The American Dream Reasearch Paper

Zac Duncan Mrs. Hill English 6th February 3, 2013 Many people believe the American Dream today has faded. It is no longer achieved as often as in the past. Although obtaining the Dream has become difficult, people still haven’t stopped pursuing it. Despite the obstacles, the American Dream is still full of hope and enlightenment both financially and emotionally. The American Dream is known for its positive connotation, but there are many obstacles surrounding it. According to, â€Å"Obstacles to the American Dream†, by Eddy Isango, the Dream is toughest for immigrants.Many immigrants have problems learning the English language. When they arrive it is as if they have to start all over. Immigrants also don’t receive state benefits such as health care and food stamps. They have to find jobs that provide these for them, which is tough with the lack of job opportunity and rising cost of living in America. Financial obstacles of the American Dream can be overcome. Riev a Lesonsky encourages people to get over these hills by saying, â€Å"Acknowledge the hard times† (Lesonsky 1). People believe the Dream is changing. â€Å"Today, they say, the ‘dream’ is more likely about making money†, (Lesonsky 1).People have moved towards opening small businesses to achieve their financial dreams. These businesses, over time, increase the revenue of the people. The American Dream is still filling the emotional needs of people. Jeremy Pratt has dealt with a learning disability his whole life, but doesn’t let this stop him from achieving his dream as he says: ‘I’ve always had to work a bit harder than my friends without disabilities,’ says the 28-year-old. ‘But I finally feel like I’m on the way to having what everyone dreams of. ’ Pratt’s diligence in saving money is paying off; he plans to start house hunting as early as 2013. Blatt 1) Jeremy is achieving his life-long goal of buyin g a house filled with his art. He fought through his disability and obtained what he wanted. The American Dream still has appeal to Americans today. People still strive for a better life for themselves and their families. The freedoms of America allow for people to obtain their financial and emotional dreams that they have longed for. Works Cited Blatt, Burton, Jeremy Pratt. Achieving the American Dream. February 5, 2013 Isango, Eddy. Obstacles to the American Dream. February 3, 2013 Lesonsky, Rieva. The American Dream is Alive and Well-and Transformed. February 3,2013

Explore the ways Shakespeare presents Edgar in “King Lear” Essay

An interesting concept is the ways Shakespeare presents Edgar in the play â€Å"King Lear†. Edgar is the legitimate son of Gloucester and his illegitimate brother Edmund, wants to take his father’s land, so he says to his father that Edgar is planning to kill him, and tells Edgar to flee. The role of Edgar changes throughout the play, he plays a symbolic part that who brings out central themes in the play. He supports and reflects the character of Cordelia; because both of the characters have almost been disowned by their fathers, even though both of them have done nothing wrong. The first scene we see Edgar is in plain contrast to his brother Edmund, in Act I scene II, where Edmund first tells Edgar to flee, because he has up set his father, Edgar is presented as gentle and almost placid, which is unlike his brother who comes across as strong and fierce. Shakespeare is showing the two sides of human nature, by giving the two brothers alternate personalities. Shakespeare also presents Edgar as a Christ like figure, the first scene the audience could notice this is act II scene III, where, Edgar decides he must take on a new identity, that of â€Å"Poor Tom† he announces this to the audience; he also announces that he is a wanted person. Throughout this soliloquy, there is an image of Christ on the cross he states â€Å"In contempt of man† this is showing that Edgar believes that man is a dreadful creature. He refers to â€Å"Bedlam beggars† which is men who come from or pretended to come from the hospital of Bethlehem, and were known at the time where the insane gather in London. His decision to opt for this disguise is interesting, in that by copying the life of the unpleasant subjects in Lear’s kingdom is a criticism of Lear’s rule. The last line of the soliloquy Edgar says â€Å"Edgar I nothing am† this is continuing the theme of disappearance, that has occurred so regularly in the play, the word â€Å"Nothing† is used a great deal through out the play, this is make reference to the beginning of the play between Lear and Cordelia, â€Å"Nothing will come of nothing†. However another reader could interpret this as being the beginning of Edgar disguise, and the end of Edgar himself for a period. The feeling of loss is prominent in this scene, as Edgar has lost the natural bond with his father. As Edgar believes so deeply in the value of loyalty, the absence of this central relationship causes Edgar to feel alienated from the world, he has also lost his social position, consequently he is disinherited, and reduced to a beggar, and this echoes the main plot, where Lear is made impoverished, as is too forced to adopt a new identity In act III, Edgar’s identity as â€Å"Poor tom† provides him with a mask to hide behind, and re-evaluate the world from outside the society he used to belong; he can also deal with the chaos of his feelings Another scene where Edgar could be compared to a Christ like figure is Act III scene IV, where Edgar is talking with Lear. Lear addresses Edgar as â€Å"Unaccomodated man† and a â€Å"poor, bare, forked animal† The sight of Edgar dressed as a beggar has bought Lear to the edge of madness himself. Although Lear learns an important lesson, in that his kingdom is not perfect, at this frightening sight. He becomes less self obsessed and, he seems to think that Edgar’s madness comes from the unkindness of daughters; the audience can see this from the quotation â€Å"Hast thou given all to thy two daughters? And art thou come to this?† Edgar makes several references to the Ten Commandments in one speech, â€Å"Obey thy parents†¦ swear not; commit not† which again continues the associations with Christianity. I think this scene must be almost painful to watch as it contains a conversation between a madman and a man pretending to be mad. Shakespeare provides Lear a reflection of his own suffering in the form of Edgar; here we can see that Edgar is central to the role of Lear. In Act IV Edgar saves and revitalises his father Gloucester who has had his eyes removed; Edgar has found a new function, to act as his father’s ‘eyes’ helping him to see literally and metaphorically. Gloucester wishes to commit suicide, by jumping off a cliff, Edgar pretends they are near the edge of the cliff â€Å"for all beneath the moon would I not leap upright† this suggests that Edgar is so near the cliff that he would fall over even if he jumped straight up. He is a striking icon of the better nature. Some critics might see Edgar as his father’s ‘father’, in giving him new life. This redemption of his father is a very Christian act, as it involves compassion and self sacrifice, here again Edgar resembles an analogue of Christ. In act V Edgar acts as his father’s retaliator, and rids the world of his brother Edmund, so again his role changes â€Å"The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to plague us; The dark and vicious place where thee he got Cost him his eyes† Here Edgar is commenting on the impossibility of avoiding punishment for our sins, he could also be seen as the mediator of the gods in punishing evil, as he appeared to be in Act IV. Edgar refers to Gloucester as â€Å"Father† as he is still in disguise, and his father is blind, he presumes that he is calling him â€Å"father† meaning old man, here Edgar, wants to give his father a clue as to his true identity is. Edgar joins the battle which is happening off stage, while his father rests under a tree, he exits and re-enters with the news that â€Å"King Lear hath lost† he tries to tell his father to join him in escaping from the escalating army, Gloucester wishes to stay put to which Edgar replies â€Å"Ripeness is all† which he is referring to ripeness as anticipating death, and we should not do as Gloucester is doing now, by choosing to stay there, expecting death, and that we must accept the time that is laid down for us. Edgar and Cordelia are in almost direct parallel, both are children who are loyal to their parents, but are disowned, by their e more greedy siblings, the only difference between the two characters is that Edgar is left at the end of the play, to rebuild society, and reflect on the tragedy that has occurred. His survival could suggest that better nature has not been completely extinguished, by the gods of evil, as he is still alive, if the gods of evil had prevailed, he might not have made it to the end of the play, Shakespeare has clearly chosen to do this purposefully, to make the tragedy less tragic. Edgar’s role throughout the play could be perceived as death and resurrection, he ‘dies’ as Edgar, when he adopts the role of â€Å"Poor Tom† and ‘rises again’ when he reveals his disguise, becomes Edgar again, and defeats his brother in Act V. His survival at the end of the play, suggests that he may have learned something about his frequent character changes, some might believe hope for the future is the moral of the play, as Edgar has learned all about identity and social prejudice. He possesses the wisdom in youth which Lear so desperately required, but he obtains it too late, in his old age, after his rejected daughter has died.

Reality Television Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Reality Television - Assignment Example Media provides knowledge through a never-ending list of channels like News, history, education, sports and so on. Initially, this field was restricted only to professionals. But with the advent of reality television shows, normal people found their way to participate and contribute towards media development. The initial efforts were first applied for on-air voice shows and after their resounding success made way into the visual screen; television. Reality television shows, which show real life, are generally unscripted drama or real events pictures on ordinary people rather than professional actors. In addition, hundreds of reality TV websites are devoted to keeping viewers informed about a different range of TV programmes related merchandise, news, and fan activities1. Ever since TV gained popularity, it is the fore-runner among media development giving a real-time account of happenings in the world. Based on featuring style, purpose and used situations, these shows can be broadly classified in categories like documentary-style, elimination game/quiz shows, self-improvement/makeover, dating shows, talk shows, hidden camera, and hoaxes2. There are lots of controversies regarding reality TV about being real. Many accidents happened during shows. And even many people don’t like it due to various reasons. Sometimes these persons are family members of a participant. In spite of these many obstacles, reality TV business in expanding daily and gaining more and more popularity. Reasons for this is its use to ordinary people, many social issues raised and many more. Next sections explain about reality TV in detail and convince the reader about how reality TV efficiently deals with issues like work, home, public, domestic, competition, co-operation, relationships, betrayal, deception, testing, trust, success, winning, failure, celebrity, voyeurism, surveillance and control.   Documentary style cinema and television shows are like ‘window on the world’ for their audiences.  

