The Twilight of the Golds for 3 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Twilight of the Golds for 3 questions - Essay Example In the movie Twilight of the Golds, the wife of Rob Stein, Suzzane experiences cognitive dissonance. This happens when her husband through laboratory tests finds that their unborn son could likely be gay. The husband tells her to abort, and she agrees to. However, after she converses with a gay colleague, and he suffers assault; she decides not to abort. The stress that arises from the assault of the colleague makes her reconsider her decision. On one hand, she would like to abort the baby to save her marriage while, on the other hand, she feels empathy towards her unborn child by likening it to her brother David and her gay colleague. Therefore, Suzzane wants the baby, but she does not want a homosexual baby. She says that she would have preferred if the baby were handicapped rather than homosexual. She uses this excuse to justify her decision to abort the baby. She also wants to keep the baby since it is her first pregnancy, and she wants to have a child. However, the fact that her husband is willing to leave her if she brings the unborn child to term makes her want to get rid of it. Suzzane is always at a crossroad and thus experience cognitive dissonance. She is trying to balance her life on all sides and to do, so she has to eliminate or repress a path of thought to make peace with herself, but in the end, she decides to have a baby. Rationalization is a defense mechanism that allows one to make up excuses or lies to oneself and others about a particular negative experience by trying to explain why things happened the way they did. It attempts to make reality fit into one’s emotions instead of perceiving it as it really is. This mechanism usually shifts the blame, shame, or embarrassment from the one experiencing it to an outside element say a person or a situation. For example, Rob Stein is a character in the movie who practices rationalization. First, he accepts to have to perform the experimental

Theories relating to the grief process

Theories relating to the grief process Most theories of grieving derive from the works of Sigmund Freud and Eric Lindemanns understanding of mourning and include two assumptions: A / Grieving is time limited. The process should be completed or resolved after a year or two. B / The main task of grieving is to achieve decathexis (one should detach oneself from emotional ties to the deceased so as to be able to form new relationships.). Horacek, (1991). There are two complex processes taking place within this topic that we call Grief. Firstly there is the emotional side (grief) and can take on many obvious and subtle forms. Secondly there is the process or grieving stage as it is more commonly indentified. It is within this second stage that the bereaved is called upon and to allow them selves to make a raft of choices and decisions such as the funeral arrangements or when at some point do they allow themselves to decide what to keep as mementos and what not to. Often these sides can become entwined into one and the bereaved may end up in a state of confusion and stagnant response. This may lead to a third state in which the bereaved becomes dysfunctional within their grief processing and literally becomes stuck in whatever position or state they are in and cannot allow themselves release from that state and to move forward. Grief does not exist within the world of death only. Grief may come from many physical and psychological changes that are totally unrelated to death. Loss of a limb; incapacitation of body use as a result of an accident; loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend; loss of a marriage; bankruptcy; loss of a personal business. I could list more but the point is to say that grief covers an extremely wide and complex area of understanding and acceptance. For the purposes of this essay, I will concentrate upon the subject of death and how does one handle the situations of that death. I will cover various models as they relate to a child (0 11) and to that of an adolescent. Then, we will look at those of an older person and also take into account the elderly. How do the various models of grief and the process of grieving change with age? Are there stages of recovery or is the recovery a process that may never be finally finished? Either way, grief and grieving is a personal experience and will vary among ages, culture and background. It would become too involved for the purpose of this topic to introduce culture and background, so I will therefore keep this essay to the more general form of models of grief and their relationship to those of age. Does a child have the capacity to experience grief and to mourn as do adults? Bowlby (1963), and Fusman (1964), sees a child as capable of suffering major bereavement particularly with a close family member and probably with other close significant losses as well. In that reference, there were no given age ranges so I will take the point of a child being of 0 11 yrs of age. Lindemanns seminal study in 1944 on the Symptomatology and Management of acute grief is similar to Freuds understanding. But how does that apply to a child? Whilst Bowlby recognised a similarity to Freuds point of view, he also recognised that a young child is capable of suffering major bereavement as mentioned. But these responses can come from many influences. Obviously, they are different to those of an adult but none the less they (adults) do have an influence upon the childs perception and response to their ability to handle grief and grieving. It is suggested that a child will copy to the best of their ability, the grieving patterns of their remaining significant parent or even that of an older sibling (Bowlby, 1980; Kubler-Ross, 1983; Schumacher, 1984). Other factors can also have an influence on the childs response such as the nature and intensity of their attachment to the deceased; their developmental level; the capacity to understand what has happened (the conceptualisation of death and what explanations are given to them); and the nature and circumstances of the death. It is reasonable to assume that a child can experience a bereavement response, probably in an attenuated form death of a grandparent, parent, uncle, teacher, playmate, family pet or even the loss of a favourite toy. Ambivalence and dependence are core themes of a childs relationship with family members and a childs grief may be influenced by this aspect of their attachment to the deceased. Childrens conception of death closely parallel Piagets (1952) successive levels of cognitive development (Berlinsky Biller, 1982). For example, during the sensorimotor period (birth 2yrs), the childs concept of death is non-existent or incomplete (Kane, 1979). Most workers agree that the younger childs response, particularly to the death of a parent, is likely to be indistinguishable from that of separation response. For a child of 2 or younger, they do not have the concepts of time, finality or of death itself but they may show, if for instance their mother dies, typical phases of denial, protest, despair, and eventually detachment (Kastenbaum, 1967; Berlinsky Biller, 1982). During Piagets pre occupational period (2 6yrs), a childs cognitive development is dominated by magical thinking and egocentrism. Consequentially at this stage, they believe that death can be either avoided or reversed (Melear, 1973; Anthony, 1971; Stillion Wass, 1979). Furman (1963) believes that from 2 2 Â ½ years onwards a child is able to conceptualise death to some degree and to mourn. Melear found that children within this age group viewed the dead as having feelings existing in a life like state. Because of their thinking, the child may feel responsible for causing the death and consequently feel shame and guilt. Progressively, through the period of concrete operations (6 7yrs through to 11 or 12 years), children begin to understand the reality of death but do not realise that death is universal and that those around them, including their loved ones, will die some day (Berlinskey Biller, 1982). Anthony, (1971) suggested that children conceptualise death in concrete terms and view death as distant from themselves. Gradually, from ages 9 or 10, children acquire a more mature understanding of death; that death is irreversible in nature and that they themselves will eventually experience it (Anthony, 1971; Melear, 1973; Stillion Wass, 1979). A child will experience the developmental nature of death associations which progress from no understanding toward an abstract and realistic understanding of the concept of death (McCown, 1988). Within the years of adolescence, the persons understanding of death and what has happened; closely approximates that of an adult and their grief may take on similar forms. But because they are in that realm halfway between childhood and adulthood, their responses may fit neither mould. If they cry, they may be accused of being babyish. Equally, if they dont, they may seem cold and uninvolved. With so many conflicting areas and so many stressful situations of this age group, they may neither express their emotions directly nor verbalise them. They may instead, act out within their personal environment, indicating their need for care, their anger, their guilt and their longing. Although privy to increased knowledge about death through instant communication and increasing exposure to death, adolescents do not have the social or emotional maturity to fully incorporate and process those experiences into a coherent world view (Rowling, 2002). Adolescents tend to be more extreme in their risk taking and it seems to be the closer to the edge that they go, the greater the thrill of cheating death. Living life to the fullest inherently has some risks. Consciously or otherwise, they may pursue this ambiguity more than others, due to their cognitive development and the need for excitement (Spear, 2000). Emotional reactions to a loss can be devastating to the adolescent, whether the loss is the perceived detachment from parents, actual losses that are literal deaths such as the suicide of a friend; or metaphorical deaths such as the breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Meshot Leitner (1993), have observed that the extent of grief is often much stronger in teenagers than in adults. There is evidence that adolescents are constantly grappling with life and death contrasts as a normal part of their development (Noppe Noppe, 1991). These years help to construct a personal stamp with their understanding of death as they are engaging in both life affirmation and death acknowledgement. They are questioning and assuming different belief systems regarding death and the after life prior to settling onto a more permanent value system as well as incorporating the very reality of personal mortality into their evolving sense of identity. Adolescent grief experience is profoundly personal in nature. Although they grieve more intensely than adults (Christ et al. 2002; Oltjenbruns, 1996), their grief may be expressed in short outbursts, or there may be concentrated efforts to control emotions. They can often believe that their experiences are completely unique unto themselves (Elkind, 1967). The adolescent grief pattern may follow a life long developmental trajectory. That is, the loss may be continued to be felt throughout their life span as they graduate from college, their work, marriage and so on. This can be accentuated as they grow older than the parent, sibling or friend who has died (Silverman, 2000). Adolescents are more sophisticated than children in their understanding and response to death, but neither is their mourning adult like. The overall nature of the adolescents response is intimately tied to their developmental issues. The consideration of ones own death, as part of the treads of the totality of the life cycle, cannot be a comfortable notion for an adolescent to accept. Creating a unified sense of identity must be reconciled with this consideration. Adolescents encounter this dilemma in the context of a system of values, philosophy of life and particular spiritual or religious beliefs. Sterling and Van Horn (1989) found that adolescents who were at the peak of their struggle with identity formation, had the highest levels of death anxiety. With regard to personal characteristics or the adolescent, self esteem was found to be important in adolescents response to loss. Balk (1990) and Hogan and Greenfield (1991) found that adolescents with lowered self concept scores s howed more problems with their grief. More adolescent males than females die suddenly and violently, via accidents, homicides and suicides (Corr et al., 2003). However, no one knows if, as a consequence, teenage males grieve more than females over the loss of their same sex best friend. Parallels between the socialization of males into hiding emotions, being independent and displaying aggressive behaviour when upset are reflected in adolescent males grief reactions (Adams, 2001). Bereaved adolescent girls may express more adjustment difficulties (Servaty Hayslip, 2001), but this may be consistent with the latitude afforded women to talk of their feelings. Reaching out to others seems to be easier for females than males (Noppe et al., 2003). As mentioned earlier and in closing of this section, the myriad of adolescent tasks serve as a framework for how the adolescent is affected by grief and their response to loss is intimately tied to their developmental issues. Adolescents do not grieve in the same way as do adults and their grief processes may be more intermittent, intense and overwhelming. We began this essay with the generally accepted theory of mourning from the work done by Freud and Lindemann as cited by Horacek (1991). Whilst Freud did not officially modify his theory, he did modify it in a letter written to Swiss psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger in 1929. In this letter he reflected on the death of his daughter in 1920 from influenza and the death of his grandson in 1923. He stated that although we know that after such a loss the acute stage of mourning will subside, we also know we shall remain inconsolable and will never find a substitute. Freud realised that some losses can never be fully resolved and that grieving can continue indefinitely for such potentially high grief deaths such as the loss of a child or a grandchild. Gorer (1965), described eight styles of grieving that fall into three categories based on the length of the grieving process. The first category includes grieving styles that demonstrating little or no mourning, such as the denial of mourning, the absence of mourning, anticipatory grieving and hiding grief. The second category is time limited mourning, which includes a period of intense grief followed by a return to the pre grief status. His third category is unlimited mourning, a continuing grief that does not radically interfere radically with everyday living; mummification, in which the mourner makes a room or a whole house as a shrine for the deceased; and despair, a never ending, deeply painful process. Adults view death through the lens of wisdom gained through the myriad of life experiences associated with expanded interactions with different people, work settings and family relationships. Whilst studies on parental and sibling grieving challenge the assumption that grieving is time bounded and that decathexis can and should be accomplished. In his interviews of some 155 families, Knapp (1986, 1987), found six significant similarities in the way in which families responded to the deaths of their children. The sixth was what he called shadow grief, a lingering, emotional dullness of affect that continues indefinitely, indicating that grief such as this is never totally resolved. He called shadow grief a form of chronic grief that moderately inhibits normal activity, yet it is an abnormal form of mourning that it was quite normal, perhaps even routine. In support of this finding, Lund (1989) stated that there is considerable evidence that some aspects of bereavement and subsequent r eadjustments may continue throughout a persons life and it might be appropriate to question the use of conceptualizing grief as a process which culminates in resolution, because there may never be a full resolution. Though death separates the mourner from the deceased, a relationship with the deceased continues. It is largely agreed that particularly with adults and the more elderly, the bereaved should regain everyday functioning within a two to three year period, but, also, that grief may never come to an end and can still be considered normal. Fulton (1978), produced a model that began to reflect the complicated reality of the grieving process. He put forward that in a high grief situation, three sets of reactions can be delineated: 1. Initial reactions. These can include numbness, shock and disbelief. These reactions could last for days, weeks or even months. 2. Grief tasks. These reactions may include such tasks as dealing with anger, guilt, emptiness, depression, ambivalent relationships and life reviewing. Working through these tasks can take months or years and in some cases can continue indefinitely. 3. Adjusting to the loss and continuing grieving. In addition, this model recognises that the three sets of reactions overlap and can recur and that the mourner could deal with one specific grief task such as resolving excess guilt and then face another grief task months later. Most important, this model recognises that the basic loss does not disappear like a wound that heals in time, but rather that the loss continues like an amputation or dismemberment. Likening grieving to amputation denotes the mourner must continually adapt and adjust to the loss. Although the griever can reach a new everyday functioning status, the loss and its concomitant reactions, for example shadow grief, continue indefinitely. In final conclusion, both the grief and grieving process is complicated and has many variable aspects to how one deals with the bereavement. Probably the most obvious is that the ability to handle bereavement lies in the cognitive developmental stage of the bereaved. This is probably more pronounced within the child and adolescent stages of life due to the aspects already discussed earlier. It is also of note that the elderly are more likely to experience multiple losses, such as the deaths of a spouse, friends, or relatives or the loss of roles, health, or income, over relatively short periods of time. At the same time, many older grievers are quite resilient and exhibit strong and effective coping abilities (Lund, 1989). An aspect of grief that was only briefly touched upon, was that of anticipatory grief. Such would occur during the period of extended terminal illness. Whether this type of grief assists the survivor or not, has not been really established. In some cases it can lea d also to confusion and subsequently, to a dysfunctional grief. In dealing with and assisting the bereaved caregivers need to be aware of the need to adjust their understanding of the grieving process relative to the age, gender and the situation with which the bereaved is finding them selves. Grieving is a complex emotional and active process and there are no simple answers nor are there simple repairs.

