Thursday, October 31, 2019

Sony Reels from Multiple Hacker Attacks Case Study

Sony Reels from Multiple Hacker Attacks - Case Study Example This act of stealing an individual’s private and personal information and then impersonating them is referred to as the criminal act of identity theft (Easttom, 2011). But there is a lack of customers who have reported that their identities have been stolen due to the Sony debacle. This writing will focus on several questions related to the case. The writing focuses on the issue of losses that Sony has already realized and Sony might be facing in the coming years. These losses are both a monetary and non-monetary in nature. These losses include the monetary loss of $171 million that Sony expects to lose as a result of the series of hacking activities that have been carried out against them. These losses even include the loss of market share in the market of online gaming and other online transactions (Conn, 2002). These losses even include the effort and money that Sony will have to invest in order to get back on track. The writing even focuses on Sony Company’s responsibility towards the safeguarding of the information of its prestigious clients and the measures that Sony could have taken in order to protect the customers and the actions it will have to implement in future to save their business from hackers. Sony could have taken various measures in or der to protect its customers these measures includes the hiring of White Hat Hackers who are hackers employed for the purpose of securing computer systems from the vulnerability of hacking (Wilhelm, 2013). The writing further focuses on measures that need to be taken in order to deter professional hackers from indulging in the future.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

English vs. Spanish Colonization Essay Example for Free

English vs. Spanish Colonization Essay From 1500 to 1700, the English colonization of the Chesapeake region and the Spanish colonization of the Central/South American region varied greatly in their primary motivations for settlement and the lasting effects imprinted into both societies. The English motives in settling the Chesapeake region were more economically-based, seeking greater economic opportunity and employment, while the Spanish effort took on a more religious approach that ended up having long-term effects on the way their culture and society developed. The effects both colonies felt differed in many ways, primarily due to the varying motivational influences felt by the English and the Spanish. However, similarities in colonial motivations and cultural impacts were present between both societies. English colonization of the Chesapeake region revolved around economic gain and opportunity that colonizers believed could be found in the New World. Overcrowding in England led to a desire for expansion and better employment options for English settlers. Rumors of gold discovery in the New World also spurred an intense frenzy that English colonizers sought to pursue, resulting in the development of societies poorly suited for colonial life when gold was never found. On the other hand, Spanish colonization of Central and South America began with the Spanish conquistadors, who used the saying God, Gold, and Glory to describe their motivations for colonization. The dominant motivational force for the Spanish was the religious aspect, where conquistadors sought to spread Christianity throughout Central and South America. The Glory prospect was heightened by the yearning for Spains dominance over the Western Hemisphere, which was thought to be obtained through unifying native peoples through Bailey Kargo! IB HOTA 3rd period the Christian religion. Similar to one aspect of English motivations, the Spanish also sought to find gold and riches that they thought the New World had to offer. When Christopher Colombus returned from his expedition to the New World, he reported to the Spanish crown his confidence in the quest for wealth in this new land. He described his encounters with the natives where they traded him gold for various items, and even claimed he saw gold in the rivers. This fueled the Spanish obsession in their ultimate quest for wealth and riches. The effects of settling the Chesapeake region reflected the English economic motivations for colonization there. When the Jamestown Colony was founded in 1607, settlers found themselves ill-prepared for establishing a structured colony, especially when they were solely prepared for discovering gold. The Jamestown Colony struggled immensely at first due to lack of supplies and skills needed to create the foundations of a colonial society. However, John Rolfes introduction of tobacco to the region completely transformed the economy and played a key role in saving the Jamestown colony. Tobacco became a booming industry and plantation owners needed more workers for cheap labor. As a result, African slaves were introduced into the population to meet these needs, stimulating a new industry: the slave trade. The successful tobacco economy was also capable of financing the importation of indentured servants, which also played a major role in the labor force and became an integral part of the Chesapeakes economy. Wealthy landowners were now able to have more help on their plantations and have access to more land, while servants now had the ability to own land and create a name for themselves among the colonies. Unlike English colonization, Spanish colonization in the Americas completely decimated native populations. The introduction of European diseases, particularly smallpox, along with Bailey Kargo! IB HOTA 3rd period updated European weaponry decimated Indian culture and transformed their way of life due to lack of immunity to such diseases and more primitive weapons. Native populations were seen as much weaker compared to the conquistadors and their armies, making them extremely easy to conquer. A cultural angle unique to the Spanish settlements was the creation of the Mestizo culture. Unlike the English, the Spanish conquerors and Native Americans intermarried, allowing for a completely new race to develop and contribute to society. Although they were regarded as lesser than other races and looked down upon, the creation of the Mestizo culture proved to become a unique impact of Spanish colonization that later English settlers chose not to conform to. The introduction of the encomienda system was also a significant effect that became an integral part of Spanish society. When the Spanish conquered natives, these natives were required to perform work for Spanish landowners. In return, the natives would receive protection from other tribes and the conversion to the Christian faith. This system was extremely beneficial to the colonists who received land and gained Christian converts, but many native tribes were reduced to involuntary servitude that further devastated Indian populations in addition to disease and war. The differing motivations behind English colonization of the Chesapeake region and the Spanish of Latin America proved to directly affect the way each colonies were formed from 1500 to 1700. English colonization revolved around a more economic basis, while the Spanish focused more on religious aspects that managed to integrate their way into its economy as well. Despite these differences, both societies found a common motivation in the search for gold and riches, and both incorporated different forms of slavery, indentured servitude and African slaves in the Chesapeake and the encomienda system in Latin America, into their economies that stimulated Bailey Kargo! IB HOTA 3rd period each colonys development. The growth and expansion of both colonization efforts eventually would fuel the newfound desire of other European nations to join the race to the Americas in an attempt to assert their dominance and further diversify societies of the New World.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Caribou coffee company inc.

