Essay Question: Examine How Steinbeck Presents the Character of Curley’s Wife in ‘of Mice and Men’

Essay Question: Examine how Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’ The famous novella ‘O Mice and Men’ was written by John Steinbeck, in which all characters play an immense role. Firstly the time in which this novel was written has a direct impact on the characters life style and personality. As we know, this novel was written during the time of the great depression, which was based in 1929. It was known as the great depression, because it lasted for up to 10 years. During this time women had no rights and were abounded and isolated from social activities.They were known to be the possession of their husband. In this novella Steinbeck shows us two view on the character of Curley’s wife, however our perception of her changes without herself actually changing. As a reader we know how she is without even seen her. She was first mentioned by Candy, as he was describing her to George. Through her description we know that â€Å"she got the eye†, meaning that she is a person who can cause danger to others. Furthermore Candy described her as a â€Å"tart†, â€Å"tramp† and a â€Å"bitch†.Before actually seeing her we know that she is the only women in the ranch and that she is a flirtatious person as well as a promiscuous person. Also Steinbeck describes her as a â€Å"girl† instead of a â€Å"woman†. This shows that he is informing the reader about her personality and how she is. Girls are mainly described as immature and innocent and that they don’t have enough knowledge about the world, where as a woman is a much mature person with a wider knowledge about the world and life. Curley’s wife is described as a girl, because she is being looks down at and not respected as she should be it also emphasises her vulnerability.

How does administrative law change bureaucratic behaviour

The Committee presented a plan for an entirely new system of administrative law that rested upon a fresh vision of the role that external review agencies should play in safeguarding the rights of the public regarding executive decision-making. Three Acts were implemented by the Parliament. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (Cth) (AAT Act) established two bodies – an Administrative Appeals Tribunal to undertake merit review of a general range ofCommonwealth decisions, and an Administrative Review Council to perform a research, advisory and coordination function. The Ombudsman Act 1976 (Cth) established an Ombudsman to investigate complaints of maladministration by Commonwealth government agencies. The Administrative Decisions Oudicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) conferred upon the newly-created Federal Court a reformed Jurisdiction to undertake Judicial review of Commonwealth decision-making. Purpose of Administrative Law Administrative Law concerns the relationship betwe en the government and the public.It refers to a wide range of controls exercisable by the law over the powers nd procedures of government decision-makers and administrators. It constitutes a means of protecting the rights of the public by making the government decision- makers accountable. With the growth of technology, financial institutions and globalization, society is becoming more complex, the role of government has expanded in terms of regulation and intervention. This has led to a growth in the number of bureaucratic decision makers which in turn led to an expansion in controls over administrative actions to counter balance the power of the decision makers.The Kerr and Bland Committees saw that the purpose of Administrative Law was to rotect citizens against government, when government was growing in size and exercising more administrative authority and discretionary power. It pointed to a posed threats to the rights and liberties of citizens . The view from the Kerr and Blan d Committees is compatible with that of Professor Cane that the Administrative Law can be used to regulate the way the administrators make decisions so that the power will not be misused. How to measure success of the Administrative Law?There are two views about the measurement of success of Administrative Law: (i) The instrumentalist believes the success lies in its impact on behaviour and outcomes, ence the law should bring behaviour and outcomes into conformity with specified value. (it) The non-instrumentalist believes its success lies in its rules and practices. The law could be counted as a success if it clearly, consistently and coherently expressed specified values. The supporters of regulatory approach to Administrative Law are instrumentalists whereas the supporters of legal approach are non-instrumentalists.What are the regulatory and legal approaches to Administrative Law? A regulatory system has three components (i) a set of standards that announce how eople ought to be have; (it) a mechanism for monitoring compliance with those standards; (iii) a mechanism for promoting future compliance. Administrative Law consists of a set of rules and principles about how decisions ought to be made. Individuals affected by the administrative decisions can utilize various tribunals and ombudsmen to review decisions and in turn provide incentive for the decision makers to comply with Administrative Law in future.The regulatory approach focuses on the future rather than the way decision makers behaved in the past. It aims to prevent potential issues by making the decision akers responsible for it. On the contrary, the legal approach presents administrative law to be used by complainants a means to redress past breaches so that decision makers can be held accountable for such breaches. It looks at the success of administrative law on its ability to provide redress to those adversely affected by unlawful decisions.The regulatory approach focuses accountability based on the institutional design and interaction between different organs of the system such as ombudsmen, parliamentary committee and internal review. The legal approach focuses more on the accountability of the government to the public. In constitutional terms, the regulatory approach addresses it with separation of power whereas the legal approach focuses on the concept of rule of law. Administrative law focuses on the accountability of government.By demanding compliance with administrative law principles, and by valuing review mechanisms for rectifying human error, it impacts upon the decision-making processes in order to ensure that the wrongful exercise of administrative power is curbed. The Australian tax system is an example of how administrative law impacts on bureaucratic behaviour. The tax system, being a self assessment system, encourages ne to voluntarily comply with the tax legislation. Tax compliance officers review the tax returns to identity potential risk to revenue.Wh ere the risks being identified in a review are significant, the tax office will escalate the case to an audit. During an audit, there will be an information request followed by the issuance of a position paper. If the taxpayers realize any errors in their tax returns, they can make voluntary disclosure in order to reduce any shortfall liability and penalty interests. Alternatively they can express their views if there is any contentious issue about the application of law. The taxpayers will be given an opportunity to comment on the position paper before an amended assessment is issued.The taxpayers can object to the amended assessment which is normally handled by the objection team that is independent from the compliance team. If the decision stays, an application can be lodged to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to review the decision. The tax office has internal guidelines such as Practice Statement Law Administration for the staff to follow before any administrative decision i s made. This ensures the taxpayers would be fairly treated. Before a decision is reached, taxpayers will be iven opportunities to be heard and supply information to support their claim.The process demonstrates how the Administrative Law influences the bureaucratic behaviour. The decision-makers need to supply proper reasoning before issuing an amended assessment. What are the positive and negative changes on bureaucratic behaviour? On the positive side, more senior public servants are required to be legally trained as they are expected to make decisions based on strong legal grounds so that their decisions will be less likely to be challenged in future. The decisions being made would also be based on fairness with properly established facts.However, onerous review systems may cause potentially adverse bureaucratic behaviour. The onerous review system may sometimes lead to ‘No further action' on many potential tax evasion cases. The following explains the negative bureaucratic behaviour that is undesirable to the society goal. review the taxpayers' tax return and amend the assessments. The review period could be two or four years depending on the size of the business and the nature of entity. Once the ‘period of review expires, the tax office cannot amend the assessment unless there is fraud or evasion for which intention needs to be established.Knowing this system, some taxpayers may simply delay in supplying information or supplying irrelevant information to make the cases difficult to pursue. By contrast with the private sector for which financial target is the prime objective, the public bureaucrats may not have such incentive to pursue difficult cases that may eventually lead to tribunal review. Further to that, the tax officers need to follow strict guideline when dealing with fraud cases where intention needs to be established. As all elements need to be established before a case can be referred to prosecution, some fraud cases end up being à ¢â‚¬ËœNo further action'.This is undesirable to the societal goal as it means people who dodge the system may not be penalized. Can we Judge the success of Administrative Law as a regulatory tool primarily by its effect on bureaucratic behaviour? As mentioned above, the purpose of the Administrative Law is to make government decision-makers accountable. It promotes the fair procedures and compliance by decisions-makers with legal limitations on their powers. The public can use the merit review system to review the administrative decision of the government. The merit review allows the facts and legal aspects of the decision to be considered afresh.Based on the merits, the tribunal can affirm, vary or set aside the original decision. From a regulatory point of view, an independent body has stepped in to review the government decisions and therefore it limits the power of the bureaucrats. Therefore, the bureaucrats must obtain sufficient evidence and provide sound reasons to support th eir decisions. Furthermore, it encourages government bureaucrats to ensure they act consistently with relevant legal requirements. Based on the above, it appears that one can assert that Administrative Law has achieved its purpose as a regulatory tool that impacts on bureaucratic behaviour.