Broken Dreams :: essays research papers

Luke is jogging down the ground, followed closely by a stalker. He feels the hot, heavy breath of his follower on his neck, and can see his large shadow looming in front of him. He tries to fun faster to get away, dodging and weaving, but cannot seem to shake him; he is with him every step of the way. There is no escape. A call from a mate is an enormous relief; Luke has been rescued. He passes the ball to his mate, and continues running towards goal. Ryley lines up for goal about forty meters out, and with a superbly executed drop punt, sends the ball sailing through the goal posts. He kicks the first goal of the 2005 premiership season, and puts the Falcons six points in front, after only three minutes into the first quarter. The crowd erupts into applause and begins to chant, ‘Falcons, Falcons!’ Luke knew that this season would be a lot better than the last. This year he is going to be injury free and the critics have already ranked him highly in the running for the b est and fairest player at the end of the season. The Falcons were also tipped to finish in the top four this year, even though they did not have a full coaching staff. The game continued with a bounce from the umpire in the centre of the oval. The ruckmen battle it out, wrestling each other to get the tap needed for a break out of the centre. The football falls to the ground and is immediately smothered by desperate players trying to help their team. The umpire blows the whistle and signals another bounce. Again, the ruckmen struggle against each other, but this time the ball is punched forward. Luke jumps high into the air to seize the football, however comes crashing down and lands awkwardly, with other players falling in a pile on top of him. Everyone quickly jumps up and chases the pack of players following the ball. Luke is left lying on the ground, curled up in excruciating pain, holding his knee. The Falcon’s team runners come sprinting onto the field to attend to the injured player, signaling for the stretcher. Luke stands up, ignoring the stretcher, and is helped off the ground by two trainers. He is carried down into the clubrooms, where a physiotherapist attempts to identify the severity of the injury.

Actor Audience Relationship

Actor Audience Relationship In my most honest opinion, I believe the ideal actor audience relationship is something that transcends the normal criteria for a performer/audience relationship. It can be a passive or active relationship, for both types fulfill their purpose-creating emotional stimuli- on some level. There is an unspoken, unseen connection between those in the seat and those in the stage. Both viewer and actor feed off each other, whether it is the subtle shedding of a tear from the front row or the impact of a tomato on an underwhelming performer’s face.There wouldn’t be an audience without actors and vice versa for the audience pays for a ticket to be entertained and the actor performs to entertain the audience. What an audience member wants from an actor/production could be anything; a reminisce of a lost love, resonating a political reservation, a laugh-all these differentiating factors form the distinction that the way an audience acts towards a play t otally up to the VIEWER.It’s their emotional responses; a play does not dictate one how to act but it is the responsibility of the actors and crew to produce emotions. Though on one hand some plays seem more fit to be taken more actively (Rocky Horror) and some more passively (Romeo and Juliet) because of their contextual meanings and how the production as a whole sees itself. A play full of beautiful monologues and sonnets is meant for the more passive viewer, to be soaked into the mind amidst audience silence where musicals sometimes prompt one to move their body and even sings.Some plays might not mean anything to an audience member so they will remain totally at the end of the passive spectrum just watching actors and waiting to leave their seat. The audience shapes the performance by acting as to whom the playwright wrote for before the production hit the stage. A good playwright knows the audience/anticipation of an audience influences the juxposition of critical dramat ic beats. So automatically the audience influences the script, something has to be written that will draw people into the seats.Also the audience shapes the overall performances and charisma of actors for those who smile and applaud actively at one’s performance will encourage an actor to commit even further into â€Å"the illusion† while being booed might can an actors fumble his lines and throw the performance off balance, thus losing â€Å"the illusion†. Furthermore the audience also acts as critics, regarding the chances and reception of future performances. Most importantly, the audience is what pays the bills of everyone involved with the show.Without the audience providing encouragement, criticism and money-there wouldn’t be the modern conception of a play. Ultimately I feel that the role of the audience should remain varied. Too much participation may not be right for some plays and too little participation may make you look like a lame duck (Rock y Horror for an example). Maybe that is why most plays institute the standard â€Å"fourth wall† rule, separating the stage from the audience because it would ruin â€Å"the illusion† of the so-called realism plays.The appeal of audience involvement theorized by the playwright Augusto Boal’s theatrical form of breaking down the â€Å"fourth wall† so everyone can participate in the drama seems to be on the rise again, for the evolution of the there world is giving way to experimental writers and directors who encourage audience involvement In the end I feel that Boal’s ideas may be too much of a good thing, and the actor-audience relationship is one where the audience mutes themselves (aside from laughter and applause) and lets the actors on stage be the sole center of attention where the activity of communication/reaction is transported passively to the viewer. (1) Felner, Mira. The World of Theater: Tradition and Innovation. 2006, Pearson.

