Abiotic Factors Affecting Organisms – revision notes

Light Light intensity can be measured both physically measured for example with a LICOR light meter or a QSL (quantum scalar irradiance) meter. Luminous intensity can be measured subjectively measured with eg. a foot-candle meter, a type of photographic exposure meter. Intensity-watts rn-2 or einsteins m-2sec-1 Luminosity Units include candles, lumens, footcandles and lux. Temperature Temperature is measured using a thermometer. It's also a measure of how fast the atoms and molecules of a substance are moving. The units of measure are degrees on the Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin scales. Humidity Hygrometers may be designed for indoor or outdoor use (or both). Analog hygrometers use a moisture-sensitive material that is attached to a coil spring. The spring controls a needle on an easy-to-read circular dial. Analog hygrometers are often part of a durable, weather-resistant device that also includes a thermometer. Digital hygrometers determine the relative humidity by using a sensor to monitor an electric current that is affected by moisture levels. Relative humidity, expressed as a percent. Salinity Salinity is often measured by measuring how well electricity travels through the water. This property of water is called conductivity. Water that has dissolved salt in it will conduct electricity better than water with no dissolved salt.Handheld Refractometer /Hydrometer /Conductivity Meter expressed in parts per million(ppm) O2 concentration Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for monitoring a person's O2 saturation. Or Gas sensor used. pO2 CO2 concentration Use a sensor connected to a PC via an arduino board. pCO2 Wind Wind speed is now commonly measured with an anemometer but can also be classified using the older Beaufort scale which is based on people's observation of specifically definedwind effects. Knot Factor– Light Light is important to both animals and plants as it is the main source of living organisms energy on earth. It takes part in photosynthesis which provides energy to both animals and plants, required for growth, movement and survival. Plants need to grow to be used as a food source for animals. Light is also important for animals vision, without light we would not be able to see which would hamper movement and many senses. Humans also required sunlight for vitamin D. Light is also needed for warmth. Factor– Temperature Temperature is a major determining factor of global climate patterns. It affects the life cycles of plants and animals, influences weather and tides, and controls the freeze and thaw of the polar ice caps. A small change in average temperature can have powerful effects on the environment worldwide and can determine if a certain species has a suitable habitat for survival. Temperature also affects the rate of important reactions, it effects enzymes and many other chemicals and their efficiency. Factor-Humidity Humidity drives most of the observable weather phenomena starting with clouds via fog, rain to storms and finally to such dramatic weather phenomena as hurricanes. It is not possible to forecast the weather exactly without precise knowledge of humidity in all the layers of the atmosphere. Humidity affects chemical reactions, the environment of animals and plants. Factor– Salinity Ocean salinity plays key roles in the global hydrological cycle, ocean circulation and in regulating Earth's climate. Today's scientists know that Earth's water cycle is dominated by exchanges between the ocean and atmosphere, with sea surface salinity (SSS) varying because of freshwater input and output, via the processes of evaporation and precipitation. Factor– O2 Concentration plant cells need oxygen to live, because without oxygen they can't perform aerobic respiration to produce co2 (respiration is the process of breaking down food to get energy). Similarly animals need o2 to respire and live, breath and produce energy. O2 concentration also effects habitats as different species require different levels of o2. Factor– CO2 Concentration Without CO2 the life of photosynthetic organisms and animals would be impossible, given that CO2 provides the basis for the synthesis of organic compounds that provide nutrients for plants and animals. We also know CO2 is toxic to humans therefore affects their health. However plants need co2 for energy. Factor-Wind Wind effects seed dispersal and aids the production of pollen needed for pollination which is important because it leads to the production of fruits we can eat, and seeds that will create more plants. Wind also effects the moisture surrounding guard cells and the gas and water exchange in plants and animals.

Policeman Essay

When we see the police in our neighborhoods, we are secured in the knowledge that we are in safe hands. The police evoke a sense of being safe when they are around knowing that they have the capacity to enforce the law and keep criminal elements at bay. We can take our children to the park and watch them play, secure in the presence of neighborhood beat police patrolling the streets. It is a safe place with the police around. But are they always welcome? Ever since the fall of the other world superpower, the Soviet Union, the United States has been the sole keeper of that title (Weiner). Historians predicted that soon, democracy and freedom will be the norm around the world (Weiner). But some say that the United States has been remiss in its duties as the global law enforcer (Weiner). Thus, the question is posed, should the world expect the United States to start policing the global â€Å"neighborhood† (Weiner)? The question better posed would be is, can the United States be capable of being the policeman (Utley)? Many Neo-conservatives in the Republican party give a glimpse of the infirmities that are inherent to the desire of some to see the United States patrolling the world’s hotspots (Utley). The United States, being the only legitimate superpower left, is incapable of launching any sort of campaign that will make it an empire, or at least, make a significant impact in enforcing the law in other parts of the world (Utley). This is the argument of right-wing â€Å"isolationists† being criticized by the left-wing of the party in dissuading the United States from making an attempt in launching an imperialist wave (Utley). For any imperialist wave to succeed, the power in government must be one that has a strong centralist orientation, as was the case of Great Britain and the old Roman empire (Utley). In Britain’s case, the center of that power lay in the hand of some of the elites in the society, give or take a few votes from the populace (Utley). This elite mainly consisted of those who owned tracts of land and a fraction of the population (Utley). In Rome, the Roman Senate dictated foreign policy in the state (Utley). But in the case of the United States, the practice is quite the opposite. The Constitution is very clear in the tenet of preservation of freedom, not curtailing it (Utley). This fundamental framework of the prservation of freedom is enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution (Utley). In the American scheme of things, the strength of the political structure is not in concentration, but in dispersal of that power (Utley). This is done to curtail any initiative in undertaking foreign military adventurism (Utley). The history of the United States foreign policy manoeuverings has also been riddled with being inclined to serve the interests of certain sectors, especially businesses (Utley). There were times that â€Å"Big Business† was the preeminent factor in determining American foreign policy (Utley). This premise has given way to local pressure organizations and television coverage of foreign incidents (Utley). In understanding the central role of television, it must be construed that televsison selects the unwilling â€Å"sitting duck† (Utley). As the news groups broadcast, this is picked up by the authorities, causing a stir of American support and good will to be poured out on the place or region (Utley). Unfortunately, this upheaval of support will often cause more hardship and havoc (Utley). It is here that the United States, finding things in disarray, tends to reach out and aids the country or region find a semblance of balance (Utley). Examples are not hard to find for the case at hand. In the U. S. -led invasion of Kuwait to liberate the country from the Iraqi invaders, a story, untrue and unverrfied, ran about 20 Kuwaiti babies being hurled out of their incubators by the Iraqi raiders (Utley). This happened before the war (Utley). The story generated a groundswell of indignation and spurred the United States to move in with their military might (Utley). The end result of this carnage was far from the desired outcome. At the onset of the conflict, the United States decimated vital installations in the course of its military intervention (Utley). This left utilities in shambles; sanititation, electrical generation and food producing facilities were completely destroyed, leaving half a million children dead in its wake (Utley). The embargo on imports on even chlorine and materials for rebuilding the nation left it with unsafe drinking water (Utley). To follow the mindset of the generals, they are not schooled in the consideration of the consequences of their actions. All they want is how to quash the enemy and win the war (Utley). Haiti would be another prime piece of evidence on the failure of American interventionist policy. Before entering into its â€Å"war games† mentality, the United States first reduced the nation’s, and people’s, means of living by slapping an economic interdiction against the island nation (Utley). Then when the war mongers in the Federal government did not see the embargo working towards the desired goal, it went ahead and invaded the nation (Utley). As a result of the American military intervention, the people of Haiti are now in a far worse lot than they began with (Utley). Now, instead of becoming economically stable, the people of Haiti are now more dependent on imports from the United States (Utley). The pattern of American â€Å" police† strategy is sometimes is quite disturbing. When the American televison industry wearies of one subject, more often than not the American government forgets about it too (Utley). Simply put, it justs walks from the subject, leaving their posts when its no longer news, as in the cases of Haiti, Somalia or Panama (Utley). Or it just goes about imposing blockades to leave the people in hardship,like what is happening now in Iraq and Serbia (Utley). This practice of some God-given mission is not the lone and sole property of the United States, nor did it start with them. The concept was derived from the â€Å"Divine Right of Kings† practised in England (Neoperspectives). This was the practice in many European monarchies at the time of the founding of the United States (Neoperspectives). The King could just wave his hand or snap his fingers together and someone could lose his life (Neoperspectives). The United States†¦ World Police? So the actions of the United States leaves us with the question, should the United States take up the cudgels for policing the world, or, was there an offer in the first place? Most would point to the administration of former U. S. President Bill Clinton for the dilemma that the United States is facing (RateItAll). As the earlier statement mentioned, the fall of the Soviet Union left the United States as the only legitimate superpower on the planet (Weiner). But again the question is raised, did the world ask for it? The question is somewhat answered by formere Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Colin Powell (RateItAll). Albright avers that since they have one of the strongest fighting forces at their disposal, then why not utilize them (RateItAll)? Was the thinking of Albright correct? According to University of Texas profeesor and author Robert Jensen, its not. The United States is not acting at all as the world police; instead it is bullying the world into submission (Jensen).