The Great Train Robbery and The Phantom Carriage: Editing Comparison

Drawing on the evidence provided by a sequence notation, show how editing functions narratively and expressively in one sequence from either Broken Blossoms (1919) or The Phantom Carriage (1921) and comment on the ways in which this differs from The Great Train Robbery (1903). The Great Train Robbery and The Phantom Carriage are both considered as one of the key creative movies ever made in history. The Phantom Carriage was very well known for showcasing it’s advanced narrative construction with flashbacks within flashbacks. The Phantom Carriage would have had technological advantages over The Great Train Robbery since it was made eighteen years after. Hence, both their editing methods are substantially different. Having made a notation on one of the sequences from The Phantom Carriage, the narrative functions of the editing styles between the two will be discussed while the differences are highlighted. To start with, both the movies consisted of interesting cinematographic elements that allowed the editors to the cut the movie in the most creative way. For a first narration film, The Great Train Robbery managed to introduce many interesting editing techniques. There were multiple location changes, camera movements and the introduction to the style of cross cutting was also impressive. The Phantom Carriage also consisted of many interesting techniques such as the use of various shots from different angles, camera movement and the display of a title card to express the narrative. The sequence chosen from The Phantom Carriage is the beginning to part three, which starts off with a black fade to colour transition. This transition automatically communicates a time change within the narrative. We are then shown an establishing outdoor shot, of a man dressed in a suit, walking out of a tall door that is closed by another man who seemed to look like a guard. This shot re-establishes the location as the outside of a jail due to its features such as tall doors, the presence of a guard, brick walls and then a tall building with corridor openings behind the brick wall, which is revealed after the camera pans slightly to the left as the man walks towards the camera. The man then looks to the left and exits the frame where the next cut is ade. As the cut is made before the man completely exits the frame, as audience, we expect it to be a match cut; instead it is a jump cut that cuts into the man running into one of the houses in the street. Although this marks a transition in time and space, it makes the audience curious on where the narrative had gone from when he left the jail, to when he got to the h ouse. However compared to The Great Train Robbery, the narrative in The Phantom Carriage is still stronger as although there was a jump cut, the audiences were able to see the man leave the jail and enter the house. The element of continuity in action expressed the narrative better. The scene in The Great Train Robbery, where the operator runs to the nearby dancehall to inform the others of the incident, the audiences are not shown the operators journey to the dance hall at all; instead the operator looks as if he is getting up to inform the others and then a jump cut is made to the ballroom where the people are dancing. We can then see another man enter the room; at first we would think that it is the operator but it is somebody else. Due to the lack of continuity, it could confuse the audience on what the narrative is. As the operator later joins the crowd and informs the crowd of the incident, with the help of their exaggerated reaction to the situation, the narrative is made clearer. ‘In both narrative and non-narrative films, editing is a crucial strategy for ordering space and time. Two or more images can be linked to imply spatial and temporal relations to the viewer’. The Phantom Carriage consisted of a variety of shots from different angles that denoted the narrative over to the audience. In contrast, The Great Train Robbery did not show any one sequence from various angles. Most scenes were shown from one angle and the set looked theatrical, almost like a black box theatre where the camera is the fourth wall. However, the narrative in The Great Train Robbery was very quick and easy to understand as each cut meant a scene change. A lot more happened between cuts in The Great Train robbery than in The Phantom Carriage. Therefore if somebody missed a cut from The Great Train Robbery, compared to The Phantom Carriage, it would have been more difficult for the person to understand what had occurred. The variety of shots in The Phantom Carriage meant that, even if somebody missed couple of shots, they would still be able to understand the plot. Also, having a variety of shots, allowed the audience to feel more connected to the movie, as they were able to analyse the situation from different angles. ‘ In the classic narrative system, editing is governed by the requirements of verisimilitude, hence the characteristics in any one film sequence of establish ing shot, closer shots that direct the gaze of the spectator to elements of action to be read as significant, followed by further long shots to re-establish spatial relations. ’ The element of continuity is significant in making the movie appear as real as possible. A variety of shots were used to give the continuity effect in The Phantom Carriage. In the second shot from the sequence, it is established that the man is walking on the street and is about to walk into a house. We then see a mid shot of the man going up the stairs followed by a close up of the object he is looking at. We are then taken back to a mid shot of him looking down. The movements between the shots are cut and matched perfectly, meeting the requirements of verisimilitude. The Great Train Robbery also had interesting moving background that set the scene without having to explain where the location was. For example, the way the background moved, while the thieves were robbing, made the narrative clearer by explaining the robbery that was happening in the train. This explained the title of the movie while expressing the narrative across. However, there were continuity issues, such as the differences between the speeds of the background movement between scenes. For example, after the robbing scene, the scene cuts to a robber climbing the engine of the train. This is an outdoor scene and the movement of the train in the background suggested that the robbery happened while the train was moving. Compared to the previous shot, the speed in which the train moved has noticeably decreased, making the background movements in between the scenes look like a jump cut. Continuing on with the sequence, the next cut is made when the audience first sees an empty stairway, where the sequence has an added vignette effect to he frame. We then see the man quickly running up the stairs in the continuing movement from the previous frame. The vignette effect made it seem like someone was observing the man’s actions through a keyhole or peep hole from another room. We are then shown the man’s attempt in trying to get into the room using various eye-line matches between him and the doormat. The vignette effect still makes it seem like it was from a p erson’s point of view, as the effect disappears as soon the camera position changes in the next cut. The next cut is a reverse angle shot that follows the 180-degree rule of the man walking into the room with the continuing movement from the previous shot. Perfect continuity plays a crucial part here as from the moment he got up from the stairs to where he got in to the room; all the cuts were perfectly matched with his movements. In contrast, there were no eye line matches or point of view shots in The Great Train Robbery. Most of The Great Train Robbery’s frames seemed like a theatrical stage where the actors entered in from either sides and left through those sides. When the next cut is made, the vignette effect disappears denoting that the other vignette shots were definitely from someone’s point of view. We then see the character walk into the room through a door. The camera is placed facing the door towards the left of the frame making sure that both the doors are in the frame. As the character walks in, the camera pans to the right to include the door on the right in the frame. At this point, we are able to see all the three doors in the frame. This moment is a key moment as this shows the importance in including the all doors in the frame. Having a door on the frame always brings in an idea of suspense, in finding out on the ways in which the objects behind the door is going to influence the narrative of the story. We then see the character run into the room, as expected the next cut is made where the physical action of the character running into the room is completed. This smooth match cut looked almost perfect since there were no absence of continuity in the movement expressed by the character. This helped strengthen the way the narrative was expressed, as we were able to understand that the character couldn’t find what he desired. The next match cut was also equally effective as the cut made matched his action. There is an interesting mirror element to the way this short sequence from when the character came into the room, until when he walked out of the room was shot and cut. As he walks into the room, the camera pans slightly to the right as he enters the room on his left. This match cut of him going in and out of the room is perfect due to it’s element of continuity. The cut matches the shot to its initial camera position that was used when the character walked into the room initially. Similar to the way the camera panned to the right as he walked into the room on his left, the camera pans slightly to the left, back to its original position as he walked out of the room. He then knocks on the opposite neighbour’s door; as soon as he knocks a lady opens the door immediately. It is interesting how quick she opened the door, as this confirms the discussion on the vignette effect denoting the shot as a point of view. The camera was probably positioned by the door, and low angled shots such as the one looking down at the doormat and back up at the man shows that the camera is representing someone’s eyes. The restriction of view due the shot being a close-up with the added the vignette effect makes it almost look like someone was peeking through either a keyhole or a peephole. The use of point of view angle would connect the audience to the movie in a deeper level, as they are able to view the actor from another actor’s perspective. In terms of mise-en-scenes used; the setting, the actors’ performance and costumes were a lot more exaggerated and unnatural in The Great Train Robbery compared to The Phantom Carriage. Due to this reason, The Great Train Robbery lacked the sense of realism in comparison. Due to the variety of cuts, it is easier for The Phantom Carriage to express emotions and denote the narrative through subtle acting, natural setting and simple costumes as the audiences are able to see more and close into the actors. With The Great Train Robbery, if the elements were not exaggerated, the moments may go unnoticed leading to the narrative being conveyed as unclear to the audience. Although both the movies have significant differences in terms of the way it was shot and cut, The Great Train Robbery can be considered as an impressive work due to its ability in showing a difficult narrative in such a short time. Although its narrative was mainly expressed using its establishing shot, we were still able to understand the narrative without the help of title cards that was used in The Phantom Carriage as the main tool in expressing its narrative.

Energy and Homeostasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Energy and Homeostasis - Research Paper Example The lipostatic model is concerned with the fat molecules in the body that determine the need of food and energy, and its regulation. The intake and termination of meal may be dependent on several internal and external factors that are studied as the signals. The number and quantity of meals generally depend and vary with different species of animals. It is not fixed and different species have different mechanisms that trigger the need for food intake and how they maintain their balance of energy (Woods et al, 1998, pp.1378-1382). The neurohumoral system is mostly responsible for the process of energy homeostasis in the body. Hormones play a major role in this regard. The central nervous system (CNS) of the body has direct effects on the balance of energy in response to the fat molecules within a body. Leptin and insulin are two major signals that function in association with the CNS. The catabolic response to leptin administration in the body determines the gain or loss in weight as well, along with the rates of metabolism. Considering the central effector pathways, the study reveals that the regulation of energy homeostasis is largely dependent on the hypothalamus containing neuroal systems. Depending on the level of fat, pathways like ARC-PVN NPY might be activated. Also, hormones such as glucocorticoid might be secreted in the process as an effect of NPY. Considering the central catabolic systems, the expression of proopiomelanocortin genes is restricted for ARC neurons that lead to parts necessary for en ergy homeostasis. Thus melanocortins have a significant role to play in the process of regulation (Woods et al, 1998, pp.1378-1382). The corticotrophin releasing hormone is also another highly essential component of the process of energy homeostasis in the body. Food intake may be reduced with the implication of this hormone thus leading to loss of body weight. Also, these hormones may have a direct linkage

Is Feminism Still Necessary Within the United States Assignment

Is Feminism Still Necessary Within the United States - Assignment Example The paper will first consider what those who support a further form of feminism might say with regards to the prospect that the future holds and what extent need may still exist for feminism. Once this has been discussed with a level of depth and clarity, the analysis will then move on to some of the reasons for why such an approach necessarily guarantees that there will be perennial requirements for further feminism within the United States and elsewhere. Some of these requirements are concentric upon the religious mores that are currently exhibited within the current system; whereas others are merely an example of history and the cultural determinism that has helped to define the United States in the way that it is. Finally, the last portion of the analysis will argue the position of the author with relation to this issue.  Those that put forward the belief that further feminism is required in the United States generally point to sociological/demographic data. As such, this data helps to prove the point that a mere 60 years ago the presence of women in the workforce and their integration into distinct segments of society was practically unheard of. Naturally, the greatest liberation that was the culmination of this was the widespread availability of cheap contraceptives in the form of birth control pills. As history has proven, societies in which women have control over their biological clocks have the ability to pursue higher education, careers, and personal fulfillment without being saddled with the responsibilities of the family prior to the time in which they would otherwise choose to do so. Moreover, as a function of these recent development in the rights of women, specifically within the United States, but increasingly in other parts of the developed and developing world as well, proponents of such a point of views to the fact that is merely only a matter of time and human societal evolution until a true and complete understanding of global feminism i s realized.   As such, it is not reasonable to assume that the greatest achievements of parity have yet been accomplished within the United States.   For instance, a female’s pay is still substantially lower than that of a similarly trained and/or talented male.

