragedy is a subject of much contention. The answer lies in one’s interpretation of the characters in the context of the genre; the tragedy is made or discarded depending on whether the audience’s sympathy lies with Blanche or Stanley. In order to explore these interpretations one must define the features of modern tragedy as opposed to the ancient Aristotelian definition. The two share some features, such as the violation of the ‘natural order’ of social or personal relationships (i.e. Oedipus’ incestuous relationship with his mother), and the focus on a tragic hero’s fall from status, respect, and in classical tragedies from power and wealth. However, there are also stark differences in modern tragedy where (especially in Williams’ plays) the hero is more likely to be feminine. Although this is not exclusive to modern tragedies – in Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ the protagonist is female – it is certainly a feature. Social issues are also treated more personally as the epic scale of civil unrest present in most Aristotelian tragedies is discarded in favor of a focus on a single family unit as a microcosm of social behaviour. As a result, the characters themselves become far more complex – a far cry from Aristotle’s theory that characters should merely serve to advance the tragic plot. Broadly speaking then, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ certainly fits the prescriptions of a modern tragedy, not least as it contains several complex themes such as alienation, entrapment and the struggle between fantasy and reality. Written in 1947 soon after the Great Depression and a period of prohibition when the borders between social classes were becoming more blurred, these play on the very real threats of alcoholism and social decline. Blanche’s constant drinking becomes a symptom of her alienation from society, which was in turn caused by her estrangement from her late husband, Allen Grey. Stella asserts that Blanche â€Å"didn’t just love him but worshipped the ground he walked on† – a religious phrase that contrasts deeply with her later disgust of Grey’s homosexuality. For Williams, living as he did in the often deeply religious, homophobic south, Allen Grey’s suicide would have constituted a tragedy even when separated from the rest of the play. It certainly illustrates the close links that Williams draws between love, alienation and death; Grey’s separation from Blanche causes his death, which in turn leads to her own isolation. This isolation is further illustrated by the metaphor of light; Blanche constantly insists that the lights be dimmed â€Å"turn that over-light off!†, and even directly likens her love for Allen Grey to a â€Å"blinding light† – it is clear that the darkness is Blanche’s alienation, her punishment for driving him to suicide. Yet light also reveals Blanche’s struggle between fantasy and reality. She cannot bear to see herself in the harsh light of day – even â€Å"screams† during the final scene when Stanley rips the covering off the lamp, completely destroying Blanche’s already splintering fantasy world. This hysterical reaction demonstrates her dependence on the delusions of grandeur and romance that she only half-believes. Blanche is trapped by her own volition; a state echoed in many other of Williams’ tragedies including ‘The Glass Menagerie’, where the character of Amanda is similarly ensnared in a more glamorous past. The play also ascribes to another feature of modern tragedy; the focus on a very small, ordinary family unit as opposed to the monarchs in plays such as ‘Macbeth’ or ‘Hamlet’. It is clear that the clash of Stanley and Blanche is representative of a much bigger division between the old and the new America, and yet their placement in a tiny family setting emphasises their effect on the ‘ordinary American’ – Stella – who is caught in the crossfire of social differences. However merely dealing with these issues, as compelling as they are, only comprises a single aspect of the ways in which ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ can be seen as a modern tragedy. Indeed, for the play to be called a tragedy at all a defining feature must be covered, and that is the existence of a ‘tragic hero’ whose presence drives the action forward. Therefore, our understanding of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ as a modern tragedy must to a large extent rely on whether we can interpret Blanche as Williams’ tragic heroine. She certainly bears a striking surface resemblance to the ancient tragic heroes in her evident fall from high to low, from Belle Reve to the Elysian Fields. This is made evident in her first entrance; her appearance is described as ‘incongruous’ and techniques such as the repetition of â€Å"Stella, oh Stella, Stella!† stress her hysterical inability to cope with her new surroundings. However even this is punctuated in the stage directions with â€Å"feverish vivacity† – suggesting a desperate or false behaviour at odds with the ancient definition of the tragic hero as an essentially noble character. This is emphasised later in the scene by the first suggestion of Blanche’s alcoholism as she â€Å"rushes† to the liquor closet â€Å"panting for breath†, and corroborated as evidence of her sordid affairs at the Hotel Flamingo is revealed. Indeed Blanche herself talks about the â€Å"rattle-trap streetcar† called Desire that â€Å"brought me here†, indicating that her downfall was caused by her own â€Å"brutal desire†. Yet if we do accept that Blanche has already completely fallen into poverty and alcoholism, then the play itself becomes the mere aftermath of a tragedy; the effect of a destroyed character upon her surroundings. Some critics would agree completely with this standpoint – indeed the director of the stage debut, Elia Kazan, portrayed Blanche as a â€Å"phony, corrupt, sick, destructive woman†Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ wrecking Stanley’s home who deserved – indeed needed – to be driven out. However, this view utterly destroys any tragic perception of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by necessitating a total support of Stanley’s actions (â€Å"This makes Stanley right!