The Human Stain, the Film by Robert Benton Movie Review

The Human Stain, the Film by Robert Benton - Movie Review Example   The film introduces Nathan Zuckerman, who leads a lonely life in New England due to his divorce and illness. Then Coleman Silk (protagonist), who is a professor expelled from his profession, is introduced by the director. He was expelled from his profession due to racist remarks. This incident affected his family life and he lost his wife. So he decided to write a book with the help of Nathan Zuckerman. When Coleman met Faunia Farley (divorced woman), his decision to write a book on the problems faced by him becomes unimportant. The individuals who are behind Coleman’s problem began to interfere into their relationship. When Lester (say, Faunia's ex-husband) enters, the plot thickens because he unveils Faunia's past. Lester reveals Faunia’s role in the accident which killed their children. Later, the viewers come to know that Coleman’s ancestry is rooted African American community and he was pretending as a Jew. Discussion: The discussion is divided into five sections, namely: human life, racism, identity crisis (Hopkins’s identity), complexity of characters and individual freedom of the director. A. Human life: In the film, the director tries his level best to unveil the secrets of human life and its complexity. For instance, the main characters in the film (Nathan, Coleman, Faunia and Lester) possess dual lives. Their real lives are hidden in their past and they are not ready to unveil the same in front of the viewers. For instance, Nathan does not like to reveal the secrets of his life and decides to keep aloof from the mainstream society. On the other side, Coleman decides to escape from the mainstream society and to hide his identity as an African American. Faunia does not like to reveal her past and her life with her husband. Within this context, Lester uncovers Faunia’s identity and the reason behind the psychological problems faced by him in his personal domain. So, one can easily identify that the main theme of th e film is human life and the secret behind the same. B. Racism: Racism is not the main theme of the film but it is inherent within the same. For instance, Coleman makes use of his fake identity to escape from racism. He very well knew that his real identity as an African American may create problems in his profession. So, he decided to pretend himself as a Jew. But this did not help him much because he became a victim of his own comments on racism. Foster opines that â€Å"Similarly, the passing story of The Human Stain (Robert Benton, 2003) would hold no interest without the inevitable â€Å"reveal†Ã¢â‚¬  (114). From a different angle of view, Coleman’s pretension as a Jew is to veil his real identity as an African American. At the same time, his mask (as a white Jew) did not help him to claim himself as the member of mainstream society. So, Coleman’s attempt can be considered as a futile attempt to escape from racism. C. Identity crisis (Hopkins’s ide ntity) The main characters, including the protagonist, face the problem of identity crisis and related problems in their personal lives. For instance, Nathan’s idle life is an attempt to escape from identity crisis. On the other side, Coleman’s relationship with Faunia is an attempt to escape from mechanical life.  Ã‚  

Business report of financial exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business report of financial exercise - Essay Example To increase the revenue, the owner has decided that the firm will operate six days a week which will bring gross sales of  £15,000 in the upcoming year. We will analyze the implication of this change on the profit & loss statement in the light of reasonable assumptions. If the wages are calculated on the basis of increase in variable costs than the initial work demand was for 5 days which has now increased to 6 days therefore the rate of increase in variable costs will be It is found that advertising is correlated with sales and brand value of the organization (Eng & Keh, 2007). Therefore, we will assume that Advertising will increase respect to increase in percentage sales The local garage initially agreed on vehicle maintenance at a cost of  £500 per quarter. The terms initially might include that the business will operate for 5 days. Now since the business will be operating for six days therefore the contract costs will increase to  £600 per quarter. The cash flow forecast for year 2008 and 2009 can be implemented based on the future income statements. In this section we have provided the cash flow forecast for 2007 this will serve as the guideline for future cash flows based on the future assumptions. The cash flow analysis can be and income statements have revealed important information with regards to the community travel. Although the new change seems to be feasible, but it should be implemented in the proposed way by hiring two new part-time drivers who can fulfill the needs on Saturdays. Similarly if the full time employees are willing to work on the compensation terms than they should be hired since they have relevant expertise of the organization. If the business flows in the way as it was doing without any credit sales than it will have abundant cash at the end of the cycle which can be used to expand the business. However, as we noted small changes such as delays in payments or increase in

Public relations Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7250 words

Public relations - Dissertation Example The field of Public Relations has been rapidly growing of late mostly because of the non-commercial and commercial organizations have started realizing the need for introducing various public relations activities. The means through which the public relations message need to be conveyed has increased considerably in the recent years for instance the cables, internet and satellite are the mass Medias which are unevenly distributed and globalized at the same time. A simple definition of Public Relations can be â€Å"Public Relations is the positive communication of a company or brand's message to all its target audiences is they staff, customers, the general public, the trade or government bodies†. However a more significant distinction by Destiny could be- PR as tactical communication, at a superior stage within the firm, and; PR as largely applied: intended at attaining column inches in the technical journals or favorable remark in the financial press. Public relations have bee n accompanying us for over thousands of years. â€Å"Sematikos† is the Greek term for Public Relations which mean Semantics. During 50 B.C. Julius Caesar created the first campaign memoirs named, â€Å"Caesar’s Gallic Wars†. There he revealed his military utilization strategies to persuade the Roman citizens that he was the best Monarch of the state. St. Augustine, who was a professor of public speaking in Milan during the 394 A.D., used to deliver the usual acclamation to the ruler and was the closest person to a minister for the imperial court. Thus, it can be said that St. Augustine was the first to be charged with public relations function. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet named â€Å"The Crisis† In 1776 that convinced the Washington Army to settle and start fighting at a time when there will be a number of people prepared to move towards arid region so that they could flee from the cold and the adversity of a winter operation. He was known as a master o f political communication whose works could easily influence the actions and thoughts of the mass. Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, gained a large number of audiences of America, during the year 1861, through his considerate way of speaking by the efficient usage of the press. He stated, "I speak to the newspapers – they have a large audience and can repeat a thousand times what I want to impress on the public.† In the year 1963, John Marston held a perception of PR which is still considered as true in today’s context, which says, â€Å"a brotherhood of some 100,000 whose common bond is its profession and whose common woe is that no two of them can ever quite agree on what that profession is â€Å"Public Relations has been defined in different ways by a variety of scholars and practitioners in which the term â€Å"management† has been used largely. The definition of Public Relations as stated by Grunig and Hunt says â€Å"management of comm unication between an organization and its publics†; Ledingham and Bruning described PR specifically as â€Å"relationship management† while the argument by Cutlip states that PR is â€Å"the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the public on whom its success and failure depends† According to Kitchen and Papasolomou, several scholar states that PR

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Research - Essay Example The questionnaire was too long and the length might often influence participants to withdraw from the survey as time is important for everyone. Another flaw associated with the questionnaire was that in answering options, the ‘do not know’ option was not included. This is inappropriate as there might be participants who are unaware of a particular product or service. On the other hand, two good aspect of the questionnaire is that questions were worded very simply; this firstly made it very easy for participants to understand and secondly, the questionnaire encompassed all aspects of the research topic, thereby enabling the researcher to obtain an insight of people’s perceptions about products and services offered by the food chain. Generating idea: The initial step is very crucial as it involves generation of ideologies that are based on SWOT and current market trend analysis. The ideologies take into account various factors such as, return on investment, ROI and widespread distribution cost. (Takeuchi and Nonaka 137-146). During this particular phase, the manager has to ensure that overall new product development process is kept nimble and flexible discretion should be applied over which the activities are to be executed. Screening the idea: In this particular step, the idea is validated. The phase mainly involves elimination of ineffective concepts prior to allocation of resources to them. The individuals responsible for framing the idea should screen the same on the basis of factors such as, benefits associated with the idea that can be provided to the target market, market coverage of the product, expected intensity of competition, sales forecast, feasibility of the product and so on and so forth (Brands, â€Å"8 Step Process Perfects New Product Development†). Concept testing: Concept testing is very different from test marketing. This step involves patent research, designing due diligence

