A paper about the Mary Kay LeTourneau case. Her life, struggles, the case, and an educated explanation of the criminal theory she falls under.

A paper about the Mary Kay LeTourneau case. Her life, struggles, the case, and an educated explanation of the criminal theory she falls under. Mary Kay Letourneau became a parent's worst nightmare. Children are assumed safe and protected while in the care of teacher and it would be implausible for their child to become romantically involved with his or her own teacher. What makes a thirty- four year old woman to fall in love with a fourteen year old male? The details of the crime will clarify the trait theory that Mary Kay Letourneau is categorized.Mary Katherine Schmitz was born on January 30, 1962 southern California. She was the daughter of a respected politician father and a homemaker mother. Her parents were devout Catholics and she was the fourth of seven children. Growing up Mary Kay was active in school activities and always idolized her father. Academics were never important to her and she spent much of her time attending parties and taking road trips to Mexico. In 1970 her father won a seat in the United States House of Representatives and the family moved to Washington D.C.Cover of The Night of the Mary Kay Comma ndosJohn Schmitz then became the presidential candidate for the Independent party in 1972 but lost. The Schmitz family then moved back to California.Mary Kay's first tragedy struck August 11, 1973 when she was responsible for her three year old brother, Philip. When friends and family gathered in the background his body was noticed floating in the pool. No person was found responsible for his death however; Mary Kay always felt that her parents blamed the death on her.In 1975, a sex scandal broke loose about Mary Kay's father. John had been carrying a long time affair with a former student of his and had fathered two of her children. The scandal only caused a brief separation period between her parents. They reconciled shortly after. Mary Kay remained loyal to her father by claiming...

The Golden Age essays

The Golden Age essays In the essay "The Myth of the Golden Age" by Mary Beth Norton, Mary did not agree with historians that is was a "Golden Age" for women during the colonial period. She feels that women's lives outside the home were severely limited. Mary felt women never achieved a status later to be lost. The colonial period, even comparatively speaking, was not a golden age for women. During the colonial period most white women were expected to devote their chief energies to housekeeping and to the care of the children. As husbands where expected to support them by raising crops or working for wages. Women also did some outside chores such as gathering fruits and vegetables. They also made clothes for their family. Only the wealthiest women who had servants escaped some of these labors. Native American women had similar work roles. They did not do the spinning of wool or weaving but they did make clothes by tanning and processing the hides of the animals their husbands killed. Like their white counterparts the Native American also drew a division between the domestic labors of women to the public realm of men. Black women were more inclined to work both in field and in house. More often black women engaged in labor out of doors then the whites. Contact with persons outside their immediate family for both white and black females was rare. So many women would take advantage of social interaction by attending church. Important information was passes on by person to person mostly at the local taverns of the county courthouse, both of which were male bastions. Urban women where not so isolated. Their housing where closer then those in the farm and plantation area. They could visit friends and family. They also had the opportunity to attend school. Plus their household tasks was less demanding they had time to take up some of the amenities of the urban setting. Faced with a paucity of alternatives, colonial women made the best of their situation...

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 8

Assignment Example The Ss eliminate waste that emanates from a disorganized workplace (Rubin and Hirano 16). The Ss intend to accomplish the objective of establishing an organized workplace that makes it easy for employees or production operators to locate what they need in a short period, thus eliminating time wasting. When the workplace is extremely disorganized and production items are not kept in an orderly manner, it is possible that employees will waste a lot of time trying to locate what they need in order to execute their daily tasks. The Ss have direct link with Lean in that they ensure that the organization is organized so as to minimize waste such as time wasting and material wasting among others (Rubin and Hirano 19). Lean focuses on reducing considerable the time taken to produce a product and distribute it to consumers by encouraging high level of efficiency in the production plant. The Ss ensure that the workplace is highly organized so that materials and tools can be located with ease and within the shortest time possible, thus reducing wastage of time. Consequently, both Ss and Lean focus on a mutual goal of eliminating time waste and speeding up the rate at which products are delivered to customers. They both reduce product cycle time. One of the most important Ss that the employer should be concerned about is the fourth stage, Standardize. The phase of the 5s entails the establishment of consistent strategies and guidelines for executing tasks within the organization. Standardization demands high level of orderliness supported with visual controls. This S will enable the employer to create clear and comprehensive guidelines that direct employees on how they are expected to execute their tasks. It will allow the organization to adopt the best production methods, which reduces cycle time in the production process while observing quality issues. Without Standardization, there is high Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 212 Assignment Example use its fails to incorporate a scientific category and most essential because the application of this law is likely to result in the conclusion of several communities that didn’t not have any law for this era. One major agreement among majority of the theorists is that the concept of law is comprised of two essential classes namely; law in terms of real patterns of behaviors and secondly; law is viewed in terms of the national law model (Brian, 1995). The author states that no despite any definition of law, it is evident that researchers and theorists are repeatedly taken back to the state law of institutions and standards. All societies ought to have laws, but they have the right of objecting any law that is on the grounds of the state law model. This is because state law is a contingent development that is not likely to be present in all societies in a fully functional manner. The author seems to have analyzed the connection between law, oppression, and ethics and has also tried to explain the question of whether all laws may be correctly theorized as coercive guidelines or as moral guidelines. There exists no rationally indispensable connection between law and coercion or in the middle of law and ethics. Categorizing all laws as coercive guidelines or as moral guidelines is overgeneralizing the connection between law, coercion, and ethics. Today’s researchers disapprove the concept of law which was expressed by John Aus tin (Brian, 1995). This article maintains that a social fact idea of law is emphasizing foundations and recognition principles, it also extends that this positivism to integrate requirements of publicness in law, The components of law in the efflorescent sector of international administrative law ‘is inherent in public law, state self-governing jurisprudence, and progressively in international governance, whereby the law is applicable to public persons rather than to distinguishable universal publics. Principles that are relevant to

