Boeing Company note cards Essay

The Boeing Company started initially as Pacific Aero Products Company and then William E. Boeing, the founder of The Boeing Company incorporated it on 15 July 1916 in Seattle, Washington. The company with its steady progress has emerged as of the leading manufacturers of commercial jets in the world. The major competitor of Boeing Company is the Airbus, which is run by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company. The first of the modern airliners in the world produced by the Boeing Company was Boeing 247 that was manufactured in the mid of 1933. After conducting several researches and studying the market the company came up with an innovative pressurized cabin that was capable of flying even in the rough weathers with an altitude of 20,000 feet. This was a remarkable invention in the world of aeronautics. (Boeing Historical Archives, 2009) The Model was named â€Å"307 Stratoliner† and this was the first four-engine airliner that was offered in domestic services and with that the model also was able to mark new standards with its USP on speed and comfort jointly. Initially Boeing manufactured 10 Stratoliners but then they stopped the production when World War II started. The Stratoliners were then used in Army Transport Command for the later five years. The smart thing that the Boeing Company did was to maintain close ties with the US Department of Defense and as a result the Boeing Defense, Space and Security is currently $34 billion dollar company with more than 68,000 employees all around the world. The Headquarter of the company is situated in St. Louis, Missouri, US. (Company Snapshot, 2010) With increasing trend of moving towards the concern of environment and generation of substitutes to fossil-based jet fuels, the Research and Technology department of Boeing has joined forces with PetroChina that would evaluate the potential of biofuel. The company is then likely to enter in to the biofuel industry as well which will include a full-fledge laboratory that will emphasize on renewable algae biomass that can be harvested as seed and then processed to convert into a jet fuel. The research will be conducted to analyze and monitor all possible phases of sustainable aviation biofuel development. (PR News, 2010) Boeing as provides military aircrafts and other products to different governments therefore the operations of the company are very sensitive. To consider the demands of government, special attention needs to be paid. However, up till now the company has been able to maintain good relationships with different governments of the world by providing them quality and reliable products. But this relationships needs to be tied further longer as now governments have alternatives because of competitors coming into the industry. (The Boeing Company, 2010) In this research we would analyze how Boeing relates to different governments to whom it serves and what kinds of products do the company offers to them. Objective The objectives of the research report are: †¢ to analyze the extent to which Boeing relates with its customers and government to it serves †¢ to examine the relationship between Boeing and government it services and the nature of their relationships Both primary and secondary sources have been used to collect the data. Primary sources include the interviewing of executives of Boeing whereas secondary include researching through internet, published papers, books, ebooks, etc. Government is one of the main customers of Boeing and providing military aircrafts and other items is one of the main products from which the company earns revenue therefore, Boeing needs to have a successful relationships with government in order to maintain its position. As these products are very sensitive from the government point of view, therefore it is imperative that Boeing should consider what the government demands. This will help both, the government and the company, and will help in building better relationships. Literature Review Department of Defense: The Department of Defense generates about 80% of revenues for Boeing Defense Space. The refined communications networks of the company in air, land, sea, and even on space-based platforms for the military is unmatchable. A press release that is published few months back promotes the NewGen Tanker of being as a widebody, multi-mission aerial refueling aircraft, the NewGen Tanker is manufactured as an advancement of the commercial aircraft Boeing 767. This model projects is USP as friendly to the environment and low on fares through low taxes. The aircraft is capable of burning 24% less fuel than its previous version. (Press Release, 2010) If the US Air Force accepts the proposal of manufacturing the model commercially, the company will be offering more than 4,500 jobs in the market and will offer an addition of $233 million dollars to the state of California. In the market of defense sales, the company’s major competitor is Lockheed Martin who revenues are largely based on the sales of US government, which results to about 85%. Boeing Defense, Space & Security or Boeing Military Airplanes Formerly known as Boeing Integrated Defense, renamed as Boeing Defense, Space and Security is a unit of The Boeing Company is in charge of defense and aerospace products and services. It was formed in 2002 with the merger of Military Aircraft and Missile Systems and Space and Communications. Boeing has become third largest defense contractor in the world and responsible for 51% of company’s income by 2008 due to its unit Boeing Defense, Space and Security. Boeing IDS is based in Berkeley, Missouri, USA, near the