Summary of the three ethical theories that are most central in Research Paper

Summary of the three ethical theories that are most central in philosophic ethics today - Research Paper Example One renowned deontologist is Immanuel Kant who has proposed that those actions should be considered as moral for which the reason for conducting an action was that the performer of the action is ready to accept the same action being considered against him in the same situation or in any other situation. This reason has been regarded as the maxim by the theorist. According to the principle of virtue ethics an act is considered as ethical or virtuous if and only if the person carrying out that act complies with the standards of honesty as well as righteousness (trinity.edu, 2014). Virtue ethics emphasizes upon the significant characteristics of an individual who can be regarded as a good human being. The theory of ethics of virtue has proposed the position that a person who can be regarded as good in nature is an individual who complied with various principles of

Thomas Aquinas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Thomas Aquinas - Essay Example Through the scriptures, God has several definitions that vary across cultures and religions. He is an all-powerful person who can fill a person with the Holy Spirit and the power to differentiate right from wrong. According to Aquinas, many preachers describe God every Sunday at congregation, but the fact is that, each religion has its own preacher, with their own message about the existence of God and his abilities. That calls for the need of a universal language about God because of the disagreements that occur because of his various descriptions in the society. The argument about the nonexistence of God is not reasonable, according to Thomas Aquinas. The bible, Quran, and other religious scriptures have received considerable bashing over the messages they perpetrate, especially on the topic of violence. Considering the traits God is given, this is not supposed to be the case because He is not a violent person. For that reason, the concept of a special theory arises that can outline the regulations, laws, way of life, or the performance of required acts in observance to

Factors affecting inflation rate Bahrain Assignment

Factors affecting inflation rate Bahrain - Assignment Example Throughout the globe, significant gains were made in fighting against increased inflation during the 1990s and there was hope that a new period of low inflation had started. Countries in Europe and Latin American succeeded in fighting inflation from higher digits to single digits, and maintaining the stability of prices of consumer goods and services. In 2000, increased inflation started to haunt the world but it was stopped in 2009 by the financial crisis (Calvo & Carmen, 2002). This paper discusses factors affecting the rate of inflation in Bahrain. Inflation in Bahrain is driven by many factors and the exchange and interest rate laws that central bank in Bahrain implement, and the supply of money. In Bahrain, the prices of goods especially food prices affect the inflation of Bahrain. This is because increase in prices of foods and beverages implies that the country would have increased inflation this is because transportation of such goods to the markets will be costly. Further, t he increase in prices of fuel implies that the prices of food stuffs increase since high prices of fuel controls the market. It is important to note that the prices of commodities are affecting the rate of inflation in Bahrain because commodities in Bahrain are widely imported and all prices of imported goods affect inflation. However, from the calculations, it can be deduced that changes in commodity prices are not just a proxy for changes in the entire import prices (Calvo & Carmen, 2002). From the data presented, it is rational to argue that another factor affecting inflation in Bahrain is the inflation in previous years. For instance, the momentum of inflation on goods such as foods and beverages and services such as medical care is well recorded and they result because of factors that incorporate overlapping contracts and adaptive inflationary expectations. Further, the growth of money in Bahrain because of paying utility bills such as rent, electricity and water has a direct e ffect on inflation of Bahrain since there is no purpose to expect important changes in the money velocity. It is also significant to note that the growth rate in Bahrain is influencing the rate of inflation in the sense that it is affected credit issues whereby increase in the growth rate of Bahrain has negative impact on inflation. The central bank played a very important role by decreasing the growth rate to about six percent in the year two thousand and eight. The market was very stable in that prices of commodities such as food, beverages, tobacco and services such as medical care were affordable. This in turn increased the market value of these goods and services (Chen & Scott, 2004). The trend of the economy of Bahrain affects her inflation. For instance, from the calculations, the trend in Bahrain revolves at the rate at which the world market is directed in that it sets its prices in comparison to other countries. For instance, the U.S economy is in direct contact with the e conomy of Bahrain. This illustrated that the movement of the trend was downward. This in turn shows that, the economy of Bahrain is positively affected rather than being negatively affectively which reduces inflation rate. Since inflation is defined as the increase in buying power of money, the easiest way to calculate the rate of inflation is by listing the prices of services and goods over the stated years commonly known as the price

Ansel Adams Individual Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ansel Adams Individual Work - Essay Example Music turned out to be what he focused on in his later life. Adam’s father assigned him to teacher Butler who taught piano. After some years under Butler’s guidance, Adams was assigned to other teachers like Henry Cowell. Piano became Adams primary occupation for the next twelve years. As much as he traded music for photographing, the piano came with much structure, discipline and substance to his erratic and frustrating youth. Furthermore, the careful exacting craft and careful training needed by a musician deeply informed his artistry and his influential teachings and writings on photography. Adams first time to be in Yosemite park was in 1916 when he went with the family. Adam wrote on what he viewed about the valley and suggested that a new had begun for him. Adam’s father provided him with his first machine or camera, a Kodak box camera. Adams returned to that park the subsequent year with a tripod and better cameras. Adams learnt darkroom technique while working for photofinisher in San Francisco. He keenly studied photography magazines, went to art exhibits, camera club and photography exhibits. With Holman a retired geologist, Adams travelled to the Sierra developing the skill and stamina required to photograph in tough weather condition and high elevation. Adams turned himself to be precise than other photographers before having the visual understanding of particular light quality which fell on a place at a particular time. According to Adam natural landscape solid sculpture and not fixed though an insignificant image. The sensibility to light specificity was the intent that made Adams develop his technique in legendary photography. Adams fought for balanced growth after losing habitat and realizing development although he was anguished by progress ravages. Adams was stressed by an internment by Japanese America that took place after an attack on the Pearl Harbor. He asked for permission to go to the Manzanar war centre situated in Owens valley beneath Mt. Williamson.

American politics(energy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American politics(energy) - Essay Example Without developing renewable energy sources such as hydrogen, we face a probable future of global war over the last remaining oil. We also will aggravate global warming and the environmental pollution, possibly to irreversible levels. There is also potential for the global economy to collapse, sending our civilization into virtual decline. Most of these events are already beginning to occur, and will worsen if no new path of action is taken. In order to avoid this crisis our world is heading towards, the National Issues Forums (NIF) booklet â€Å"The Energy Problem: Choices for an Uncertain Future† suggests three possible solutions to our present energy situation. The first approach is to utilize our national untapped reserves of oil, natural gas and coal. This approach seems to merely prolong our problem of needing to find long-term alternative energy, at best buying a few more years until the world’s supply of oil is too low to avoid major global crises. This approach also continues to pollute the environment, and will destroy the some of our country’s last fragile pristine environments, such as the Alaskan wilderness. The second approach is to use more wind, solar and nuclear power. Wind and solar power may not be able to meet our high demand for energy. Nuclear power is dangerous and dirty, requiring the disposal of radioactive waste that destroys environments. Wind and solar power have the advantage that people can install this form of energy production locally in order to become more energy independent. The great part of this approach is that we can finally work to reverse climate change. When hydrogen power is also included, these renewable energy sources make the greatest choice (minus nuclear power, unless a way is found to safely clean it up). The third approach is to use less energy and use energy more efficiently. This solution is

Applied International Trade Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Applied International Trade Management - Essay Example Production and distribution of goods and services are the main reason that is contributing to the growth of the port in recent times. Auckland is the largest centre for manufacturing and can be treated as a distribution hub. Trade has been considered as the engine of economic growth that drives the well-being of people in nations. This is particularly the reason for which Auckland’s economy has grown at a greater rate compared to New Zealand for the last ten years (Auckland City Government, â€Å"Driving forces in the Auckland region†). The rise in economic activity has been coupled with the rise in consumerism in the area. The high rates of employment in Auckland mainly in regions of metal production and manufacturing industries have increased the level of disposable income. This in turn, has raised the level of consumer spending by stimulating the demand for goods and services. The general increase in the demand of consumption goods in turn, fuels trade and the role of the port becomes crucial. The role of ports in supply chain management has increased in the recent times. Researchers have pointed out that, ports have played an important role in the co-ordination of information and material flows. This is because; ports play a centre of transhipment and can be considered as an important part in the supply chain. Ports can only become good logistics platform if they work in multiple directions by taking into account the interest of the sender and receiver of goods (Carbone and Martino 305-320). The Ports of Auckland Limited is constantly striving to improve its role in the supply chain management. POAL has taken a crucial role in the sharing of information, providing pre-advice for online export, providing facilities of vehicle booking system and off-wharf hubs. Adaptation of these technologies has reduced the average cargo handling time at the port thereby, enhancing the efficiency of the system. The

Google's e-library Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Google's e-library - Essay Example There are four factors to scanning or copying books according to the fair use principle. Fair use is the most significant limitation on the copyright holders exclusive rights (United States Copyright Office, 2010, para. 1). â€Å"The four factors are: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used and the effect to the use on the potential market Value of the Work (Hanratty, 2005).† The first factor is about the purpose of copying commercial or educational purpose. Google says that it is not making profit from scanning; therefore, it is not commercial making profit by advertising. "Google also gave a copy to the library and allows authors to chose if they want their books scanned or not. For example Google also has this option policy where by the copyright holder can select not to get his/her book digitized" (Prasad and Agarwala. 2008.258). In order not to cause any effect or harm in commercial benefit therefore Google project will provide snippets only Moreover, Google will share the digitals copies for all libraries. Merely "coping a book into a digital format would not be deemed transformative because all that Google is changing in the medium print to digital see Kirkwood, 150 F.3d at 108, n.2." The law states that whether the use is for non-profitable or commercial nature, this analysis should be taken into consideration. In circumstances where the analysis is for business purposes, presumption deliberates in contradiction to fair use. Practically, the court has found that commerciality is of no significant use to determine fair use. This can be attributed to the commercialization of secondary sources of copyright materials inclusive of the legal preamble. The root of this inquiry is to note whether the users profit by exploiting the copyrighted material devoid of customary price payment. The offset of the commercial

