Case against the Death Penalty

When the then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was presented with a petition containing 3. 2 million signatures from 146 countries for a worldwide moratorium on the death sentence, he had commented: â€Å"The forfeiture of life is too absolute, too irreversible, for one human being to inflict it on another, even when backed by legal process. And I believe that future generations, throughout the world, will come to agree. † (Gettings) The words of the former UN Secretary General were in fact an echo of the sentiments of the millions of signatories to the petition that was presented to him.The death sentence strikes at the core of human sensitivity and sensibility. The world is divided into almost two equal camps – one passionately in support and the other equally passionately against this extreme measure of censure in human history. Forty-seven percent Americans support the death penalty, while 48% would rather prefer life without payrole (Death Penalty Inform ation Centre). Both the camps present practical, logical and convincing arguments favoring their stand. Those who are against the death penalty believe that this extreme measure has minimum deterrent effect, violates the most fundamental of human rights, i.e. the right to life, is completely out of sync with civilized society and should be abolished outright and forthwith. Those who support the death penalty, on the other hand, do so because they hold that it acts as a major deterrent to heinous crimes, crimes committed by criminals who, according to them, not only do not deserve a place in society, but also lose the right to life. They have to die so that any chance of them repeating their crime and adding others to their list of victims is eliminated forever. The state, it is reasoned, takes the life to accord protection to future victims of the convicted.An objective analysis of the arguments for and against the death penalty however can only lead to the inevitable conclusion tha t the death penalty has no place in civilized society. Two very undeniable and universal facts override all arguments in support of the death penalty: the fundamental human right to life along with all its critical implications to the individual and to society, and the irrevocability and finality of the death sentence that takes away all probability of redemption or reconsideration at the face of the human nature to err.The Deterrent Factor Those who support the death penalty do so on the basis of the belief that it acts as a strong deterrent to crimes similar to those committed by the condemned. The facts and figures, however, tell a different story. In the United States, the south accounts for 80% of the total executions, yet it has the highest murder rate. However, the northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions, also has the lowest murder rate (Death Penalty Information Centre).The figures lend themselves to very straight forward interpretations: either the death penalty is failing miserably to act as a deterrent in the south or it has to be accepted that the citizenry of the south is inherently more murderous in nature or is simply more susceptible to murder. There are other figures that corroborate the fact that the death penalty does not actually result in a decrease in murder rates. In Canada, the death penalty was abolished in 1976. The homicide rate in the country started declining since 1975, and in 1999 the homicide rate was the lowest since 1967.An analysis by the New York Times in 2000 found that the homicide rates in the US states with the death penalty have been 48% to 101% higher than in states without the death penalty (John Howard Society of Ontario). An overwhelming 84% of the top criminologists of the United States have rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder (Radelet & Akers). The Amnesty International has also failed to find conclusive evidence that the death penalty has any unique capacity to det er others from committing similar crimes.In its survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates conducted in 1998 and updated in 2002, it concluded that it was â€Å"not prudent to accept the hypothesis that capital punishment deters murder to a marginally greater extent than does the threat and application of the supposedly lesser punishment of life imprisonment. † (Hood 230) If deterrence implies that the condemned is rendered unable to repeat the crime and claim more victim, then it will also have to imply that the condemned would have repeated the crime if allowed to escape the death penalty.That can however be an assumption and an assumption only. And even if we assume that the condemned person would have indeed tried to repeat the crime, it would be possible only if the person is allowed the liberty and the opportunity to do so. Life imprisonment without parole would be a preferred alternative to the death penalty in such a case. Critics would however be quick to point out the financial implications of life imprisonment. Alternative means to incapacitate In practice, however, numerous studies have found that the cost of implementing a death penalty is much higher than the cost of maintaining a prisoner for life.There are many reasons why the death penalty is more expensive than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Capital Punishment Project): i. A much higher percentage of cases go to trial in case of death penalties. ii. Murder trials generally take longer when the death penalty is at issue. A capital murder trial lasts over 3. 5 time longer than non-capital murder trials (Cook & Slawson). Certain constitutional safeguards have to be taken in the case of death penalty trials leading to greater time requirement. The Jury selection procedure is also more complex and tedious and takes more time.iii. Death penalty trials require more intense pretrial preparations and more elaborate proceedings. The sentencing phase almost amounts to a second trial. All litigation costs, more often than not, have to be borne by the tax payer. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the California Legislature has concluded that â€Å"elimination of the death penalty would result in a net savings to the state of at least several tens of millions of dollars annually, and a net savings to local governments in the millions to tens of millions of dollars on a statewide basis. † (Budget Committee)It is therefore amply clear the life imprisonment without parole is a comparatively cheaper and equally effective alternative to the death penalty, but imposed the same degree of incapacitation on the condemned on the individual level. The May 2006 Gallup Poll (in the United States) found that overall support for the death penalty was 65% (down from 80% in 1994). The same poll revealed that when respondents are given the choice of life without parole as an alternate sentencing option, more choos e life without parole (48%) than the death penalty (47%). (John Howard Society of Ontario)Irreversibility of the Death Penalty The intrinsic weakness of the death penalty as a justifiable measure lies in the fact that it is irreversible and irrevocable. Numerous examples bear testimony to the fact that even the highest judicial system of any country can make mistakes, that innocent persons have been dealt the death penalty time and again, that persons on the death row had been granted last minute reprieve when their innocence had been proved. Studies reveal that more than 200 people have been wrongfully convicted of serious crimes such as murder and rape in California alone since 1989 (Martin).In the United States, 123 persons have been exonerated and released from death row since 1973 (Death Penalty Information Center). A 1980s study in the United States identified 353 cases since the turn of the century of wrongful convictions for offences punishable by death and 25 innocent perso ns were actually executed (John Howard Society of Ontario). The death penalty leaves no scope for errors in judgment. If a person is found to be innocent after the sentence has been carried out, there is no way in which the wrong can be undone.Unlike in other cases, the option for compensation for a wrong done is also completely ruled out in the case of the death penalty. It is therefore assumed that the state and the judicial mechanism are infallible, that there can be no mistakes. The facts have proved this assumption wrong. The core issue of human rights The most damning case against the death penalty is that it is an infringement on the most fundamental of all human rights – the right to life. A death penalty is imposed in the name of the state. But does the state actually have the right to deprive a person of his or her life?It could be a dangerous proposition even to believe so. Hitler’s Germany believed in the absolute right of the state. The consequences mark a very dark period in the history of humankind. Are we tempting fate again by according the state the right to impose and execute the death penalty? In the December 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, nations of the world came together to ensure the fundamental rights of every person. These human rights were not subject to the will of the state, but were declared to be inherent in every human being. It was not the state’s prerogative to grant or withdraw the human rights.The fundamental human rights therefore put limitations on what a state may do to a person. The Universal declaration recognizes each person’s right to life. The death penalty is therefore a fragrant violation of human rights. Human rights preserve the dignity of the individual. There can be no justification inhuman and cruel treatment and punishment that degrades the essence of humanity. The death penalty inflicts the most severe kind of mental and physical torture not only on the condemned, but also on al those who are related to the condemned. Every member of the society also has to own responsibility as a constituent unit of the state.In fact, the broader understanding of human rights issue has been the basis of abolition of the death penalty in many countries. In 1995, Spain abolished the death penalty on the grounds that the death penalty simply could not be fitted into the penal system of advanced and civilized societies, that depriving a person of life was too degrading or afflictive a punishment (Hood 14). The South African Constitutional Court (154) in its historic opinion when banning the death penalty commented that the death penalty violated the right to life and dignity which is the most important of all human rights.And by banning the death penalty, the state was effectively demonstrating the fact. Countries such as Singapore and Trinidad and Tobago have had to deny that the death penalty was a violation of human rights in order to carry on with their practic e of the death penalty. However, the fact that the death penalty is a critical human rights issue has gained increasing acceptance at the international level. In 1997, the U. N. High Commission for Human Rights approved a resolution stating that the â€Å"abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and to the progressive development of human rights.† (12) Subsequent resolutions strengthened this resolution by restricting the offences for which the death penalty could be imposed, eventually leading to abolition. The member states of the Council of Europe have established Protocol 6 to the European Council on Human Rights advocating the abolition of the death penalty. On the same grounds, the European Union had made the abolition of the death penalty a precondition for entry into the Union. This had resulted in the halting of executions in many east European countries such as Russia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey which had applied for membership to the Union.Not an eye for an eye Proponents of the death penalty attempt to justify their stand on the principle of lex talionis or ‘eye-for-an-eye’ which advocates that violence must in some measure be answered by violence or that the punishment should fit the crime. They believe that such retribution serves justice to murder victims and their survivors. Robert Blecker of the New York Law School testified: â€Å"Naturally grateful, we reward those who bring us pleasure. Instinctively resentful, we punish those who cause us pain. Retributively, society intentionally inflicts pain and suffering on criminals because and to the extent that they deserve it.But only to the extent they deserve it†¦. Justice, a moral imperative in itself, requires deserved punishment. † Just as the individual do not have the right to kill, society also should not be empowered to kill. The retribution theory would dictate that the rapist be raped and the hou se of the arsonist be set on fire. Such a policy would go against the basic tenets of justice. If violence can be justified by violence than it follows that every act of violence whether perpetuated by the state or the individual would be justifiable on some ground or the other.Retribution in kind would bring the state down to the level of the criminal. There would then be no distinction between the dispenser of the law and the one who violates it. Discriminatory Applications The extent of misuse of the death penalty is another reason that calls for its abolition. In the political context, the death penalty has often been used to eliminate opponents and suppress popular uprisings. Here, the question of fairness in making the judgment becomes a very subjective one.What is punishable by death for one political regime could very well be deemed a heroic act of valor for another. The labeling of the act therefore depends very much on the actors and the circumstances and the environment i n which they operate. That is the reason why people who are executed are often subsequently turned into martyrs. It happened in Hitler’s Germany, in India and in South Africa. It is happening in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Serbia and in many other places wherever two groups of people look at the world with conflicting perspectives. Take the example of Saddam Hussien.Richard Dicker’s, director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program, was a rational voice when he said , â€Å"Saddam Hussein was responsible for massive human rights violations, but that can’t justify giving him the death penalty, which is a cruel and inhuman punishment. † (Human Rights Watch) A November 2006 report by Human Rights Watch pointed out numerous serious flaws in the trial of Saddam Hussein. Among other defects, the report found that Iraqi government actions had all along undermined the Iraqi High Tribunal and threatened its independence and perceived impartiality .Handing Saddam Hussein the death penalty has been viewed by a large section of the world as a measure made necessary by the prevailing political and military situation rather than a quest for justice. There is also a very strong view in the United States that the application of the death sentence is racially discriminatory. Studies have been conducted to examine the relationship between race and death penalty in all the states that where the death penalty is still active.The Capital Punishment Project reports that 96% studies found a pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination. Of those executed since 1976, approximately 35% have been black, even though blacks constitute only 12% of the population. It has been found that the odds of receiving a death sentence are almost four times higher if the defendant is black. The Amnesty International has also asserted that races does have an impact on capital punishment, and that the judicial system of the United Stat es have been able to do precious little about it.Amnesty International has attributed this failure of the courts and legislatures of the USA to act decisively at the face of evidence that race has an impact on the death sentence to a collective ‘blind faith’ that America will never waver on the ‘non-negotiable’ demands of human dignity including ‘equal justice. ’ Even if the death penalty was justifiable, there is compelling evidence that its implementation falls far short of the standards of fairness expected. There is a tendency to use this extreme measure as an intimidating factor by the powerful forces of the world to assert themselves and to wrongfully dominate and suppress others.The world is coming around The good news is that the world at large is coming together to prove that the death penalty is an unacceptable proposition. The United Nations has declared itself in favour of abolition. Two-thirds of the countries of the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. In the United States itself, 13 states are now without the death penalty. The latest information from Amnesty International shows that: i. 90 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes; ii. 11 countries have abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional crimes such as wartime crimes;iii. 30 countries can be considered abolitionist in practice: they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, iv. a total of 131 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, v. 66 other countries and territories retain and use the death penalty, but the number of countries which actually execute prisoners in any one year is much smaller. The debate over capital punishment has raged on long enough. The world is finally showing the door to the death penal ty.In doing so, it is stating in no uncertain terms that the sanctity of life of a fellow human being is above the purview of all man-made laws. That only the giver of life has the right to take it back. Works Cited 1. Amnesty international, â€Å"United States of America, Death by discrimination – the continuing role of race in capital cases†, April 24, 2003. Library, Online Documentation Archive. November 10, 2007 2. Blecker, Robert. Letter to the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission supplementing previous testimony, October 24, 2006. 3.Budget Committee, Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the California Legislature, September 9, 1999. 4. Capital Punishment Project, â€Å"Race and the Death Penalty†, American Civil Liberties Union, November 10, 2007 < http://www. aclu. org/death-penalty > 5. Capital Punishment Project, â€Å"The High Costs of the Death Penalty. † American Civil Liberties Union, 2003. 6. Death Penalty Information Center, â€Å"I nnocence and the Death Penalty†, November 9, 2006. 7. Death Penalty Information Centre. November 5, 2007 â€Å"Facts about the Death Penalty. † November 8, 2007.< http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/FactSheet. pdf > 8. Gettings, John. â€Å"Death Penalty Update, Here & Abroad. † Infoplease, November 8, 2007. 9. Hood, Roger, â€Å"The Death Penalty: A World-wide Perspective. † 2002. Oxford, Clarendon Press, third edition, 2002. 10. Human Rights Watch, â€Å"Iraq: Saddam Hussein put to Death. Hanging after flawed trial undermines the rule of law. † December 2006. Human Rights News. November 10, 2007 < http://hrw. org/english/docs/2006/12/30/iraq14950. htm > 11. John Howard Society of Ontario, â€Å"The Death Penalty: Any Nation’s Shame.† March, 2001, John Howard Society of Ontario publication. November 8, 2007 < www. johnhowardphd. ca/PDFs/Fact%20Sheets/death%20penalty. pdf > 12. Nina, Martin, â€Å"Innocence Lost†, November 2004, San Francisco Magazine, November 9, 2007, < http://www. sanfran. com/archives/view_story/200/ > 13. Philip J. Cook & Donna B. Slawson, â€Å"The Costs of Prosecuting Murder Cases in North Carolina. † 1993 14. The South African Constitutional Court, â€Å"Makwanyane and Mchunu v. The State†, 16 HRLJ, 1995. 15. United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Resolution, E/CN. 4/1997, April 3, 1997.