Prince Metternich

Samantha Meyers 01/20/13 Wld Hist. HN Pd. 2 Prince Metternich Prince Metternich was born in Coblenz on May 15, 1773. He owed most of his early education to his mother because his father showed no interest in his education. In 1788, Metternich enrolled in Strasbourg University He served as foreign minister of the Austrian Empire from 1809 to 1848 and restored Austria to its former power after the devastating Napoleonic Wars. He held continuous office in European affairs for almost 40 years.One of his first tasks was to set up a detente with France that included the marriage of Napoleon to the Austrian Arch-Duchess Marie Louise. Soon after that he engineered Austria’s entry into the War of the Sixth Coalition on the Allied side, he signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau that sent Napoleon into exile. In recognition of his service to the Austrian Empire, he was raised to the title of Prince in October 1813. Prince Metternich lead the Congress of Vienna.He helped restore balance of po wer to all of Europe and proposed a peacekeeping organization called the Concert of Europe. He attempted to restore hereditary monarchs that lost power but only ended up making the people favor nationalism. Under his guidance, the â€Å"Metternich system† of international congresses continued for another decade as Austria aligned herself with Russia and Prussia. This marked the high point of Austria's diplomatic importance, but soon Metternich slowly slipped back into the periphery of international diplomacy.At home, Metternich also held the post of Chancellor of State from 1821 until 1848, under both Francis II of Austria and his son Ferdinand I of Austria. After a brief period of exile in London, Brighton and Brussels that lasted until 1851, he returned once more to the Viennese court, this time to offer only advice to Ferdinand's successor, Franz Josef. Having outlived his generation of politicians, Metternich died at the age of 86 in 1859. Metternich was one of the most c apable diplomats of his time.He was responsible for the stability of European governments. In the end, however, Metternich failed because his basic strategy was to support autocracy when the political development in Europe moved rapidly towards democracy. Bibliography: â€Å"Prince Metternich. †Ã‚  World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO,  2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. World History Notes on â€Å"19th Century Nationalism† â€Å"Conservative, Sophisticated, Skilled Diplomat. †Ã‚  Emersonkent. com. Emerson Kent, n. d. Web. 20 Jan. 2013. .

Free Essays on Dolls House

Modern marriage consists of an equal partnership between two individuals. However, in the nineteenth-century setting in which Henrik Ibsen set his play, â€Å"A Doll’s House,† marriage was an institution with strict social standards of the roles for both men and women. Men were the independent providers, and women were the caretakers, dependent on their men. The marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer is an example of these roles, and demonstrates the consequences of breaking with the traditions, for which neither one is responsible. When Nora borrows the money, she steps outside of her traditional, dependent role, which leads her to the realization that her role in her marriage to Torvald does not fulfill her as an individual, and she decides to leave her home and the situation that she has created, hoping to start her life again and live independently. Women in the nineteenth century were expected to live as dependents, first as daughters, and later in life as wives. Nora makes frequent references to her dependence on both her father and her husband throughout the play. For example, when Doctor Rank visits Nora in Act II, she compares her relationship with Torvald to the relationship with her father, saying to Rank: â€Å"you can see how it’s a bit with Torvald as it is with Daddy,† (760). This quote demonstrates to the audience the transition between dependent roles of nineteenth century women, who were allowed few opportunities to live independently of men, with professional choices limited to the textile arts, such as knitting and embroidery. â€Å"The woman of the well-to-do classes was made to understand early that the only door open to a life at once easy and respectable was that of marriage. Therefore she had to depend upon her good looks, according to the ideals of the men of her day, her charm, her little d rawing-room arts,† (Spartacus). Though the marriage between Nora and Torvald appears to be healthy and ideal, every... Free Essays on Doll's House Free Essays on Doll's House Modern marriage consists of an equal partnership between two individuals. However, in the nineteenth-century setting in which Henrik Ibsen set his play, â€Å"A Doll’s House,† marriage was an institution with strict social standards of the roles for both men and women. Men were the independent providers, and women were the caretakers, dependent on their men. The marriage between Nora and Torvald Helmer is an example of these roles, and demonstrates the consequences of breaking with the traditions, for which neither one is responsible. When Nora borrows the money, she steps outside of her traditional, dependent role, which leads her to the realization that her role in her marriage to Torvald does not fulfill her as an individual, and she decides to leave her home and the situation that she has created, hoping to start her life again and live independently. Women in the nineteenth century were expected to live as dependents, first as daughters, and later in life as wives. Nora makes frequent references to her dependence on both her father and her husband throughout the play. For example, when Doctor Rank visits Nora in Act II, she compares her relationship with Torvald to the relationship with her father, saying to Rank: â€Å"you can see how it’s a bit with Torvald as it is with Daddy,† (760). This quote demonstrates to the audience the transition between dependent roles of nineteenth century women, who were allowed few opportunities to live independently of men, with professional choices limited to the textile arts, such as knitting and embroidery. â€Å"The woman of the well-to-do classes was made to understand early that the only door open to a life at once easy and respectable was that of marriage. Therefore she had to depend upon her good looks, according to the ideals of the men of her day, her charm, her little d rawing-room arts,† (Spartacus). Though the marriage between Nora and Torvald appears to be healthy and ideal, every...

Just Breathe Essay

Just Breathe Essay Just Breathe Essay Just Breathe†¦ The sun beamed down in sweltering waves of heat. It was the kind of dry heat that peeled the paint off of houses. I packed my lifeguarding bag taking as much time as possible. Folding each towel and article of clothing neatly before tugging the zipper of my bag closed. Walking out to my car I allowed my head to hang down facing the steaming asphalt. Unlocking my car doors I placed my bag in the passenger seat and slipped into my car hoping to find some relief from the scorching heat. Much to my dismay my car was identical in temperature if not worse than outside. I turned the key in the car’s ignition. A large piece of me wishing the engine wouldn’t start so I would have a valid excuse to miss my class. Disregarding my wishes the engine started with ease. This was it. I started toward the pool hall with all the windows down; relishing in the chilled summer air flowing through the windows and swirling inside my car. I trudged into the pool hall and entered the change roo ms. Unloading my lifeguarding bag taking the same time and amount of care as when I had packed it. Quickly I rinsed my body in the facilities’ showers before my grueling six hour examination began. I made my way towards the pool doors, but before my fingers could come in contact with the slender handle; the pool doors swung open as the children and their parents from the previous lesson fled through their metal arches. The stench of chlorine permeated the dense sticky air. Water lapped across my feet. My wrinkled toes curled over the pools smooth tiled edges. A dark navy bathing suit that was much too tight donned my glistening skin. I lowered my body into the frigid water clinging to the pools walls. Attempting to steal the minuscule amount of warmth they possessed. This was it. My final opportunity to successfully complete the hundred meter underwater swim. The concept of swimming a hundred meters underwater didn’t strike me as hard until I realized you only get one breath. My mind quickly became consumed with thoughts of defeat and failure. I gnawed on my bottom lip until I felt the red metallic tasting fluid from within hit my tongue. It was finally my turn to try and redeem myself. I let my fingers fall from the pools smooth and comforting edges and slip into the chilled water. Tiny curls laid against my forehead as my eyes stayed level with the water. Taking a deep breath I submerged myself into the icy depths of the pool. Pulling my body against the water as fast as possible I began to feel a burning sensation come from my lungs and what little oxygen I had left escaped through my pursed lips. Frantically I scrambled to reach the pools surface looking for the smallest breath of oxygen to relieve my flaming lungs. I had failed and no more than a mere meter from my body was the opposite pool wall. My checkpoint was within a seconds reach and I had failed just like I previously predicted. I made my way to the wall slowly letting the water lap across my face not much caring if it stung my eyes. The instructor gazed down at me with a look of pity written on her face. I threw myself over the edge of the pool and laid in the puddle of my own failure while the others continued to retest and complete their previous failures. The buzzer cut through the air and awoke me from my daze signaling the end of class. As I started to gather my belongings and make my way back to the change room the instructor pulled me aside. I stood in front of her looking at the pattern of tiles in the pool deck not wanting to make eye contact but once she started to speak I did. Knowing it would be rude not to despite how much I felt like wallowing in my self disapproval. She must have seen something in me that I