Caribou coffee company inc. Introduction This assignment presents an analysis on Caribou Coffee Company Inc. (Case study 28 Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner, 2008.) An overview of the industry, in which the company operates, is provided, with an analysis of the company itself. From the outset, an overview of Caribou Coffee Company Inc. is presented; a business segment analysis, and identification of the companys major competitors. The assignment comments on the Companys financial outlook, to year ending September 2009. Whilst some discussion is made in text, for the purposes of the word limit of this assignment, this analysis will appear in the appendices. The assignment concludes with recommendations as to the future direction of Caribou Coffee Company Inc. The work is sourced from existing literature and referenced throughout. Company Overview Caribou Coffee Company Inc., (Caribou) is a specialty retailer of coffees, teas, bakery goods, and related merchandise. As of September, 2009, Caribou Coffee had 525 coffeehouses, which includes 112 franchised and licensed locations, predominantly in the US as well as international expansion to Asia, the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates (UAE.) Caribou targets its customers by offering gourmet coffee and espresso based beverages in addition to specialty teas, baked goods, whole bean coffee, branded merchandise and related products. Furthermore, it sells whole bean and ground coffee to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, office coffee providers, airlines, hotels, sports and entertainment venues, university campuses and online customers. Caribou focuses on creating a unique experience for customers through a combination of high-quality products, a comfortable and welcoming coffeehouse environment, in ski-lodge style, and a unique style of customer service (Caribou Coffee Compan y, Inc., 2009.) The company presents its mission statement as follows: â€Å"Our mission at Caribou Coffee is to provide a total experience that makes the day better.† (Caribou Coffee Company, Inc., 2009) Market competition includes Starbucks, local and regional coffeehouses, restaurants, coffee shops and to some extent, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds (See also: Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner, 2008.) The Company is a majority-owned subsidiary of Caribou Holding Company Limited and trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker (CBOU) (NASDQ, 2009) (Web-link provided.) Industry Definition Caribou operates in the fast food industry; the fast food market can be defined as the sale of food and drinks for immediate consumption either on the premises or in designated food areas which may be shared with other foodservice operators, or for consumption elsewhere; this definition excludes sales through vending machines and is restricted to sales in specific foodservice channels (Data Monitor, 2008) (Web-link provided.) All market values are given in operator buying prices that is the amount spent by foodservice operators on the food and drink that they serve and not the amount the consumers spend on food and drinks. The difference is the increase various companies add to cover their costs and generate a profit. Consequently, this values the market in terms of the amount of money for which food and drink manufacturers are competing. In terms of market segmentation, Caribou belongs to one of four: Quick service restaurants, take-away, mobile and street vendors, and leisure locations. However, in terms of the coffee industry, this comprises two business segments whole bean coffee and coffee beverages sales (see also: Dess et al, 2008.) Caribou has three reportable operating segments these being: retail, commercial and franchise. Arcapita Bank (Arcapita) based in Bahrain, has been the majority shareholder of the company, since 2000, with 60.6% holdings (NASDAQ, 2009) (Web-link provided.) For Caribou, however, the competitive market, along with a potential class-action lawsuit involving store managers, has caused some serious issues, including increasingly high net losses and decreasing stock price over the past few years (Caribou Coffee Company Inc., 2009.) By providing â€Å"an experience that will make the day better,† Caribou Coffee has created competitive advantage in their store operations, but the question remains whether they can maintain this and use it to sustain their growth strategy. Creating strong human capital is the foundation for the companys differentiation strategy (see also: Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner, 2008; Shultz, 1961.) One of the issues that will be analysed in this case is whether or not Caribous attempts in developing human capital, will enable them to achieve Case Study: Caribou Coffee Company, Inc A Strategic Analysis a sustainable competitive advantage given the competition and threats they are facing. In order for Caribou to maintain its competitive advantage it must continue to create differentiation in its coffeehouses through their human capital. The company has developed strong capabilities in recruiting, developing, and retaining their employees (Caribou Coffee Company Inc., 2009) but this can be easily copied by competitors however, this is not enough to sustain their advantages. To continue to expand they must maintain their strong focus on human capital, in addition to developing their other strengths to create a bundle of resources as the basis of differentiation. Brief Profile of the Industry The global fast food market has exhibited strong growth over the past five years; however, it is predicted to decline in the years leading up to 2015 (Dess et al, 2008.) The market generated total revenues of $154.7 billion in 2008 which represented a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.6% for the period 2004-2008. By comparison, the European and Asia-Pacific markets grew with CAGRs of 4.4% and 10.3% respectively over the same period and reached values of $26.5 billion and $47.1 billion in 2008 (Data Monitor, 2008.) The number of transactions increased with a CAGR of 2.2%, during the period 2004-2008, to attain a total of 85.8 billion, in 2008. The number of transactions is predicted to rise to 97.0 billion transactions by the end of 2013 thus, representing a CAGR of 2% for the period 2008-2013 (Data Monitor, 2008.) External Analysis PESTEL Political Caribou, like the rest of the food industry is directly concerned with public health and, as such government legislation is in place. Caribou, like all fast food manufacturers must strictly adhere to the regulations of the market in which it supplies its products. For example, frozen food must not be kept above -15C for longer than two hours over a 24 hour period. Furthermore, heating and cooling commercial buildings requires roughly six times more electricity. Since the government in several countries regulates electricity, then Caribou is highly vulnerable to government legislation. Economic A number of positive and negative factors can affect Caribous market growth, as well as the industry. For example, the increases in the price of coffee beans, milk as well as the worldwide economic recession and decreased globalisation of the economy and culture. The latter is evident by the introduction of products from Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, demographic changes have increased the demand for, and consumption of fast foods and, for Caribou, this has impacted on their product performance, business profitability, production costs and firms overheads. In 2007-2008 Caribou reported that their production costs significantly increased as a result of higher wage demands due to global economic difficulties. In addition to being the majority shareholder, Arcapita also has two seats on the Board of Directors but its controlling interest could represent an overhang on the stock. Arcapita requires Caribou to operate in accordance with Islamic principles which may limit financial flexibility and impact the perception of the brand. Social Over the past 10-15 years, women have become more financially independent and entered the workforce, and the number of single households and single parents has increased, which has further increased the average disposable income. All of these factors favour fast foods. Specialty coffee is a strong and growing industry in the US. Specialty coffee consumption increased by more than 48% from 2001 to 2006 and the market is estimated to be over $11 billion annually (Dess et al, 2008.) The number of coffeehouses grew from only 500 units in 1991 to 24,000 units in 2006, but the industry remains highly fragmented (with the exception of market leader Starbucks) (Dess et al, 2008.) The reason for such growth is the consumer trend to specialty and traditional products such as micro brewed beer, single malt liquor, and organic foods. Coffee is seen as a new quality beverage, there is an expanding menu, and coffeehouses have become the â€Å"third place† for social consumption. However, the demand for coffee could fall as a result of changes in consumer preferences or concerns about caffeine. Technological Caribou has tapped into the market with their dedicated website. The site is interactive in style and content, with imagery or promotions based on business rules or consumer preferences. This provides the site visitor with more relevant information on coffee types or coffeehouses. Caribous marketing team can also update the site to keep the content fresh for site visitors. Caribou can also monitor consumer responses therefore, looking at new initiatives to meet consumer needs. Environmental As demonstrated, Caribou has many outlets throughout the US and its expansion to the Middle East, Asia and UAE. This means that the company could be affected by regional and national weather which may impact upon consumer preferences and needs. In terms of Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability, Caribou actively supports sustainable coffee production; for every pound of coffee the company purchases, a significant proportion of money is granted to sustain socially responsible initiatives in coffee-producing communities. Legal Caribou is not without exposure to the potential legal institutions of regional states within the US and those governing the countries outside of the US, where the company has its units. In 2008, Caribou faced legal proceedings, which was filed by three of its former employees, regarding overtime payments. The case was financially settled however, this left an element of disdain amongst other employees and, to a certain extent, consumers (Dayton Business Journal, 2008.) (Web-link provided.) Five Forces Analysis (Porter) Rivalry, Threat of Substitutes, Buyer Power, Supplier Power, Barriers to Entry Rivalry among competitors is quite commonplace in the coffee industry consequently, Caribou must maintain its differentiation to maintain their customers loyalty. There is strong competition in the coffeehouse industry, which is characterised by not only from the industry leader, but also from the threat of new entrants and substitutes attracted by such huge growth (see also Porter.) Caribous position is under threat from emerging and current competitors who have a differentiated approach to the provision of coffee. Caribou competes with specialty coffeehouses; including Starbucks, doughnut shops, bakery-cafà ©s, and traditional quick-service restaurants therefore it must maintain a differentiated concept to continue building on its market share. Caribou is under threat from Starbucks because they have increased their long-term store goals from 30,000 to a target of 40,000 (Starbucks, 2009; web-link provided.) As industry leader, Starbucks is committed to maintaining its domination of the industry, which gives them an overwhelming advantage which means that Caribou, and all the others, struggle to become the recognised second-place coffee ho use. In this instance, the buyer power is very high due to the many choices and the switching costs for going from one coffeehouse to another being so low. In order to create a good quality beverage suppliers need to provide quality coffee beans and, since these are an essential commodity, suppliers are unable to place controlling price demands. Caribous position in the coffeehouse industry is encouraging; when one examines the conditions and different forces that are present in the industry, as well as taking into account its incremental expansion over the years, however, strong competition and buyer power limits profit potential. Partial SWOT Analysis Opportunities and Threats Opportunities Caribou recognises the long-term potential to invest in 2,500 locations which the company believes is achievable based upon limited penetration across markets outside of Minnesota. The company has already increased market penetration by company and franchises in the Middle East and Asia. Furthermore, the company intends to build upon and increase its broader licensing strategy including more franchised stores in the US (see also: Dess, Lumpkin and Eisner, 2008.) This should lead to more profitability for Caribou. Threats A too aggressive growth plan requires Caribou to execute an active development schedule whilst managing existing operations across a range of markets. Consistent performance depends upon suitable locations as well as the recruitment and retention of staff. Consumers in the new markets may not embrace Caribous concept to the same extent as in the core markets such as Minnesota. Inflation for key inputs, for example coffee labour, could impact, as the company may not be able to pass through sizeable price increases and the demand for coffee could diminish as a result of consumer preferences or health concerns about core products for example, caffeinated drinks. Internal Analysis Caribou has been able to achieve a competitive advantage by fulfilling customers needs by placing emphasis on its human and social capital; however, the company is at risk of being compromised as a result of recent events. Developing human capital is embedded within Caribous strategic initiatives, to improve operations by improving their selection and training of coffeehouse personnel (Caribou Coffee Company, 2009.) Through the creation of human capital Caribou has been able to create domination between the individual capabilities, skills, knowledge, and experiences of the companys employees. Shultz, (1961) discusses human capital in more detail. At Caribou, the human capital is built through the extensive training procedures that help create customer satisfaction; social capital is created through the network of relationships that the employees have throughout the company (Caribou Coffee Company, 2009.) Three main interdependent activities of creating human capital i.e., attracting, developing, and retaining, are an organisations main focus (Shultz, 1961.) Caribou attracts human capital by implementing very selective hiring practices. The most important part of Caribous human capital is their focus on creating operational excellence through extensive training procedures; the training at Caribou is very important and continuous, as they believe it is the employees who create the great products or customer service that differentiated the company. The training of employees was believed to be central to fulfilling the mission of creating â€Å"an experience that makes the day better† (Caribou Coffee Company Inc., 2009.) The company implemented this into all of their training practices as one of the companys core competencies that would create strong commitment in their employees. All new employees were given instructions to become ‘drink certified, in-store Certified Instr uctor Trainers provided ongoing instruction in presentation and service, and courses were offered through Caribou College to improve career skills (Caribou Coffee Company, 2009.) The company also retained their human capital by implementing rewards that are both tangible and intangible. Shultz (1961) discusses reward mechanisms in more detail. Caribou follows a pay-for-performance philosophy which enables the company to identify and reward team members whom achieve high performance standards. Employees would work harder to make their coffeehouse the best since the bonuses for managers and the coffeehouse was based on sales, profit, and customer service. The company has a belief that excellence is a product of hard work; this sounds good to consumers because they will get the best, but may be a negative for the employees and will make it harder to have employees contributing to human capital. These factors are what created effective human capital for only a certain time, but other issues is not allowing them to sustain that advantage. Caribou has a culture that allowed a place â€Å"Where Entrepreneurial Spirit Roams Free† (see also: Dess et al, 2008.) The company is not overly structured, which is why employees are able to work on a variety of different projects and take on an extensive range of responsibility; moreover, Caribou has a culture which includes a strong belief in promoting from within the company, which creates a future to work toward for employees. The company is more on the personal or relaxed side where they would communicate in person rather than through emails and they would have a dress code that was business casual. These different aspects of company culture, creates social capital that gains employee loyalty for Caribou; it has a strong belief that customer service is led by their employees and that their selective hiring practices, extensive training, and low turnover created superior employees (Caribou Coffee Company, 2009.) Caribou has created differentiation by implementing a strategy dedicated to creating human capital as a way to better meet consumer needs, but in the changing and rapidly growing industry it will be very difficult to create a sustainable competitive advantage. This strategy has been successful in creating competitive advantage at the business level however; it is arguable whether this is a source of sustainable advantage since this advantage is based on resources and capabilities that can be too easily imitated by competitors. Having dedicated employees creates a value for Caribou, which differentiates them from other coffeehouses; the companys culture has created a value that creates a common purpose for the employees and the company, which creates an effective outcome when presenting service or products to consumers. The challenges that Caribou is facing through the stock declines, company losses, or even the manager demands for overtime pay can possibly weaken their human capital as a source of competitive advantage. Also, the effects of the external environment can significantly impact upon the company if they remain on the same path. The changes that Caribou is facing will send them into a decline of their human capital as a source of competitive advantage, if they do not do anything to add to or change their strategy. SWOT Analysis Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths Specialty coffee sales in the US are on the increase; the factors that are driving growth are a greater awareness of the quality differences between specialty brands and commercial grades. Caribou sells it appeal as their coffee houses are an ideal gathering place, especially amongst teenagers and young adults. Caribou recognises there is a high demand for the variety of their beverages and these can be customised to cater for individual consumer preference. Penetration for coffee consumption is low (16% daily consumption by US population) relative to overall coffee consumption (57%); this is indicative of a major opportunity for growth; Caribou is performing well compared to other competitors and is set to take advantage of the booming industry. Caribou has created a distinctive position through providing high quality coffee in comfortable, ski-lodge like atmosphere, which distinguishes itself from the chic, upmarket approach used by its competitors, in the main, Starbucks. This concept is good; as it enables the company to capitalise on favourable trends in the specialty coffee market. The quality of Caribous custom roasted coffee has been the key to its success, with taste tests demonstrating that consumers prefer Caribou coffee by a significant margin over other competitors (Caribou Coffee Company Inc, 2009.) In terms of Caribous financial position, the last quarter to year ending September 2009, demonstrated a fourth consecutive quarter of positive earnings. These results are driven by strong implementation at every level of the Caribou with a fundamental focus on expansion and diversification, which is a key component of Caribous future growth strategy. Caribou focuses on maintaining its position as a branded coffee company and are making the necessary investments to expand the brand. Financially, Caribou is in a good position to secure further expansion in the future. Weaknesses Caribou competes with specialty coffeehouses, with its main competitor being Starbucks. Caribou must maintain a differentiated concept to continue building its share of the market. During the financial year 2003-2008, Caribou announced net operating losses and negative free cash flow (Caribou Coffee Company Inc., 2009.) Hence, the company needs to improve profitability and operating cash flow in order to sustain growth and achieve a health long term financial position. In terms of geographic concentration, Caribou is predisposed to local economic, meteorological factors and political issues. Conclusion and Recommendations With the industry leader creating new goals that target to make them almost a monopoly in the world of coffee, Caribou is in danger of losing its competitive advantage. This source of social and human capital is a key source of Caribous competitive advantage, but even that is in decline. In order to compete in the industry and even possibly surpass the industry leader, Starbucks, Caribou must have a sustainable competitive advantage. After conducting an internal analysis of the firm, it is clear that Caribou needs to maintain or better its human capital; it needs to implement the same practices, but the company must also consider implementing a way to satisfy overtime pay because the fact that managers work overtime shows dedication like an owner, but maintaining that belief is important for the company. Caribou has created a coffeehouse that is seen as an escape for consumers that helps the company maintain its differentiation from other coffeehouses, but the company is in its stag es of decline if no changes are implemented (Caribou Coffee Company, 2009.) Although Caribous focus on human and social capital has created a temporary competitive advantage, in the current competitive environment these are likely to become necessary success factors, not valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable core competencies. It is more likely that their human and social capital, superior product quality, store design and atmosphere provide a collection of resources that can create sustainable competitive advantage. Porter (1985.) As Caribou continue to shift their strategies to meet politico-economic and socio-cultural demands, like most in this industry sector, the company is not able to predict the economic and social challenges to which consumers and businesses will be exposed. However, the company believes that it is in a very good position to enable it to react and respond to these challenges because of their remarkable customer loyalty, their unique product brand and its attractive price-value position. As it places emphasis on coffee, a nd combination beverages, the company will, undoubtedly, innovate by creating new products and experiences which complement the coffeehouse experience and drive transactions.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Negative Effects of Fossil Fuel Usage Essay example -- Environmen

