Harley Davidson History Essay

Actually, the history of the Harley-Davidson Company began in 1903, when two brothers, Bill Harley and Walter Davidson, invented their first motorcycle in Milwaukee (Gannon, 2002, p. 8). At that period of time other companies produced motorcycles in the North-American states and one of them, the Indian Motorcycle Company, became the main competitor of Harley-Davidson for many years. In fact, it was a bicycle, equipped with a one-cylinder motor. All details of that motorcycle were produced manually. Later, the second version of that bike was produced with more powerful motor and it became the first motorcycle for sale (p. 10). Three bikes were assembled that year and the Harley-Davidson Company opened the first page of its history. In 1904, the brothers produced 8 motorcycles and in 1906 it were 50. The company developed very quickly and by that period of time it included about 20 employees hired. Harley-Davidson constantly aspired to create a high speed bike and as a result the new model known as V-twin was introduced in 1909. The specially designed vacuum valves and a belt transmission were the main features of that model (Oliver, 1957, p. 26). In 1910, the legendary â€Å"Bar and Shield† logo was developed. It continues to be the main defining symbol of Harley-Davidson bikes today (p. 28). The significant progress of the Harley-Davidson Company took place in 1912. A new 6-story factory was built and first overseas sales were made in Japan. That year Harley-Davidson presented its first version of gear box. The mechanism of chain gear was designed in 1913 and a three-speed sliding-gear transmission was developed in 1915 (p. 32). It should be emphasized that the First World War played a big role in the development of the Harley-Davidson Company. So, about 20,000 motorcycles were sold to the U. S. military forces by the end of 1918 (Walker, 2000, p. 67). The given order significantly improved the reputation of Harley-Davidson and having 2,000 additional dealerships worldwide the company managed to become the biggest motorcycle factory in the world (Oliver, 1957, p. 34). Improving the construction of V-twin motors, company’s constructors couldn’t get rid of the main problems, typical for the given class of motors. The opened valves often clogged up and had a lot of maintenance problems. At that time, Indian Motorcycle Company used another construction of V-motors. Though, theoretically that construction was less effective the engineers managed to bring it to perfection and got the maximal power and maintenance simplicity. For that reason, the administration of the Harley-Davidson Company took decision to create its own class of V-motors with longitudinal placement. The first pattern of that bike appeared in the last days of the second decade (p. 35). The new model, equipped with the Flathead V-twin engine was invented in 1929 (Walker, 2000, p. 72). The motors of the given model were equipped with side-valves and the classical Flathead could successfully compete with the production of the Indian Motorcycle Company. Unfortunately, Flathead appeared two months earlier the moment when the Great Depression began. The number of sales decreased in several times, but the company managed to survive when others went bankrupt. However, having survived the depression time the company managed to stabilize its economy and was in very advantageous position – huge demand and the absence of supply. In 1932, the three-wheel Servi-Car was developed (Oliver, 1957, p. 38). Together with the change, called as the â€Å"eagle† design, which was painted on all Harley-Davidson gas tanks, there were a lot of changes made in the engine’ s construction. Afterwards, the given model made a good impression on the U. S. police, as a result, Servi-Car managed to become police vehicle (p. 38). In 1936, the Knucklehead motorbike was invented and managed to become the victory over the Indian (p. 39). The given model took place on the market for 12 years and had a huge influence on the further developments. The engineers continued working on Knucklehead model even during the Second World War. Having changed the motor’s configuration and added the hydraulic device intended for pushing valves, the constructors managed to get rid of adjusting gaps. Due to the aluminum body of engine the motor’s heat emission was increased. Afterwards, bikers called that model – Penhead. The main event which took place in 1953, it was the collapse of the main competitor of Harley Davidson – Indian Motorcycle Company (Walker, 2000, p. 88). Nevertheless, the company faced a lot of problems in the marketing field due to the fast development of Japanese and European motorbike companies. Thus, having sold the part of its stocks, Harley Davidson was involved in the cruel fight against foreign producers. In 1969, American Machine and Foundry Company bought the control packet of shares of Harley Davidson and became its actual owner (Oliver, 1957, p. 40). The new motorcycles had a negative impact on the company’s reputation and Harley Davidson began to lose the market of Big-twin and Sportster models. In 1971, FX Super Glide model was produced (p. 43). Although the given model wasn’t popular, Harley Davidson developed its further unique motorcycles on the basis of FX Super Glide. By the middle of 70-s the given models couldn’t cope with the production of Japanese competitors. As a result, in 1981 senior members of Harley-Davidson bought back Harley-Davidson Motor Company from AMF (Walker, 2000, p. 90). In 1983 the group H. O. G was founded and became the largest factory-sponsored motorcycle club in the world. By the year 2000, the club had over 500,000 members (Gannon, 2002, p. 15). In 1984, the new Evolution V2 model with an aluminum head was presented to public (Oliver, 1957, p. 42). At the end of this revolutionary decade for Harley-Davidson, the FXSTS Springer Softail model was introduced into the lineup. It was made on the basis of motorcycles of the 1940-s and equipped with the modern 1340 cc motor (Walker, 2000, p. 92). The appearance of the given engine allowed the Harley Davidson Company to produce many motorcycles by individual orders. So, introduction of such model as FLSTF Fat-Boy in the early 1990-s can be considered as a good evidence of that fact. In 2001, the new model of Harley-Davidson was presented for the 2002 model year. The main feature of the given model was suggested to be the modern engine, equipped with a liquid-cooled system. It should be pointed out that today the Harley Davidson Company takes the leading position in the business World, when demand exceeds supply, that allows to increase the prices of production and stock. References Gannon E. , Veno A. (2002). Brotherhoods: Inside the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin Oliver S. H. (1957). Automobiles and Motorcycles in the U. S. National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Walker S. M. (2000). Bikers: Culture, Politics and Power. New York: Berg