Case format in mangment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case format in mangment - Essay Example Pre-employment tests for controlled substances are really helping various companies and organizations in increasing efficiency of employees by keeping them away from the use of drugs. However, such mechanisms should be made regarding workplace drug testing which should not only help in maintaining a drug-free environment at a workplace but also shouldn’t violate the privacy of an employee during the phase of suspicion-based testing or drug testing. Before probing into the issue of workplace drug testing, we must first get to know what workplace drug testing actually is. The medical analysis of biological specimen of an employee at a workplace is known as workplace drug testing. The main objective of workplace drug testing is to identify the presence of various specified parent drugs and their metabolites in the urine, blood, or saliva of any employee. Some common types of dug tests include urine drug tests, sweat drug screen, saliva drug screen, and alcohol related tests. Its not necessary to perform the drug testing only when an employee joins any specific company or organization. Drug testing can be pre-employment drug testing, post-incident drug testing to determine whether use of drugs was involved in the causation or not, random drug testing, or diagnostic screening. But the most common of all types is applicant testing. Random testing is frequently used for the purpose of safety or security related jobs. Drug testing is an essential not only for keeping the workplace environment drug free but also to improve the efficiency of any specific organization. Sofsian (2005) states that â€Å"Many employers feel it is necessary for prospective employees to submit to a pre-employment drug screening†. Employers of any organization maintain the right to expect the employees working in that organization not to be high on