Call Center Manager

The BCG matrix method is based on the product life cycle theory that can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a business unit. To ensure long-term value creation, a company should have a portfolio of products that contains both high-growth products in need of cash inputs and low-growth products that generate a lot of cash. It has 2 dimensions: market share and market growth. The basic idea behind it is that the bigger the market share a product has or the faster the product's market grows, the better it is for the company. Placing products in the BCG matrix results in 4 categories in a portfolio of a company: †¢ Cash Cow – a business unit that has a large market share in a mature, slow growing industry. Cash cows require little investment and generate cash that can be used to invest in other business units. †¢ Star – a business unit that has a large market share in a fast growing industry. Stars may generate cash, but because the market is growing rapidly they require investment to maintain their lead. If successful, a star will become a cash cow when its industry matures. Question Mark (or Problem Child) – a business unit that has a small market share in a high growth market. These business units require resources to grow market share, but whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown. †¢ Dog – a business unit that has a small market share in a mature industry. A dog may not require substantial cash, but it ties up capital that could better be deployed elsewhere. Unless a dog has some other strategic purpose, it should be liquidated if there is little prospect for it to gain market share. pic] Some limitations of the Boston Consulting Group Matrix include: †¢ High market share is not the only success factor †¢ Market growth is not the only indicator for attractiveness of a market †¢ Sometimes Dogs can earn even more cash as Cash Cows The BCG Matrix method can help understand a frequently made strategy mistake: having a one-size-fits-all-approach to strategy, such as a generic growth target (9 percent per year) or a generic return on capital of say 9. % for an entire corporation. In such a scenario: A. Cash Cows Business Units will beat their profit target easily; their management have an easy job and are often praised anyhow. Even worse, they are often allowed to reinvest substantial cash amounts in their businesses which are mature and not growing anymore. B. Dogs Business Units fight an impossible battle and, even worse, investments are made now and then in hopeless attempts to ‘turn the business around'. C. As a result (all) Question Marks and Stars Business Units get mediocre size investment funds. In this way they are unable to ever become cash cows. These inadequate invested sums of money are a waste of money. Either these SBUs should receive enough investment funds to enable them to achieve a real market dominance and become a cash cow (or star), or otherwise companies are advised to disinvest and try to get whatever possible cash out of the question marks that were not selected.

Vietnam (during WW2 Ho Chi Minh rescued pilots) Anti communist...etc Assignment

Vietnam (during WW2 Ho Chi Minh rescued pilots) Anti communist...etc - Assignment Example United States of America Intelligence departments use various principles that aid them to determine what the adversaries are thinking and what is their next plan. The therefore should be able to collect all the information that the enemies have pertaining the planned attack. Intelligence services use various principles as far as intelligence activities are concerned; prioritization, which involves ensuring that the most pressing issues are sort out first and the available resources should be applied to those tasks; excellence, intelligence participants should strive to obtain the best results always; prediction, a process that involves future outcomes of the intelligence activities; agility, which is the principle that involves shifting from one activity instantaneously but still solving the past issues; Collaboration, which is a principle that involves consulting with other analysts and fusion, which is a principle of intelligence that involves the process of collecting and examining resources from all the available sources. In the recent bombing that occurred in New York on September 11, 2001 was a very open example of how some intelligence principles discussed above were not fully applied. It is believed that the attack was conducted by Islamic terrorists but more and more intelligence services are bringing forth contradicting information regarding that attack. It killed many people and this sent an alarming security weakening among the US intelligence services. The principle that was overlooked was the collaboration principle since all departments didn’t collaborate to share the intelligence information which caught them

