GlOBALIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT Research Paper

GlOBALIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT - Research Paper Example The warranty policy for products and/or services in China is for two years while the company provides warranty for a period of one year. The warranty policy of the company is criticized by the media, Communist Party, celebrities and consumers in the market of China. This issue is mainly criticized for the violation and the negligence of the company towards the rules as well as the regulations of China in relation to foreign companies operating in the Chinese market segment. The company is also seemed to face challenge in relation to after sales services. The consumers also complained that they are not provided with adequate customer services with issues including technical faults among others. The state media of China is a major challenge for the company i.e. Apple as the Chinese media has undertaken every measure in criticizing the policies of the company and revealing the ill-treatment that Chinese journalists has faced in the offices of Apple in China through news. The state media is determined to adopt aggressive tactic of criticizing the operations of Apple in China with the intention of enhancing the performance of local telecom companies to compete with Apple (Barboza and Wingfield, â€Å"Pressured by China, Apple Apologizes for Warranty Policies†). ... The company is identified to face pressure in the Chinese market due to rivalry issues amid China and the US. China has faced cyber-security issues in relation to hacking of computers of various American companies. Additionally, it has been identified that the Government of the US had proposed to restrict the operations of two Chinese companies in the US. The two Chinese companies which include Huawei and ZTE are the leading producers of telecommunications equipment had been advised to stop their businesses in the US due to engagement in espionage activities (V.V.V., â€Å"Unparalleled Arrogance, Full Apology†). These are the various challenges which are faced by Apple in the market segment of China. Furthermore, these challenges are seemed to act as a trade barrier for the US corporations to operate their business activities in China. 2. RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY OF APPLE Apple is identified to possess certain risk management strategies with the objective of mitigating risks w hich arise both in the national as well as international market segments. It can be stated that the company does not possess adequate risk management strategies in order to eliminate those risks at the time of identification. The company is seemed to adopt risk management strategy for interest rate and foreign currency risks but is ineffective in the management of risks arising within challenging marketplaces regarding consumers. It is observed that in the market segment of China, the company has faced various challenges in relation to warranty policy and customer services which are affecting the performance and customer base. The company is a multinational corporation and accordingly it has over the years faced various challenges in relation to rules and

Governor Phillip Essay Example for Free

Governor Phillip Essay In this essay, I would like to examine the respective educational theories of the two men: Professor Higgins Pygmalion and Governor Phillip Our Countrys Good. Both men believe in the process of amelioration: that is, both believe in the redemptive power of fine language; if people speak fine language, they will find themselves morally or socially improved. Both believe that people, who are born into the lower classes, are not doomed to live their lives at a disadvantage. Moreover, if given the opportunity to use the divine gift of articulate speech, then they can achieve a degree of upward mobility. I should like to look first at the relationship between Professor Higgins and Eliza in Pygmalion, which is set in an era of social mobility and depends for its effect upon the English class system. In particular, I would like to examine the idea that a persons position in society can be accurately measured by her speech-style. Henry Higgins, a professor of linguistics, believes that Eliza Doolittle (draggletailed guttersnipe) can be transformed into a duchess. Higgins is a scientist conducting an experiment. He wants Eliza to talk genteelly. His precise ambition is to pass that girl off as a duchess at an ambassadors garden party. Higgins is extremely selfish (What does it matter what becomes of you) and professes not to be interested in Elizas personal progress at all, in fact only teaching her to win a bet between Pickering and himself: THE NOTE-TAKER (HIGGINS): Well, sir, in three months I could pass that girl off as a duchess at an ambassadors garden party. PICKERING: Ill say youre the greatest teacher alive if you make that good. Ill bet you all the expenses of the experiment you cant do it. As this exchange shows, Pickering has just given Professor Higgins the incentive to teach Eliza. Higgins is very vain (I can place any man in London) and is teaching Eliza to stop using cockney dialect: Lisson Grove lingo such as Garn! and you ought to be stuffed with nails, you ought! She also uses double negatives in her speech: I aint got no parents where, grammatically, it should be I dont have any parents. In Act Two, Eliza goes one step further by saying, I dont want never to see him again I dont which is in fact a triple negative. During his experiment in teaching, Higgins encounters the difficulty of getting Eliza to talk grammatically. Teaching her to pronounce the words properly is easy enough, but teaching her to understand English grammar is more complicated. When she comes to Higgins, her grammar is atrocious (I wont stay here if I dont like), for she is using adjectives instead of adverbs. However, she is aware of her social standing. Although she knows that she is not a lady (I couldnt sleep here, its too good for the likes of me), she also knows that she is not a tramp and regularly states she is not a prostitute (Im a good girl I am). This chorus is her motto and shows that she has a sense of decorum. In Act Three, about three months into the experiment, Eliza undertakes what we make call a half-term test. She goes to Mrs Higgins at home day. There, she does well in her greetings of Mrs Eynsford Hill and her daughter, Clara; her four syllables how do you do? are said with pedantic pronunciation and great beauty of tone. Then, however, the topic of conversation begins to turn towards incongruous subjects: My Aunt died of influenza, so they said but it is my belief they done her in. Higgins explains away Elizas inappropriate remark by saying that it is the new small talk. Shortly afterwards, he gives the signal to Eliza that she should leave. When asked by Freddy if she is walking, she replies with the best remark in the play: Walk! Not bloody likely. Im going in a taxi. She departs, much to the shock of the genteel folk. The conflict in this exchange is between Elizas perfectly elegant diction and the crude adjective that she uses. This example of Lisson Grove lingo or kerbstone English, when spoken in an upper-class accent, sounds incongruous and creates uproarious laughter. When we next catch up with Eliza, she has made a successful transformation from a flower girl as clean as she can afford to be to a princess in opera cloak, evening dress, diamonds, fan, flowers and all accessories. She is at her final test, an International party at an Embassy in London. Neppomuck, Higgins first student, attends, working as an interpreter: I speak 32 languages You place a man anywhere in London, I place any man in Europe. The hostess of the party instructs Neppomuck to use his skills on Eliza: I have found out all about her, she is a fraud. As Higgins thinks that he has failed and it is all over, Neppomuck reveals: She is of Hungarian origin and of Royal blood. She is a Princess! Higgins, as is shown, has succeeded in his mission to transform Elizas speech from that of a common flower girl to that of an aristocrat. Later, when Eliza asks Pickering if she had won his bet, he replies: Won it my dear, you have won it 10 times over. This speech by Colonel Pickering makes Eliza feel successful and when, after the party, Higgins makes an entirely selfish analysis of the ordeal through which Eliza has been going, (No more artificial duchesses. The whole thing has been simple purgatory) she passes moral judgement on him (you selfish brute). When we see Eliza at Mrs. Higgins house we are shown that neither Higgins nor Pickering has any concept of mental cruelty, for they think that the way they have treated Eliza (who is naturally rather affectionate) by ignoring her and saying how glad they are that it is all over, is perfectly acceptable. In Act Five, Eliza realises that her real education is not in phonetics but in manners. Eliza explains how she acquired self-respect and has risen in the world. Shaw then puts in her mouth a political speech critical of class-differences in England in 1916: The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves but how shes treated This declaration brings us on to discussing Our Countrys Good and Governor Phillip. At the heart of Governor Phillips educational theory is the belief that, if the convicts are treated as talented individuals, they will acquire self-respect. Arthur Phillip has been made governor-in-chief of a penal colony in 18th century Australia. The criminals have been transported a form of punishment at that time on a convict ship to Australia, which was the most frequent destination. Excluding the convicts, there are several other men, of various ranks, with Phillip. Among these are Captain Watkin Tench and Judge David Collins, both of whom lack sensitivity. Phillip is a humanitarian and thinks it unnecessary to cross fifteen thousand miles of ocean to erect another Tyburn? : that is, to go to the other side of the Earth to hang people who could have been hanged in Britain. Tench, on the other hand, thinks that the convicts laugh at hangings and it is their favourite form of entertainment. Phillip wishes to be humane and considers lashing as an alternative, but because the punishment is unobserved, Collins deems it useless for it will not serve as a sharp example: that is, it will not deter the other convicts. Tench agrees with him by saying that justice and humaneness have never gone hand in hand. When the discussion turns to plays and preferred authors, Phillip has the idea of the convicts putting on a play for the good of the colony. This is our first notion of the differences between Governor Phillip and Professor Higgins; Higgins is teaching Eliza for his own good, to improve his reputation, not for her benefit nor our countrys good. The only play they have is George Farquhars The Recruiting Officer (1706), which is a Restoration comedy. In Act One Scene Five, Phillip asks Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark to organise the play. He doesnt really want to do it and to begin with is not very enthusiastic, but he is hopeful of promotion and so does it to please the Governor. He hears that a convict called Mary Brenham can read and write, so he roots her out. She is with her friend, Dabby Bryant, when he comes to talk to her. When he asks her questions to discover if she can read and write, Dabby interrupts and tells him: She used to read to us on the ship. We loved it. This disclosure reveals Marys human potential; it reveals also that some convicts are sensitive to those who have been desensitised through brutal treatment. When Dabby says, Mary wants to be in your play, she is telling us that Mary wants something to look forward to, something to anticipate. When Ralph Clark starts reading some lines with her from the play, she reads the line: Whilst there is life, there is hope This is a perfect example of a syntactically balanced sentiment. This proverbial saying comments exquisitely on their situation within the colony. In Act One Scene Six, The Authorities Discuss the Merits of the Theatre, Major Robbie Ross shows his contempt for the play (well all be struck with stricturing starvation and you you a play! ) Ross is a reactionary figure; he adopts a hostile manner towards the idea that the convicts may be capable of sentiment and rehabilitation. He believes that they are incorrigible, beyond redemption; he has no confidence in the redemptive power of Farquhars language. Ross wastes no opportunity to vituperate against the convicts (vice ridden vermin! ), especially the women, whom he considers lower forms of life (Filthy, thieving, lying whores). He scoffs at the fact that they are allowed to perform a play of fine language, sentiment (Plays! ). In the same scene as Ross accusations, we find that these are actually civilised men: The sky of this Southern Hemisphere is full of wonders. Have you looked at the constellations? Astronomy seems to be a reasonably intelligent pursuit. Phillip now shows his enlightened position We are indeed here to supervise the convicts who are already being punished by their long exile. Surely they can also be reformed?