The Negative Effects of Fossil Fuel Usage         The health of the environment is our livelihood.   When the environment is not in good health it could lead to health problems on a personal level.   One of the major environmental problems is air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.   Levels of carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels into the atmosphere in 1991 was an estimated â€Å"5.6 billion tons per year† (Tesar, 28).   If we keep running down the path we are on using fossil fuels like no tomorrow there is some worry among scientists, â€Å"Some scientists estimate that the number will jump to as much as 30 billion tons per year within the next few decades† (28).      Concern for the environment is not a recent phenomena.   Rachel Carson (1907- 1964), was an â€Å"American marine biologist and the author of widely read books on ecological themes†Ã‚   (Bram, 326).   One of her more outstanding quotes on the environment is, â€Å"The most alarming of all man’s assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea†¦this pollution is for the most part irrecoverable† (Peter, 171).    I agree with Rachel Carson that earth, air, and water pollution is for the most part irrecoverable.  Ã‚   Some institutions working today to clean up the environment do help some, but as I see it they are not showing results.   There efforts are a feeble attempt because pollution levels keep rising and they could never keep up.   According to Hayes the former director of the Solar Research Institute under President Jimmy Carter of Earth Island Journal, â€Å"In 1993, President Clinton pledged to reduce US CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000.   Instead, the nation’s CO2 emissions are now projected to rise at least 13 percent by the ... ...> Hawking, Stephen.   A Brief History of Time:   From the Big Bang to Black Holes.   New York:   Bantam, 1988. Peter, Laurence J. Dr.   Peter’s Quotations.   New York:   Quill William Morrow, 1977. Simanek, Donald E.   (1994)   The Hazards of Solar Energy.     Dsimanek/solar.htm>   (27 October 1998). â€Å"Solar Power-The Basics.†Ã‚   Solar Power-The Basics.   27 October 1998.   http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/solar/brief2.html   (27 October 1998). â€Å"Solar Tax Credits for North Carolina.†Ã‚   North Carolina Solar Center Information   Factsheet.   30 November 1998.     (30 November 1998). Tesar, Jenny.   Global Warming.   New York;   Facts On File, 1991. â€Å"Timeline:   Photovoltaic Development.†Ã‚   Untitled.   2 December, 1998.      (2 December, 1998).   

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Critical discussion of at least three poems Essay