Talking About Weather in Spanish

Talking About Weather in Spanish Everyone talks about the weather, so if you want to improve your ability to have casual conversations in Spanish, one way is to learn the language of weather. Talking about the weather is straightforward, although some sentence structures are used that arent used inEnglish. In English, it is very common to use it when discussing the weather, as in the sentence it is raining. In Spanish, it isnt necessary to translate the it, and you can talk in Spanish using any of the three methods below. Incidentally, the it in English weather sentences is called a dummy subject, meaning it doesnt have real meaning but it used only to make the sentence grammatically complete. As you use Spanish, you will become familiar with which methods is more common with particular types of weather. In many cases, any of the three methods can be used with little or no change in meaning. Using Weather-Specific Verbs The most direct way of talking about weather in Spanish is to uses one of the many weather verbs: Graniza en las montaà ±as. (Its snowing in the mountains.)Nevà ³ toda la noche. (It snowed all night.)Est lloviendo. (It is raining.)Diluvià ³ con duracià ³n de tres dà ­as. (It poured rain for three days.)Los esquiadores quieren que nieve. (The skiers want it to snow.) Most of weather-specific verbs are defective verbs, meaning that they dont exist in all conjugated forms. In this case, they exist only in the third-person singular. In other words, at least in standard Spanish, there is no verb form meaning something like I rain or I snow. Using Hacer With Weather The first thing you may notice if youre talking about or reading about the weather is that the verb hacer, which in other contexts usually is translated as to do or to make, is frequently used. In many cases, hacer can simply be followed by a weather condition. Hace sol. (Its sunny.)En la Luna no hace viento. (There is no wind on the moon.)Hace mucho calor en Las Vegas. (It is very hot in Las Vegas.)Estaba en medio del bosque y hacà ­a mucho frà ­o. (I was in the middle of the forest and it was very cold.)Hace mal tiempo. (The weather is awful.)Hace buen tiempo. (The weather is good.) Using Haber With Weather It is also possible to use the third-person singular form of haber, such as hay in the indicative present, also known as the existential haber, to talk about weather. These could be translated literally with sentences such as there is sun or there was rain, although youll usually to better to use something more idiomatic. No hay mucho sol. (it isnt very sunny.)Hay vendaval. (It is extremely windy.)Habà ­a truenos fuertes. (It was thundering loudly.)Temo que haya lluvia. (Im afraid it will rain.) Other Grammar Related to Weather When discussing how the weather feels, you can use tener, which usually is translated as to have but in this context is used to indicate how a person feels. Tengo frà ­o. (Im cold.)Tengo calor. (It feels hot.) You are best to avoid saying something like estoy caliente or estoy frà ­o for Im hot or Im cold. These sentences can have sexual overtones, just as can the English sentences Im hot or Im frigid. Most textbooks advise against using sentences such as es frà ­o to say its cold, and some say that such a usage of the verb ser is incorrect. However, such expressions are heard in informal speech in some areas. Weather Vocabulary Once you get beyond the basics, here is a vocabulary list that should cover most situations or help you understand the forecasts youll find in news and social media: altamente: highlyaviso: advisorycalor: hotcentà ­metro: centimeterchaparrà ³n: downpourchubasco: squall, downpourciclà ³n: cyclonedespejado: cloudlessdiluviar: to pour, to flooddisperso: scatteredeste: eastfresco: coolfrà ­o: coldgranizada: hailstormgranizo: hail, sleethumedad: humidityhuracn: hurricaneà ­ndice ultravioleta: ultraviolet indexkilà ³metro: kilometerleve: lightlluvia: rainluz solar, sol: sunshinemapa: mapmayormente: mostlymetro: metermilla: milemà ­nimo: minimumnevar: to snownieve: snownorte: northnublado: cloudynubosidad: cloud cover, cloudinessoccidente: westoeste: westoriente: eastparcialmente: partlypie: footponiente: westposibilidad: possibilityprecipitacià ³n: precipitationpresià ³n: air pressurepronà ³stico: forecastpulgada: inchrelmpago: lightningrocà ­o: dewsatà ©lite: satellitesur: southtemperatura: temperaturetiempo: weather, timetronar: to thundertrueno: thundervendaval: strong wind, windstormventisca: snowstormviento: windvientos helados: wind c hillvisibilidad: visibility Key Takeaways Spanish has three common ways of talking about weather: using verbs that refer to weather, using hacer followed by a weather term, and using the existential haber followed by a weather term.When translating to Spanish, the it in sentences such as it is raining is not translated directly.

Emission Trading Schemes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Emission Trading Schemes - Essay Example [1]. Emissions' trading has emerged over the last two decades as the preferred environmental policy tool. The key advantage of emissions trading is that firms can flexibly choose to meet their targets, rather than use predetermined technologies or standards - i.e., command-and-control policies. Emissions sources with low-cost reduction opportunities can over comply and sell their additional allowances to sources where reductions would be more difficult and costly. This leads to the lowest overall cost, or most economically efficient solution. Emissions' trading is particularly relevant to climate change mitigation as carbon dioxide (CO2) and other green-house gases (GHGs) have the same effect wherever they are emitted and compliance costs differ dramatically across sources. Hence there is considerable scope for trading, and opportunity for considerable gains from these trades. Experience in the United States and other countries have shown that well-designed emissions trading programs can reduce environmental policy costs by as much as 50%. [1]. The origins of the EU-ETS date back to 1992 when 180 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Following negotiations under this agreement, the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, committing the industrialized nations to an averaged 5.2% reduction from 1990 levels by the first commitment period in 2008-2012. The EU-ETS officially began on January 1, 2005 and consists of a "warm-up" phase from 2005-2007 and then successive 5-year periods, with the second phase from 2008-2012 set to coincide with the Kyoto compliance period. Six key industrial sectors are covered, notably electricity and heat production plants greater than 20MW capacity. Other included sectors (with specific facility size thresholds) are oil refineries, coke ovens, metal ore and steel installations, cement kilns, glass manufacturing, ceramics manufacturing, and paper, pulp and board mills. These sectors are likely to account for around 12,000 installations (depending on the final details of the specification process), and represent close to half of the total CO2 emissions from the EU-25 countries. Participating companies are allocated allowances, each allowance representing a ton of the relevant emission, in this case carbon dioxide equivalent. Emissions' trading allows companies to emit in excess of their allocation of a llowances by purchasing allowances from the market. Similarly, a company that emits less than its allocation of allowances can sell its surplus allowances. [1]. Monitoring and reporting of an installation's emissions are carried out based on binding EU-wide guidelines mainly through fuel purchases and use of emissions factors, although continuous monitoring and third party verification are allowed. All self-reported emissions must be verified by an independent third party (similar to an auditor reviewing a firm's financial accounts). [2].Methodologies are under development to allow inclusion of additional sources, greenhouse gases and emissions factors. Hefty fines exists for non-compliance (40 Euro/TCO2 from 2005-2007, then 100Euro/TCO2 from 2008 onwards), levels that are considerably higher than most predictions of allowance prices. [3]. Even though the EU ETS will ultimately be judged on the basis of its effectiveness as a tool to reduce GHG emissions, the underlying rationale for choosing emissions trading was based on economic

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Identity Theft - Essay Example It can start with lost or stolen wallets, stolen mail, a data breach, computer virus, ‘phishing’ scams etc† (ITRC, 2012). In the current scenario, internet is the extensively used medium for such crimes. Hackers globally are carrying out copious activities to steal the identity of persons for their personal goals or for the interests of some other stakeholders who pay them. Identity theft is also carried out by persons due to their personal rivalries and also by some countries against their rival countries. Many countries are engaged in stealing the personal information of the high level officials of other countries in order to maintain their check on the rivals. When it comes to internet and cyber technologies, tactics like computer viruses, hacking computer networks, obtaining the personal information about the victims from social networking sites and using them to figure out their secret codes, observing the victims typing their personal passwords on public syst ems, abducting their personal information from web browser logs using spywares, installing malwares on the victim’s computer, credit card cloning etc. are used for identity theft. The prime reason for why internet identity theft is widely practised by criminals is that they can carry out crimes on some others’ identity or rifle someone’s accounts in a safer way such that it will be not very easy to figure out the real culprits or the person whose identity they have used for conducting the crime. Internet has grown in such a way that people carry out many of their activities like banking, shopping, bill payments etc. through internet. Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, Google plus etc. have become widely societal that they have emanated as a part of the daily lives of the proletariat. Email has outraged the habit of sending written mails from people. Email is today a vital mode of sending messages among persons to organizations to governments. All th ese have set up a platform for the cyber criminals for their easy patrolling on the net and it has become an easy task for hackers to steal the personal information of others. The Internet Crime Complaint Centre of FBI has listed out the current and ongoing internet trends and schemes in carrying out cyber crimes. They are:-auction fraud, auction fraud-Romania, counterfeit cashier’s check, credit card fraud, debt elimination, parcel courier email scheme, employment or business opportunities, escrow services fraud, internet extortion, investment fraud, lotteries, Nigerian letter or ‘419’, phishing or spoofing, ponzi or pyramid, reshipping, spam, third party receiver of funds (Internet Crime Complaint Center, n. d). Kevin J. Connolly (2004, p. 348-49) in his book ‘Internet Security and Privacy’ describes the privacy rights of internet users and the ways to safeguard their private information. He says the primary worry of a person when he browses the in ternet is lack of privacy. Lack of privacy protection can help a stranger to collect information about the consumer’s activities. The user should be aware about the information provided to a website. User should also be aware of the privacy policies of the websites or online services concerned. Connolly (2004, p. 348-49) points out that users often do not care to go through the privacy notices and

History and Its Impact on Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History and Its Impact on Art - Essay Example Bernini’s sense of artistry was most revered by the religious sector during his time, often get hired by the monarchs of the kingdom to design churches and depict political allegories. For the most part, the sculpted statues of these three artists are all nude and had some political implications. It is just fair to concede that these artists were pillars of boldness in terms of political practices. [Student’s Last Name] 2 The Spanish, Dutch and French Baroque and its Influences on Wealth and Power The Dutch Baroque was considered to be the country's golden age - a period of astonishing wealth and the communal unity of the commercial class. A booming international trade boosted the Dutch's typical type of living. In addition, a strong average class of market for present-day art was the key to the flourishing of the economic situations in other countries like Spain and France and these arts depict overall prosperity of products like spices, glass, etc. There was also a su rging patronage on artistic works by average income class families. The paintings during this period of time were mostly inspired by the propagandistic paintings of the minister Cardinal Richilieu and the more introspective paintings of people affiliated to the Jansenist group. The Asia – Europe Arts The spreading out of Europe to Asia was urged by the yearning for spices and other Asian products. Nevertheless, its consequence surpassed the plain bartering of commodities and other products. It has marked the commencement of an international market that altered our taste and standard of living today. There were several cultural exchanges evolved in the commercial structure that were not just limited to transnational and within the Asian commerce. The existence of specialized marketplaces for cultural artifacts and products and the transmission of items influenced the local arts and craft manufacturing of both continents. In tradition, the relationship between Europe and Asia h as been investigated in a hegemonic viewpoint, considering Europe as the prevailing economic and political hub. And even up to the issues of cultural influences, the pattern for transmission considers Europe as the [Student’s Last Name] 3 main source and Asia being the beneficiary. Thoughts about Asia and Europe as two colossal expanses took place on this perspective. Photography and the French Painting Numerous discoveries in photography witness the rise of more innovative impressions of art in manifold splices. This can be credited to the reality that, albeit, art mainly resides on the person's mind's eye and ingenuity, photography transformed the entire conformist and conservative artistic scheme. Consequently, within the early 19th century, numerous features, factors have emerged and in the following years caught sight of the increase of the utilization of complex and sophisticated colors and texture as well as the integration of light in painted materials and artworks, n evertheless, the arrival of photography which necessitated much fewer materials and used up smaller amount of time and workforce undesirably spoiled the realm of conservative artistry. The â€Å"Art for Art’s Sake† perspective, which was focused on the progressive modernism, improved the way art