Transportation Cost Fluctuation Due to Changing Crude Oil Prices Essay

Transportation Cost Fluctuation Due to Changing Crude Oil Prices - Essay Example Consequently, for an individual to move from the U.S. to the UK, he or she must use either air or ship as a means of transport to reach the destination. Most of the modern modes of transport used usually depend on oil as a source of energy. Oil used in the transport industry comes in the form of petrol, diesel and other forms of petroleum products. Apart from the transport sector, other sectors of the economy such as industries also depend a lot on oil as a source of energy. In fact, over the past decades, there has been a steady increase in global demand for oil due to globalization and industrialization taking place all over the world. Worldwatch Institute (8) notes that a substantial growth in energy demand in the world has began especially with China and India, which has the largest human population. He notes that from 2002 to 2004, world global demand increased by 5.3 percent with that of China alone increasing by 5.8 percent. Oil demand in other Asian countries increased by 5.8 percent combined. The increased demand is mainly attributed to the ever-increasing industrialization. Worldwatch Institute also reports that from 2002 to 2004, the US demand for oil increased by 4.9 percent, 10.2 percent with UK realizing a 6.8 percent increase. Other developed countries like Germany and Japan realized a drop in oil demand by 1 percent and 2.6 percent respectively. This prices are however not stable as they keep fluctuating depending on global demand. For instance, an increase in the oil demand usually leads to an increase in petroleum prices. Worldwatch reports that the increase in global demand for oil between 2004 and 2005 saw an increase in petroleum price from about $30 per barrel to $60 per barrel. Such a price fluctuation in oil price in turn affects the transport fares. The level to which fuel price fluctuations as affected by global demand for oil, which in turn affects transport costs can only be explained using supply and demand theories. This paper will discuss how fuel price fluctuation is affected by global demand for oil, which in turn affects the transportation cost. Surface Transportation Policy Project (1) argues that apart from the latest increase in gasoline prices, transportation cost mostly go unnoticed by an average America. This is despite the fact that an average American household spent close to 19.3 per cent per dollar in transportation in 2001. The report found out that it is the second largest expense category, which is three times more than heath care adding close to $7,633 per household every year just to get around. The survey found out that it is only housing that e xceeds transportation in terms of expenditure. He notes that in recent years, transportation consume a larger share of family budget. As such, the proportion of household expense grew from below 10 percent in 1935 to close to 14 percent by 1960 and a further 20 percent since 1972 to date. It was also observed that the growth of expenditures on transport closely followed the decline in transit use leading to an emergence of sprawl development (Surface Transportation Policy Project 1). This explains the principle of demand, which states that the higher the price of a product, the lower the quantity demanded, and the lower the price, the higher will be the demand for a product or service. In this case, the law of demand plays out in that the increase in household expenditure lead to a decrease in transit use which in turn lead to emergence of sprawl. This shift was due to the fact that it the only next cheapest alternative to the transit as a means of transport. Surface Transpo

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropology - Essay Example cide and ‘female genital mutilation’ are two of the practices that I would like to discuss looking from the point of view of a cultural relativist and later observe it as an ethnocentric anthropologist would. A cultural relativist would view these practices in the socio-cultural perspective of the people where it is practices and rationalise it as per the need and demand of the people and place. Infanticide is still prevalent in the far-east, especially in some part of India. It is the practice of killing infants in womb of the mother, especially if it is a girl child. As per the Indian custom, male children are supposed to carry on the family name and traditions and they are often preferred over girl child. It is also believed that last rites of a dead person must be carried by his or her ‘son’ so that he attains salvation of the soul. Under dire economic compulsions, mothers have been forced to kill the infant in the womb. On the other hand, female genital mutilation is practices among certain Moslim clan where pre pubescent girls are forced to undergo surgical mutilation of their genitals without anaesthesia. The Moslems believe that Quran1, their religious scripture, promoted this practice so that women do not become promiscuous and men are not swayed from the path of religion. It is the decree of Allah2, therefore, it is the personal choice of the individuals following that religion. As an ethnocentric anthropologist and as an American, I am totally aghast that such practices are still in vogue. Acts and proclamations that do not conform to basic human values of freedom of spirit and compassion for fellow human being, must be stopped at the earliest, even if they are carried on, in the name of religion and culture. Infanticide and FGM3 are both barbaric acts which violate the basic values of our race. Infanticide is killing of another human being and no matter what the compulsions are behind the deed, it is a murder of the first order and the

Sport marketing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sport marketing assignment - Essay Example His experience applies a lot in my career where I am studying at a level that is considered of an older age. His experience is evidence that age does not determine how successful you will be in your career. The class guest mentions that studying at a young age can be overwhelming, but with the proper attitude and determination, it is possible to make it. The performance of the franchise was so poor that there was a joke to personify the franchisee. Radio hosts often teased their listeners and told them that they could win a first prize, which was two tickets to the nuggets game and the second prize would be four tickets to the nuggets game (class guest). However, the class, guest did not let this ridicule pull him down or throw him off course. He knew if he were successful in the franchise, he would have a chance at getting far with his career. No matter what people talked, he stuck to his vision and with determination and calculated moves, he made the difference. In my career, people always talk down and tell me how it is impossible to make it. If I follow the experience of the class, guest, I will definitely make it to the highest point of my career. When the guest joined the Nuggets, they were averaging about 4000 in season ticket sales. This situation made it hard for him to introduce himself as the vice president of the Denver Nuggets. When the guest made these comments, it seemed impossible for the Nuggets to get back on their feet. However, the most insightful thing that he mentions is how they were able to transform the franchise from the situation; it was into the success that the franchise had only three years to make it or break it. It is not easy to improve a business of such magnitude in such a short time. Doing so involves a lot of dedication and determination. Another factor that was working against them while struggling to improve the franchise was the pressure that was coming from the

Security Systems Essay Example for Free

Security Systems Essay System securities are a vital requirement in computers where a great problem in network security is experienced. There are more complexities in the distribution and array of computer network interconnections. This is usually experienced in different environments. Hence there is the need for having methods of solving the problem of system security. This is done through having a network interruption discovery where attacks are detected and the necessary measures taken into consideration. The three types of computer security protocols discussed in this paper are the Teredo protocol, the HTTP protocol and the SSL and TSL protocols. The security implications of these protocols are discussed in this paper. The computer security protocols are applied in different areas depending on the security protocol. The identification of these protocols provides security concerns where the control of security is required. There is need to reduce protection in depth and permitting for unsolicited traffic in the computer systems security controls (Aquino et al, 2008). Types of Protocol SSL TLS (Secure Socket Layer Transport Layer Security) protocol The Secure Socket Layer is an internet protocol for connections which are done from one indication to the other. SSL offers fortification besides tumbling of the roof space, interfering and counterfeiting. Therefore there is genuineness between the customer and the server since the client is able to institute a protected connection across the internet in order to offer fortification to the broadcasted information (Security Protocol Overview, 1999). Due to the increase in the stipulation of internet and digital information communication, a number of functions and workstations require to send out their information in a protected manner to inaccessible appliances and mainframes. This can be cracked by the use of SSL since it is well premeditated for the purpose in a criterion which is open. There are steps which take place in SSL and they include linking, confirmation between parties and finally, swapping over of the protected data. TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the latest improvement of SSL (Security Protocol Overview, 1999). Refer to figure 1 of the appendix. There is ensured discretion of the data due to the use of tough encryption expertise. There is lucidity substantiation of servers and clientele due to the use of digital credentials. The RSA algorithm used by SSL, it is meant to assist in the safety using autographs as well as digital pervasive. In support of extreme rapid encryption and decryption of data for communication after an establishment of SSL link, the suitable algorithm is RC4 (Security Protocol Overview, 1999). SSL can be used in any situation where protection is required between two computers. It can also be used in cases of clientele server co ordinations, monetary and movement business (Security Protocol Overview, 1999). HTTP (Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol) HTTP offers assistance of the starting point in the system since it proposes the path of origin of standard and persistent information prototype contrast sequence. In HTTP, there are a number of classes which are possible for the collapse of data (Alarcon-Aquino et al, 2005). They are inclusive of standard which involves regular conduct of the system order which involves no bother. Adjustment of trail entails adaptation of the address of a folder in order to make accessibility to impracticable (Embrechts, 1993). The cryptogram introduction requires that there is implantation of malevolent ciphers in the add-on of emails. Cross-site writing (XSS) offers access to the confidential IDs, passwords and usernames from different browser casements which are dynamic simultaneously. Finally, there is the prearranged question lingo (SQL) which provides modification of the catalogue, removing or even plagiarism (Torres, 2003, pp. 8-13). Refer to figure 2 of the appendix. Teredo Protocol This protocol is meant to offer assistance to the client to understand a material in a specific report. Teredo protocol works by channelling IPv4 UDP port for a segment of the system that is only IPv4. There are basic machineries which are consisted in the Teredo structures. The components include clientele, communications and servers (Hoagland, 2008, p. 7). Before the sending of packets to and from remote IPv6 nodes, some tunnel setup communication has to take place. Therefore there are phases which are followed which include, the customer completing the qualification procedure in order to establish the address of Teredo. Secondly, the client has to determine which relay to use for a given IPv6 per node. The afterwards, the packet is sent through the relay (Hoagland, 2008, p. 9). See figure 3 in the appendix Possible attacks Storage based attacks Computer security protocols can have attacks that have the possibility of bringing down the system. The attacks can lead the security system to queue up many packets hence leading the denial of service. This is because the attacks make the legitimate packets not able to be delivered or not able to reach new peers. The security protocol can be attacked by the storage based attacks. The attack holds information from reaching its destination (Hoagland, 2008, p. 24). Relay DOS Delays of information can be experienced when there is a condition of denial of service on a network based relay. If the relay is not available and a packet is send then there is no stipulation for the client for establishing a new relay. However, the peer would not be aware of a relay being used and would then send a packet to the address (Hoagland, 2008, p. 25). Server DOS Services can be denied through a brute force attack on the server processing speed or the band width. If the security qualification of the server has part of it as authentication value, then the computation is necessary in response to every qualification request which is valid (Hoagland, 2008, p. 25). Attack detection In detecting attacks in the computer security protocols the solution should be taken depending on which model is used fro detection. Detection models can be hot based model or network based model. The detection of attacks in computer security protocols depends on the model used. The models used in detecting the attacks in security protocols may either be host based models or a network based models (Aquino et al, 2008). When detecting attacks with hot based models, the interruption/intrusion detection systems (IDS) usually make their decisions based on the information which is obtained from either a single or multiple host systems. In the net work based model the decisions of the IDS are made by first monitoring the traffic in the network which is connected to the hosts. The computer security system protocols are dynamic and changing regularly. This makes it necessary to use an approach that is based on neutral networks. The neutral networks are found to do well in the recognition of pattern, classification and computations of tasks that are parallel. This is why the neutral networks are a collection of extremely interrelated processing elements (Aquino et al, 2008).