Travel as a Political Act

Introduction: 1. The notion of travel that still persists is the relative affluence of wealthy travelers (Americans) who only seek the doctrine of pleasure. I believe overseas travel should be an understanding of different cultures, even educational. I’ve had the privilege to travel to Norway, Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Guam. Some of my travel was in early adolescents and my understanding of different cultures was drastically different. I expected life to be as it was in the United States with all the amenities we take for granted.Just last year in December, my job took me to Germany and France. I made sure to research there culture and customs concerning food, manners, and restaurants†¦ etc. I even tried to learn some German and French. The conveniences I desired as an adolescent where all the comforts of home, T. V. , water, video games and â€Å"American food†. As an adult my conveniences are more practical and hopefully sim plistic, clean water (without bubbles) a clean place to sleep and a few electrical outlets to plug in all my devices. 2. I believe Steves is making a generalization of the modern traveler.Steves has traveled all over and experienced many cultures and ethnicities. To me, Steves is telling us that he has â€Å"seen it all† and has a respect for others culture. 3. Steves defines good citizenship as, â€Å"Holding our country to a high standard and searching for ways to better live up to it lofty ideals. † Yes, it is okay to criticize our country. If we do not question and critic ourselves, we do not leave much room to grow and improve. Yes, we can learn from other nations. My observation in some of the countries I’ve visited is, they are better at recycling then we are. This is an opportunity to learn from another nation.Chapter 1 1. Elected leaders of today have no more of a connection then those â€Å"divinely ordained† kings did centuries ago. The example presented form a political office often differs from when they were campaigning. There seems to be a lot of hypocrisy in our politics. 2. â€Å"Travel challenges truths that we were raised thinking were self-evident and God-given† (pp. 5). We learn that other cultures and ethnicities do things differently according to religion, food†¦etc. 3. Looking out over the action, with Pillars of Hercules in the misty Moroccan distance is where Steves says two great civilizations came together.I would love to see Christianity and Islam co-existing in peace, but as he said before, this is nothing new. From my perspective, Islam was birthed from Christianity and there can only be one true God and that is through Jesus. Ultimately there will always be a battle until the new heaven and earth. 4. Fear is often a barrier to travel. Fear is not a factor in my willingness to travel. I believe we all should get out of our comfort zones and experience something different. 5. Americans would benefit most from international travel. Learning about the world and coming home with a new perspective 6.Steves learned that there are more Lutherans in Namibia then in the US. I don’t think it affects my perspective at all. If anything, my thinking brings me to spreading the gospel of Jesus and how many people are lost. Chapter 2-Lessons from the Former Yugoslavia: After the War 7. Ethnicities that exist in the former Yugoslavia are all South Slavs. The difference between them is what they choose to call themselves according to what religion they associate with. Catholic South Slavs are called Croats; Orthodox South Slavs are called Serbs; and Muslim South Slavs are called Bosniaks.In 1995 they laid down their arms and agreed to a peace agreement. According to Steves it is a slow progression each year. (pp. 28) It takes time to heal but all three countries are on the mend by putting aside their political and ethnic differences. 8. Home mortgages ceased to exist after the c ivil war ended. There is confusion on who owns what. Many surviving companies do not have money and the bank of Yugoslavia, which held the many of the mortgages is gone. The economic cost after the war still has a major affect concerning commerce, tourism and the ability to rebuild. 9.The effect of the â€Å"iconostasis† in the church Steve visited is to separate the common worshippers from â€Å"heavy lifting† priests. It gives them a sense of privacy. There shouldn’t be that much privacy between the religious leaders and the common worshiper. Jesus was very approachable. There is a certain humanistic ritual that comes with religion, in elevating the teacher or priest. I believe this is unnecessary. My pastor is very approachable. We are encouraged to get involved with many ministries within and outside of the church. It would be very difficult to be part of a church where your leadership was unapproachable.Chapter 3-Europe Unites: Successes & Struggles 10. 10. The big news in Europe today is Unification. Since the Unification of the 27 European countries they have opened up a free trade zone which promotes a competitive market along side the U. S and the up and coming powers of China and India. Benefits of the European Union come from high taxes. There is a much hire expectation of their big government to provide an extensive welfare network. This includes, childcare, healthcare, education, and retirement. In conclusion, I believe the benefits of their big government are well organized programs that benefit society as a whole. 1. Steves maintains that all societies have socialistic elements. I agree with Rick to a certain point. We (America) are a very well run Republic. I’d like to think that I would be open to more progressive policies in our country. So far, our in-class discussions and this book have shown me that we can learn from other countries and possibly adapt their policies to fit our style of government. The beauty of our constitution is it is meant to be adaptable. 12. Steves says, â€Å"In America we believe in government by and for the people through the corporations that we own. † Corporations in America do have a lot of influence and power.This can have a positive or negative influence. I believe it is there right to have choices. We are only as good as our ethics. Unfortunately we have seen many large corporations fail because of bad business ethics. As far as the Supreme court ruling concerning corporations and their ability to contribute unlimited funds to political campaign; I believe is a privilege. I do not know the intricacies of this policy, but with my limited knowledge, they have earned the right to give as much or as little as they please. Everything comes back to business ethics and morals in my opinion.Great power and wealth also comes with greater responsibility. The ability to choose is what makes our country unique. The ability and privilege to choose is healthy. The o utcomes of our decisions are what hinder or help. 13. Europeans work 25 percent fewer ours then we do. Americans work more hours at their jobs than Europeans because of cultural differences. The, â€Å"American Dream† is to work as much as possible to achieve more, financially and materialistically. 14. Steves maintains that Europeans prefer diplomacy to war, because of their interdependence on each other financially.I do not believe that we as Americans are to eager to go to war. Steves mentions that America has a unique position in the world as its â€Å"protector†. I believe this has become Americas default. If another country is suffering or looking for help, America has been the military presence. If anything, we over extend our resources. Many of my family members have served in our military or are closely affiliated with other government agencies. I fully believe that we as regular citizens do not know what goes on enough to truly have an objective opinion conce rning many of the wars we are involved in. 15.Steves took it upon himself after feeling oppressed, to speak with the local lions club president in his hometown concerning the numerous flags set out. When they did not take down their flags Steves took it upon himself to start removing the flags. I strongly disagree with what Steves did. For him to compare us flying our flag to the Nazi oppression concerning the â€Å"Gruss Gott† or even the Northern Ireland cause is ignorance. I believe the majority of this nation fly our flag in support of our troops and not towards a political affiliation. I also believe it is our right to fly our flag anytime especially in time of war.It shows pride toward our country and support of our troops and the freedom they fight for. Regardless of political affiliation, I feel it is insecurity that allowed him to proceed the way he did. That is also the beauty of our country. He can do what he did because our troops defend his rights as well. 16. St eves says we put a guilt trip on Europe in saying, â€Å" Don’t they remember how we saved them from the Nazis? † Hopefully, we are making an impact on countries, to where they don’t feel obligated but want to take our side. I would like to think they wouldn’t think twice about siding with us. 7. Steves says, he â€Å"loves America more. And because I care about our society, I challenge us to do better. † I don’t think it is fair to tell anyone to leave. I think it is more of an irrational emotional reaction. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve thought about saying that to someone in a political position or even thought while reading this book about Steves. But I know that it comes from an irrational part of my brain. I agree with Steves in that, we need to find common ground and could learn from Europe and some of their policies. Chapter 4 Resurrection in El Slavador 18.Steve’s points out that the minimum wage is $ 1. 00 in El Salvador. Minimum wage in America is usually a starting point where as the indigenous people of El Salvador â€Å"only aspire to the minimum wage†¦and that’s all they get†. I think our minimum wage should increase with inflation. Many of our resources go up such as, groceries, rent, gas†¦etc. So it only makes sense that minimum wage go up as well. A â€Å"living wage† ideally sounds like a great. The problem with a set living wage is the affect it could have on independent businesses. A higher wage could contribute to higher unemployment.Employers may not be willing to higher as many people in order to make a profit. I’ve contradicted myself somewhat with my desire for an increased minimum wage. All that to say, it is a tough job to figure out. 19. 20. Globalization is defined as; the growth of interregional and worldwide linkages and the changes these linkages are bringing about. According to Steve’s, the driving force is, na ked ambition to open new markets to firms and products. Altruism is defined as the unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others. Altruism is demonstrated in my life through giving.I currently sponsor two World Vision children. Hopefully at the end of my college education I can help better lives even further. My ultimate goal is to help others through the skills and education Trevecca will provide. 21. Steve’s says that he is not anti-globalization. He is anti-bad globalization. Steve’s believes that if globalization is implemented thoughtfully compassionately it can be the salvation of the developing world. Rick believes we have an obligation to be responsible. I agree that we have an obligation to be responsible. The role of the wealthy in our world is to continue to become wealthy. 22.Rick believes that our leadership manipulated our national grief to justify our actions in war. Rick believes that with the overwhelming sympathy from other nations we coul d have lifted the world into an unprecedented unity. I don’t think America could have done anything differently after 9/11. As Rick mentioned before, we haven’t had any conflicts hit American soil. In my opinion, a conflict reached our soil, and we reacted. 