city of St. Louis. It has also remained the largest employer in St. Louis County in 2000. (The Boeing Company, 2010) Boeing Military Airplane Company; Hughes Satellite Systems; Hughes Helicopters minus the commercial helicopter products (which were stripped as MD Helicopters); Piasecki Helicopter, afterwards known as Boeing Vertol and then Boeing Helicopters; the St. Louis-based McDonnell division of the former McDonnell Douglas Company; and the former North American Aviation division of Rockwell International are few major names in aerospace which are the result of consolidated group of Boeing Defense, Space and Security Defense and other With the increasing number of passengers it was realized that it is important to stay in touch through computers, for the reason Boeing introduced Connexion by Boeing providing internet connectivity through satellite. In 2005 it started its products to journalists. However due to huge competition it was difficult for the company to sell it to most airlines Boeing together with SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) was the chief contractors of US military’s future combat system program. This program was cancelled in June 2009 with the remaining system cleared to the BCT modernization program. On the transfer of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in defense, the spending was shifted to making the tough choices about specific systems and defense priorities based exclusively on national interest. This decision hit the Boeing hard due to the heavy involvement of them which cancelled Air Force their projects. (Norris, 2001) Boeing improving its technology The Boeing Company is also aiming to offer 787 Dreamliner that will focus on unmatched performance and combinations of newest technologies. This model will be able to burn 20% less fuel than its competitive airplanes, with more cargo capacity, and more than half of the structure will be developed through composite materials that will eliminate the use of aluminum sheets and fasteners. About 250 passengers will be accommodated in the airplane and they will get the advantage humid interior environment. Ever since The Boeing Company came into the market in 1916, it has focus to adapt the new technologies and emphasized more on researches, their exceptional results in performance and comfort are the success factors of the company. Government as a Client The major client of the company is governments. The U. S government is the top corporate client of The Boeing Company, but the U. S government is not the only government that is the client of Boeing. The other governments of the world are also major contributor to the revenue of the Boeing Company. The other governments are mostly the US allies and their revenue contribution although is not equal to US government but still it is better than most of the million dollar companies. Boeing is not only responsible in the sales of military aircrafts to governments, but the company also manufactures and sells commercial airplanes to private airlines all over the world. In 2010 the Indian government also forwarded a tender to the Boeing company which resulted in the sales of eighteen Boeing 777and twenty seven 787 Dreamliners to Air India Company. Dependence on US government and WTO-incompatible subsidies As discussed above, the company’s major revenue is from the US government which incorporates the 65% of the total revenue share annually. The Boeing Company’s major competitor Airbus criticizes the company’s policies for the subsidy contracts from the US government and its financial support to attract foreign and domestic clients especially in the model Boeing 7E7 model, Airbus states that financial support is more than double what it gets for its new model Airbus A380. This fact is undoubtedly strength for The Boeing Company where they stand on a win-win situation due to its close ties with US government. (Robertson, D. 2006) Political contributions, taxes, and advocacy The lobby expenditures of Boeing in the year 2007 were report to $4. 14 million whereas in the year 2006, the expenditure was even more totaling to $9. 12 million. The company received $15. 3 billion as long-term debt from Export-Import Bank of the United States. (Boeing, 2010) In 2009, April issue of Business Week magazine, the Boeing Company was reported as one of 25 US companies paying the least US taxes. The magazine statistics stated that according to the accounts the company paid 3. 2 % taxes whereas the standard corporate tax rate was 35% Controversies Boeing has been also protesting over the aid provided to its competitor Airbus in terms of long term credits, whereas Airbus has its statement that Boeing has been receiving subsidies through military and research contracts and tax breaks that are totally illegal. Methodology Both the methods were used for the collection of data for this research report on Boeing i. e. primary sources and secondary sources of data collection. Primary sources include interviewing of few Boeing staff members whereas secondary sources include different sources have been researched using internet, library, published papers, books, news and magazines. Primary method was to interview few of Boeing staff members to know about the role government plays, how the government affects their operations, how government benefits them, and what the future plans of Boeing are. However, besides the primary research the substantial amount of research is based on secondary data collection and the main reason for selecting the secondary data as the main source for conducting the research is that it takes less time and effort. Besides this, the collection