Democratic Leadership Or Participative Leadership

Democratic Leadership Or Participative Leadership The  activity  of  leading  a  group  of people or an  organization, or the  ability  to do this.In its essence, leadership in an  organizational  role  involves establishing a clear vision, sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly,   providing  the  information,  knowledge, and  methods  to realize that vision, and coordinating and balancing the conflicting  interests  of all  members  or  stakeholders. A  leader  comes to the forefront in case of  crisis, and is  able  to think and  act  in  creative  ways in difficult situations. Unlike  management, leadership  flows  from the core of a  personality  and cannot be taught, although it may be learned and may be enhanced through  coaching  or  mentoring Most common qualities of leadership is seen in leaders are:- Autocratic leadership. Bureaucratic leadership. Charismatic leadership. Democratic leadership or participative leadership. Laissez-faire leadership. People-oriented leadership or relations-oriented leadership. Servant leadership. Task-oriented leadership. Transactional leadership. Transformational leadership. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where a leader exerts high levels of power over his or her employees or team members. People within the team are given few opportunities for making suggestions, even if these would be in the teams or organizations interest. Most people tend to resent being treated like this. Because of this, autocratic leadership usually leads to high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover. Also, the teams output does not benefit from the creativity and experience of all team members, so many of the benefits of teamwork are lost. For some routine and unskilled jobs, however, this  style  can remain effective where the advantages of control outweigh the disadvantages.  Learn more Democratic Leadership or Participative Leadership Although a democratic leader will make the final decision, he or she invites other members of the team to contribute to the decision-making process. This not only increases job satisfaction by involving employees or team members in whats going on, but it also helps to develop peoples skills. Employees and team members feel in control of their own destiny, and so are motivated to work hard by more than just a financial  reward. As participation takes time, this style can lead to things happening more slowly than an autocratic approach, but often the end result is better. It can be most suitable where team working is essential, and quality is more important than speed to market or productivity.  Learn more Transactional Leadership This style of leadership starts with the premise that team members agree to obey their leader totally when they take a job on: the transaction is (usually) that the organization pays the team members, in return for their effort and compliance. As such, the leader has the right to punish team members if their work doesnt meet the pre-determined standard. Team members can do little to improve their job satisfaction under transactional leadership. The leader could give team members some control of their income/reward by using incentives that encourage even higher standards or greater productivity. Alternatively a transactional leader could practice management by exception, whereby, rather than rewarding better work, he or she would take corrective action if the required standards were not met. Transactional leadership is really just a way of managing rather a true leadership style, as the focus is on short-term tasks. It has serious limitations for knowledge-based or creative work, but remains a common style in many organizations. Transformational Leadership A person with this leadership style is a true leader who inspires his or her team with a shared vision of the future. Transformational leaders are highly visible, and spend a lot of time communicating. They dont necessarily lead from the front, as they tend to delegate responsibility amongst their teams. While their enthusiasm is often infectious, they can need to be supported by detail people. In many organizations, both transactional and transformational leadership are needed. The transactional leaders (or managers) ensure that routine work is done reliably, while the transformational leaders look after initiatives that add value. The transformational leadership style is the dominant leadership style taught in the How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You leadership program, although we do recommend that other styles are brought as the situation demands. Using the Right Style Situational Leadership While the Transformation Leadership approach is often highly effective, there is no one right way to lead or manage that suits all situations. To choose the most effective approach for you, you must consider: The skill levels and experience of the members of your team. The work involved (routine or new and creative). The organizational environment (stable or radically changing, conservative or adventurous). You own preferred or natural style. A good leader will find him or herself switching instinctively between styles according to the people and work they are dealing with. This is often referred to as situational leadership. For example, the manager of a small factory trains new machine operatives using a bureaucratic style to ensure operatives know the procedures that achieve the right standards of product quality and workplace safety. The same manager may adopt a more participative style of leadership when working on production line improvement with his or her team of supervisors Comparison of leaders and their styles Compare and Contrast Two  Business  LeadersLi Ka-shing and Bill Gates    Due to tremendous disparities in historical background and civilization between Chinese and Western countries, there exist remarkable differences between Chinese and Western business leaders. However, both of them still have similarities. This essay will take Li Ka-shing and Bill Gates as representatives to illustrate the differences and similarities between Chinese and Western business leaders.One obvious difference is background. As the most wealthy and successful businessman in Asia, Li had a miserable childhood. In order to escape the war, Lis family had to flee to Hong Kong when he was 12-year-old. Growing up in arduous circumstances, Li had to make a livelihood at the age of 14. In contrast, as the Worlds richest person, Gates was born in a better family with a lawyer father and a teacher mother. He received a decent education and started programming computer at the age of 13. Other difference comes from business scope. Lis business develops into a large amount of areas, including plastics manufacturing, real estate, ports facilities, telecommunications, et cetera. While on the other hand, Gates is taking the leading role in the IT sector. Despite the differences in background and business scope, Li and Gates share several similarities. Firstly, both of them commit to philanthropy. It was reported that Li had contributed more than $450 million to support the development of educational undertakings and medical care such as building hospitals and colleges (Investing  Value, n.d.). Correspondingly, Gates set up a foundation-The Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation-to facilitate philanthropy, covering health care, educational investment and the development of information industry. Secondly, both of them make a great achievement. According to statistics, Lis conglomerates have been a worldwide with representation in 40 countries (Investing Value, n.d.). Likewise, Gates. Bibliography edit, v. (Ret Mar 2007). leadership toolbox. Retrieved from wwww.leadershiptoolbox.com Nwlink. (2010). nwlink.com. Retrieved from www.nwlink.com/donclark/leader various. (Ret. 2009). sample assignments. Retrieved from powerfulleaders.com: www.powerfulleaders.com/sampleassignments/management.html https://www.studymode.com/join.php Essay 2 Leadership and Cultural Awareness:- Cultural awareness refers to understanding the differences between human communities based on their ideologies, values, beliefs, norms, customs, meanings and ways of life. By increasing cultural awareness leaders interacting with diverse populations will develop greater sensitivity to culture, diversity and multicultural societies. You will also improve your capability to understand, and relate to a diverse range of people in an ethical, effective, and collaborative way. Cultural Awareness can: Promote leadership development through reflection, understanding, and learning Reduce conflict through a heightened understanding of culture Enhance self confidence in dealing with diversity Build coping skills for dealing with negative emotions Reduce individual stress by promoting understanding and acceptance. Promote ethical practices by providing support and facilitating awareness MAKING DIVERSITY AN EVERYDAY REALITY IN YOUR WORKPLACE A Global Study in Diversity and Cultural Awareness developed with a learning objective to heighten awareness of how cultural, ethnic, gender and religious backgrounds can influence personal and professional identity, attitudes and behavior. The deeper impact of diversity has little to do with our physical appearances. It is our uniqueness that bridges the gap between our differences and the acceptance that as human beings we are all very deeply connected. In todays workplace people from many cultures and varied ethnicities must function well together, working as a team to accomplish the goals and  represent the core values defined  by your organization. Purpose  Plans definition of diversity addresses much more than the standard cultural, ethnicity, gender and age considerations. To reach the pinnacle requires respect, understanding and appreciation of others unique characteristics.  High performing teams are a result of self awareness, successful exploration and understanding of personality types and work styles, implementation of organizational dynamics and leadership development. New Zealand can move beyond the cultural awareness of the other to exploring ways of being diverse through acceptance rather than resistance of difference. Leadership and diversity must include ways to assist us as New Zealanders in  social cohesion. It is much  more than good behavior, or tolerance, a sort of good behavior of silent suffering in public, or understanding which implies that if you learn enough it will mask our own  prejudices. No one is prejudice free.   Its about reaching into the very way we perceive our society and seeing that diversity is a part of it, rather than a resistance for its inclusion. Its about ensuring that we must become a participatory democracy for all. Good leadership includes teaching in a not very diverse country, the language, the words and phrases, to speak about our own prejudices, to critically analyze our assumptions and expectations about new migrants and refugees into this country. We need to see who makes up the in-out groups of our society. We need to get beyond the solution of employing one ethnic person to solve all the cultural issues of that group.   Working towards a deeper understanding of, or relationship with a community requires more than an expansion of thinking, or some creative thinking. It needs spaces at a number of different levels, each a site of conversation that will enable minority voices to be heard at the appropriate volume and representation.   It means looking not just at the gains of culturally diverse conversations, but at the organizational structure and determination to share resources. The Treaty of Waitangi The  Treaty of Waitangi  (Maori:  Trite o Waitangi) is a  treaty  first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the  British Crown  and various Maori  chiefs from the  North Island  of New Zealand. The Treaty established a British  Governor of New Zealand, recognized Maori ownership of their lands and other properties, and gave the Maori the rights of British subjects. The English and  Maori  versions of the Treaty differed significantly, so there is no consensus as to exactly what was agreed to. From the British point of view, the Treaty gave Britain  sovereignty  over New Zealand, and gave the  Governor  the right to govern the country. Maori believed they ceded to the Crown a right of governance in return for protection, without giving up their authority to manage their own affairs.  After the initial signing at Waitangi, copies of the Treaty were taken around New Zealand and over the following months many other chiefs signed. In total there are nine copies of the Treaty of Waitangi including the original signed on 6 February 1840.  Around 500 chiefs, including at least 13 females, signed the Treaty of Waitangi Until the 1970s, the Treaty was generally ignored by both the courts and  parliament, although it was usually depicted in  New Zealand history  as a generous act on the part of the Crown.  Maori have looked to the Treaty for rights and remedies for land loss and unequal treatment by the state, with mixed  success. From the late 1960s Maori began drawing attention to breaches of the Treaty, and subsequent histories have emphasized problems with its translation. In 1975, the  Waitangi Tribunal  was established as a permanent  commission  of inquiry tasked with researching breaches of the Treaty by the Crown or its agents, and suggesting means of redress. Today it is generally considered the  founding document  of New Zealand as a nation. Despite this, the Treaty is often the subject of heated debate, and much disagreement by both Maori and non-Maori New Zealanders. Many Maori feel that the Crown did not fulfill its obligations under the Treaty, and have presented evidence of this before sittings of the Tribunal. Some non-Maori New Zealanders have suggested that Maori may be abusing the Treaty in order to claim special privileges. The Crown, in most cases, is not obliged to act on the recommendations of the Tribunal but nonetheless in many instances has accepted that it breached the Treaty and its principles.  Settlements  to date have consisted of hundreds of millions of dollars of reparations in  cash  and assets, as well as apologies. This is the better example for leader, when they working in an environment where they have to lead people from different cultures. New Zealand business leaders also ready to aware this type of cross cultural communications to avoid confusions and misunderstandings. (Brookfield F. , 1999) Bibliography Brookfield, F. (. (1999). Waitangi and Indigenous Rights. Auckland Univercity. Brookfield, F. (1999). republic.org. Retrieved from www.republic.org.nz/treatyofwaitangi http://www.anewnz.org.nz/vision.asp?id=137 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Waitangi http://www.logosnoesis.com/Leaders/Cultural_Awareness Essay 3 Influences on Leadership There can be no leadership without influence, because influencing is how leaders lead. In their classic book on leadership,  Leaders:   Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus echo this point: There is a profound difference between management and leadership, they wrote, and both are important. To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in direction, course,  action, opinion.' They add that an  essential  factor in leadership is the capacity to influence. Leaders lead by mobilizing people around a compelling vision of the future, by inspiring them to follow in the leaders footsteps. They show people whats possible and motivate them to make those possibilities real. They energize and focus people in ways that fulfill their dreams, give them a sense of purpose, and leave them with a profound sense of accomplishment when the work is done. Leaders lead by modeling ways of thinking or acting and by encouraging new ways of looking at situations, and by so doing they give people the words and the courage to make those new ways their own. The best leaders are teachers, mentors, and role modelsand they accomplish the vast majority of their work through influence, not authority. In many cases, leaders and managers are one in the same. The division vice president who leads a team of people to accomplish what they might not have thought possible is also a manager. The manager who oversees a teams task performance but also looks after the team members career  planning  and coaches them on developing their skills is also a leader. The art of management and leadership is to know when to act as a manager and when to act as a leader, when to use authority and when to use influence, when to ask and when to tell, when to take over and when to let go. In every case, it is crucial for leaders and managers to understand the range of influence techniques they can use, know when and how to use them, build their power bases so that they have the capacity to be influential, and sharpen their skills so that they can influence people effectively. Business Leader: bill gates Bill Gates is cofounder, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft, the most successful software company in the world, renowned for making software that is powerful and innovative while still being user friendly. Microsoft now employs more than 55,000 people in 85 countries. William H Gates III commonly known as Bill Gates was born on 28th October 1955 and raised in Seattle along with his two sisters. Bill became interested in programming at an early age while attending one of Seattles most exclusive schools. Gates soon befriended a student named Paul Allen and together using the schools minicomputer they practiced their skills. They turned to a computing company, in exchange for  free  use of a more powerful computer they searched for bugs in the computers system while also learning new languages. Bill went on to Harvard University and while there teamed up with Paul to write a new version of Basic programming language for the first personnel computer the Altair 8800. The company was impressed with Gates and Allens work and licensed the software resulting in Gates and Allen forming the company Microsoft to develop software for other companies. Bill dropped out of Harvard to spend more time on the new business Influencing Factors:- Motivation He believes that if you are intelligent and know how to apply your  intelligence,  you  can  achieve  anything.  From  childhood  Bill  was ambitious,  intelligent  and competitive.  These  qualities  helped  him  to attain top position in the profession he chose. VISIONARY Microsofts vision is A computer on every desk and Microsoft software on every computer he will  continue to  stomp out the competition until he dies. Every business and household must have a computer and must run Microsoft software, was the basic guiding vision of Bill Gates. PASSION When as a student at the Harvard University, every single student would have wanted to be part of the great institute and graduate to be successful, Bill Gates decided to stop studying and pursue his dream of writing softwares for every computer in theworldHe  was  just  passionate  about  software,  coding  and  technology  thatincidentally also made him the richest man in the world INNOVATION Gates and Allen were assisted by a staff of six, which included four  programmers.  In  late  1977,  Gates  released  a  version  of  FORTRAN Technical Mind Bill Gates is born with a highly technical bent of mind. It is a gift of god to him. Microsoft has earned lots of success through this technical mind. He Had a Vision From day one, Gates dreamed of having a personal computer in every home, in every business and in every school. Throughout his career, he never once wavered from this dream. Focusing on software as the means to popularize the PC, Gates built his empire around this central vision and steered clear of all other distractions. And, the vision continues today.We are not even close to finishing the basic dream of what the PC can  be, he says. He Had a Solid Team If we  werent still  hiring great people and pushing ahead at full  speed, it would be easy to fall behind and become a mediocre company, says Gates. From Microsofts inception, Gates prioritized his team, bringing in only trusted friends to help him  get the company started. As the company grew, he insisted that they hire only the most capable young minds and strove to create a small and creative environment for them to thrive in .Microsoft succeeded not only because of Gates, but also because of the strong  team  that  stood  behind  him. He Took a Long-Term Approach In the decade ahead I can predict that we will provide over twice the  productivity improvement that  we provided in the  90s, said Gates. This  bold statement captures Gates philosophy behind his entire business.  Never one to chase after instant success or an immediate pay-off, Gates  began  coding  software  with  a  view  to  the  next  fifty  years.  He  hasconstantly tried to keep his company at the forefront of new technologicaldevelopments  by  funding  new  research  initiatives.  Gates  long-termapproach helped ensure Microsofts remarkable staying power. He Learned  From Failure: In hindsight, Gates early failures seem so miniscule that they are almost laughable. But, as a struggling entrepreneur, he went through the same frustration, confusion and despair that others in his situation also face. What distinguishes Gates from the rest was his ability to rebound from his mistakes and take whatever lessons he could from them. He then  became even more resolute and determined to see his vision realize. He Never Stopped Asking Questions I  believe  that  through  our  natural  inventiveness,  creativity  andwillingness to solve tough problems, were going to make some amazingachievements,  said  Gates  speaking  to  the  future  possibilities  for  medicine, education and technology. When Gates faced a dilemma, he didnt stop and give up. He asked questions about what could be done tosolve  the  problem.  From  his  business  activities  to  his  philanthropicefforts, Gates curiosity and desire to constantly be learning has been one of the key factors behind his success.If Id had some set idea of a finish line, dont you think I would have crossed it years ago? asks Gates. Showing no signs of slowing down, Gates continues to fuel his business, inspire his workers and make his contribution to the global village.At Microsoft, there are lots of brilliant ideas but the image is that the yell come from the top, says Gates. Im afraid thats not quite right.While Gates has be en the famous face of Microsoft for over thirty years, it took the help of numerous other trusted individuals to help realize the companys success. When Allen and Gates first met as students at Lakeside, they instantly formed a strong bond over their passion for computers. And, it was a  bond that would last for the rest of their lives. Knowing each others strengths and weaknesses, interests and passions and having a strong sense of trust enabled these two entrepreneurs to form one of the most successful working relationships of the 20th century. Gates, recognizing the importance of a solid and trustworthy team, also  brought  on  two  former  high  school  friends,  Ric  Weiland  and  MarcMcDonald, to be part of the core Microsoft group. Gates knew that if  Microsoft was going to get its feet off the ground, it was going to take the hard work and sweat that he trusted few others to put in. From day one, he understood the importance of having a small team t hat could join together each persons enthusiasm around a common goal. When Gates moved the operation to Seattle in 1979, he had a staff of 16  people. As Microsoft grew, so too did the number of employees that thecompany  required.  Gates  continued  to  bring  in  trusted  friends  of  hiswhose  characters  he  understood  and  who  he  knew  he  could  trust,including his friend from college, Steve Ballmer, who was thereafter incharge  of  human  resources.  Steve  and  I  were  kind  of  driving  the  business and Paul and I were driving the technology, recalls Gates. Our  success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning.The move to Seattle proved to be a boon for Microsoft in that it enabled the company to have a much wider range of skilled candidates to choose from. In the world of software a lot of the brilliant ideas of Microsoft come from a broad set of great people weve been able to hir e, says Gates. In one  particularly key move, Ballmer  hired Charles Simonyi, one of the original founders of the Xerox Palo Alto research lab, whose knowledge about graphical interfaces made a significant contribution to Microsofts later graphical applications.  As  their  number  of  staff  began  increasing  into  the  thousands,  thecompany typically focused on hiring people right out of  school. Most of  our developers, we decided that we wanted them to come with clear  minds, not polluted by some other approach, to learn the way that we liked to develop software, and to put the kind of energy into it that we thought was key, recalls Gates. Microsoft continues to seek out only the best in order to help it stay ahead of its increasingly fierce competition. They key for us, number one, has always been hiring very smart people, says Gates. There is no way of  getting around, that in terms of IQ, youve got to be very elitist in picking  people wh o deserve to write software. Ninety-five percent of the people shouldnt write complex software.  By hiring the best  and the brightest and carrying out work in  small teams that stimulate free and creative thinking, Microsoft has managed to retain its competitive edge for over three decades.