Why China has grown faster then India

Why China has grown faster then India Introduction: Comparative studies between China and India are becoming more popular now in the international level. China and India are among the largest economies in the world today. While the Chinese economy has surpass India by a wide margin over the past 15 years. I am comparing the growth experiences of China and India at a broad level, explaining why China has grown faster than India by focusing on the comparison of GDP, Exchange rates policies, Monetary and Fiscal policies, and Unemployment in India and China. In this study will analyze why per capita national income is so much higher in China than in India? And why Chinas GDP is growing so much faster? And why unemployment remains high in both the countries and how the Governments addressing the Unemployment factors? Why GDP per capita national income is so much higher in China than in India? In 1978, after years of state controlled productive assets, the Chinese government invests on a major economic reform program. In an effort to awaken economic giant, it encouraged the formation of rural enterprises, private businesses, liberalized foreign trade and investment. China also relaxed state control over some prices, invested in industrial production and stressed on education of its workforce. The growth in the country is accumulated capital assets, such as new factories, manufacturing machinery and communications systems. Economic development has suggested a significant role for capital investment in economic growth, and a sizable portion of Chinas recent growth is in fact attributable to capital investment that has made the country more productive. In other words, new machinery, better technology and more investment in infrastructure have helped to increase its output. Being hospitable to foreign investment, Chinas open-door policy has added power to the economic transformation. Cumulative foreign direct investment, negligible before 1978, reached nearly US$100 billion in 1994. Annual inflows increased from less than 1% of total fixed investment in 1979 to 18% in 1994. The foreign money helped China built factories, creates more jobs, linked China to international markets and led to important transfers of technology. These trends are especially apparent in the more than one dozen open coastal areas where foreign investors enjoy tax advantages. In addition, economic liberalization has boosted exports which rise 19% a year during 1981-1994. Strong export growth, in turn, appears to have fueled productivity growth in domestic industries. (Zuliu Hu, Mohin S.Khan, 1997) GDP Per Capita (Current US$) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 China 1,731 2,072 2,660 3,422 3,744 India 765 855 1,096 1,065 1,134 (Adapted from The World Bank Group, 2010) Why Chinas GDP is growing so much faster? GDP: Comparative Analysis between China and India As per IMF (International Monetary Fund) report, China was the fourth largest economy of the world by nominal GDP in 2006, where as India was 12th. China registered GDP growth rate of 14.2% in the first half of 2007, where as India has registered a 9.6% GDP growth in June 2007. Chinese economy is worth $4900 billion, whereas the India economy is worth of $1300 billion. GDP Growth (Annual %) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 China 11.3 12.7 14.2 9.6 9.1 India 9.3 10.1 9.6 5.1 7.7 (Adapted from The World Bank Group, 2010) GDP (Current US$) 2006 2007 2008 2009 China 2,716,870,000,000 3,505,530,000,000 4,532,790,000,000 4,984,730,000,000 India 949,192,000,000 1,232,820,000,000 1,214,210,000,000 1,310,170,000,000 (Adapted from The World Bank Group, 2010) Chinas economy seems to be a better bet, for unlike China; India is yet to prove that it can sustain high growth rates over a period of time. The general feeling is that despite having a boom in technology, services and IT sector, the Indian economy still eventually depends on good monsoons, meaning that agriculture continues to dominate the Indian economy more than it should. (Arvinder Singh, May/June 2005) Foreign Direct Investment, Net Inflows (BoP, Current US$) The FDI flow depends on the market size, market growth rates, political stability, corruption, exchange rates, labor productivity, economic freedom, infrastructure, openness, human capital and taxes. China got $79 billion in 2005 in FDI and India did not even get $ 7 billion in FDI. In 2009 there is slight change in Chinas FDI of about $78 billion dollars but India made a good progress of raising $34 billion in FDI compared to year 2005. The study tried to explore this phenomenon and to understand the drivers for attracting foreign investment in emerging economies. India despite being the largest democracy in the world has lagged behind due to its focus on services and specialized skill based relatively small manufacturing model in contrast to China. India growth model has been based on IT, ITES and skilled manufacturing which are dependent on the availability of human skill and capital in an emerging market. (Swapna S Sinha, Apr-Sep 2008) FDI, Net inflows (BoP, Current US$) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 China 79,126,731,413 78,094,665,751 138,413,000,000 147,791,000,000 78,192,727,413 India 7,606,425,242 20,335,947,448 25,127,155,852 41,168,605,242 34,577,000,000 (Adapted from The World Bank Group, 2010) China is regularly getting 10 to 12 times more foreign investment than India. In India the number have come up, they will probably come up more. I believe China has a more competitive manufacturing sector than India and that is derived primarily from Chinas greater degree of openness than India. That does not mean that India does not have many world class manufacturing companies, it certainly does, but on an average the competitive environment in China is much stronger because its tariff being much lower. (Wanda Tseng, 2006) Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) in China India: Trade with China Month Exports Imports Balance January 2010 6,888.8 25,185.1 -18,296.3 February 2010 6,855.1 23,363.8 -16,508.8 March 2010 7,403.6 24,300.2 -16,896.6 April 2010 6,591.2 25,905.7 -19,314.5 May 2010 6,752.7 29,036.8 -22,284.1 June 2010 6,715.0 32,866.5 -26,151.5 July 2010 7,344.7 33,260.0 -25,915.3 August 2010 7,253.5 35,288.5 -28,035.0 Total 55,804.6 229,206.7 -173,402.1 Note: All figures are in millions of US dollars on a nominal basis, not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified. (Adapted from U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) Trade with India Month Exports Imports Balance January 2010 1,295.5 2,079.4 -783.9 February 2010 1,235.2 1,958.1 -722.9 March 2010 1,454.8 2,472.4 -1,017.6 April 2010 1,671.2 2,650.0 -978.8 May 2010 1,852.9 2,672.6 -819.7 June 2010 1,690.6 2,532.6 -841.9 July 2010 1,800.2 2,591.4 -791.2 August 2010 1,716.8 2,773.5 -1056.7 Total 12,717.1 19,729.9 -7012.7 Note: All figures are in millions of US dollars on a nominal basis, not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified. (Adapted from U.S. Census Bureau, 2010) ? Exchange Rate Policies in two countries: China policy The debate over the exchange rate between the Renminbi (RMB) and the Dollar is usually framed in terms of global imbalances, excessive US consumption beyond its savings on the one hand, and excessive Chinese production and savings beyond its own spending on the other. This quickly leads to a conclusion that the United States should export and save more and China should import and spend more. Leaders in the United States would like the RMB to appreciate significantly and quickly to encourage an expansion of US exports and employment. The argument for a sustained appreciation of the RMB is rooted not only in short term concerns about Chinas large current account surplus, but also in long term trends of Chinas economic fundamentals, including high growth rate, rapid urbanization and industrialization, low national debt and low fiscal deficits. These trends are the result of three decades of reform in China that have opened the country to trade with the rest of the world and led to strong productivity gains. Based on the experience of other fast growing industrializing economies, these forces will increase Chinese wages, the value of the RMB and Chinas price level over time. (Steven Dunaway, 2010) (Geng Xiao, 2010) Indian Policy With the appreciation of the rupee/dollar exchange rate in early May and the expectation of interest rate hike, there was some appreciation of the rupee and that could hurt exports. In particular, it would hurt the low value added exports from small and medium enterprises. The recent recovery in exports happens to be the biggest factor for a sharp rise in industrial output growth; this imminent rate hike was opposed. There were calls for the Reserve Bank of India to intervene in the forex market to contain the strength of the rupee largely to support the export sector recovery. There were even suggestions to continue the export incentives that were part of the overall stimulus packages of 2009. These suggestions are based on the assumption that in India, a weak rupee would encourage exports and thus, help the overall growth recovery. Many economists have argued for intervention in the forex market, and some Asian economies, notable China maintain artificially undervalued exchange rates to maintain international competitiveness. (N R Bhanumurthy, 2010) Monetary and Fiscal Policies in two countries: Indian Monetary Policy The Reserve bank continues its tightening cycle as inflation pressures are building, by raising reserve requirements and its main interest rates since the beginning of the year. Indian Fiscal Policy The budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year projects improvements for the deficit after the fiscal stimulus of last year and the large one off expenditures of the year before. As a share of GDP, the deficit is expected to reach 7.8% of GDP from 9.6% last year and 11.8% in 2008-09. The improvement will come from a combination of weaker expenditure growth from reduced subsidies and greater revenues from the acceleration of economic growth. The reversal of indirect tax cuts that were part of the fiscal stimulus package, the expansion of the tax base and the revival of the privatization program, as well as the one time sale of G3 licenses, which generated over US$ 15 billion. Solvency indicators will improve again, but are expected to remain above comfortable levels, with public debt to GDP reaching 68% by 2014-15. (Export Development Canada, 2010) Unemployment in China India and Remedial Measures by the Government: Causes of Unemployment in China This country has largest population in the world. The work force available is too large. Every year new generation is added to the already available work force. It is very difficult for any government to find jobs for millions of young people entering in the job market. In 2004 the estimation was that 15 million young people will enter the job market and only about 8 million jobs were expected to be created in that year. The other major reason behind the unemployment is the type of jobs offered. There is lack of jobs for the graduates and literate young people. I feel that the ever increasing population and lack of the English speaking workforce are the two major causes of unemployment in China. Causes of Unemployment in India There are individual factors like age, slow pace of development, high growth rate of population, slow industrialization, slow growth rate of agriculture etc. Every year Indian population increases manifold. More than this every year about 5 million people become eligible for securing jobs. Self employment field is subject to ups and downs of trade cycle and globalization. Technological advancement contributes to economic development, but unplanned and uncontrolled growth of technology is causing havoc on job opportunities. The Chinese government is addressing the unemployment issues by promoting growth of tertiary industries, by increasing financial support and implementing favorable policy for non state sector especially small medium companies in private sector. It is also readjusting the employment concept and is preparing laborers with practical job training and education. Conclusion: The main reason why Chinas GDP is higher than Indias is that the growth of China has resulted from the rapid rise in the manufacturing of high-tech goods in the country under the large scale high tech manufacturing firms like Lenovo, Baidu.com and Huawei Technologies. The infrastructural development in China has also been quite high than that of India, which has added to growth of the Chinese GDP. China spends 11% of GDP on infrastructure and India spends 6% of GDP on infrastructure. (Geethanjali Nataraj, 2010)