23. Steve’s quotes comes from Mathew 25: 35-46. I believe Steve’s is correct in these verses. Our responsibility as Christians with regards to poverty is what the verse in Mathew projects.Christians and the church as a whole can improve poverty. I recently, made a career change from Tour Manager in the Christian Music Industry to full time student. A large influence was because of an organization called World Vision and a book written by its CEO . â€Å"The Hole in our Gospelâ€Å" A paraphrased quote that had a large impact on me says†¦. †We have expansive, beautiful church buildings, huge choirs and the best praise and worship bands anywhere, but if all that is playing so loudly that ità ¢â‚¬â„¢s drowning out the cries of hundreds of thousands of suffering children all over the world.Then there is a hole in the gospel we are preaching here in America. † We are guilty of being a â€Å"me† society and need to improve our resources to the poverty in our country and the world. Chapter 5-Denmark: Highly Taxed & Highly Content 24. Rick states, they have an efficient train system and many Danes will never get around to buying a car. I believe we have to depend on our cars especially in more rural/ suburban areas. We do not have an effective transit system in many parts of the country. We are a society that does not provide sidewalks, or mass transit; in general we are not pedestrian friendly.We would need to build more mass transit station and less High ways. The best solution thus far is HOV lanes and carpooling. 25. Danes are more reliant on government then large corporations. They prefer to hold their government to a high standard and expect the elected off icials to do their job. In my limited knowledge I would say; Yes, we may give too much power to corporations but that is what our government is for. (Ex: monopolies) Government and corporations should balance one another. The proper role of our government is to uphold our constitution and liberties.The federal government is to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our Posterity and ourselves. I think Ronald Reagan said it best during his First Inaugural Address: â€Å"We are a nation that has a government, not the other way around. Our government has no power except that granted by the people, and this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. † 26. I believe the â€Å"free rider† problem in the USA today is our social welfare system.This means that people take advantage of a government program that is meant to help lift you out of poverty rather then ke ep you in poverty. We are a society with an entitlement attitude. Americans take advantage of the system specifically through our welfare system. If you remember a show on MTV called cribs, they had a well known rapper who obviously made money then the allotted figure in the welfare system but was still being afforded a welfare check and food stamps. Without conviction he flaunted this on national t. v. Unfortunately this still happens today.This shows that a government program intended to help those in need is being taken advantage of and is broken. I thought of poor people and our broken welfare system. Now that I read this question our system is broken in ethics concerning corporate America as well. I’m not sure there is an explanation as to why I thought of the poor over the rich. 27. Taxes in Denmark are extremely high. Regular workers pay up to 50% in taxes and the wealthy pay up to 70% in taxes. There collective decision is based on what is best for society verses the individual. I don’t think we should model Denmark’s taxation policy.I think we need to fix ours. Our system has worked in the past and is what has made us unique as a country. We are a world power because of our unique economy not only because of our military. 28. The system for owning a car in Denmark is ridiculously expensive. If you are to buy a vehicle the cost and fees add up to buying 3 cars. This would not work in the USA. We rely to heavily on our vehicles for something like this to work. 29. Danes as a whole seem to not support marijuana. I do not believe we should legalize marijuana. We already have many vices that contribute to our society†¦ie alcohol and tobacco.Colorado is already having many issues on how to handle their legalization of the drug. I do not think there are any pros to adding to legalizing Marijuana. If I had to think of a pro, it would be to help generate revenue for the economy. Over all the disadvantages of legalizing this drug out w ay any positives. Regulation of outside distribution of the drug, affects it has on an individual, study’s show it kills brains cells over long periods of using. Colorado is already having problematic debates on where to grow and use the drug is acceptable. Chapter 6-Turkey & Morocco: Sampling secular Islam 0. One man keeps the Quran, Torah and Bible in his â€Å"Quran bag†. I believe we can and should get along with other religions. We should love people where they are. Christ calls us to love God and love people. The only way to affectively love and share truth is in love and relationship. I truly believe us as followers of Christ are all disciples and are responsible for representing Christ the best way possible. I deal with non-Christians the same way I would anyone else, with love. The best way to deal with Jews and Muslims again, is to love them where they are. 31.The evidence that Steves presents that Turkey maybe lurching into Islamic fundamentalism and theocra cy are women in public wearing the traditional headdress and walking behind men. He also noticed/felt disdained as he walked down the street, as if everyone should be praying and not out and about. I feel that our country was founded on Christian principles. In many ways we are a Christian nation. I believe our founding fathers intended this country to be free from religious persecution concerning the way they worshiped in their Christian beliefs. It is my opinion that we should be a God fearing Christian nation.We can still be a Christian nation and accept other people and the way they choose to worship. 32. Islamist are the expansionist/extremist and are afraid of the very existence of Israel. Islamic’s are the opposite. Truly, in my heart I do not feel any ill will toward Muslims. I see them as people just the same as you and I. The reason I feel this way is because of the love God has for us. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I often think they are wrong in the ir belief, and it is our job as Christians to lovingly start a conversation with them and hopefully share our beliefs. The problem is noted in this book.They believe Muhammad is the one true god. Steves friend also says, â€Å"Christendom should be threatened by Islam only if the Christian West seeks Empire here†. 33. Steves says there are advantages and disadvantages to a guided travel tour. He almost seems disappointed in the advice given in one of his books because of the fear seen on his trip to Morocco. Advantages of a guided tour are to see and experience landmarks and history behind a certain traveled area. Cons would be only experiencing the Touristy areas which are usually overpriced. I personally would prefer to visit another country on my own or with a local.I feel that is where you learn and experience the most. Although you are still a tourist you don’t stand out as much. Chapter 7-Eurpoe: Not â€Å"Hard on Drugs† or â€Å"Soft on Drugs†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦but Smart on Drugs 34. Most European nations have in common is the emphasis on education and prevention. Thinking back to my middle school and high school days. My thoughts on drug education were; it’s a joke. D. A. R. E. was the education tool used and was implemented in my elementary school. There weren’t any preventative measures in middle school or high school while I was in school. 35. Marijuana is not legal in the Netherlands.The Dutch take a more relaxed approach. There belief on Marijuana is as soon as you criminalize something; you lose any ability to regulate it. So they tolerate recreational pot smoking until it is harmful to themselves and others. I don’t really have an opinion on pot coffee shops in the Netherlands. What works for some may not work for others. I think it might be difficult to travel to the Netherlands and enjoy coffee if pot is there as well. I don’ think this would work very well in the U. S. We are not a society that appr oves of pot, and pot smoking is usually associated with harder drugs here. 36.Roughly 18,000 die of drug overdose in the U. S according to 2007 UN drug report. Looking at the statistics concerning the Dutch and Switzerland approach on hard drugs, I think it could work in the U. S. It would be something that would take time and diligence on private organization and government. The obstacles I see are our current healthcare debacle and recession. Chapter 8-Mission: Understand Iran 37. Steves had been giving his taxi driver a â€Å"thumbs up† when they had a good film take. His driver finally informed him he was mispronouncing his name and that giving someone a â€Å"thumbs up† was like giving them the middle finger.In my personal experience, reading about the culture before you visit is a huge help. Knowing currency, rate of exchange, tipping servers and even some food knowledge can go a long way. Try to understand and speak a little of their language. Most people are gr ateful you made an effort to speak there language. 38. Men and women squat when they urinate because they believe you do not get rid of your urine when you stand up. It is an overall Muslim religious conviction. I would definitely have some trouble in a place that did not have a toilet or toilet paper. I don’t think it would prevent me from visiting.It would just be difficult to deal with. 39. The dress code at the university was very strict and conforming. I think that we all need a little guidance. Dress codes help keep some order and moral decency. All within reason. I don’t feel the dress code at Trevecca affects me in any way. I think it is fine. 40. Steves said he was disheartened by the conformity imposed at the University of Tehran. The proper role of a university professor/instructor at Trevecca is to teach and inform the students on a certain subject. I think if, it is relevant to the class we should be challenged to use our brains concerning opposing views o r ideas.I don’t believe we should only look at one point of view. As for the Nazarene point of view we can learn about this specific view point but should also be challenged to see other viewpoints. 41. Brightly colored banners translated to â€Å"Death to Israel† where posted throughout the Mosque. If the police or some other group were there to â€Å"keep order† I would feel violated. Definitely grateful for our freedom of religion. 42. Steves says that the segregation among the males and females contributes to the negative image many of the Western Christians have of Islam.In some legalistic Christian churches women have to dress a certain way and in other situations, women do not have certain authority to â€Å"preach†. 43. The U. S. supported Iraq against Iran in the 1980’s. It does a little. Overall I would need to research more and find out why we backed Iraq. Then I could come to a better-educated thought. 44. Steves says, â€Å"†¦tra vel can be a powerful force for peace. Travel promotes understanding at the expense of fear. And understanding bridges conflicts between nations. † I think he means that we are at times very narrow minded as a nation.We would rather listen to what our preferred news source tells us and make our judgments from there. Traveling helps people see an entirely different perspective. Steves tends to see the humanism and similarities that cross cultural barriers. 45. Steves compares us by saying, â€Å"Iran has one dominant ethnic group and religion that’s struggling with issues of diversity and change, -liberal versus conservative, modern versus traditional, and secular versus religious. † Yes, we are sometime intolerant like the Iranians. People are imperfect and growing. We all have different opinions and some times allow our strong opinions turn into intolerance. 6. Steves is passionate about his personal experiences and how he has seen them affect others. He believe s that the American Flag doesn’t belong in his church and the Ten Commandments do not belong in City Hall. I have traveled all over the United States and have seen an American Flag in many of the churches I’ve visited. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with having the American flag in church. As far as the Ten Commandments, we are a nation that believes in the separation of church and state. I am personally not opposed to it but understand the necessity to not impose this on others.