Performance Management And Learning And Development Essay Example for Free

Performance Management And Learning And Development Essay Introduction In the 19th   century university was meant to be a theoretical theatre, while the factory was the place for formal training and learning. Education is broader in scope than training and it has a less specific application than training, as it is delivered in educational institutions. As a result, there has always been a tension between the needs of industry and the educational requirements of the individual, as society needs people who can contribute in a comprehensive way (Wilson, 2005). A century later, West moved beyond the factory and manufacturing as the basis for economic wealth have been achieved. Compared to earlier centuries now this century is able to demolish the   trading, political and economic   barriers, which hampered the progress in the old days. The arrival of mass media and technology is re-shaping our lives at a breathtaking speed; the concept of learning is now not a stagnant process, but in a flux and evolving every day (Beckett, 2000). The nature of work is changing with the knowledge economy in boom, giving rise to unparalleled demands for learning in work settings through consistent training. Enterprises need integrated approach to possess knowledge workers, which is the right prescription for businesses today. It is hard to create effective employment and training based policies which give high priority to education and training-both at a time. Countries like Korea and Singapore are seriously investing in their human resources, while the poor countries do not have sufficient funds to meet their growing needs. The overall goal of the global economy is provide opportunities to people and obtain productive work with dignity, which requires a framework to address worker and producer needs. To meet such requirements, the new millennium needs a shift from traditional approach and demands new human resources development and training policies. Learning and Training Learning can take place either in formal settings, such as school/university or in less formal organizational settings. Possessing knowledge is different from learning, as learning has limited value and is not a guarantee of being skillful, until   put to practice in real world. Wilson (2005) has defined learning as â€Å"a permanent change of knowledge, attitude or behaviour occurring as a result of formal education or training, or as a result of informal experiences. Learning, education and development are often muddled together, however   they carry specific meanings as explained below: Training = learning related to present job; Education = learning to prepare the individual but not related to a specific present or future job; Development = learning for growth of the individual but not related to a specific present or future job. It has been recognised by the enterprises that passive learning cannot not ensure an accurate developmental process necessary in the business world. The managers find it hard to believe, that, seminars and workshops can teach management. It is argued, that case methodology, lectures, discussions and theories are useful, but they never find its way into the corridors of business world. As a result, managers and educational theorists suggest experiential learning, which trains workers in work place more effectively. According to the Glossary of Training Terms (2005), training is â€Å"a planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behaviour through learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose, in the work situation, is to develop the abilities of the individual and to satisfy the current and future needs of the organisation†. Rothwell (2003) mentioned that, training equips individuals and groups in an organisation to improve their work performance. However, training alone cannot alleviate a poor work, which may be due to the lack of rewards and incentives. Training is put into practice for a variety of reasons, such as orientation training for new workers or sending employees for special assignments and preparing employees to support critical activities (Wilkinson, 2005). The HRD equips people with necessary skills in three ways (McGoldrickand, 2001). .Individual Development   addresses broad areas and addresses, such as skill development, interpersonal skills, career development, etc.   Occupational /Group Development occurs among the groups through a team building programs. It also applies to specific occupational groups, such as implementation of new legislation. Organizational Development covers the whole organization. It can be defined as a â€Å"collection of planned change interventions, built on humanistic-democratic values, that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being†(Wilson and John, 2005). The well-known examples are; the introduction of a customer care programs across the organization; and the introduction of total quality management, which requires all individuals and groups to become involved. Mumfords (1995) mentions that, an organization where people continually expand their capacity to create the results- truly invent patterns of thinking for collective learning. This process can be defined as following:   Personal mastery, ensuring individual motivation to learn; mental models, creating an openness to misconceptions;   shared vision, building long-term commitment in people; team learning, developing group skills like cooperation, communication and so forth;   systems thinking, which constitutes   integration with other disciplines the other four. All these disciplines are to be practiced together to create an impact and must be practiced by all the members of organization to work together. Each problem and dilemma is crisis and workers learn from crisis and difficulties together and try to development process, where all workers profit from each other’s experiences. Shift of Training in Knowledge Economy Drucker (1993) has mentioned that, Every few hundred years in western history there occurs a sharp transformation. Within a few short decades, society rearranges itself its world view; its basic values; its social and political structure; its arts; its key institutions. The shift   from industrial-based economies to enterprises   started 20 years ago, moving to market share and hierarchical management focusing on a knowledge   based economy. If the industrial economy was driven by cheap energy; today’s knowledge economy is driven by inexpensive microchips and knowledge management enabling businesses to take benefit of the new knowledge (Trask, 1996). The modern corporation is over and the postmodern corporation is different. Today companies may look the same from outside—but behind the faà §ade, everything is different. They are no longer connected to the boiler or routine machines, but now in the business of knowledge creation. The activity of knowledge-based organization is not producing machine or power toys, but producing and managing knowledge. The knowledge economy differs from the old one, as the new economy is ever-increasing in information intensity and packed with more knowledge, data, and ideas. Now knowledge resides in the magnetic strip, not the plastic. The knowledge-based economy has new rules and standards, which require new ways of living and working, business, which do not acquire knowledge workers, are destined to die.   Wolfensohn (1999) has mentioned that, the knowledge-based economy relies on ideas and applications of technology rather than physical strength, which was done on the exploitation of cheap labor. In this new economy knowledge is created, acquired, transmitted, and sold by individuals, enterprises, organizations, and communities for the promotion of economic development. In the industrial world, knowledge-based industries are growing fast, while labour market demands are also changing. The new technologies insist on highly skilled workers, diminishing demand for the low skilled workers.   One of the key factors that distinguish intelligent business enterprise of the 21st century is emphasis on knowledge and information. Knowledge management is an important means by which organizations can better manage information and knowledge. Knowledge management encompasses a range of concepts, ranging from management tasks to technological practices, all come under the umbrella of the management of knowledge (Gupta, 2003). The successful organizations are aggressive, fast paced and have the ability to create  Ã‚   knowledge to maximize organizational strategic success. In today’s world, knowledge is a resource, which is critical to an organization’s survival and success in the global economy.   As the nature of work is changing, knowledge is regarded as a primary resource-giving rise to the unprecedented demand for learning in the working environment. Enterprises need to offer this new learning at work and create knowledge workers, which have become inevitable part of the corporate world. The workplace has become a site of learning associated with development of the enterprise through contributing to production and innovation. Thus the development of the individuals by providing training to create new knowledge is the most wanted asset of the enterprises today. The knowledge economy has four basic features as described below (Trask, 1996). Knowledge developed and applied in new ways, especially through information revolution, which has provided not only new opportunities to access information, but it is also creating new opportunities for swift transfer of the knowledge speeding up the process of worldwide change. Today product cycles have become shorter due to growing demand for innovation. In 1990s, it would take six years from concept to production in the automobile industry; now it takes only two years. Worldwide trade is increasing with increased competitive demands on producers. The countries, which are able to assimilate into the world economy, will achieve higher economic growth. Small and medium-size enterprises in the service sector have become significant players, in terms of both economic growth and employment. In the industrialized countries the employment has risen, but the patterns of employment are changing. The employers have re-organized workers into fixed and variable categories, while the fixed workers are career-oriented, the variable have little career progression and low access to education and training. These trends show that labour markets are becoming ruthless in their treatment of un-skilled workers and these low skilled workers stand at an edge. As a result working poor have grown in number and those working are underpaid and forced to work in miserable working conditions. The speed of change in the knowledge economy depreciates much more quickly compared to the past. In order to compete effectively in this changing environment, organisation need to   upgrade their workers skills continuously. This rapid change in the knowledge economy is so swift that firms can no longer rely longer rely on fresh graduates. In order to meet such need, lifelong learning and training is crucial to enable workers to compete in the global economy. Formal education and training includes programs which are recognized by the    Universities and institutes and lead to approved certificates and degrees.   Non-formal education and training includes programs, which are not formally recognized by the national system, such as apprenticeship training programs and structured on-the-job training.   Informal education and training includes unstructured learning, which can take place almost anywhere, home, community   or workplace.   It includes unstructured on-the-job training, the most common form of workplace learning. This improvement in people’s ability will allow them to be not only useful for their organisation, but it will also enable them to function as a useful members of their communities.   In a modern economy, the production of goods and services still relies on workers despite machine revolution. The need is to develop learning and training strategies, which allow these workers to learn new skills for new working conditions. It is crucial for the organisation to prepare workers for this new environment, which requires a new mode of education and training ­. This lifelong learning framework encompasses learning throughout the life cycle, from early childhood to retirement. It includes formal, non-formal, and informal education and training. In traditional industries most jobs require employees to learn how to perform routine functions, which, for the most part, remain constant over time and most learning used to take place when a worker started a new job. In the knowledge economy, change is so rapid that workers constantly need to acquire new skills. Firms need workers who are willing and able to update their skills throughout their lifetimes. Enterprises and organisation need to respond to these needs by creating education and training systems that equip people with the appropriate skills. The new millennium main challenge is to be employable and contribute to the economic growth in the global economy. This novel approach has set new rules for education, training and strategies in the organisations. The reason is that training not only advances interests of the individuals and enterprises, but it also augments the economic development of the nations. These new skills formation leads to equity in employment and society at large and allow the enterprise to reap the fruit of this human resources development. Performance Management According to Bacal (2004) â€Å"performance management is about creating relationships and ensuring effective communication and focusing on what organizations, managers, and employees need to succeed.† It is a   strategic approach to manage the business and improve organisational effectiveness with existing capabilities. Performance management provides development specialists with an opportunity to be   innovative in influencing corporate strategy and contribute to the results. The goal of performance management is to ensure that the organization departments, teams, and employees are working in an optimum fashion to achieve the organization objective. At the end of twentieth century new performance management systems were born and cannibalizing the old systems, due to the presence of the technological expansions. Management in the twenty-first century faces the challenge of creating and re-creating effective performance systems and requires a unique understanding of this process. Performance management process is about professionalism and continuous learning and development. The overall goal of performance management is to ensure that the organization and all its subsystems departments, teams, employees are working together in an optimum fashion to achieve the results desired by the organization. According to Bacal (2004), performance management is based on the following beliefs. Optimism: Performance management is based on the belief that improvement is possible, and that the human and organizational conditions can be improved. Performance management is the view of the possibility that performance improvement is always there and change is possible as long as people are willing. A Pragmatic View: Performance management is keeping the optimistic view, but it does have realistic view of improvement, understanding the possibilities for improvement and recognizing the  Ã‚   barriers to success. Performance management addresses various threats in the system and try to solve it, rather than kill it A Balanced Approach: It is natural to resist change in any organisation as change means changing habits. Performance management design strategies, which are part of organizational decision-making processes to build greater support for the change. It capitalizes on the opportunity for further improvement and success. Leadership. Performance management is built on the ethical knowledge. The true leaders determine promote best practices in their organisation to further the success. Such practices require courage to bring change, yet adhering to professional ethics ensuring that the change is consistent with legal requirements. Performance management is meant to establish a shared understanding about what is to be achieved and how it is to be achieved for an organization. To improve performance, individuals need to have a common understanding about what performance (and success) in their jobs looks like. It can be a list of tasks, objectives, or results or it can also be a set of behaviors or both. These goals need to be defined clearly with the jobholder so that people know what they are working toward? And what is expected from them to increase the probability of success (Lance, 1999).   A continuous management process delivers clarity, support, feedback, and recognition to all staff. Performance Management Process Performance management process is a communication process between an employee and his or her immediate supervisor with established expectation and understanding. This process is not meant to threaten or intimidate employees into neither being more productive nor does it mean to attack the personality of the employees, but it is a broad set of tools used to optimize the success of each employee for the larger interest of the organisation. The smooth functioning of performance management depends on the developmental activity and management control. A developmental push is essential to motivate workers and let them concentrate on work and commitment towards their respective organisation. Performance Management process is meant to measure the employee performance. It involves the following steps (Handbook for the Core Performance Management, 2005). Performance planning The workers performance is recognized through employee performance plans. They are clearly told, what are the expectations? And what are the set standards. Thus it is essential to develop such standards, which are realistic and attainable. Individual at the level of induction stage clearly need understand their role in the organisation. Employee/Team Performance In many organizations, employees work together to achieve the organizational objectives. The difference between group performance and an individuals contribution is that, the group performance is measured aggregately, while an employees performance is measured individually. Monitoring performance After the assignment of job the progress of the workers are monitored by the manager/supervisor, to check how much they are really working. Employee development Mentoring is essential process of employee development, the example can be set either by showing a high performer or by leader/manager, which helps the employee to overcome the difficulties. A frank discussion is essential to focus on employee areas of excellence, identifying the barriers to performance. Multiple Source of Feed back It is a process, which provides employees with performance information to enhance managerial feedback. It includes comments from various sources, such as collogues, supervisor report and direct reports as well. Figure: 1.1 Performance Management Process Source: Handbook for the core performance management, 2005 Evaluating Evaluation is a two-way discussion in the form of written documentation to concentrate on employee areas of excellence, and identify the areas for improvement and further development needs. Stupak and Leitner (2001) warns that performance management measurement should not be punitive, but should be positive and should help the organisation, what the work do and what they should not and continue for organisation improvement. It should not be as a tool to punish the guilty, but emphasis should be on finding the right direction for the organisation. Linkage of Learning and Development and Performance Management The learning and development and performance management have been discussed separately earlier. Recent studies have shown, these processes are interrelated and are linked (Harrison, 2005). For example, in small firms, resources are stretched and workers have to switch roles, it becomes crucial to train and develop these workers, as they often have switch tasks. Following are the essential points in case of training in the small firm scenario: A well-focused induction program. Basic training in firm unique systems. A probation period to evaluate the performance. Post confirmation development for further development. Badger (2001) has mentioned that in a situation where products and processes can be easily imitated, the only source of competitive advantage is to stimulate employee to learn.   Organizations always seek to reduce cost increase efficiency and productivity. Today’s enterprises have started to evaluate learning and training programs to achieve higher performance from their workers, as they understand that learning and performance management are interrelated and inevitable to achieve competitive advantage. This competitive advantage can be achieved through the development of human resources by deploying a strategy to support its workers and enhance the organizational performance. The performance management process can positively develop the workforce self-esteem and keep them motivated, thereby giving them job satisfaction, to let them focus on the job. However its not mere training which can bring result, employee participation in decision making is essential as noticed by Peon and Ordas (2005), that organizations need to provide individuals with enough incentives and allow them to participate in the decision-making process to achieve higher performance. The ability of nations and organizations to enhance the standard of living of the growing population depends on sustained increase in the productivity of the systems. In the inter-dependent global economy, productivity is essential to maintain economic advantage for individuals and societies. People and institutions are inter-connected, and today countries have mutual interests in the game of higher productivity of other nations. A nation may gain short-term advantage from a lesser productive contributor, but in the long term lower productivity is a bad omen for all the nations. Conclusion According to Business Intelligence Board (2005), enterprises need to formally link learning and performance management process to measure the employee performance, as this can explain, weather learning has really resulted in higher performance. This link between learning and performance management is clear and the ultimate objective of learning management is to have an educated workforce, which can sustain the competitive advantage in the cutthroat corporate world. Learning and development are essentially related to performance management process, same as performance management process is not complete unless it embrace learning and development  Ã‚   to fill the skill gaps identified in the workers. Various amounts of efforts have been done to linkage learning with performance, Thomson and Mabey  (2001) mentions, many organisations failed to have higher performance from their workers, despite enormous amount of training. It has not yet yielded enough clear evidence of a direct link between learning and performance management. However, learning and development activity does consistently emerge as a crucial intervening factor. LD alone is not enough-it has to be an integral part of a cluster of appropriate HR strategies. Reference Thomson.A and Mabey.C, Changing Patterns of Management Development, Blackwell Publishing. Marchington, M. and A. Wilkinson (2005), Human Resource Management at Work, London, CIPD   Stupak.J and   Leitner.P (2001), Handbook of Public Quality Management, Marcel Dekker Publications Harrison R (2005), Learning and Development, 4th edition, London. Workplace Learning, Culture and Performance, London, IFTDO. Badger,B (2001),Organizational Learning: An Empirical Assessment of Process in Small U.K. Manufacturing Firms, Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 39. Drucker.P (1993), The Practice of Management Quorum Books Business Intelligence Board, www.businessintelligence.com (2005) . Wilson, John.P (2005), Human Resource Development: Learning and Training for Individuals and Organizations, Kogan Page Limited. Rothwell.J (2003), What CEOs Expect from Corporate Training: Building Workplace Learning and Performance Initiatives That Advance Organizational Goals, Saranac Lake, NY, USA. Mumford.M (1995), Intercultural Sourcebook: Cross-cultural Training Methods, Intercultural Press Inc. Beckett.D (2001) Life, Work, and Learning: Practice and Postmodernity. Florence, KY, USA.   Trask.L (1996), Building New Skills for the Knowledge Economy,   Business Communications Review, Vol. 26.   Lance.Berger (1999), Compensation Handbook, McGraw-Hill Professional Book Group, USA. Glossary of Training Terms (2005) http://forum.bodybuilding.com/ Bacal.R (2004), How to Manage Performance. McGraw-Hill Companies, USA. McGoldrickand.J (2001),Understanding Human Resource Development: Philosophy Processes Practice, Routledge Publisher. Peon.J and Ordas (2005), The Learning Organization,   International Journal World Bank Staff (2003), Lifelong Learning in the Global Knowledge Economy: Challenges for Developing Countries, World Bank Publications.    James D. Wolfensohn (1999), World Bank Publications Gupta, Jatinder (2003), Creating Knowledge Based Organizations. Idea Group Publishing,USA. Handbook for the core performance management (2005) Ohio State University, USA.