†)1 – leading to a ‘happy ending’ wherein the Kowalski’s can proceed happily with their lives. While this may have been a suitable presentation for the still largely patriarchal 1940’s, in modern productions a new outlook must be considered. It cannot be ignored that Stanley (however justifiably) incapacitates Blanche both mentally and emotionally as he destroys her refined persona – â€Å"There isn’t a goddam thing but imagination!† – until she is reduced to â€Å"inhuman cries†, constituting Blanche’s fall from sanity as the basis for a tragic fall from high to low, as opposed to any material loss. Although it is true that Blanche is less of a hero possessing a tragic flaw than an anti-hero with a single redeeming feature – in this case her doomed relationship with Allen Grey that has fuelled her desires ever since – practically all of Blanche’s flaws can be explained (if not excused) by her tragic experiences. Her deception of Mitch is the desperation of a woman alone in a patriarchal society whose only chance of security is to attract a husband. Her alcoholism is merely a further coping mechanism, and her constant bathing an attempt to cleanse herself of her sordid affairs. This is consolidated by her wish to be buried â€Å"into an ocean as blue as my first lover’s eyes†, the reference to water again suggesting her desire to be purified and return to the happier days of her youth. Blanche’s tragedy is therefore not merely her fall from status, but her inability to move on from her past. As Dale Carnegie said: â€Å"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon, instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.†2 Yet despite all this evidence providing sympathy with Blanche, Williams seems determined to keep the balance of right and wrong utterly ambiguous. For example in Scene Eight, soon after Blanche’s extremely poignant line â€Å"candles burn out in little boys’ and girls’ eyes† – a clear reference to her past with Grey – she calls Stanley a â€Å"healthy Polack†. This ignorant, racist comment distances Blanche again, and Stanley’s reply â€Å"what I am is a one hundred percent American†, would have immediately re-endeared him to the audience, especially at a time of such social integration. It is this uncertainty as to who we should support – Blanche or Stanley – that really questions the existence of a tragic hero in ‘A Streetcar named Desire’. Even the alternative, as stated by C.W.E. Bigsby, that â€Å"the real hero of the play, therefore, is Stella, for she alone is prepared to offer the necessary comfort†3 is a flawed argument. Although Stella is the most sympathetic character, this is not synonymous with heroic as she is ultimately subdued by Stanley into forcing Blanche away; a far cry from offering her ‘the necessary comfort’. Unlike in Shakespearian tragedies such as ‘Othello’ where the enemy is clearly portrayed, Williams blurs the distinctions between right and wrong until the play more resembles the tragedies of Sophocles, which are essentially concerned with the crisis of right versus right leading to an outcome in which no-one wins. So, although critics such as Joseph Wood Krutch state that â€Å"Tragedy must have a hero if it is not to be merely an accusation against, instead of a justification of the world in which it occurs†4 this is not necessarily true. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, along with many other Tennessee Williams’ plays such as ‘The Glass Menagerie’ is tragic not because it details the fall of a hero, but precisely because it contains no hero at all. Modern tragedy is itself an accusation against a grey, mundane world of ordinary people, for whom the only escape is through self-delusion, alcohol, sex or madness. In this respect ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ becomes the ultimate example of modern tragedy as, after Blanche’s entire existence is shattered, the others merely resume their poker game. The entire play is built around this tragic indifference, both with the detached ending â€Å"This game is seven-card stud† and the very preface, where Williams foreshadows Blanche’s inevitable destruction with the words of Hart Crane, â€Å"And so it was that I entered the broken world.† Bibliography Williams, Tennessee. ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, Pearson Education Limited 1995 (copyright Estate of the late Tennessee Williams 1947) Bigsby, Christopher W. E. ‘Tennessee Williams: Streetcar to Glory’, Harold Bloom Krutch, Joseph Wood. ‘The Tragic Fallacy’ 1929, in Tragedy: Vision and Form, Ed. Robert W. Corrigan, New York: Harper, 1981 Kazan, Elia. ‘Kazan on Directing’, Knopf Publishing Group, 2009 (copyright Frances Kazan) Carnegie, Dale. ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’, Pocket Books; Revised edition, 1990 Aristotle. ‘Poetics’, Penguin Books Ltd, 1996 1 Kazan, Elia. ‘Kazan on Directing’, Knopf Publishing Group, 2009 (copyright Frances Kazan) 2 Carnegie, Dale. ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’, Pocket Books; Revised edition, 1990 3 Bigsby, Christopher W. E. ‘Tennessee Williams: Streetcar to Glory’, Harold Bloom 4 Krutch, Joseph Wood. ‘The Tragic Fallacy’ 1929 in Tragedy: Vision and Form, Ed. Robert W. Corrigan, New York: Harper, 1981