Ecology Paper Review Essay

It is necessary to note that information provided on both sites is rather interesting and important, because it reflects the latest events and trends in ecological issues. Both sites are devoted to ecological problems discussing climatic changes, global warming, birds’ migrations, etc. for example, it is interesting to know that, according to the National Climatic Data Centre, the year of 2006 is considered the warmest year in the United States, though in the global context 2006 takes only the sixth place. It is mentioned that the previous warmest years in the UA was ranked 1998 caused by El Nino exacerbated warming. El Nino appeared this year and caused the effect of global warming leading meteorological offices to predict that â€Å"worldwide average tempts would hit a new high in 2007†. (Warming Trends 2007) According to statistics the hottest ten years noted in records have been logged since 2004: â€Å"The past nine years have all been among the 25 warmest years on record for the contiguous U.S., a streak which is unprecedented in the historical record†. According to reporter from New York Times, global warming becomes a fundamental factor affecting annual climate reports meaning that global warming is one of the serious problems not only in the USA, but in the rest of the world. (Warming Trends 2007) It is necessary to underline the article â€Å"Poverty & the Environment† providing discussion of economic and environmental injustice. For example, the author thinks that poverty and environmental degradation are combined factors characterizing the USA. Certainly, the lower income the family has, the higher the chances to be exposed to toxins either at home or at work. Apparently, low-income families have greater risk to develop asthma or cancer caused by environmental factors. Not all families are able to afford healthy food and safe outdoor spaces. Furthermore, such families are more vulnerable to human-made tragedies and natural disasters. The author says that â€Å"the worst consequences of environmental degradation are visited on the homes, workplaces, families, and bodies of the poor†. Nowadays more than 12% of the US population is behind the poverty line. (Poverty & the Environment 2006) References â€Å"Poverty & the Environment†. (2006, February 13). Retrieved January 11, 2007, from http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/02/13/pate/index.html â€Å"Warming Trends†. (2007). Retrieved January 11, 2007, from http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/   

Literary Forms in the Book of Job and Ecclesiastes Essay

Literary Forms in the Book of Job and Ecclesiastes - Essay Example The book of Job has numerous frames narrative that arises from the shifts in voice, perspective, language, and scene. The most outstanding of all is the frame narrator who tells the story of Job from the perspective of God’s eye. This is done through the prefacing of the book in Job 1:1 – 2:12, the introduction of most speeches in Job 3 – 42, and giving the conclusion in Job 42 from verse 7 to 17. The perspective of the omniscient narrator is written in prose form, and it stands together with a set of human speeches in Job chapter 3 to 42. It is also written in poetry, and it develops a sense of paradoxical juxtaposition between the human and divine views of Job’s sufferings. The differing sides of Job found on the two sections of the frame (reverent and silent) and the sporadic reaction in the poetic body emphasize the juxtaposition (Enns and Longman 242). The book of Job relies heavily on lament. This literary genre is expressed in the two plays of Job i n chapter 3, 29, 30, and 31. It is important to note that lament is an important characteristic of the Joban arguments. The formal characteristics of lament normally comprise an invocation, questions of reproach, a condemnation of enemies, an affirmation of confidence, assertion of innocence, a vow, hymnist blessings, and praise, recognition of divine response, a petition for help and a description, or complaint of suffering. Lamentations made by Job resemble the accusatory laments made in chapter 10, 13, and 23 of the book of Job (Perdue 94). The lamentations are even more clamorous in criticizing God for the unjust maltreatment of an innocent and just person. In addition, from the lamentation made by Job, there are no prospects for future redemption but only the ultimate outcome of eternal death. The political role of lamentations in that period was to merge the nation as one people who relied on the divine salvation through the monarchy. Lamentations also created an outlet throug h which defeat and difficulties disappointments would be expressed. However, lamentations by Job are generally accusations against God’s justice and an attempt to bring down the conceptual model of the temple’s function in effecting divine redemption. With the denial of God’s justice, this priestly spirituality collapsed (Perdue 95). In the book of Job, dialogue is the most important literary form, and in this case, it is an argument resulting to a heated debate. Job’s passionate attack on his opponents entails ridicule and show of direct allegations of fear and foolish reliance on a disproven hermeneutic of vengeance. Job blames them of senselessly defending the justice of God who abuses the righteous and his creation. The opponents refuse to give in to Job’s accusations and argue that Job must have done something bad that resulted to his suffering. From their arguments, it is very clear that the victim (Job) deserves whatever suffering he is goin g through (Perdue 95). The book of Job expresses a bold stroke in attaining the support of a significant number of exiles, that is, the manner in which we would be ready for a new sociopolitical certainty to come into existence. The book was not just based on theological debate or a theoretical explanation of the issues of innocent