All Drugs Should be Legal for Personal Use Essay -- Legalization Drugs

All Drugs Should be Legal for Personal Use The war on drugs is costing us over 100 billion dollars to fight each year, and we’re only fighting a monster which we are making bigger with each punch. It’s not drugs, but drug laws themselves that have created this monster. Drug use is part of human nature, but the unimaginable wealth involved leads to the corruption of the police, judges, and elected officials. There is no reason to have the government regulating what goes into an individual’s body. An extreme case of what we’re letting the government do is letting them take away our own self, an individual’s ownership over his own body. I think it’s in everyone’s interest to legalize all drugs, since this war is going nowhere, letting the government get more powerful than it was ever meant to have been, and it’s putting numbers over our names. There is no way that the drug flow into the United States is ever going to be stopped. It’s a general economic rule, that as long as there is a demand for drugs there will always be a supply, unless scarcity occurs, but it doesn’t appear as if Colombia is running out of cocaine anytime soon. Cocaine brings Bolivia’s economy $600 million per year, a figure equal to the country’s total legal export income. Our country’s current annual import of cocaine would fit comfortably into a single C-5A cargo plane. The United States is just too large, there is no way to stop an import of a drug completely. By keeping a drug off the street...

I am Legend Essay

When thinking of horror films, simple features come to mind for what you need to produce a good movie. Monsters are always a big plus in order to get a good scare factor. A good horror film will have drama that usually leads to the death of a main character or other supporting characters. I believe I Am Legend is a good contender for a low-key horror film. Under the direction of Francis Lawrence was a film written by Mark Protosevich. In 2007 this movie was a big hit in the theaters, for its incredibly gritty and strong story line. Actor Will Smith played the part of the Main character Robert Neville, who thought he found the cure for cancer but in fact spread a disease out through the world. The whole movie is played in New York City, were David a scientist announces he has a cure for cancer when in fact it is a plague that turn the people into monsters. So the plot of the movie is David Surviving in New York by himself, trying to test rats for the cure to the virus. That catch to the movie is that all the monsters are contagious and only come out at sun down to find other humans to spread the virus. In this movie you had a lot of glimpses and scenes that would show that this movie could be a horror film. The two examples of horror films I used in the first paragraph are shown in many scenes of I Am Legend. The virus that spread through the people made them monsters and in a good horror film you need a scary, deadly, nasty monster to be the antagonist. The monsters in I Am Legend are the typical creature for a horror film. They are not easy to look at which gives into a scarier character. They are very mean and ruthless and show no mercy. The last feature that is a main feature is that they will kill with no questions. The drama part of a horror film usually ends with death and the scene usually has a lot of anticipation on it to put you on the edge of your seat. In I Am Legend when David is out doing his rounds and gets baited into a booby trap he gets knocked out and wakes up in the trap a little too late. The monsters are waiting for the sun to come down to attack and infect David. In a showing of great effort but significant downfall David’s dog Sam) is attacked and becomes infected. Almost turning on its own owner David is forced to kill his only sort of companionship and is left alone for the time being. The director did a good job with this movie because he produced a good storyline built with a lot of anticipation. I believe that he did try and put in that scary horror effect with the darkness of the movie and the frightening creatures. Even though I Am Legend is characterized as a â€Å"dramatic thriller†, in most instances it can definitely be considered a horror film.