of data is easier and cheaper using secondary data rather than using primary sources of data collection. Secondary data is readily available from different sources and also it is accessible for everyone. The advancement in technology and particularly because of internet, today conducting research has been far easier than before. Also many authentic and reliable sources were found from where data was collected; therefore the purpose of conducting primary research or interview was almost equal to zero. There are number of advantages of using secondary data as a means to conduct the research besides the time, cost and effort required. As many of the research have been conducted by government officials and professional researchers therefore the chances of biasness have been reduced and more accurate data can be found. Secondary data is very handy because data from different geographic regions can be collected and you do not have to go to different locations to collect the data but you can all at one place. Also secondary data is important because one can analyze the trend and view the past records. Limitations of the research include different people in the Boeing Company as well as in government sector were to be interviewed but because of lack of time these officials were not able to give us their time. Also few of the people who were to be interviewed had been out of city therefore only a small number of Boeing staff had been interviewed only. Analysis Financial Analysis of the Company 2008: Boeing’s annual revenue in the year 2008 was 60. 9 Billion USD and it had shown a decline of 8. 25% from 2007. And the net earnings of Boeing were $279 billion with a decrease of 34%. (10) 2009: 2009 proved to be a lucrative year for the company as the revenue increased by 12. 10% from 2008. The total revenue recorded in the year was $68. 3 billion showing an increase of $7,372 million. Revenues from defense also increased by $1,614 million mainly because of more revenues generated from Boeing Military Airplanes and Global Services and Support. (9) Operating earnings of the company increased by $67 million from the last year and this was because of more earnings from Military Airplanes segment. First Quarter of 2010: The year 2010 has also shown good signs for Boeing as the operating margin has increased to 7. 7% with revenue of $15. 2 billion in the first quarter, with net earnings of $0. 5 billion. The company expects the total revenue from this year would be in the range of $64 to $66 billion. Although this figure is less than 2010 revenues but Boeing in the year 2011 the company expects the revenues and profits to be much higher than what it were in 2009. The main reason for increased revenue is that Boeing would deliver new airlines – the 787. Role of Government: Going through different published papers and different materials found on the internet and library, it has been analyzed that the role of government is very important in aviation safety. Air Commerce Act allowed the government to establish different air routes, air navigation systems, investigating in accidents, licensing pilots etc. These are the basic roles played by different governments of the world including the government of United States of America. Conclusion Providing military aircrafts has been one of the main businesses of Boeing and the main market for these crafts is the government. Therefore, it is very important for the company to have good relationships with them and realize the importance of providing high quality products to different governments because these aircrafts would be used in very sensitive areas. Also government needs to support and allow the company to be innovative in their approach so that they could come up with new and exciting products every now and then. Works Cited Boeing Historical Archives, 2009. â€Å"The Boeing Log Book†, various volumes, published by Boeing Historical Archives. PR News, 2010. â€Å"Boeing and Chinese Energy Officials Announce Sustainable Biofuel Initiatives. † 27, May 2010. PRNewsWire News Releases, Retrieved July 15, 2010 from http://www. prnewswire. com/news- releases/boeing-and-chinese-energy-officials-announce-sustainable-biofuel-initiatives-95007509. html Press Release, 2010. â€Å"Boeing NewGen Tanker Win Would Bring 4,500 Jobs, $233 Million to California. † 27 May 2010. PRNewsWire United Business Media. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from http://www. prnewswire. com/news-releases/boeing-newgen-tanker-win-would-bring-4500-jobs-233-million-to-california-95036539. html The Boeing Company, 2010. Corporate Information Snapshots. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from http://www. corporateinformation. com/Company-Snapshot Boeing 787 first flight announced†. BBC, 27 August 2009. Boeing, 2010. â€Å"Encyclop? dia Britannica. Encyclop? dia Britannica Online†. Encyclop? dia Britannica, 2010. Web. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from . Boeing Company. The Boeing Company. The Company, 1979 Norris, Guy and Mark Wagner. Boeing 777: The Technological Marvel. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2001 Robertson, D. 2006. â€Å"Airbus will lose â‚ ¬4. 8bn because of A380 delays†. London: The Times Business News. Retrieved July 15, 2010 from http://business. timesonline. co. uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article659591. ece.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Ten