Compare the ways in which the poets write about unhappiness and suffering. In your response you must include a critical discussion of at least three poems. Throughout this comparative analysis, I will discuss the various ways in which the poets use lexis, imagery and structure to convey the sentiment and themes within the text. I have chosen Lizzie, Six and Shooting Stars by Carol Ann Duffy and Requiem for the Croppies by Seamus Heaney. The poems are all linked with suffering by the hands of an oppressive force. Lizzie by her abuser, the Jewish heroine by the Nazi’s and the Irish by the English. The poems offer vivid and individual style to describe mutual suffering within varied circumstances. The titles of each poem are intended to capture the reader’s attention from the start. Lizzie, Six, is laid out as such to show the youth of the character of Lizzie. Not only in her name being abbreviated in a youthful manner, but the placement of the comma slows the reader down, forcing them to contemplate the purity of a child that age. She is able to establish an immediate sense of dread. In Shooting Stars, Duffy provides us with an ambiguous beginning. ‘Stars’ is representative of the Star of David and ‘Shooting’ in the literal sense of the ‘stars’ being shot. Alternatively, Duffy may have been using the title metaphorically as a shooting star, representative of fleeting life for the Jewish people throughout the Nazi regime. The alliteration in Shooting Stars, is also a mind rhyme for Saal-Schutz, the Nazi SS Army. In Requiem for the Croppies, ‘Requiem’ defined as ‘a Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead’ is intended to offer peace to the thousands that died at the hands of the English and those that died; being the ‘Croppies’, the Irish men defending their land who cut their hair into a cropped fashion as a sign of rebellion. It is a gesture of praise and thanks and a wish for restfulness for those men whose lives were taken in the uprising of 1798. Samir Raheem describes it as ‘a poem that romantically commemorates the Irish rebels’. (Rahim, Telegraph, 2013). The word ‘Croppies’ is also a rhyme for ‘poppies’, a symbol of remembrance. The form and structure is indicative to the main themes of each poem and as a further notion; the suffering the characters, cultures or countrymen have endured. Representative of this is in Lizzie, 6, Duffy lays out the poem in a series of five stanzas with a call and response from the abuser and the abused narrative, typical in nature of a nursery rhyme and resonant particularly to the story ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. Critic Stan Smith describes â€Å"Lizzie, Six† as a ‘plangent, Lorcaesque song†. Barry Wood stated that ‘Duffy knew Lorca’s poetry or at least drew on similar traditions of popular child’s songs and rhymes’ (Wood, Tusitala. org. uk, 2007). The structure is repetitive and creates a feeling of tension. The repetition is also significant in the nature of the prolonged abuse, loss of innocence and suffering Lizzie is subjected to. The abuser also remains unidentified as it would be too uncomfortable for the reader to relate to the suffering the abuser inflicts (Morgan, Classnotes, 2015). In Shooting Stars, Duffy keeps the four line stanzas to create a similar notion of repetition of abuse and more likely to emphasize the routine and the standard, desensitised, rhythmic executions carried out by Nazi soldiers. Shooting Stars is written as a first person narrative and similarly to Lizzie’s abuser, her character is unidentified. This however, is to ensure the reader grasps the point that so many other Jews died namelessly during this period of persecution, highlighting the suffering. Heaney in Requiem takes a completely different approach in the structure of the poem and instead lays it out in the form of a sonnet. This is a mark of respect and love for the Irishmen who suffered and a juxtaposition to the ill respect shown by their oppressors. Written from the 3rd person narrative from the perspective of the Irish Rebels. Each line has roughly 10 or 11 syllables to it or just over, dictating the pace and the solemn, valiant story telling sentiment of the poem, an element similar to that of Lizzie. Six. Lizzie, Six uses dark and negative lexis throughout to increase the feeling of the suffering inflicted and the dialogue between the characters is disturbing. The doubling of the words ‘moon’, ‘fields’, ‘love’, ‘wood’ and ‘dark’ in lines 2 and 3 of each stanza are offered primarily in the view of the innocence of a child, i. e. In literature, the moon is commonly linked to imagination and fields to that of freedom etc. Secondly the words are manipulated by the adult abuser, effectively stripping the original association of the word and replacing it with a horrific alternative showing the intention of emotional abuse. Wood says that Duffy presents ‘a poignant example of â€Å"broken listening†, of – in this case — the adult listener refusing to hear or misinterpreting what is heard and of the child destroyed by being unheard and ignored’ (B Wood, 2006). It also represents consistent and worsening abuse as the words start with a lighter, childlike tone ‘moon’, ‘fields’ and literally end with ‘dark’. The use of language in Lizzie, Six is vulgar, particularly towards the end of the poem; Duffy uses this to show how the level of abuse and suffering worsens throughout the poem and over time and transitions from mental to physical suffering. She shows this in the penultimate stanza when the abuser says ‘I’ll give you wood, when your bottom’s bare’. ‘Wood’ is a disturbing metaphor and the literal intention the abuser becomes apparent here. The abuser asks in stanza five ‘Where are you hiding? ’ Duffy uses this to allow the reader to see the abuser demonstrating his menacing mental control over Lizzie as she is powerless to hide from him. In the sixth stanza, the abuser asks ‘Why are you crying? ’ – a physical display of an emotional response. (Morgan, Classnotes, 2015). Duffy shows a similar representation of the emotional and physical realms of suffering in Shooting Stars. ‘I heard the click. Not yet. A trick’ – The Nazi soldier at the time of the speaker’s execution uses excessive cruelty and mental torture in toying ‘with his victim and the short sentences at the end of the line create tension and a sense of the real experience of the woman and the power wielded by the soldier’ (MissGrant, 2015). Duffy demonstrates physical anguish in the third stanza at the fear of rape from the Nazi’s ‘My bowels opened in a ragged gape of fear’. Duffy’s word choice here is extreme but emphasizes the sheer terror that a woman would go through in this situation. The ‘gape’ is representative of a screaming mouth (MissGrant, 2015) and is intentionally inversed as ‘gagged rape’. The effect it has is it to double the meaning and subsequently intensify the horror of the suffering she endured in this situation. Heaney represents the emotional suffering in the form of their love of the country, not necessarily the Irishmen individually but as a whole, due to the oppression from the English – ‘we moved quick and sudden in our own country’. Heaney demonstrates the resentment of the Irish in this sentence and ‘the priest lay behind ditches with the tramp’ – Heaney juxtaposes the holiest man with the lowliest man, neither had any advantage over the other when it came to slaughter from their oppressors. The personification Heaney offers upon the Irish defeat on Vinegar Hill ‘The Hillside blushed, soaked in our broken wave’; Provokes the emotional and physical in the form of slight embarrassment at their being ill equipped to deter the English attack ‘shaking scythes at cannon’ but also the physicality or their blood staining the green of the fields to red. The first and last line include the imagery of barley, a symbol for revolution and independence (Morgan, Classnotes, 2015). Heaney uses Irony from the barley that the Irish rebels carried in their pockets for food, was in fact the very same that enabled the barley ‘to grow up ‘out of the grave’ fertilized by the blood of Irish souls. Critic Paul Hurt says that the first line ‘The pockets of our greatcoats full of barley’ and the last line ‘And in August the barley grew up out of the grave’ â€Å"are contrived. They belong to the world of ‘self-consciously significant details’ which are routine in many war films, in films of all kinds† (Paul Hurt, 2015). But Critic Blake Morrison said that Seamus Heaney is ‘that rare thing, a poet rated highly by critics and academics yet popular with ‘the common reader’ and as a common reader, I’m rather inclined to appreciate the majestic quality and symbolism of the re-birth of an army ready to fight and again. All three poems have a common feature with the echoed sadness and ill treatment and respect imposed from their oppressors with mass and shallow graves in Shooting Stars and Requiem ‘they buried us without shroud or coffin’ and ‘between the gaps of corpses I could see a child’. And in Lizzie, Six, the abuser’s final statement ‘I’ll give you the dark and I do not care’. The sentence and grammar structure in Lizzie, Six, is rigid and unchanging. The first line of each stanza is a question from the abuser, the second a response from the abused and in the third and fourth lies a demonic manipulation of Lizzies answer; Wood says ‘The child’s fear is answered only by a distorted or distorting â€Å"echo† from the adult world which, if less brutal and punitive than the world of â€Å"Lizzie, Six†, is equally isolating and disquieting. ’ (B Wood, 2006) Possibly Duffy used this sentence structure to emphasise the unrelenting suffering in the emotional, and physical that Lizzie faces. In Shooting Stars, Duffy takes an alternative approach and to represent the last thoughts of a dying woman offers a certain level of enjambment within the text. The punctuation is free in that ‘Rebecca Rachel Ruth Aaron Emmanuel David’ are listed without breath to exaggerate the extent of the ‘nameless’ people that have suffered. This is also a juxtaposition. This continues later in the poem with ‘Sara Ezra†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Duffy has done this to show the list could go on and on without pause. Almost as if those that have suffered spring to mind too easily for the sheer number of victims. Duffy uses repetition in the use of the word ‘Remember. A resounding theme of the poem is to remember the suffering of an entire race and to relate this lessons of history to modern day struggles. Duffy uses Anaphora in the fifth stanza to reiterate this theme. â€Å"After immense suffering someone takes tea on the lawn. After the terrible moans a boy washes his uniform. After the history lesson children run to their toys†. ‘Tea on the lawn’ refers to how normal life can resume so quickly after horrific events have taken place and can be forgotten as easily as ‘a boy washes his uniform’ symbolic of the cleansing of the Jewish race (MissGrant, 2015). Heaney uses enjambment to slow the pace. It is used to represent the Irish Rebels speed of movement; ‘A people, hardly marching – on the hike-‘, common folk, pacing themselves and climbing a hill, probably wounded, weary and hungry. Enjambment is used where the sonnet breaks form and introducing their demise; ‘Until, on Vinegar Hill, the fatal conclave. ’ Heaney uses this sentence structure to slow the reader and to emphasise the fall of the rebels and their devastation emotionally and physically. It adds a dramatic and magnificent tone to their sacrifice. In a similar sub-theme to Shooting Stars, remembrance is also a theme in Requiem, highlighted throughout the poem by Heaney’s word choice. Sound, sight, touch and sensation feature regularly in Shooting stars to evoke emotion. Straight away we are greeted with silence from the Dead Jew ‘After I no longer speak’ – a tradition of remembrance. We have a glimpse into her life that she was married, Duffy displays this with the ‘wedding ring’, the dear that caused the sensation of ‘urine trickling down her legs’ – a physical display of an emotional response. And the brutal and callous touch of the soldiers to ‘salvage’ what they see as the only valuable part of her when they break her finger to retrieve her wedding ring. Duffy uses the element of Marriage to re-inforce human emotion as a juxtaposition against the desensitised Nazi’s. Duffy also uses onomatopoeia in the word ‘click’ to highlight the mental torture the soldier imposes on the Jewish prisoner. Assonance and rhyming are used continuously through Requiem to promote the feeling of a steady struggle. ‘kitchens’ and ‘stricking’, ‘sudden’ and ‘country’ in the opening lines. ‘camp’, ’tramp’, ‘hike’ and ‘pike’ are rhymes used every other line. Heaney does this to re-inforce the military tone of the poem, introducing a steady drumming for the rebels to march in time to. Heaney breaks the rhyme momentarily to create a sense of doom. He shows this in ‘the final conclave’. Heaney returns immediately to the rhyme to emphasise the re-birth of the soldiers and the importance of the remembrance for the those who suffered so they could live. Duffy uses a similar technique in Shooting Stars in ‘opened the ragged gape of fear’ to re-inforce horror of the statement. She also uses alliteration in ‘Rebecca Rachel Ruth’ and uses traditional Jewish names to heighten the exhaustive list of those who suffered. In Lizzie, Six, Duffy uses consonance rather than assonance and alliteration, closely implied to Anaphora to accentuate the nervous disposition of the reader ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘Why’ at the beginning of each stanza and consonance in ‘I’m afraid of the dark. I’ll give you the dark and I do not care’ similar to the techniques used in Shooting Stars in the first line uses consonance and an imperfect pararhyme ‘speak and break’ in the first line. an All three poems have a common theme of rhyme, but the intention is different. Lizzie, Six and Requiem show tail rhyme and holorime both in an effort to make the poem memorable, but Duffy uses this in Lizzie, Six to exaggerate the loss of innocence of a child. Rhyming the poem in a simplistic child-like manner emphasises the haunting suffering. Whereas Heaney uses this technique to signify the remembrance theme of the poem, taking the literal of making the poem memorable and easy to read. All three poems have a common connection to the suffering imposed from an oppressor. For Lizzie, Six, Lizzie is suffering at the hands of her abuser. For Shooting Stars, the Jewish women and the Jewish race are suffering from the oppression of the Nazis and for Requiem for the Croppies, the Irishmen suffering for the loss of their land to the English. Shooting Stars and Requiem have a sub-theme of remembrance and Lizzie Six, the loss of innocence. Though loss of innocence can be found in Shooting Stars and Requiem, their sufferance is predominantly for a race, and land rather than innocence. Regular assonance and consonance are used throughout all three poems, but to different ends, similarly with intentional use of rhyming. The poems vividly highlight suffering throughout, with careful word choice, simplistic yet vulgar in Lizzie, Six to make the suffering more haunting, Grim and factual in Shooting Stars to exaggerate the horror of the suffering and militant and simple to aid the remembrance of the those who suffered in Requiem for the Croppies. References Gardiner, M. (2015). Summaries of selected poetry by Seamus Heaney (Higher School Certificate 1998). [online] Files. puzzling. org. Available at: https://files. puzzling. org/wayback/hsc/heaney [Accessed 17 Nov. 2015]. Grant, M. (2015). [online] View. officeapps. live. com. Available at: https://view. officeapps. live. com/op/view. aspx? src=http%3A%2F%2Fmissgrantenglish. wikispaces. com%2Ffile%2Fview%2FRevision%2BPack. docx [Accessed 18 Nov. 2015]. Hurt, P. (2015). Paul Hurt on Seamus Heaney’s ‘The Grauballe Man’ and other poems. [online] Linkagenet. com. Available at: http://www. linkagenet. com/reviews/heaneypoemcriticism. htm#requiem [Accessed 18 Nov. 2015]. McMahon, D. (2013). A quick reading of Seamus Heaney’s â€Å"Requiem for the Croppies†. [online] pulpteacher. Available at: https://pulpteacher. wordpress. com/2013/03/13/a-quick-reading-of-seamus-heaneys-requiem-for-the-croppies/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 2015].