What inferences can you draw from this passage What are the Assignment

What inferences can you draw from this passage What are the implications - Assignment Example Such persons will work with very limited supervision and does quality work thus improving the firm’s reputation. Such hardworking employees often get promoted to higher ranks (Peterson, 1988). On the other hand, an ambitious employee feels motivated and yearns to achieve the set goals. Such a person strives to ensure that he meets the required standards of his work place and acts as a motivating factor to other workers. Such motivated workforce leads to improved output of the organization. Moreover, a contentious employee is also dependable (Peterson, 1988). They are willing to work with each other in the firm. They can help fellow workmates in doing their duty in case there is need. Conversely, if a person is not conscientious, he will be lazy, non-dependable and not ambitious (Peterson, 1988). Such persons are a nuisance to the organization and will lead to a decline in the general output of the organization. Furthermore, another important trait is emotional stability. Just like the first case, a person who is calm, self-controlled and secure will have great positive implications to the organization (Peterson, 1988). A person who is self-controlled will always work with other employees at all situations. They know how to control their emotions and can help each other solve their problems. A secure employee works with more confidence in him (Peterson, 1988). Such employees will yield more positive results to the firm. Calmness is a virtue that calls for gentleness. Such a person earns great respect from the clients and workmates thus an improvement to the firm’s reputation (Peterson, 1988). Conversely, an employee who lacks self-confidence, is not secure, and is rude. Such will lead to destruction of the firm’s reputation thus impacts in low income to the

Why is Gun Control a necessary tool to reduce the levels of violence Essay

Why is Gun Control a necessary tool to reduce the levels of violence in the USA - Essay Example However, the Gun Lobby groups are well organized, well funded, and substantially powerful for the all-out ban on such guns. Various government agency bully various lawmakers such as Congress members, Senators, and State Reps due to passing strict and effective legislation on firearms. The perception of "people kill people† is an unfounded phenomenon that gun rights advocates do not support. It is worth noting that guns were designed to murder people. The item is a war weapon that has become a way of life. Life is abruptly put to an end or altered through the pull of a trigger and the pistol’s crack. Many murder cases occurring across the world indicate that people have prior knowledge of each other in bar rooms, within the home, in parking lots, or on street corners among family, friends, and acquaintances (Spano & Pridemore & Bolland 19). In times of heated situations, the possession of firearms translates into murder. The other frequent occurrence in this case is evident when young kids have access to the guns. They play with fellow typical kids without knowledge of them being loaded. When kids poses to shoot others, it results into murder as they do not have a realization that such guns are actually loaded. In most cases, people with proper knowledge of one another involve in drastic arguments that become deadly in the presence of firearms. However, in reality, these individuals do not have an awareness of the actions they per take up to the moment the action crosses their mind and they face such situations. Further, it is even easier for people to aim a gun at people out of anger. This results in death or even permanent paralysis. In other poor urban areas, aspects of murder are rather rampant. This attributes to poverty, low employment, as well as minimal educational opportunities (Alcindor 123). In drastic environments, the drug presence, bad housing, as well as overcrowding are also major pointers of gun violence.

Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry

Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Introduction Standards and quality control within the hospitality industry are of critical importance, particularly within the kitchen and food safety areas of these businesses. Within this paper, the intention is to evaluate the benefits of quality tools to policy makers within the hospitality industry and discuss the effects of two of these tools in relation to a specific case example. 1) Quality Tools Quality has become a factor of importance in both the product and the service offered to the consumer. In essence it is the art of seeking a continual improvement in the processes, products and services that are provided (Dale 2003, p.5). However, when applied to hospitality, and in particular the operations of an industrial kitchen in this environment, the term â€Å"quality† also encompasses the health and safety aspect of the operation. In such cases, it is not simply a matter of ensuring that the product and service is of the quality expected by the consumer, but that it has also eliminated the health and safety risk factor, both in respect of the consumer and other business stakeholders, which include the employees who work within the kitchen environment. In other words it has to address both the internal and external issues. Thus it can be seen that there are a number of ways in which the use of quality control tools can assist to achieve its core aims, particularly within the hospitality industry. In addition to the safety of the product itself, these also relate to other aspects, which include the environment, cooking process and team effort of the business (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.29). With the main element of an industrial hospitality kitchen being the standard and quality of the food that is served to the customers, it is important that the quality control focuses on the safety as well as the quality of the food being prepared. In an effort to reduce the potential of complaints within this area, there are several issues that need to be addressed, such as the quality and safety of the food supplied, its storage, the method of cooking and the service to the consumer. The introduction of quality models such as the FMEA[1] and HACCP[2] systems are essential in ensuring that no issues arise in terms of the condition of food on its arrival from the supplier, the kitchen storage facilities or the cooking processes. The purpose of FMEA system works on the basis of combining risk and cause and effect analysis, with the intention of endeavouring to forecast potential system failures in advance as well as establishing what could cause such failures (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.2). Such failures are then judged by their severity; likelihood of happening and the ease of detection. With this information to hand it is then possible to design a solution to the problem, which includes a continual monitoring process. HACCP takes the process a step further by identifying points within the process where a potential hazard might occur and ensuring monitoring of these points. For example, if one takes potential complaints about food, this can manifest itself in several ways. Food can be contaminated at the source of supply or during the storage handling processes within the hospitality kitchen facility. Additionally, problems can arise from the cooking process. The severity of these problems can range from customer complaints in respect of over-under cooked foods to potential threatening health and safety issues such as food poisoning. The Foods Standard Agency (2007) have recently published guidelines which cover the procedures needed to prevent food incidents, which provides crucial information for the hospitality policy makers. From the supplier viewpoint this includes ensuring that the raw food and its processing, packaging and all controls for issues such as contamination are vigorously controlled and that there is a facility to enable action to be taken in the event of a complaint. Policies for food management within the Hospitality kitchen itself must include similar controls, which are subject to inspection by the local authority. These would apply to the kitchen storage facilities and their locations, which are required to ensure that food does not decompose or create additional health problems for the consumer (Knowles 2004, p.96). Similarly, the standard for training within the establishment need to be monitored to ensure appropriate hygiene standards are being adhered to by all staff (Knowles 2004, p.202). Furthermore, the hygiene and health and safety issue also applies to the employees within the business in respect of consumer’s safety. An example of these issues in reality can be demonstrated from an inspection that was conducted by Norwich City Council in relation to an office kitchen Hospitality unit (Environmental Health Food Team 2005). In this case the office in question was refurbishing their kitchen areas. The authority found several issues that needed addressing. Among these was the fact that the food storage facilities were inadequate and posed a threat to the freshness of the products, as did the fact that the staff changing rooms were located outside of the kitchen environment, which could expose their kitchen clothing to outside bacterial problems. Finally, the other aspects of quality that affects the hospitality kitchen are the health and safety issues that relate to employees. This has been evidenced by the concerns that can arise in relation to the potential back problems that can afflict an employee within the kitchen environment, as has been recognised by the Health and Safety Executive (CAIS 24 2006). As their report reveals, â€Å"back pain and upper limb disorders† are responsible for nearly 75% of the incidences of â€Å"occupational ill health,† which currently amount to in excess of two million lost work days a year, and a considerable number of these occur within the hospitality industry. Therefore it is important that policies regarding the positioning of equipment, maximum weight carrying levels and appropriate methods of lifting heavy products are instigated and monitored to ensure their compliance. Lack of such controls could lead to the employer being subjected to a claim under the Health and Saf ety legislations. 2) FMEA and HCCAP Within this section of the paper it is intended to assess the quality control procedures within a hypothetical situation. In this situation a cook chill company has conducted a FMEA on a product that is used within the hospitality. The product is a chicken casserole. The following results were recorded. Failure modes occurrence severity detection -Uneven garnish 1 1 5 -Incorrect stamp 1 9 9 -Packages edges stamped 2 6 6 What would need to be evaluated to provide a more accurate analysis in this case is the level of sampling provided, as the statistical information does affect the potential for detecting problems (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.190). If one applies a statistical confidence level based upon the regularity of the incidence occurring over a number of sample batches, and this reveals that the results are within a 5% band, then that level would be 95%. Statistical confidence levels are used to ascertain the level of confidence that the analyst has in the result of his findings. Applying this to the above table would result in the following results Failure modes occurrence severity detection -Uneven garnish 0.95 0.95 4.75 -Incorrect stamp 0.95 8.55 8.55 -Packages edges stamped 1.905.705.70 However, even based upon these lower result, and using 10 as the highest level of concern, the following information can be garnered. In occurrence terms, the most prolific problem relates to the issue of stamping package edges, with the least being uneven garnish. However, when one looks at the problem of severity and potential for detection the incorrect stamp are the major causes for