Research Paper on Hitler and Stalin

Research Paper on Hitler and Stalin Though Stalinist Russia and Hitlerian Germany had different rhetoric, they were both totalitarian dictatorships that sought to attain total power for both leaders. Both evidenced a singleness of goal combined with complete tactical flexibility and shared a passion to dominate all around them. Appeal to the lowest classes ensured that the masses supported their rule, as both realised that one of the central ideas to attaining power was through the lower classes. Both used government to control and exercise power; Hitler, by legalising his actions, and Stalin, by using force. Propaganda and secret police ensured that, if indoctrination failed, then terror would reign supreme, instilling fear into the people and ensuring their control. Part of elevating themselves to total power was their appeal to the lower classes. Because lower and middle classes made up the majority of Germany, and basically all of Russia, they reached the highest positions by appealing to the lowest classes. Like Stalin, Hitler treated policies and tactics as matters, not of principle, but of expediency, the object of which was to gain support and win power. For example, the lower classes that had been absorbed into the Nazi party were seduced by the promise of the closing down of the big department stores and consumer co-operatives. This was an attractive promise to the lower class because they were the smaller competition to these big businesses and they would benefit economically by their elimination as rivals. However, Hitler had no intention of doing this, but used its promise to gain support from the lower classes. Stalin wooed the lower classes of Russia to gain power. He broadened the base of the Communist Party by insisting it had to recruit 50 000 more workers. This helped public perception that the party embraced the proletariat. Stalin saw the support of the proletariat necessary because of the size of Russias peasant population, which was around eighty percent of the whole population. Since the peasants lived in abject poverty, Stalin believed he could win them through promising economic and social reform through collectivisation. Collectivisation was the conversion of the individual farms and strips of land owned by the peasants into large collective farms. Collectivisation was attractive to the peasants because it promised to end the centuries old backwardness of Russia and turn it into a modern, industrialised society. By appealing to the lower classes, each man attained support of their totalitarian dictatorships, which thus allowed them to elevate their power. Both emphasised leadership as a means of national unification to establish their total control. Stalin created an ideology based on a perversion of communism. He preached Socialism in One Country, which meant that everybody had to work to ensure the victory of communism in Russia. The building of such ideology, he preached, would enforce unity in Russia. But communism is about class conflict, and unifying people to one goal turned communism into nationalism, so this was Stalins way of obtaining power, perverting communism so that the people turned to him, unified. Stalin took power by emphasising leadership to ensure the victory of the already established communist state. He saw his mission as ending the centuries old backwardness of Russia and turning a peasant society into a modern industrialised one.Hitlerian Germany was based on the Fuhrerprinzip, visualizing the concentration of power in the hands of a leader, unlimited by any kind of constitutional or parliamentary control, with authority to direct the state. Nazi ideology was Hitlers ideology, and he manipulated and indoctrinated his followers to achieve his aims and beliefs. This is shown in Nazi rhetoric: One nation, one people, one leader! Both emphasised their leadership as a mean of national amalgamation to ensure their total power. Both Hitler and Stalin used their ideology to eliminate their rivals. Stalin was preoccupied with building an instrument in the party organization which would enforce unity, and defeat the opposition to this of other groups in the party. Stalins desire to justify the doctrine of socialism in one country, which he insisted had been formulated by Lenin, was discredited by Trotsky and Zinoviev. So he relied on a packed congress to vote them down, and, one after another, his critics were silenced, which allowed him to continue his totalitarian rule. The clash of ideas between these leaders was imperative because Trotsky and Zinoviev believed in the idea of World Communism, based on the writings of Marx, when Communism would embrace the world and become the way of life. Stalins Socialism in One Country, which he argued was established by Lenin, contradicted the ideas of Trotsky and Zinoviev, who had conclusive evidence that Lenin did not establish the idea of Socialism in One Country. Thi s threat to Stalins ideology was eliminated because he could not maintain his philosophy if there was opposition to it, and he could not establish his tyrannical rule with opposition, so he got