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 7

I turned and saw Roman sitting over in a corner of the small lobby. He looked striking in a deep green turtleneck, his dark hair brushed away from his face. He smiled at me when I caught his eye, and I walked over to sit near him. â€Å"Jesus, you really are a stalker.† â€Å"Well, well. Aren't you presumptuous. I only came for my coat.† â€Å"Ah.† I blushed, feeling foolish. â€Å"How long have you been waiting?† â€Å"Not too long. I actually tried the bookstore first, thinking that might be a little less stalker- ish.† â€Å"It's my day off.† I looked down at the riotously colored blossoms in my arms. â€Å"Thanks for the flowers. You didn't need to bring them to get your coat back.† Roman shrugged, those blue-green eyes wreaking havoc with me. â€Å"True, but I figured they might induce you to go out for a drink tonight.† So he did have another motive. â€Å"Not this again – â€Å" â€Å"Hey, if you'd wanted to avoid ‘this,' you shouldn't have lured me in last night. Now it's too late. You might as well avoid the long, drawn-out pain and get it over with quickly. Sort of like taking off a Band-Aid. Or cutting off a limb.† â€Å"Wow. Who says there's no romance left in the world?† In spite of my sarcasm, I found Roman's easy repartee a refreshing change from the halting atmosphere with Seth. â€Å"So, what? Does that mean you finally concede, general? Truly, you've fought a worthy battle in eluding me thus far.† â€Å"I don't know. You showed up at my home. I apparently didn't do that much eluding.† When he only waited expectantly, my smile faded. I sighed, studying him and trying to figure out his motivations. â€Å"Roman, you seem like a nice guy and everything – â€Å" He groaned. â€Å"No. Don't start that with me. It's never a good sign when a woman says ‘you're a nice guy' It means she's getting ready to let you down easy.† I shook my head. â€Å"I'm just not interested in getting serious with anyone right now, that's all.† â€Å"Whoa, ‘get serious'? Slow down there, sister. I'm not asking you to marry me or anything. I just want to go out with you sometime, maybe catch a movie, have dinner and drinks, that's it. Kiss at the end of the night if I'm lucky. Hell, if that still freaks you out, we'll just shake hands.† I leaned my head back against the wall, and we stayed like that a moment, each of us sizing up the other. I knew it was perfectly possible for men and women to go out on dates without automatic sex, but my dates generally didn't work that way. My instincts drove me to seek sex out, and looking at him, I realized that urge might be strong independent of any sort of succubus need to feed. I liked the way he looked, the way he dressed, and the way he smelled. I especially liked his goofy attempt at courtship. Unfortunately, I couldn't turn off the destructive succubus absorption, even if I wanted to. It would happen of its own volition, probably strongly with him. Even the kiss he joked about would still steal some of his life away. â€Å"I don't know anything about you,† I said finally, realizing I'd been quiet too long. He smiled lazily. â€Å"What do you want to know?† â€Å"Well†¦ I don't know. What do you like to do? Do you even have a job? You must have lax hours to be able to hang around me all the time.† â€Å"All the time, huh? You're being presumptuous again, but yes, I do work. I teach a couple of community college linguistics classes. Short of when I'm there, I get to make my own hours with grading and stuff.† â€Å"Okay. What's your last name?† â€Å"Smith.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"Way.† â€Å"That hardly goes with Duke Roman.† I tried to think of another appropriate screening item. â€Å"How long have you lived in Seattle?† â€Å"A few years.† â€Å"Hobbies?† â€Å"I've got some.† He paused and cocked his head toward me when no more questions came. â€Å"Anything else you want to know? Should I dig out my college transcripts perhaps? A full curriculum vitae and background check?† I waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"I have no use for inconsequential information like that. I only need to know the really important stuff.† â€Å"Like?† â€Å"Like†¦ what's your favorite song?† The question obviously caught him by surprise, but he recovered immediately, just as he had last night. I loved that. â€Å"The last half of the Beatles' Abbey Road.' â€Å"The last half of Abbey Road?† â€Å"Yeah, there are a bunch of songs, but they sort of blend into one song – â€Å" I cut him off with a quick gesture. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the album.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, that's a pretty good answer.† I tugged at my ponytail, wondering how best to navigate this. He nearly had me. â€Å"I – no. I'm sorry. I can't. It's just too complicated. Even the one date. It'll turn into a second date, then another, then – â€Å" â€Å"You really do jump ahead. What if I gave the super-secret Boy Scout promise to never bother you again after one date?† â€Å"You'd agree to that?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Sure, if that's what you want. But I don't think you will once you've spent an evening with me.† A suggestive tone in his voice did something to my stomach I hadn't felt in a very long time. Before I could fully process this, my cell phone rang. â€Å"Sorry,† I apologized, digging it out of my purse. Glancing at the Caller ID display, I recognized Cody's number. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Hey, Georgina. Something weird happened tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord. That could mean anything from another death to Peter shaving his head. â€Å"Hang on a second.† I stood up and looked at Roman, juggling the vase of flowers as I did. He rose with me, looking concerned. â€Å"Is everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I mean, no. I mean, I don't know. Look Roman, I need to go upstairs and take this call. I appreciate the flowers, but I just can't get involved right now. I'm sorry. It's not you, it's me. Honestly.† He took a few steps toward me as I started to walk away. â€Å"Wait.† He dug in his pockets, pulled out a pen and piece of paper. Hastily he scrawled something and handed it to me. I looked down and saw a phone number. â€Å"For when you change your mind.† â€Å"I won't.† He simply smiled, inclined his head slightly, and left the lobby. I watched him only a moment before heading upstairs, anxious to hear Cody's news. Once inside, I set the flowers on my counter and put the phone back to my ear. â€Å"Still there?† â€Å"Yeah. Who's Roman and why'd you use the old ‘it's not you, it's me' line on him?† â€Å"Never mind. What's going on? Is someone else dead?† â€Å"No†¦ no. It's just, something happened, and Peter doesn't think it's a big deal. Hugh said you thought there might be more going on than we think.† â€Å"Tell me what happened.† â€Å"I think we were followed last night.† Cody related how, not long after leaving my place, he'd kept hearing footsteps following him and Peter on the street. Whenever he'd turned around, no one was there. Peter had written the matter off, as they had sensed no other being present. â€Å"Maybe you don't know what a vampire hunter feels like.† â€Å"I'd still have felt something. And Peter certainly would have. Maybe he's right, and I was imagining things. Or maybe it was just a regular mortal, wanting to mug us or something.† I doubted that. We couldn't sense mortals the same way we could sense immortals, but one would be hard-pressed to sneak up on a vampire. â€Å"Thanks for telling me. You did the right thing.† â€Å"What should I do now?† A strange, anxious feeling played through me as I thought about some freak stalking Peter and Cody. Dysfunctional they might have been, but I loved them. They were the closest I had to family anymore. I couldn't let anything happen to them. â€Å"What Jerome said. Be careful. Stay with others. Let me know immediately if anything happens.† â€Å"What about you?† I thought of Erik. â€Å"I'm going to clear things up, once and for all.†