Anatomy and Physiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Anatomy and Physiology - Essay Example The sense of touch helps us detect pain and provides a reflex withdrawal that is naturally and unconsciously prepared before conscious awareness of pain is passed on to the brain (Kippers 2-3). Further, the sense of touch allows us to learn about our surroundings by touching and feeling everything around us (Kippers 2-3). The second function of the nervous system is coordination. Coordination is the body’s ability to receive a number of stimuli through the various senses, which are appropriately coordinated and processed thereby allowing us to give a proper reaction to any given circumstances. The feedback or response given by an individual may vary and depend on character, experience, culture, etc. (Kippers 2-3). Last but not the least function of the nervous system is the ability of a person to have conceptual though or intelligence. Every individual is capable of calculation, imagination, abstract reasoning and creativity that make him or her superior than any other mammal (Kippers 2-3). The peripheral nervous system (PNS is made up of all the other parts of the nervous system excluding the brain and the spinal cord which are parts and segments of the central nervous system (CNS) (Noveguide.com 1-3). The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is divided into two main categories which are: 1) the sensory somatic nervous system and 2) the autonomic nervous system (Novelguide.com 1-3). The sensory somatic nervous system serves as the sensory entrance between the environment or surroundings outside the human body and the CNS. The responses made by the body in this part of the PNS are inclined to be conscious (Noveguide.com 1-3). The sensory somatic nervous system is composed of 31 pairs of spinal nerves and 12 pairs of cranial nerves. Other pairs are only for sensory neurons which are mainly engaged in the senses for smell,

Quantitative data analysis report based on an independent analysis of Statistics Project

Quantitative data analysis report based on an independent analysis of a large data set of regional economic and social indicators from France and Italy (NUTS2) - Statistics Project Example The sample proportion of France indicated mean for participation rates (M= 100.8, SD=1.6) was significant ≠¥ high tech employments (M = 4.3, SD =1.4), t(20) = 257.4 p =000. Thus we reject null hypothesis as p The indication from the Tables, Italy, is that, at difference of (m = 95.2, sd = 3.8), t(18) = 110 p At 97.7% variance of GDP (2008) the is accounted for the linear combination, with a positive linear coefficient correlation of .99. The bivariate coefficient indicates p There is a highly linear correlation at R2 = 98.2 % of the variance of GDP in the linear equation. P-value GDP of a country is market value per year of all goods and services produced in the country. The value does not include the goods and services produced in other countries (Tucker, 2013). Thus the GDP of a country can measure of the wealth of a nation. The Western Europe countries of Italy and France have a high potential in high tech sectors in that France has a high tech patent rights that contribute a lot in the GDP of the France, where as Italy has more sectors that employ more people in high tech sectors. The education plays the main part in developing the cognitive, physical and social skills. The 4 year old kid develop skills by participating in schools activities thus increasing the enjoyment in leisure, reading books, understanding jokes and playing games (O’Sullivan,

Future career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Future career - Essay Example important especially if one has to deal with a large number of people everyday who belong from different cultural backgrounds, as in the field of fashion designing. Fashion designing is a business which deals with international clients which explains why English-speaking employees are more readily hired (Romano). Mastering the English language skills in fashion designing is also important because not everyone can necessarily understand a particular language other than the globally recognized language, which is why English is known now as the language of business (English in international business). Hence many ideas introduced by a fashion designer remain unappreciated and misunderstood, if he or she happens to remain unable to attach credible reasons to those creative fashion ideas with the help of good English language skills. English language can help one in adding coherence to his or her ideas (Sanchez). On my part, I intend to use English language skills in my job when communicat ing with my supervisors or customers and more importantly, when introducing my innovative ideas to the common public by way of advertisement in simple English which could be understood by

Cross Cultural Communications and Leadership Management Case Study

Cross Cultural Communications and Leadership Management - Case Study Example This explains the attitude of Hernandez when he tells Van West to take it slow, and that he is in control of the situation; he would be able to solve all the raised grievances. Managers in the Mexican settings use less participative style of management (Morris & Pavett, 1995). Judged from the actions of Hernandez; being out of the workplace as required. Stanford (1992) further argues that though American managers use participative management, Mexican managers are treated as figures of authorities, and Hernandez as a manager does not expect any control from Van west. To deal with Hernandez, Van West has to consider these Mexican settings. However, Hernandez might have used the friendly link between them to act in this particular way. The first thing for Van West to do would be to call Hernandez, and outline his expectations, though he had earlier informed him concerning his management styles. This would help West in reminding Hernandez of his roles, and the expectations in the product ion Department. When this does not work, Van West has to involve his authority as being the overall manager of the subsidiary, and replace Hernandez with a more competent manager. However, he must hold elaborate discussions with other departmental managers to support these strategic actions in streamlining the failing production department. Hofstede (1994), in his cross cultural theory and work related values critically examined how bosses behave, and interact with employees in an organization. Mexicans, according to this study have high scores in Power- Distance, Collectivism and Masculinity, and Uncertainty – Avoidance. Employees from a high power –Distance cultural background have a tendency to maintain professional distance away from their bosses. Bosses are therefore the ultimate decision makers, setting goals in an organization according to the Mexican culture (Hofstede, 1994). Bosses and managers in Mexico retain their local managerial cultural style in being au thoritative, and are viewed as father figures; meaning they are observed with due respect (Shimoni & Begmann, 2006). The ability to have authority in making decisions individually, and being less involved, or being less participatory in the daily factory operations makes these managers to be in less conflict with people on the factory floor. This guarantees these managers both power and authority, with the ability to act on personal decisions without consulting. The management- employee relation in the Mexican culture is a rather fascinating relation, which brings out important family values in Mexican management styles, and working environment. Hofstede (1994) explains the collectivism nature of Mexican culture, which translates to a strong sense of team working, and the need for social harmony. There is need for team based work, and harmonized groups as compared to individualistic competitions. Trompenaars (1994) further elaborates that Mexicans in being high on achievement dimens ion do not have preference in following any universal pattern rules. As managers are less participative, the relationship between employees and managers in Mexico is a vertical one, where managers are viewed as ‘fathers’ to make decisions for their subordinates, who do not participate in the decision making process. De Forest (1994), in his study in management culture in

Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Drunk Driving Essay Driving while under the influence is a serious problem in our present society. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and injures someone every two minutes. (â€Å"Impaired Driving†) What should be a cause of concern is that the youths are most often involved in alcohol related driving accidents. Statistics shows that although young drivers make up only 14% of the US Population, youths aged 16-24 have been involved in 28% of the alcohol-related driving accidents. Despite these statistics however I believe that we still should not conclude that youths are most dangerous drivers and are the sole responsible for cases of drinking and drunk driving. I believe that the incidence of alcohol related accidents involving young drivers are aggravated by the fact that these drivers are not only relatively inexperienced drivers because of their young age but also because they have less tolerance for alcohol compared to an adult. It must be stressed however that drinking and the cases of drunk driving have been declining among young drivers. Studies show that drinking among the youth has been consistently dropping. Research shows that there is a downward trend of alcohol consumption among high school students according to a PRIDE Survey released Sept. 1999 which states that the proportion of both junior and senior high school students who have consumed any alcohol during the year has dropped again for the third year in a row. This is confirmed by in a study which declared that within a period of about 20 years, the proportion of American high school seniors who have ever consumed alcohol is down 13%; have consumed alcohol within the previous year is down 15%; have consumed alcohol within previous 30 days is down 27%; have recently consumed alcohol daily is down 67%; have binged is down 24%. (â€Å"Young Drivers and Alcohol†) Thus, my message for the youth of today is that the perception that more and more high school students are drinking and are driving even when drunk is without any substance and basis. Empirical research has proven these perceptions to be inaccurate. High school students who are not into drinking or driving while being under the influence of alcohol should not therefore be pressured into doing the same because such is not the norm in our present society but a mere deviance. The norm is still that young people are staying away from alcohol and that more and more young people do not drive when drunk. Although alcohol problems and drunk driving have been on a downward trend, the reality is that too many young people end up dead or seriously injured as a result of the incidence of drunk driving in our society. Countless lives have been lost and we expect thousands more to die if drunk driving will continue to be tolerated by our contemporary society. Increasing the period of imprisonment is I think a reactive solution as most people who are drunk no longer have the presence of mind to think of the possible penalty that will be meted against them when they are caught. A proactive solution to this problem is the conduct of awareness programs on the extent of this problem. People have to become aware that when they drink and drive they become a danger not only to themselves but to other people as well. There is a high probability that they could either get killed or kill an innocent civilian. The second step will be for the society as a whole to be vigilant and not to tolerate people who drink and drive. This can be done by means of social disapproval or pressuring a friend not to drink especially when he will drive. Friends and family members play a very important part in the success of this task since they are considered authority figures who may persuade a person not to drink or a person who is drunk not to drive. This message will not back in the sense that the youth will begin to think that drinking and drunk driving are the norms because I have established that such is not the case. Empirical research has shown that there is no scientific basis in the statement that more and more youth people are drinking alcohol and are drinking while being under the influence of alcohol. Not only did I establish that drinking and drunk driving are not social norms but I also established that people in our present society would rather stay away from such vices. Further, my message placed the responsibility for drinking and drunk driving not only to the person who is drunk but also to the families, relatives and friends of the person who is drunk. We cannot stop this problem by increasing the period of imprisonment, rather, every member of our society must be vigilant and take an active part in controlling this problem.