Multicultural in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Multicultural in Education - Essay Example However, some professionals accept as factual that putting them all into one assembly for the study is unjust and does not supply ethnic minorities with the identical achievement they deserve. All education has a sense of solace and belonging for students. In the varied world, supplying education for cultures diversity is essential. The first step in conceiving a multicultural education is to realize the cultures and ethnic assemblies of students. As teachers, it is significant to manage a little study, in numerous cultures. As a class varies from year to year, is the cultures composition of your students. One way to start is to realize that it is culture. According to Bell (2004), cultures mind-set, standards, conviction schemes, norms and customs of the assembly, who formed their own cultures? For teachers to do well, they should seem that somebody cares about if or not they succeed. Teachers should boost all teachers to make their full promise, despite of their culture. Creating a n air of tolerance, acceptance, and care will encompass the whole class. When cultures dissimilarities are initiating difficulties should be advised as a group. Children should understand that this is usual, in another way. Combining the dissimilarities in the open air, it will open the minds of those teachers not revealed to cultures differences.

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

Week 1 - Essay Example The tool has automatic detection programs that keep history of a network system. In addition, the tool analyses all the activity and detect traffic in the network. It shows the period for which a program or application has been running and data usage for the same (Choudhary et al., 2013). Therefore, network analysers can elicit any operational challenges that can slow down or crash a system. Network analysers do detect not only viral software, but also test anti-malware programs. The analysers crosscheck the programs and monitor their operations. Network analysers equally pinpoint vulnerabilities in the anti-virus programs. After detection of suspicious software, network analysers notify a user through messages that pop up in the screen. Such messages could be in the form of warnings upon detection of any threats. Network analysers are vital in detecting unusual characteristics in a packet. The features of a system must remain standardised for efficient operations. Network analysers, therefore, compare progress activities of application and program to elicit any suspicions (Chih-Jung, 2013). Analysis of packets also entails identification of packet destinations and sources. Network analysers work through assessment of the general system or computer applications and programs (Chih-Jung, 2013). The analyses are crucial in the creation of plug-ins for specific applications. Monitoring of apps and user activities largely depend on consistent display of all the statistics on a control panel that is user-friendly. Choudhary, A. K., Harding, J., Camarinha-Matos, L. M., Lenny Koh, S., & Tiwari, M. K. (2013). Knowledge management and supporting tools for collaborative networks. International Journal Of Production Research, 51(7), 1953-1957.

Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson and Franklin D. Roosevelt - most Essay

Ronald Reagan, Lyndon B. Johnson and Franklin D. Roosevelt - most dominant and active presidents of the United States of America - Essay Example President Roosevelt regarded public welfare considerations to eclipse individual autonomy in importance; however, he prepared to use the influence of the government to force people to act in the public interest. Unlike Roosevelt, we find that Ronald Reagan acknowledged or considered the government as being part of the problem and not the solution in the economic impasse. On the other hand, President Lyndon Johnson was the major proponent of the thought that the government, particularly a big national government, was the best solution to most of the problems of the United States. During the presidency of Johnson, the first debates regarding minimum wage was initiated, being extensively backed by the Equal Opportunities Office. These individuals believed that if the redistribution of income were to be done in an appropriate manner, then a ware rate would actually be a big step (Tim 56-85). Just like Reagan, we find that Johnson also had a dislike for communism and promised to bring it to an end in Vietnam.

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

Week 1 - Essay Example The tool has automatic detection programs that keep history of a network system. In addition, the tool analyses all the activity and detect traffic in the network. It shows the period for which a program or application has been running and data usage for the same (Choudhary et al., 2013). Therefore, network analysers can elicit any operational challenges that can slow down or crash a system. Network analysers do detect not only viral software, but also test anti-malware programs. The analysers crosscheck the programs and monitor their operations. Network analysers equally pinpoint vulnerabilities in the anti-virus programs. After detection of suspicious software, network analysers notify a user through messages that pop up in the screen. Such messages could be in the form of warnings upon detection of any threats. Network analysers are vital in detecting unusual characteristics in a packet. The features of a system must remain standardised for efficient operations. Network analysers, therefore, compare progress activities of application and program to elicit any suspicions (Chih-Jung, 2013). Analysis of packets also entails identification of packet destinations and sources. Network analysers work through assessment of the general system or computer applications and programs (Chih-Jung, 2013). The analyses are crucial in the creation of plug-ins for specific applications. Monitoring of apps and user activities largely depend on consistent display of all the statistics on a control panel that is user-friendly. Choudhary, A. K., Harding, J., Camarinha-Matos, L. M., Lenny Koh, S., & Tiwari, M. K. (2013). Knowledge management and supporting tools for collaborative networks. International Journal Of Production Research, 51(7), 1953-1957.

Small Business Owner Characteristics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Business Owner Characteristics - Essay Example If you would have listen to my investment advice years ago, maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation. You can look into a small business loan. There is something you can do about your non-existent business background. The first thing I would do is look up this website, http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html. It is the United States Small Business Association website. They offer help in many different ranges, from business planning to small loans. Since your small business is already established, some of their services wouldn’t be helpful. They do have free online courses to help manage a small business. The Small Business Association should be able to help you not only with bookkeeping, but with business planning. Business planning is a must. It not only helps you define your profit and losses, it helps you market and achieve longtime goals. You can go this route, or if you don’t have time, you can hire a part time bookkeeper/manager. This will d ecrease from your profits. I believe you told me Hugo does his own books. If he can do his own books, manage and still find time to do machinist work, it should be possible for you to achieve as well. Small businesses fail because of the owner’s vision of his business, not what the business really does. You must go into this venture with your eyes wide open. A business owner has to be able to not only manage his staff critically, but his self as well. For example, if a job is going to put you into debt because of your need for perfection, you have to be able to turn that job down. You cannot let the machinist in you override your ability to manage this business. Hugo’s decision to take a small down payment and then take a percentage of the profit for the next fifteen years could be wise or very stupid. The Small Business Association website has a section on financing. You should check it out. If you take my advice and use this