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IT GOVERNANCE FOR A SERVICE ORGANISATION - Assignment Example The application of innovative technologies and tools in diverse industrial sectors has reported an increase in value appreciation and speed of operations that has a positive impact on productivity and profitability of business establishments. However, the implementation of IT tools and technologies is not an easy task since it requires huge investment outlays, personnel training and a changed outlook to existing governance practices that adapt to new methods of operation. The advantages and scope of implementation of these tools and technologies must be supported by strong governance practices that support a highly advanced system of work operations. â€Å"The problem of how to deploy IT in such a way that it adds value to the business is far from new and has been the focal area for information managers for a number of years† (ISACA, 2008). ... The organization chosen for this report was Dell owing to its global market presence and leading service provider to millions of customers around the world. Dell – an overview The role of IT in the present business environment has assumed increased significance with most organizations adopting it as the prime strategy to achieve business goals. Leading IT companies like Dell have influenced the ways in which the conventional role of IT thus has shifted from being an operational support mechanism to a primary enabler contributing to increased efficiency and effectiveness in organizational performance. The report provides a deeper insight into the IT governance standards and controls adopted by one of the leading IT service organizations, Dell. Regulatory compliance and audit controls over organizational operations have become a reality today with more and more companies adopting globally accepted IT governance frameworks for increased returns on investment and increased securit y in operations. IT organizations like Dell today operate under increased legislative pressures to ensure high standards of service, effective compliance with governance and legislative requirements, and optimizing work processes for increased information security. IT governance has been defined by ITGI (2009) as the â€Å"responsibility of the board of directors and executive management. It is an integral part of enterprise governance and consists of leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organization’s IT sustains and extends the organization’s strategies and objectives†. The controls and standards established through various frameworks like ITIL and Cobit provide the IT companies with the direction to control

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Telecomm Question - Research Paper Example d by Lancaster University indicated that a professor at the University of Lancaster was at the forefront of developing technology that has the capability of speeding up the development of the 5G (fifth generation) wireless communication. Reports indicate that the professor together with colleagues from China has concluded a worldwide review of the 5G progress including the challenges underlying its implementation (Lancaster University, 2015). According to the project review team, greater breakthrough in telecommunication is on the way as research and development go on with to meet their commercial goal of the Firth generation network for everyone by 2020. The review team also expects new techniques and network architectures to merge to promote the existing cellular systems. A research conducted by the review team indicates an overview of potential network architecture. On other hand, the report also highlights various techniques, which could be used to develop the 5G system by analyzing the 5G current research and requirements. Some of these techniques include; Millimeter wave communications, Massive Multiple input multiple output, Non-orthogonal multiple access, and Cognitive radio and Device to device communications among others (Zheng, Zhang, Ding, Fan, & Li, 2015). 5G network systems will offer a platform that that will not only increase communication speed, it will also open doors to different industrial and consumer applications and uses. Some practical example of the uses the systems will be put into includes health monitoring devices, autonomous cars, and interactive gaming gadgets among others. Additionally, the system is expected to provide faster data sending rates between the sender and the receivers, faster download speeds of data, a more linked world and most importantly a longer battery life. In order to make this dream a reality, the research and development have started the pursuit in the bid to seize leadership. Moreover, large amount of

Manage Factoring and Invoice Discounting Agreements Assignment

Manage Factoring and Invoice Discounting Agreements - Assignment Example Invoice factoring and discounting are processes through which a company can get quick cash by assigning the debt to another party who could be a person, a commercial bank or other financial institutions.2 Depending on the nature of contract between the company and the financing agent the duty of collecting the debt form the client is either assigned to the agent or remains under the company. The company will have to identify a reliable factor or invoice discounter to get cash against the invoice and then use the money to advance its operations.3 In order for the company to identify appropriate factoring or discounting agent, they should consider the agent whose term is favorable in terms of low fees, issue maximum deposit, low-interest charges and be able to pay the amount within the shortest time possible.4 The decision by the company as to whether to discount or factor the invoice will depend on the value of the invoice and the stability of the company. If the company’s turnover is below $250,000 per annum and the company does not have in-house credit control systems the agents will prefer factoring the invoice.5 However, for companies with an annual turnover of more than $250,000 and adequate6 internal credit control systems discounting is essential because of the high cost involved. When factoring the invoice the agent usually charges high fees and interest rates. Discounting of the invoice does not alter the arrangement between the trader and the debtor because the responsibility of collecting the debt rests with the trader, and the debtor is not aware of the arrangements.7 The company should discount its invoice in order to ensure its relationship with debtors remains unchanged. In fact, the clients may lose trust in the company in case the trader opts to assign the debt to a factoring agent.

Introduction to Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Introduction to Psychology - Essay Example This paper shall use various criteria or psychological affectations in order to thoroughly assess the subject matter at hand and to comprehensively evaluate the workings of the human mind and of human behavior. According to some experts, the biological and behavioral theories can be closely linked with each other. In analyzing human behavior, some authors and researchers look to the biological make-up of a person – in other words, his internal environment which would involve his brain processes, as well as the interaction of his hormones. His genetic predisposition is also considered in this theory as part of the factors influencing his behavior (Cichetti & Cohen, 2006). In further explaining human behavior, authors go one step further and consider the external environment of a person where the behavioral and sociological theories are often used to understand specific patterns of human interaction (Cichetti & Cohen, 2006). These authors then consider the relationship between these theories – the internal and the external environment in order to explain and understand human behavior. In other words, these two theories, as explained by some authors can, at some point during hum an development, interact and overlap with each other. However, inasmuch as they seem to be essentially related to each other in terms of continuity, they still are still basically different theories. One of the major differences between these two theories is the fact that the biological theory of psychology emphasizes that human behavior is shaped by biological and physiological processes (Bernstein, Penner, Clark-Stewart, & Roy, 2008). As was previously mentioned, psychologists explain that this theory evaluates the â€Å"psychological effects of hormones, genes, and the activity of the nervous system, especially the brain† (Bernstein, Penner, Clark-Stewart, & Roy, 2008, p. 18). So for instance,

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Belonging Essay Example for Free

Belonging Essay These essential components of belonging are portrayed through the poems of Peter Skrzynecki and another additional text the film Invictus directed by Clint Eastwood about the uniting of South Africa through the efforts of Nelson Mandella. Feeling a sense of connectedness Wether this be on a physical,social,spiritual or emotional level to something or someone allows for an individual to feel a sense of gratitude and self belief. To a certain extent the groups we belong to define who we are, and an individuals perceptions are the resulting outcome of belonging. The acceptance and kinship being in association with groups may bring one would say belonging would impact ones life positively. Although he opposing side of belonging is not belonging and is as a problem many people in the world face today. This alienation may leave individuals feeling detached and isolated from all things surrounding them. There are many reasons why one may not belong these may include race,religion,culture,attitudes and beliefs as well as many others. This separation felt may severely impact an individuals life in a negative direction. The poems by Australian poet Peter Skrzynecki illustrate many examples of kinship and detachment. Many of the poems in the book Immigrant Chronicle by Skrzyecki explain his problems with feeling like an outsider stuck in limbo between his Polish culture passed down by his parents and his new Australian culture that he was exposed to everyday. In the poem â€Å"Felix Skrzynecki† Skrzynecki states â€Å"I forgot my first Polish word† this line illustrates Skrzyneckis lack of interest in his Polish Culture as he feels he doesnt belong. In the poem â€Å"Felix Skrzynecki† Skrzynecki uses alliteration in the second stanza to suggest peace and tranquillity, as his father holds his garden in high regard and Skrzynecki feels this is the only place where is father truly belongs. This allows for responders to learn that one may feel attached to something other than other people or groups. In this poem Skrzynecki also illustrates his fathers exclusion from the rest of Australia by the line â€Å"did your father ever attempt to learn English† this line shows Felix isolation as he cannot speak the language of the country he lives in. Although in stanza one the lines â€Å"Kept pace only with the Joneses Of his own minds making† suggest that Felix was not bothered by values or lifestyle choices that he did not believe in. This poem and other Skrzynecki poems further knowledge involving belonging and not belonging as they provide primary sources that identify multiple examples of the issue. Destruction,analyses and in depth essays of the poems allowed for a deeper understanding of belonging to be gained. The Film Invictus by Clint Eastwood. The story is based on the novel Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandella and the game that Made a Nation. The film tells the story of Nelson Mandella in his first term as South African President, and the initiation of the venture to abolish the apartheid and unite the nation through the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The film illustrates many examples of not belonging due racism and prejudice behaviours shown by white south Africa. The film allows for racism to be viewed as one of the demanding reasons for isolation. Although later in the film an attitude shift is imminent and relationships are bridged between â€Å"black and white South Africans due to the efforts of Mandella. The film illustrates how film techniques such as camera shots,angles and music are used to create a sense of detachment at the start of the film but also show the uniting of South Africa in the end of the film. Invictus enhances knowledge of the issue belonging as it shows many examples not belonging at the start of the film, but with a shift in attitudes reveals many signs of belonging shown towards the end of the film. Due to the complex and abstract nature of the concept of belonging, a true sense of belonging can be found in different circumstances for different people. A sense of belonging or not belonging is thought about by every person in the world today, its what many people strive for everyday although some may never find it,whilst others have always had it. Analysis of a range of texts including the Peter Skrzynecki poems and the film Invictus delve deeply into the many different circumstances that individuals may wish to belong in. Ultimately to belong will always be something people feel they need to fulfil their needs,although a sense of belonging will vary to different people. | |