Monte Carlo Simulation of Transmission Experiement

Monte Carlo Simulation of Transmission Experiement Fluid Densitometer Design based on Transmission and Scattering Gamma Ray Method using Monte Carlo Approach R.Wirawan, M. Djamal, A.Waris, G. Handayani,  H.J. Kim Abstract. Non-destructive testing is one method in the material testing that was applied and developed for many purposes in the industrial field. Gamma spectrometer is a one method that can be applied for the fluid densitometer. It was studied the potential of the use of transmission and scattering gamma ray measurements in order to evaluate the fluid density using GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit. Keywords: Non-destructive testing, scattering gamma, Monte Carlo, GEANT4. PACS: 29.40.-n Introduction Gamma-ray spectrum measurement is one of promising developing method in the non-destructive test application especially for an online measurement. It’s applicable for many industrial applications such as in medical, mining and oil industry, homeland security. The quality of the material can be differentiating from another one based on its density. In the application of gamma spectrometry, it’s influence the gamma ray energies spectrum detection result. Ball et al. (1998) have investigated the response of gamma backscatter to the spatial density in bulk sample [1]. In the fluid product analysis especially for the oil product density measurement, it’s a promising method for a densitometer. Hussein (2011) has developed investigation of the fluid flow in the pipe using gamma spectrometry [2]. Khorsandi and Feghhi have analyzed the transmission mode in densitometer application for the petroleum products monitoring applications [3]. The combination of transmission and scattering measurement modes are good approaching for a better analysis method in the detector response measurement due to the fluid density inside the pipe. For this purpose, simulation using Monte Carlo method can be conducted. Monte Carlo methods have capabilities in the implementation of the several of physics models and give the predicting result in the radiation physics application [4, 5]. In the present study we investigated the potential of the combination of these measurements using the Monte Carlo radiation transport from GEANT4 simulation toolkit. Theory Gamma ray energy spectrum characteristic that detected from its interaction with the material have information to identify the material characteristics involved. In the gamma ray spectrum measurement, there are two kinds of measurement type i.e. transmission and scattering. In the transmission, the gamma ray beams have an attenuated intensity because of energy absorption by material. The mass attenuation coefficient à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­ of photon is a function of photon energy. The attenuated intensity was described by the Beer–Lambert formula: (1) where I0 incident gamma rays intensities, x is material absorption thickness, is mass absorption coeficient and its proportional to the total cross-section as follows , NA is the Avogadro’s number (6.021023 atom/mole) and A is atomic mass number of material[8]. For the scattering measurement, the detected photon beam is the result of deflecting with an electrons material. Scattering interactions that may occur is the single scattering or multiple scattering.The photon beam intensity has attenuation in the path before the scattering point interaction and in the path to the detector after the scattering point interaction. Figure 1 shows the single scattering interaction of photon with an element volume dV. Figure 1 Schematic diagram of photon single scattering interaction with an element volume in the material (adopted from Devlin and Taylor) [9]. According to the Compton scattering interaction, the photon with an energy Eà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ § will be deflected with scattering angles à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ± to the origin direction after collision with an atomic electron. The scattered photon energy (EScatt) is expressed by the formula: (2) The intensity of detected gamma photon are influence of attenuation along primary photon, number of electron in element volume, differential cross-section, attenuation of scattered photon path and the solid angle subtended by detector at the element volume. For the single scattering interaction, the intensity of detected photon as depicted in the formula: (3) where S is the source activity (photon s-1), dV is element volume interaction, n is the electron density of the material, r1 and r2 are the length path of the primary photon before interaction and after scattering respectively. The density à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ² of the material is related to the electron density by (4) where NA is the Avogadro number, Z is the atomic number and M is the atomic mass. For the Compton interaction probabilities of the photon beam when it interact with an electron of the material was describe in differential form by Klein-Nishina formula, (5) where r0 is clasical electron radius (2,82 fm) and P parameter as function of incident photon energy and scattering angles à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ± as the formula (6) where constant [1,8]. Using the equation (4) and (5) to substitute parameter n and in the equation (3), we have the relation of intensity with the material density: (7) Solution of the equation (7) can be expressed in the simple form: (8) where A and B are constant. Method The simulation setup was developed based on the transmission configuration which conducted experimentally done by Khorsandi [3]. Four detectors are placed in two type positions where two detectors in the same side with source and two others in the opposite site as shown in Figure 2. The spatial distance between two detector d10 and d30 from the collimated source axis are about axis 27.5cm. For detector d20 is placed 20 cm far away from detector d10. Polyethylene pipe have an inner radius 5cm and thickness it’s about 2mm. Fluids under investigation inside the pipe (i.e. gasoline, gasoil and water) are assumed to be of uniform densityà ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ². A disk gamma ray source model is used for Cs-137 source is collimated by the cylinder shielding lead with 5cm thickness. The 3in. x 3in. NaI(Tl) detector model reconstruction in the simulation is adopted from references [6, 7]. Simulation based on GEANT4 Penelope Monte Carlo using 5.0 x 107 of the gamma source beamon. Figure 2 Schematic visualization of GEANT4 simulation for the transmission and scattering measurements setup. Result and Discussion To examine the response function of transmission and scattering measurement, firstly we need to consider the setup designed for the detector construction according to the c gamma source energy spectrum. The Cesium 137 source was placed in front of the Pb collimated NaI(Tl) 3 in. x 3 in. scintillation detector. Figure 3 shows the detector response function spectrum of GEANT4 simulation result comparing to the measurement result of the 15uCi gamma source. There are a good agreement for photopeak energy between the simulation result and the experiment result. Figure 3 Response function of Cs137 15uCi gamma source for 3 in. x 3 in NaI(Tl) detector. Based on detector construction setup, then we analyzes the detector response function of transmission and scattering measurement. Figure 4 shows the response function result of detector that placed in the four different positions for three different type of density fluid i.e. gasoline, gasoil and water. Figure 4 Response function of detector NaI(Tl) 3in. x 3in. from GEANT4 simulation of four different detector positions for gasoline, gasoil and water fluids in pipe. In the all energy spectrum distribution above, density of fluid matter give an effect to the gamma energies spectrum. The gasoline has a lower density number, but it shows a higher intensity (number of events) of gamma ray energy detected compare to the gasoil and water. The increased density of fluid will increased the number of electrons at the scattering point interaction, attenuation of primary and scattered photons. So, it’s give an effect to the decreasing intensity or peak energy spectrum that detected by the detector. For transmission mode as shown at d0 detector position, the main peak of Cesium 137 gamma source is in the 0.662 MeV. The normalize peak intensity shows that the GEANT4 simulations result have a good agreement to the Khorsandi (2011) experiment result as shown in Figure 5. This result shows that the model can be used for predicting the fluid densitometer experiment. Figure 5 Normalize intensity curve of transmission mode (d0 detector position) from simulation and experiment results. Here in the Figure 6(a), we have the same trends that the decreasing of the photopeak height due to the fluids density increase. Figure 6 Gaussian height curves of photopeak at four different detector positions. Based on the intensity as density function equation (8), the proposed constant A and B for the curve fit in the Figure 6(a) are depicted in Table 1. Table 1. Curve fitting constant Based on the B constant of the four normalize count rates curves, d20 detector position have a higher decreasing slope than the others. In other side, the number of entry photon to the detector d20 position is too small, so for this configuration its need the higher activity source. Conclusions In this study, a Monte Carlo simulation of transmission and scattering measurements of gamma ray for the fluid densitometer was carried out using GEANT4. Due to an increase in the fluid density in the pipe, the peak heights of detected gamma ray intensity have decreased. The simulations for the gamma ray transmission investigation were conducted according to the experiment setup give the best fit curve result. Acknowledgments The author acknowledges the financial support of Directorate General of Indonesian Higher Education through the Sandwich-Like (PKPI) Program 2013. Refference [1] A.J. Ball, C.J. Solomon, J.C. Zarnecki, The response of gamma backscatter density gauges to spatial inhomogeneity An extension of the single scattering model, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 140 (1998) 449-462. [2] Nagy M. Hussein, Investigation of Fluid Flow using Gamma Spectroscopy, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 80 2011 1169-1174. [3] M. Khorsandi, S.A.H. Feghhi, Design and reconstruction of a prototype gamma-ray densitometer for petroleum products monitoring applications, Measurement 44 (2011) 1512-1515. [4] U.A. Tarim, E.N. Ozmutlu, O. Gurler, S. Yalcin, The Effect of the Housing Material on NaI(Tl) detector response function, J. Radioanalytical and Nucl. Chem. DOI 10.1007/s10967-012-1716-z (2012) 1-5. [5] A.F. Bielajew, Fundamentals of the Monte Carlo method for neutral and charged particle transport, Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, The University of Michigan, 2001, pp.1-10. [6] Hu-Xia Shi, Bo-Xian Chen, Ti-Zhu Li, Di Yun: Precise Monte Carlo simulation of gamma-ray response functions for an NaI(Tl) detector, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 57 (2002) 517–524. [7] Abd-Elzaher, M., Badawi, M. S, El-Khatib, A. and Thabet, A. A.: Determination of Full Energy Peak Efficiency of NaI(Tl) Detector Depending on Efficiency Transfer Principle for Conversion From Experimental Values, World Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, (2012), pp. 65-72. [8] Knoll, G.F., Radiation Detection and Measurement (Second Edition), Wiley and Sons, New York, 1989. [9] G. Devlin, D. Taylor: The Spatial Response Pattern of Gamma Backscatter Density Gauges, Journal of Soil Sciences Vol. 21 No. 2 (1970), pp. 297-303.