Criteria For The Project Success Management Essay

Criteria For The Project Success Management Essay Lundin and Soderholm (1995) illustrates the project as a temporary organization and assert the time conception as one of the four distinguishing features of temporary organizations from permanent organizations (task, team and transition are other three distinguishing features). Cleland and King in 1983 (cited in Cooke-Davies, T. J. 2001) adopted a similar approach by the following project definition: A complex effort to achieve a specific objective within a schedule and budget target, which typically cuts across organisational lines, is unique, and is usually not repetitive within the organisation. Moreover, recent definitions expanded the project definition to include the product and /or service as the project outcomes. For example Duncan (1996) defines project as A temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product or service. Temporary means that the project has a definite ending point and unique means that the product or service differs in some distinguishing way from all similar products or services. However, as expectations from projects increase, the definitions for project evolved to reflect this. Thus, Turner and Mà ¼ller (2003) incorporate the idea of beneficial change that product of the project is expected to deliver, to the project definition. Thus, they define a project as a temporary organisation that aims to create a unique service or product that brings added value or delivers beneficial change (Turner and Muller, 2003). Eventhough, there are various project definitions that have been accumulated for almost 50 years, the review of literature revealed that defined start and end, a common objective and complex set of activities are the three most common features that are shared by every project and thus present in almost every project definition. 2.2 Project Success: Although project success is a core project management concept, a review of the project management literature reveals that there is no standardized definition of a project success in the project management literature (Baccarini, 1999). The success of a project is perceived differently by different success assessors (Shenhar et al., 2001). Therefore, as Prabhakar (2008, p. 3) noted the only agreement seems to be the disagreement on what constitutes project success. According to Pinto Slevin (1988) based on their study conducted with over 650 project managers, the project success is not only meeting cost, schedule, and performance requirements rather it requires satisfaction of more complex specifications, such as client satisfaction. Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1983, 1988 as cited in Prabhakar, 2008 and Cooke-Davies, 2001) discuss that client satisfaction has been achieved together with the end result has a vital influence on the perceived success or failure of projects (Prabhakar, 2008 ). In a similar fashion, Baker, Murphy and Fisher (1983, 1988 as cited in Prabhakar, 2008, p.4) states that In the long run, what really matters is whether the parties associated with, and affected by, a project are satisfied. Good schedule and cost performance means very little in the face of a poor performing end product De Wit (1988), on the contrary, defines project success as the assessment of project outcomes against cost, time and quality (as cited in Cooke-Davies, 2001 and Prabhakar, 2008). However, he points out to a distinction between the project success and project management success, which he defines as measurement of project outcomes against the overall project objectives that will be discussed by most of the researchers interested in this subject area. Furthermore, another attempt at developing a viable foundation for project success definition was by Baccarini (1999), who attempts to contribute to this gap in the literature by his logical framework method (LFM). The LFM model distinguishes between four levels of project objectives, namely goal, purpose, output, and input, provides a comprehensive framework for defining, as well as, comprehending the project success concept. Baccarini (1999), just as some of his colleagues, based his work on De Wits (1988) a decade old research. Similarl y, Baccarini (1999) differentiates between project management success and the product success, instead of project success. Product success is related with goals and objective, while project management success is related with the project outputs and inputs. On the other hand, another stream of researchers, including Pinto and Slevin (1987), Belassi and Tukel (1996), Lim and Mohamed (1999) prefer not to distinguish between project management success and project success as two distinct concepts rather consider project management success as being part of and contributing to project success. Lim and Mohamed (1999) took a further step and conducted a study to determine criteria for assessing project success by different stakeholders. Since as Baccarini (1999) notes that criteria for assessing project success has vital importance in preventing the project and its team members from holding different views on project success which contributes to project failure. Therefore, it is fundamental to determine and agree upon the criteria satisfying various stakeholders, who have different perceptions of project success. 2.3 Criteria for the Project Success: According to Lim and Mohamed (1999, p.243), Success criteria is defined as the set of principles or standards by which project success can be judged. Early research on project success criteria adopted the so-called Iron Triangle of time, budget and quality as the set of principles for evaluating the success of a project. Almost 40 years ago, Oisen (1971) proposed budget, time and quality as the project success criteria. Many scholars accepted this set of success criteria but also noted the necessity to take into consideration other criteria for the project Success (Turner, 1993; de Witt, 1998; Pinto and Slevin, 1988). More recently, this set of criteria has been evaluated as being insufficient for assessing the project success comprehensively (Turner, 1993; Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). To illustrate this point, according to Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005), assessing project outcomes only with respect to time, cost and, quality is to consider only operational level project management as o pposed to anything of strategic value. Jugdev and Mà ¼ller (2005) focussed on evaluating project success based on the organizational aspects that are internal to the project, leaving out external ones as being too complicated. Nevertheless, there are researchers, such as Pinto and Mantel (1990), who tend to include both internal and external aspects of a project organization, as well as, complex criteria in assessing project success such as, stakeholder satisfaction, stakeholder community benefits, organization benefits, etc. (Pinto and Mantel, 1990; Atkinson, 1999; Wateridge, 1998). Pinto and Mantel (1990) proposed two additional success criteria, namely, the quality of the project as it is perceived by the project team and an external performance indicator of both project and its team performance (e.g. client satisfaction) in addition to the efficiency of implementation phase criterion that assesses the project success in relation to internal performance indicators, and the Iron Triangle. Similarly, in a subsequent study, Andersen and Jessen (2000), who attempt to assess project success with respect to the task- and people-oriented aspects, defined project success criteria further into 10 elements. These elements, besides the traditional Iron Triangle components of time, budget, and quality, include the degree of importance of the products to the base organization, the results as perceived by all stakeholders, the learning experience, motivation for future work, knowledge acquisition, the final report preparation method, and the way of project termination (Andersen Jessen, 2000). Andersen and Jessen (2000) thus provided a more holistic picture for assessing the success of a project. Lim and Mohamed (1999), on the other hand, in their study attempted to justify this diversity in perception of project success criteria. They concluded different stakeholders perspectives on project success criteria, such as those of the project manager, the project team, the client, and the general public, as being the reason for different perspectives on project success criteria. In addition, Lim Mohamed (1999) note success criteria as one of two constituents of the project success. The other constituent of the project success are Critical Success Factors (CSFs), which will be reviewed in the following section. 2.4 Critical Success Factors: It was Daniel in 1961 (as cited in Amberg et al, 2005), who first coined the term success factors in management literature. In his study, he came up with a set of industry-related CSFs that are claimed to be relevant for any company in a particular industry. Anthony, on the other hand, in 1972 (cited in Amberg et al, 2005), discussed the need for adaptation of CSFs to a companys and its managers specific strategic objectives. Then, based on the both perspectives by Daniel (1961, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) and Anthony et al. (1972, cited in Amberg et al, 2005), Rockart (1979, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) conducted a study that involved three organizations. He found out that organizations despite operating in the same industry may have different CSFs due to differences in geographic locations, strategies etc. Then on, studies on identifying CSFs for different industry projects proliferated in the project management literature. According to Cooke-Davis (2002) researchers have been trying to find out those factors that are critical to project success since the late 1960s. Therefore, the review of literature on CSFs reveals several definitions. The following CSF definition by Rockart (1979, cited in Amberg et al, 2005) is one of the most cited: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the limited number of areas in which results, if they are satisfactory, will ensure successful competitive performance for the organization. In subsequent studies CSFs are defined as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ characteristics, conditions or variables that, when properly sustained, maintained, or managed, can have a significant impact on the success of a firm competing in particular industry by Bruno and Leidecker (1984, p. 24). Whereas, as factors which, if addressed, significantly improve project implementation chances by Pinto and Slevin in 1987 (p.22). Lim and Mohamed (1999, p. 243) define critical success factors (CSFs) as the set of circumstances, facts, or influences which contribute to the project outcomes. 