Pyrometallurgical Recovery Of Metals From Electronic Waste Environmental Sciences Essay

Veldbuizen and Sipple ( 1994 ) acknowledged that stuffs come ining into the reactor are immersed in a liquefied metal bath where the temperature is around 1250 grades, which is churned by a mixture of supercharged air. The burning of plastics and other inflammable components in the eating procedure cut down the cost of energy. In the reactor, all drosss including Fe, Zn and lead are converted into oxides and so converted into scorias to silica by the agitated oxidization zone. These scorias are cooled and milled to acquire more and more metals before the disposal ( Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) . The diagrammatic word picture of the works and the recycling procedure of E-waste are given below. These two diagrams will explicate how cast-off waste of Personal computers and laptops are recycled and disposed off. The Cu matte incorporating cherished metals is removed and transferred to the convertors. After the patterned advance in the convertors, liquid blister Cu is refined in anode furnaces and dramatis personae into anodes with about absolute pureness of 99.10 per centum. The residuary 0.9 per centum holds the valuable metals such as gold, Ag, Pt and Pd. There are besides some other recoverable stuffs like Ni, Se, Te etc. Afterwards, electro-refining of the anodes recovers these marketable metals ( Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) . Fig-9 shows that E-waste can be fed into the procedure in different stairss depending upon their purenesss. High Cu incorporating bit is fed into change overing procedure straight but low class E-waste is fed into Kaldo Furnace. The needful O is supplied by the O spear for the intent of burning along with oil O burner. The off-gases require an extra burning air of about 1200 grades after burning. Thermal energy is recovered by a steam web through criterion gas handling system.Figure: – 8 Pyrometallurgical Recover Process at Recycling Plant( Beginning: Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 )Figure: – 9 Recovery of Cherished Materials( Beginning: Cui & A ; bent, 2008 ) The installing of off-gas emanation control system in an IsaSmelt Furnace ( a new method of E-waste recycling and metal recovery ) is an illustration for retrieving thermic energy by a steam web through criterion gas handling system. Here the hygienic gases and procedure gases are cooled to retrieve the energy and are cleaned utilizing techniques like bag house filters, electro filters etc.2.12.3 Recovery of Cherished Metallic elements Using IsaSmelt Furnace:The smelting ( the procedure of runing to retrieve metal from its ore ) procedure in the recycling of E-waste is done in IsaSmelt Furnace ( Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) . Like Pyrometallurgical Process one of the most of import advantages of utilizing this method is that the demand for energy beginning and cut downing agent for the smelting procedure will be quarterly substituted by the combustion of the organic substances like plastics that are present in the E-waste ( Hageluken, 2007 ) . The smelting procedure offprints cherished me tals in Cu bullion from other metals that are present in a lead scoria, which is further treated in a BMO. The cured Cu bullion is used in the following procedure of valuable metals recovery through copper-leaching ( a method used for the recovery of Cu from its ore ) and electro-winning ( method of taking drosss from the metals ) procedures. There are three nucleus processing stairss in the BMO: The Lead Blast Furnace: to diminish the oxidized lead scoria from the IsaSmelt together with high lead incorporating 3rd party natural stuffs. The Lead Refinery: the assorted lead bullion, roll uping most of the non-precious metals is farther treated here and the procedure is called Harris procedure. Particular Metallic elements Plant: pure metals are recovered in this works. ( Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) The image of the emanation control system is as under and could be adapted by the recycling centres to cut down the degree of emanation. Hageluken ( 2007 ) , in his study accepted that the emanations from the works are much below the bounds set by the European bureaus and authorities.Figure: – 10 IsaSmelt Furnace Fitted With Emission Control System( Beginning: Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) Apart from recycling methods like Pyrometallurgical Process and method utilizing IsaSmelt Furnace, bio-metallurgical procedure is another method of retrieving cherished metals from E-waste. Due to moo cost and high specificity for the mark elements, bio-metallurgical processing is attractive and soon limited to merely rich states ( Cui & A ; Zhang, 2008 ) . Brand et Al, ( 2001 ) displayed how Fungi ( Aspergillus Niger, Penicillium Simplicissmum ) and Thiobacillus bacteriums can enable metal filtrating from electronic bit. To retrieve gold, Cu etc from E-waste, Creamer et Al ( 2006 ) engaged Desulfovibrio Desulfuricans.2.13 Batteries: Recycling & A ; Material Recovery:Batteries are one of the terminal merchandises of E-waste recycling because it remains integral during the E-waste recycling procedure ( SWEEEP, 2010 ) . Land make fulling or Incineration of these batteries can do terrible wellness and environmental jeopardies ; when the shell of these land filled battery corrodes it can ensue in air, dirt and H2O pollution because it contains toxic substances like lead, quicksilver, Cd ( human carcinogen: substance that causes malignant neoplastic disease ) etc ( Frick & A ; Knudsen, 2002 ) . Similarly incineration of batteries will ensue in air pollution and other wellness jeopardies. On the other manus proper intervention and recycling of these batteries will be good both for the environment and for the economic system because it contains valuable stuffs like steel, Ag, nickel, Zn, manganese, gypsum etc which can be recovered and the harmful substances like lead, Cd, quicksilver can be safely separated and can be reused as secondary natural stuff ( G & A ; P, 2010 ) . UK generates 20,000 to 30,000 metric tons of waste batteries every twelvemonth and out of it less than 1,000 metric tons are recycled ( Resource Management & A ; Recovery, 2003 ) . Harmonizing to waste battery ordinances in Europe ( European Batteries Directive, 2006/ 66/EC ) , UK is needed to recycle 10 % of portable batteries in 2010, but in UK, merely 3 % of portable batteries are presently being recycled.2.13.1 Methods of Battery Recycling:Harmonizing to Espinosa, Bernardes & A ; Tenorio ( 2004 ) , it is imperative to cognize the composing of batteries in order to advance its recycling because the chemical composings of different batteries are different, so same methods can non be used for recycling different batteries. But unluckily there is no relationship between the size or form of batteries and their composing. There are chiefly three methods for the recycling of batteries: Pyrometallurgy Hydrometallurgy Separation of constituents through unity operations of excavation intervention Out of these three methods the most normally used method by all the recycling companies in UK and Europe are Pyrometallurgy and / or Robust Pyroprocess ( another method ) severally because of their simpleness and high efficiency / capacity ( even though the energy demands for these procedures are high ) ( Jan Tytgat, 2010 ) . The Pyrometallurgy and Robust Pyroprocess methods of recycling will be discussed in item in chapter four.2.13.1 Hydrometallurgy Method of Battery Recycling:In the past two decennaries, the most active research country on recovery of metals from battery is retrieving cherished metals by Hydrometallurgical procedure ( Horn & A ; Holt, 1990 ) . In this method the unsorted batteries are fed straight to the furnace. Inside the furnace the organic constituents will acquire decomposed to organize bluess ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . For illustration quicksilver compound will acquire decomposed to organize quicksilver vapor. These bluess are so passed through a capacitor to retr ieve quicksilver and other condensable liquids. The condensate will acquire fractionated by the centrifugation procedure into quicksilver, waste H2O etc. The waste H2O will so passed through an aluminum cementor to retrieve the residuary quicksilver in the signifier of an aluminium-mercury metal. The staying waste from the cementor is send to an evaporator to bring forth some steam or H2O and a salt mixture ( disposable ) in order to forestall the inordinate salt construct up in the procedure. The residuary gases and other organic bluess are oxidized in an afterburner and expelled to the ambiance in the signifier of H2O vapor and C dioxide after a careful intervention to take the staying sum of quicksilver since this quicksilver may incorporate hints of risky substance like Cd ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . The staying solids from the furnace are shredded and leached ( acid or acerb leaches ) before the magnetic separation of Fe and Ni from other non magnetic solids. The leaching solutions which contain oxides of C, Zn, manganese etc are so subjected to separation and purification processs such as precipitation of drosss, solvent extraction, ion-exchange etc. Consequently, the solutions are treated by electro refinement procedure for metal recovery ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . It is estimated that for retrieving a metric ton of Cu this procedure requires around 3,400KWh of energy ( Liew, 2008 ) . Precipitation of drosss is nil but the drosss present in the solution will go a precipitate ( solid ) during the chemical reaction, which can be removed subsequently by filtrating. Thus the staying liquid ( supernate ) above the solid containing cherished metals can be separated and cherished metals can be recovered by electro refinement. Electro refinement is a method of sublimating metal by electrolysis. Here the impure metal and cathode will be immersed in a solution ( electrolyte ) incorporating cations and electric current will be passed between the impure metal and cathode. As a consequence of it the pure metal will acquire deposited on the cathode and can be separated. Solvent Extraction is the procedure of dividing liquid mixtures by doing usage of solubility differences of the different constituents ( Cox & A ; Rydberg, 2004 ) . Ion-Exchange is an electrochemical procedure in which an unwanted chemical constituent is removed from solution by replacing it with a more attractive one ( Friedrich, 1995 ) . The chief terminal merchandises of this procedure are C and black lead which can be removed subsequently by filtration. Compared to Pyrometallurgical procedure Hydrometallurgy is more exact and predictable but its operating cost is high and it is more complicated ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . This method is chiefly used for the recycling of lithium-ion, nickel Cd, Zn oxide and quicksilver oxide batteries.Figure: -11 Hydrometallurgy Method of Battery Recycling( Beginning: Sequeira, 1994 )2.13.2 Separation of Components through Unity Operations of Mining Treatment:Separation of constituents through unity operations of excavation intervention method is besides used for battery recycling ( e.g. nickel Cd batteries ) . Using this method more than 2kg of Ni home bases present in a nickel Cd battery can be recovered. A compound with a high sum of Cd can besides be obtained and can be farther treated ( cadmium distillment ) to retrieve the stuff. This method is non used often because of its high oper ating cost and complexness ( Espinosa, Bernardes & A ; Tenorio, 2004 ) .2.13.3 Recycling Procedures under Pyrometallurgy & A ; Hydrometallurgy:There are several battery recycling procedures that works by the Pyrometallurgy and Hydrometallurgy rules. Sometimes these procedures are designed for specific sort of battery, but there are some in which batteries can be recycled together with other types of stuffs. The procedures are as follows: Sumitomo: It is a Nipponese procedure which is wholly based on calcinations ( method of change overing metals to its oxide at high temperature ) at about 1000 grade centigrade in a furnace ( Tedjar et al, 2010 ) . Its cost is really high and it is used to recycle all types of portable batteries e.g. lithium-ion battery. The residues formed as a consequence of calcinations is crushed and screened. The residuary pulverization will incorporate oxides of different metals. It is non suited for recycling nickel Cd batteries.Figure: -12 Sumitomo Method of Battery Recycling( Beginning: Sequeira, 1994 ) Recytec: It is the Swiss procedure that combines pyrolysis ( thermic intervention ) , gas intervention, tear uping, rinsing, electrolysis ( for non-ferrous substances ) followed by magnetic separation and other physical interventions ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . It is used for recycling all types of portable batteries and besides fluorescent lamps and quicksilver incorporating tubings. Initially pyrolysis is done at 550 grade centigrade in a reduction atmosphere and the waste gases produced during this procedure are passed through a capacitor for purification. The solids that left after the pyrolysis are shredded and washed with H2O to call up different salts and oxides. The oxides of manganese and zinc get dissolved in an acidic leaching process and these are at the same time separated by an electrodeposition procedure. Ferro-magnetic stuffs are separated by magnetic separation procedure from other non magnetic substances like black lead. The stuffs separated by the magnetic separation procedure so enter into an electrochemical system and from here the stuffs are separated by anodal disintegration method. The method of anodal disintegration offers 99 % pureness of the metals recovered.Figure: -13 Recytec Method of Battery Recycling( Beginning: Sequeira, 1994 ) This procedure does non recycle nickel Cd batteries. The initial investing for this procedure is smaller than that for the Sumitomo procedure, but its operating cost is high ( Espinosa, Bernardes & A ; Tenorio, 2004 ) . Another advantage of this procedure compared to Sumitomo is its first-class recycling efficiency of 95 % i.e. merely 5 % of secondary waste. TNO: It is a Hydrometallurgical Dutch procedure for the recycling of bit batteries. This procedure developed two recycling options one for alkaline family batteries and the other for nickel Cd batteries. The option for family batteries was non commercially implemented ( Espinosa, Bernardes & A ; Tenorio, 2004 ) . In this procedure the waste batteries are foremost shredded into little ( all right ) fractions. Many metal and plastic parts can be retained from these all right fractions. These all right fractions are so subdivided into two fractions: magnetic and nonmagnetic. Then both these fractions will be leached with hydrochloric acid to fade out the Cd content in it. The magnetic atoms like Fe and Ni will be separated by magnetic separation procedure after the leaching procedure. These separated Fe and nickel atoms will incorporate Cd and this Cd can be removed by extraction procedure with the aid of TBP. The Cd salt from the infusion will be farther removed by acerb extraction. The sourness of the so formed Cd chloride is so adjusted to precipitate residuary Fe as ferrous hydrated oxide and it is separated by the filtration procedure. By utilizing the electrolysis procedure metallic Cd will be recovered and the staying solution is discarded ( Sequeira, 1994 ) . Accurec: It is a German Pyrometallurgical procedure to recycle batteries chiefly used for nickel Cd batteries. This procedure has got several advantages like: it is merely a one measure procedure compared to other procedures, the emanation of green house gases to the ambiance is less ( & gt ; 0.01g/h ) , it is energy efficient and a extremely secured procedure ( Accurec, 2010 ) .Figure: -14 Accurec Method of Battery Recycling( Beginning: Accurec, 2010 ) Snam-Savam: Gallic procedure for Ni Cd battery recycling, wholly based on Pyrometallurgy method ( Espinosa, Bernardes & A ; Tenorio, 2004 ) . This is a closed furnace battery recycling technique in which Cd is distilled at 850-900 grade centigrade. This method offers 99.9 % pureness of the cured stuffs ( Sequeira & A ; Moffat, 1997 ) . Sab Nife: Swedish procedure for Ni Cd batteries. This method is besides based on Pyrometallurgy. In this method the Cd is distilled at high temperature ( 850-900 grade centigrade ) in a reduction atmosphere. Then the Cd is chemically leached with the aid of sulfuric acid and eventually Cd is recovered from the leachate by electrolysis ( Sequeira & A ; Moffat, 1997 ) . Atech: This procedure is based on the physical intervention of cast-off batteries ; it is holding relatively lower cost than the other types of recycling procedures but the pureness of the cured stuffs will non be high. It is used for recycling all types of portable batteries. Recycling Companies does non trust on any individual method or procedure but it uses the combinations of many methods and procedures for the recycling of assorted types of batteries, as it is apparent that there are many types of batteries holding different forms, size and chemical composing. So, the company uses the method and procedure which are suited for the peculiar set of batteries.Table aa‚ ¬ † 11: Valuable Materials that can be recovered by Battery Recycling:Name of the BatteryMaterials that can be RecoveredLead Acid Lead, Polypropylene, Gypsum Zincs Based Steel, Zinc, Manganese Nickel Cadmium Nickel, Steel, Cadmium Lithium-Ion Cobalt, Steel Silver Oxide Silver, Steel Mercuric Oxide Mercury, Steel ( Beginning: G & A ; P, 2010 ) These recovered metals and stuffs has got many applications like: lead and Cd can be used for doing batteries once more, steel and Ni can be used in the steel industry, polypropene can be used for doing battery instances, gypsum can be used for agricultural intents, Co and Ag can be used in electronic and photographic industries etc. Overall E-waste is really insecure for the environment and for the human wellness. On the other manus if proper recycling Centres are established, the economic system as a whole would be benefited and there would be fewer loads on natural resources like gold, Cu, aluminum, Ag and other cherished metals and stuffs. In this manner the reuse rate would be increased and less emanation of green house gases would happen. It would be good for the environment, human wellness and national economic system of the UK to set up proper and dedicated recycling Centres to better the status. UK particularly needs it, as it has the highest figure of computing machine users. As per estimated information there are at present 360 million computing machine users in UK ( Internet World Statistics, 2009 ) . One can easy do appraisal of the volume of E-waste, maintaining in head the maximal life of computing machines and replacing in UK.2.14 Decision:From the reappraisal of the available literature, it can b e argued that E-waste is earnestly really unsafe for the environment and for the human wellness every bit good. The whole universe needs to take proper enterprise for managing E-waste and there should be dedicated recycling Centre for it. Although, there are enterprises that have been taken but those are non plenty as the measure of E-waste is turning twenty-four hours by twenty-four hours. The authoritiess across Europe and the authorities of UK have enacted Torahs and directives for extenuating the ill-impact of E-waste. After the earth acme in 1992, two ordinances have been enforced to extenuate the ill-effect of E-waste i.e. the Swiss ORDE ordinance and EU WEEE ordinance. Under both the ordinances, the list of electronic points is by and big same and contains about the same list. The turning market for Personal computers and its incursion and replacing markets in developed states like UK and high obsolescence rate have made WEEE as one of the fastest turning waste watercourses. Puckett & A ; Smith ( 2002 ) approximately estimate the chemical and non-chemical substance nowadays in E-waste and it is truly really flooring as the measure projected could be highly harmful for the environment and human wellness. Precisely, it could be wellness jeopardy as the chemicals present in E-waste are lead, Cd, quicksilver, plastics etc ( Culver, 2005 ) . If these chemical substances and metals are burned, it will hold terrible impact on the environment and on the human wellness. Widmer et Al, ( 2005 ) say that these E-waste contains extremely toxic chemicals and the paradox is that the UK and EU is bound to dispose E-waste within their ain geographical country as they are obliged to follow the directives because the directives of the Basel Norms prohibits them to merchandise with Non-OECD states. The UK authorities is really serious for the environmental protection and it explores what actions might be taken and poses inquiries, on which remarks and suggestions are invited from a scope of participants including the general populace. Phillips et Al ( 1998 ) argues that there is an pressing demand for the effectual protection of the environment and prudent usage of natural resources, so that the sustainable development programme could non be hampered. The direction of E-waste is acknowledged as indispensable to the sustainable development in UK. Earlier, the E-waste has used to be disposed through land fill and incineration. Landfill is / was non an effectual manner to dispose E-waste as it is non bio-degradable and used to harm the birthrate of the land. Incineration is besides really unsafe as it can breathe a batch of harmful gases and substances. Spalvins et Al ( 2008 ) and Dagan et Al ( 2007 ) argued against the disposal of E-waste along with MSW as the toxic features could non be mitigated through landfill and could dispute regulative conformity. To get the better of this serious menace authorities has introduced the construct of EPR both lawfully and operationally. It involves dealing cost, aggregation cost, recycling cost and other types of costs. The makers besides have to negociate with recycling Centres and to place the aggregation centres so that E-waste could be collected expeditiously and economically. The makers are now bound to do such electronic merchandises so that at least 70 % to 80 % ( by weight ) of the stuffs could be collected from recycling and the reuse rate of stuffs must non less than 50 % by weight so that natural resources could be protected. There are presently assorted theoretical accounts have been adopted for the direction of E-waste. Among that the four stage theoretical account is really effectual. Another extension of the EPR is the ARF. It is collected at the clip of purchase of electrical equipments and besides from the terminal users, so that the recycling procedure could be financed once the merchandise is discarded by the terminal users. The cast-off E-waste particularly the personal computing machines bits are valuable in the sense that it carries metals about 70 % of the weight of computing machines and are reclaimable. This is the major drive force behind the recycling of E-waste as every company want to understate the input cost and maximize the profitableness. Earlier Pyrometallurgy is used for the recovery of valuables metals from the bit E-waste. However there are some failings in this method. It was non really friendly for the environment as there is more emanation of green house gases. Cui & A ; Zhang ( 2008 ) argue that the retrieval of energy from E-waste pave the manner for utilizing plastics in E-waste. Now it has been apparent that thermic processing of E-waste delivers an attack for recovery of energy from E-waste if a broad runing emanation control system is installed. The batteries that are the terminal merchandises of E-waste recycling can be farther recycled to retrieve and divide cherished stuffs like steel, Ag, nickel etc and toxic substances like lead, Cd etc severally. The recovery and separation of these metals and stuffs will farther lend to the economic system of the state and sustainability of the environment. There are several methods and procedures for battery recycling and no same method or procedures can be used for different batteries since they differ in their chemical composing. The procedure of Pyrometallurgy and Robust Pyroprocess are sooner used by the recycling companies in Europe. From the available literature it can be argued that most of the above mentioned recycling procedure / methods offer about 90 % to 95 % pureness of the cured metals and stuffs which is an advantage. On the other manus these methods have got many disadvantages. Most of these procedures / methods that works under the rule of Hydrometallurgy are complicated as it needs to undergo many other sub-processes in between ( except few procedures like Accurec ) , e.g. it needs to undergo tear uping procedure before the existent recycling. Hydrometallurgy procedures are most of the clip dedicated to merely a peculiar type of battery chemical science / little scope of different chemical sciences ( Jan Tytgat, 2010 ) . Higher energy demand is another disadvantage of these methods ( chiefly for procedures that works under Pyrometallurgy rule ) . For illustration most the methods required energy of about 1000 degree centigrade or more. As consequence of it the operating cost is high. Discarding the terminal merchandise which contains valuable metals ( which can still be recovered ) is another disadvantage. Discarding of the staying solution after the electrolysis of Cd in the TNO procedure is an illustration for this. As mentioned above the loss of staying 5 % to 10 % pureness of cured stuffs is besides an of import affair that needs to be considered