Mesolithic Religions Essay Example for Free

Mesolithic Religions Essay Prior to this time in human existence people did not practice an organized form of religion. Everything was considered sacred and and there were no gods being worshiped. All this began to change in the Mesolithic time period. A shift in culture is evidenced by the building of the Stone Temple at Urfa. Up until this point in time, humans lived a mostly hunter gather lifestyle. People would have followed the herds of animals and lived off the land as they came to it, moving on once the resources were all used up. With the advent of the Stone Temple signaled a new way of life. With people needing to eat while the temple was being built and later when they came to worship, humans began practicing farming, herding, and hunting. With these new roles humans had a shift in thought from just passing through living on the land to masters of the land with the ability to own it and change it as needed. This new thought led to a shift in religious practices. Mesolithic people now began to see the world from the perspective that mankind had control over prosperity through religious practices. Herders could sacrifice some of the herd to a god to ensure the herd continued to grow. A farmer needing to have a good crop would have sacrificed people, fasted, or engaged in ritualistic sex. Much of this is evidenced by the artifacts that have been uncovered and the stories that have survived from the Mesolithic time. At the site of Urfa wild forms of the first domesticated plants and animals have been found. Inside the ruins animal bones were uncovered suggesting animal sacrifice may have taken place in there. The giant stone pillars have carvings in them one being a woman in a sexual pose that may suggest a room for ritualistic sex. The story of the first family illustrates some of the mentality of the time period. In the story two of the sons, representing farming and herding, gather to sacrifice. The herder sacrifices an animal while the farmer sacrifices some plants. The plants are rejected. Leaving the farmer to find another way to sacrifice which in the story is illustrated by him killing his brother. The third type of person, the hunter, is absent during all this suggesting the hunter still clung to the old ways and may have disapproved of the new religious thought. The hunter may have been the one telling the story, which is why the story has a negative tone.