Importance of Smoke Alarms in Homes Research Paper

Importance of Smoke Alarms in Homes - Research Paper Example This paper will outline the significance of installing smoke alarms in homes as a means to secure them from risks of potential fires. A fire disaster is a dreaded situation, which can result from gas leaks, short-circuits or overheated appliances. Smoke alarms are very helpful in considerably reducing the chances of fire hazards in homes. However, there are many households that have neglected to install smoke alarms, despite their life-saving potential and low cost, or have been careless in maintaining the installed detectors. Like any other battery-operated device, smoke alarms also require regular maintenance to ensure that they are in good operating condition and have sufficient batteries at the time of a hazardous situation (UL 2011). Effective and reliable smoke alarms are easily available at reasonably low prices; whereas more advanced models can be linked to a security system that automatically notifies the fire department. According to a recent study by the US Fire Administra tion (USFA), the number of household fires has increased on a year-on-year basis by almost 2%, resulting in an overall loss of over 2,500 lives and 6.5 trillion dollars (USFA 2011). Another research, carried out by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has estimated that 96% of all households have a smoke alarm present, but only 70% of these are in working condition. However, from the 400,000 household fires that have been approximately reported, 72% of the deaths were caused by either an unmaintained or missing smoke alarm (NFPA 2011). Most of these fires also cause injuries, which may result in disfigurement and other mental effects (Miller et al. 1982). A working smoke alarm  doubles  the chances of survival from a fire (NFPA 2011). The majority of fire hazards take place at night, especially when people are asleep and may not detect the spreading smoke or fire. Smoke alarms keep that risk down by alerting everyone in the household when smoke is detected. It helps t he occupants find a safe passage out of their homes, before they become trapped in the fire. Most of the deaths that take place are usually due to suffocation from smoke or other gaseous substances, which are invisible to the human eye and can spread rapidly around the house. Hence, without smoke alarms, smoke is likely to go unnoticed, especially during the night, posing a great threat to the occupants of the house (DOS 2007). However, with a functioning smoke detector, the residents can easily discover and sense if there is smoke spreading in the house and save themselves and their loved ones from possible dangers. Smoke alarms do not prevent fires, but because they provide warnings of small fires, or smokes, that can be easily extinguished, they reduce the number of fires that become serious enough to cause injuries or burns, leading to fatalities. In a recent tragic incident, a family was using a space heater to heat their house. Their house did not have a smoke alarm installed. Unfortunately, the heater malfunctioned, causing a small local fire, which went unnoticed due to the absence of a smoke alarm. The fire spread rapidly, and in a couple of minutes, the fire had engulfed the house completely, trapping the whole family inside it. Sadly, by the time the fire department arrived at the scene, the family members were critically injured. They were immediately shifted to a hospital, where three children succumbed to their injuries and passed away. The parents are still recovering

Performance management plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Performance management plan - Essay Example Conclusions and recommendations 11 7. References 13 8. Appendices 15 I. Tables 15 II. Figures 17 Executive Summary: The report is an analysis of performance management system at the multinational IT giant Accenture. The analysis was carried out on the basis of learning from literature related to a comprehensive performance management. Literature teachings highlight following points about effective performance management: 1. Performance management is a comprehensive process of assessing organizational performance with respect to all its stakeholders. 2. The Balanced Score Card system provides a comprehensive and flexible framework to translate organizational strategies to measurable objectives. 3. The Management By Objectives approach provides a good model to manage performance at individual level. 4. Performance measurement is only a part of performance management. 5. Performance management comprises of all activities that enhance employee motivation, commitment, performance and lear ning. Thus, approaches such as performance appraisals, performance development plans, feedback, performance review etc should focus towards enhancing employee commitment, motivation, performance and learning. These points have been applied to performance management system at Accenture in order to assess its, and the same is validated with information obtained from web sources related to the company. 1. Introduction Effective performance management

Cutting edge material - interior design Assignment

Cutting edge material - interior design - Assignment Example The natural cooling element in sports apparel is among the cutting edge fabric technology of this time. Technical apparel fabrication from the company VIRUS is a good example of such technology. The fabric is used to reduce the skin surface temperatures (Poon, 2014). The fabric becomes the athlete’s friend at high temperatures (Poon, 2014). It can reduce the temperature on the skin by up to 5 degree Celsius (Poon, 2014). It is made my recycled jade shavings and has apparently no negative impact on skin. Cowhide rugs can adorn your walls and floors with elegance. They are fashionable and convenient as they are very easy to clean (Shackelford, 2013). One can put them in libraries, halls, family rooms and just about anywhere. If one spill something on them, the stain be easily cleaned with dry cloth or paper towel (Shackelford, 2013). If the stain is a tough one, use a wet cloth. Sticky and dried up stains can come off easily by brushing them off. Poon, Cassidy. â€Å"VIRUS – Cutting Edge Action Sport Performance Apparel launches in Australia.† LinkedIn. N.p. 2014. Web. 26 August 2014 https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140407100610-13040073-virus-bleeding-edge-fabric-technology-to-the-action-sport-athlete. Renzi, Jen. "Joseph La Pianas Mesmerizing Rugs for Patterson, Flynn & Martin."Architectural Digest. N.p., 2013. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.

Engineering accomplishments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Engineering accomplishments - Essay Example In the year 2004, the EEG Simecsol, under Eiffage Construction, the main contractor, completed the Millau Viaduct project, the most beautiful bridge in the world today. The project kicked off in the year 2012 when the Foster and Partners Company completed their design work and handed their plan to the construction company. The bridge is located in South West France, constructed across the River Tarn Valley. Apart from being one of the largest bridges, its features are unique and completely designed expertly. The most unique features of the bridge are the seven reinforced concrete pylons, whose height range between 78 and 245 metres, supporting 32m wide steel super structure. The hollow box girders and the steel pylons carrying the stay cables make it a heavy and stable structure. This bridge has become a source of public attraction in France as many people come to see the world most beautiful bridge. The engineering perspective of this bridge shows the development of the metal-streng thening technology and new ways of meshing the support structure in the construction industry (Matthew Para. 1). Therefore, the bridge is rated as one of the greatest construction and civil engineering achievements in the 21st century. Another engineering achievement is the QingZang Tibet Railway built in China. This railway traverses across permafrost land on a very high altitude. From the start, the engineers knew that the project was a big challenge especially given to the terrain and the unfavorable weather conditions of the land. For many years, the Chinese engineers had sought solution to how this project would succeed as it was an urgent project that aimed at connecting the Chinese business market. However, the project delayed due to the challenges that way laid the construction of such a railway. The railway spans between Golmud and Lhasa, traversing a tough landscape.

Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation Assignment

Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation - Assignment Example The organization has a rich history which dates back to the industrial revolution. The company was founded on September 19, 1759. The human capital of the firm is what has made this organization so successful. The biggest companies in the world are recognized by their talent and the attitude of their people (Martinez, 2014). The global workforce of the firm is composed of 49,700 employees. The majority employees of the firm are located in the UK and Europe. GKN has operations in 33 countries across five continents. GKN has expanded its operations using both wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. The strategy of the organization is to maximize shareholder value by growing its earnings, dividends paid to shareholders, and maintaining sustainable growth in sales, profitability, and cash generation (Gkn, 2015). A main competitor of the company is Meggit PLC. Meggit PLC is a global engineering company that specializes in extreme environment components and smart sub-systems for aerospace and energy markets (Meggit, 2015). The global workforce of this firm is composed of 10,000 employees and the operations of the company are located across Asia, Europe, North America, Brazil, India, and the Middle East. One of the goals of the corporate governance initiatives of the company is to maintain internal control. The board of directors of the company is composed of nine members. Kevin Cummings is the chief executive officer (CEO) of the firm. Within the board of directors there are four committees. These four committees are the executive committee, audit committee, remuneration committee and nominations committee. Over the last few years three of the awards that the company has won include Quality Achievement Award 2013, Excellent Quality Supplier Award, and Fords certification for manufacturing excellence. GKN generated revenues of  £7,136 million of 2013. The revenues of the company

International Economics paper Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International Economics paper - Article Example They should also change their message by not reinforcing fears but reassuring citizens that trade is just one of many forces that affect their lives and government's role is to help them adapt to change. WTO should encourage governments address barriers to competition within countries. The victims of restrictive practices are consumers inside each country who must pay higher prices because of a less competitive market. These barriers also harm exporters and foreign consumers. Liberalizing should address investment restrictions too. There are fears insufficient investment restriction encourages companies to relocate to lower wage countries, but people should understand foreign direct investment would go from rich countries to other rich countries rather than poor ones. Nevertheless, there are differences between views people have in the U.S. and the views people have in most developing countries about the WTO and trade liberalization. In developing countries people fear that increase trade liberalization will lead developed countries to take advantage of their resources. In the U.S., the perception is that increased free trade will lead to a loss of sovereignty. Litan, Robert. Moving Towards an Open World Economy: The Next Phase. 6 Dec. 2009.