Progression of Morality Essay Example for Free

Progression of Morality Essay Throughout the centuries, morality has guided the beliefs and actions of families as well as societies. It has brought them together but it has also torn them apart. These beliefs continue to be a dominant force throughout many societies, affecting everything from what people wear to how they behave. The progression of morality has been a powerful basis for societies. The spectrum of greater access to the ideas and customs of different cultures, because of technology mass media and entertainment, especially television, has resulted in a diverse cultural blending. As cultural ideas move with people among cultures, some beliefs seem to have a greater effect than others. Blending of Morality In the 21st century, ideas from the West have been one of the dominant forces in shaping cultures in many parts of the world. The United States domination of the worldwide mass media has influenced different cultures significantly, leaving behind a legacy of western customs and ideas. The English language is also spoken globally, mainly because of Europe’s history of colonization in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. It has emerged as one of the premier international languages. English is the most common language used on the Internet and is responsible, in part, for the emergence of a dynamic global culture. Western business suits are standard uniforms among many people. McDonald’s hamburgers and Coca-Cola soft drinks can be purchased in many countries around the world. Many Disney characters are now commonly recognized because of Human World Views: HUM 360 Walt Disney theme park locations in Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. These examples of common dress, food, and entertainment all originate from America and are incorporated into other cultures. Western influence has also affected ways of thinking as well in many cultures with the expansion of materialism. This American mindset of placing high value on acquiring material possessions seems to have been adopted by many people of different cultures. Conflicts of Morality There have also been many historical conflicts among people of different racial, national, linguistic, or cultural groups. Some ethnic or religious groups have had moral issues that reach back for decades and, in some, for centuries. Examples of such conflicts would be â€Å"the troubles† between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland (McKittrick McVea, 2002) and the hostilities between Palestinians and Jews in the Middle East. People caught in these conflicts, that have been characterized by terrible violence, sometimes suffered torture or massacres of their whole towns or villages. An exemplification of such extreme immoral behavior is the violence imposed on the Kurds, a nomadic group in southwest Asia. For decades, Kurds have wanted their own separate country. But because their traditional lands cross the borders of three nations, it’s been an unsettling issue (McDowall, 2004). The Turks have responded to the Kurdish nationalism by forbidding Kurds to speak their native language. The Iranians have also persecuted the Kurds, attacking them over religious issues. In the late 1980’s, the Iraqis used chemical weapons on the Kurds, known as the Halabja Massacre or Bloody Friday , killing around 5,000 people (Esteri, 2012). Throughout history and present day, morality has played an important role in bringing people together. It has also, at times, driven them apart. Morality guides the beliefs and behaviors of its members. Whatever emotions it prompts, morality remains one of the most powerful influential forces on mankind in the world. ?

Reflection on Patient with Acute Asthma Management

Reflection on Patient with Acute Asthma Management Acute asthma, for a human body is really harmful. Being from a medical background, I understand the seriousness of the issue and regarding the same I want to add on to my strengths learning better to handle any unwanted situation like that overcoming my weaknesses. Here, I will discuss all the related important things in understanding the asthma problem and handling a patient quoting an example. Describe the event or area of learning / knowledge that you identified as part of your clinical scenario Example: A 45 year old female patient with asthma is to be transferred to FMC. She was initially admitted to a local regional hospital at room no. 0139 with severe asthma issue. As a first step to handle the situation she was being settled with salbutamol and amiophylline. She was then reviewed in the morning time and was suspected with chest infection and congestion. The team of the doctors discussed the issue internally and finally decided to transfer the patient to FMC for further review. Now what are the challenges and scope of learning areas I found in the case are listed below but for that I want to start from the introduction:- Acute asthma management is based on some primary steps that include assessing the severity of the patient whether it is mild, moderate, and severe or life threatening. All these will be observed during the startup of the bronchodilator treatment immediately after the patient is being admitted. Next comes the administering oxygen therapy. This is will be observed or implemented if the case is too serious and the therapy is needed to be done. If it is required then there are some things need to keep in mind that saturated oxygen titration to the target or the patient is at 92–95% (adults) or at least 95% (children). After this is done as per the requirement, then comes the number of completing the observations and the assessments that will be solely based on clinical priorities determined by baseline severity. Asthma can be really hazardous for the patient in the longer run, they can cause chronic lung issues and respiratory problems and that is why proper observance and adminis tering is required. Further, keep a close check on systemic corticosteroids within the first hour of treatment is really necessary. Till the time acute asthma gets resolved, a regular and repeated reassessment response to the ongoing treatment is essential. If required the whole process should either be continued or something more should be added to the previous style of treatment. Also, this whole should be repeated in cycle till the patient is transferred or referred to some another hospital or ICU for further observance. Apart from all these, observing the patient for at least 1 hour a day is a must call. Systemic manifestations and comorbidities of COPD- European Respiratory Journal (2009) European Respiratory Journal http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/33/5/1165.full.pdf+html What were you thinking and feeling? Why did you identify the action or leaning as important to you? It was very shocking as well as sad incident for me as since my childhood I cannot see anybody in pain or in any kind of unwanted situation. To me serving mankind is the ultimate goal for my life. If by chance I could help out anybody during any bad or harmful situation through my efforts, I will be the happiest person on this earth and I mean it. And that is the reason why I chose this medical field at the first place despite of the initial oppose from my family on my decision to get into the medical field as they wanted me to be an architect. I believe that you get a chance to be born in the human race just for once, so how will it matter if I dont become the reason for someones happiness. Also, I took this situation really seriously as I wanted to deal with this kind of situation if it occurs further in my family or my neighborhood. If talking medically, at the first place as per my understanding and learning I thought of giving her salbutamol along with atrovent fused by a nebulizer as a first aid to the issue but then suddenly I planned to delay the same as I came to know that the patient has already taken her daily dose of salbutamol puffer. After having a look on her medical history, I gathered the information that the lady has some anxiety disorder and borderline disorder too. Why I am mentioning these issues here is because of the reason that just due to these disorders, a feeling of shortness of breath can be occurred and at that time I should not be or somebody else for that matter should not be panicked. Apart from these observations, her blood pressure level and heart rate were pretty normal and with these now a proper treatment plan can be taken. Also, for some further added information to the case history, while attending the patient I have observed that in the recent past she has been already admitt ed to ICU for 3 times and this should be noted down during the treatment plan. During those admissions, she complained of anxiety issues and also that she hates going to the city hospital because of their ICU referral problems. That means she totally hates being admitted in ICU as in ICU the treatment is really complex and hard to adapt. Heart Lung- The Journal of Acute and Critical Care (July–August 2012) http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147956312000684 Evaluation Analysis I would like to list my actions in order of appropriateness. What I did well: The Primary survey, observing her social and recent medical history, collecting and placing all the facts related to her health in proper order for further planning, attaching the cardiac monitor with the patients body and then closely keep a check on the whether the assessment of heart rhythm respiratory was a thorough one or not What I could have done better: I should have given her salbutamol and atrovent nebulizer in the beginning itself, making her feel relax and comfortable by giving her instructions for proper postures, I should have also given more detailed info in handover ISBAR, the call for the second crew support was a big mistake as I could have called the local staff of the hospital itself. I will definitely make a note of these mistakes and will keep in mind for future references Also, I could have done a better research on asthmatic patients, the symptoms and the required medical approaches especially for the ones suffering from mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder. Delay in the treatment action plan and decision making was one thing needed to be checked. Apart from these mistakes, one major thing I have learnt is expiratory wheezing can indicate asthma, so I will definitely keep that in mind I take all challenges and the situations coming in my path of learning as a positive one, nothing in this world is negative so the positive thing happened with me is that I was finally able to communicate with both partner and patient really well and I am happy about my competence. Opting and deciding the correct clinical approach is another reason for my happiness on my list. Clinical and economic burden of patients diagnosed with COPD with comorbid cardiovascular disease- Respiratory Medicine (October 2011) http://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(11)00133-8/abstract?cc=y= What was difficult about the scenario and why? As a learner or beginner you can say, I think I have a followed a good approach to the whole situation because from the time she was admitted in the hospital, she is feeling much better now. I believe I have applied full and true approaches from my medical learning and understanding in managing the whole situation and for my leadership I would like to add that considering a beginning it was quite good. I have assessed the vital symptoms and signs of the patient and also have completely referred and observed her past medical history. Not only that during the first step of the treatment, I have linked my approach and planned the treatment as per the history. If I talk about the difficulties and the barriers that I faced during the situation, then I would like to mention this that English is not my first language and during the treatment procedure I find it really hard to convey my intentions to the patient. Also, I was not able to understand her problems so I need really hard to work on that. Apart from that I believe that learning is a 24X7 process and I will definitely focus on polishing my skills further. References Estimating prevalence of common chronic morbidities in Australia-The Medical Journal of Australia (2008) Estimating prevalence of common chronic morbidities in Australia-The Medical Journal of Australia [Online] Available: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2008/189/2/estimating-prevalence-common-chronic-morbidities-australia?0=ip_login_no_cache%3Dac017679306e921f901be42b8204e158 [Accessed 3 June 2015] Clinical and economic burden of patients diagnosed with COPD with comorbid cardiovascular disease- Respiratory Medicine [Online] Available: http://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(11)00133-8/abstract?cc=y= [Accessed 3 June 2015] Heart Lung- The Journal of Acute and Critical Care [Online] Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147956312000684 [Accessed 3 June 2015] Systemic manifestations and comorbidities of COPD- European Respiratory Journal [Online] Available: European Respiratory Journal http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/33/5/1165.full.pdf+html [Accessed 3 June 2015]