U.S. intervention in Iraq

U.S. intervention in Iraq Introduction There are people that are opposed to the U.S. intervention in Iraq, as they believe that it will not lead to stability and democracy. These people, find similarities to Americas Vietnam intervention. For them, America has once more involved in a prolonged and indecisive political and military struggle, from which it will extricate with human and economic loses. On the other had, there are people that are in favour of the Iraq War and they believe that there is no comparison to the Vietnam War. They claim that it is the annihilation of Nazi Germany and its transformation to a democratic ally, that should be used as an analogy.[1] But, the comparison to the Vietnam War and its consequences was unavoidable, as it still influences the publics attitude towards foreign military intervention and was an event that is still in memories of todays American leaders. The question is whether there are any lessons from the American disaster in the Vietnam War that could be applied in Iraqs case. The differences between the two wars are very important: First of all, Vietnam in 1960 was a country with a long national history and a distinct national identity that was created after centuries of fighting against foreign domination. On the contrary, Iraq is a young state with many ethnicities and religions, that make unity difficult. Moreover, in Vietnam the enemy was skilled and experience with important external aid and international legitimacy. In Iraq the enemy had no martial ability and was politically isolated. Besides that, in Vietnam at first the war had the form of an insurgency that changed into a conventional conflict , whereas in Iraq happened exactly the opposite. The nature of the insurgency in the two cases was different, too. In Vietnam there were peasants that were centrally directed by the Communists, that had a clear politico-economic and social agenda. In Iraq, the insurgents were members of small groups that their methods consisted partly of car bombings and sabotage against U.S. forces and the war objectives werent very clear. Moreover, the U.S. was more restricted in military action in Vietnam that in Iraq, by the Chinese and the Soviet threat and they only cared about protecting South Vietnam. Nowadays, the U.S. with its military primacy is aiming at a regime change in Iraq. In Vietnam, the U.S. reached the 500,000 men and left the country after 8 years of bloodshed. In Iraq, the cost in human lives was much smaller and 3 weeks were enough to succumb the military resistance.[2] The comparison is becoming valuable by a political perspective: the lessons and the warnings that may come out of the Vietnam War for policymakers in Iraq War, especially on legitimacy and sustainability. The U.S. that failed to create and sustain a government and political order in South Vietnam, is now trying to do the same in Iraq. The Republic of Vietnam was a Cold War creation of the U.S. and it depended totally for its viability on America. In the end, most of the South Vietnamese didnt have the willingness to fight and even die for its maintenance. The sustainability failed mostly because the Americans abandoned South Vietnam, mainly because of the fall of public support on this war, as time was passing by with increasing American human and economic loses and no remarkable progress. State-building in Iraq is still in progress, so a critic on U.S. policy on this matter would be unfounded. This essay tries to recognize and analyze the comparisons between the American intervention in Vietnam and in Iraq. I believe that the differences are equally important with the similarities for providing political insights. This essay tries to evaluate similarities and differences on: relative U.S. military power, war aims, nature, duration and scale of the war, U.S. manpower lose rates, the enemy, military operations, role of allies, challenges of state-building, and challenges of sustaining political support. It ends with conclusions and recommendations. Relative U.S. Military Power From a military perspective, the international and regional balances were different during the Vietnam and Iraq wars. During the Cold War, the United States relied on allied military support, so its military intervention that took place in Vietnam (1965) had restrains. On the other hand, United States intervention in Iraq (2003) was characterized by freedom of action, as the United States was the only superpower and its military supremacy was globally uncontested. During the Cold War, China and the Soviet Union had under their influence many communist areas in Europe and Asia, including Vietnam, so the U.S. had to be careful regarding its military action in the region. Americans were trying not to provoke directly the Chinese and the Soviet intervention, so they were using their military power with restrictions.[3] But even then, China and the Soviet Union were helping the Vietnamese Communists by providing them with weapons of technological advance. On Iraqs case, Saddam Husseins military strength had almost disappeared by 1991 and in 2003 he couldnt find military support by external actors. For the Iraqi soldiers, training was not a priority, that is why in 2003 the Americans didnt face great difficulties in crushing Iraqi military resistance, taking over Baghdad and overthrowing Saddam Hussein. War Aims The political objectives between the Iraq and Vietnam wars were different. In the 1960s the United States was trying to preserve the non-communist status quo in South Vietnam. In 2003, the United States expressed their intention to democratize Iraq in order to create a model for the rest of the countries in the Middle East. In South Vietnam, as long as the policies that were followed were in agreement with the U.S. interests in the Cold War, the absence of democracy was not an issue.[4] In the Vietnam War, the U.S. wanted to preserve the regime, by forcing North Vietnam to cease its military intervention in South Vietnam. For this purpose, a massive and well-organized military effort was necessary against a determined and skilled enemy. In contrast, in Iraq the U.S. wanted to change the regime and for doing so, less effort and time was needed, although the collapse of Saddam Husseins regime, gave the opportunity to anti-occupation groups to mount insurgent attacks on U.S. forces and reconstruction targets. Another difference was that one of the basic objectives in Iraq was the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, while in Vietnam there was not such an issue but a struggle over territory. Moreover, the war on Iraq was justified as a part of the war against terrorism, led by al-Qaeda, which attacked the U.S. in September 11, 2001. In Vietnam War, the Americans didnt feel threatened by some kind of terrorism back in their homeland, despite the fact that Vietnamese Communist forces conducted terrorist attacks against South Vietnamese officials and U.S. civilian personnel. But, these attacks were restricted in the region.[5] The main American war aim in Vietnam was to safeguard the credibility of U.S. defense commitments throughout the world. Dean Rusk, the Secretary of State had stated: We have a commitment to assist the South Vietnamese to resist aggression from North. If the U.S. commitment in peace becomes unreliable, the communists would draw conclusions that would lead to our ruin. Indeed, failure to defend South Vietnam would lead American allies to question their credibility and communist advances would be encouraged in the Third World. The credibility of U.S. defense commitments was not an issue in the Iraq war. The Communist threat did not exist anymore and the American operations were not a response to Iraqi aggression. On the contrary, it was a war in order to prevent Iraqis acquisition of nuclear weapons and to stop the expansion of their biological weapons capability. This war depicted the U.S. willingness to use force against states that were seeking nuclear weapons and that could threaten them in the future. Nature, and Scale of the War The American intervention in Vietnam began as a materially self-sustaining, peasant-based communist insurgency in the South, against the South Vietnamese security forces that were supported by the U.S., and it ended up as a conventional military war between the U.S. and the North Vietnamese regular forces.[6] In contrast, U.S. military operation in Iraq began as conventional and quickly crushed Iraqs regular forces and ended up as a counterinsurgent campaign against terrorists. In Vietnam the Communists motivated a centrally-directed, perfect strategically revolutionary war, with a detailed political and economic program in order to mobilize the support of the peasants. Moreover, the communists in Vietnam had external support. The insurgency in Iraq was nothing like it. The Iraqi insurgents were former Baathist regime operatives, Sunni Arabs, al-Qaeda and other Islamist suicide bombers, hired gunmen and anti-American Shiites. So, the insurgency was not centrally directed. Moreover, it has no declared agenda, though it seems that their goal is to get the U.S. out of the country and cause instability on behalf of the restoration of Sunni Arab rule. Until recently the Iraqi insurgency rested mainly on the Sunni Arab community that consisted the 20% of the population. Now the insurgency has expanded but it cannot be compared to Vietnams situation where the peasants (80% of the population) formed the communist insurgency forces. When it comes to scale, the differences are many. In terms of the forces committed the U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam they reached 543,000 in 1969. Allied forces coming from other countries were 65,000 in 1968 and the South Vietnamese armed forced reached 820,000 soldiers. Communist troops numbered 700,000 in 1966.[7] By comparison, insurgent Sunni Arab fighters were no more than 5,000.[8] Militant Shiites, associated with the Muqtada al-Sadr movement and his Mahdi Army, may on the other hand number up to at least a few thousand fighters. The Vietnam War, unlike the Iraq War, had a huge and protracted aerial bombing component. In terms of bomb tonnage dropped, it was the largest air war in history. During the 1962-73 period, 8,000,000 tons dropped through Indochina.[9] U.S. aircraft losses due to hostile action were also numerous, as North Vietnam was supported by the Soviets who supplied them with technologically advanced air defenses. During 1962-73 period the U.S. aircraft loses totalled 8,500, 2,700 airmen were killed and 1,800 were captured and became prisoners.[10] In Iraq, U.S. air power comprised a large component of major operations and had one advantages over U.S. operations in Vietnam: the enemy didnt have effective air defenses. However, as in Vietnam, the helicopters proved vulnerable to hand-held missiles and to machine guns. During March 20-May 1, the Iraqis downed 30 helicopters.[11] U.S. manpower loss rates During the 1965-1972 period in the Vietnam War, the U.S. numbered 55,700 dead and 290,000 wounded, which is translated as 19 dead and 100 wounded per day. These rates are well above than in the Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, which records 2 deaths per day. By April 2004, U.S. casualties had reached 685 dead and more than 3,000 wounded.[12] The Enemy The number of the enemys forces was impressive in the Vietnam War, but so was the number of the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces, which combined to third-country allied forces, outnumbered the communist forces. U.S. forces in both cases had a fire power advantage over the enemy. Despite that fact, in the end the U.S. left South Vietnam to the Communists. One explanation would be because of the anti-war movement back in America and the hostility of the media[13]. Another, would be the outstanding performance of the enemy, based on the asymmetry of stakes. The Vietnamese conflict was a limited war for the United States but a total war for the Vietnamese Communists. The Americans underestimated the enemys ability and most importantly their desire to win even if that meant that they had to die over trying. For the Vietnamese Communists this war was about national reunification, independence and taking over the power in Vietnam.[14] The Communist forces losses during the American period of the Vietnam War had reached 1,100,000 dead and 2,000,000 civilian dead. In the 20th century, it is the highest military death toll proportional to its population (5%).[15] The enemy in Iraq is smaller in number, less ideologically and organizationally cohesive and has no external assistance. During the first period of the Iraqi insurgency, the most dangerous enemy elements were Baathist regime remnants that were trying to restore the old Saddamist order. The characteristics of the enemy since then seem to be changing with the constant appearance of anti-American Islamic militants in the struggle.[16] Religious extremists and foreign fighters begun to supplant Baathist remnants as the primary members of the insurgency, using suicide as an insurgent method and other types of bombings..[17] Additionally, an unknown number of criminals and unemployed former soldiers have been hired by the Baathists to engage in attacks on coalition forces for pay. Saddam Husseins capture brought into Iraq a number of foreign terrorists that now had the kind of freedom of movement that previously didnt have.[18] While Saddam was in charge, an effective internal security prevented any kind of insurgent activity. Moreover, terrorism against his regime was something that Saddam was fighting against. Moreover, al Qaeda takes advantage of the vacuum in the political system that Saddams regime fall created. Members of al Qaeda are considered as leaders of the major suicide bombings that have been taken place in the country, such as the attacks at the UN headquarters, the Jordanian embassy and Kurdish political parties.[19] Another part of the insurgents is people who seek revenge against the Americans for previous actions against their families and friends.[20] But, it is clear that Iraqi soldiers are not as capable as the Vietnamese Communists were. The Communists were organized into divisional-size units, whereas Iraqi fighters operate in squads. The Vietnamese Communists had external access to technological advanced weapons, whereas the Iraqis did not. But the Iraqi insurgents are better armed today, than the Vietnamese Communists in 1960, who relied on stolen and home-made weapons.[21] Iraq starting from Saddam Husseins era, has been a heavily-armed society. Last but not least, the Iraqis have no common ideology, strategy or vision for Iraqs future, while the Vietnamese Communists had. Iraqi insurgents operations are uncoordinated, even though all of them agree on the objective of Americans being thrown out of the country, they have not agreed on a strategy for doing so. Maybe their thought is to kill as much U.S. troops as they can in order to undercut domestic American political support? Military Operations In Vietnam the U.S. got involved in two wars at the same time: one on the ground in the South and an air war in the North. Both of them failed. In the South, the U.S. military forces believed that they could cause huge casualties, because of their fire power, on the Communists and that they would have the initiative in the war field.[22] But, they ignored the Communists readiness to sacrifice and their substantial manpower. Moreover, in fact, the Communists started most of the fire fights, which meant that they could control their losses by refusing combat when it suited them to do so. The enemy managed to keep losses within his capacity to replace them.[23] In the air war against North Vietnam the Americans also underestimated the enemys will to win. North Vietnam was a pre-industrial totalitarian area, so it was difficult to be defeated through air power. Moreover, the Soviets provided them with military means that imposed significant loses on American aircrafts.[24] North Vietnam had a powerful air defense system and the capacity of bomb damage repair, whereas Iraq in 2003 had not. The U.S. air losses in North Vietnam were significant. Apart from the enemys capacity and political restrictions in the use of force, there were other factors that influenced Americas military performance. There was no joint warfare in Vietnam.[25] On the contrary, inter-service rivalry dominated, producing disunity of command and precluding the provision of timely and useful military advice to civilian authority.[26] On the ground things werent any better. Rotational tours of duty of 1 year for enlisted personnel and 3-6 months for officers lead to small unit cohesion under fire and compromised the ability of officers and men alike to accumulate and sustain knowledge and skill in fighting. As a result, only the 15% of the U.S. military personnel in Vietnam were available for sustained ground combat operations, by 1968.[27] Communist forces were leaner because they relied more on stealth and cunning than firepower, and because they recruited hundreds of thousands of peasants to perform logistical tasks. Moreover, they lived in the field, unlike Americans. Vietnamese revolutionary war, combined mass political mobilization and a reliance of guerrilla tactics that deprived a firepower superior conventional foe of decisive targets to shoot at.[28] They relied on camouflage and night operations, hit-and-run attacks and use of terrain and populations as means of concealment. The purpose of Communists military operations was to weaken enemys will through protraction of hostilities. It was the only way for them as a swift victory over the Americans was impossible.[29] Insurgents in Iraq have different targets: U.S. and coalition troops, American civilian contractors, Iraqis working with Americans, oil and electrical power infrastructure. Moreover, Iraqi politicians, police stations and officers and members of the New Iraqi Army.[30] Their methods have evolved through time as the various groups have engaged in trial. They mainly include rocket-propelled grenades and use of improvised explosive devises. Iraqi police officers and other security forces are targets because they are considered to take over the power as soon as the U.S. forces leave the country. In addition, they are more vulnerable because their weapons are not as lethal as U.S. forces and they receive limited training in force protection.[31] Role of Allies In 1965 the United States did not bother to seek U.N. authorization for intervention in Vietnam because of the certainty of a Soviet veto.[32] In 2003, the United States sought an authorizing resolution but failed to garner even a majority among the U.N. Security Councils membership.[33] Indeed, in both cases, much of the rest of the world, including key allies, regarded U.S. military intervention as illegitimate. Not a single NATO ally joined the United States in Vietnam; on the contrary, only five other states aside from South Vietnam itself (Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand) contributed combat troops.[34] If Americas allies in the Vietnam War were few, the opposite was true for the Vietnamese Communists. Unlike Saddam Husseins Iraq in 2003, the Communists in Vietnam had powerful and decisive allies. Behind the NLF in the South stood North Vietnam, and behind North Vietnam stood the Soviet Union and China. Deliveries included fighter aircraft, antiaircraft guns, tanks and helicopters. The Chinese, provided the Vietnamese Communists with huge quantities of weapons. Unlike the Russians, however, the Chinese provided over 300,000 antiaircraft and engineer troops who, in the face of escalating U.S. bombing, manned air defense systems and constructed, reconstructed, maintained, and defended North Vietnams transportation network, especially its railroad system.[35] In Iraq, as in Vietnam, the United States has sought international support both to reduce its military burden and to enhance the legitimacy of its policy, although it strongly resisted giving the United Nations a major voice in post-war Iraq policy. In Iraq, as in Vietnam, this effort produced disappointing results, although the number of countries contributing forces to Iraqs postwar stabilization is much more impressive than those that sent troops to Vietnam. In both cases, the United States bore the primary burden of the fighting, although in Vietnam, unlike Iraq, a large indigenous force performed important static defense and other military tasks. In Iraq, the most notable contribution came from the United Kingdom, which contributed 26,000 troops. Since the termination of major combat operations in May 1, 2003, a number of other countries, for a variety of motives, some of them having little to do with support for U.S. policy in Iraq, have committed limited force contingents to assist Iraqs post-war stabilization.[36] Additionally, the more Americanized the already heavily American foreign presence in Iraq becomes, the more likely it is that it will provoke Iraqi nationalist opposition. Some Iraqi nationalists may be drawn to the insurgent cause by what they view as a prolonged U.S. troop withdrawal and the continued absence of a new U.N. effort to take over the establishment of a new Iraq.[37] Challenges of State-Building The Vietnam War ended as a war between two states, the northern Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and the southern Republic of Vietnam (RVN). The former established in 1945 and the latter in 1954. The U.S. supported the RVN against further Communist expansion. If it werent the U.S. political, military and economic support, the anti-communist regime could not have been created and sustained.[38] The U.S. helped with the state-building in South Vietnam for two decades. It founded governmental institutions, it armed and trained the RVN armed forces, it subsidized South Vietnams economy and it tried to direct the RVN toward democratization. Despite these efforts, state-building failed, first of all because of the RVNs military defeat in 1975. The RVN was defeated so quickly that made an impression even to Communists.[39] The U.S. were to blame for it partially. It reduced its principal goal from securing an independent, non-Communist Vietnam to looking for a withdrawal and when the final Communist offensive was launched in 1975, they couldnt re-enter the war or provide the RVN with materials.[40] The RVN was to blame for the failure, too. Their weaknesses were: professional military inferiority, corruption and lack of political legitimacy. Moral disintegration explains why their three times bigger in size army, with larger equipment was that rapidly defeated.[41] Important RVNAF units didnt go to combat because they were to protect the government from potential threats of a coup detat, and generals that were very skilful were considered as political threats. In addition, military promotions were given with no meritocratic methods.[42] Moreover, many South Vietnamese started stealing American military and economic aid in order to get profit. They didnt care about going to war as for them the Americans were responsible for this task. Black market operations were one of the major components of RVNAF corruption.[43] The Communists fighting power was superior as first of all their political program was very clear: kick out the Americans, give land to the peasants and unite the nation. In addition, they had a totalitarian political system that controlled and directed the society more effectively than in South Vietnam. On the contrary, the RVNAF lacked in discipline and patriotism that would lead soldiers to sacrifice their lives.[44] Unlike the RVN, the Communists succeeded in persuading the majority of Vietnamese in both South and North that it was the only legitimate political representative of national independence. The RVN failed to obtain the necessary legitimacy in order to survive without the American support.[45] In Iraq, as in South Vietnam, the political success will come after the creation of a government that will be legitimized by the majority of people and after the creation of security forces that will be in position to protect this new political order. South Vietnam had a corrupted government and large but incompetent security forces. Its enemy, however, was very capable. On the other hand, in Iraq there is no government and no worth-mentioned security forces. Moreover, any government that the U.S. will try to create must be likeable from the Iraqis and must be secured by U.S. military power.[46] The main threat to state-building in Iraq lies not in the insurgency in central Iraq, but in the potential for the recent uprising of Shiite militants to reignite, expand, and include large elements of that community or the development of the kind of sectarian civil war that plunged Lebanon into near anarchy for almost 2 decades.[47] The creation of a stable and democratic Iraq is difficult. The U.S. does not have the time with their side. Most of the Iraqis and their Arab neighbours look Americas presence there suspiciously and question its motives. So the Iraqi governmental institutions are erected under political pressure and under the objections of Iraqi sectarian leaders.[48] The U.S. with its military presence undermine the constructed governments legitimacy. U.S. withdrawal will reassure nationalists and provide governmental institutions with some space in order to develop.[49] One the other hand, a premature withdrawal a security vacuum may cause disorder that could lead to a civil war. Iraq has met in the past tyranny and authoritarian regimes, so a democracy in order to work needs institutions that can be trusted to deliver representative government, while protecting minorities. In addition, the development of a political society where groups will have the opportunity to be elected without provoking fears to the losers, is necessary. Otherwise, the losers may try to ensure their safety by resisting to national institutions.[50] The institutions need to be protected by security and gradually the U.S. intents to pass this responsibility on Iraqis. This action may lead to the legitimacy of the new Iraq government, provided that the new forces will not operate with visible support from the U.S. . [51] Challenges of Sustaining Domestic Political Support The American intervention in Vietnam failed because citizens back home stopped supporting it. Communists had more to loose from a bad ending of this war than the U.S, so their political will was much stronger. The majorities and opinions of liberal newspapers, such as the Washington Post and New York Times supported the Vietnam war in the first place, as long as it didnt last long, there werent many casualties and it didnt influence much their economy.[52] People trusted the U.S. Government and supported its decisions. But as war went on, this support started to decrease. By March 1969, 66% of the citizens were opposed to the continuation of this war. From April 1969 to December 1972 the U.S. military personnel dropped from 543,000 to 24,000. Public opinion made Nixon pullout the American soldiers even though he knew that this would favour the Communists.[53] In Iraqs case, public support may decreased because of the inability to find any relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda. Moreover, the costs of the Iraq War are extravagant and they are to blame partially for the cumulative national debt.[54] Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was a war of choice and as such, like Vietnam, publics tolerance in deaths was limited. Before the war started, .U.S. Government assured people that the hole world would consider them as liberators of Iraq. Effects on public opinion between expectations and realities needs to be seen. However, polls taken in March 2004 by CNN/USA Today showed a decline in public support. Only 49% was in favour of the Iraq War. Moreover, the 43% believed that their government mislead them about whether Iraq has nuclear weapons.[55] Conclusions These two historical situations are not identical. Operation IRAQI FREEDOM achieved its goal, that is eliminating a regime that could be a threat to the U.S. . Despite that fact, the U.S. had to face the costly results of state-building while insurgent violence is still on, that resembles the Vietnam situation. Many academics believe that establishing democracy in Iraq is beyond Americas power and that another regime type must be approached, such as a benign authoritarian regime type along the lines of Kemal Ataturks Turkey, as a transition to more representative governance.[56] However, the U.S. must not abandon Iraq as it did with South Vietnam in 1975. It is possible that such an action would lead to civil war. In my opinion the differences between the two cases are more than the similarities, especially in the military aspects. But underestimating the Iraqi insurgents would be a mistake that the U.S. did with the Vietnamese Communists in Vietnam. After all, even the appearance of the insurgency after U.S. operations surprised many. In addition, even though the appeal of the Iraqi insurgency cannot be compared to the Vietnamese Communists, the Iraqi insurgency has attacked key targets to Iraqs reconstruction. Policymakers need to be careful with the two aspects that are similar in both wars. The challenges of state-building and the need to maintain domestic political support. State-building in Iraq could fail for the same reasons that failed in Vietnam: inability to create a political order that gets legitimacy by the citizens. Moreover, the domestic political support cannot be taken for granted, especially now that people have in their memories the consequences of the Vietnam War. In addition, the absence of a North Vietnam in Iraq could change, with a hostile external state intervention. For instance, Iran, which has strong state interests in Iraq that have so far been served by the U.S. destruction of the Saddam Hussein regime may try to cause chaos in Iraq. Iran has no interest in the resurrection of a powerful Iraq, and certainly not a democratic Iraq, and it has the means to get thousands of Iraqi Shiites on the streets to protest the U.S. occupation. To conclude with, it is important to mention the greatest difference between the two wars. The Vietnam War is a finished event, whereas Iraq War is still in progress. We know what happened in Vietnam, but we do not know what Iraqs fate will be. Robert L. Bartley, Iraq: Another Vietnam? Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2003 Harry G. Summers, Jr., Vietnam War Almanac, New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985, p. 113. See John W, Garver, The Chinese Threat and the Vietnam War, Parameters, Spring 1992, pp. 73-85. Larry Berman, Planning a Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam, New York: W. W. Norton, 1982, p. 92. Larry Berman, Planning a Tragedy: The Americanization of the War in Vietnam, New York: W. W. Norton, 1982, p. 94. Shelby Stanton, Vietnam Order of Battle, Washington, DC: U.S. News Books, 1981, p. 333 James J. Wirtz, The Tet Offensive: Intelligence Failure and War, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991, pp. 247-251 David L. Anderson, The Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War, New York: Columbia University Press, 2002, pp. 286, 287, 288. Phillip S. Meilinger, Air Power: Myths and Facts, Maxwell AFB, AL; Air University Press, December 2003, p. 78. Anthony H. Cordes