2.5 Critical Success Factors and the Projects: During the 1970s-1980s, critical success factor requirements had been addressed rather as a response to the indicators of project success at the implementation phase, focussing on time, cost, and quality, as well as, stakeholder satisfaction (Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). It was Pinto and Slevin (1987), who first attempted to develop a comprehensive set of CSFs related to project implementation success. In their work, they propose a project implementation profile (PIP) model, which consists of 10 CSFs, namely, project mission, top management support, project schedule/plan, client consultation, personnel, communication, technical tasks, client acceptance, monitoring and feedback, troubleshooting, determining project success. Additionally, the PIP model of 10 CSFs, is claimed to be suitable as an instrument for project managers to measure those factors (Pinto and Slevin, 1987). Later, Pinto and Prescott (1988), take a further step by determining the relative importance of 10 CSFs over the life of a project and discover that the relative importance of several CSFs vary at different phases of the project life cycle. The generalized 10 CSFs of the project implementation process (PIP) have also been employed as a model for many project types in several studies (Pinto and Prescott, 1988, Finch 2003, and Hyvari, 2006). However, the factors identified by Pinto and Slevin are not likely to cover every aspect involved in project management. Finch (2003) indicates that the PIP model does not take into consideration a number of significant external factors that affect the success of a project, such as, competence of the project manager, political activities within the organization, external organizational and environmental factors, and responsiveness to the perceived need of project implementation. Nevertheless, subsequent research, conducted during the 1990s-2000s, i ncorporate the stakeholder issue, as well as, interactions between internal and receiving organizations as factors that are critical for a project success (Jugdev and Mà ¼ller, 2005). Moreover, in pursuit of providing a comprehensive CSF framework, there have also been attempts that integrate CSFs categorizations and frameworks with project success criteria. Belassi and Tukel in their study conducted in 1996, criticize previous studies, whose critical success factors are mainly focused on the project manager and project organization. They incorporate characteristics of the project and team members, as well as external factors, into their framework. Their framework, thus, provides a classification of project CSFs into four groups; namely, project manager, team members, organization, and external environment. Additionally, the framework by Belassi and Tukel (1996) provides an explicit and systematic way for examining the intra-relationships between factors in different groups. This scheme provides grouping of project success factors, however it is generic rather than industry specific. Another interesting study is by Cooke-Davies (2002, p.185), in which he introduce s a set of questions for the purpose of grouping of CSFs, such as; What factors are critical to project management success?; What factors are critical to success of an individual project?; and What factors lead to consistently successful projects? Moreover, he distinguishes between project management success and project success by claiming that project management success is the satisfaction of traditional criteria of time, cost and quality, whereas, project success is the satisfaction of the overall project objectives. Then, he proposes 12 CSFs, which he extracts from multi-national organizations activities and practical actions. Additionally, although his proposed CSFs are not directly related to human factors, he points out that people have intrinsic importance to all project processes. On the other hand, CSFs introduced by Clarke (1999) involve effective communication, clear projects objectives and scope, decomposing project into manageable size, using project plans as working documents, whereas, Nicholas (2004) proposes a set of CSFs, which are grouped into three categories: project participants, communication and information sharing and exchange, and the project management/systems development process. Based on an analysis of the literature it can be concluded that there is not a consistent CSF framework. Rather there are different perspectives of what constitute CSFs, depending on how the authors identify and classify them. Moreover, although early literature on project management does not consider project success criteria, containing the focus to CSFs, subsequent studies attempt to close the gap between CSFs and project success criteria, both of which impact on project success. In addition to this, recently developed CSFs are more complex than those of the previ ous decade as more recent CSFs cover both hard and soft aspects of project management such as the competence of the project manager and the project team members and leadership. The challenge to determine relevant CSFs over the full life of a project has been attracting growing interest in recent publications. 2.6 Critical Success Factors and the Project Life Cycle: According to Mintzberg (Mintzberg et al, 1998) many academicians, especially in the strategy development field have stated the necessity for better project implementation. Nevertheless, Walker and Rowlinson (2008) argue that mainstream literature in the project management and strategy field fails to address these issues because it views implementation: As a lesser form of intellectual pursuit than strategy and planning (Walker and Rowlinson, 2008, p.32). Furthermore, Belassi and Tukel (1996) contribute to this issue by claiming that when it comes to project implementation issues, project management literature focuses more on improving tools and techniques such as scheduling, or project failure, rather than on success. However, such position is understandable, as to identify the success factors of a project is a more complex task than identifying failure factors, mainly because of the following reasons. First, parties involved in a project tend to see project success differently and therefore, each party may allocate different success criteria to each phase (Pinto and Slevin, 1987; Pinto and Prescott 1988; Baker et al 1983; Belout and Gauvreau, 2004; Fowler and Walsh, 1999). Several academicians have proposed models in attempts to capture the processes which a project undergoes during its life. Adams and Barndt (1998), King and Cleland (1983) and Westland (2006) support the model which consists of the following four stages: initiation/conceptualisation, planning, execution / implementation and closure / termination. Pinto and Prescott (1988) propose empirically derived CSFs for each of the phases over the project life-cycle and CSFs proposed for implementation phase are mission, trouble-shooting, schedule/plan, technical tasks, and client consultation. Their work was later criticized unsuccessfully by some authors, including Belout (1998) and Belout and Gauvreau (2004), whose result s were found to support those of Pinto and Prescott (1988). Third, Belassi and Tukel (1996), Clarke (1999) and King (1996) argue that the CSFs may not directly affect the project outcome. It is the combination of these factors at different project life-cycle stages that influences the success of the project. They also add that due to uniqueness of a project, some CSFs may be missing or become irrelevant for some projects and therefore covering as many factors as possible that could influence the project would be of little or no help to project manager. Moreover, Adams and Brandt (1988) remind us that projects are not static entities; rather they change significantly as they progress through their life-cycle stages. Finally, as Belout and Gauvreau (2004), Bellasi and Tukel (1998), Fryer, Antony and Douglas (2007) argue that the relevance of the CSFs vary across different industries. For example, Belout and Gauvreau (2004) found that in the IT industry, with the exception of client ac ceptance, all other factors proposed by Pinto and Prescott (1988) are critical to success. In construction and engineering industries, on the other hand, client acceptance is critical. 2.7 Non Profit Projects: According to Ba Khang Lin Moe (2008), Non Profit Projects plays a significant role in the socio economic development process of both developed and developing countries. In business literature, indicators of success of the business organization are typically assessed against the profit it gains. But what makes NGOs become effective and efficient, as their work is not driven by the profit motive? It is widely accepted that the non-profit sector has not yet developed its own theoretical framework of management, because of the fact that they do not possess a bottom line against which to measure success; organizational standards of performance simply do not exist. Contrary to the corporate sector, NGOs often promote vague and non-quantifiable objectives such as improving human rights, protecting the environment, or advocating democracy. To be more specific, the primary objective of non-profit organizations is to change the quality aspects of the human life or transform societies, thus ma king assessment of effectiveness extremely difficult. As Fowler (1997, p172 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °points out, Establishing performance criteria for non-profits and then using them for comparative purposes is a conceptual and practical headache. NGO capacity-building is tied up with indicators of organizational effectiveness or project success (Eade, 1997 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. In other words, capacity of an NGO should be constructed against indicators the NGO lacks or is weak in. Since NGOs greatly vary within themselves and within different development contexts, as stated above there is no formal consensus on standardized determinants of organizational effectiveness or project success, particularly of NGO development activities with grassroots people. Therefore, assessing the NGO capacity or project performance should be done based on the particular context of individual NGOs and their project activities ¼Ã‹â€ Kanter, 1979; Drucker, 1993) 2.8 Characteristics of Non Profit Projects compared to For- Profit Projects: Non profit projects have distinctive characteristics compared to the For-profit projects and Youker (1999) states the differences between International development projects; one of the important types of non-profit projects and the other for-profit projects. First of all, compared to hard type industrial and infrastructure projects, Development projects as soft type projects with their less tangible social objectives and deliverables pose a special challenge in managing and evaluating of Development projects (Do and Tun, 2008). In addition to their less tangible objectives and deliverables, the complex web of the many stakeholders is an IDP characteristic that results in another management challenge (Youker, 1999). To illustrate, compared with industrial and commercial projects, which involve the client, who pays for and receives the deliverables of the project, and the contractor, who manages and obtains the desired result (Do and Tun, 2008). Development projects involve a web of st akeholders, including the coordinator as the head of the project management unit; the task manager as the supervisor of the project implementation in the multilateral development agency; the national supervisor, to whom the coordinator reports; the project team; the steering committee as an interface with the local institutional system; the beneficiaries as those actually benefit from the project outputs without paying for it; the population at large. In addition, ensuring accountability of the project manager is more troublesome within this complex web of stakeholders (Diallo and Thuillier, 2004) as opposed to traditional projects. Youker (1999) based on his study of evaluations of World Bank IDP post- project reports, outlines a number of IDP management challenges in addition to the above mentioned. He states that the lack of shared perception and agreement on the objectives of the projects by staff and stakeholders, as well as, the lack of commitment by the team, management and stakeholders as the problems that had been most persistent during implementing Development projects. Also, Youker (1999) counts the lack of detailed, realistic, and current project plans, unclear lines of authority and responsibility, the lack of adequate resources, poor feedback and control mechanisms for early detection of problems, poor or no analysis of major risk factors, delays caused by bureaucratic administration systems as other challenges that had occurred frequently during IDP implementations in past. 2.8 Conceptualising Critical Success Factors for Non-Profit Projects: Eventhough, identifying critical success factors is one of the most popular topics among researchers and practitioners; there are very few research conducted on Non-profit projects. One of the studies that identified in the literatures was the research conducted by Do Tun (2008). Do and Tun (2008) studied on critical success factors of International Development Projects (IDP), a kind of non profit projects followed by Diallo and Thuiller (2004; 2005) have developed a framework based on an adaptation of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA), which is a general methodology commonly used by the development community to design, plan, manage and communicate their projects, for IDP context. Their proposed framework focuses on project life cycle, and then assesses the success of each phase based on the outputs produced by the previous phase. As a consequence, these partial successes are integrated into an assessment of the overall success of the IDP according to the Life-Cycle-Based framewo rk.