Virgin Media Business Strategy

Virgin Media Business Strategy This report is a study of Virgin Media Inc and the business strategies that define the company. The analysis was an attempt to correlate the theories that define the business strategies of a company and the practical approach taken by Virgin Media in those areas. So we have performed a study of the Marketing Mix of Virgin Media and based on our findings a SWOT Analysis of Virgin Media. From the results of the SWOT analysis we have drawn our conclusions of what Virgin Media has to focus on in the future and predict the path that they should take. Virgin Media: A First Look Virgin Media is a leading name in the communication and entertainment sector providing a â€Å"quad play† of services consisting of broadband, television, mobile and fixed line telephone. The company was founded by Sir Richard Branson and has James Mooney as the company chairperson and Neil Berkett as chief executive officer of the firm. It has established itself as UKs leading media and communication provider and has built its large business through constant innovation, successful diversification and competitive product design using a future proof strong communication network. Virgin Medias three main operating segments Cable Mobile Content The cable segment offers broadband Internet, television and fixed-line telephone services under the Virgin Media brand to residential customers in U.K. In the mobile segment Virgin Mobile has teamed up with T-Mobile by purchasing airtime from T-Mobile and branding it under the Virgin Mobile brand name. The content segment includes eight genre-based entertainment channels, including Virgin1, Living, Bravo, Trouble, Challenge and Challenge Jackpot. The content segment also oversees the companys interest in the UKTV television channels through joint ventures with BBC Worldwide. There is also the Video On Demand services and the website services that provide movies, TV shows and news to the customers. History of Virgin Media In March 2006 NTL and Telewest which were UKs leading cable companies merged together to become the provider of UKs leading triple-play services. Later in July 2006 the merged company acquired Virgin Mobile providing the first quadruple-play offer of TV, internet and fixed and mobile telephony services from a single operator. Finally in February 2007 the combined companies were rebranded and launched as Virgin Media. Virgin Media has rebranded Ntl:Telewest, the companys business Internet Service Provider (ISP), as Virgin Media Business. Virgin Media is the largest privately built network in the UK, with 330 Ethernet PoPs and over 38,000 street cabinets across the country. Virgin Media Inc. Is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market and the London Stock Exchange (VMED) Track Record Virgin offers ultrafast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes in UK. Virgin Media has one of UKs most advanced TV on demand services and was the first TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer.(#CITATION) .It is the second largest provider of pay TV, was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country. Virgin Media has also announced that it would be launching 100 Meg broadband services by the end of December 2010. â€Å"We are expanding our trials of a 200Mb broadband service and are planning the commercial launch of a 100Mb service later this year. The development of our next generation TV platform is progressing well and we are confident it will provide the UKs most accessible, comprehensive and seamless home entertainment experience. â€Å", Says Neil Burkett CEO of Virgin Media. Virgin medias performance in the stock market has improved over the last year. Its share price fell in the beginning of 2008 but remained stable during the recession period. Stock price have been rising from the fourth quarter after the company announced its successful Q4 results for the year 2009 .This shows that company has gained the trust of the investors. Technology Virgin Media is one of the largest residential broadband providers in the UK using a unique fiber optic cable network. It is the first company in UK to offer Broadband, Telephone, and TV through its fiber optic cable network. The fiber optic cable is made of glass and it delivers vast amounts of information at the speed of light whereas other providers use copper wires to deliver information, which is much slower than optical fibers. The fiber optic network gives the customer all the benefits of next generation telecoms: It helps to reduce costs through voice and data convergence It quickly transfer large volumes of data Helps to centralize and secure your data storage Instantly implement disaster recovery plans Key Facts about Virgin Media Revenue: 3.8 Billion (GBP) Employees: 10939 Marketing Orientation The aim of a Market oriented company is to satisfy the customer needs and requirements and to align their products and services to the demands of the customers. A typical marketing orientation model is shown below. A market oriented company tries to continuously improve customer satisfaction. To deliver superior customer value they pay close attention to service, both before and after sales. The concept of market orientation is built on three pillars of: Customer focus Coordinated marketing Profitability. An organizations capabilities to develop an orientation towards each of these three pillars depend on the internal structure and culture. Virgin Media follows a market orientation strategy in which the company is concerned about the customers requirements and needs. It pays attention to what its customer needs and delivers the information accordingly. Also due to high competition amongst various service providers Virgin Media also follows Sales orientation in which the company pays attention to the s of sales as well. Virgin Media has put together 3 strategic priorities in its â€Å"Manifesto†: Engaging our people Growing our business Fixing the fundamentals Virgin media has created a broad portfolio that can be tailored to enables its marketers to meet customer requirements. Product diversification within a single business allows it to be one step ahead of its competitors. Virgin Media believes in continuously interacting with its customers, either on day-to-day basis or in one of their stores, during a home installation or on the phone with one of Virgin Medias agents. Virgin Media uses a management tool called â€Å"Net Promoter† to monitor and measure the customer feedback. This helps the company to improve their performance by analyzing the feedback and suggestions from its customers. Show below are statistics of Virgin Medias customers and the number of customers added in 2009. Competitive advantage Competitive advantage is termed as â€Å"The achievement of superior performance through differentiation to provide superior customer value or by managing achieve lowest delivered cost† (Jobber, D., (2009), Principles and practice of marketing, 914) UK has become a highly competitive market for the telecom sector. With the government pushing for improved broadband services for everyone (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8012848.stm) Broadband speed offered by service providers has gone from up 14.4 kbps to 50 mbps. There is a cutthroat competition in the broadband sector with more than 20 companies serving 61.4 million population of UK. (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1352). Due to this intense competition major market players like BT, Virgin media and Sky have almost similar packages offered to their customers while playing to their strengths in different market segments. Sky offers the most number of channels than any other service provider in UK and hence sky subscribers tend to be those who prefer their superior television services whereas Virgin media advertises its superior broadband network and hence its subscribers are normally those who use internet more. BT has more customer base due to its economical packages (Table 1). Services offered 2 Comparison of the basic packages offered by BT, Sky and Virgin Media * Package information taken from * http://allyours.virginmedia.com/?buspart=Portal_HP_topnav_1_1 * http://www.sky.com/shop/bundles-offers/popular-bundles/ * http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayCategory.do?categoryId=CON-BT-BUNDLE-Is_intcid=con_intban_overview_packages_home In HDTV section Sky seems doing far better than Virgin media. They have positioned well in HD TV market. Virgins video on demand service is highly acclaimed by the viewers (750m views in 2009, 50% rise over previous year). Bravo, a pay channel of Virgin media has acquired exclusive rights of the US block buster series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Despite this Sky added 172,000 customers in the fourth quarter and Virgin media added only 34,200 new subscribers. Due to the uniqueness of services offered by sky Virgin media seems is lagging behind in the race when it comes to TV channels. In order to study the competitive advantage a company has over its competitors, Porter, M. E. (1998) suggested the five forces model. Analysis of Five forces for Virgin Media: Entry barriers: Entry into the telecom industry is primarily determined by the high cost of the fixed assets. There are significant costs to be incurred like the cost of establishing the network, operating costs of the network and associated infrastructural costs. Virgin media has spent billions of pounds just to lay the optic fiber cable network required. Acquiring telecast rights for sporting events, TV shows etc. is also a key entry barrier determinant as the competition for the rights normally increases the price, making it harder for new entrants. BT a significant competitor and running on an aging copper based network is finding it hard to convince its investors to develop infrastructure after incurring current losses in excess of  £7b. The telecom industry is an extremely competitive market where key market players try to make profits through sales volumes and not price. So for an entrant into the market the initial return on investment will be low and market expectations for generating profits in the long run are low as well. The market is also highly competitive and any product or service is immediately replicated by the competitors. For example BT has offered a 40 mbps broadband service to compete directly with Virgin Medias 50 mbps broadband service. There is a significantly high cost for advertisement as the competition is with established brands with significant brand recall. The telecommunication service is a vital and intensely used and hence customers demand high quality of service. Service complaints are investigated by OfCom, UKs independent regulator of the telecommunications industry and hefty fines are placed on service providers for poor service quality. All these factors combined reduce the number of new entrants into the telecommunications sector. Rivalry determinants: Due to the presence of significant market players like SKY and BT, there is intense competition in the telecom industry. Increase reliance on internet has increase customer expectations and dominant market players frequently reduce prices to attract more customers. There is hence a reduction in overall profitability and investments are hence done cautiously. Key market players have strong brand names and hence significant brand loyalty. Competing brands have their unique strengths making it difficult for users to switch networks. Sky network offer premium television content and hence retain its customers even though Virgin Media has a superior high speed internet network. Customers also find it easier to take all the bundled services from a single provider due to advantages like ease of payment and discounts on bundled deals. High switching costs hence make it increasing difficult for Virgin Media to increase its market share. Supplier power: To develop a cost leadership advantage one really needs to control supplier power. This is one big determinant of economies of scale. As there are many competitors in the telecom sector, suppliers tend to demand higher prices for the services in od force the company to provide better deals. The supplier may refuse to work with the company if their demands are not met and provide its services to a competitor. For example Sky charges a high wholesale price to its competitors like Virgin Media to permit them to display their premium offerings like sports. Since Sky has all the associated broadcasting rights and Sports channels are in great demand by the UK consumer, Virgin media and BT have no choice but to pay more for the content. Owing to this fact Sky has become a dominant force in the Television sector as its competitors are not able to match its prices. Threat of substitutes: There are players like Sky and BT in the bundled services market segment and O2, Vodafone Talk-talk etc. in individual service market segment. All of them offer comparatively similar services at very competitive prices. Due to this it is difficult for a new customer to choose a service. The choice may then be made instantaneously and based on current need. For example a sports fan when choosing a new service may immediately go for the Sky network without much consideration to the quality of the other networks. Existing customers may also be tempted to switch networks due to economic or service based needs. Virgin Media could lose an existing customer to BT which offers more economical bundle packages and with the upcoming sports events like the football world cup and London Olympics it could lose customers to the Sky network as well. Also in order to reduce network congestion during peak hours, Virgin Media throttles the network speed and this has irked some of its internet users. If a rival service makes a claim that it does not perform such a speed check on the network, users may switch to the rival network. Buyer power: Every service provider in the telecom sector aims at minimizing its churn rate (rate at which a customer leaves the service).Hence the customer enjoys a greater degree of bargaining power. Service providers tend to offer discounts and cheaper rates to ensure that they do not lose customers. Virgin media may be forced to renegotiate deals with the customers in order to minimise this risk. Five forces analysis though tells us about the microenvironment of the business, it is not enough to gain competitive advantage. A firm can get competitive advantage by developing strategies to create value to customer. Michael Porter suggests that company can either differentiate their product or service by, Differentiating their product offering or Managing lowest delivered cost. Competitive strategy options model Virgin media has adopted a Differentiation leader strategy and utilises this in its advertising campaigns. Virgin Media advertisement campaigns focus on the fact that it is UKs fastest network and that it offers premium content on its Video on demand services. In a survey conducted by Ofcom Virgin media broadband speed was found to be highest in all the service providers. Traffic on Broadband Network affect Speeds