rid of it! Hitler gained total control of the state, as well, but he did by controlling the political processes. The Enabling Act gave him the power to make or change existing laws, including the right to alter the constitution and the right to draft laws. This allowed him to pass laws forbidding any political party, apart from the National Socialists. This also gave him the power to eliminate threat inside the party. This led to the Night of The Long Knives, in which he eliminated Roehm ,who as leader of the SA, held tremendous power and loyalty. Roehms desire to join the army with the SA had the potential to turn him into the most powerful man in Germany, and thus threatened to destroy Hitler and his grip on the Nazi party. Hitler had made it clear that he was the supreme ruler of Germany who had the right to be judge and jury. Through ideological purges, both men were able to maintain their totalitarian rule. Both leaders manipulated propaganda to create personality cults that ensured the maintenance of their power. Stalins cult of the personality was vital to public support, and, as early as December 1929, the party and media consciously began to build Stalin as a hero, portraying him as father of the nation, who saved the Soviet Union from its enemies and an expert in science and culture. Because Russians were so uneducated, it was easier for Stalins image to be boosted to be seen as a saviour. The cult of personality led Russians to believe Stalin was close to deification, adopting a role that of was the plain man, who spoke the same practical language as the proletariat. Hitler, however, saw education as being the prime means of developing his personality cult so he could almost permanently control Germany. He believed that young people were less likely to be contaminated by factual knowledge than their elders, and were generally more susceptible to appeals to idealism and emotions. The entire work of education was to find culmination in branding forever, through instinct of reason, loyalty to the Fuhrer. The appointment of Goebbels as propaganda chief saw the Hitler myth become the greatest propaganda achievement, as Goebbels presented Hitler as the embodiment of national unity standing above all sectional interests; the architect of GermanyÐ ¢s recovery; personally incorruptible; and a fanatical defender of German honour. This meant that the German people supported his tyrannical rule, similarly to the Russians, and each were able to maintain control through their own personality cult. By using the secret police such as the SS, Gestapo, Cheka and NKVD, Stalin and Hitler were each able to ensconce their dictatorships and ensure total power. Tremendous increase in support for Hitler was partly a result of violence. He saw the state as an instrument of power in which the qualities to be valued were discipline, unity and sacrifice. Violence would be used to achieve this. By July 5, 1933, a new law decreed The National Socialist German Workers Party constitutes the only political party in Germany. By controlling the police, the Nazis legalised violence and terror to legitimise Hitlers elevation to power. Without the terrorist police support, Hitler would have been unable to exercise sustained and unopposed control. Likewise, the Cheka and NKVD, along with the secret of concentration camps, allowed the repressive system of Stalin to reign supreme. This propaganda was backed by police terror, enabling Stalin to indoctrinate Russians, and any opposition was classed as an enemy of the Soviet. In 1929, when Stalin launched Russia into complete revolution, he already totally controlled the police apparatus. Collectivisation saw the disappearance of individual farming accompanied by extraordinary displacement of people, due to deportation and regrouping. During collectivisation, arbitrary arrest and execution without trial by the Cheka became commonplace, and, since the Cheka was a government controlled police force, arrests and executions were state-sponsored terrorism. Both pushed terror way beyond its limit, realising control over the media and effective propaganda was often not enough to establish and secure total power; coercion and violence, or at least threat of them, were necessary weapons. Though Stalinist Russia and Hitlerian Germany had different rhetoric, they were both totalitarian dictatorships that sought to attain total power for both leaders. Attracting the poorer classes, made certain that they had mass support, because both realised that the key to power was through the proletariat or working classes. Both used ideology and government to eliminate their rivals and exercise power. Propaganda and secret police ensured that, if indoctrination failed, then fear would control the people and ensure their dictatorial power. Given this, both Hitler and Stalin were different sides of the same totalitarian coin. You can also order a custom essay, term paper, thesis, dissertation or research paper on Hitler and Stalin from our professional custom writing service which provides high-quality custom written papers. Here is a list of the most popular research paper topics on Hitler and Stalin:   The Rise of Germany to a Fascist State: The Role of Hitler’s Personality and Oratory   Adolf Hitlers Rise to Power   Hitlers racial policies   Hitlers Consolidation of Power   How did Hitler turn Germany from a democracy into a dictatorship between 1933 and 1934? How far did he have full control by 1934?   Why did Hitler become Chancellor in 1933?   Assess Hitlers use of fear and terror in Nazi Germany   Comparison of propaganda usage between Hitler and Napoleon   Hitlers Mein Kampf   Hitlers Search for Religous Artifacts During WWII   Adolf Hitler: the Modern Machiavelli   Hitlers foreign policy   How did the Great Depression in Germany Lead to the Rise of Hitler?   Hitlers Right to Punishment   Was Hitler Gay?   Joseph Stalins Positive Influence on the USSR   How Convincing Is The View that Stalin Simply Took Lenin’s Policies To Their Logical Extent?   The Industralisation of the U.S.S.R under Stalin   Why was Stalin able to secure his hold on power in the Soviet Union in the years 1928 1941?   Stalin vs. Mussolini