Essay on the Theme of Nature in Antony and Cleopatra :: Antony Cleopatra Essays

Antony and Cleopatra:   The Theme of Nature  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nature, described as mysterious and secretive, is a recurrent theme throughout Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.   Cleopatra, the ill-fated queen of Egypt, is both mysterious and secretive, and her emotional power is above and beyond nature’s great strength.   Whether described in a positive or in a negative manner, both nature and Cleopatra are described as being â€Å"great natural forces.†Ã‚   Throughout the first act, the two are compared and contrasted by various characters in the play.   The first act, set in Alexandria, Egypt, sets the stage for the play and presents the majority of the actors. Scene two introduces one of the major themes of the play, Nature.   This raunchy, innuendo- filled scene has two of Cleopatra’s close friends and one of Antony’s discussing her and Antony’s life.   Charmian, one of Cleopatra’s best friends, Alexas, one of Cleopatra’s servants (as well as the link between her and Antony), Enobarbus, one of Antony’s trusted Lieutenants, as well as a Soothsayers are all present and discussing their fortunes.   During this discussion, the Soothsayer states, â€Å" In Nature’s infinite book of secrecy/ A little I can read† (I.ii.10-11).   The Soothsayer explains to the others that there is little she can do outside of not only her powers, but also what nature allows her to.   One of the first references to nature and the mystery that revolves around it, this quote simply demonstrate s how little power the people have over something as great as nature.   Nature and the elements surrounding it are simply a mystery to the people of Rome.   In his discussion with his commanding Lieutenant, Enobarbus refers to Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt and Antony’s soon-to- be lover, as a great natural force that is above nature’s powers.   In the second scene of the first act, Antony states, â€Å"She is cunning past man’s thought† (I.ii.145).   This statement is then followed by Enobarbus’ statement about Cleopatra: â€Å"†¦her passions are made of noth/ing but the finest part of pure love.   We cannot call her /winds and waters sighs and tears; they are greater /storms and tempests than almanacs can re- port.   This/ cannot be cunning in her; if it be, she makes a show’r of /rain as well as Jove† (I.ii.146-151).   In this quote, Enobarbus shows great respect and admiration towards Cleopatra.   Not only does he defend her from Antony’s statement, but also he regards her with such high esteem that he compares her to Jove, the ruler of the gods in charge of rain, thunder, and lightning.

Two Languages and Two Cultures Essay -- immigration, China, Two Kinds,

Two Languages and Two Cultures United States was built on immigrants and some of the immigrants were pushed from their homeland because of some reasons while other reasons such as America dream pulled them to the United States. Most of these immigrants came from China in 1949, when the communist party took over. These immigrants came with their cultures and languages which are significant in everyone's lives because they play a major role in the development of individual’s characteristics. Many observers believe that these cultures and languages lead to conflict between immigrant parents and their American-born children. This is certainly the case. Interestingly enough, while history and culture contribute to the American way of life, they also create disagreements between the immigrant’s culture and American culture. Perhaps this is why Amy Tan's story, â€Å"Two Kinds,† explores the conflicts and confusions of relationships in the Chinese immigrant communities through the effects of Chinese immigrant’s ethnic heritage, child performance during this time of American culture and, communication divide during this period. First, Amy Tan successfully demonstrate how Chinese immigrant’s ethnic heritage contributed to the conflicts and confusions of relationships in the Chinese immigrant communities during that era. Back in China, the Chinese culture during the narrator's mother's era encouraged social stratification and as such no one can move out of their respective social class. Consequently, this way of thinking remained part of the narrator's mother's life when she arrived into the United States. For example in the story, the narrator's mother believed that she could be anything in America. Consequently, she wanted her daug... ...cessive control is not a forced decision. With the adequate public information and dedication, parents can guide their children to become productive citizens. When a parent confront an obstinate child, all it takes is for her not to take it personally. Works Cited Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2001). Amy Tan. Philadelphia: Chelsea House. Huntley, E.D. (1998). Amy Tan: A Critical Companion. Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press. Jottedlines.com. Literature, Critical Analysis of â€Å"Two Kinds.† February 7, 2013. Kazdin, Alan E., Phd. Encyclopedia of Psychology, Volume 8, March 2000. Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds.† Literature Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. 687-695. print. Nelson, E . S. (Ed.). (2000). Asian Amerincan Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Marry Shelley :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. She was destined to live an extraordinary life. Her parents were two of the most noted freethinkers of the Enlightenment era. Her father, William Godwin, was a celebrated philosopher and historian. He was known for overeating and borrowing money who would give him a loan. He didn’t have much time for anything but his philosophical ideas. He met his match in Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary’s mother. She was every bit as much a radical thinker as Godwin. She declared herself independent at the age of 21. She and her sisters ran a school in France, where she had an affair with an army captain and had her first child, Fanny, out of wedlock. After being abandoned, she and Fanny moved back to England and attempted suicide. She began writing. She was well-known for her revolutionary feminist writings. Wollstonecraft and Godwin met a dinner party at Godwin’s home and the two began an affair. Wollstonecraft was five months pregnant when she married Godwin. Although Godwin and Wollstonecraft didn’t agree with the whole marriage thing, they wanted Mary’s children to be legitimate children. Mary’s mother died of complications just ten days after Mary was born. Her father was a self-absorbed intellectual and was left to take care of his daughters all alone. Although he loved his daughters, the responsibility of raising them on his own was too much for him and soon began looking for a wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Godwin married four years later to Mary Jane Clairmont. She turned out to be a mean and shallow woman who favored her own two children over Mary and Fanny. Mary was a lively child and was often treated unfairly by her stepmother. She received frequent whippings which led to her rebellion of a girl’s traditional role. As a result of this, Mary kept to herself and was unhappy and alone. Although she didn’t have a formal education, she picked up on the intellectual environment created by her father and his visitors. Mary was quite bright and began reading the writings of her mother around the age of eight. She had memorized every word by the age of ten. Mary spent many hours at her favorite reading spot, her mother’s grave.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Percy Shelley, a poet, was an admirer and friend of William Godwin and spent a great deal of time at the Godwin house. Shelley also admired the writings of Mary’s mother.