In order to create differentiated or lowest cost position it is important to understand the value chain of a company. Value chain analysis provides a holistic view of the company. It provides a framework for understanding the nature and location of the skills and resources that provide a basis for competitive advantage. Activities of a company are grouped into two Primary activities that generate a profit margin for the company Support activities that facilitate the primary activities The goal of a company is to ensure that the primary activities are performed efficiently so that the costs incurred from the primary activities and support activities remain lower than the price paid by the customer for the service provided, thereby granting a profit margin to the company. Virgin Medias Value chain: An analysis. Inbound Logistics: Virgin media has tie ups with BBC, ITV and Television show broadcaster to deliver their content on its network. Having settled their disputes with Sky network regarding television content Virgin media now has a tie up agreement with Sky network for their premium television content like Sky sports, Sky one etc. However the wholesale broadcaster fee of Sky Network is high causing a significant increase in costs for Virgin media. But Virgin media does not have to depend on a third party service provider for network and related logistics because it has its own superior network and in house facilities for network management. Hence it has a significant reduction in network costs. Operations and Service: Company is rated for its internet speed and its VOD service. This indicates that they have good operations throughout the UK. Their Web support chat window appears as soon as a net user starts browsing website. The response to queries was quick and informative when tried online. BT also has similar service however it was less prompt than Virgin media. They also have their support through social networking sites like Twitter and Face book. Virgin gives all options to pay bills. Outbound logistics: Virgin media gives installation and maintenance service to all its customers. Customer can opt for e bill or a normal hard copy. When order for new connection is placed it is completed within 7 working days. Any new subscription to any of their service is completed on the same day. Because Sky is a dish network, customers are required to take permission from the societies which can cause annoyance to the customers. This gives competitive advantage as Virgin service can be obtained through BT cable. Marketing and sales: Company is strongly advertising on internet and television. They are using social networking sites aggressively for their advertising. They have completely understood the need of the segment they are targeting and marketing their broadband speed as their customer winning strategy. Company also believes that calling the customers may spoil the image of company hence they have strict rules for calling customers. Procurement: Virgin has established a code of conduct for its suppliers. Best part is that company focuses on environment and labor issues when purchasing decisions are made. Technology development: With fibre technology Virgin media become UKs second largest telecom service provider company. They are unique in the market. Company is testing 100mbps broadband speed and will be operational by 2011. They are also trialing 200 mbps broadband. Company also have technologies to support web based learning and automated hospital care; with which they are ambitious to capture the market. Human resource management: Virgin media recently axed 2200 jobs due to economic slowdown. This will have a profound effect on its image in the employees. Company seems emphasizing more on employment cuts for cost effectiveness which will affect the morale of the employees. For cutting costs Virgin Media has outsourced some of its operations like billing and front end calling. This will benefit them in reduce expenses and increase efficiency. http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2205297/virgin-signs-network-contract Firm infrastructure: Virgin media is operating in telecom market with its giant network. They have 186,000 km nationwide fibre-optic network worth  £13 billion. They also have 157 telephone switches. Their infrastructure can support 70,000 calls/minute. 35% of the UKs broadband traffic is handled by Virgin media. This works as an entry barrier for new entrants in the telecom market. Suggestions: With sound technology and infrastructure virgin media has lot of opportunities to spread its network in the rural areas. Company can improve its internal customer relationship and boost the morale of the employees. There is higher scope of improving the logistics in terms of new connections being completed within 48 hours and compete Sky network. They can also improve their billing system by offering payment through set top box. Virgin Medias Marketing Mix: An Analysis Marketing Mix: Marketing Mix is defined as â€Å"The tactical tools that marketers use to implement their strategies† (Kotler 2008: 202). The four basic factors that we analyse the marketing mix on are Product Price Place Promotion For a successful marketing strategy, one needs to come at the equilibrium of above four tools. Product â€Å"A product is anything that is capable of satisfying customer needs†, (Jobber,D 5th edition :326 ). Virgin media has four main products in its portfolio. Television Broadband Landline Mobile Virgin Medias product portfolio is built up of intangible products making the post purchase services offered to the customers like customer services, help lines and value added content an important aspect of the Augmented Virgin Media Product. Virgin Media distinguish its product from other competitors like Sky and BT by using special feature like optic fibre cable and forms a total product. The core product can be differentiated in many ways Customers can be reached by applying following marketing mix:- Functionality: Virgin medias network is fibre optic network that provided support for high bandwidth and is unique in comparison to its competitors like BT and Sky who are still dependent on Copper based data transfer networks. This has helped Virgin media to gain customers attention as customer focus is now on high speed internet. Brand: â€Å"A brand is created by augmenting a core product with values that makes the product unique and distinguishes it from the competitors†(Jobber 2007: 334). â€Å"To achieve high sales, you need a powerful Brand Name behind it , which ultimately retains their customers through† brand loyalty(Jobber 2007: 334). Having an established brand name normally puts a business in a secure position in the competitive market as customers tend to focus on perceived brand value through the strong brand name. This enables retention of even the price conscious customers due to the loyalty created with the brand. Virgin media has Customer Based Brand Equity which is defined as â€Å"The differential effect that brand knowledge has on customer response to the marketing of the product† (Jobber 2007: 332). The Virgin Group started by Sir Richard Branson has a significant market presence in various sectors due to a varied range of products like Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines. This provides a positive impact in the market as a first time customer will associate Virgin Media with the brand values and market value of the Virgin Group. Managing the Product Mix Positioning and Repositioning: Positioning â€Å"A products position is the way the product is defined by consumers on important attributes the place the product occupies in the minds relative to the competitive products.† Virgin media operates in three segments in the B2C segment. Cable segment Data Content Mobile Segment In the cable segment Virgin media occupies the position of a Market leader because of its future proof fibre optic cable network that has won it the â€Å"Fastest home broadband Award â€Å"for their 50 MB broadband services. Due to its superior network Virgin Media is able to differentially position themselves against their competitors like BT and SKY In the Data Content Segment. Virgin media occupies the position of a market In the mobile segment Virgin media is playing catch up to most other providers like O2 and 3 Mobile services. It currently has an agreement with T Mobile for use of its airtime under the brand of Virgin Media. Repositioning In Feb 2010 Virgin Media rebranded NTL/Telewest as Virgin Media Business. The rebranding came as Virgin media stepped up its effort to capture market share from BT which is the dominant operator in the B2B market segment. By rebranding the name the Virgin Media family is able to use the Virgin Brand name and improve its marketing capability. As Richard Branson has quoted â€Å"Good progress with network development leaves Virgin Media Business well positioned to expand its offer out to smaller corporates.† http://www.telecomseurope.net/content/virgin-media-branson-means-business Market Positioning Of Virgin Media: Ansoff Matrix analysis â€Å"The emphasis on product portfolio analysis is managing an existing set of products in such a way as to maximize their strengths. But companies also need to look to new products and markets for future growth. A useful way of looking at growth opportunities is the Ansoff Matrix.† Existing Market: Existing Product: The Market Penetration Strategy is used when a company attempts to capture market share by launching its own version of an existing product. Focus then is placed on aggressive advertising and promotions Virgin Media had applied this strategy to capture market share from BT when it launched its broadband services. It emphasised on advertisement campaigns and cheaper package deals to capture customers from Sky. Existing Market: New Product: The Product development strategy is used when a company attempts to launch a new product in an established market catering to its existing customer base. Virgin Media has proposed to launch its 100 mbps broadband service as an upgraded product to its customers to improve on its existing portfolio offerings New Market: Existing Product: The Market development strategy is used when a company attempts to target a new market with an existing product. Virgin media launched its broadband services with a fixed focus on home customers. Utilising its existing network and operational services it has re-launched its B2C arm as Virgin Media Business in order to capture market share from BT. New Market: New Product: The Diversification strategy where a company launches new products in new markets where it had no market presence at all. While Virgin Media was a diversification strategy of Virgin group there is no product or strategy currently utilised by Virgin Media to justify this approach. The intense competitive nature of the business also makes it riskier for the company to attempt such diversification at this point of time. Stages of PLC for Virgin Media: Product development: When an established company enters in the market with new product with new design and development, the sales are zero. Virgin media has not disclosed any information about a product in this stage and typically this information would be secret as the telecommunication industry is highly competitive. Introduction: When a new product is introduced in an established market, the profit would be very less and the cost of introduction of the product would be very high , also it will lead to a small growth in sales. Virgin Media has launched its 100 mbps Broadband service as test service in Coventry on a test basis. Growth: When the new product is accepted in the market company starts making the profit , this period of acceptance and the profit would fall into ‘Growth of the PLC graph. Virgin medias VOD services fall in the Growth sector as it has recorded a 50 % growth in 2009. Maturity: When the product captures the majority of its market customers, slowdown the sales growth. There is decline in the Profit level because of increasing marketing costs in order to remain competitive. Virgin Media 20Mb Broadband being second popular choice has reached its maturity stage and there is a slow growth in the number of new customers. Hence Virgin Media has launched its 100 mbps broadband service in order to return the broadband segment into the growth. Decline Stage: When a product performs poorly and there is a reduction in sales it is known as the decline stage. Currently in our assessment Virgin Media does not have any product that is in the decline stage. BCG Matrix of Virgin Media The BCG Growth- Share Matrix is designed by leading management consultancy Boston consulting Group (BCG) which allows drawing the portfolio in 2X2 diagram and thus analysing the product. The BCG matrix gives guidelines for setting strategic objectives on the cash flow and categorized as. Stars: Build sales/ Market shares Problem children: Build selectively Cash Cows: Hold sales or/and market shares Dogs : Harvest or focus on defendable niche After analysing Virgin Media products the portfolio of the product can be drawn as follows 50MB Broadband,VOD Broadband+Landline+Mobile+TV Mobile Services 50Mb Broadband is a STAR because that has been awarded the fastest Home broadband .Virgin Media being the first Quad play player in the market they got positive response from their customers, thats why TV, Broadband , landline and mobile Services as a bundle falls in CASH COW. Mobile Services has got fierce competition in the market thats why virgin Mobile Services falls in DOG sector. Promotion â€Å"Promotion means activities that communicate the merits of the products and persuade the target customers to buy it†. (Armstrong and Kotler 2009: 84) Promotions help to influence customers purchase behavior. Promotion also keeps people informed and educated about the product. Advertising plays an important role in Virgin Medias Marketing Strategy. Virgin Media uses different means to educate and inform the customers about their products like television, pamphlets distribution, hoardings, internet, direct marketing and newspapers. Elements of Promotion: Direct Marketing: In Direct Marketing there is a direct communication with individual or group consumers either by internet, mail, email, fax, telephone etc. Direct marketing is useful to communicate directly with the potential buyers avoiding any intermediaries. Virgin Media does their direct marketing through call centers, sales representative, internet or distributing the pamphlets. Advertising: â€Å"Any paid form of non-personal communication of ideas or products in the prime media.† (Jobber D. and Fahy J. Foundation of Marketing 2nd Edition 2006:225). Virgin Media follows the product oriented advertiser strategy. This strategy involves highlighting the product features, services, price through various advertising channels such as television, internet, magazines, e-marketing etc. Virgin Media advertisements have been controversial due to the nature of their claims.A campaign Truth Lies and Broadband was subject of an ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) inquiry due to the complaints from its competito