Explain Christian views on suicide Essay Example for Free

Explain Christian views on suicide Essay In a broad sense suicide can be defined as, â€Å"the act of intentionally ending your life.† However, there are many different types of suicide. Durkheim identified four kinds: egoistic suicide, which is the result of feeling one’s life is meaningless; altruistic suicide, the act of giving one’s life for the greater good; anomic suicide, the result of a major social change that disrupts a person’s sense of order; and fatalistic suicide, the results of excessive regulation, when one’s future is pitilessly blocked by oppressive discipline, such as in a prison or dictatorship. Christians believe that all life is sacred, and therefore the vast majority of denominations are against all forms of suicide. In examining the reasons behind this, a good place to start is the Christian teaching on the sacredness of human life. Christians believe in the sanctity of life, meaning that all human life is created in God’s image and has intrinsic worth. The Decalogue teaches, â€Å"Do not kill.† This includes killing oneself. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 7:17 states, â€Å"Be not over much wicked, neither be you foolish: why should you die before your time?† Prematurely ending your life prevents the believer from serving God to his full potential. This idea is backed up in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16, â€Å"Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?† Christians reject the idea of total bodily autonomy, meaning that they do not believe we have the right to do whatever we want with our bodies. The Bible suggests that our bodies are not our own, but God’s, and therefore we do not have the right to destroy them. Historical church fathers have held consistently negative views on suicide. Augustine was one of the first to publically speak out against it. He opposed it because we have a duty of selfà ¢care arising from natural inclination and we have a debt of love that we owe to others. In The City of God he wrote, â€Å"certainly he who kills himself is a homicide, and so much guiltier of his own death, as he was more innocent of that offence for which he doomed himself to die.† To take one’s own life into one’s hands and act precipitously by committing suicide is to look away from God (a final and definitive refusal of trust in God and a denial of trust in his providence, by the very nature of the act itself excluding any subsequent repentance/penance). Furthermore, Aquinas was also against suicide. In Summa Theologica he set forth three reasons why suicide is immoral. Firstly, it is contrary to natural law. Secondly, suicide does injury to the common good because the person’s community will suffer. Thirdly, it is a sin against God because life is God’s gift to man. For it belongs to God alone to pronounce sentence of death and life, according to Deuteronomy 32:39, â€Å"I will kill and I will make to live.† However, there is one form of suicide that some Christians would accept, and that is altruistic suicide in the form of martyrdom or self-sacrifice. Jesus taught that, â€Å"Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.† For example, in Judges Samson brings down a temple killing both himself and the Philistines. Augustine said that suicide was rooted in pride and lack of charity, whereas martyrdom is commendable and for the good of others. The different Christian denominations are generally unified when it comes to views on suicide. In the Roman Catholic Church it is regarded as a mortal sin, and the Catechism asserts, Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life.† The Presbyterian Church would hold a similar view, as the Westminster Confession reads, â€Å"The sins forbidden in the sixth commandment are, all taking away the life of ourselves, or of others, except in the case of public justice, lawful war, or necessary defence.† Even though they clearly teach that suicide is a sin, it is not an unpardonable sin. Salvation is by grace alone and if one is truly saved, nothing (not even suicide) can separate them from Jesus. The United Methodist Church believes that suicide is not the way life should end, but would be hesitant to label it a sin. Therefore, they denounce the condemnation of people who commit suicide, and do not believe surviving family should be stigmatised. Modern psychology has impacted the Christian view of suicide. In the past Christians were guilty of separating physical and mental illness and although they were in support of treatment for physical ailments, they were wary of psychiatric treatment. Even today some fundamentalist churches would see illnesses such as depression as purely spiritual afflictions. In the wake of high profile suicides such as Rick Warren’s son Matthew, most leaders are encouraging the Church to acknowledge that matters of depression and suicide are medical in nature and should be addressed no differently than other physical illnesses. They imply that to do otherwise promotes stigma, shame and restricts the believer’s access to appropriate care. Another reason why Christians are against suicide is the profound negative effect it can have on other people. Suicide does not just harm the person who dies, it is a form of bereavement even more devastating than usual because the family will forever agonise over what led the person to take their life, and if they could have prevented it. This is especially so if the family discover the body or witness the suicide. Suicide can damage close communities such as schools and churches. Wyatt said that, â€Å"suicide can have devastating effects on others. In fact, it can be one of the most selfish and destructive acts anyone can perform.†

On Henrik Ibsen’s Nora in a “Doll’s House” Essay Example for Free

On Henrik Ibsen’s Nora in a â€Å"Doll’s House† Essay Henrik Ibsen displays the effect of society’s standard on an ideal family through the interesting characters in his play. Its story lingers on the loveless marriage of Nora and Torvald, and the lives of the supporting characters of the play as they portray society’s take on sexual prejudice and the role it plays on the family unit. Moreover, the story brings out a message that people are not always what they seem on the outside and on first encounters. In the Laws of Morality as presented by Ibsen, individuals had different dilemmas such that a character was developed and recognized in accordance to how he/she deals with it. An individual’s character is not inherited and thus, developed by personal endeavors or one’s own exertion. In today’s community, morality is typically focused on institutions rather than individuals; however the two are inextricably linked. Respect for an individual’s freedom and identity is necessary to sustain mental saneness which is more likely to protect individual freedoms. One such significant character in the play is the protagonist, Nora. Initially, she is introduced in the play as a somewhat childish and submissive wife of the Helmer household. Nora’s husband who constantly refers to her as his â€Å"little squirrel† (Ibsen) or â€Å"skylark† (Ibsen) is constantly implying and enforcing his views of a proper wife on her. This in turn makes the audience think that Nora is a highly dependent wife who relies on her husband’s approval. As the play progresses, Nora displays a rather courageous feat that she has hidden from her family. She had in the past associated with Krogstad on committing fraud to find finances needed in the rehabilitation of her husband’s poor health. To pay for the debts, she works secretly to ensure this. Nora is thrown into a traumatic chaos when Krogstad threatens to reveal their crime in exchange for a favor. She is further set off balance when her husband’s reaction turns out to be the complete opposite of what she hoped for. This circumstance makes her realize the disillusions she had of her marriage and that she has yet to find her true self as an independent being. Having lived an overly protected life under the care of her father and then her husband, she comes to understand that she is living not the life that she wants but of what they have imposed on her. The play ends with Nora leaving her family to embark on a mission to rediscover what she has truly wanted for herself all along. Psychological Effect Due to Unacceptance Nora is first seen as a person who is happy and contented to be the loyal wife and doting mother. While trying to meet the demands of what the society and her husband refers to a proper wife, she deliberately tries to rebel in small ways by lying to her husband about small matters such as eating sweets. Lying on such small things is seen to be psychologically disturbing for Nora, since all things she does seemed to be disapproved by her husband. She later realizes that she was never fully happy and contented living the life that others have arranged for her. Her personal foundation is being individually attached to the community having different cultures, beliefs and fashion preferences compared to hers such that, most of her decisions, likes and dislikes were greatly affected and influenced by the opinions and preferences of the community evolving around her. During the span of her marriage life, she wasn’t allowed and therefore feared to practice her true individual character. Though freedom is something an individual enjoys and is the absence of oppression, it should be practiced that where there is freedom, there is responsibility. This put her in a state of initially accepting her state of living, thus, accomplishing what the community around her believes as a rightful wife to Torvald. However, she discovers that she has been living a lie, hiding the other side of her true personality to the people who were supposed to be her family. Her husband, who she trusted to respond in her honor broke her trust and was more worried on how other people would see the family if they were to know of the crime that she has committed. Freedom is described as rights to personal security, personal expression, and political participation and it is in this respect, that Nora’s freedom of expression of was limited. The Doll in Distress Finding out that she has lost an important part of herself in an empty marriage is a distressing trauma that a lot of people like her deal with. She feels like she has lived an almost empty life as Torvald’s doll and that all her efforts for her husband to appreciate and understand her have proved to be useless. She had lived a life of a doll, where she does what she was told inside the doll house. The shelter that she once considered her home is such a doll house where there are to emotions living and even lingering inside her doll family. Given the traumatic experiences that she has experienced, there is a possibility that she will encounter depression. Moreover, these bouts of depression can lead to possible mental disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. We have take note that when she decided to leave her husband, she surmised that their children were better off with their father and not with her. This already tells us that she has also lost her confidence as a good mother to her children. Due to her depressing state, she had taken of towards her freedom, leaving of the great responsibility of being a mother behind her. Such confidence of being a good mother was destroyed due to her situation, carrying her battered morale and vanishing self esteem with her. Leaving the Doll House As Nora breaks out and breaks free from the emotionless house, there is sense of strong will to be, putting a great effort of almost forgetting the family and life she had been attached to for years. In Ibsen’s plot, she placed Nora of having acquired a sense of free willingness by letting go a huge part of her life. In the last part of the play, Nora developed the free willingness to make a big step towards recognizing an emotion that is happening to her and being aware of its effect around her. Tuning in and being aware to her every emotion or feelings makes her manage them enabling her to be confident in her worth and capabilities. Being aware of her self makes her confidently use her abilities. Being aware of ones self and emotions makes her a free willed person. Henrick Ibsen finally ended the play with a display of triumph on Nora’s side, being able to show her true individuality despite of Torvald’s disapproval and concern of the reaction of the community around them, which is in great contrast of the true story where the husband had demanded for a divorce and Nora, who was mentally and emotionally agitated, had a nervous breakdown and confined in a mental institution. Conclusion For sheltered people like Nora, breaking out of their safe zone and embarking on a new environment is a terrifying endeavor. They are more vulnerable to fallbacks because being independent is something that they will have to learn for themselves for the first time on their own. Coping up with stress is harder when a person is unaided. Although she has displayed a great deal of courage by clearly defying the wishes of her husband and leaving altogether the household it is therefore inevitable an emotional pit. It is therefore important that although she has decided to leave the household to be independent, she should be in a place where close acquaintances are available for her emotional support system. In these day and age, support systems in the mental health department are already accessible. Compared to the olden days, it is no longer a taboo issue when one seeks a psychiatrist’s help to clear one’s mindset and consult professionals on how to healthily cope up with stress. People who had experiences like Nora then should not hesitate to consult these services if ever they feel that they need it. More importantly, it is essential that they surround themselves with people who know their plight and not isolate themselves. Individuals are important members of a community for a single community is a composition of different individuals. Being individuals of one community, we are now evolving in a community with different likes, dislikes, culture and tradition. The Helmer’s personal foundation is being individually attached to the community of the same cultures, beliefs and fashion preferences, thus, most of their decisions, likes and dislikes, their way of living were affected by the opinions and preferences of the community evolving around them. So even if an individual is a part of a community, there is a big difference between an individual and a member of a community. In a lonely Doll World, it is therefore important by having an awareness of using our abilities to bring optimum results by understanding others as an individual and try out for better ways rather than stereotyping. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. The Project Gutenberg eBook, A Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius. 29 March 2005. The Project Gutenberg. 14 April 2007 http://www. gutenberg. org/files/15492/15492-h/15492-h. htm