Mattel Responds to Ethical Challenges Essay

Mattel, Inc. is a global leader in designing and manufacturing toys and family products. Well-known for brands such as Barbie, Fisher-Price, Disney, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Tyco, Cabbage Patch Kids, and board games, the company boasts nearly $5.9 billion in annual revenue. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices across the world, Mattel markets its products in over 150 nations. It all started in a California garage workshop when Ruth and Elliot Handler and Matt Matson founded Mattel in 1945. The company started out making picture frames, but the founders soon recognized the profitability of the toy industry and switched their emphasis to toys. Mattel became a publicly owned company in 1960, with sales exceeding $100 million by 1965. Over the next forty years, Mattel went on to become the world’s largest toy company in terms of revenue. In spite of its overall success, Mattel has had its share of losses over its history. During the mid to late 1990s, Mattel lost millions to declining sales and bad business acquisitions. In January 1997, Jill Barad took over as Mattel’s CEO. Barad’s management-style was characterized as strict and her tenure at the helm proved challenging for many employees. While Barad had been successful in building the Barbie brand to $2 billion by the end of the 20th century, growth slowed in the early 21st. Declining sales at outlets such as Toys ‘R’ Us marked the start of some difficulties for the retailer, responsibilities for which Barad accepted and resigned in 2000. Robert Eckert replaced Barad as CEO. Aiming to turn things around, Eckert sold unprofitable units and cut hundreds of jobs. In 2000, under Eckert, Mattel was granted the highly sought-after licensing agreement for products related to the Harry Potter series of books and movies. The company continued to flourish and build its reputation, even earning the Corporate Responsibility Award from UNICEF in 2003. Mattel released its first Annual Corporate Responsibility Report the following year. In 2011 Mattel was recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to Work For† for the fourth consecutive year. MATTEL’S CORE PRODUCTS BARBIE AND AMERICAN GIRL Among its many lines of popular toy products, Mattel is famous for owning top girls’ brands. In 1959, Mattel introduced a product that would change its future forever: the Barbie doll. One of the founders, Ruth Handler, had noticed how her daughter loved playing with paper cutout dolls. She decided to create a doll based on an adult rather than on a baby. Barbie took off to become one of Mattel’s critical product lines and the number one girls’ brand in the world. Since her introduction, Mattel has sold more than 1 billion Barbie dolls in over 150 countries. The Barbie line today This material was developed by Debbie Thorne, John Fraedrich, O.C. Ferrell, and Jennifer Jackson, with the editorial assistance of Jennifer Sawayda under the direction of O.C. Ferrell and Linda Ferrell. It is provided for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the University of New Mexico and is intended for classroom discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of administrative, ethical, or legal decisions by management. Users of this material are prohibited from claiming this material as their own, emailing it to others, or placing it on the Internet. Please call O.C. Ferrell at 505-277-3468 for more information. (2011) Includes dolls, accessories, Barbie software, and a broad assortment of licensed products such as books, apparel, food, home furnishings, home electronics, and movies. To supplement the Barbie line, in 1998 Mattel acquired a popular younger type of doll. Mattel announced it would pay $700 million to Pleasant Co. for its high-end American Girl collection. American Girl dolls are sold with books about their lives, which take place during important periods of US history. The American Girls brand includes several book series, accessories, clothing for dolls and girls, and a magazine that ranks in the top ten American children’s magazines. HOT WHEELS Hot Wheels roared into the toy world in 1968. More than thirty years later, the brand is hotter than ever and includes high-end collectibles, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and Formula One models for adults, high-performance cars, track sets, and play sets for children of all ages. The brand is connected with racing circuits worldwide. More than 15 million boys aged five to 15 are avid collectors, each owning forty-one cars on average. Two Hot Wheels cars are sold every second of every day. The brand began with cars designed to run on a track and has evolved into a â€Å"lifestyle† brand with licensed Hot Wheels shirts, caps, lunch boxes, backpacks, and more. Together, Hot Wheels and Barbie generate 45 percent of Mattel’s revenue and 65 percent of its profits. CABBAGE PATCH KIDS Since the introduction of mass-produced Cabbage Patch Kids in 1982, more than 90 million dolls have been sold worldwide. In 1994, Mattel took over selling these beloved dolls after purchasing production rights from Hasbro. In 1996, Mattel created a new line of Cabbage Patch doll, called Snacktime Kids, which was expected to meet with immense success. The Snacktime Kids had moving mouths that enabled children to â€Å"feed† them plastic snacks. However, the product backfired. The toy had no on/off switch and reports of children  getting their fingers or hair caught in the dolls’ mouths surfaced during the 1996 holiday season. Mattel voluntarily pulled the dolls from store shelves by January 1997, and offered consumers a cash refund of $40 on returned dolls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission applauded Mattel’s handling of the Snacktime Kids situation. Mattel effectively managed a situation that could easily have created bad publicity or a crisis situati on. Mattel stopped producing Cabbage Patch Kids in 2000. MATTEL’S COMMITMENT TO ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Mattel’s core products and business environment create many ethical issues. Because the company’s products are designed primarily for children, it must be sensitive to social concerns about children’s rights. It must also be aware that the international environment often complicates business transactions. Different legal systems and cultural expectations about business can create ethical conflicts. Finally, the use of technology may present ethical dilemmas, especially regarding consumer privacy. Mattel has recognized these potential issues and taken steps to strengthen its commitment to business ethics. The company also purports to take a stand on social responsibility, encouraging its employees and consumers to do the same. PRIVACY AND MARKETING TECHNOLOGY One issue Mattel has tried to address repeatedly is that of privacy and online technology. Advances in technology have created special marketing issues for Mattel. The company recognizes that, because it markets to children, it must communicate with parents regarding its corporate marketing strategy. Mattel has taken steps to inform both children and adults about its philosophy regarding Internet-based marketing tools, such as the Hot Wheels website. This website contains a lengthy online privacy policy, part of which is excerpted below: Mattel, Inc. and its family of companies (â€Å"Mattel†) are committed to  protecting your online privacy when visiting a website operated by us. We do not collect and keep any personal information online from you unless you volunteer it and you are 13 or older. We also do not collect and keep personal information online from children under the age of 13 without consent of a parent or legal guardian, except in limited circumstances authorized by law and described in this policy. By assuring parents that their children’s privacy will be respected, Mattel demonstrates that it takes its responsibility of marketing to children seriously. EXPECTATIONS OF MATTEL’S BUSINESS PARTNERS Mattel, Inc. is also making a serious commitment to business ethics in its dealings with other industries. In late 1997, the company completed its first full ethics audit of each of its manufacturing sites as well as the facilities of its primary contractors. The audit revealed that the company was not using any child labor or forced labor, a problem plaguing other overseas manufacturers. However, several contractors were found to be in violation of Mattel’s safety and human rights standards and were asked to change their operations or risk losing Mattel’s business. The company now conducts an independent monitoring council audit in manufacturing facilities every three years. In an effort to continue its strong record on human rights and related ethical standards, Mattel instituted a code of conduct entitled Global Manufacturing Principles in 1997. One of these principles requires all Mattel-owned and contracted manufacturing facilities to favor business partners committed to ethical standards comparable with those of Mattel. Other principles relate to safety, wages, and adherence to local laws. Mattel’s audits and subsequent code of conduct were designed as preventative, not punitive measures. The company is dedicated to creating and encouraging responsible business practices throughout the world. 1 Mattel, Inc., Online Privacy Policy, http://www.hotwheels.com/privacy-policy (accessed August 23, 2011). Mattel also claims to be committed to its workforce. As one company consultant noted, â€Å"Mattel is committed to improving the skill level of workers†¦ [so that they] will experience increased opportunities and productivity.† This statement reflects Mattel’s concern for relationships between and with employees and business partners. The company’s code is a signal to potential partners, customers, and other stakeholders that Mattel has made a commitment to fostering and upholding ethical values. LEGAL AND ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES Mattel prefers to partner with businesses similarly committed to high ethical standards. At a minimum, partners must comply with the local and national laws of the countries in which they operate. In addition, all partners must respect the intellectual property of the company, and support Mattel in the protection of assets such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights. They are also responsible for product safety and quality, protecting the environment, customs, evaluation and monitoring, and compliance. Mattel’s business partners must have high standards for product safety and quality, adhering to practices that meet Mattel’s safety and quality standards. In recent years, however, safety standards have been seriously violated, which will be discussed in more detail later. Also, because of the global nature of Mattel’s business and its history of leadership in this area, the company insists that business partners strictly adhere to local and international customs laws. Partners must also comply with all import and export regulations. To assist in compliance with standards, Mattel insists that all manufacturing facilities provide the following: 1 Full access for on-site inspections by Mattel or parties designated by Mattel 2 Full access to those records that will enable Mattel to determine compliance with its principles 3 An annual statement of compliance with Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles, signed by an officer of the manufacturer or manufacturing facility2 With the creation of the Mattel Independent Monitoring Council (MIMCO), Mattel became the first global consumer products company to apply such a system to facilities and core contractors worldwide. The company seeks to maintain an independent monitoring system that provides checks and balances to help ensure that standards are met. If certain aspects of Mattel’s manufacturing Principles are not being met, Mattel will try to work with them to help them fix their problems. New partners will not be hired unless they meet Mattel’s standards. If corrective action is advised but not taken, Mattel will terminate its relationship with the partner in question. Overall, Mattel is committed to both business success and ethical standards, and it recognizes that it is part of a continuous improvement process. 