concern, with incorrect stamping being by far the most important issue to address. Of itself, the problem of uneven garnish will not present a health and safety issue. Similarly, it cannot therefore be considered to be a hazard in that it will not result in a potential biological or chemical danger to the consumer (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.40). All that will result from this problem is a change in taste of the end product. Although the management may wish to address this from a quality viewpoint, it would not be the highest issue of the three to be addressed. Severity and difficulty in detection in relation to the incorrect stamp and edging stamps on the other hand do present difficulties and potential dangers, with the former being of most concern. Incorrectly packaged products can lead to health and safety issues with the consumer. For example, a vegetarian would be seriously displeased if they found that the chilli casserole that they thought contained no meat actually contained chicken. Similarly, for persons with allergies, the incorrect packaging could present problems. However, the problem with the edging stamp would be at a two-thirds level of importance compared with the labelling issue. Furthermore, one has to define the exact issue arising from the incorrect labelling as to whether it can be considered a health and safety hazard (Skelton 1997, p.6). If the problem was an incorrect date then the hazard is more significant that if it is just incorrect ingredients, as the former could lead to ill health affecting the consumer. Whilst ingredient errors may produce displeasure and complaint from the consumer, incorrect dating could lead to potential food poisoning and other health problems. It is at this latter stage that the real effect of a HACCP analysis, an alternative method for identifying potential issues (Skelton 1997, p.67) would be beneficial. HACCP views the process from the raw product stage until it ends up on the consumers plate and seeks to identify the critical points at which the problems identified above are likely to occur. As a result of this analysis it is possible for the policy maker in the Hospitality kitchen to institute a procedure that will ensure that these points are closely monitored in an effort to eradicate the problem, with records maintained at all times (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.2). From the above analysis it is apparent that, although from a individual viewpoint packaging does not present a health and safety issue (Mortimore and Wallace 2000, p.120), it is the fact that the information displayed upon it that, as has already been identified, creates the hazard. Therefore, the combination of the errors and hazards identified could produce serious problems in terms of the potential effect on the consumer’s health and, as a result, could lead to the management of the hospitality kitchen being prosecuted. Conclusion From the information and analysis that has been conducted for this paper, it is apparent that as part of the effective management of a kitchen within the hospitality industry the policy maker must ensure that, as a integral part of the management strategy, the issues of failure and hazard awareness and the methods of reducing the incidence of these risks are taken into account. Therefore, it is essential that every aspect of the process and operations of their kitchens be subjected to an FMEA and HACCP analysis. This should encompass the food supply chain; the maintenance and efficiency of equipment and the safety of their employees as well as their consumers. These finding support the beneficial use that such quality tools provide for the hospitality policy maker. References CAIS 24 (2006). Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff. Health and Safety Executive. London, UK. Dale, Barrie (2003). Managing Quality. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Oxford, UK. Environmental Health Food Team (2005). Food Premises Inspection Report, Norwich City Council. Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.norwich.gov.uk/intranet_docs/A-Z/Environmental%20Health/2005/Food_Awards/Mills_and_Reeve_Insp_151105.pdf Foods Standards Agency (2007). Principles for preventing and responding to food incidents. Retrieved 16 May 2007 from http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/principles23mar07 Knowles, Tim (2004). Food Safety in the Hospitality Industry. Butterworth-Heinmann Ltd. Oxford, UK. Mortimore, Sara and Wallace, Carol (2000). HACCP. A Practical Approach. Aspen Publishing. Maryland, US. Skelton, Bob (1997). Process Safety Analysis. An Introduction. Guld Publishing. Houston, US. Footnotes [1] Failure modes and effects Analysis [2] Hazard analysis and critical control points Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Policy Development in the Hospitality Industry Brief 199613 POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY Question 1: In the context of the CDM Regulations and the refurbishment of a floor of bedrooms in a multi storey hotel, critically outline the purpose and content of the Health and Safety Plan and Health and Safety File. Discuss the relationship between the two components and how the Health and Safety File will be of benefit to contractors in the future. Critically assess the merits of the Building Regulations application process and construction technique utilised for Mcdonalds modular drive through restaurants. The following will evaluate the best way of refurbishing a floor of bedrooms in a multi storey hotel so that the renovated building complies with all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations. The requirement to meet all the relevant health and safety legislation and standards means that the designers and the builders of renovations are as legally responsible as the hotel owners for all breeches of those requirements. Failure to meet regulatory standards could leave the constructors liable for civil prosecution or prone to litigation by the hotel owners, the hotel staff besides the hotel guests. Prosecution or litigation that could take years after the original renovation was actually completed (Youell, 2003 p. 99). The best way to develop a renovation plan that will receive planning permission from the appropriate local authority is to know exactly which health and safety regulations the proposed renovation needs to fully comply with. If the hotel is exempt from any of the health and safety regulations or the hotel owners believe that it is exempt from those standards it is always best to double check. Besides ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it, and it will not protect contractors from legal action been taken against them. Of more immediate concern for contractors tasked with renovations a failure to abide to all building or health and safety regulations could result in the refusal of planning permission. After all it will only cause delays if the renovation plans are refused planning permission or if such breeches of the health and safety standards are missed at that stage and leave the design firm as well as the hotel owners liable to prosecution or litigation. Renovation w ork that does not reach the required health and safety standards might not be good enough to last over the long-term without the need to be repaired or eventually replaced due to its low quality (Youell, 2003 p. 99). Therefore to ensure that the renovation proposals receive planning permission and are legally sound a Health and Safety Plan as well as a Health and Safety File are necessarily developed and maintained to safeguard the building contractors and the hotel owners from both accidents and legal proceedings. The purpose of the health and safety plan is to ensure that the hotel will be fully compliant with the health and safety regulations that it is required to meet so as to function legally as a hotel. To make a fully functioning health and safety plan not only needs a strong knowledge of relevant regulations; it also