The shawshank Redemption, essays

The shawshank Redemption, essays A film has: Conflict, Action, Dialogue, Setting, Atmosphere and Point of view. Choose two of these and, with close reference to The Shawshank Redemption, show how they are used to aid the communication of a key theme from the film. Hope is a key theme in The Shawshank Redemption. Two major elements that are used to aid the communication of this theme are Conflict is used throughout the entire film to highlight the key theme of hope. A prime example of this conflict is Ellis Redding (Red) who is in conflict with himself. Red simply refuses to have any hope in his prison life. Red believes that hope is a dangerous thing and after meeting Andy Dufresne is in a constant battle with himself, trying not to trust in hope after witnessing it destroy many people before him. It is noticeable that Red is afraid of hope for the same reason. Reds conflict becomes more evident when Andy gives him a harmonica, only a short period after Andys debate with Red about music freeing the soul and the fact the hope is a good thing. Even in darkness of his cell, Red only dares to blow his harmonica once and reacts by clenching it tightly, frightened by the idea that music frees the soul and the hope that Andy Dialogue plays a vital part in the communication of the main idea of hope. Most of the dialogue that involves hope has Andy involved and a good example of this dialogue is when Andy is let out of the hole after playing the music over the loud speaker. Andy describes how the music cannot be taken away from him. Andy then asks Red if he has ever felt that way about music and Red talks about playing a harmonica when he was younger and says that it didnt make much sense on the inside. Andy is shocked and insist that it makes the most sense on the inside and the importance of it to remind of the outside world and hope. Red replies saying Hope is a dange ...