Boondock Saints Essay :: essays research papers

The Boondock Saints movie exhibits and demonstrates many possible causes and reasons for social deviance. One example of this is shown in the Subjective view of deviance through a Constructionist Theory. The Subjectivist believes that a deviant person is a conscious, feeling, thinking subject and that one should understand the experience of that person. From a Constructionist perspective, deviants are actively seeking meanings in the deviant activities. The brothers in the movie are seeking meaning from their killing. They believe that they are on a mission from God, and that they will be protected and blessed for doing this. The brothers in the movie are a good study on mass murder. While they are not murdering everyone at exactly the same time in the same place, they are doing it in a cult-like sort of way. They believe that they are on a mission from God, to kill all criminals in Boston. They believe that they are following a direct order from God, much like what certain cults believe. Most of their murders are also pre-meditated. Perhaps the biggest factor in why these brothers murder can be attributed to the theory of Subculture of Violence. Subculture of violence states that those who are poor or less fortunate are more likely to engage in violent acts, such as murder and rape. This is attributed to their social standing, and their inability to get out of the lower social classes. The actual cause of violence in these situations is poverty and social inequality. While the brothers are not lashing out at those who are significantly richer than them, they are lashing out at those who are more powerful than them. They are also lashing out at those who make others poor and impoverished. Last but not least, one can also look at the brothers’ acts as acts of terrorism. These murders are not terrorism towards the general populace, but towards those who are criminals, and to those who might become criminals.