Jack's usual response when delivered unpleasant tidings was to smile. This was his response to pleasant news as well, of course, but anyone could grin when offered a compliment. It took talent to curve one's lips in an upward direction when ordered, say, to clean out a chamber pot or risk one's life by sneaking behind enemy lines to determine troop numbers. But he generally managed it. Excrement†¦moving defenseless among the French†¦he always reacted with a dry quip and a lazy smile. This was not something he'd had to cultivate. Indeed, the midwife who'd brought him into the world swore to her dying day that he was the only baby she'd ever seen who emerged from his mother's womb smiling. He disliked conflict. He always had, which had made his chosen professions – the military, followed by genteel crime – somewhat interesting. But firing a weapon at a nameless frog or lifting a necklace from the neck of an overfed aristocrat – this was not conflict. Conflict – to Jack – was personal. It was a lover's betrayal, a friend's insult. It was two brothers vying for their father's approval, a poor relation forced to swallow her pride. It involved a sneer, or a shrill voice, and it left a body wondering if he'd offended someone. Or disappointed another. He had found, with a near one hundred percent success rate, that a grin and a jaunty remark could defuse almost any situation. Or change any topic. Which meant that he very rarely had to discuss matters that were not of his choosing. Nonetheless, this time, when faced with the dowager and her unexpected (although, really, he should have expected it) announcement, all he could do was stare at her and say, â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"We must go to Ireland,† she said again, in that obey-me tone he expected she had been born with. â€Å"There is no way we shall get to the bottom of the matter without visiting the site of the marriage. I assume Irish churches keep records?† Good God, did she think all of them were illiterate? Jack forced down a bit of bile and said quite tightly, â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"Good.† The dowager turned back to her breakfast, the matter good and settled in her mind. â€Å"We shall find whoever performed the ceremony and obtain the register. It is the only way.† Jack felt his fingers bending and flexing beneath the table. It felt as if his blood were going to burst through his skin. â€Å"Wouldn't you prefer to send someone in your stead?† he inquired. The dowager regarded him as she might an idiot. â€Å"Who could I possibly trust with a matter of such importance? No, it must be me. And you, of course, and Wyndham, since I expect he will want to see whatever proof we locate as well.† The usual Jack would never have let such a comment pass without his own, exceedingly ironic, One would think, but this current Jack – the one who was desperately trying to figure out how he might travel to Ireland without being seen by his aunt, uncle, or any of his cousins – actually bit his lip. â€Å"Mr. Audley?† Grace said quietly. He didn't look at her. He refused to look at her. She'd see far more in his face than the dowager ever would. â€Å"Of course,† he said briskly. â€Å"Of course we must go.† Because really, what else could he say? Terribly sorry, but I can't go to Ireland, as I killed my cousin? Jack had been out of society for a number of years, but he was fairly certain this would not be considered good breakfast table conversation. And yes, he knew that he had not pulled a trigger, and yes, he knew that he had not forced Arthur to buy a commission and enter the army along with him, and yes – and this was the worst of it – he knew that his aunt would never even dream of blaming him for Arthur's death. But he had known Arthur. And more importantly, Arthur had known him. Better than anyone. He'd known his every strength – and his every weakness – and when Jack had finally closed the door on his disastrous university career and headed off to the military, Arthur had refused to allow him to go alone. And they both knew why. â€Å"It might be somewhat ambitious to try to depart tomorrow,† Grace said. â€Å"You will have to secure passage, and – â€Å" â€Å"Bah!† was the dowager's response. â€Å"Wyndham's secretary can manage it. It's about time he earned his wages. And if not tomorrow, then the next day.† â€Å"Will you wish for me to accompany you?† Grace asked quietly. Jack was just about to interject that, damn yes, she'd be going, or else he would not, but the dowager gave her a haughty look and replied, â€Å"Of course. You do not think I would make such a journey without a companion? I cannot bring maids – the gossip, you know – and so I will need someone to help me dress.† â€Å"You know that I am not very good with hair,† Grace pointed out, and to Jack's horror, he laughed. It was just a short little burst of it, tinged with a loathsome nervous edge, but it was enough for both ladies to stop their conversation, and their meal, and turn to him. Oh. Brilliant. How was he to explain this? Don't mind me, I was simply laughing at the ludicrousness of it all. You with your hair, me with my dead cousin. â€Å"Do you find my hair amusing?† the dowager asked sharply. And Jack, because he had absolutely nothing to lose, just shrugged and said, â€Å"A bit.† The dowager let out an indignant huff, and Grace positively glared at him. â€Å"Women's hair always amuses me,† he clarified. â€Å"So much work, when all anyone really wants is to see it down.† They both seemed to relax a bit. His comment may have been risque, but it took the personal edge off the insult. The dowager tossed one last irritated look in his direction, then turned to Grace to continue their previous conversation. â€Å"You may spend the morning with Maria,† she directed. â€Å"She will show you what to do. It can't be that difficult. Pull one of the scullery maids up from the kitchen and practice upon her. She'll be grateful for the opportunity, I'm sure.