Macro And Micro Environment Analysis Of Ford Motors

Macro And Micro Environment Analysis Of Ford Motors Introduction Ford Motor Company (Ford) is the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, operating in 200 markets across six continents. The brand includes Ford, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Ford also sells luxury sport car Aston Martin. The company primarily based in the US and Europe and employs 246,000 people as on Dec 2007. The goal of Ford is to build products that are immensely desirable so that they get profit. They also do this by increasing number of new product from around the world. On 2007 fiscal year, the company recorded $172,455 mill revenue, increase of 7.7% over 2006. But however, the net loss was $2723 mill in 2007, compared to $12,613 mill in 2006, with operating profit of $5631 mill in 2007 as comparison of $8,190 mill in 2006( datamonitor). Macro and Micro Environment Analysis Industry Analysis: Overall the industry is segmented by the type of vehicles; Motorcycles 5.8%, Passengers cars 69.5% and light truck 24.7%. The faces tough competition with Daimler, Chryster AG, Fiat, General Motor, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Suzuki. In which Ford motor company has the market share of 9.4% ( datamonitor, 2009). The industry fluctuated over 2004-2007 affected by global economic downturn and declined in 2008. However, the performance is predicted to accelerate with compound annual growth rate of 4.4% for 5 yr period of 2008-2013 to a value of $1,831 billion by end of 2013. Despite US Govt. providing billions of dollars to Fords rival GM and Chrysler, Ford is OK with the situation. Despite its loss in 2008 and dwindling cash supply, Ford is widely expressed in media as financially stable  [1]  . PEST Analysis: Political: The Company has to go with rules and regulations formulated by the government such as CO2 Tailpipe Regulation. Companies get respect from government for powered IWO wheelers. Ford has to go through the European Union vehicle approval. Economic: Depression hits the Automobile industry. Ford, GM and Chrysler face problem in this situation. Factors such as Central London congestion charge, call to become all gas guzzlers , European union reduced pollution certificate and London low emission zone affect the manufacturing of the Ford cars. Social: There has been growth in road traffic slowing. Society is concerned with more green cars to be sold. Road safety for everyone should be considered by Ford. Technology: New technologies like using bio-fuels and digital radio should be considered. Ford has invested in car safety. Similarly, Ford also invested in CO2 reducing technology. SWOT Analysis: The companys strong brand portfolio gives it a competitive advantage. Strengths: Ford has a strong brand portfolio and engineering capabilities. Ford has wide network of distributors and dealers and high employee productivity. Ford operates in an industry which has customer who highly value brands who believe strong portfolio of established brand gives competitive advantage which helps in brand equity. This helps in launching new product range and penetrating in new automobile markets. Weaknesses: Ford faces continued decline in market share in US from 20.5 % in 2003 to 15.6% in 2007 similarly in UK 19.5% (0.3% down from previous year in 2006). This was due to increased competition, industry moving away from traditionally stronger segment, reduced vehicle sales, daily rental companies, and discontinuation of companys vehicle lines. Likewise Ford got 3 complaints on leaking fuel or oil ignition. Several product recalls inadequate quality assurance and quality control system and declining operating efficiency and weak returns (datamonitor). Opportunities: Ford Company has the opportunity to expand in India and China. Company launches new models often now and then according to the choices of customers. They can produce hybrid vehicles. They face increasing demand of dual fuel vehicle. Threats: The profitability of the business relies on performance of the economy in which the company operates. If EU and US shows economic slowdown continuously the companys business will face negative impact. Similarly, sluggish light vehicle produced in the developed market also acts as a threat. The company also need to consider EU vehicle regulations. Porters Five Forces Analysis: Buyers in the automotive industry are large with significant financial power. Buyers power of dealers is affected by brand strength of top market players. An increase in raw materials costs put pressure in both market players and suppliers. Barriers of government regulations high fixed costs exit barrier puts new entrants into difficulties. Competition arises as a result of economic downturn. Buyer Power: Buyers in this industry have financial strength, if its high, they can make large purchase and put pressure to reduce prices. But Brand strength weakens buyer power. Retailers like distributor have one market player and thus buyer power is reduced. Overall the buyer power is moderate. Supplier Power: Supplier of raw material, assembled and semi assembled, energy like- steel, aluminium. The power of suppliers is strengthened further by the necessities of the automobile industry requirement of raw materials of high quality. Reliance of supplier is minimized by different companies. The power over all is moderate. New Entrants: Small firms are unlikely to enter in this industry which needs intellectual property. Entry is further made difficult by getting distribution channels. Similarly, company has to meet government requirements and invest on continuous development. The threat is moderate. Substitute: Used cars acts as substitutes. However, affordable power diminishes used cars. Awareness of environmental issues and climate change might lead people to walk, cycle and use public transport. The companies are making hybrid( petrol, electric) cars. Overall the threat is weak. Rivalry: Competition in this industry remains fierce, among the top 4 market players 38% of market value. Toyota, GM , Daimler and Ford. High fixed price exit barriers raw materials costs lead to unpredictable production costs and post pressure on market players. Most company produce diverse range of cars .The rivalry is very strong. Marketing strategy option for Ford Motors Social Responsibility and Ethical Marketing Communication: Ford emphasises on being a good corporate citizen, by focusing on the global community by understanding envirionmental issues and investing on people. Similarly, organise programmes to promote tolerance and equal opportunities and support social and environmental protection programmes. In 2006, Ford was the first automotive manufacturer to produce dedicated hydrogen fuel V-10 engines. (datamonitor). Ford introduces new vehicles which offer fuel economy and reduced environmental impact. In Britain, from April 2009, the government encourage the manufacturer to produce cleaner cars, and Ford should adopt the policy and motivate customers to opt for least polluting cats  [2]  . In short- run, they focus on clean diesel engines, hybrids, flexible fuel vehicle ethanol vehicles and turbo charged direct injection Eco Boast- Superior performance, which provide 20 % better fuel economy, 15% fewer CO2 emissions. In the long run Ford has invested in plug in hybrids, fuel cells, hydrogen internal combustion engines, advanced technology. Ford believes that these are right and responsible things which would give customers better goods. Target Markets and Segmentations: Ford has broken down its diverse markets into two manageable segments, Financial and Automotive services. Inside these more segments on geographic and organisational structure. Similarly Ford attracts younger demographic. Automotive: Ford segments its customers based on the car types- passenger cars, trucks, buses and vans, sports vehicles, accessories, after sale parts, maintenance and vehicle repair services. This business division consists of design, development, manufacture, sale and service of trucks, cars and service parts. Hence make small, medium, large and premium ranges. This segment is further divided into geographically, Ford North America, Ford South America, Ford Europe, Premier Automotive group, ford Asia Pacific and Africa Mazda. Each has their own manufacturing process, like- Ford North America- design, develop, manufacture and service vehicle ad parts. They have servicing as maintenance and light repair, collision, vehicle accessories and service warranty. Financing Service Segments: These include financing products to and through automotive dealers. Three categories- retail financing, purchase retail instalment sale contracts and retail lease contract from dealers and offering financing to commercial customers. Similarly, they offer loans to dealers to finance the purchase of vehicle inventory. External marketing communication: Ford develops advertising, sales promotion, sponsorship and merchandising programs  [3]  . Fords advertising policy is do best by building and selling the most innovative cars and trucks  [4]  . Ford adopted Bold Moves campaign, a form of transparent marketing( via webisodes , the assessment of past and present performances), emotional appeals (interview with employees) and product oriented work with an emphasis on drivers than steel metal. Ford has done Sync campaigns  [5]  which deals with TV and radio commercials, print and online advertisement, a promotional tone and dealership training which targets Black and Hispanic consumers. Chris Brown appeal young urban consumers. Give radio commercials Online sync with chrisbrown.com- launched Nov 12, 2007. Columbian Rocker Jaunes Multicultural marketing communications Emphasis on digital promotion. Ford adopts mantra of Change or Die which has reached the parent company of its largest advertising agencies  [6]  . The company hires best talented employees, consultants and contract workers, who are devoted to administrative, media and band experience service. Using ad agencies for delivery would promote the most stunning product. Mark Fields, Fords President of America, focus on customers needs and brands. Ford spends $757.5 million to advertising in US media on 2005. Automakers like Ford, GM are the biggest budget cutters in media and advertising. Ford cut their spending on Hispanic media more deeply in fourth quarter which feel 31.2% last year to $46 .7 million, but according to RNS it is still continuing a long tradition as the executive car sponsor for Univision blockbuster Sabado Ginate show. In April 4, in this show the Host Francisco drive the new 2010 ford Fusion to the studio and hosted Ford Fusion game to give away a new car to a winner in the studio audience  [7]  . In UK, Ford sponsors events like UEFA champions- football tournaments and charities. They sponsor various events and organisations from family fantasy, Disneyland Paris to 60 year old musical and military prowess, the Edinbrugh Tattoo. The sponsorship focus on all the target markets form children to elderly, which shows that company is building image in the community as a form of goodwill for the company itself. Recently Ford Company launched Ford Focus, the commercial is beautifully made. The Ford Focus Orchestra- in which musicians are shown playing the instrument made from the real car parts. The main aim of this advertisement is to show customers that all the car parts are important and has best quality. The journey made with this car would never make you feel long with the experience of comfort cabin with striking exterior and improved technology. Primary Survey Analysis: Customers: As research done on the customers of Ford Cars, most customers are influenced by friends and family. They are likely to buy cars which are recommended by peers. Thus company can focus on giving best service and product to all target customers and also positive word of mouth communication (message is transmitted from the sender to many receivers, Pickton and Broderik). Similarly, customers look after the style and comfort of the cars, like size- 4 wheelers, small for single individual. What they look for is the use of cars like vans, trucks and their storage, capacity, fuel, engine, warranty. So, what Ford needs to understand is the needs and wants of the customers. Likewise, customers are influenced by the advertisement in the cars and magazines. Advertisements which use celebrities are likely to influence more customers. Ford uses cars in James Bond movies, science fiction drama Fringe  [8]  . Ford can adopt celebrity endorsement, using celebrity as a spokes person for project (Pickton and Broderick). Customers are also influenced by the established brand name. They look after the brand loyalty and its strength in the market (Allan K). Sales person influence the most when customers visit showrooms, the form of direct marketing- persuading and informing customers at the spot. Therefore, Ford can invest in best customer service personnel and give training to employees. Recommendations Klara Roberts argues that even though all the promotional activities Ford have done so far, will not help sales grow  [9]  . There are more marketing communications mix (internet advertising, direct marketing and e- commerce, sales promotions, sponsorship etc.) to be adopted to communicate directly with target markets (Seminik R. J.). Managing Corporate Identity: Ford can maintain the image of being dynamic, goal- orientated, attention-getting, active and pioneering .According to the Chris Fill, 2002, Ford has many stakeholders and small corporate gap and hence can adopt incremental process in maintaining this gap. Similarly, Ford should try to be a good corporate citizen, by managing corporate identity among various stakeholders, like- employees, local community and government. All the promotional and marketing activities done by the companies are based on maintaining corporate image. Push Promotional Strategy: Ford can adopt this strategy, a form of promotional effort by the manufacturer or suppliers to encourage trade channel members to promote and sell their products (Pickton and Broderick). Sales forces, internal part of communication, can be targeted as the main form of push strategy. Pull Promotional Strategy: Ford can also adopt pull strategy, a form of promotional effort to end customers and consumers to demand more by adding benefits and other activities (Pickton and Broderick). Such as discount promotion- a process of discounting the price for the product so that customers are encouraged to buy however this involves financial aspects (Hans and Duncan) . Similarly, they can improve on their weaknesses to minimize product recall and improve product efficiency which adds benefits. Relationship Marketing: Ford can put its emphasis on relationship marketing, between various stakeholders. They can focus on delivering more to the target customers by being more specific. As researched on the consumers, they are affected by the positive word of mouth marketing. Ford should focus on customer relationship management (positive communication and long term customer relationship management, Hans and Duncan). Even though they give services like financing, service and maintenance, they can add more features like style and safety. Brand Strategy: Most customers considers brand before making purchase decision. What Ford can invest in establish long term brand image by using more of communications mix which are explained further. This will help as a source of competitive advantage and create entry barrier. Brand strategy helps in improving the product by introducing innovative technology (Semenik). Similarly, Ford can also look for brand future, by adjusting in future changes in legislation, technology consumer patterns (Pickton and Broderick). Business 2 Business Marketing: This form of marketing acts as a lead generator, brand awareness and relationship development. If Ford fails to recognize the trade customers, they looses the first line customers. The agencies should change their cultures break down barriers and generate new marketing initiatives and creative ad content. Promotional Mix/ Intergrating Marketing Communication Mix: Analysing Ford Company, we can see that they have adopted various forms of promotional mix such as advertising, sponsorship. However, they can invest more on these factors and decide on what to adopt ( Kotler and Keller). Advertising Expenditure: Ford can also expend on intermedia (options for deciding media such as cinema, TV, press posters, magazines etc). Ford can target TV commercials (Ford Orchestra) as lots of people see TV everyday during free period. Buying a car is high involvement product where more risk is involved in buying decision (Hierarchy of Effects Model). People look for the best advertisement and are influenced by the positive aspects of commercials. Thus Ford could be more focused on creative advertising procedures. Public Relations: Ford can make an effort in this field by having sound relations with employees during the time of redundancy and closure, which is happening at the current economic downturn. Similarly, Ford can invest in ethical marketing, doing best for the public, like donations, conserving environment. All these helps in dealing with the negative publicity and crisis management and develop to make the corporate image (Pickton and Broderick) and helps brand signatures( Kotler and Keller). Internet Advertising: In Sept. 2008, Google was criticised for charging companies like Ford, for their share of profit in return of internet advertising  [10]  . There are various negative consequences that are faced by company in internet advertising such as fraud and scam. However, Ford can invest in internet advertising through websites which acts as an agent for the car companies. Personal Selling and Sales Management: As a research done on the customers, they are influenced by the presentation of customer service advisors. Similarly, the role of distributor is very important as they act as the main source to deal with the sales and marketing effort (Pickton and Broderick). Future Marketing communications: The form of media is always changing. The generation of use of media depends on the innovation and technology ( Broderick and Pickton). Firstly, there was a use of newspapers, then radio, television and internet. Future is based on the electronic marketing, known as ecommerce. Ford needs to go along with the change in media adaptation by the consumer and thus invest in communication via such medium.

Woman in Combat Essay -- essays research papers

The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. They should be able to hold combat positions beacause although physical strength matters, the military still needs the intelligence that women can bring. Also, banning women from the combat hurts their military careers. Although women account for only ten percent of the enlisted personnel (Time, 8/21/95/ Pg. 31), they are still a major part in the armed forces. Their performance recently has generated support from Congress and the public for enhancing the role of females in the military. During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to fly helicopters, service combat jets, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided bombs. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat. Defense secretary Dick Chaney said "Women have made a major contribution to this [war] effort. We could not have won without them." Leaders in the field agreed. The Gulf War had the largest deployment of women in the armed forces in history. These women encountered the same risks as the men they served with. Twenty one females lost their lives (Holm, Women in Combat: The New Reality, pg. 67-68). In the Persian Gulf, there were no exact positions and all areas were equally vulnerable, so the idea of safe havens for women was not really applicable. By many armed forces policies, females are banned from combat jobs and units, but in the Persian Gulf War females were assigned to battleships, air...