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Political history of northern ireland essays

Political history of northern ireland essays Political History of Northern Ireland The political conflicts in Northern Ireland originate from many different sources. The complex issues have greatly affected the British colony for many centuries. This paper will review the conflicts, primarily since 1920. After a brief summary of the geography of Northern Ireland, the two main political parties and their perspectives will be explained. Next, theories of the cause of the conflict will be covered, as will proposed solution. Finally, the steps toward peace in the last decade will be explained. Since 1920 Northern Ireland has been a part of the United Kingdom, however geographically it is located on the island of Ireland. Northern Ireland has six counties and the population is over 1.5 million (Wolff 1). Formally known as Ulster, after the former province, its capital city is Belfast. Northern Ireland comprises only one-sixth of the land mass of the island, measuring 110 miles east and west, and 85 miles north and south (Northern Ireland). The history of the conflict in Ireland originated, many believe, in the 16th century, when Irish Catholics were forced to leave the North. England moved Presbyterians from Scotland and Northern England to replace the Catholics. This moved was intended to populate Northern Ireland with docile, compliant residents. However, the original Catholics did not succumb quietly, and eventually attempted to move back home (Farrell). Until recently, Unionists decorated their streets every July 12th to celebrate the 1620 victory of William III, a protestant, over the Catholic James II (Cook). Today, the term used by most citizens of Northern Ireland to describe the political conflict is the Northern Irish problem. Unfortunately, this term has little meaning because the problem is perceived differently depending on the points of view of the participants (Darby). Some of the population would like to see the restoration of a united...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes What is religion? One might agree it is a broad way of life, a belief regarding one’s relationship with the universe, or even God. In some societies today, religion is still a way of life, and it has become a way of providing salvation and sanctuary to an individual or community. Throughout my childhood, I have memories of Sunday school, church, and prayer. My brother and I were brought into the church and taught the "ways of a Catholic." For many years I blindly believed everything that I was taught, did as I was told and acted in the proper Catholic manner. The thought never crossed my mind to question anything or disobey anyone in fear of upsetting my peers and more importantly my mother. She always said to believe in what your heart tells you, but when you don’t know any better, what do you believe? I felt somewhat trapped, and unable to explore the questions I had about God, the universe, life, and death. All my life my mother taught me that church was time to grow and become closer to God, but as a child I what does this mean? Does it mean getting to know someone unreal, or talking to someone that doesn’t talk back? For me church was just another routine. When Sunday morning rolled around, we would all get up, dress up, and hop in the mini-van to go to church. We would then sit there for about an hour listening to the priest rambling on about who knows what. My mind would wander, and I would ask my mother questions and be shushed from the people behind me. Then came Sunday school where we were supposed to learn about what we heard in church. Instead we colored, painted, and goofed off. As I went through puberty, I began to wonder it’s as though I gained a mind of my own and began to question the ideas and rituals of Catholicism. I found myself drifting away from my beliefs, but I never went against them. From my experiences I have learned that society judges what is different. No one likes to be... Free Essays on Through My Eyes Free Essays on Through My Eyes Through My Eyes What is religion? One might agree it is a broad way of life, a belief regarding one’s relationship with the universe, or even God. In some societies today, religion is still a way of life, and it has become a way of providing salvation and sanctuary to an individual or community. Throughout my childhood, I have memories of Sunday school, church, and prayer. My brother and I were brought into the church and taught the "ways of a Catholic." For many years I blindly believed everything that I was taught, did as I was told and acted in the proper Catholic manner. The thought never crossed my mind to question anything or disobey anyone in fear of upsetting my peers and more importantly my mother. She always said to believe in what your heart tells you, but when you don’t know any better, what do you believe? I felt somewhat trapped, and unable to explore the questions I had about God, the universe, life, and death. All my life my mother taught me that church was time to grow and become closer to God, but as a child I what does this mean? Does it mean getting to know someone unreal, or talking to someone that doesn’t talk back? For me church was just another routine. When Sunday morning rolled around, we would all get up, dress up, and hop in the mini-van to go to church. We would then sit there for about an hour listening to the priest rambling on about who knows what. My mind would wander, and I would ask my mother questions and be shushed from the people behind me. Then came Sunday school where we were supposed to learn about what we heard in church. Instead we colored, painted, and goofed off. As I went through puberty, I began to wonder it’s as though I gained a mind of my own and began to question the ideas and rituals of Catholicism. I found myself drifting away from my beliefs, but I never went against them. From my experiences I have learned that society judges what is different. No one likes to be...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Bertino Forensics C10 Handwriting analysis, forgery and fraudulence Flashcards Example for Free

Bertino Forensics C10 Handwriting analysis, forgery and fraudulence shape of letters curve of letters the angle or slant of letters the proportional size of letters the use and appearance of connecting lines between letters the smoothness of letters the darkness of the lines on the upward compared- to the downward stroke the spacing between letters the spacing between words and lines the placement of words on a line the margins a writer leaves empty on a page A document of known authorship that is being compared to a document of unknown authorship is called a(n) organization that also deals with counterfeiting cases Paper money contains these materials which do not interact with the iodine in a counterfeit pen like the starch in paper does. Forensic Information System for Handwriting. The handwriting database that is repository for threatening correspondence from federal agencies. Previously written letters, diaries, etc Scanning a document with ultraviolet or infrared light to determine the chemical composition of the ink is called _____. This can be used to tell if two different inks were used on a document This device is used to identify handwriting based on speed, pressure and rhythm. When forgery is done for material gain like money. The easiest way to tell if a $10 bill is real is by the ____. Three steps of handwriting analysis *questioned documents and exemplars are examined and detectable characteristics are recorded. *characteristics of questioned items are compared to known standard. *experts determine which characteristics are valuable for drawing a conclusion about authenticity or authorship. 27 million fake checks are cashed everyday -ordering another checks from a deposit slip -altering a check -creating a check from scratch print on chemically sensitive paper -multiple color patterns -embedded fibers in checks that glow under certain lighting -microprinting -currency -travelers checks -food stamps -certain bonds -postage stamps crime stretching back into ancient times What two chemicals react in a counterfeit pen security features on a 100 dollar bill Security thread, color shifting ink, microprinting, watermark, 3D security ribbon, raised printing A person who scientifically analyses handwriting Any signature, handwriting, typewriting, or other written mark whose source or authenticity is in dispute or uncertain A person who uses the physical characteristics and patterns of handwriting to evaluate the personality of the writer. Pseudoscience. Writing instrument, age, mood, fatigue and how hurried the writer is. Sentenced to prison for the kidnapping of the Lindberg baby. Ransom notes were used to convict him. The making or distributing of fake money. literary forgery originally thought to be the authentic diaries of Adolph Hitler chemical alterations of check to removing ink, usually in order to pass fraudulent checks for money. the examination of questioned documents with known material for a variety of analyses, such as authenticity, alterations, erasures, and obliterations A document dealer and master forger who forged many famous authors including Emily Dickinson, Abraham Lincoln, and Mark Twain. He also was a bomber who killed several people and then injured himself. a pen that contains iodine, which reacts with starch in paper and turns a dark brown color. If starch is not present it remains amber. related essay Analysis of two Commercial Brands of Bleaching Solution Analysis of two commercial brands of bleaching solution Analysis of two brands of commercial Bleaches Analysis of 2 commercial brands Module Ten: Text Questions The movie "Catch Me If You Can" Forensic Science Unit Two Text Questions Handwriting Analysis What is a questioned document Bertino Forensics C10 Handwriting analysis, forgery and fraudulence company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy best literary forgeries use old paper and period inks they may also use chemically treated materials to fake an older look We will write a custom sample essay on Bertino Forensics C10 Handwriting analysis, forgery and fraudulence specifically

Friday, October 18, 2019

Why South Europe would disagree or agree with Turkey joining the EU Essay

Why South Europe would disagree or agree with Turkey joining the EU - Essay Example Italian consolidation is considered relatively slow and it is not yet clear when the state became firmly democratic (McLaren 10). Spain’s consolidation is much clearer and its transition process began after the Franco’s death in 1975. Within a span of three years it had ratified a democratic constitution and held a democratic election (McLaren 11). All the three countries have large populations and land mass and this raises the potential difficulty in the governance and consolidation unlike the smaller Southern European nations such as Greece and Portugal. Both Spain and Turkey have faced threats of regional separatism as they are forced to tighten their security against the separatist movements. Their own armed forces are potential risks towards the stability of these countries. Although this is the case, Italy and Spain have been capable of consolidating their democracies while Turkey has failed (McLaren 16). The following factors explain the differences in these three countries; the level of stateness problems during the early transition periods and how the regimes handled those problems, economic crisis and economic development during the time of transition, methods used to design the new rules for the regime, military professionalism, and the external factors influence on the consolidation of democracy (McLaren 16). I will disagree with Turkey joining the European Union because of a number of factors. Looking at the background of Turkey and other members of the sub region, it is very clear that Turkey has failed in its democracy and the others have thrived well despite all of them starting at the same point. The per capita GDP of Turkey indicates that the country is faced with poverty and this may raise fears among the members of the European Union in terms of the increased immigration and workers from Turkey taking over their jobs (Emerson and