requires the blueprints or plans for the hotel itself. An understanding of the hotel’s layout is essential with regard to making the health and safety plan practical and well designed. The objective of the health and safety plan is to make sure all the safety measures within the hotel are clearly accessible thus allowing both hotel staff and all hotel guests to remain safe in any emergency situation. The content of the health and safety plan would include the design layout and the exact location of fire fighting equipment, first exits, fire alarms, and any available first aid facilities. The plan should also include where hotel employees and guests meet, should the hotel have to be evacuated, especially in the event of a fire taking hold of the premises. Consideration should also be given to the fitting of smoke alarms, fire alarms, and sprinkler systems (Youell, 2003 p. 99). Besides considering fire safety procedures, and first aid measures the health and safety plan should include measures to maintain hygiene standards in the kitchens, toilets, dining areas, and the guest bedrooms. Good hygiene standards are needed to ensure that the hotel remains clean, tidy, and free of dirt, allowing the hotel staff and all guests to avoid food poisoning or infection. The plan needs take into account the location of the kitchens, rubbish bins, and toilets in relation to the bedrooms used by guests. Poor hygiene standards and food poisoning could prove to be very bad for the future of the hotel, as it may bring it to the attention of environmental health officers that have the power to close it down until the hotel meets the minimum required regulatory standards (Bloomsbury, 2005 p.124). Another factor for maintaining the good hygiene of the hotel is the straightforward one of guests not wishing to return to dirty and unclean accommodation (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 155). The purpose of the Health And Safety File is to record how the hotel complies with all relevant regulations before, during, and after the proposed renovations. The file is meant to ensure that the hotel sticks to the measures it set out in the Health and Safety Plan. The file should record the health and safety performance of the hotel with regard to the maintenance of equipment, facilities, as well as all the procedures that enhance safety standards or good hygiene. The Health and Safety File should also keep a note of all the training that the staff at the hotel is given in respect of maintaining and implementing safety measures and all hygiene standards. The hotel staff should ideally be given training to use fire fighting equipment when it is safe to do so, to provide first aid when needed, and carry out practice fire safety drills. When necessary staff will need to be given extra training should they not perform their duties to a high enough level to comply with the standards se t out in regulations. The Health and Safety File should also ensure that all hotel guests have access to information about the location of fire safety equipment, first aid facilities, and the assembly point in case of the hotel being evacuated (Youell, 2003 p. 99). There should be a strong relationship between the Health and Safety Plan and the Health and Safety File. The two items should compliment each other, as together they provide the means to plan and implement safety and hygiene standards at the hotel. The Health and Safety Plan sets out how the safety and hygiene standards will be achieved, whilst the Health and Safety File is intended to record what is actually happening at the hotel in terms of complying with regulations. The Health and Safety File by itself could be very useful to any contractors that need to carry out any building or renovation work at the hotel, as a means of checking the record of the hotel in meeting regulatory requirements. Contractors would be able to consult the Health and Safety File if they have any queries regarding the equipment, facilities, as well as the safety and hygiene procedures used by the staff at the hotel. If the Health and Safety File has been kept up to date consulting it will allow the contra ctors to know whether or not the hotel has been adhering to the regulations it is legally supposed to do at all times. Knowing if the hotel is not complying with regulation would give the contractor the opportunity to suggest building alterations or changes in safety and hygiene procedures that if implemented mean the hotel does comply with all relevant regulations (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 155). There are ways of ensuring that a company only has to pay minimal attention to completing Health and Safety Plans and Files without breaking the regulations or ignoring the spirit of the law. The fast food company MacDonalds has probably devised the best way of minimising the planning permission required whilst adhering to the statutory safety and hygiene standards set out in regulations and legislation. As a company MacDonalds has made its fortune and its reputation by the mass standardisation of its restaurants, equipment, staff training, marketing image, and finally but by no means least its food products. People know what they are going to get when they go into a MacDonalds anywhere in the world, and more of them like it than dislike it (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds believe that the standardisation process is definitely a successful strategy when it comes down to gaining rapid planning permission and complying with safety and hygiene standards. Planning authorities will be made aw are by the company that their restaurants are pr-designed to pass safety and hygiene standards, whilst all new staff will be fully trained to make sure that standards are always adhered to (Mason, 2005 p.44). The senior management are well aware of the benefits of standardisation, if one design passes safety and hygiene standards it is adopting that design for all its restaurants as that makes financial, marketing, and practical sense to do so (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds have developed modular drive through restaurants as a method of constructing new outlets quickly at the same time as passing the Building Regulations application process. As a company MacDonalds has always set out to have all its ordinary and drive through restaurants designed to look exactly the same as each other as well as also having the same features and equipment. For MacDonalds having restaurants that look the same everywhere they are constructed has been a highly successful branding strategy and exercise that has allowed the firm to expand impressively across the globe. To be more precise it is a global franchise which, has expanded due to its high profits and relatively low capital costs (Mason, 2005 p. 44). However the merits of using modular designs go beyond marketing ploys and serve pragmatic purposes. When MacDonalds set out to design its modular drive through restaurants it certainly took the Building Regulation application process into account. The modular drive through restaurant was designed to meet safety and hygiene standards in as many countries as possible, so that they could be constructed in as many places as the company would like. The low cost of construction when combined with the ease of gaining planning at the same time as being able to pass all safety and hygiene standards makes buying into the MacDonalds franchise a good investment. The prefabricated structures have the advantage of not requiring a high degree of planning permission than buildings wholly constructed on site (www.LHC.ORG.UK). MacDonalds have found that with experience that prefabricated designs that already fully meet planning requirements and regulations will undoubtedly gain full building permission quickly wherever the proposed restaurant is located. The rapid gaining of building permission allows MacDonalds to have all its new drive through restaurants trading sooner rather than later. The new drive