A SWOT analysis of Netflix inc

A SWOT analysis of Netflix inc Netflix provides agricultural products for farmers in the United States and offers its subscribers access to a library of television, movie and other filmed. Nowdays,Netflix reinvented the home video rental model by employing innovative customer service and new technologies. And this gives the company a serious first mover advantage. The outlook of external market conditions is positive. If Netflix decides to stay and compete it needs to (1) keep innovating to maintain its advantage, (2) use subscriber acquisition momentum and build larger customer base and (3) move fast to plant roots into next-generation models of content delivery based on digital technologies. SWOT Analysis Strengths Relationships with studios. Netflix maintains strategic relationships with studios, which is the basis of its rich catalog. Deep and wide library. Netflix currently offers around 25,000 film titles, (arguably all feature films ever published on DVD) spread over 12+ Million disks. Average depth (number of copies of each film) is 480 copies. Recognizable brand. Netflix is the largest on-line subscription DVD rental service in the US. It has a well recognizable brand, which helps in marketing by decreasing customer acquisition costs. Logistical expertise. Launched in 1998, Netflix has developed and fine-tuned its logistical processes for 6 years with the help of internally developed logistical software. Widest delivery network. With 30+ distribution centers spread around the US, Netflix delivers DVDs to 85% of its subscribers the next day. Recommendation engine CineMatch. Netflix utilizes recommendation technology based on user ratings of individual titles. At the end of 2003 Netflix ratings database contained around 300 million ratings (around 15,000 ratings per title and 150 ratings per subscriber). Thus every customer can receive a personalized computer-generated recommendation for a film. Client acquisition momentum. Netflix has a critical mass of over 2 million customers, a number expected to grow in the next 2-3 years. Low price per title. Based on their reported annual subscription revenues for 2003 and reported monthly turnover of about 18 million disks, the average rental price per DVD comes at $1.50 $1.75. According to analysts reports, the average Netflix customer rents between 5 and 7 titles per month. At a monthly subscription price of $17.95, the result is $3.00, which is much closer to the market average of $3.15 $3.79 per title. Still, in the eyes of their customer the possibility to rent unlimited number of titles and thus have a home-made low price is clearly strength. Flat monthly fee, no late fees pricing model. This was a model pioneered by Netflix, which enjoyed enormous popularity among subscribers. Today this model is followed by a growing number of other rental businesses too. Weaknesses Strong suppliers. As discussed above Netflix sources its main inputs from a few and strong players. Films come from Hollywood distributors; all distribution is handled by one service provider USPS, and all payments and made online via credit card payments processed by the four major credit card companies. Volatility in performance. Netflix market performance depends on a number of variables (18 listed in 2003 Annual Report). Additionally demand for the product (films) depends on uncontrollable variables such as taste, recommendation. Finally economic success is very much related to customer loyalty because of the high acquisition costs. Studios define release. Netflix can rent out the DVDs once they are out in the market. This is a decision made by movie studios and their distributors and therefore outside the control of Netflix. As discussed above, the position along the window release continuum might affect the popularity of a title and change the competitive environment. Opportunities Digital delivery. Netflix can take advantage of their knowledge of the consumer tastes (300 million film ratings over a library of 25,000+ titles) and transfer this know-how towards digital delivery. The single most important factor in digital VOD models would be adequate recommendation (the modern version of traditional TV programming) and no other player in feature-film delivery has this expertise. DVD format dominant. Based on the analysis above and the opinion of industry experts and analysts, the DVD format will be the dominant video format in the next at least 10 years. This situation might be challenged by the new digital transmission and HD storage formats, however, this is an issue affecting the whole business model and departing from the physical nature of the medium. DVD installed base grows. With expected penetration of DVD players in 65% of US households, Netflix is positioned favourably to exploit this infrastructural given. Underutilized debt capacity. Netflix balance sheet as of 30 September 2004 is debt free. This gives the company an upside potential to borrow in order to finance its expansion. (Currently unit economics and cash generating potential are believed to be strong and there seems to be no short term need to finance operations.) The weighted average book-debt-to-capital ratios for the internet and movie rental industries range between 9% and 14.3%. Comparison universe WA book debt to capital ratio Movie rental industry peer group (Retail special lines, SIC: 5600) (4 companies) 14.3709% Internet industry (SIC: 7370) (164 companies) 9.0389% Threats Prices of key inputs. As mentioned earlier Netflix is exposed to fluctuations in supplier policies, and specifically prices. USPS, card payment processing companies and film studios can increase their prices, which will affect dramatically the unit economics of Netflix model. Studios may form alliances with bigger players. As competition in the rental segment intensifies, studios might deem it more beneficial to form alliances with bigger players, namely Blockbuster and Wal-Mart, manifested in more advantageous conditions. This will worsen the competitive advantage of Netflix. Studios might not renegotiate revenue sharing agreements. Revenue sharing agreements which shift costs towards the variable end of the continuum might not be renegotiated at less advantageous terms. Although this will not necessarily worsen the economics of the operation, it might significantly increase the working capital requirements (more cash trapped in DVD copies). Given the short time horizon, WCR will have to be financed by debt which will deplete the borrowing capacity at a critical moment when Netflix might need a financing cushion to ward off other adverse market developments. DVD retail prices fall. As discussed above diminishing retail prices of DVD titles might lure customers away from renting and into buying DVDs. A similar tendency was observed in the period 1999 2003 and must not be discounted lightly. New channels of filmed entertainment delivery. New technological solutions and digitalization of TV will enable consumers to get access to filmed entertainment over new channels such as VOD, pay-per-view and Video over IP. Although not expected to gain market importance before 2007, these channels already witness implementation which is well accepted by consumers. Additionally, the increasing popularity of video games also claims part of consumers leisure time. New entrants into the rental market. Already competitive, the rental market is about to see new entrants both from the lower end (copy-cat small-capital companies) and from the big players such as the film studios. Low entry barriers combined with the high stake for film studios (currently 45% of a films revenues come form home-video rentals and sales) will be the drivers for these shifts. Management of growth. Currently Netflix experiences growth which affects its business operations. Successful management of this growth is a critical factor for Netflixs continued competitiveness. I want to work in this company. Because I love movies and have a deep understanding of the film industry. I also love the rich pioneering and revolutionary new industry, NETLIX is a leading new movie rental company, and it is also my ideal place to work. I think NETFLIX suit my taste, I can play in the companys potential and at the same time realize my personal value. So I hope the NETFLIX work. Netflix will be a wise investment. This company created a new movie rental system, as the Internet advances and the development of home audio and video equipment, the cinema picture quality and sound advantages of greatly reduced. Many people began to be more willing to watch more easily at home the latest and most popular videos, add the price on the NETFLIX player has an advantage compare to cinema. This will be popular network industries. So the company is a wise investment. Team6 Tina 23/04/11

The Cost of Equal Opportunity: An in Depth Look at the College Tuition

The idea of freedom and equal opportunity that America was built on has sadly been lost and replaced with a system of quality education only being accessible by the wealthy. In-state college tuition should be free for all students meeting admission requirements, allowing students from the full spectrum of economic backgrounds to have the same opportunity to receive the same education. The incidence of poverty in the U.S. is directly linked to educational level. When a college degree is earned, income levels rise (College Board). The best use of federal government anti-poverty funds is not another welfare or assistance program; it is to make college education affordable for everyone. A high school education is no longer sufficient to succeed in America’s increasingly complex economy. However, because of the high price point of a college education, far too many Americans are unable to afford education beyond high school. As shown in the graph below, the higher level of education received greatly increases the chances for employment and also dramatically increases the average salary potential of an individual. (College Board) With more Americans falling to the lower middle class, (Curtis) action needs to be taken to ensure that young Americans are not priced out of college because the price of tuition is so high. In addition, many of our top private universities are in danger of being accessible only to those from the most affluent families. With the total price tag of a bachelor's degree from a top-tier U.S. College or university hovering around $150,000, even some of the most highly sought-after high school graduates are turning down universities like Yale and Stanford in favor of more economical options -- com... ...ebruary, 2010. 6 May, 2012. Woodruff, Mandi. â€Å"Even a PhD Couldn't Keep This Man Off Food Stamps.† Business Insider. 9 May, 2012. 11 May, 2012. Murray, Sara. â€Å"Numbers On Welfare See Sharp Increase.† The Wall Street Journal. 22 Jun. 2009. 20 May. 2012. Curtis, Jack. â€Å"America's Sinking Middle Class.† American Thinker. 5 Apr. 2010. 19 May. 2012. Lucas, Fred. â€Å"Obama Will Spend More on Welfare in the Next Year Than Bush Spent on Entire Iraq War, Study Reveals.† CNS News. 22 Sep. 2009. 19 May. 2012.

The Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering Essay -- Genetic Engineering E

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Genetic engineering is a process in which scientists transfer genes from one species to another totally unrelated species. Usually this is done in order to get one organism to produce proteins, which it would not naturally produce. The genes taken from one species, which code for a particular protein, are put into cells of another species, using a vector. This can result in the cells producing the desired protein. It is used for producing proteins which can be used by humans, such as insulin for diabetics and is also used to make organisms better at surviving, for example genetically modifying a plant so that it can survive in acidic soil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is debate about whether genetic engineering should be used or not, and to what degree. There are many problems that can occur from the process and many of these cannot be avoided currently. There are known problems and there is also the fact that the whole process is unpredictable and unforeseen problems could crop up. A good example of this was the influence of a genetically engineered organism on a food chain, which sometimes damaged the local ecology. The new organism could now compete successfully against other species, causing unforeseen changes in the environment. This could then have a knock-on effect that could lead to the destruction of whole species.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the quite random nature of genetic engineering, there is a risk that it may disrupt the functioning of other genes in an organism. This could mean that the organisms do not survive at all, or become some sort of mutated freak, which is completely different and maybe even more dangerous. Genetic engineers also intend to profit by patenting genetically engineered seeds. This means that, when a farmer plants these genetically engineered seeds, all the seeds have an identical genetic structure. As a result, if a fungus, a virus, or a pest develops which can attack this particular crop, they might all be at risk, resulting in widespread crop failure. Insects, birds, and the wind can carry genetically altered seeds, which can cross-pollinate with genetically natural crops and wild relatives. All crops, organic and non-organic, are vulnerable to contamination from cross-pollinatation, meaning that problems in the original genetically modified organisms can be spre ad a... ...age because it means that insulin, which keeps diabetics alive, can be produced quickly and cheaply. Genetic Engineering could also increase genetic diversity, and produce more variants of the same species that could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. Animals and plants can be 'tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming. This would actually help the environment. However many of these things have not been tested and are much more difficult in practice than in theory. That added to the massive uncertainty about the effects and results of genetic engineering would suggest that the benefits do not outweigh the risks taken to obtain them. A religious question also arises. By changing the cells of living organisms are we ‘playing God’ and if we are should we be allowed to?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion I would say that genetic engineering is certainly a good thing saving lives in many cases. However more tests need to be carried out, and profit-hungry companies should not be allowed to do whatever they want in their quests for profit.