Quality improvement in real estate Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quality improvement in real estate - Term Paper Example Vision – The vision of the company is to become one of the most reliable and preferred real estate firms. The company aims to provide most innovative and creative services to our valued customers consistently. Mission – Mobilizing and delivering best services on basis of our vast knowledge, human resource talent, and by taking most informed decisions. The core values of the company are, Trust and collaboration Respect Integrity Identification of Active Quality Programs The company implements quality assurance and control systems based on latest available technologies and ISO standards that are widely recognized internationally. The decision to adopt ISO standards were made keeping in mind future overseas expansion. The company carries out extensive research to identify the necessary areas of improvement related to quality assurance and control concept. The process involves surveying the active quality programs of other private real estate firms. The company has dedicate d research department that works with talented employees in respective domains. The company’s active quality programs, primarily centered on internal control and quality assurance, are strategically planned keeping in mind all the current legal aspects. One of the most challenging tasks for a real estate firm is to acquire land without any hassles. The success of the firm will depend on how effectively the company identifies controls, manages and improves their active quality programs. Thus, processes must be repeatable and measurable and only then areas of further improvement could be identified and necessary steps may be taken for improvement. Some of the active quality programs initiated by the company are, Deming Cycle Analysis – The cycle may be broken into four phases namely Plan, Do, Study and Act. As discussed earlier, the company has dedicated department for research and analytical activities that specializes in this sort of activities (Evans, 2013, pp.157-158 ). Seven QC Tools – The Company uses these tools, as per requirement client requirements, to chart and identify logical sequences of activities, flow of information and materials. Lean Sigma – The Company integrates improvement methods in order to increase efficiency, reduce defects, wastes, and variances. Brief Explanation of Job As the owner of Real Estate Corporation, it is my responsibility to oversee every active operations of business. In broader perspective, my job includes business planning (drawing business strategy), planning Human Resource and marketing strategies; ensure efficient customer service and management of financial resources. More specifically, as the owner of corporation it is my duty to constantly motivate managers and employees with effective leadership skills targeted at maintaining employee commitment. All projects are passed after my final approval but they are initially analyzed by the project manager. The finance manager prepares annual bu dget after consulting with me and other co-founders. I am also the Executive CEO of the company that helps me to regularly communicate with employees of all stages of hierarchy, understand their problems, appreciate new ideas, and create a more cooperative environment. The constant interaction with all levels of the company helps to enforce greater control and responsibility over business. Identification of Major Processes of Engagement The company provides commercial real estate services to customer group

What is a network Discuss the advantages of using a network, and Essay

What is a network Discuss the advantages of using a network, and briefly explain the main types of networks - Essay Example Instead, all computers in a network can be connected to a single printer such that users can access it from their work stations. This helps to minimize costs, time wastage as well as protecting the machines from contracting computer viruses, which may be spread through the use of removable storage devices to transfer documents (Newman, 2010). There are various types of networks which include and not limited to; local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN) and metropolitan area networks (MAN) (Wetherall, 2010). Computers and other hardware in a LAN are connected within a short geographical distance, for example a building, a hospital or a school, through the use of guided media i.e. cables. If numerous LANs are interconnected within a wide geographical area such as across continents then, they form a Wide Area Network. The internet is an example of a WAN as it facilitates connectivity between users throughout the world regardless of their geographical location. On the other hand MAN is an interconnection of several LANs within a geographical location smaller than that of WAN. This type of connectivity can be found within an area for example a city or a town (Wetherall,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Trust and trustees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Trust and trustees - Essay Example The assumption that many have is that they are protected under the legal framework of â€Å"common law marriage.† Tina and Luke can exemplify this fact since they lived for several years and upon breakdown of the relationship, Luke was in a fix upon the sale of the house since Tina didn’t consider him or the contribution he had made towards the renovation of the place they both considered home. This paper will try to give an in-depth analysis of this case study by exploring the current law that governs relationship breakdown for cohabitees, the rights that Luke has on Tina’s flat and how he can get his share of the property back. ‘A patchwork of legal rules’ are entailed in the legal rights available to cohabitants upon relationship breakdown.2 This is because the procedure of reclaiming a right over a property in a cohabiting situation is complex, expensive and uncertain to rely on and not applicable to family circumstances.3 This can be highlighted by the disparity that exists with the relief available to married couples under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA)4, which enables the court to deal with the entirety of a couple’s assets and provide for complete discretion when making orders, with the courts ‘largely left to get on with it for themselves.’.5 In Luke and Tina’s situation, the property under contention was registered at the Land Registry in Tina’s sole name. In sole ownership cases, the difficulty arises for the non-legal owner who must traverse their way through strict property law and complex equitable principles under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, which is supposed to establish an equitable interest in the property.6 There are also complications that arise in regard to joint ownership cases and this precedence has been hugely used to determine the cases of cohabitee. The

Transatlantic Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Transatlantic Relationship - Essay Example They are characterized, by an extremely high level of integration and interdependence especially in the fields of economy, political-military and cultural; while on the other hand, by numerous tensions and confrontations weakening the validity of the transatlantic partnership. The success of the transatlantic relationship is based on the background of common values that has braced both Europe and America, therefore creating an identity of values that finds its roots in the ideas of the Enlightenment which encompass the centrality of freedom, democracy, and reason as primary values of the society. These principles represent a constant in the transatlantic expression and have stimulated any transatlantic joint action intended to defend and export them. One of the first documents that contributed to the establishment of a common transatlantic consciousness that have referred to these principles is The Atlantic Charter, signed on 14 August, 1941. This Charter set forth the joint declaration of their peace aims calling for the self-determination of all peoples and self-government and sovereign rights for all nations that had been deprived of them. Beyond the continent of Europe, the colonial system had to be dismantled and the promise of self-determination enshrined in the Atlantic Charter applied on a global scale. Another significant document containing transatlantic values and seeking to universalize them is the Charter of the United Nations which was signed on 26 June 1945. The preamble of the Charter reaffirms the need to promote peace, fundamental human rights, freedom, social and economic profess, and international law. The United States and the United Kingdom became the two of the naissance members of the United Nations, as well as two of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The end of the Cold War offered the impulse for strengthening and deepening the transatlantic relations. The values become Western and constantly relate themselves in opposition to any communist beliefs. So, the Cold War can be seen, not simply as a political-military confrontation between two powerful influences, but also as an ideology of altercation between two opposing systems of values. The Soviet's threat determined the institutionalization of the transatlantic alliance through the formation of the NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty brought NATO to existence to where the organization comprises a system of defense to where all member countries agree to offer defense in response to an attack by an external entity. NATO assured the lasting relationship of Euro-Atlantic area security, but marked the European security defense reliance towards the American military and logistic capabilities. The end of the Soviet Union and the bipolar system marked the commencement of the new era in th e international relations, and for the transatlantic relationship, in particular. Consequently, the transatlantic relationship merged at the end of the World War II as a set of values that ensured the promotion of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law, and equality. This "historical partnership for democracy" (Dobrescu 2003:161) occurred in successive

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

What is a network Discuss the advantages of using a network, and Essay

What is a network Discuss the advantages of using a network, and briefly explain the main types of networks - Essay Example Instead, all computers in a network can be connected to a single printer such that users can access it from their work stations. This helps to minimize costs, time wastage as well as protecting the machines from contracting computer viruses, which may be spread through the use of removable storage devices to transfer documents (Newman, 2010). There are various types of networks which include and not limited to; local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN) and metropolitan area networks (MAN) (Wetherall, 2010). Computers and other hardware in a LAN are connected within a short geographical distance, for example a building, a hospital or a school, through the use of guided media i.e. cables. If numerous LANs are interconnected within a wide geographical area such as across continents then, they form a Wide Area Network. The internet is an example of a WAN as it facilitates connectivity between users throughout the world regardless of their geographical location. On the other hand MAN is an interconnection of several LANs within a geographical location smaller than that of WAN. This type of connectivity can be found within an area for example a city or a town (Wetherall,