Experiment in Joy †5 Steps to Create It and Sustain It

Experiment in Joy – 5 Steps to Create It and Sustain It The Experiment In August 2014, Call Response, a group of seven Black women performers, from seven cities, presented their freshly minted, powerful works at a festival at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. This in itself is remarkable. Antioch, after all, had not exactly been a hotbed of discourse and creativity for Black women prior to 2014. In fact, the festival would never have happened if it weren’t for a professor named Gabrielle Civil, who made the unlikely choice of accepting an appointment there when she experienced the enthusiasm of the faculty who hired her. Part of her demand before accepting the position was that Antioch would hold a festival of Black women and performance. Even more remarkable is the process by which these performances were generated. A month before the August festival, the women had convened to perform select pre-existing works and share ideas in service of their main artistic task: â€Å"to produce the Call, the collective prompt for artistic action, that would articulate [their] ideas about art making and catalyze †¦ new performances.† The core questions they asked: What would move us forward in Black feminist practice? What would it mean for us as Black women artists to claim joy? Establishing the Call The Call they ultimately birthed, and which underpinned the August performance, was dubbed â€Å"Experiments in Joy.† Its profound components are as follows: Tell the truth. Create something new. Let someone in. Document. Repeat. I first learned about these Experiments at my 25th Yale reunion this past weekend, and I have been turning the components and the message over in my own head. While created for a specific community and purpose, the Call can spur all of us into our creativity and into action. The Dangers of Achievement Earlier in the weekend, my mom and I had met with an old friend of hers and my dad’s. This former Yale Admissions Officer shared that although his life looks wonderful objectively – he has a loving wife, financial stability, and a summer vacation house in Nova Scotia – he wakes up many mornings feeling sad and unmotivated. He self-identified as an â€Å"Eeyore,† the donkey character from Winnie the Pooh who complains about everything and sees very little hope for his life. I told him about James Lawrence, a 39-year-old who decided he would race 50 Ironman races. Not just 50 in his lifetime, but 50 in 50 days! To make things really easy, he vowed to run these 50 Ironmans in 50 states. Did he complete his goal? You bet he did, even with an early injury that required him to swim some of the races with one arm. Amazing right? â€Å"I bet he got really down after he completed those races,† said Eeyore. And in fact he was right. Mr. Lawrence has been struggling with his motivation since he completed the races. Looking at the Experiment in Joy, I see that Lawrence covered numbers 2,3 and 4 of the Call but I’m not sure whether he did numbers 1 and 5. He repeated the Ironman 50 times but then stopped. And there was no particular truth telling that I know of at the foundation of his physical challenge. Thus, when it was over, he was left without joy. Your Personal Experiment in Joy I wonder what our Yale friend would create if he were to use the recipe for joy in the Call? I wonder what I would create? I recognize that my blog is a creation that meets the Joy criteria. Each week I tell the truth about something, create an article that has never been written before, share it (let many people in), document it, and repeat the next week. Notice the trick in the Call. That fifth element is the most important really. Creating something and being vulnerable about it will only bring joy for so long. It’s the repetition, the telling of a new truth, perhaps in a new way, that keeps the joy alive. I’ll be honest: Each week lately I have struggled with what to write in my blog, and I have often not come up with an idea until late Sunday night or even Monday morning, which is my deadline. But when I write something meaningful and new, I do feel joy. And I feel joy when people tell me I’ve given them tools they will use or insight into their own lives or a new way of approaching life. I will be continuing to explore ways that I can respond to the Call to Joy in my life. What would your truth be? Your new creation? Where does your Joy reside? Note: A more thorough explanation and account of the Call to Joy project can be found in volume 41 nos. 1-2 of the creative/scholarly journal Obsidian: Literature Arts in the African Diaspora. Participating performers: Gabrielle Civil, Duriel E. Harris, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Rosamond S. King, Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Mirà © Regulus, Awilda Rodrà ­guez Lora