Free Essays on The Little Drummer Girl

Moral Ambiguity of Charlie in The Little Drummer Girl In George J. Lennard’s, â€Å"John le Carre† critical assessment of the ending of Little Drummer Girl, he claims that â€Å"Charlie can not continue to act in the theater of the real...she can no longer return to the romantic fluff of Western middle class society.† Charlie’s last line in the novel, the theater of the real, are â€Å"I am dead† (pp.659), which confirms Lennard’s statement. Charlie, an actress, by nature and craft is a coerced into a scheme to infiltrate a terrorist ring, against her convictions. By playing upon Charlie’s insecurities and her need for acceptance, this scheme forms a kind of moral ambiguity and uncertainness inside Charlie. When it ends, her world is shattered, and she becomes â€Å"dead† in a figurative sense. The theater of the real forces Charlie to give a performance of a lifetime as her own life is at stake. In the beginning Charlie, willing and naive, accepts the script given to her by Joseph. Joseph himself, trains Charlie how to act in this scheme, much like an acting coach trains an inexperienced theatrical student. Along the way, Joseph gives her important pieces of advice such as â€Å"stay with the logic of the fiction...weaken and you will ruin the operation...we’ll repair [any] damage (pp. 468), advice which Charlie does not closely follow. In a world that will be turn upside down for Charlie, Joseph is her one remaining constant. The people Charlie comes in contact with can be best described as characters or actors in fiction as well. The characters names change almost as frequently as Charlie’s views of her situation. The changing names give way to the belief that the characters, under disguise, can not really be held responsible for their actions as they are in costume. As the novel progresses, Charlie also changes costumes much like a chameleon changes with its environment. When Charlie’s character is ... Free Essays on The Little Drummer Girl Free Essays on The Little Drummer Girl Moral Ambiguity of Charlie in The Little Drummer Girl In George J. Lennard’s, â€Å"John le Carre† critical assessment of the ending of Little Drummer Girl, he claims that â€Å"Charlie can not continue to act in the theater of the real...she can no longer return to the romantic fluff of Western middle class society.† Charlie’s last line in the novel, the theater of the real, are â€Å"I am dead† (pp.659), which confirms Lennard’s statement. Charlie, an actress, by nature and craft is a coerced into a scheme to infiltrate a terrorist ring, against her convictions. By playing upon Charlie’s insecurities and her need for acceptance, this scheme forms a kind of moral ambiguity and uncertainness inside Charlie. When it ends, her world is shattered, and she becomes â€Å"dead† in a figurative sense. The theater of the real forces Charlie to give a performance of a lifetime as her own life is at stake. In the beginning Charlie, willing and naive, accepts the script given to her by Joseph. Joseph himself, trains Charlie how to act in this scheme, much like an acting coach trains an inexperienced theatrical student. Along the way, Joseph gives her important pieces of advice such as â€Å"stay with the logic of the fiction...weaken and you will ruin the operation...we’ll repair [any] damage (pp. 468), advice which Charlie does not closely follow. In a world that will be turn upside down for Charlie, Joseph is her one remaining constant. The people Charlie comes in contact with can be best described as characters or actors in fiction as well. The characters names change almost as frequently as Charlie’s views of her situation. The changing names give way to the belief that the characters, under disguise, can not really be held responsible for their actions as they are in costume. As the novel progresses, Charlie also changes costumes much like a chameleon changes with its environment. When Charlie’s character is ...

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 3

Strategic Management - Essay Example Specially mentioning, strategic management assists modern business organisations to take effective decisions and conduct activities for attaining success, resulting in attaining superior competitive position and sustaining in the long run (Wells, 2003). In this essay, the views of two different authors of strategic management will be elaborately discussed in order to gain a proper understanding of strategy. The essay intends to explore and compare the views of Mintzberg’s ten schools of thoughts along with Whittington’s four strategic lenses. A proper analysis will be conducted in order to gain insights about the different levels of strategy. According to the views of Michael Porter, strategy is a decision, which includes a conscious approach of performing activities in a different manner from that of the competitors in order to accomplish a viable long-term competitive advantage. Porter states that it is important for the organisations to focus not only on the operational perspectives but also on the strategic activities that tends to be effective in performing effectively in the business markets (Sage Publication, n.d.). Moreover, as per the views of Strickland and Thompson (2003), strategy is described as a managerial process, which is used to form strategic visions, objectives and approaches that are considered to be appropriate in order to accomplish long-term success. It is reflected that a strategy is said to be ineffective without the implementation of proper strategic management. It is often observed that there are various strategies that reflect as quite useful for developing overall business performance, but d oes not succeed in the long-run due to the lack of strategic management initiative. It is noticeable that the success of the organisations is dependable on various factors and thus there exists various levels of strategy for fulfilling the

Critical review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Critical review - Essay Example In his paper ‘A Grand Strategy of Transformation’, Gaddis (n.d.) has seen Bush’s NSS â€Å"the most sweeping shift in US grand strategy since the beginning of the Cold War† (p.1), which he substantiated by illustrating its differences from Clinton’s December 1999 NSS wherein he finds Bush NSS â€Å"more forceful, more carefully crafted, and – unexpectedly – more multilateral than its immediate predecessor† (Ibid). On the contrary, Wirtz and Russell (2003) believe that although Bush calls on a strategic shift from deterrence to preventive and preemptive war, varied international considerations may paradoxically push the Bush administration to rather â€Å"strengthen deterrence and existing international institutions, two outcomes that are not necessarily high on the administration’s agenda† (p. 113). Thus, essentially, it is no different from the former grand strategy. I agree with Wirtz and Russell that Bush grand s trategy is no different from that of deterrence, not because of its practicality in this present international context, but because, all US grand strategies, including Bush’s, only reaffirm the American consensual view on their supremacy; thus, all strategy’s should pursue only one thing – to ensure US hegemony unchallenged. Second, in defining the adversary, all of the articles commonly regard terrorism – specifically Al-Qaeda – the most ambitious, most ruthless, and most capable among terrorist groups – the most dangerous imminent adversary of U.S. today. However, it was Posen (2001), who had clearly described Al-Qaeda’s motive – that Al-Qaeda’s hatred of US comes from the following: the US meddling on the affairs of the Muslim nations in the Middle East; its imposed interest on the Persian Gulf and Middle East; its imposition of its Western culture that is diametrically opposed to Islam – all these result to the suffering of

Vodafone and the Use of Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vodafone and the Use of Internet - Essay Example As it operates in the telecommunication sector, it has optimal internet applications and those applications heighten its power, even while nullifying the threats. It uses internet not only for its operations but also as part of marketing tool, with its website being its main marketing tool. Vodafone UK’s Website is aptly designed providing detailed information about its products and services, but still more interactive can be incorporated. Its B2B model is working aptly benefiting both them and their partners. From ethical angle, Vodafone has included restrictions on adult content for children, so they do not become morally corrupt. Thus, Vodafone’s e-business initiatives through internet are working effectively, with need for only few optimization strategies. E-Business background Vodafone is the world’s largest firm in terms revenues earning more than 45 billion pounds and is the second-largest in terms of subscribers having close to 450 million subscribers as on December 2011. (Vitorovich 2012). In all those operations, internet technologies played and are playing optimal role in Vodafone. Vodafone’s major e-Business achievements include launching the first prepaid analogue package in the UK in 1996, acquiring the largest 3G license available in the UK by 2000 and launching their 3G service in 2004. (Further examples in Appendix A). In terms of services, Vodafone offers Mobile Broadband, Pay As You Go, etc. (Appendix B). As far as products are concerned, Vodafone do not build the phones paired with their service contracts, instead they collaborate with certain manufacturers to create Vodafone-branded phones. According to the Porter’s 5 Forces analysis (Complete analysis in Appendix C), the suppliers of Vodafone have less bargaining power due to the availability of similar handsets from many different manufacturers. On the other hand, the buyers have more bargaining power in relation to Vodafone because with strong alternati ves, they can switch to new networks without major financial burden. In addition, with internet offering the buyers the option to compare the various service providers or competitors and their services, buyers have sizable power. (Campbell 2007). There is a fairly low threat of new entrants thanks to the high costs and infrastructure including IT related ones required to compete with the big providers like Vodafone. (Thiele, Blakeway and Hosch 2010). There is a threat of substitutes in the form of mobile internet and the related services like Skype for phone calls, and other social networking options like Facebook, mails, etc., for other communications, but still there will be adequate space for Vodafone to operate. Vodafone faces high competitive rivalry from O2, 3, Orange, T Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Asda Mobile, etc. as they offer internet enabled services and products with good features and at competitive prices. E-Marketing analysis As part of e-marketing, Vodafone carry out optim al marketing strategies through various mediums particularly the internet. With internet as the ‘foundation’, Vodafone does e-marketing through its official websites, other Third Party websites in the form advertisements, press releases, etc., and also through social networking websites. Personalization: The Vodafone’s official website features all its products and services, as well as the benefits of using them, thereby providing the customers to personally choose what they

Environmental geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Environmental geography - Essay Example Scientists agree that hunting played a more significant role in the formation and life of the ancient people, and thereby determined its development. Speaking of hunting, hunting methods used by ancient people should be noted. Hunting for large animals is difficult to imagine without the use of specific method. However, those hunting tools used by Neanderthals were too fragile and not allowed to deal with such animals. Hunting process more than anything else has stimulated the development of collectivism: hunting on large animals was always performed with all the forces of the primitive community. It is the labor process which from the beginning to the end helped to unite members of society. Finally, thousand-year experience and knowledge about the world gave the way from the difficult situation. Primitive man began not only to take from nature, but to restore its wealth. People have long noticed that the corns of plants that fall into good ground subsequently germinated. They also realized that the small little animals, found during hunting, should not be killed. People began to sow grain deliberately and domesticate and breed animals. In the Mesolithic dog was domesticated. Gradually in the Neolithic period primitive people moved from hunting and gathering to agriculture and animal husbandry, by appropriating management practices to reproduction. This transition has been called the Neolithic revolution. Agriculture was spread on the land with the most favorable conditions: the warm climate, fertile soil, wild grasses. The invention of agriculture and animal husbandry, according to scientists, determined the future of mankind. From now, there were unprecedented prospects for increasing the necessary of food for human life. Agriculture provided a person with a constant number of necessary products, the production of which it could control.