Transatlantic Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Transatlantic Relationship - Essay Example They are characterized, by an extremely high level of integration and interdependence especially in the fields of economy, political-military and cultural; while on the other hand, by numerous tensions and confrontations weakening the validity of the transatlantic partnership. The success of the transatlantic relationship is based on the background of common values that has braced both Europe and America, therefore creating an identity of values that finds its roots in the ideas of the Enlightenment which encompass the centrality of freedom, democracy, and reason as primary values of the society. These principles represent a constant in the transatlantic expression and have stimulated any transatlantic joint action intended to defend and export them. One of the first documents that contributed to the establishment of a common transatlantic consciousness that have referred to these principles is The Atlantic Charter, signed on 14 August, 1941. This Charter set forth the joint declaration of their peace aims calling for the self-determination of all peoples and self-government and sovereign rights for all nations that had been deprived of them. Beyond the continent of Europe, the colonial system had to be dismantled and the promise of self-determination enshrined in the Atlantic Charter applied on a global scale. Another significant document containing transatlantic values and seeking to universalize them is the Charter of the United Nations which was signed on 26 June 1945. The preamble of the Charter reaffirms the need to promote peace, fundamental human rights, freedom, social and economic profess, and international law. The United States and the United Kingdom became the two of the naissance members of the United Nations, as well as two of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The end of the Cold War offered the impulse for strengthening and deepening the transatlantic relations. The values become Western and constantly relate themselves in opposition to any communist beliefs. So, the Cold War can be seen, not simply as a political-military confrontation between two powerful influences, but also as an ideology of altercation between two opposing systems of values. The Soviet's threat determined the institutionalization of the transatlantic alliance through the formation of the NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty brought NATO to existence to where the organization comprises a system of defense to where all member countries agree to offer defense in response to an attack by an external entity. NATO assured the lasting relationship of Euro-Atlantic area security, but marked the European security defense reliance towards the American military and logistic capabilities. The end of the Soviet Union and the bipolar system marked the commencement of the new era in th e international relations, and for the transatlantic relationship, in particular. Consequently, the transatlantic relationship merged at the end of the World War II as a set of values that ensured the promotion of freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law, and equality. This "historical partnership for democracy" (Dobrescu 2003:161) occurred in successive

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Long Term Impact of Parental Divorce Essay Example for Free

Long Term Impact of Parental Divorce Essay This is an interesting study about how divorce can affect adulthood. At the age of sixteen, all students from one town completed a questionnaire. All the students were given a follow up questionnaire at thirty two years of age. Coming from a divorced family affects women more than men. This could be because of the close relationship between mother and daughter. Several studies have showed that parental divorce increases the risk of divorce for offspring. Children that have divorced parents have a lower self-esteem than those who do not. Divorce negatively affects children in the personal and social development in adolescence, which reduces the quality of intimate relationships in adulthood. The reason the quality of intimate relationships are lowered, is because parent-child relationships have been found to play an important role in perceptions of social support in adulthood. Many women have big issues with the trust factor that needs to accompany an intimate relationship. Women are less likely to get married, and the women that do marry are more likely to get divorced. This does not affect boys as much because boys do not need the parent-child relationship as much as girls. If doing a research paper on the topic of social development in adulthood, this would be a good article to get information. The article is a peer reviewed journal, making it a reliable source. The study was also done over a long period of time. It is important for other to see how divorce parents could be having an effect on their social development as an adult. Many women may not see the significant coming from divorced parents maybe affecting their relationships in adulthood. This journal along with other could only give a better look into problems in social development in adulthood.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Alexander II Domestic Policies

Alexander II Domestic Policies Alexander II of Russia was in many ways one the most important tsar in the History of the Russian Empire. He took over the throne from his Father, Nicholas I, in 1955. When he first came into power his first task was to end the Crimean war in which his father had been involved. After the Crimean war, many other countries saw Russia as weak. The army was outdated and despite its magnitude, not strong enough. People also saw Russia as underdeveloped and behind because of the weakness of its industry. Alexander wanted to change this. He not only wanted to show the rest of the world what Russia could achieve, but he also wanted to show Russia what it could achieve. Encouraged by public opinion he began a period of radical reforms, including trying to make Russia less dependant on a landed aristocracy controlling the poor. He also wanted to develop the natural resources of Russia reform the government to make it less like an autocracy. Until his assassination in 1881, how far did Alexande r II succeed in changing his domestic policy? Alexander initiated substantial reforms in the government, the judiciary and the military. But before he started these reforms, his first radical act was in 1861 when he proclaimed the emancipation of around 20 million privately held serfs. Serfdom was how the Upper classes and the Nobles controlled the peasants and the lower classes. In 1959, there were 23 million serfs in Russia. And the total population of Russia was 67.1 Million. The serfs lived under harsh conditions that were often worse than the conditions Peasants lived in during the Middle Ages. Alexander decided to abolish serfdom from above rather than wait for it to be abolished from below by revolution. The emancipation was effected by local commissions, which were dominated by landlords, who gave land and limited freedom to serfs. The former serfs remained stayed in the village commune, but they were required to make redemption payments to the government over a period of almost 50 years. The government compensated forme r owners of serfs by issuing them bonds. The regime had envisioned that the 50,000 landlords who possessed estates of more than 110 hectares would thrive without serfs and would continue to provide loyal political and administrative leadership in the countryside. The government also had expected that peasants would produce sufficient crops for their own consumption and for export sales, thereby helping to finance most of the governments expenses, imports, and foreign debt. However, Both of these assumptions were unrealistic. Emancipation left both former serf and their former owners unsatisfied. The new peasants soon fell behind in their payments to the government because the land they had received was poor and because Russian agricultural methods were inadequate. The former owners often had to sell their lands to remain solvent because most of them could neither farm nor manage estates without their former serfs. In addition, the value of their government bonds fell as the peasants failed to make their redemption payments. Reforms of local government closely followed emancipation. In 1864 most local governments in the European part of Russia were organized into provincial and district zemstva which were made up of representatives of all classes and were responsible for local schools, public health, roads, prisons, food supply, and other concerns. In 1870 elected city councils were formed. Dominated by property owners and constrained by provincial governors and the police, the zemstva and the city councils raised taxes to support their activities. In 1864 the regime implemented judicial reforms. In major towns, Western-style courts with juries were established. In general, the judicial system functioned effectively, but the government lacked the finances and cultural influence to extend the court system to the villages, where traditional peasant justice continued to operate with minimal interference from provincial officials. In addition, the regime instructed judges to decide each case on its merits and not to use precedents, which would have enabled them to construct a body of law independent of state authority. The regime also proposed to reform the military. One of the main reasons for the emancipation of the serfs was to facilitate the transition from a large standing army to a reserve army by instituting territorial levies and mobilization in times of need. Before emancipation, serfs could not receive military training and then return to their owners. However, there was no military reform until the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) demonstrated the necessity of building a modern army. The levy system introduced in 1874 gave the army a role in teaching many peasants to read and in pioneering medical education for women. But the army remained backward despite these military reforms. Officers often preferred bayonets to bullets, expressing worry that long-range sights on rifles would induce cowardice. In spite of some notable achievements, Russia did not keep pace with Western technological developments in the construction of rifles, machine guns, artillery, ships, and naval ordnance. Russia al so failed to use naval modernisation as a means of developing its industrial base in the 1860s. Although Alexander II was in many ways the first tsar to attempt change the Russian political and social system and modernise it, he did not succeed as well as he set out to. His main focus of he reforms was the emancipation of the slaves. However, in many ways this did not succeed as well as his other reforms. Alexander wanted to improve living conditions for the serfs and at the same time keep the landlords happy. However, he did neither of these things well. His reforms were also not supported by a lot of people. And especially the Nobles believed that the new laws were ruining the country. Despite Alexander trying to revolutionise the Autocratic system, a radical revolutionary group assassinated him in March 1881. Although Alexander II set out with high goals, which he in some ways for filled, in the end he failed.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Disease vs. Humans: The Evolutionary Race :: Journalistic Essays

Disease vs. Humans: The Evolutionary Race Dramatic changes in living conditions and population structure are usually associated with the changes caused by the Industrial Revolution. Massive migration to cities and the development of urban centers which followed increased the likelihood of disease spread and evolution, and has also increased disease persistence. Diseases use cities (places where hundreds, thousands and millions of people are in very close quarters with each other) as a super highway; cities provide the perfect infrastructure for disease travel. As they travel and harm, diseases are in a constant race with their hosts towards evolutionary perfection. As their hosts evolve to kill the microbes, the microbes evolve to either keep the host alive for longer, or travel more quickly between hosts. One way that disease has utilized the growth of cities in order to evolve and thus travel better is its transformation from an exclusive disease for animals to an exclusive disease for humans. For example, typhus was originally transmitted between rats by fleas until typhus microbes realized that human body lice was a much more efficient method of traveling, now that humans are no longer host to lice typhus has changed to infect eastern North American flying squirrels and then transferring to people who live in close proximity to the squirrels (Diamond 209). Diseases are, in short, constantly changing in order to propagate more efficiently and more quickly. Our intimacy with animals has provided a quick and easy method of disease transformation and therefore better propagation. Pathogens that were formerly secluded to animals evolve to the point where they are directly transmitted between people. When these people are parts of large communities (a contingency that diseases thrive on) epidemics result, especially if the sanitation is as bad as in the first cities. In fact, up until the 20th century, Europe’s urban population was not self sustaining, so many died of crowd diseases that they had to be constantly replaced by rural immigrants (Diamond 205). Many of our epidemics could not have existed without the cities and the easy transportation they allow. Diseases, like all organisms, are constantly evolving in order to pass on the most genes. The best strategy for doing so is to replicate rapidly. If more rapid replication of a microbe inside a person leads to greater passing on of the genes that code for that rapid replication, then replication rate will increase even if it causes the person to be severely ill or leads to an overall decrease of the number of people it can effect, or even if it hastens the eventual extinction of the microbe (Ewald).