Culture of Barbados :: Essays Papers

Like many countries across the globe today, Barbados is no doubt a melting pot for a number of different kinds of people. For example, there were the Saladoid-Barrancoid people who were suspected to occupy the island from approximately 350 AD to 650 AD. Even though when Pedro a Campus landed on the island nearly nine hundred years later and claimed that the island was uninhibited, there is no way of knowing whether or not some of the Saladoid-Barrancoid people may have still been there. Pedro a Campus sailed for Portugal, and was accredited to have discovered it. Next to follow were the Spanish, spending a brief amount of time on the island. The island was officially claimed under the flag of England on May 14, 1625 by Captain John Powell. The English settled the island, and started to create sugar plantations. As the plantations began to grow and succeed, they started importing more and more slaves to do the work. These are the compilation of people that make up Barb ados. Barbados was settled and run by the British. From the beginning it was established as Britain’s largest exporter of sugar. The British started migrating east, and colonizing on the island. Their sports, government, educational systems, and economic ways have all been tied to their British ancestry. However, the island today is mostly of African decent, and this is where a good portion of the culture comes from. Even from the beginning, the Africans outnumbered the British on the island almost four to one. In the 1870’s, the British game of cricket was introduced on the island. Cricket has come to be established as one of the most popular pastimes on the island. While it started as only the British playing, soon powerful

The Fencing Problem - Mathematics :: Math Coursework Mathematics

The Fencing Problem Introduction ============ I have been given 1000 meters of fencing and my aim is to find out the maximum area inside. ====================================================================== Prediction ---------- I would predict that the more sides the shape has, then possibly the bigger the area it will have, although I have nothing to base this on, it will be what I am about to investigate. Shapes: I am going to start with the rectangle, I think this is a good starting block because I am able to vary the widths and lengths to see which has the bigger area. If I discover that the rectangles with equal sides i.e. square bring me the best result, then I will try to direct my investigation into furthering that particular theory. Rectangles ---------- [IMAGE] Area = 40 000 m2 ================ [IMAGE] Area = 60 000 m2 [IMAGE] Area = 62 500 m2 It appears that the square shape has a bigger area, I would possibly say that this is because the square has two bigger numbers, which are multiplied together to give a greater number than when a big number is multiplied with a smaller number. However, I cannot take this for granted and I think using one more shape will be useful in order to back up my theory. [IMAGE] Area = 52 500m This proves my theory regarding squares and I shall now put my results into a graph to show what I have found. Length (m) Width (m) Area (m) 400 100 40 000 300 200 60 000 250 250 62 500 150 350 52 500 I will now further my investigation by looking at shapes of a different nature: [IMAGE] Regular Pentagon ---------------- The regular pentagon has 5 sides, and as we get 1000m of fencing, this means each side will be 200m (1000Â ¸5=200).

Eugene O’neill and the the Rebirth of Tragedy a Comparative Survey on Mourning Becomes Electra and Oresteia

Eugene Gladstone O'Neill is one of the greatest American playwrights, he is known for plays such as â€Å"Long Day's Journey into Night† ,†Beyond the Horizon† (1920), â€Å"Anna Christie† (1922), â€Å"Strange Interlude† (1928), â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra†(1931)and The Iceman Cometh (1946). His plays probe the American Dream, race relations, class conflicts, sexuality, human aspirations and psychoanalysis. He often became immersed in the modernist movements of his time as he primarily sought to create â€Å"modern American drama† that would rival the great works of European modernists such as Ibsen, Strindberg and G. B. Shaw. O’Neill was a great admirer of classical theatre and as a young man he had read Friedrich Nietzsche’s work about the origin of Greek tragedy, in consequence he was very familiar with the subject and the techniques of representation. The ideas of the German critique and philosopher guided his dramatic works, in which he manifested the ability to adapt the defining characteristics of the classical tragedy to a modern script and audience. Thus, it is not surprising that we encounter God Dionysus in â€Å"Lazarus Laughed† (1928) or an adaptation of Oedipus’ character in â€Å"Desire Under the Elms(1924). As for â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† (1931), O’Neill explores Greek tragedy, attempting to modernize it. The play is based on Aeschylus’s trilogy The Oresteia (though it is closer to Sophocles’ Electra than to Aeschylus’ plays). In a 1931 letter to drama critic Brooks Atkinson, O’Neill wrote, â€Å"Greek criticism is as remote from us as the art it criticizes. What we need is a definition of Modern and not Classical Tragedy by which to guide our judgments† (Letters 19886: 390). The play (a trilogy made up of three plays) examines a post-Civil War American family. The scene in â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† is laid on a carefully chosen setting- a city in New England, immediately after the Civil War. It is remarkable whatsoever that O’Neill set the plot against such a historical background that had been previously chosen for the setting of great American novels by writers such as W. Faulkner or Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is well known that the South was the cradle of American aristocracy, which after the Civil War underwent a severe decay, thus providing a suitable climate for recreating a Greek tragedy. . The plot of the first two parts of the trilogy- Homecoming and the The Hunted closely follows the pattern of the events described in Agamemnon and the The Libation Bearers (Choephoroi): Ezra Mannon (Agamemnon) who ad jus t come back from the war was killed by his wife –Christine (Clitemnestra) with the help of her lover, captain Adam Brant(Aegisthus); further on Lavinia (Electra), the Mannons’ daughter, forces her brother Orin(Oreste) to punish the murder of their father. The Erinnyes[1] take the shape of madness in Orin’s case, as he feels responsible for the death of his mother and he is haunted by the feelings of guilt and remorse. The third part of the trilogy differs at some extent, as Orin kills himself while Oreste is exonerated of his guilt. There are many other details that are different from Aeschylus’ trilogy: for instance, Ezra Mannon didn’t sacrifice Iphigenia before leaving, his death and that of other characters is also different: the sword is replaced by the poison, and the matricide was a suicide caused by the son’s conduct. However, in spite of all these differences, O’Neill largely maintains the plotline of the Greek trilogy. Besides the plot, O’Neill preserves elements of â€Å"Oresteia† such as the use of masks, which enables him to individualize the tragic heroes from that of the anonymous group of the Chorus. All of the Mannons are described as having a very peculiar expression which reminds of a mask, just their eyes seem to have a certain vitality:†Her face is unusual, one is struck at once by the strange impression it gives in repose of being not living flesh but a wonderfully life-like pale mask, in which only the deep-set eyes are alive†(the description of Lavinia, p. 7); these masks that they naturally bear are a mark of their hero-like status which places them above the rest of the community, formed of characters such as servants or neighbors. It is remarkable how O’Neill contrives to preserve the Chorus, which is a fundamental element of the Greek tragedy. Although it is not as dramatic as the tragic Chorus of the classical Greek plays, each and every of the three parts of â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† begins with the performance of a chorus formed of different men and women that comment upon the Mannons, the history of their family, revealing to the audience details about the behavior and the character of the heroes. Moreover, the setting chosen by O’Neill is similar to the classical one used by the Greeks. It is known that in Aeschylus’ times a wooden wall was used as a background of the setting, the wall usually stood for a palace or a temple and this exactly the same as in O’Neill’s trilogy, as the greatest part of the action takes place in front of the Mannon’s residence which is described as being an enormous stone mansion that has the aspect of a Greek temple(the temple of god Apollo) â€Å"with a white wooden portico, with six tall columns†[2]. However that was the typical construction for a house that belonged to an American aristocratic family in the XIX century. In â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra†, O’Neill brought into consonance the fundamental traits of the Greek tragedy and the specific elements of modern theatre, thus creating a modern tragedy that would please the contemporaneous audience. The tragedy of the House of Atreus is relocated in New England, at the end of the Civil War (the action of the play takes place between 1865 -1866), creating in this way an appropriate atmosphere. There are also allusions regarding the Gold Rush (p. 31), the assassinate of President Lincoln (p. 82) or the abolition of slavery (p. 256). Given this historical framework, â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† has a series of both thematic an stylistic elements that provide a modern like character, making a tragedy of our times out of it. First of all, one can observe how the puritan environment that surrounds the characters, enables O’Neill to have a modernist approach to the Greek expression of Fate. Quite similar to the Greek tragedies in which there is an obvious interference of the gods in the life of the â€Å"mortals†, or the tragic flaw or the hubris are put on the account of a supernatural force, and the mistakes of the ancestors inflict upon the present, in O’Neill’s work the presence of a power that prevails above all is also encountered. One the one hand, it is the history of the Mannons that triggers the tragedy(Adam Brant comes to revenge his father, who was disinherited), the portraits of the Mannons hanged throughout the house play an important part as they seem to observe and govern the Destiny of their descendants. On the other hand, the characters seem to accept quite naturally the rigor of destiny, for instance, Mrs. Hills, one of the members of the chorus that performs in the beginning of the second part, blames the Destiny for the death of Ezra Mannon, although she also casts a spiritual and divine shadow: â€Å"Maybe it is fate. You remember, Everett, you’ve always said about the Mannons that pride goeth before a fall and that someday God would humble them in their sinful pride†[3]. In between the lines 469-470 of Agamemnon the same matter is dealt with, as the chorus speaks about the danger of receiving too much praise, referring to Agamemnon who victoriously came back to Argos:â€Å"There is peril in the praise; Over-praised that he hears; For the thunder it is hurled from God's eyes†[4]. Mrs. Hills is the wife of Everett Hills, a minister of the North-American Congregational Church, so apparently, Zeus took the shape of a puritan god. It is a god that handles the threads that control the humans (according the Puritan belief in predestination), a god of justice who punishes those who transgress the strict moral code of New England’s puritan society. There are several innuendoes that continuously remind us that we deal with a Puritan milieu: Christine hates the house she lives in because of its â€Å"Puritan grey ugliness†(p. 34), she calls Lavinia â€Å"Puritan maiden†(p. 78) and her hatred towards Ezra Mannon is put on account of his Puritanism which prevents him to fully satisfy his wife in their love relationship. (p. 102). Even though O’Neill inserted the idea of Fate and predestination in his trilogy, this is just the surface layer, a pretext to conceal the real human frailties that are the source of tragic. The tragic flaw or the hubris are in fact of a different nature than that in the classical Greek plays (Fate), it is the hero’s weak and instinctual nature that urges him to commit reprehensible deeds such as murder or incestuous behavior. In his eagerness to adapt the classical legend to the modern times, O’Neill took into account the psychological developments of his time, especially when creating the heroes. One can foresee in his characters the projection of Sigmund Freud’s and Carl Gustav Jung’s theories about the importance of the subconscious, infantile sexuality, and the relationship between parents and children. In Mourning Becomes Electra we can observe a wide range of emotional disorders that trouble the characters in their family relationships: Orin obviously manifests Oedipus’ complex, as the main reason of his revenge (him killing Aegisthus) is not that of making justice, but rather his desire to get rid of his mother’s lover. Subsequently, once the mother is dead, the incestuous feeling develops towards his sister, Lavinia, given her physical resemblance with her mother, Orin displaces the love he once had for his mother to Lavinia. As far as Lavinia is concerned, she clearly suffers of Electra’s complex, as she passionately loves her father and permanently looks up to usurp her mother’s place. The origin of this disorder has its roots in Lavinia’s childhood as she was rejected by her mother ever since she was born. In her pursuit to supervene upon her mother’s position she unconsciously yearns for the love of Adam Brant(who physically resembles her ather, Ezra Mannon). Her feelings for Adam Brant and the hatred that she feels for her mother are in fact the true reasons of her revenge. Lavinia comes to acknowledge this in the end of the play when her subconscious plays her a trick (she calls her fiance, Peter, by the name of Adam) and commits what Norman Berlin calls â€Å"a F reudian slip†[5]. Although O’Neill denied to have had a deep knowledge of the theories that stood at the basis of psychoanalysis[6], it is beyond doubt that these principles surround the entire work, enhancing the characters with peculiar traits and motivations. Thus, it results a classical legend in modern psychological terms that were widely disseminated among the society of the XXth century, in consequence easy to understand for the contemporaneous spectators. Moreover, it is obvious that Mourning Becomes Electra does not have the poetic quality of Oresteia, as O’Neill doesn’t use the verse as a means of expression; although at times the tone might seem solemn and dignified, we deal with a work that is written in colloquial prose, full of phrases and idiomatic expressions appropriate to the social class that the heroes belong to. Even the language of the chorus reflects the speech of the American working class of the time, with their peculiar syntax, vocabulary and pronunciation. Although some representative literary figures wrote theatre in verse[7], the contemporary audience was not much accustomed to attend such a performance. O’Neill does not disappoint his audience in this matter. In conclusion, Eugene O’Neill encompasses in â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† all the aspects of modern civilization such as the Puritan environment, psychology and language attached to the distinctive features of Greek tragedy that he preserves from the original: the plotline, the masks, the chorus and the setting that convey an attractive uniqueness, which makes the play to be one of the most popular and praised works of the American literature. If Oresteia enabled Aeschylus to get the first prize of the drama contest held in Athens in 458 A. D. , â€Å"Mourning Becomes Electra† contributed to the awarding of Eugene O’Neill with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936.