Trent Lott

Trent Lott, senior senator from the state of Mississippi, is one of the foremost figures in the United States Senate and one of the most recognizable figures in all of politics. This recognition comes from the stances which he has taken, the fact that he has been a formidable figure in the Senate for many years, the fact that he was the Majority Leader in the Senate for the Republicans from 1996 until 2001 as well as controversial comments which he made in 2002 and which brought back a great deal of resentment as well as a reminder of the history of racial conflict that the United States and especially the South endured in America’s history. Despite this, Trent Lott is still a highly respected member of the United States senate and at a time when the approval rating of Congress is currently at a dismal 14%, for many in Mississippi, he represents one of the very few bright spots in all of Congress.(Page, 2002 pg. A14) He has maintained a strict party line when voting but has not been afraid to vote against his party when the time and circumstance called for him to do so. Despite being raised as a Southern Democrat, Lott, feeling that his beliefs were more in tune with the Republican Party, joined the party and has been a strong Republican ever since. Those Americans consider themselves republicans because they believe in strong faith and family values, the sanctity of human life and marriage and the rule of law as it applies to limited government, find comfort in Trent Lott. Those who disagree with Republicanism and/or Trent Lott on the majority of his issues, can also rely upon the fact that he will always respect the other side of the debate and will not resort to underhanded tactics in order to win. At a time when less people have a favorable opinion of Congress than in all of American History, such people serve as a breath of fresh air for all those who are interested in politics and how it will reshape the landscape and the future of the country. Trent Lott was born in Grenada Mississippi on October 8, 1941. His father Chester was a shipyard worker and his mother was a teacher. Trent Lott started from humble beginnings but soon rose in the social and political ranks of the state to establish himself as one who was not going to spend his entire life in Mississippi, though he would be hard pressed to forget where he came from and the people and places which helped to establish the man who is Trent Lott. Trent Lott was introduced to a more social life when he was attending the University of Mississippi where he earned a degree in public administration in 1965 and a law degree in 1967. (Mercurio, 2002) After he graduated, he moved to Pascagoula where he opened up a law practice and still lives to this day. It was also during this time that Lott began his life in politics. He served as an assistant to the House Rules Committee chairman William Colmer from 1968 until 1972. ( Smith 2005) Despite the fact that Colmer, for the past forty years, was one of the leading segregationists of the state, he still endorsed Lott as one capable of replacing him when Colmer retired. Despite the fact that Lott ran as a Republican; a party which had not had much success in the South since the beginning of the Civil War, Lott was by a landslide. People could see beyond the labels which all too often seem to identify everything there is to know about a candidate. However, there were other factions involved during this time which helped Lott gain the seat that was vacated by Colmer. During the 1960’s especially after the 1965 Civil Rights Bill, there appeared cracks in the solid Democratic South that was so apparent in the decades before. The Democratic Party was losing converts to its cause left and right and more and more people were willing to vote on the Republican ticket. In the 1964 Presidential Election, despite the fact that Barry Goldwater was routed by President Johnson, Goldwater, Senator from Arizona won 87% of the popular vote of Mississippi. ( Smith, 2005) Trent Lott was on the cusp of this political change and he was going to make the most of it for himself and the legacy which he sought to create in politics. The only question was where Trent Lott was going to end up and how far his aspirations and the people of Mississippi were willing to take him. During the 1970’s, a time when the South and Mississippi was lending most of its support to Republican candidates, Trent Lott was enjoying the success that his adopted party was giving him. That, coupled with the people of Mississippi and their ability to relate to   somebody in politics who still seemed approachable, Lott   became in 1974, the first Republican to get reelected from the state of Mississippi since the end of Reconstruction in 1877. (Page 2002 pg A14) Lott would be re-elected six more times and won easily. In 1978 he even ran unopposed since Lott had established himself so strongly in this part of the country. It was becoming apparent that Trent Lott was going to be in Congress for some time to come. It was also during this time in the 1980’s that Lott served as the House Majority Whip for the Republican Party from 1981 until 1989. (Smith, 2005)   In doing so, he was the first southern Republican to hold such an office. The Republican Party was becoming a strong hold for the South and so too was Trent Lott. It was now time for Trent Lott to rise in his political career. The Senate seemed like the next logical answer. The House of Representatives has 435 members and the number of representatives which each state sends to Congress is directly based upon the population of that particular state. Mississippi had a number of representatives like Trent Lott which were expected to represent the state. In the Senate, only two members from each state, regardless of how populated the state is, are sent to Congress. This would mean that Lott would have much more power and influence within Congress in which his views would affect the state of Mississippi and the country to a greater degree. When Lott ran for the senate in 1988, he again was taking advantage of the political climate of the day. President Bush ran and won a resounding victory in the Presidential election as voters sought to continue the Republican success that had come under eight years of the previous President, Republican Ronald Reagan. Lott ran and won a resounding eight point victory over incumbent Wayne Dowdy. Lott was re-elected in 1994, 2000 and 2006 with there existing no sizable Democratic opposition. (Smith, 2005) Lott continued to benefit from the success that the Republican Party was having at this time. From 1993 until 2001, Democrat Bill Clinton was President of the United States and enjoyed high approval ratings throughout out most of his administration. However, it was the Republicans who enjoyed a sizable lead in the Congress through a good portion of the 1990’s. Lott became Senate majority leader of the Republicans in 1996. (http://archives.cnn.com) Lott was best known for the role that he took in the impeachment of President Clinton who, it later turned out, lied to a grand jury about his relationship with a White House intern. Lott preceded in the trial of President Clinton but eventually acquiesced to suspend the proceedings in the Senate. Even though the House had voted to impeach the President, Senator Lott knew that the Republicans in the Senate numbered far short of the necessary votes in order to make the impeachment complete. After the 2000 election when a highly partisan country resulted in a deeply divided Congress and a 50-50 split occurred in the Senate, Vice President Dick Cheney’s vote gave the Republicans the majority in the Senate once again and Trent Lott was again the leader of the Senate. This was short lived when Vermont senator Jim Jeffords became ad independent, thus giving the Democrats the majority in the Senate, Trent Lott then became the Senator Minority Leader. However, 2002 would provide more problems for Trent Lott and possible the Republican Party when Trent Lott made some controversial comments about the nation’s and state’s past which helped to bring to the forefront, a history and hurt feelings and resentment which many in the state as well as the country had tried hard to bury. The spotless record which Trent Lott had spent his entire private and political life building, ended on December 5, 2002 when at a 100th birthday celebration for Senator Strom Thurmond, longtime senator from South Carolina   and who in 1948, ran for President under the Dixicrat ticket which appealed to mostly segregationist southerners. Commenting on that regrettable chapter in American history, Senator Lott commented instead: â€Å"When Strom Thurmond ran for President, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years either.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This was a comment which was blown up for a number of reasons. The first reason is the historical significance of the 1948 election and the role that Senator Thurmond in his strict   stand for segregation. The political and social atmosphere had changed and what was previously seen as acceptable in the way of racial prejudice, in our present time, has finally been seen for what it is worth; completely unnecessary and an impediment on the freedom of every individual in America. The second problem was that Senator Lott was from the South and represented the South. Despite coming a long way from the times of slavery and segregation, there still existed a strong awareness of history in the South; especially the history of race relations. Such comments helped to bring up a great deal of pent up anger and issues which many had hoped had finally been resolved. IN many degrees it may have been, but this comment by Senator Lott helped to open up a wound that had many thought had been healed. The last problem with the comment, aside from the comment itself, was the voting record of Senator Lott. He had voted against the renewal of the Voting Rights Act as well as the formation of a national holiday for Martin Luther King Junior when it was made a law in 1986. The comment gained strength as the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television BET called for the resignation of Senator Lott. A good deal of political commentators on television also called for the resignation of Senator Lott and the Republican Party, feeling the backlash towards a public, many of which was suspect towards their history of race relations, and feeling a loss of power, compelled Senator Lott to step down from his position as the Minority Leader in the Senate on December 20, 2002 and was replaced by Tennessee Senator Bill Frist. Despite these comments and how in the minds of many, they have forever associated Senator Lott with the Republican Party of the past, Lott has proven that he is not one who will always vote the strict party line. Within his own party, Lott blasted what is referred to as â€Å"pork spending.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This refers to the fleecing of Americans and their hard earned taxes through kickbacks, deals made in smoke filled rooms and money being placed under the table in order to repay one political favor for another. A senator would try to have a disproportionate amount of federal aid sent to his state or local district in order that such efforts would then be repaid by getting the senator elected. There will never be the full disclosure of how popular this is within the Senate but there is an unwritten law among the members of Congress not to speak out against this. â€Å"Despite their on camera antics and fighting, the members of the House and to a greater degree the Senate, constitute a private club in which each member supports and defends the other.† (Smith, 2005) Trent Lott was not one of these men. After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and the all too real reality of forty years of political corruption in Louisiana, which led to much of the troubles during that natural disaster, Senator Lott commented: â€Å"I’m getting damn tired of hearing from them. They have been nothing but trouble ever since Katrina. â€Å"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     (http://archives.cnn.com) Many would say that they have been trouble ever since the Congress was formed at the end of the 18th century. Lott became an outspoken critic against a Congress which had been traditionally made up of â€Å"good old boys† who fleeced the tax payers with their nonsense projects and grafting procedures.† (http://archives.cnn.com) It was comments like these which helped cement the reputation of Senator Lott as one that was above being bought or being swayed by public opinion. As much as politics is polarizing and such comments can raise the ire with people as it is human nature, most free thinking individuals can see beyond the partisan back biting which many casual observers cite as the reason for their disinterest in politics. Trent Lott is an exception to what is becoming the norm: partisan members of Congress who will vote the party line and what is popular among the people who voted them in order to continue their role in the Senate. Lott has thought differently and still has been able to make a name for himself in the Senate. Another issue in which Senator Lott angered much of his conservative base was over the issue of immigration. A recent CNN poll cites more than 85% of the American public want the immigration laws to be strengthened in order to stop what is becoming a severe impediment to the country as a whole. (Dobbs, 2005) There is no doubt that illegal immigration needs to be fixed. The inability of the Congress to do anything about it helps to create such low approval ratings. This is because, despite the country being in agreement about the fact that illegal immigration needs to be stopped, there is still much debate as to how exactly that is to be accomplished.   There are a number of factions within the Congress as there is in the country and all have strong opinions. The Democrats seem to be a little more lenient and propose for an easy road to citizen ship. Most Republicans feel that illegal immigrants broke the law and compromised the security of the border and propose anywhere from the deportation of twelve million people to strict fines and being pushed to the end of the line in the path towards citizenship. Some of these feelings are strengthened through talk radio which is currently monopolized by conservatives; many of whom have very strong opinions about what should be done about the problem. Lott made his opinion clear and called for resolve and moderation. Lott sought to do this by listening to his conscience more than what his people tell him to do, which he felt, was asking for more than what was right in this situation. Lott commented: â€Å"Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with the problem†¦. I’m sure senators on both sides of the isle are being pounded by these talk radio people who don’t have a clue what is even on most of these bills.   They are ill informed to comment so.† (Dobbs, 2005) Senator Lott reached across the isle and teamed up with the very liberal Senator Ted Kennedy for their comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. Throughout the whole process, Senator Lott was a voice of reason who called for a moderate approach to the problem so that some immigration bill could be passed. He commented: â€Å"Can we do anything more? I don’t like a lot of these amendments. Some people were acting like this is a sinister operation. I don’t believe so. Everybody knew there was an effort underway†¦. Do you have faith in me after 35 years?† ( http://archives.cnn.com) Despite his best efforts, Senate Leader Harry Reid, Democrat from Nevada killed the bill after less than a week of debate. Since Senator Lott has resigned from his leadership position in the Senate, he still has remained a voice of reason and is not hesitant to vote his conscience over the strict party line. Senator Lott received a mild, though strong Democratic following when he called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld before most Republicans even contemplated the movie. He battled with President Bush over the closing of military bases in the state of Mississippi and was an outspoken critic of Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief advisor. On July 18, 2006, Trent Lott even voted in favor stem cell research; a bill which President Bush in July 2007, vetoed because in the process, the stem cell, which would eventually become a fetus, was viewed by Christians to be a human life and therefore felt that such measures acted as like an abortion. On the other side of the issue, stem cells can be used, researchers think, to grow healthy cells and combat various diseases which attack the brain, spine and nervous system. Senator Trent Lott voted for this research and in the process, alienated himself from much of his base. He knew this before casting his vote but he has gained the respect of his peers on both sides of the isle for being motivated by what he thought to be right and not necessarily what was popular within his own party or with the nation. Whether Trent Lott is alienating his base or voting with the majority, he has been a voice of reason and moderation for most of his career. Trent Lott has been a mainstay in Congress for the last thirty years and even though he has voted in ways that he later regretted and made comments which have hurt him and his legacy in the long run, to the people who like honest talk, both in his home state of Mississippi and in the country at large, have come to respect him for all that he has done. Even after the made those now infamous comments about Senator Thurmond, most Democrats in Congress, despite seeing a political opportunity to increase their support from African Americans and other minorities, realized that the comment was not a true testament to the feelings, the beliefs and the life work which had become Trent Lott. The former leader of the Senate for the Democrats and a figure which had no trouble raising the ire among most Republican supporters, commented on that recent turn of events: â€Å"There are a lot of times when he and I go to the mike and would like to say things we meant to say differently, and I’m sure this is one of those cases for him as well.† (http://archives.cnn.com) This is the case with free thinking individuals who, despite raising the hated and ire for many Republicans through his years in the Senate and could further increase the support of his base by responding their calls to vilify the man, such people who have known Senator Lott for any period of time, though they might not agree with the man and his politics, respects his morals, values and the ways in which he conducts himself. This is hard to do sometimes as the persona cross the isle might be causing a great deal of trouble in one’s political pursuits and perhaps had even exerted efforts to derail their bid for re-election. Nevertheless, the millions of people in America who feel that the actions of the Congress and the beliefs of the men and women who make up such an exclusive club is more important that what the current pop culture icon is wearing or dating, can recognize a genuine person. Those who want to stay in touch with current events and the politics which shape them but still cannot resort to such efforts, cite the fact that in their opinion, there is a severe shortage of people whom they feel to be â€Å"real.† This is most likely true as observers for both Presidential campaigns can record the amount of back peddling that each candidate makes in order to maintain thee highest level of political power; regardless of whether or not that is their real opinion. It is unlikely that Trent Lott, despite his high popularity, will never even contemplate running for President. And it is to the advantage of all those who believe in him that he does not. This is because Trent Lott, with his inability to be disincentive, shoots from the hip and when asked, tells people what he believes more times that not. Sometimes the words will come out wrong and he will regret what he says. However, isn’t this true for all of us. If every formal word of ours over the last 35 years was recorded, how well would others regard us? It is to the benefit of millions of people that is not the case and for those like Senator Lott who has been in the public eye for thirty five years, his record will stand for itself and by itself in this highly partisan climate which is currently choking Washington with no hope of reviving the healthy action of dissent across party lines when an issue does not react well to their own beliefs; the beliefs in which they were elected. Senator Trent Lott is not a member of the former class but stands alone as not only one who apologizes for his mistakes, but also is willing to cross party lines and let the criticism come as they may. This is the true test of one who has earned the trust of the people. It would behoove Washington and the American people if there were more such people in politics. WORKS CITED Dobbs, L. Lott: A Freethinking Member of Congress! CNN Moneyline w. Lou Dobbs. Aired in syndication June 15, 2005 Page, C. Lott’s Comments: Representative of a Larger Culture of Hate?† Chicago Tribune December 15, 2002 Mercurio, J â€Å"Lott Apologizes for Thurmond Comment† http://archives.cnn.com Downloaded July 19, 2007 December 10, 2002 Smith, Harry Senator Trent Lott. Biography   Aired June 12, 2005