Hackers Tools and Techniques Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hackers Tools and Techniques - Term Paper Example Hackers gain access to vulnerabilities through tools such as malware and locate the backup of the system. PayPal is a web-based application which provides secure transfer of funds between members. It uses advanced fraud prevention technologies to enhance the security of the transactions (SearchSoa, 2005). Nevertheless, the members do receive spoof mails and unless the members are aware of such mails, they become easy prey to such hacking techniques. While it has become essential to keep tab on the professional hackers, the banks are facing huge losses due to constant evolvement of the hacking tools and techniques. The malicious hacker will use whatever information available to them. The security professionals, in turn, need to keep abreast of the latest hacking tools by monitoring certain websites of researchers (Skoudis, 2003). It is hence proposed to conduct a study into the hacking tools used by the hackers in the banking and financial services industry, with focus on PayPal. The study would also look into the security strategy employed by the sector and particularly by PayPal. SearchSecurity. (2009). Hacker attack techniques and tactics: Understanding hacking strategies. Retrieved September 8, 2010 from

Fault Tolerance Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fault Tolerance Paper - Essay Example Understanding the different components as a part of shadowing and mirroring as well as how it can be used to assist in databases can provide individuals with more alternatives for building the database security needed while creating higher levels of fault tolerance. The need to examine the benefits and disadvantages of the mirroring system is also required. This provides an evolution toward the main approach of mirroring and shadowing for more advanced technology that is currently being built for end users. Several types of technologies are available and used for the shadowing and mirroring fault – tolerance system. Each of these can work together to provide complete functioning within the system while allowing the backup system created to work more efficiently. The first technology used is from physical aspects of the system. The mirroring built through a hardware system is placed into the main drive of the computer. This divides by a coupled multi – processor with modules that carry dual paths. The cross - section and double paths as a part of the mirroring then create a way for data to move from one component to another. These interface with dual ported controllers and a disc subsystem that allows the data controlled with where it goes and how the information can mirror. The storage then takes place in the disc subsystem to provide complete backup to the system. Newer physical properties built from remote servers are also available. These specific options allow end use rs to immediately back-up data through an online portal connected through a remote server. The information moves into a storage space by connecting from one network to the computer so one can save all applicable information. The main hardware of this system built into a server provides a hosting company who has larger backup space on

Environmental geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Environmental geography - Essay Example Scientists agree that hunting played a more significant role in the formation and life of the ancient people, and thereby determined its development. Speaking of hunting, hunting methods used by ancient people should be noted. Hunting for large animals is difficult to imagine without the use of specific method. However, those hunting tools used by Neanderthals were too fragile and not allowed to deal with such animals. Hunting process more than anything else has stimulated the development of collectivism: hunting on large animals was always performed with all the forces of the primitive community. It is the labor process which from the beginning to the end helped to unite members of society. Finally, thousand-year experience and knowledge about the world gave the way from the difficult situation. Primitive man began not only to take from nature, but to restore its wealth. People have long noticed that the corns of plants that fall into good ground subsequently germinated. They also realized that the small little animals, found during hunting, should not be killed. People began to sow grain deliberately and domesticate and breed animals. In the Mesolithic dog was domesticated. Gradually in the Neolithic period primitive people moved from hunting and gathering to agriculture and animal husbandry, by appropriating management practices to reproduction. This transition has been called the Neolithic revolution. Agriculture was spread on the land with the most favorable conditions: the warm climate, fertile soil, wild grasses. The invention of agriculture and animal husbandry, according to scientists, determined the future of mankind. From now, there were unprecedented prospects for increasing the necessary of food for human life. Agriculture provided a person with a constant number of necessary products, the production of which it could control.

Fault Tolerance Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fault Tolerance Paper - Essay Example Understanding the different components as a part of shadowing and mirroring as well as how it can be used to assist in databases can provide individuals with more alternatives for building the database security needed while creating higher levels of fault tolerance. The need to examine the benefits and disadvantages of the mirroring system is also required. This provides an evolution toward the main approach of mirroring and shadowing for more advanced technology that is currently being built for end users. Several types of technologies are available and used for the shadowing and mirroring fault – tolerance system. Each of these can work together to provide complete functioning within the system while allowing the backup system created to work more efficiently. The first technology used is from physical aspects of the system. The mirroring built through a hardware system is placed into the main drive of the computer. This divides by a coupled multi – processor with modules that carry dual paths. The cross - section and double paths as a part of the mirroring then create a way for data to move from one component to another. These interface with dual ported controllers and a disc subsystem that allows the data controlled with where it goes and how the information can mirror. The storage then takes place in the disc subsystem to provide complete backup to the system. Newer physical properties built from remote servers are also available. These specific options allow end use rs to immediately back-up data through an online portal connected through a remote server. The information moves into a storage space by connecting from one network to the computer so one can save all applicable information. The main hardware of this system built into a server provides a hosting company who has larger backup space on