California Bullet Train

Okay my current event is on the california bullet train. This train will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The state senate just recently gave 8 billion dollars for the first part of the 130 miles of track and also a couple other local transit upgrades. It was a tough win for democratic leaders because they got the bare minimum of 21 votes which were all democratic votes. This was a victory for Governor Jerry Brown and the Obama administration who have been pushing for this. It would also be the first bullet train in the U. S.The train will begin construction in the central valley from Bakersfield to Madera, which will cost about 5. 9 billion. Out of the 5. 9 billion, about 3. 2 billion is federal money and 2. 6 billion is state bonds. The train will travel at 220 MPH and get you to L. A. in about 2 and a half hours. There is also 2 billion for other rail projects, like the electrification of Cal train in the bay area and improvements for the Metrolink in Los Angeles County. With the electrification of cal train, the trains would be much lighter, quieter and put out 90% less pollution then the current diesel engines.They will be much safer, they will start and stop much more quickly then before, and will also be compatible with the rails they currently use. The proposition for the bullet train was first on the 2008 ballot and was then approved t, it gave 9. 9 billion to the project, since then the project has had delays and rising costs. In 2008 the total price of the bullet train was 33 billion, when voters okayed it. Now the estimated cost has more than doubled at 68 billion and the completion date was pushed from 2020 to 2028. A Los Angeles times poll in may showed that 59% of voters would reject the plan if it were back on the ballot.There is still a lot of work in the way before they can begin construction and is unclear when it will begin. They have to fight off five current lawsuits against the project, they have to negotiate with property owners alo ng the route especially big farm businesses, and have to comply with californias strict environmental laws. Republicans led by LaMalfa are creating a petition to put this rail line back on the ballot, but it is unlikely because the measure wouldn’t reach the statewide ballot box until November 2014, which is 18 months after construction is scheduled to start.I chose this article because it I think this would be a great addition to our state because it would open up many jobs which we desperately need. It would also take many cars off the road which would be a nice change in congested areas and would also reduce the amount of flights from sfo to la. In the beginning it would be expensive but later on in the future it would pay off with much more I don’t know why we are building this now while we are in a recession and not back in better times.I think they should have built this years ago. California needs more transportation like this and hopefully this could spark more trains to be built to replace the use of so many cars. I don’t think this article is biased because it is showing both points of view of people who want it and don’t want it. If I had the power to build this or not, I would have built this years ago because I think right now we need to put that money to better use such as education.

Ethical Decisions Essay

Irregardless or our differences, one thing that is general to all men is that we all have to make a decision at one point or the other. We are always faced with situations that call for us making a choice among alternative actions. Oftentimes, there are several alternatives before us and we have to make a choice. What do we do? At this stage, we are at a crossroad. Essentially, when man is at a crossroad, he should ask himself why he should do what he wants to do. We should appreciate the fact that the decision we are about to make determines a lot of things. For instance, the next decision we are about to make might make or mar us. We should also understand that since we do not live in an independent world, our actions have effects on the people around us. In view of this, we should not just make decisions but seek to make a good one. If we are to make a meaningful decision or choice, he should therefore evaluate the choices that lie before him. But the long asked question is; â€Å"How do we evaluate our actions? † Historically, many scholars and philosophers have made several attempts at answering the question. Many have come up with theories for the purpose of guiding man in his quest to make a credible decision. Interestingly, some of these theories are opposing to each other and so the struggle continues. We have to consider which of these theories gives the best answer to our question. On thing is sure, we have to make decisions. For better comprehension and clarity of this essay, I will attempt to make a briefly exposition on some of the ethical theories. I will also evaluate an experience I have had in the past in light of these ethical theories. Question that will be addressed in this essay includes; how can my decision be evaluated in light of the various ethical theories? Does these ethical theories approve of my action at this time? If it does, how does it? And if it does not why does it not? As an overview, in the course, we have learnt about utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, ethical egoism and various forms of relative theories, Aristotle’s virtue ethics and Aquinas natural law ethics. When I was in college, I was the course representative of my class. This position made me responsible for a number of duties, part of which is keeping the attendance details of students in the class. As part of the school’s rule, a student must attend at least 65% of all classes before he/she is allowed to sit for the final exam. As expected, some students did not comply with this rule and when we were busy having classes, they were no where to be found. The exam time came and I was told to submit the attendance register so that they can know who sits or misses the exam. When I went through the attendance, I discovered lots of people in my class fell into the category of those that will miss the exam and my friend was one of them. I asked myself, what would I do? After serious thinking, I decided to submit the register without altering it. Why? Because it is what is expected of me to do! Duty demands me to do so. Another reason why I made the decision was because my mind will not be at rest within me if I had altered the attendance register to please my friend. I also wanted them to learn their lessons and be better people. I believe that we should all have a sense of duty and that we should do be faithful people with what is place in our care. Evaluating my decision with Kantian ethics, I will hold that my decision was the right decision after all. In Kantian ethics, focus morality and rightness of action has its basis on duty, treating a man as an end, and universalism. Considering the issue of duty, it is my duty to properly keep the attendant sheet and not alter it. The attendance sheet was placed in my care and so my decision came out of a sense of duty. I did not also expect to be rewarded by my teacher nor do I seek for recognition from the principal. On this basis, Kant himself will approve of what I did. In addition to this, on the issue of treating a man as an end in himself and not a means to an end, I think my actions are also justifiable. For one, I did not submit the attendance sheet because I wanted the teacher to approve of my actions or to say â€Å"job well-done! † Although, I must admit that the teacher commended me and the principal later approve of my conduct, it was not the motivating factor for what I did. I did what I did because it was what I should do. It was the right thing to do. Also, on the issue of universalizability, will I wish that the same action be performed on me if I were the one in their shoes? My answer to this question is â€Å"Yes! † For one, I can not skip classes and even if I skipped classes and had to face the consequence of my action, I don’t think I will feel bad if someone who was merely doing his job did not help me. If I am guilty of an offence and I know the implication before I did it, then I should be made to suffer for it. Furthermore, when I look back and evaluate the decision I made at that time, I always come to a strong conclusion that that was the right thing to do. This is because I believe that no reason given can alter the consideration of duty. I had to ask myself why I was chosen to be the class representative. I was bound by some rules and some things are expected of me. I have to conduct myself in a manner where I will not go against the rules. I could have altered the sheet but that would have been against the purpose of my office. Apart from this, I will be encouraging laxity and indirectly be destroying their lives. They had to learn their lessons and it will not be to their good if they did not learn it. My friend, though furious with me for several years, is now grateful to me for doing what I did. From my own point of view, when we allow erring individuals to go scot-free, we are undermining the order in the society. Our society thrives because there is an order and so this order ought to and must be upheld. Our actions therefore should not be based on feelings or sentiments. We should all learn to do what we are meant to do. That is what is required of us. Reference: †¢ Popper, Karl. R.. â€Å"Objective Knowledge: An Evolutionary Approach. †(1972) Oxford University Press.