† Grace looked not at all enthused, but she nodded and murmured, â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"See to it that the kitchen work does not suffer,† the dowager said, finishing the last of her stewed apples. â€Å"An elegant coiffure is compensation enough.† â€Å"For what?† Jack asked. The dowager turned to him, her nose somehow looking pointier than usual. â€Å"Compensation for what?† he restated, since he felt like being contrary. The dowager stared at him a moment longer, then must have decided he was best ignored, because she turned back to Grace. â€Å"You may commence packing my things once you are done with Maria. And after that, see to it that a suitable story is set about for our absence.† She waved her hand in the air as if it were a trifle. â€Å"A hunting cottage in Scotland will do nicely. The Borders, I should think. No one will believe it if you say I went to the Highlands.† Grace nodded silently. â€Å"Somewhere off the well-trod path, however,† the dowager continued, looking as if she were enjoying herself. â€Å"The last thing I need is for one of my friends to attempt to see me.† â€Å"Do you have many friends?† Jack asked, his tone so perfectly polite that she'd be wondering all day if she'd been insulted. â€Å"The dowager is much admired,† Grace said quickly, perfect little companion that she was. Jack decided not to comment. â€Å"Have you ever been to Ireland?† Grace asked the dowager. But Jack caught the angry look she shot him before turning to her employer. â€Å"Of course not.† The dowager's face pinched. â€Å"Why on earth would I have done so?† â€Å"It is said to have a soothing effect on one's temperament,† Jack said. â€Å"Thus far,† the dowager retorted, â€Å"I am not much impressed with its influences upon one's manners.† He smiled. â€Å"You find me impolite?† â€Å"I find you impertinent.† Jack turned to Grace with a sad sigh. â€Å"And here I thought I was meant to be the prodigal grandson, able to do no wrong.† â€Å"Everyone does wrong,† the dowager said sharply. â€Å"The question is how little wrong one does.† â€Å"I would think,† Jack said quietly, â€Å"that it is more important what one does to rectify the wrong.† â€Å"Or perhaps,† the dowager snapped angrily, â€Å"one could manage not to make the mistake in the first place.† Jack leaned forward, interested now. â€Å"What did my father do that was so very very wrong?† â€Å"He died,† she said, and her voice was so bitter and full of chill that Jack heard Grace suck in her breath from across the table. â€Å"Surely you cannot blame him for that,† Jack murmured. â€Å"A freak storm, a leaky boat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He should never have stayed so long in Ireland,† the dowager hissed. â€Å"He should never have gone in the first place. He was needed here.† â€Å"By you,† Jack said softly. The dowager's face lost some of its usual stiffness, and for a moment he thought he saw her eyes grow moist. But whatever emotion came over her, it was swiftly tamped down, and she stabbed at her bacon and bit off, â€Å"He was needed here. By all of us.† Grace suddenly stood. â€Å"I will go find Maria now, your grace, if that is amenable.† Jack rose along with her. There was no way she was leaving him alone with the dowager. â€Å"I believe you promised me a tour of the castle,† he murmured. Grace looked from the dowager to him and back again. Finally the dowager flicked her hand in the air and said, â€Å"Oh, take him about. He should see his birthright before we leave. You may have your session with Maria later. I will remain and await Wyndham.† But as they reached the doorway, they heard her add softly, â€Å"If that is indeed still his name.† Grace was too angry to wait politely outside the doorway, and indeed, she was already halfway down the hall before Mr. Audley caught up with her. â€Å"Is this a tour or a race?† he asked, his lips forming that now familiar smile. But this time it did nothing but raise her ire. â€Å"Why did you bait her?† she burst out. â€Å"Why would you do such a thing?† â€Å"The comment about her hair, do you mean?† he asked, and he gave her one of those annoying innocent whatever-could-I-have-done-wrong looks. When of course he had to have known, perfectly well. â€Å"Everything,† she replied hotly. â€Å"We were having a perfectly lovely breakfast, and then you – â€Å" â€Å"You might have been having a perfectly lovely breakfast,† he cut in, and his voice held a newly sharp edge. â€Å"I was conversing with Medusa.† â€Å"Yes, but you didn't have to make things worse by provoking her.† â€Å"Isn't that what his holiness does?† Grace stared at him in angry confusion. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Sorry.† He shrugged. â€Å"The duke. I've not noticed that he holds his tongue in her presence. I thought to emulate.† â€Å"Mr. Aud – â€Å" â€Å"Ah, but I misspoke. He's not holy, is he? Merely perfect.† She could do nothing but stare. What had Thomas done to earn such contempt? By all rights Thomas should be the one in a blackened mood. He probably was, to be fair, but at least he'd taken himself off to be furious elsewhere. â€Å"His grace, it is, isn't it?† Mr. Audley continued, his voice losing none of his derision. â€Å"I'm not so uneducated that I don't know the correct forms of address.† â€Å"I never said you were. Neither, I might add, did the dowager.† Grace let out an irritated exhale. â€Å"She shall be difficult all day now.† â€Å"She isn't normally difficult?