through restaurants thus quickly re-coup their modest construction costs and go into profit. Profits are not only made quickly; they are also made over a long-term basis as well. The use of prefabricated designs and materials therefore allows MacDonalds to expand its total number of restaurants at a much lower capital cost than many of its competitors. The beauty of the modular drive through restaurant design is that it is cheap and durable, yet it could also be quickly modified if it needed to be (Mason, 2005 p. 44). The modular design allows for standardised equipment to be fitted, equipment that could b e easily updated modified or completely replaced should building regulations alter, or if the company purchases improved equipment. The modular design is meant to be really simple to construct, maintain and keep clean. The simplicity of the kitchen areas is intended to make it easier to train staff to cook and prepare food as well as cleaning areas to maintain hygiene standards. The training of staff does not take long as all processes and procedures, as well as equipment and food is standardised. The simplicity of the whole operation means that food is prepared, cooked, and served faster (Bloomsbury, 2005 p. 117). Simplicity and standardisation keep costs low, product prices highly competitive, and the company’s profits high. Providing that all staff are trained and keep to the procedures they are taught the company should always be able to maintain safety and hygiene standards whilst never having to wait long for planning permission (www.LHC.ORG.UK). Question 2: Explain how the analysis of a local authority Development Plan can help the senior management team of a national hotel chain identify a suitable site for a new budget hotel in a particular locality? The majority of local authorities in Britain will have development plans to control where and whether new businesses or retail units would be constructed within the areas they control the planning for. Local authorities make up Development Plans as a means of generating wealth, creating jobs and regenerating run down districts and would wish to include such firms within their Development Plan. Development Plan would include the precise locations of where the new offices, hotels, and retail units would be sited. The Development Plan provides further useful information for the senior management to consider besides the proposed or the approved locations of other companies. For instance, every Development Plan should give the location of roads, motorways, railways, and rivers near or within the locality controlled by the local authority concerned. Other information that could be relevant to the locating of the new budget hotel could include local tourist attractions or places that would make hotels less attractive for potential guests, like waste ground, factories, or prisons. If the new budget hotel could be located near the most attractive features of the town or city it is a bonus in terms of marketing the hotel before it opens and expanding the number guests once it has opened. If the company has to locate the hotel in a less attractive site the company could consider pulling out of its construction or consider different ways of marketing it if it is actually built. The company would however wish to avoid being located in areas where it could not guarantee the safety of their guests and their staff, as more would have to be spent on security measures such as fencing or patrolled car parks. The company could find it useful to contact local people and possibly the Police to find out which parts of the town or city they need to avoid when picking the locality of their new budget hotel. Local authorities will make the Development Plan available for the public and b usinesses to examine which allows any firms that wish to open premises within the area to apply for a place within that plan. For the Senior Management of a budget hotel chain that would want to open a new hotel inside a particular locality being able to analyse the local authority’s Development Plan would offer definite advantages when it comes to making the new budget hotel a long-term success (www.LHC.ORG.UK). The exact location of any new budget hotel could make all the difference between it being a successful part of the firm or it being a loss making failure. From a study of the Development Plan the Senior Management should be aware of the alternative sites available for the location of the proposed new hotel, as well as the placing of other new businesses within the development area. Senior Management should have a strong knowledge of the best places and the worst places to locate new budget hotels when it comes down to maximising the number of guests that stay there. Analysing the Development Plan would make Senior Management fully aware of the local authority intentions of which firms to allocate land to, for the construction of their new outlets, offices, or hotels. The most prestigious firms will want to locate in the most prime positions possible to fit in with their corporate image, whilst a low budget hotel firm might not need to do the same. A low budget hotel does not have to obtain a prestigious land site, it does however have to be based if at all possible on land that is near to town or city centres, and ideally is easily accessible for as many potential guests as possible. The senior management would find it useful to locate the new budget hotel near the main roads, the railway, close to local businesses, and preferably with free secure car parking spaces available. Such a location would be a good selling point to business travellers and tourists a like. If they could gain an accurate analysis of the Development Plan then it increases the chances of securing a good locality for the new budget hotel (www.LHC.ORG.UK). The hotel company could benefit from examining the Development Plan as it would allow them to know if they could use prefabricated designs that permit the construction to be finished earlier and thus earning revenue sooner. If the hotel chain already uses prefabricated designs and construction techniques then it will them greater flexibility when it comes down to the precise locality of the new budget hotel. Flexibility that stems from the savings in construction costs being able to provide a bit of leeway if the price of being in a better location is higher than first anticipated. A sound understanding of the development plan would enable senior management to have the locality and the rapid construction of the new budget hotel finalised as soon as possible. Such an understanding would thus grant the company more time to advertise the opening of the new hotel at an early stage to maximise the number of guests upon its opening. The evaluation of the Development Plan would also give se nior management a precise idea of the number of hotels within the town or city that are already built and those hotels that are planned. Knowledge of the hotels within the district gives senior management invaluable information when it comes down to the marketing, and pricing strategy for the new budget hotel which could make all the difference between success and failure. Knowing the nature, location, as well as the strengths and the weaknesses of all its rivals within the locality could certainly prove very beneficial to the senior management in selling the merits of the new budget hotel in relation to its competitors. Senior management could also take advantage of the company’s brand name and its reputation. Marketing for the new budget hotel should emphasis that the locality will soon be able to benefit from the arrival of a low cost hotel that happens to provide high quality service (www.LHC.ORG.UK). Bibliography Bloomsbury Reference, (2005) Dictionary of Leisure, Travel, and Tourism – 3rd edition, Bloomsbury, London Mason P (2005) Tourism Impacts, Planning and Management, Elsvier, London www.LHC.ORG.UK Youell R, (2003) Complete A-Z Travel Leisure Handbook – 2nd edition, Hodder Stoughton, London