free speech -- essays research papers

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION--SPEECH AND PRESS Adoption and the Common Law Background Madison's version of the speech and press clauses, introduced in the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789, provided: ''The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.''1 The special committee rewrote the language to some extent, adding other provisions from Madison's draft, to make it read: ''The freedom of speech and of the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble and consult for their common good, and to apply to the Government for redress of grievances, shall not be infringed.''2 In this form it went to the Senate, which rewrote it to read: ''That Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and consult for their common good, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.''3 Subsequently, the religion clauses and th ese clauses were combined by the Senate.4 The final language was agreed upon in conference. Debate in the House is unenlightening with regard to the meaning the Members ascribed to the speech and press clause and there is no record of debate in the Senate.5 In the course of debate, Madison warned against the dangers which would arise ''from discussing and proposing abstract propositions, of which the judgment may not be convinced. I venture to say, that if we confine ourselves to an enumeration of simple, acknowledged principles, the ratification will meet with but little difficulty.''6 That the ''simple, acknowledged principles'' embodied in the First Amendment have occasioned controversy without end both in the courts and out should alert one to the difficulties latent in such spare language. Insofar as there is likely to have been a consensus, it was no doubt the common law view as expressed by Blackstone. ''The liberty of the press is indeed essential to the nature of a free state; but this consists in laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal matter when published. Every freeman has an undoubted right to lay what sentiments he pleases before the public; to forbid this, is to destroy the freedom of the press: but if he publishes what is im... ... of the First Amendment preclude the notion that its purpose was to give unqualified immunity to every expression that touched on matters within the range of political interest. . . . 'The law is perfectly well settled,' this Court said over fifty years ago, 'that the first ten amendments to the Constitution, commonly known as the Bill of Rights, were not intended to lay down any novel principles of government, but simply to embody certain guaranties and immunities which we had inherited from our English ancestors, and which had from time immemorial been subject to certain well-recognized exceptions arising from the necessities of the case. In incorporating these principles into the fundamental law there was no intention of disregarding the exceptions, which continued to be recognized as if they had been formally expressed.' That this represents the authentic view of the Bill of Rights and the spirit in which it must be construed has been recognized again and again in cases that have come here within the last fifty years.'' Dennis v. United States, 341 U.S. 494, 521-522, 524 (1951) (concurring opinion). The internal quotation is from Robertson v. Baldwin, 165 U.S. 275, 281 (1897).

Free Narrative Essays - Josies Triumph :: Example Personal Narratives

Josie's Triumph Even though I am the older brother and she's the younger sister, Josie was always a head taller, and a good 40 pounds heavier than me when we were growing up. I hated that. I was the big brother. I was supposed to be dominant and protective. But while she was the biggest kid in school, I was nearly the smallest. Josie's size and strength only made my lack of those two qualities more apparent. I was two years ahead of her in school, which meant that by the time she got to middle school I was already an 8th grader. Kids in middle school are not kind or accepting, and over the years they had continually made fun of my puny size and lack of athletic ability. But the teasing reached a whole new level when Josie entered middle school. Now they had a new angle for tormenting me. They would taunt, "Hey Shrimp! Your sister still beat you up?" Or, they would chant again and again on the bus, "Paul, Paul, he's so small, but his sister's ten feet tall!" I guess that rhyme was hurtful to both of us, but I only felt my own humiliation. It still baffles me that I took no notice of my sister's feelings. The times when the jokes centered around her, like when they called her "Josie the Giant," it was such a relief not to be their target that I did nothing to stop them. Nothing seemed to bother Josie anyway. I never heard her complain or so much as saw her wince. I just assumed that her interior was a steely as her exterior. That was until the day she snapped. There was a new girl, Ginny, in Josie's class who wore really thick glasses, and without them, was nearly blind. She, to my relief, had temporarily become the butt of jokes and pranks. The latest chant that the kids had come up with was, "Ginny, Ginny, short and fat, squinty-eyed and blind as a bat!" In all fairness, Ginny wasn't fat at all, but the kids chanted that because it rhymed with bat. It started as a normal lunch break, with Josie and Ginny standing together in line.

Promoting Brand Loyalty at Abercrombie & Fitch Essay

Abercrombie and Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally. The company also operates three offshoot brands: Abercrombie, Hollister Co., and Gilly Hicks. The company operated a post-collegiate brand, Ruehl No.925, that closed in early 2010. The company operates 1,073 stores across all four brands. The A&F brand has 316 locations in the United States, four in Canada, one in London, one in Milan, one in Tokyo, one in Copenhagen, one in Madrid, one in Paris, one in Brussels, one in Dublin, and one in Hong Kong. A&F stores range from 6,000 to 36,000 square feet. The company focuses on providing high-quality merchandise that compliments the casual classic American lifestyle. selling casual sportswear apparel, including knit and woven shirts, graphic t-shirts, fleece, jeans and woven pants, shorts, sweaters, outerwear, personal care products and accessories for men, women and kids under the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, and Hollister brands. The Company determines its operating segments on the same basis that it uses to evaluate performance internally. The operating segments identified by the Company are Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. The operating segments have been aggregated and are reported as one reportable segment because they have similar economic characteristics and meet the required aggregation criteria. The Company believes its operating segments may be aggregated for financial reporting purposes because they are similar in each of the following areas: class of consumer, economic characteristics, nature of products, nature of production processes, and distribution methods. The Company views the customer’s in-store experience as the primary vehicle for communicating the spirit of each brand. The Company emphasizes the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and energy by utilizing visual presentation of merchandise, in-store marketing, music, fragrances, rich fabrics and it s sales associates to reinforce the aspirational lifestyles represented by the brands. The Company considers the in-store experience to be its main form of marketing. The Company emphasizes the senses to reinforce the aspirational lifestyles represented by the brands. The Company’s flagship stores represent the pinnacle of the Company’s in-store  branding efforts. The Company also engages its customers through social media and mobile commerce in ways that reinforce the aspirational lifestyle of the brands. Flagship stores and social media both attract a substantial number of international consumers, and have significantly contributed to the Company’s worldwide status as an iconic brand. The in-store marketing is designed to convey the principal elements and personality of each brand. The store design, furniture, fixtures and music are all carefully planned and coordinated to create a shopping experience that reflects the Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister or Gilly Hicks lifestyle. The Company’s sales associates and managers are a central element in creating the atmosphere of the stores. In addition to providing a high level of customer service, sales associates and managers reflect the casual, energetic and aspirational attitude of the brands. Every brand displays merchandise uniformly to ensure a consistent store experience, regardless of location. Store managers receive detailed plans designating fixture and merchandise placement to ensure coordinated execution of the Company-wide merchandising strategy. In addition, standardization of each brand’s store design and merchandise presentation enables the Company to open new stores efficiently. The Company had net sales of $2.929 billion for the fifty-two weeks ended January 30, 2010, down 15.9% from $3.484 billion for the fifty-two weeks ended January 31, 2009. Operating income for Fiscal 2009 was $117.9 million, which was down from $498.3 million in Fiscal 2008. Net income from continuing operations was $79.0 million and net income per diluted share from continuing operations was $0.89 in Fiscal 2009, compared to net income from continuing operations of $308.2 million and net income per diluted share from continuing operations of $3.45 in Fiscal 2008. Net income per diluted share from continuing operations included non-cash, store-related asset impairment charges of $0.23 and $0.06 for Fiscal 2009 and Fiscal 2008, respectively. Net cash provided by operating activities, the Company’s primary source of liquidity, was $402.2 million for Fiscal 2009. This source of cash was primarily driven by results from operations adjusted for non-cash items including depreciation and amortization and impairment charges. The Company used $175.5 million of cash for capital expenditures and had proceeds from the sale of marketable securities of $77.5 million during Fiscal 2009. The Company’s Market Share may be  Adversely Impacted at any Time by a Significant Number of Competitors. The sale of apparel and personal care products is a highly competitive business with numerous participants, including individual and chain fashion specialty stores, as well as regional and national department stores. The Company faces a variety of competitive challenges, including maintaining favorable brand recognition and effectively marketing its products to consumers in several diverse demographic markets. And sourcing merchandise efficiently and countering the aggressive promotional activities of many of the Company’s competitors without diminishing the aspirational nature of the Company’s brands and brand equity. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to compete successfully in the future. The science of the Deal Ch.7 Genentech is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer.   Today, Genentech has the biggest market capitalization in biotech at US $88 billion, with an incredible reputation in drug development, especially in oncology, and a number of blockbuster drugs under its belt. Genentech has multiple products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions. In March 2009, Genentech became a member of the Roche Group, and Genentech now serves as the headquarters for all Roche pharmaceutical operations in the United States. Accordingly, the list below includes products which were previously marketed as Roche products that are now being marketed by Genentech in the United States. Genentech’s relationship with Roche Holding began in 1990, when the Swiss company bought a 60 percent stake in Genentech for $2.1 billion. As a result of additional stock purchases and sell offs, Roche owned about 56perce nt of Genentech in 2008. The success of Genentech as a biotechnology company is indeed in no small part derived from its strategy of forming alliances with smaller companies, whose proprietary drugs and technology platforms have the potential to become blockbusters. The commercialized drug, called Tarceva, is a drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and several other  types of cancer, which was released in 2004 and quickly acquired blockbuster status. It is marketed in the United States by Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals and elsewhere by Roche. In lung cancer, it extends life by an average of 3.3 months at a cost of CDN$95,000. Historically, this approach has brought Genentech great rewards, particularly in the field of oncology, and now the company is hoping to achieve similar success in new therapeutic areas. To support small companies with promising technologies and/or drugs in development that are at too early a stage for licensing. In this way, Genentech has developed a highly competitive approach, singling out small companies with enormous future potential and establishing mutually beneficial relationships at the earliest possible stage. A significant proportion of the Genentech pipeline has always consisted of proprietary technology platforms and drug candidates, and its brave approach to R&D spending reflects this. In 2003, 24% of Genentech’s revenues were directed into R&D, to address the top-heavy position of its pipeline at the time. To balance resource use with the strongest likelihood of success, Genentech continuously evaluates its pipeline products in order to determine which are the most promising projects to move through the many phases of clinical testing. The pipeline includes both breakthrough innovations and new indications for existing, well understood products that may fight more than one disease or more than one form of a disease.