† Good heavens, she wanted to hit him. Of course the dowager was normally difficult. He knew that. What could he possibly have to gain by remarking upon it other than the enhancement of his oh so dry and wry persona? â€Å"She shall be worse,† she ground out. â€Å"And I shall be the one to pay for it.† â€Å"My apologies, then,† he said, and he offered a contrite bow. Grace felt suddenly uncomfortable. Not because she thought he was mocking her, but rather because she was quite sure he was not. â€Å"It was nothing,† she mumbled. â€Å"It is not your place to worry over my situation.† â€Å"Does Wyndham?† Grace looked up at him, somehow captured by the directness of his gaze. â€Å"No,† she said softly. â€Å"Yes, he does, but no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No, he didn't. Thomas did look out for her, and had, on more than one occasion, interceded when he felt she was being treated unfairly, but he never held his tongue with his grandmother just to keep the peace. And Grace would never dream of asking him to. Or scold him for not doing so. He was the duke. She could not speak to him that way, no matter their friendship. But Mr. Audley was†¦ She closed her eyes for a moment, turning away so he could not see the turmoil on her face. He was just Mr. Audley for now, not so very far above her. But the dowager's voice, soft and menacing, still rang in her ears – If that is indeed still his name. She was speaking of Thomas, of course. But the counterpart was true as well. If Thomas was not Wyndham, then Mr. Audley was. And this man†¦this man who had kissed her twice and made her dream of something beyond the walls of this castle – he would be this castle. The dukedom wasn't just a few words appended to the end of one's name. It was lands, it was money, it was the very history of England placed upon one man's shoulders. And if there was one thing she had learned during her five years at Belgrave, it was that the aristocracy were different from the rest of humanity. They were mortals, true, and they bled and cried just like everyone else, but they carried within them something that set them apart. It didn't make them better. No matter the dowager's lectures on the subject, Grace would never believe that. But they were different. And they were shaped by the knowledge of their history and their roles. If Mr. Audley's birth had been legitimate, then he was the Duke of Wyndham, and she was an overreaching spinster for even dreaming of his face. Grace took a deep, restorative breath, and then, once her nerves were sufficiently calmed, turned back to him. â€Å"Which part of the castle would you like to see, Mr. Audley?† He must have recognized that this was not the time to press her, and so he answered cheerfully, â€Å"Why, all of it, of course, but I imagine that is not feasible for a single morning. Where do you suggest we begin?† â€Å"The gallery?† He had been so interested in the paintings in his room the night before. It seemed a logical place to start. â€Å"And gaze upon the friendly faces of my supposed ancestors?† His nostrils flared, and for a moment he almost looked as if he'd swallowed something distasteful. â€Å"I think not. I've had enough of my ancestors for one morning, thank you very much.† â€Å"These are dead ancestors,† Grace murmured, hardly able to believe her cheek. â€Å"Which is how I prefer them, but not this morning.† She glanced across the hall to where she could see sunlight dappling in through a window. â€Å"I could show you the gardens.† â€Å"I'm not dressed for it.† â€Å"The conservatory?† He tapped his ear. â€Å"Made of tin, I'm afraid.† She pressed her lips together, waited a moment, then said, â€Å"Do you have any location in mind?† â€Å"Many,† he answered promptly, â€Å"but they'd leave your reputation in tatters.† â€Å"Mr. Au – â€Å" â€Å"Jack,† he reminded her, and somehow there was less space between them. â€Å"You called me Jack last night.† Grace did not move, despite the fact that her heels were itching to scoot backwards. He was not close enough to kiss her, not even close enough to accidentally brush his hand against her arm. But her lungs felt suddenly devoid of air, and her heart had begun to race, beating erratically in her chest. She could feel it forming on her tongue – Jack. But she could not say it. Not in this moment, with the image of him as the duke still fresh in her mind. â€Å"Mr. Audley,† she said, and although she tried for sternness, she did not quite manage it. â€Å"I am heartbroken,† he said, and he did it with the exact right note of levity to restore her equilibrium. â€Å"But I shall carry on, painful though it may be.† â€Å"Yes, you look to be in despair,† she murmured. One of his brows rose. â€Å"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?† â€Å"Just a hint.† â€Å"Good, because I assure you† – he thumped one hand against his heart – â€Å"I am dying on the inside.† She laughed, but she tried to hold it in, so it came out more like a snort. It should have been embarrassing; with anyone else it would have been. But he had set her back at ease, and instead she felt herself smile. She wondered if he realized what a talent it was – to return any conversation to a smile. â€Å"Come with me, Mr. Audley,† she said, motioning for him to accompany her down the hall. â€Å"I shall show you my very favorite room.† â€Å"Are there cupids?† She blinked. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"I was attacked by cupids this morning,† he said with a shrug, as if such a thing were a common day occurrence. â€Å"In my dressing room.† And again she smiled, this time even more broadly. â€Å"Ah. I'd forgotten. It's a bit much, isn't it?† â€Å"Unless one is partial to naked babies.† Again her laughter snorted out. â€Å"Something in your throat?