The Greek God Zeus Essay Example for Free

The Greek God Zeus Essay In Greek mythology, Zeus has the most prominent name among all the gods and goddesses. This is because he is the most powerful and formidable of all the deities. From the beginning, legend had established his power since he overthrown his own father to become the leader of the Greek gods and goddesses. Zeus was also notorious for his numerous affairs with women and the countless children produced from these affairs. In Greek literature, he was shown to be fierce, vengeful and pitiful of mortals. However, the authority of Zeus is not absolute or unlimited. He is prone to deceit and trickery. Zeus is both a powerful god and a flawed revered entity, which makes him one of the most interesting personalities in Greek mythology. Before the life of Zeus can be discussed, it is important to discuss the origins of Greek mythology. This is because the origin of Zeus can only be understood from the context of the beginnings of Greek mythology. According to Hesoid, prior to the existence of all things, there was initially Chaos (Rose, 1991). The existence of Chaos was considered the beginning of all things, as it was the existence from which other beings were derived. Chaos gave birth to other beings. These were Night, Darkness (also known as Erebos), Love (also referred to as Eros), Tartaros and Earth. Night and Darkness were responsible for the creation of Day and Sky (also called as Aither). Meanwhile, Earth created the Sea (or Pontos), the Mountains and Heaven on its own (Rose, 1991). The account of Hesoid continued with the union of Heaven and Earth (Rose, 1991). Heaven, that which is also referred to as Uranos, is not really considered a god. On the contrary, Earth (sometimes called Gaia) is truly considered as a goddess. It was said that this unlikely couple produced several offspring. These were â€Å"Okeanos and his eddies, Koios and Krios, Hyperion and Iapetos, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne, Phoibe and Tethys† (Rose, 1991, p. 15). Kronos was the last offspring. He was the most frightful of all children, for he harbored hatred towards his father. Eventually, the family was torn apart by conflict. Heaven became overwhelmed by jealousy towards his children that he forced them all into Earth’s body. When Earth could no longer deal with the suffering, she asked her children to punish their father for revenge. Only Kronos answered his mother’s call; with a sickle, he castrated his father (Rose, 1991). Collectively, the children of Heaven and Earth are called the Titans (Rose, 1991). The Titans are also known as the Elder Gods (Hamilton, 1969). Among the Titans, six composed a different group (Rose, 1991). These include Iapetos, Okeanos, Kronos and their respective wives, Themis, Tethys and Rhea. The most significant couple in this group is Kronos and Rhea, as they were the parents of Zeus. According to legend, Heaven and Earth predicted that one of Kronos’ children would unseat him from power. Kronos was alarmed by the warning; as a result, he swallowed each of his children the moment they were born. Rhea disapproved of Kronos’ actions, so when she gave birth to her youngest, Zeus, she decided to hide him from his father. Rather than give the child, Rhea handed to Kronos a rock clothed like a newborn infant. The prediction of Heaven and Earth came true; when Zeus grew up, he became opposed to his father. While Rhea plotted to trick Kronos into throwing up his children, Zeus came to Tartaros to set free Kronos’ brethren who were jailed there. Cyclops was one of those who were saved, and he provided Zeus with lightning and thunder as gifts in exchange for their freedom. Eventually, the conflict between Kronos and Zeus intensified into a full-blown battle between father and son. The rest of the brethren, including Hekatoncheires and Briareos, were on the side of Zeus. Even Styx and her children proved to be Zeus’ allies. It was said that the battle lasted for a decade. Zeus and his supporters fought from Mount. Olympus, while Kronos and most of the Titans established their post from Mount Orthrys. Themis and Prometheus were the only Titans who did not participate in Kronos’ fight. The battle between the immortals disturbed both the earth and Tartaros; eventually, Zeus emerged as the victor, due to his thunderbolts and stone showers caused by Hekatoncheires. Kronos and his allies were kept in a prison located in Tartaros, with Hekatoncheires serving as the prison guard. The victory of Zeus against Kronos made him the leader among the gods and forced the Titans into lower positions (Rose, 1991). The origin of Zeus is uncertain, as the details of his birth vary according to different sources. Two stories state different locations as the birthplace of Zeus. One story stated that Zeus was born in Crete, while another claimed that the god was born in Arkadia (Rose, 1991). According to the tales that do not establish Crete as his birthplace, Zeus was brought to Crete and was concealed in a cave at Lyktos. Meanwhile, the Cretan legend claimed that Zeus was born in a cave located in either Mount Dikte or Mount Ide. In this cave, Zeus was cared for by local gods and goddesses. It was said that Zeus did not go hungry as a goat named Amaltheia brought him food. The bees also provided Zeus with their honey. It was also said that his cries were inaudible due to the loud war-dance performed by the Kuretes (Rose, 1991). There were various objects closely associated with Zeus. Two of the most prominent objects are the thunderbolt and the aegis (Rose, 1991). The thunderbolt was the god’s destructive weapon; its effect was similar to that of a sharp and powerful missile. Greek art represented the thunderbolt of Zeus as accompanied by flashes of lightning; sometimes, it was also depicted as having wings. As for the aegis, it was the god’s breastplate. It was illustrated by various authors as either a garment or a shield. In a mere mortal, the aegis may seem like an ordinary armor. However, in the hands of Zeus, the aegis served a mighty weapon with magical abilities. According to legend, whenever the aegis was waved at a foe, this individual will be overwhelmed with fright. If the origins of the aegis will be traced, one would find that it is simply a cloak created from the hide of a goat with the hairs still in it. To an ordinary human, the aegis is known for defensive purposes, especially against the weather and the attacks of the enemy. Nonetheless, the aegis is worn by Zeus is filled with his mana, or his deific force (Rose, 1991). Aside from the thunderbolt and the aegis, there were other things attributed to Zeus. The eagle is considered as the god’s bird of choice, while the oak tree was his favorite (Hamilton, 1969). The oracle of Zeus is situated in Dodona, where oak trees were abundant. It was established that the will of Zeus was shown by the movement of the oak leaves, which was later interpreted by the priests (Hamilton, 1969). Zeus belonged to the 12 Olympian gods who reigned after the downfall of the Titans (Hamilton, 1969). He served as the head of this family of divine beings. The group included the siblings of Zeus: his brothers Poseidon and Hades, as well as his sisters Hestia and Hera. The 12 divinities also included the children of Zeus, including Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes and Artemis. Hephaestus was the twelfth god in the group. After Zeus dethroned Kronos, he sought to distribute the universe among his brothers and himself (Rose, 1991). The sea became the official territory of Poseidon, while Hades became the ruler of the underworld. In the division of the universe, Zeus emerged as the mightiest among the three (Hamilton, 1969). He was called various names, such as the â€Å"Rain-god, the Cloud-gatherer and the Lord of the Sky† (Hamilton, 1969, p. 27). In fact, Zeus was more powerful than all the gods and goddesses combined (Hamilton, 1969). Despite Zeus’ status, there were territories which were not under his reign. The three gods agreed that Mount Olympus and the earth would be considered as common ground. It is important to note that the sisters were not included in the distribution of the universe (Rose, 1991). This exclusion was apparently due to the rules of ancient Greek law. After he defeated his father, Zeus had another objective: to search for a wife. He was soon married, but he was also involved in affairs with various women. The marriage of Zeus to Hera is most notable in Greek mythology, though it was suggested that this was not the only marriage Zeus was involved with. According to Homer, Hera was Zeus’ first choice for a wife, as their romance began prior to the defeat of Kronos (Rose, 1991). Ares and Hephaestus, the God of War and the God of Fire respectively, were the children from their union (Hamilton, 1969). However, several accounts stated that Hephaestus was the son of Hera alone. The divine marriage proved to be shaky, due Zeus’ infidelity. The supreme deity was often depicted as a womanizer, as he had this habit of falling in love with many women. His extramarital affairs were countless and often produced children, mortal and immortal alike. It was said that Zeus had to resort to all sorts of trickery to conceal his unfaithfulness, just as he had used beguilement as a means to lure women. However, Hera usually discovered about these affairs. Several accounts of Hera showed that she was mainly concerned with chastising the other females in Zeus’ life. She punished all those whom Zeus fell in love with, though they only submitted to him because of force or trickery. Regardless of their situation, Hera remained filled with hatred and she also punished their children (Hamilton, 1969). Some sources suggest that Zeus was involved in other marriages. Prior to his union with Hera, he was married to Themis, who was one of the Titans (Rose, 1991). This marriage resulted in the birth of the Seasons, as well as the Moirai. After Themis, Zeus was involved with Eurynome. According to Hesoid, she was an offsping of Okeanos and Tethys. The union between Zeus and Eurynome produced Charites, better known in the English language as Graces, based on its Latin origins. The Graces consisted of Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia; they were also known as Splendor, Mirth and Good Cheer respectively (Hamilton, 1969). In most accounts, the Graces were not considered as different entities; they were often depicted as a trinity of beauty and grace. Meanwhile, Themis was not the only Titaness whom Zeus married (Rose, 1991). Zeus also married Mnemosyne, and their union produced the nine Muses. This union was said to have occurred after Zeus’ relationship with Demeter (Rose, 1991). Initially, the Muses were similar to the Graces in the sense they were not distinctly identified from one another (Hamilton, 1969). Eventually, the Muses were distinguished to each other according to their respective fields. Calliope was the Muse of epic poetry, Clio of history, Erato of love poetry, Euterpe of lyric poetry, Polyhymnia of the songs for the deities, Thalia of comedy and Terpsichore of dance (Hamilton, 1969). A significant relationship is the union between Zeus and Demeter (Rose, 1991). The offspring of this marriage was Kore, who is better known as Persephone. According to an Orphic account, Zeus was also in love with his own daughter. He assumed the shape of a dragon or snake to mate with her. Their union produced a son named Zagreus, who was later killed by the Titans based on Hera’s orders. However, this account is rather obscure; the story is contrary to the tradition of Greek mythology which indicates that Persephone was married to Hades, the brother of Zeus (Rose, 1991). Some of the deities included in the 12 Olympians were children of Zeus from his affairs with other women. Apollo is recognized as the God of Truth and Light (Hamilton, 1969). His twin, Artemis, is known to be a brave huntswoman. Both deities were the children of Zeus from his relationship with Leto. Hermes, who is known as the Messenger of Zeus, was the offspring of the supreme god and Maia, the daughter of Atlas. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty and Love, was the offspring of Zeus and Dione according to the Homer’s The Iliad. Nevertheless, another account claimed that Aphrodite came from foam in the sea (Hamilton, 1969). The aforementioned gods and goddesses are only some of the identified children of Zeus. Zeus is known to be the mighty Greek god who had multiple romantic affairs. However, his other attributes were best illustrated in both The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. In these epics, the characteristics of the king of the Greek gods are exposed to the reader. While the stories present the extent of his power and personality, these also reveal his limitations and flaws. For instance, it is already a well-known fact that Zeus is supreme and powerful enough to overthrow Kronos. In Book VIII of The Iliad, he asserted that power by reminding the other gods and goddesses that he is the greatest of them all (Hamilton, 1969). The war between the Greeks and the Trojans had forced the deities to take sides and intervene with the mortal conflict. However, in a gathering in Mount Olympus, Zeus warned the other deities against interfering in the war. He reminded them that even in a tug-of-war between him and the others, he would still win. Homer wrote, â€Å"Fasten a rope of gold to heaven and lay hold, every god and goddess. You could not drag down Zeus. But if I wished to drag you down, then I would† (as cited in Hamilton, 1969, p. 27). Zeus was indeed the strongest among all Greek gods. Despite being the mightiest among all the deities, Zeus was depicted as a god whose will was not absolute. This was because his stand towards the war and divine intervention constantly shifted. When The Iliad began, Zeus wanted to have little or no involvement in the Trojan War. When Aphrodite became injured as a result of her involvement in the mortal battle, Zeus instructed her to stay way (Hamilton, 1969). In a similar instance, when Diomedes injured Ares, Zeus was more considerate to the former because he found the latter too impulsive. Also, there was a time in the epic when Hera and Athena wanted to participate in the war and Zeus was forced to threaten them just to prevent them from meddling. At one point, Zeus even seemed to want an end to the intensified conflict; when Paris disappeared from his duel with Menelaus, he suggested that the war should end because Menelaus was technically the winner (Hamilton, 1969). However, it is important to note that Zeus was already involved with the war early on in the epic. The problem with Agamemnon forced Achilles to seek his mother’s help in asking for Zeus’ intervention (Hamilton, 1969). As a favor to her son, Thetis did ask Zeus for the temporary victory of the Trojans just so Achilles can prove to the Greeks that they are ineffective in battle without him. While he insisted to the other gods and goddesses that they must not intervene, he himself was a divine participant in the war. He listened to the plea of Thetis and soon enough, he tricked Agamemnon through a dream. In Book XI, Zeus had informed Hector that he will become victorious after Agamemnon gets injured in battle. Zeus was also shown to provide omens to the mortal participants of the war. In Book XII, Zeus sent an eagle flying with a snake in its claws; later on, the eagle dropped the snake when it was bitten. This proved to be a bad omen which was ignored by Hector. Later on in the epic, Zeus did allow the other deities to meddle in the war. The divine intervention in the war even caused the gods and goddesses themselves to be at war with each other. Instead of being a participant, Zeus was merely a spectator in the divine squabble (Hamilton, 1969). The epics of Homer also depicted Zeus as a god of mercy. Whenever a mortal is placed in an appropriate situation, the powerful god took pity on them. After Achilles killed Hector in The Iliad, he continually dragged his enemy’s corpse (Hamilton, 1969). Zeus and the rest of the gods were not happy with this. Zeus was forced to approach Thetis to put a stop to this unfortunate situation. He asked the deity to talk to her son. In The Odyssey, Odysseus had not found his way home for two decades. For a time, he stayed in an island with the deity Calypso. Calypso refused to let him go and eventually became a prisoner of the island. Zeus knew Odysseus did not deserve this fate and he sought the cooperation of the gods to aid the mortal on his way home. Zeus asked Hermes to travel to the island and convince Calypso to set Odysseus free. Because no one can refuse the command of Zeus, Calypso was forced to do as the god asked (Hamilton, 1969). In The Odyssey, Zeus was also shown to be capable of wrath and vengeance. The supreme god was portrayed as having livestock in his possession (Rose, 1991). On the island of Thrinakie, some of Odysseus’ companions had killed some cattle and sheep to address their hunger. What these men did not know was that those animals were owned by the supreme god himself. Zeus punished these me by sinking their ship. However, he spared Odysseus from drowning (Rose, 1991). Zeus may be presented as powerful, merciful and vengeful god, but the leader of the Greek gods also has his share of imperfections. Zeus is devoid of omnipotence (Hamilton, 1969). He is a powerful god but his power is not unlimited. In addition, Zeus is not omnipresent either. His limitations as a god allowed other deities to deceive him and take advantage of his weaknesses. Because Zeus was not omnipresent, Poseidon took advantage of this limitation to further his cause as proven in The Iliad. Zeus had demanded that the other gods and goddesses should not be involved in the war. In Book XIII, Zeus was busy and was not able to follow the events in the war. In his brother’s absence, Poseidon helped the Greeks aboard his underwater chariot. Despite his brother’s warning, Poseidon went to the battle in disguise to inspire the Greeks (Hamilton, 1969). Hera also took advantage of Zeus’ limitations. The goddess had been against the Trojans from the start, since Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess. From her post in Mount Olympus, Hera was overjoyed with the participation of Poseidon in the war (Hamilton, 1969). She wanted to guarantee that Zeus will not see them interfering in the affairs of the mortals. Zeus was busy in Mount Ida, so he was unable to prevent the other deities from participating in the war. Hera planned to distract Zeus so the other deities can continue their interference without being caught. She enlisted the help of both Aphrodite and Sleep to succeed in her plan. First, she prepared herself in her plot to seduce her husband; she bathed, wore perfume and got dressed. Aphrodite assisted Hera and made her so beautiful that Zeus would not be able to resist her. Then, Hera asked Sleep to visit Zeus. She made her way to Mount Ida and wished to greet Zeus first with flattery and lies. However, Zeus became so overwhelmed by her beauty that he immediately asked her to lay with him. Hera did not want Zeus to see what was happening to the war, so she insisted that they should go to her chamber underwater to avoid the being seen. Zeus refused. After they made love, Zeus fell into a slumber due to Sleep. With Zeus in deep sleep, Poseidon continued with his interference. When Zeus woke up, he realized what happened and reprimanded Hera (Hamilton, 1969). The case with Poseidon and Hera showed how limited Zeus’ power was, even if he was the most powerful god in Greek mythology. His brother Poseidon had undermined his authority when he intervened with the war despite his orders. His own wife Hera was capable of deceiving him, who was supposed to be the mightiest of them all. With the use of trickery, Zeus came under the control of deities more inferior to him. In the aforementioned incident, his love and lust for women proved to be his downfall. He was easily distracted by the physical appearance that he became unmindful of what was actually happening with the mortals. Hence, Zeus was a powerful god but not a perfect one. The limitations of his power allowed other gods and goddesses to deceive him. The reputation of Zeus as the most supreme among all Greek gods and goddesses is justified. He defeated his father Kronos to become the most powerful among all deities. He controlled the Titans and put them under their control. Whenever he was crossed, he sought revenge and severely punished those who had earned his wrath. Meanwhile, he took pity of those who deserved his mercy. Nonetheless, the supremacy of Zeus was not an assurance of his perfection. Zeus was also flawed like the mortals he governed. One of his weaknesses was his love of women, which resulted in many relationships and children. His will was not fixed; he constantly changed his mind. He was not a god of omnipresence or omniscience; this limitation caused him to be a victim of beguilement. Zeus proved to be the most interesting among all Greek gods. While he was mighty and formidable, he was also weak and imperfect. References Hamilton, E. (1969). Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Mentor. Rose, H. J. (1991). A Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: Routledge.