Barbie-Q

The allure of Concerns' story-telling Lies In her ability to constantly introduce readers Into conflicting states of emotion. Clearly, while the subject's optimism Is consistent throughout the first paragraph, critical readers can detect subtle shifts In feelings which range from sheer exhilaration (as she describes her Barbie's Item with great fondness: ‘evening elegance In black glitter strapless gown', puffy skirt at the bottom like a mermaid tail', etc. To slight disappointment (from so much dressing and undressing, the black glitter wears off where her ditties stick noun and eventual solace (shown by her contentment with the self-made clothes). The light tone in â€Å"Barbie-Q† is of premium archetype, as the young girl's voice radiates enthusiasm and urgency. The pace in the first paragraph constantly picks up while the readers' emotion is dragged down. The initial tension heightens as readers see the protagonist's wish-list gets longer and longer, until she resort s to her own means n order to curb the fervor.The little narrator In â€Å"Bearable-Q† captures us In many ways. The lists she employed are rich In details as If everything Is read off from the labels. Her Insatiable desire to fill up her doll collection is not hidden. Is she an observant storyteller, or a fashions? Readers can split in opinions, but the young girl's obsession is inarguably not a matter of dispute. And while one may initially question, condemn and hold her fascination in negative light, the protagonist's motivated actions slowly make sense to the audience as the story unfolds.Her deprived world explains the playing habit and the tinge of Jealousy she tries to mask. Too child who has yet to enter school, a toy can be anything tangible. Unfortunately, such carefree consciousness is quickly reshaped when he Is exposed to the society and quickly sees himself being subjected to Its taste and sense of â€Å"perfection†. Yes, the story talks about superficial values. However, It Is the underlying aspiration of the protagonist to fit In and being normal, even temporarily, that makes this piece striking. The metaphorical Barbie doll is just a medium to criticize this unfair

Billie Holiday Biography

African American jazz singer and songwriter. Her singing style, strongly inspired by Jazz musicians, lead too new way of using word choice and rhythm. A critic named John Bush once wrote that Holiday changed the art of American pop vocals forever. She only co-wrote a few songs, but a number of them have become Jazz standards that many musicians strive to live up to. Some of these standards were set by songs of hers such as God Bless he Child, Dont Explain, Fine and Mellow, and Lady Sings the Blues.She also became famous for singing Easy Living, Good Morning Heartache, and Strange Fruit, a protest song which became one of her standards and was made famous with her 1 939 recording. In Harlem she started slang In various night clubs. Holiday Hammond arranged for Holiday to make her recording debut, at age 18, In November 1933 with Benny Goodman, singing two songs: Your Mothers Son-Len-Law and Riffing; the Scotch. The latter being her first big hit.Son-in-Lawn sold 300 records, but Riffle the Scotch, sold 5,000 records. Hammond was very impressed by Holidays visualization style. He said of Holiday that, Her singing almost changed my music tastes and my musical life; because she was the first girl singer Id come across who actually sang like an improvising Jazz genius. Hammond compared Holiday positively to Armstrong and said she had a good sense of lyrics at her young age. In early 1 959 Holiday found out that she had cirrhosis of the liver.The doctor told her to stop drinking, which she did for a short time, but soon returned to heavy drinking. Some of her friends tried to get her to check into a hospital, but she did not go. On May 31, 1959, Holiday was forcibly taken to Metropolitan Hospital in New York suffering from liver and heart disease. She was arrested for having drugs with her as she lay dying, and her hospital room was invaded by the police. Police officers were stationed at the door to her room because of her drugs.Holiday remained under Alice guard at the hospital until she died from pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis of the liver on July 17, 1959. In the final years of her life, she had been gradually tricked out of her earnings because of her drug and alcohol addictions. She died with seventy cents in the bank and seven-hundred fifty dollar tabloid fee. Billie Holiday Biography By Congregant 1 Billie Holiday (born Eleanor Harris (1915-1959) was an African American Jazz singer her 1939 recording.In Harlem she started singing in various night clubs. Holiday took her professional pen name from Billie Dove, an actress she admired, and the musician Clarence Holiday, thus was born Billie Holiday. The producer John Hammond arranged for Holiday to make her recording debut, at age 18, in November Riffing the Scotch. The latter being her first big hit. Son-in-Law sold 300 records, but Riffing the Scotch, sold 5,000 records. Hammond was very impressed by early 1959 Holiday found out that she had cirrhosis of the liver.

MARKETING Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MARKETING - Assignment Example In sum the fortunes of the firm are dependent on how well its management deals with business opportunities and threats, while using the strengths of the firm to take advantage of the opportunities and minimize the effect of the threats through clever planning and strategic implementation of its vision for the company. This is what is called strategic management- or the planning and implementation to achieve its desired plans in the marketplace in the face of these internal and external forces. The legal, political, sociological, economic and other environments may pose a number of challenges that must be overcome by the business if it is to survive and prosper in the marketplace. Barclays Bank PLC is one of the key players in the worldwide banking industry as well as in the UK and this paper will discuss how successfully it has managed to meet the challenges faced by the banking sector in the UK. The Banking Sector in the UK The banking sector in the UK is one that is full of intense competition. Lately the banking sector which had been hit by the 2007-2008 economic recession has been in recovery mode and efforts are still being made to put the sector back on track and increase regulation which would prevent greed and excessive remunerations from wreaking havoc on our lives once again. Efforts are being made so that banking executives’ salaries, perks and other remunerations like bonuses and stock options will be reviewed by the Governor of the Bank of England and the Finance Secretary prior to payout. The Bank of England had committed a sum of around ?7 billion to bail out the banking sector in the UK but thankfully Barclays Bank PLC did not ask for assistance, rather it managed to raise the required capital through a number of share offerings in the equity market. Banking today can be characterized by the different products that are being dealt with, such as investment banking, asset management or debt management, or by the type of customer dealing, su ch as Wealth Management for high net worth clients and Retail Banking for all types of customers (Harrison, 1994). There are also a number of channels for service delivery, like online banking and ATM transactions, cash deposits and withdrawals, wire transfers etc. But never mind what classification you choose, it all deals with saving, lending, spending, deposits and investments and withdrawals. These are the primary functions of banking which we cannot deny (Lee, 2002). A Brief History of Barclays Bank The origins of Barclays Bank date back to the days of the goldsmiths who were acting as the earliest English bankers on London’s Lombard Street. A partnership was established between John Freame and Thomas Gould in 1690. In 1736, James Barclay, the son in law of John Freame became a partner in the business. In 1738, the business moved to 54 Lombard Street and at this time also began using the black spread eagle as an identifiable logo that is still associated with the bank to day. In 1896 two more banking businesses united with this operation under the name of Barclays & Co, by then converted into a joint stock banking company. During 1905-1916, Barclays further extended its network by acquiring other small banking operations in the UK. Amalgamations with other banks in 1916 and 1919 saw the Barclays name expand ever further. After World War II, Barclays UK established a US affiliate by