2 â€Å"Mattel’s Commitment to Ethics,† eBusiness Ethics, http://www.e-businessethics.com/mattel9.htm (accessed August 23, 2011). MATTEL CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION Mattel takes its social responsibilities very seriously. Through the Mattel Children’s Foundation, established in 1978, the company promotes philanthropy and community involvement among its employees and makes charitable investments to better the lives of children in need. Funding priorities have included building a new Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), sustaining the Mattel Family Learning Program, and promoting giving among Mattel employees. In November 1998, Mattel donated a multiyear, $25 million gift to the UCLA Children’s Hospital. The gift was meant to support the existing hospital and provide for a new state-of-the-art facility. In honor of Mattel’s donation, the hospital was renamed Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. The Mattel Family Learning Program utilizes computer learning labs as a way to advance children’s basic skills. Now numbering more than eighty throughout the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, and Mexico, the labs offer software and technology designed to help children with special needs or limited English proficiency. Mattel employees are also encouraged to participate in a wide range of volunteer activities as part of â€Å"Mattel Volunteers: Happy to Help.† Employees serving on boards of local nonprofit organizations or helping with ongoing nonprofit programs are eligible to apply for volunteer grants supporting their organizations. Mattel employees contributing to higher education or to nonprofit organizations serving children in need are eligible to have their personal donations matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 annually. INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURING PRINCIPLES As a U.S.-based multinational company owning and operating facilities and contracting worldwide, Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles reflect not only its need to conduct manufacturing responsibly, but to respect the cultural, ethical, and philosophical differences of the countries in which it operates. These Principles set uniform standards across Mattel manufacturers and attempt to benefit both employees and consumers. Mattel’s Principles cover issues such as wages, work hours, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association, and working conditions. Workers must be paid at least minimum wage or a wage that meets  local industry standards (whichever is greater). No one under the age of 16 or the local age limit (whichever is higher) may be allowed to work for Mattel facilities. Mattel refuses to work with facilities that use forced or prison labor, or to use these types of labor itself. Additionally, Mattel does not tolerate discrimination. The company states that an individual should be hired and employed based on his or her ability—not on individual characteristics or beliefs. Mattel recognizes all employees’ rights to choose to associate with organizations or associations without interference. Regarding working conditions, all Mattel facilities and its business partners must provide safe working environments for their employees. ISSUES WITH OVERSEAS MANUFACTURING Despite Mattel’s best efforts, not all overseas manufacturers have faithfully adhered to its high standards. Mattel has come under scrutiny over its sale of unsafe products. In September 2007, Mattel announced recalls of toys containing lead paint. The problem surfaced when a European retailer discovered lead paint on a toy. An estimated 10 million individual toys produced in China were affected. Mattel quickly stopped production at Lee Der, the company officially producing the recalled toys, after it was discovered that Lee Der had purchased lead-tainted paint to be used on the toys. Mattel blamed the fiasco on the manufacturers’ desire to save money in the face of increasing prices. â€Å"In the last three or five years, you’ve seen labor prices more than double, raw material prices double or triple,† CEO Eckert said in an interview, â€Å"and I think that there’s a lot of pressure on guys that are working at the margin to try to save money. The situation began when Early Light Industrial Co., a subcontractor for Mattel owned by Hong Kong toy tycoon Choi Chee Ming, subcontracted the painting of parts of CARS toys to another China-based vendor. The vendor, named Hong Li Da, decided to source paint from a non-authorized third-party supplier—a violation of Mattel’s requirement to use paint supplied directly by Early Light. The products were found to contain â€Å"impermissible levels of lead.† On August 2, 2007, it was announced that another of Early Light’s subcontractors, Lee Der Industrial Co., used the same lead paint found on Cars products. China immediately suspended the company’s export license. Afterward, Mattel pinpointed three paint suppliers working for Lee Der—Dongxin, Zhongxin, and Mingdai. This paint was used by Lee Der to produce Mattel’s line of Fisher-Price products. It is said that Lee Der purchased the paint from Mingdai due to an intimate friendship between the two company’s owners. On August 11, 2007, Zhang Shuhong, operator of Lee Der, hung himself after paying his 5,000 staff members. Later that month, Mattel was forced to recall several more toys because of powerful magnets in the toys that could come loose and pose a choking hazard for young children. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other inside the child’s stomach, causing potentially fatal complications. Over 21 million Mattel toys were recalled in all, and parents filed several lawsuits claiming that these Mattel products harmed their children. At first, Mattel blamed Chinese subcontractors for the huge toys recalls, but the company later accepted a portion of the blame for its troubles, while maintaining that Chinese manufacturers were largely at fault. The Chinese view the situation quite differently. As reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the spokesman for China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine said, â€Å"Mattel should improve its product design and supervision over product quality. Chinese original equipment manufacturers were doing the job just as importers requested, and the toys conformed to the U.S. regulations and standards at the time of the production.† Mattel also faced criticism from many of its consumers, who believed Mattel was denying culpability by placing much of the blame on China. Mattel was later awarded the 2007 â€Å"Bad Product† Award by Consumers International. How did this crisis occur under the watch of a company praised for its ethics and high safety standards? Although Mattel had investigated its contractors, it did not audit the entire supply chain, including subcontractors. These  oversights left room for these violations to occur. Mattel has also moved to enforce a rule that subcontractors cannot hire suppliers two or three tiers down. In a statement, Mattel says it has spent more than 50,000 hours investigating its vendors and testing its toys. Mattel also announced a three-point plan. This plan aims to tighten Mattel’s control of production, discover and prevent the unauthorized use of subcontractors, and test the products itself rather than depending on contractors. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT’S REACTION Chinese officials eventually did admit the government’s failure to properly protect the public. The Chinese government promised to tighten supervision of exported products, but effective supervision is challenging in such a large country that is so burdened with corruption. In January 2008, the Chinese government launched a four-month-long nationwide product quality campaign, offering intensive training courses to domestic toy manufacturers to help them brush up on their knowledge of international product standards and safety awareness. As a result of the crackdown, the State Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) announced that it had revoked the licenses of more than 600 Chinese toy makers. As of 2008, the State Administration for Commerce and Industry (SACI) released a report claiming that 87.5 percent of China’s newly manufactured toys met quality requirements. While this represents an improvement, the temptation to cut corners remains strong in a country that uses price, not quality, as its main competitive advantage. Where there is demand, there will be people trying to turn a quick profit. MATTEL VERSUS FORMER EMPLOYEE AND MGA In 2004, Mattel became embroiled in a bitter intellectual property rights battle with former employee Carter Bryant and MGA Entertainment Inc. over rights to MGA’s popular Bratz dolls. Carter Bryant, an on-again/off-again Mattel employee, designed the Bratz dolls and pitched them to MGA. A few months after the pitch, Bryant left  Mattel to work at MGA, which began producing Bratz in 2001. In 2002, Mattel launched an investigation into whether Bryant had designed the Bratz dolls while employed with Mattel. After two years of investigation, Mattel sued Bryant. A year later MGA fired off a suit of its own, claiming that Mattel was creating Barbies with looks similar to those of Bratz in an effort to eliminate the competition. Mattel answered by expanding its own suit to include MGA and its CEO, Isaac Larian. For decades, Barbie has reigned supreme on the doll market. However, Bratz dolls have given Barbie a run for her money. In 2005, four years after the brand’s debut, Bratz sales were at $2 billion. At the same time, Barbie was suffering from declining sales. In 2008 Barbie’s gross sales fell by 6 percent. Many analysts believe that Barbie has reached the maturity stage of its product life cycle. Four years after the initial suit was filed, Bryant settled with Mattel under an undisclosed set of terms. In July 2008, a jury deemed MGA and its CEO liable for what it termed â€Å"intentional interference† regarding Bryant’s contract with Mattel. In August 2008, Mattel received damages in the range of $100 million. Although Mattel first requested damages of $1.8 billion, the company is pleased with the principle behind the victory. In December 2008, Mattel appeared to win another victory when a California judge banned MGA from issuing or selling any more Bratz dolls. However, the tide soon turned on Mattel’s victory. In July 2010, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the ruling. Eventually, the case came down to whether Mattel owned Bryant’s ideas under the contract he had with the comapny. In April 2011, a California federal jury rejected Mattel’s claims to ownership. In another blow to Mattel, the jury also ruled that the company had stolen trade secrets from MGA. According to the allegations, Mattel employees used fake business cards to get into MGA showrooms during toy fairs. Mattel was ordered to pay $85 million in liabilities, plus an additional $225 million in damages and legal fees. MGA CEO Isaac Larian has  also announced that he will file an antitrust case against Mattel. Mattel continues to claim that Bryant violated his contract when he was working for the company . MATTEL LOOKS TOWARD THE FUTURE Like all major companies, Mattel has weathered its share of storms. The company has faced a series of difficult and potentially crippling challenges, including the recent verdict against the company in the Bratz lawsuit. During the wave of toy recalls, some analysts suggested that the company’s reputation was battered beyond repair. Mattel, however, has refused to go quietly. Although the company admits to poorly handling recent affairs, it is attempting to rectify its mistakes and to prevent future mistakes as well. With the economic future of the United States uncertain, Mattel may be in for slow growth for some time to come. Mattel is hard at work restoring goodwill and faith in its brands, even as it continues to be plagued with residual distrust over the lead paint scandal and its alleged theft of trade secrets. Reputations are hard won and easily lost, but Mattel appears to be steadfast in its commitment to restoring its reputation. QUESTIONS 1. Do manufacturers of products for children have special obligations to consumers and society? If so, what are these responsibilities? 2. How effective has Mattel been at encouraging ethical and legal conduct by its manufacturers? What changes and additions would you make to the company’s Global Manufacturing Principles? 3. To what extent is Mattel responsible for issues related to its production of toys in China? How might Mattel have avoided these issues? 9 Sources: Lisa Bannon and Carlta Vitzhum, â€Å"One-Toy-Fits-All: How Industry Learned to Love the Global Kid,† Wall Street Journal, Apr. 30, 2003, http://online.wsj.com. 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