Objections to Charles Peirces Article, A Neglected Argument for the Re

Objections to Charles Peirce's Article, A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God ABSTRACT: Charles S. Peirce sketches "a nest of three arguments for the Reality of God" in his article "A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God." I provide careful analysis and explication of Peirce's argument, along with consideration of some objections. I argue that (1) there are significant differences between Peirce's neglected argument and the traditional arguments for God's existence; (2) Peirce's analysis of the neglected argument into three arguments is misleading; (3) there are two distinct levels of argument that Peirce does not recognize; and (4) it is doubtful whether the argument meets all the criteria set by Peirce himself. Charles S. Peirce published in the Hibbert Journal in 1908 an article titled, "A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God." The article sketches what Peirce calls, in a later comment, "a nest of three arguments for the Reality of God" (6.486). (1) I provide an analysis of Peirce's argument and his interpretation of it along with a consideration of some objections. I shall argue: (1) that there are significant differences between Peirce's neglected argument and the traditional arguments for God's existence; (2) that Peirce's own analysis of the neglected argument into three arguments is misleading; (3) that there are two distinct levels of argument that Peirce does not acknowledge, and (4) that it is doubtful the argument meets all the criteria Peirce himself establishes. I trust that your response to what I have to say will not mirror the response Michael Raposa reports he received from a "prominent American philosophical theologian," when he gave a presentation on this topic; that... ... 77-78. Also, if we follow Karl Barth. s interpretation of Anselm. s ontological argument, then the prayerful context in which Anselm offers his argument gives it a more religious cast. However, whatever similarities may exist I think it vital to recognize the differences otherwise one will expect to find yet another bit of metaphysical argumentation about God and be disappointed at not finding it. (5) It must, however, be admitted that if everyone who mused reached the same conclusion, this rather impressive fact would cry out for some explanation. (6) C.F. Delany, "Peirce on the Hypothesis of God," op. cit., p. 735. (7) Donna Orange, Peirce's Conception of God. op. cit., p. 86. (8) Michael L. Raposa, Peirce's Philosophy of Religion. op. cit., p. 128. (9) John E. Smith, "The Tension Between Direct Experience and Argument in Religion." op. cit., p. 497.

The First Amendment Essay -- essays research papers

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to assemble peacefully, and to petition the Government for e redress of grievances. The first and inargueably the most significant of the amendments to our Constitution is the First Amendment. The amendment that established our freedoms as citizens of our new confederation. The First Amendment insured, among other things, freedom of speech and of the press. Since the establishment of these rights, they have often been in question. People have debated over, "What is too much freedom?", and "When is this freedom not enough?" I believe that these rights were established to protect the people, and as a society, we must try to determine whether they are. One of the major organizations that exercises free speech is the press. The press has coined the phrase, "It is the people's First Amendment right to know." This first example best relates to a situation we have now; that of national crisis. The press has the right to release information to the public, but they must use judgment in what they release. Certain news that they might release could put people in danger, therefore taking away the right of all people to be safe. For many years, the idea of the press telling too much has been made fun of. In popu...

Concept Developed Within Classical Sociology

Choose any one concept or argument developed within classical sociology. Critically evaluate the use of this concept or argument by contemporary sociology in trying to understand a current social issue. In my essay I am going to discuss the current economic upheaval, its impact on modern society and how Marx and his theory of alienation are still relevant today. The topics covered will include classical Marxist sociological thought and modern concepts with regard to the current economic situation, for example, Industrial Action, job insecurity and the erosion of the welfare state. I will argue that people in society today, whether they are private or public sector workers or those claiming welfare are still exploited and alienated by capitalism just as they were in Marx’s day. Marx saw alienation as a process in which humanity is turned into a stranger in a world created by labour (Classical Social Theory, Craib 1997) by this he meant that the worker became a commodity and part of a production line, losing themselves and their identities to the means of production. The shift away from the freedom of human interaction through to the way in which society and social relations impose themselves upon is summed up (at least as far as capitalism is concerned) in the theory of alienation. ’ (Classical Social Theory, Craib 1997). Marx was convinced that the division of labour was the reason that man was alienated from his labour. He saw the proletariat exploited for his labour by the bourgeoisie who owned the means of production. Marx defined labour as â€Å"mans self confirming essence† and noted that capitalism had transformed human labour into an object, an external thing. Classical Social Theory, Craib 1997). It is important to understand Marx’s theory of alienation as I will be discussing its relevance in today’s society and the impact of this theory when applied to modern society. Employers only employ workers if they possess skills that are of a use value to them. In essence there is no point in employing someone who produces work of a value that is less than what they are to be paid. This is the exchange value of the workers labour power. The difference between the endeavours of the worker and the pay supplied by the employer is the surplus value, which is the profit that the empl oyer retains. This is Marx’s definition of exploitation that exists within the wage-labour relationship. In simple terms the worker is working for a wage to sustain them but also to ensure the employer gains a profit. The contrast between the two will always favour the employer not the worker. It is not that the employer overtly seeks to exploit the worker; it is in Marx’s eyes a natural consequence of capitalism. The employer pays the worker not out of the goodness of their heart but as a means of increasing their own wealth. Marx therefore perceived capitalism as being in a state of constant crisis. It is the existence of this exploitation that for Marx causes the crisis to occur. If as a worker I produce ?10,000 of goods in a month (value of labour power to employer) but I am only paid ?1,000 a month for this labour (exchange value of labour power) I do not receive sufficient pay to purchase the value of the goods I have produced. (Classical Social Theory, Craib 1997:pg94) In simple terms a crisis occurs in capitalism when goods produced by the workers are not sold. A consequence of this is that workers will be made redundant; this causes the economy to enter a depression or financial slump. This slump is only reversed when those goods are sold and companies can begin production once more. This is a very basic economic explanation of the cycle of growth and recession that has afflicted capitalism throughout its history. (Classical Social Theory, Craib 1997:pg95) The phenomenon of recession has been a constant threat within capitalist societies, not only in Marxist terms does the worker suffer the alienation and exploitation from his labour, he or she now has to contend with many other threats caused by the unstable nature of the economic system. The worker now faces the prospect of many other economic uncertainties, such as redundancy, pay freezes and pay cuts. The current worldwide recession that has plagued the banking financial sector has caused tremendous hardship for those ill equipped to deal with it. This has lead to a number of changes within the employment market. The fear of job insecurity has never been higher; the days of a job for life are now a thing of the past. Giddens refers to a concept of ‘trust and risk’. In this instance Giddens states that trust refers to the confidence that society has in individuals and its significant institutions. We live more than ever in a globalised community and society, our lives are shaped and influenced by people and institutions; we are never likely to meet. Giddens talks about society having trust in ‘abstract systems’, he uses the example of food regulation and banking systems. The current financial crisis we find ourselves in has lead to an all time low in the faith we once placed in the banking and financial world. In Britain a number of large banking corporations have had to have their losses underwritten by the tax payer. The consequence of this has been for the coalition government having to implement widespread cuts and policies to curb the financial deficit. Public sector workers and those who rely on the welfare state have been hit hardest by the new financial constraints forced upon them. (Giddens 2006:122,123) Those responsible for the current economic crisis, i. e. the banks have not suffered as a result of their mistakes in the same way that the worker or the welfare claimant have. As Marx would say, yet again the owners of the means of production have not been penalised but rather it is the proletariat who has had to incur financial hardship and exploitation. Recent examples of this include, Workers in two unions at Southampton City Council are to start indefinite industrial action from 23 May in a row over proposed pay cuts of up to 5. 5% and Postal workers in London have voted to go on strike in protest at job losses. The Royal Mail cites the need for voluntary redundancies to increase efficiency and profitability but the unions disagree, saying that forced redundancies will have to be implemented. These are two examples in the current economic crisis where workers are paying the price for a recession created by the actions of an unregulated banking system. The welfare state has also suffered in this harsh new financial reality, whilst those at the top of the banking fraternity have suffered no penalty or sanction, in fact quite the reverse, the city continues to hand out excessive bonuses. The glaring unfairness and difference that exists between those in control of the financial institutions and those who are beholden to them has never been more stark. In a bid to reduce the national debt, the coalition government has imposed budget cuts across the entire public sector. NHS, councils, the police have all had severe budget cuts. It will be the poorest in our society who will suffer as a result of these new financial constraints. This new tentative financial situation means that the worker and the claimant now face an uncertain financial future. In conclusion, if Marx were alive today he would see that nothing has changed, capitalism still retains an iron grip upon society and those who live in it. Wealth and inequality continues to widen every year. This has a serious and detrimental impact upon those in our society who can ill afford to suffer the financial hardships that have resulted from the mistakes and risks taken by those who own the means of production. Alienation and exploitation is now so widespread and there has never been a more pressing need for the works of great sociological thinkers like Karl Marx and what he had to say regarding the exploitive nature of the capitalist state. It is of crucial importance to highlight the inequality that exists within modern capitalist society. If we want and desire a fairer society for all we need to recognise those within it who suffer the most. The work of Karl Marx and particularly his theory of alienation has enabled society to understand the relationship that exists between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. The worker will continue to be alienated under capitalism but now the ever increasing unfairness and exploitation suffered by the many as a result of the mistakes made by capitalist institutions will insure that wealth inequality will continue to increase. References Giddens A, 2006, Sociology Polity Press, Cambridge Craib I, 1997, Classical Social Theory, oxford University Press Oxford http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13508478