Corruption in the Canturbury Tales by Gefforey Chaucer Essay -- greed,

The Canterbury Tales, penned by Geoffrey Chaucer gives its audiences insight on the corruption that exists to this day in humanity. As you read through the chapters Chaucer reveals the dark sides to supposedly respectable people such as the Summoner, along with people he favors like the Knight, the Wife of Bath, and women in general. His comical descriptions and stories that coincide with each character express his thoughts on real people in his society. My perception of the Summoner’s tale moral is that greed is the root of all evil. The Summoners tale introduces us to a greedy Friar who only begs at the homes of the rich. Instead of praying for the people he meets the Friar erases their names from his tablet after taking advantage of their accommodations and stealing their money. When the greedy Friar makes a stop at Thomas’ home he is greeted by his troubled wife who had recently lost her child, the Friar sees the wife’s vulnerability as an opportunity to make more money and tells her he had a vision of her son in heaven. This leads to Thomas’s wife reaching out to the Friar about her dieing husband being in a nasty mood. Thomas sees the Friars transparency so he questions him about his health â€Å"God knows† said Thomas, I feel no benefit therefrom. So help me, Christ, in the few years I have spent many a pound on all sorts of Friars, yet I never get better. Truly, I have almost used up my mon ey. Farewell by gold it is all gone!† (Page 192-193)The Friar then turns the tables on Thomas and blames his illness on him giving money to other friars â€Å"Why does a man who has a perfect physician need to seek other doctors in the town? Your infidelity has ruined you. Do you think that it insufficient that I, or rather our group, should pra... ...d fair, And take your chance on those who will repair To your house now and then because of me (Or to some other place, it may well be). Choose for yourself the one you'd rather try." (Pages 1119-1125) The Knight seems to have learned his lesson for he leaves the decision up to the old woman, the story ends with the Knight living happily ever after with is beautiful and faithful wife. This story reflects on how strongly Chaucer believed in women’s rights because it reveals women’s desires and opinions. In conclusion, The Canterbury Tales reflects Geoffrey Chaucer’s view on medieval society. From his writings we are able to visualize and learn about different social classes’ from an honest point of view. The Knight, the Wife of Bath, and women character we greatly favored throughout the tales while others were highly unlikeable. Works Cited the cantubury tales

Essay --

Overcome Dyslexia and Become a More Comprehensive Reader Reading comprehension is a skill that has to be learned by most of the population. This includes adults that have been reading for many years. There is a difference between reading and reading comprehension. Read is defined as, â€Å"to look at and understand the meaning of letters, words, or symbols† (Read, 2014). Comprehension is defined as, â€Å"the act or action of grasping with intellect† (Comprehension, 2014). Even as an adult, people may have difficulties with reading comprehension. There can be visual learning disorders such as dyslexia. There are many learning techniques and strategies that can negate or even overcome these visual learning disorders. This paper will discuss a few techniques and strategies that when used can improve reading comprehension such as vocabulary building, effective reading, and reading strategies. With these techniques the road block of dyslexia may no longer be an issue. Dyslexia Misconceptions of Dyslexia The largest misconception is that dyslexia changes the word to read backwards in the reader’s brain. While this is one possible effect, dyslexia covers a wide range in the visual learning disorders. While dyslexia is not limited to a specific gender, race, or age group; it does tend to affect males more than females. Males make up 75 – 80% of people diagnosed with dyslexia (Chivers, 2006, p. 20). Dyslexia has various symptoms that can help diagnose children, students, and even adults. Identifying Dyslexia There are various symptoms that help identify dyslexia; such as poor reading and spelling abilities, switching the directions of letters in words, and problems building short-term memory (Thomson, 2009). There are many other sym... ...ed by most, and how dyslexia can cause problems with reading comprehension. It also discussed ways that we can mitigate these problems for dyslexic people, but these skills can and should be used by all learners. Reading comprehension is a perishable skill, one that if you don’t work on increasing your reading ability by building your vocabulary, learn to read effectively, or using the correct reading strategies for the type of reading material being studied will diminish. Even with the largest vocabulary, if the words are not understood literacy cannot be achieved. Literacy is the key to comprehensive reading. It also gave some of the tools for reading and understanding different types of literature and how to get the important information out of each one. Edmund Burk said â€Å"To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting† (Gallagher, 2003, p. 11).

Back from Madness

The film entitled Back from Madness: The Struggle for Sanity is a full-length documentary that primarily provides the viewers an in-depth view with regard to the world of insanity that few people have ever seen. This documentary focuses on depicting and exploring the personal and/or actual experiences of the four psychiatric patients, namely Todd, Naomi, Glen and Eric, for a couple of years that span from the time they are admitted at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital.The documentary serves as a good piece in assessing the experiences of psychologically-ill individuals and the responses of science in addressing the difficulties faced by the patients. More specifically, it has a great impact on the study and practice of psychology. From an observation of the patients, the four specific criteria of psychological disorders are apparent. The four criteria of psychological disorders are distress, risk, impairment, and socially/culturally unacceptable behavior (Halgin & Whitb ourne, 2007).Distress and impairment is seen from the experience of Glen, who consistently washes his hands and other tasks that require much of his energy in repeated cycles. This makes him feel distressed as it interferes in his daily normal activities. Risk is very obvious for Eric who has fallen into a state of depression that leads him to become suicidal. With his inability to play his instrument, as a part of a major orchestra, he developed fears of failure.Conduct of socially unacceptable behavior is seen in the experience of Naomi who is disturbed by her hallucinations as she claims to hear voices that came from the sky. The voice she hears overpowers her, too. Lastly, Todd engages in socially unacceptable behavior and resists to taking his medicines regularly that consequently leads to him being sent to the hospital and in jail. Two patients that are of worthy attention are Naomi and Glen, who are 23 years old and 53 years old, respectively.Naomi is diagnosed with schizophr enia and shows to be a patient who has hallucinations and delusions. She reports that she sometimes hears people talking even if it does not occur in reality. However, contrary to the usual symptoms of people with schizophrenia, Naomi has normal speech and behavior patterns. She behaves like most of the people and she is not having problems with speaking. Likewise, the way she expresses her emotions is still within the normal range and is in no way different from that of the other people.She desires to be given the right medication in order for her to continue with her studies and live a normal life without suffering from the symptoms of her disease. The other patient, Glen, is diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and shows the typical symptoms of people who are suffering from this illness. He has shown the inability to prevent himself from repeatedly doing things and this behavior has led to distress and leads to disruptions in the daily routine, tasks, and relationships wi th other people.His condition is classified as among those which are severe in nature and requires treatment in order for him to be able to live a normal life and be able to undertake the tasks and responsibilities he has. As for schizophrenia, the common treatments involve psychotherapy and medications, which is both reinforced through the family and the self (Grohol, 2006). As for OCD, it is presently treated through therapy that involves exposure and response prevention and cognitive therapy (â€Å"Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,† 2009).These are among the modern ways of providing health care solutions for the psychologically-ill patients and are in sharp contrast with the approaches that are employed in the past. Historically, people with psychological illnesses are subjected to inhumane procedures such as imprisonment without proper care, activities that are considered as torture today, and drillings in skull with the belief that demons are trapped within the brain of the patients. The approaches today is seen to be based on scientific approaches that warrants empirical evidence through proper diagnosis before treatment is provided.Moreover, the treatments used presently are seen as those which stem from the desires of the early reformers in providing a moral means for addressing the needs of the patient considering that the past treatments are seen to be ineffective. Indeed, continuous research and development in treating psychological problems is a trend that is consistent within the history of abnormal psychology. The documentary is in line with the history of abnormal psychology such that it shows the different approaches in the past in terms of treating the patients and also shows the present-day methods.It is made clear that there are variations in terms of explaining what the illness could be and what the causes are. The transition and the comparison from before to the present day served as the theme of both the history of abnormal psychology and the documentary. In watching the experiences of the three patients, the hardest to watch is that of Todd as he has the different experience compared to the other three patients. Where the three others are able to have the persistence in seeking for medical help, Todd projected himself as the patient who would rather be free and went through refusals in drinking medicines regularly.Among the four patients, he has the least chance of getting better and is less successful in counteracting the symptoms and difficulties felt. Likewise, his experience is more traumatic as his refusal led him to being jailed and hospitalized. It is depressing to know that it is the patient himself who refuses to seek medical help despite the availability and access to such. The documentary, Back from Madness: Struggle into sanity, serves as an important tool in understanding different psychological disorders and the approaches to such.Likewise, the differences highlighted in the before and after is al so an interesting lesson in the field of abnormal psychology. Reference Grohol, J. (2006). Schizophrenia treatment. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from http://psychcentral. com/disorders/sx31t. htm. Obsessive compulsive disorder: symptoms, thoughts and behaviors, and treatment. Retrieved February 11, 2009, from http://www. helpguide. org/mental/obsessive_compulsive_disorder_ocd. htm. R. P. & Whitbourne, S. K. (2007). Abnormal Psychology: Clinical perspectives on psychological disorders (5th Ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Durga puja Essay

Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec register | forgot Bottom of Form Maa Durga Importance of Durga Puja Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec register | forgot Bottom of Form Maa Durga Importance of Durga Puja Different people may have different take on the need and importance of Durga Puja. If one is looking from the traditional point of view then Durga, who is considered as the culmination of energies of the various Gods resembles the victory of the good over the evil. Goddess Durga has not only the powers to destroy evil but also the caring heart of a Mother and is therefore, referred popularly as Maa Durga. She is also referred to as Aditi – the mother of all gods and goddesses. This endearing quality of Durga makes Her so very lovable in the minds of Her followers. From being mother of all creations She equally holds the place of the destroyer. The word Durga means â€Å"durduhkhena gamyate† – destroyer of all evil and ignorance. Modern day importance – the concept of feminist Maa Durga with Her all powering qualities represents the feminist concept of women-power. It calls for the respect of the mother and women in our lives. No where it is important than in India where gender discrimination is still rampant. Durga Pujas and its various traditions like the Kumari Puja send forth an idea to the followers to respect Womanhood. in fkvbrnvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv- vvvvvvvvvverfvkmedcomedcmelmclemclemcklec