† he asked innocently. She answered him with a dry look, then said, â€Å"I believe the dressing room was decorated by the present duke's great-grandmother.† â€Å"Yes, I'd assumed it wasn't the dowager,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"She doesn't seem the sort for cherubs of any stripe.† The image that brought forth was enough to make her laugh aloud. â€Å"Finally,† he said, and at her curious look, added, â€Å"I thought you were going to choke on it earlier.† â€Å"You seem to have regained your good mood as well,† she pointed out. â€Å"It requires only the removal of my presence from her presence.† â€Å"But you only just met the dowager yesterday. Surely you've had a disagreeable moment before that.† He flashed her a broad grin. â€Å"Happy since the day I was born.† â€Å"Oh, come now, Mr. Audley.† â€Å"I never admit to my black moods.† She raised her brows. â€Å"You merely experience them?† He chuckled at that. â€Å"Indeed.† They walked companionably toward the rear of the house, Mr. Audley occasionally pressing her for information of their destination. â€Å"I shan't tell you,† Grace said, trying to ignore the giddy sense of anticipation that had begun to slide through her. â€Å"It sounds like nothing special in words.† â€Å"Just another drawing room, eh?† To anyone else, perhaps, but for her it was magical. â€Å"How many are there, by the way?† he asked. She paused, trying to count. â€Å"I am not certain. The dowager is partial to only three, so we rarely use the others.† â€Å"Dusty and molding?† She smiled. â€Å"Cleaned every day.† â€Å"Of course.† He looked about him, and it occurred to her that he did not seem cowed by the grandeur of his surroundings, just†¦amused. No, not amused. It was more of a wry disbelief, as if he were still wondering if he could trade this all in and get himself kidnapped by a different dowager duchess. Perhaps one with a smaller castle. â€Å"Penny for your thoughts, Miss Eversleigh,† he said. â€Å"Although I'm sure they are worth a pound.† â€Å"More than that,† she said over her shoulder. His mood was infectious, and she felt like a coquette. It was unfamiliar. Unfamiliar and lovely. He held up his hands in surrender. â€Å"Too steep a price, I'm afraid. I am but an impoverished highwayman.† She cocked her head. â€Å"Wouldn't that make you an unsuccessful highwayman?† â€Å"Touche,† he acknowledged, â€Å"but alas, untrue. I have had a most lucrative career. The life of a thief suits my talents perfectly.† â€Å"Your talents are for pointing guns and removing necklaces off ladies' necks?† â€Å"I charm the necklaces off their necks.† He shook his head in a perfect imitation of offense. â€Å"Kindly make the distinction.† â€Å"Oh, please.† â€Å"I charmed you.† She was all indignation. â€Å"You did not.† He reached out, and before she could step away, he'd grasped her hand and raised it to his lips. â€Å"Recall the night in question, Miss Eversleigh. The moonlight, the soft wind.† â€Å"There was no wind.† â€Å"You're spoiling my memory,† he growled. â€Å"There was no wind,† she stated. â€Å"You are romanticizing the encounter.† â€Å"Can you blame me?† he returned, smiling at her wickedly. â€Å"I never know who is going to step through the carriage door. Most of the time I get a wheezy old badger.† Grace's initial inclination was to ask him if badger referred to a man or a woman, but she decided this would only encourage him. Plus, he was still holding her hand, his thumb idly stroking her palm, and she was finding that such intimacies severely restricted her talents for witty repartee. â€Å"Where are you taking me, Miss Eversleigh?† His voice was a murmur, brushing softly against her skin. He was kissing her again, and her entire arm shivered with the excitement of it. â€Å"It is just around the corner,† she whispered. Because her voice seemed to have abandoned her. It was all she could do to breathe. He straightened then, but did not release her hand. â€Å"Lead on, Miss Eversleigh.† She did, tugging him gently as she moved toward her destination. To everyone else, it was just a drawing room, decorated in shades of cream and gold, with the occasional accent of the palest, mintiest of greens. But Grace's dowager-inflicted schedule had given her cause to enter in the morning, when the eastern sun still hung low on the horizon. The air shimmered in the early morning, somehow golden with the light, and when it streamed through the windows in this far-flung, unnamed drawing room, the world somehow sparkled. By midmorning it would be just an expensively decorated room, but now, while the larks were still chirping softly outside, it was magic. If he didn't see that†¦ Well, she did not know what it would mean if he did not see that. But it would be disappointing. It was a small thing, meaningless to anyone but her, and yet†¦ She wanted him to see it. The simple magic of the morning light. The beauty and grace in the one room at Belgrave that she could almost imagine was hers. â€Å"Here we are,† she said, a little breathless with the anticipation. The door was open, and as they approached, she could see the light slanting out, landing gently on the smooth surface of the floor. There was such a golden hue to it, she could see every speck of dust that hung floating in the air. â€Å"Is there a private choir?† he teased. â€Å"A fantastical menagerie?† â€Å"Nothing so ordinary,† she replied. â€Å"But close your eyes. You should see it all at once.