Illusion of Love in Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay

Illusion of Love in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream The play A Midsummer Night's Dream is centered around themes that are seemingly apparent and clear: those of true love, false love, love's blindness and the inconstancy of love. However, this pattern of the themes of love dissipate to reveal that these themes are only apparent to the reader who wants them to exist. We want Lysander and Hermia to be in love; we want Demetrius to love Helena as she loves him, but the question arises as to whether these lovers are actually in love. Is Shakespeare providing us with a wholesome tale of true love or is he conveying something more raw, more provocative than that? When taking a closer look at this play, one sees a recurring pattern and another common theme - that of lust and sexuality. The love theme in this play is but an illusion, the reality is that this play is centered around sex and desire. A common focus in A Midsummer Night's Dream is that of eyes and sight. The words "eye," "sight," and "see" occur a total of one hundred seventeen times throughout the play (Berry). One may suggest that this eye imagery conveys the theme of love more strongly as "love is blind" or that love enters through the eyes (Vaughn, 73). However, the eyes are based on the physical world; love is not based on sight alone. The physicality of Shakespeare's use of sight is a direct consequence of lust. One does not love with their eyes, one loves with one's heart and mind; one desires with one's eyes. Similarly, the physicality of the play is also maintained through the constant profession of physical beauty. Helena laments that she wishes she looked like Hermia: O, teach me how you look, and with what art, You sway the motion of Demetr... ...xual undertones and reminds us that often lust and sexual attraction are interpreted as true love and, as humans, we often comply with this illusion of true love and happiness rather than face the realization of the inconstancy sexual attraction. Bibliography Benet, Sula. "May Day." Encyclopedia Americana: Deluxe Library Edition. 1992. Berry, Ralph. Shakespeare's Comedies. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1972. Fredal, James. "Herm Choppers, the Adonia, and Rhetorical Action in Ancient Greece." Online posting. National Council of Teachers of English. 28 Feb. 2003 http://www.ncte.org/pdfs/subscribers-only/ce/0645-may02/CE0645Herm.pdf Greenblatt et al., ed. "A Midsumer Night's Dream."The Norton Shakespeare: Comedies. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1997. Vaughn, Jack A. Shakespeare's Comedies. New York: Frederick Uncar Publishing Co., 1980.

Ethics and Islam Essay

The interpretation of secular vs. religious ethics is always interesting, when we try to understand which of the two deserve our support. Obviously, both ethical philosophies have the right to exist among us, but the provisions of the religious ethics in Said Nursi’s vision are not only unique, but are sometimes surprising, and are sometimes unacceptable to those, who keep to secular ethical traditions. Said Nursi insists on ethics having religious foundations. His ethical vision is based on the assumption that religion is the source of reliable ethical knowledge. â€Å"For Nursi, the ultimate source of all ethical reflection is the Qur’an† (Markham 69). In this situation it is possible to suggest that Qur’an should be simple and understandable to the common people, so that they should be able to follow its provisions. The assumption is rather debatable: on the one hand, there seems to be nothing negative or threatening in the fact that Said Nursi keeps to religious foundations of ethics. On the other hand, I may suggest that those who refuse to accept the life of the prophet Muhammad as the source of ethical knowledge, risk facing opposition from religious ethics’ supporters. This ethics loses its relevance as soon as it is faced with the fact that there are possible other sources of ethics in other cultures of the world. Moreover, and I would agree with Markham, in that there is no guarantee that being obedient to Qur’an means seeing its wisdom; in case we do not understand the provisions to which we should keep in our ethics, it loses its relevance and meaning. The strong side of religious ethics in Said Nursi’s words is in accepting violence as weakness in trying to resolve various disputes. â€Å"Nursi is committed to handling disagreement with peaceful means not because he shared a western skepticism about the truth of religion, but because of the truth of religion† (Markham 72). Secular ethics would easily reject these religious attitudes. While Nursi tries to justify the strength of religion, he obviously forgets that this strength is relevant only within the limited religious circles. Secularism exists and cannot be denied. For those who consider themselves being secular the strength of religion is closely connected with the power of metaphysical phenomenon. In the absence of the latter, the power of the former becomes debatable. Thus, religious foundations of ethics can be applied within the limited space of extremely religious eastern countries, which keep to Islamic religion. Especially interesting is Nursi’s ideas about personal ethics and social equality. His interpretation of a person in illness is rather curious, though is also natural within the eastern religious framework. â€Å"O ill person who lacks patience! Be patient, indeed, offer thanks! Your illness may transform each of the minutes of your life into the equivalent of an hour’s worship† (Makrham 74). The question is whether patience is equal to inactivity. Recognizing the religious value of pain and suffering is what Nursi tried to convey in his ethical teaching (Markham 75) but this also risks confusing ethics with religion, without creating any distinct border between them. Social ethics in Nursi’s vision tends to support equality through rejecting interest and recognizing the importance of redistribution. In these terms, Nursi seems to reject the pluralism of social status in the society. Moreover, rejection of interest is closer to rejecting secularism, than to supporting religious foundations of ethics. Conclusion The whole ethical theory created by Nursi deserves attention but seems to be founded on the grounds, which do not justify the strength of religion but better protect it from the intervention of the external knowledge. In this light religious ethics seems even more vulnerable, than Nursi tried to represent it. Works cited Markham, I. â€Å"Secular or Religious Foundations for Ethics: A Case Study of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi†. In I. Markham & I. Ozdemir, Globalization, Ethics and Islam, Ashgate Publishing, 2005, pp. 65-78.