Financing the Short Term Obligations Coursework

Financing the Short Term Obligations - Coursework Example Body Paragraphs Task 1 Short term financing is vital for any kind of business in order to meet its financial necessities in a short period of time. Consequently, there are various sources of attaining short term debts. However, the four primary sources of short term finance available to any business comprise of Trade Credit, Bank Credit, Customers’ Advances and Commercial Paper. Trade Credit implies the allowance of credit businesses by the providers of raw materials and other equipment. In this type of financing, though no cash is allotted to the business, but it is given the permission to holdup the payment for the goods up to the extinction of the credit. Bank Credit is another significant source of short term financing which allows businesses to draw credit at once or in phases. There are various sub-categories of Bank Credit such as Loans, Cash Credit, Overdraft and Discounting of Bill. The third short term financing source is Customers’ Advances in which businesse s ask customers to pay a part of their payment in advance. This is often the case when orders are large as it facilitates the company to overcome its short-term necessities (World Academy Online, 2011). The fourth source is Commercial Paper, which is a short term unsecured obligation set out by a large company to investors, with the purpose of financing its immediate needs of inventories and other materials. Maturities on such papers do not exceed 270 days and the interest rate is usually less than that offered in bank loans. Since it is not a secured instrument of debt, therefore it is only acceptable if issued by credible organizations (Kacperczyk, 2010) Task 2 1. McDonald as well as Burger King have financed their short term needs and requirements largely through Bank Credits and Trade Credits. Both the companies have been borrowing capital from banks to buy inventories and goods which are needed urgently. They have also utilized the facility of Trade Credit through their supplie rs. In case of Burger King, short term obligations form around half of the total liabilities, indicating significant dependence on short term financing (Burger King Holdings Inc, 2012). In contrast to Burger King, McDonald’s short term obligations form around 33% of its total liabilities (McDonald’s Corporation, 2012) 2. Burger King Liquidity Ratios 1. Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 434,000,000 / 473,000,000 =0.91 x 2. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (434,000,000 – 15,400,000)/ 473,000,000 = 0.88 x Efficiency Ratios 3. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 138,100,000 / (2,502,200,000/360) = 19.87 days 4. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (106,900,000) / (2,502,200,000/360) = 15.38 days 5. Stock Turnover Days = (Inventory x 360) / Cost of Goods Sold (2011) = (15,400,000 x 360) / 1,614,800,000 = 3.43 days McDonald Liquidity Ratios 6 . Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities (2011) = 4,368,500,000 / 2,924,700,000 = 1.49 x 7. Quick / Acid Test Ratio = (Current Assets – Inventory) / Current Liabilities (2011) = (4,368,500,000 – 109,900,000) / 2,924,700,000 = 1.46 x Efficiency Ratios 8. Debtor Days = Account Receivables / (Sales/360) (2011) = 1,179,100,000 / (27,006,000,000/360) = 15.71 days 9. Creditor Days = Accounts Payable / (Sales/360) (2011) = (943,900,000)/ (27,006,000,000/

A Study of Lean Management 2034 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A Study of Lean Management 2034 - Essay Example Secondly, value stream is identified as the main source of information for the whole process. Thirdly, lean management assists in assuring that the customers receive the right products. Customers pull is important and hence it is the fourth principle for lean management. Fifthly, through lean management there is continuous improvement in productivity and quality of products (Schonberger, 2007). The report explains the operational process in Toyota and how it has helped the company to prosper in the present market. The different approaches that are undertaken by the company to reduce waste, increase productivity and efficiency are also highlighted in the report. In light of this, the report also gives emphasis on the usefulness of lean management in order to satisfy the customers. The success of Toyota is dependent on its reduction system, which focuses on just-in-time management and continuous improvement. The company has developed decentralised structure; the structure encourages team work and employee participation. It has incorporated techniques such as inventory and supply chain management for producing the high quality automobile. Through these techniques it has increased the competitive edge in a competitive automobile market at international level. The success of the company revolves around achievement of high productivity and employment of unique approaches that can solve problem. Toyota Motor Company manufactures vehicles which are sold in 170 countries. However, the company operates worldwide by partnering with 50 overseas manufacturing companies. It manufactures sells and even exports hybrid, passenger, four-wheel drive, sports and commercial vehicles. Customer satisfaction is regarded as the top priority for the company in a competitive automobile market. It aims at building products, which reflect value and satisfy their needs. The customers are general public who have the desire to own a

Family Law - Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Family Law - Marriage - Essay Example Therefore now begs the question why would one marry. Physiologists believe that marriage is a link to mental balancing and physical health. Family fact organization site believe that marriage couples tend to have lower mortality rate, financial stability and general physiological well being. That means marriage can make one better wealth accumulator. All this benefits of marriage must have culminated from some factors found in a healthy marriage only. Marriage couples enjoy sex to the fullest than their counter parts who cohabit, because of the legality of their union. They are not worried when making love as their counterparts who are very conscious lest they cross boundaries of the â€Å"illicit sex†, example impregnating. According to studies marriage women are healthier physiologically and physically, feel more secure, increases influence, and couples tend to report lower level of depression and are less addicted to substances. The biggest disadvantages of marriage, both parties are core owners of their wealth. This means if one chooses to go, the wealth will be shared between the two parties . In conclusion, weighing cons and pros of marriage, it is moral to support its institution because of its advantages which outweigh the cons of marriage, and who doesn’t want to be wealthy? ... ea, gloves for the hand and goggles for the eyes, nature has shaped them and if by any chance they are used for any other purpose, they do not fit and the user may be termed as persons with mental depravity. Same sex marriage is not the issue; the issue is the sex itself. This is not about religion, or politics. This is the argument of reasoning. It goes beyond the Hawaiian constitution, for democracy is a say of the majority but that cannot overrule the truth and the fact of nature3. From researchers gay couples are obviously unfaithful to their spouse compared to the straight ones. They are poor parents, and their sexual pleasure and fantasy is far much brutal and uncontrollable. In other words gay marriage is legalizing some sort of future sexual offenders. HIV is also rampant to the gay community because of these very same facts they emphasizes on sex not family. If it has no benefit to society, it therefore of no reason whatsoever to be legalized in the institution of marriage b ecause it fail the test marriage4. I don’t know what the drive for same sex union is, but no matter the justification of it, there is nothing like same sex marriage. In my opinion legalizing a social sickness is legalizing a global confusion and judging them is not healing them. The main point is, same sex marriage does not exist, but the homosexuals and gays need counseling, accommodation and tolerance but not marriage. 3rd Task: 300 words abstract for the following essay: "To what extent does the law governing the allocation of parenthood successfully accommodate the diverse ways in which people become parents today?" In this context, presumably parenthood allocation means child custody and control giving the parent the power of right and responsibility. According to many state laws, a

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Reflection - Essay Example They are basically essential in communicating effectively and efficiently. For example, directives coming from the headquarters can be cascaded faster and clearly with the use of emails, texts fax and telephone calls. This is possible even if the receiving parties are located overseas at real time and costs almost nothing. Emails for example vitually shrunk the world into a small village because organizations can interact regardless of distance. The synergy betweent effective communication and information technology is inseparable. Communication is the content while information technology is the medium to dispense the information (Adeyemi-Bello, 2001). These information are critical to the organization because it affects not only on how the organization should act or react, but also on how it should create and place its products and services in the market which is essential in running a business. The interaction between the two is aimed towards a highly effective operations management that actually delivers the product or service to the customers that will satisfy the customer and make the organization more competitive in the

Commercial Law case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Commercial Law - Case Study Example It did not lead Rein AJ to doubt the general veracity of the plaintiff. (c) The defendant in his affidavit said nothing about having received an offer from the plaintiff for $150,000 (the plaintiff on his evidence made no such offer in the telephone conversation). It was not put to the plaintiff that he had made an offer to the defendant or that the defendant had rejected it. The defendant swore in the witness box however that it had been said in an answer in cross examination. Given that that was his explanation for why the plaintiff was not entitled as highest bidder, Rein AJ found his failure to refer to it in his affidavit surprising and his evidence on this point difficult to accept. (d) The plaintiff said that when he spoke to the defendant, the defendant told him that the Wirraway had a current airworthiness certificate. The defendant when cross examined on this said that the airworthiness certificate had expired in July 2006. He said he did not recall if he told the plaintiff that there was a current airworthiness certificate. (e) The defendant's version of events, which involved him saying that he would not agree to sell the aircraft unless the buyer inspected it, is not credible and particularly so since he listed the aircraft on eBay for sale without any indication that the buyer should inspect first. (f) Further the defendant had also listed the Wirraway on the "Buy now" section of eBay for $275,000, and claimed that had anyone clicked on that he would not have sold if the Wirraway had not been inspected (T40-T41), which further diminished his credibility. (g) The defendant himself had purchased many items (including Vintage car parts) on eBay and knew that he was entitled to the items when he had been the highest bidder, and Rein AJ found his assertion that he did not understand that he was committed to sell as somewhat surprising. Question 5: The defendant argued there was no binding and enforceable agreement, what were the components of this argument (4 marks) The defendant accepted that both he and the plaintiff accepted, by clicking on an "accept" button, the terms and conditions of eBay but the defendant's argument was that there was no binding and enforceable agreement as between the plaintiff and the defendant. To support his contention