Free Essays on Information Society In Europe

The Information Society will affect everyone in the world. Some people will actively take part in the development, others will use the emerging technologies to create business opportunities and the majority of the citizens will use the new applications and services. It is a challenge to create an Information Society for everyone in Europe, taken into account cultural differences, level of development in different regions, increased global competition in the information technology area, the implications for the citizens in Europe etc. In this respect the European Commission’s work consequently covers many areas of importance in the establishment of the Information Society. As an example of these important areas I would like to highlight the creation of a regulatory and legal framework to support the development of the Information Society (addressing issues like telecom liberalisation, interconnection, standards, copyright, privacy, encryption, intellectual property right, media ownership); the support for the development of infrastructure, applications, and services; social, the societal and cultural aspects and promotional activities for improving the citizens’ awareness of the possibilities and implications of the emerging technologies. To support the work and development in these areas the Commission has established several programmes and initiatives contributing to the development of the Information Society. The projects and initiatives financed cover many areas of the Information Society and range from basic research projects to awareness actions, each contributing to a better European position in terms of competitiveness and in the overall understanding of the implications, risks and opportunities the development of the Information Society will bring for the future.... Free Essays on Information Society In Europe Free Essays on Information Society In Europe The Information Society will affect everyone in the world. Some people will actively take part in the development, others will use the emerging technologies to create business opportunities and the majority of the citizens will use the new applications and services. It is a challenge to create an Information Society for everyone in Europe, taken into account cultural differences, level of development in different regions, increased global competition in the information technology area, the implications for the citizens in Europe etc. In this respect the European Commission’s work consequently covers many areas of importance in the establishment of the Information Society. As an example of these important areas I would like to highlight the creation of a regulatory and legal framework to support the development of the Information Society (addressing issues like telecom liberalisation, interconnection, standards, copyright, privacy, encryption, intellectual property right, media ownership); the support for the development of infrastructure, applications, and services; social, the societal and cultural aspects and promotional activities for improving the citizens’ awareness of the possibilities and implications of the emerging technologies. To support the work and development in these areas the Commission has established several programmes and initiatives contributing to the development of the Information Society. The projects and initiatives financed cover many areas of the Information Society and range from basic research projects to awareness actions, each contributing to a better European position in terms of competitiveness and in the overall understanding of the implications, risks and opportunities the development of the Information Society will bring for the future....

Russian essays

Russian essays In class on February 13th, we watched the Russian folk music group perform. They were a group of graduate and undergraduate students and they sang seasonal folk music. In their performance, they sang nine songs. The first song was named Come Let us Bow Down to Christ. The second song was from Tolstoys War and Peace. This song was about a beer brewer that tried to lure girls. While they were singing this song, Professor Kalbouss danced around on stage. The third song was a wedding ritual song. It was sung when the bride sings to her girlfriends. It showed her moving on to a new part of her life. The fourth song was sung and danced at a wedding feast. It celebrated happiness. We were told that quail means happiness. While this song was sang, they stomped their feet and danced around. The fifth song was a funny and joking song. It was started by a community that was exiled to Siberia. The sixth song was sang during Resolka Week. The Balalika, which is the most known Ru ssian instrument, was played during the song. The seventh song was a song in which the singers made fun of each other. The eighth song was sung just by the men. The final song was sung by the whole group and there was clapping and stomping feet during the song. The professor danced during this song also. I liked the songs in which they danced and stomped their feet. I like when there is movement that goes along with the singing. I think it makes the music more energetic. I thought the dancing from the professor was very entertaining. I thought the performers did a great job of presenting Russian Folk Music. I liked how they explained where the songs would be sung and by which people. Also, they really got into the music they were singing. The part I did not like about the performance was that I could not understand the words they were singing. Even though I could not understand the words they were singing, I was v...

Supremacy of EU Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Supremacy of EU Law - Essay Example The reliability of EC law is made certain by its supremacy over national law and this is the fundamental value of EC law when developed by means of the European Court of Justice. The courts started to accept the idea of supremacy and began to make a decision such cases as Costa v ENEL in a very Community optimistic way. Consequently for EC law to succeed over national law, member nations would have to change their lawful systems to stick on to the principle of supremacy. The participants to the Treaty of Rome shaped a supra-national legal structure involving themselves, with its individual enforcement systems (the Commission and ECJ). For the reason that all the Member States are identical under the Treaty, they ought to have the identical rights and responsibilities. This is attained by making sure that, in the regions where the affiliate States have decided to act as a Community, they restrict their individual national authority to take action (123HelpMe.com. 2010) The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is the legal wing of the European Union. Its major job is to interpret EU legislation and make certain that EU legislation is evenly observed by all the Member States (Skiadas, 2005). Its legitimate base is found in the Treaty creating the European Community (AKA Treaty of Rome). To alleviate the trouble of the ECJ’s vast case load, a 1988 Council resolution formed the Court of First Instance (CFI). The CFI can submit cases to the ECJ when their outcomes have the capability to seriously influence the nature of Community law. Every EU Member State appoints one judge to the ECJ and they are assisted by advocates general who present opinions to the Court.

Attributes Determining Lynettes Success in the Business Case Study - 2

Attributes Determining Lynettes Success in the Business - Case Study Example As a positivist, Lynette saw opportunities where previous managers found obstacles. In addition, the entrepreneur was able to free her mind from any disappointment in order to achieve the dream of profitable and expanded business. Patience: Lynette purchased the business with one clear mind of turning it around. It is evident from the case study that she assumed the role of a salesperson and spend a considerable amount of time trying to convince clients to renew their membership while at the same time registering new entrants by mainly focusing on corporate clients. Persistence: Certainly, the future holds the unknown and when Lynette purchased a loss-making business, she never got discouraged. Even with the numerous challenges that the entrepreneur had to come across, her persistence and sense of focus played a key role in meeting the dream of transforming the business back to profitability. Merger: The entrepreneur was operating in this line of business and this means she had some other businesses of similar nature. Bearing in mind the poor performance of this business, I would have considered merging it with other profitable businesses and change its name completely. This would have totally replaced the current business with one of the best performing businesses in the market hence attracting many clients. Offering discounts: I would introduce discount packages for both new entrants and clients renewing their registrations. This would not only act as a motivation to both groups but also indirectly boost new registrations through referrals and take advantage of reduced subscription fees. According to the case study, Lynette claims to have carried out homework before signing the ownership contract. Basically, not all entrepreneurs would consider purchasing a loss-making entity that is on verge of  collapsing. In this sense, by Lynette said to have done homework means that she had conducted research on this business. Such research must have revolved around this particular business to understand what was ailing it.