† He took her hands and, still facing her, placed them over his eyes. It brought her achingly close to him, her arms stretched up, the bodice of her dress just a whisper away from his finely tailored coat. It would be so easy to lean forward, to sigh into him. She could let her hands drop and close her own eyes, tilting her face toward his. He would kiss her, and she would lose her breath, her will, her very desire to, in that moment, be only herself. She wanted to melt into him. She wanted to be a part of him. And the strangest part was – right there, right then, with the golden light rippling down upon them – it seemed the most natural thing in the world. But his eyes were closed, and for him, one little piece of the magic was missing. It had to have been, because if he had felt everything that was floating around her – through her – he never would have said, his voice utterly charming – â€Å"Are we there yet?† â€Å"Almost,† she said. She should have been grateful that the moment was broken. She should have been relieved that she did not do something she was sure to regret. But she wasn't. She wanted her regrets. She wanted them desperately. She wanted to do something she knew she should not, and she wanted to lie in bed at night letting the memory keep her warm. But she was not brave enough to initiate her own downfall. Instead, she led him to the open doorway and said softly, â€Å"Here we are.†

Should the Building Engineer Belong to the Religious Organization Case Study

Should the Building Engineer Belong to the Religious Organization - Case Study Example Amos, 483 U.S. 327 (1987)† (2011), â€Å"Appellee Mayson, who had been employed at a [building] associated with [the LDS Church], was discharged because he failed to qualify for a certificate that he was a member of the Church and eligible to attend its temples†¦[which violated the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964]† (pgh. 1). The outcome of the case, which basically allowed Mr. Mayson to be discriminated against by the LDS, was shocking in many ways. First of all, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as the LDS Church) is a church that would not be thought to be discriminatory as they consider themselves a Christian group which follows the example of Jesus. On the other hand, the Latter-Day Saints reserve the right to hire whoever they want to hire for their particular position, and since this church is a religious (and therefore, private) organization, it can choose to hire and fire anyone it pleases. There could be a numerous variet y of reasons why the LDS Church would have preferred a building engineer who shared the same faith. Perhaps he came into contact with parishioners of the church on a regular basis and it was assumed that if he were Mormon, he would encourage the spirit of kinsmanship through being a fellow Mormon.

Contamination and remediation of soil Assignment

Contamination and remediation of soil - Assignment Example Thermal desorption system The basic process of DHTD system has been illustrated in the figure 1 given below. The soil is dried through heating it directly with the help of a rotary dryer made up from a high temperature alloy. The rotary dryer comprises of a natural-gas-fired burner that has the capability to heat the feed material up to a temperature of about 550oC or 1,022oF. The rate of heating the feed soil by using the rotary dryer is primarily based upon the moisture present in the soil, the size distribution of the soil particles, and the discharge temperature of the soil. The processed-gas is conveyed to the emission control system from the discharge hood that receives the gas from the rotary dryer. The emission control system consists of the dual cyclones, evaporative cooler, thermal oxidizer, bag house, quench, draft fans with dual induction, supply system of sodium hydroxide, acid gas scrubber, stack, and continuous emissions monitoring system. The natural-gas-fired burner of the rotary dryer is basically fitted with the thermal oxidizer that functions between the temperature ranges of 930oC to 1000oC. The gas is cooled down by spraying an air atomized water stream at the top portion of the evaporative cooler. The bag house conveys the gas to a quench chamber and a packed scrubber through the induced draft fans. Then, in order to remove acid gases from the gas, a pH controlled water stream passes again through the scrubber before the stack discharges the gas to the atmosphere. A double tipping valve, steam hood, pug-mill, steam duct, stacking conveyor and shuttle conveyor are used in the construction of a cooling and handling system for the treated soil. The double tipping valve is used to discharge the soil from the rotary dryer to the pug-mill. The pug-mill also, receives the combined dust streams, through a series of screw conveyors, from the bag house and the dual cyclones. Then the soil is cooled and moisturized through spraying water in to the p ug-mill. Subsequently, the shuttle conveyor passes the cooled and moisturized soil discharged from the pug-mill to a stacking conveyor that, in turn, passes it to the stockpile of the treated soil. The steam-duct transfers the stream discharged from the pug-mill in to the evaporative cooler. The stockpiles of 500 ton each hold the treated soil until they are analyzed for complying with the treatment criteria. Figure 1: The Overview of the DHTD System (Troxler et al. 2010)2. Project Schedule The table 1 given below presents the major milestones related to the implementation and licensing of the thermal treatment plant project. Table 1: Project Schedule (Troxler et al. 2010)2. Commissioning Trials The testing sequence proposed for the selected approach at the site included a process comprising of two stages. In the first stage, the plant processes the non-contaminated soil in order to ascertain that all of the electrical, mechanical, and control equipments are working properly. Then, in the second stage, the plant processes the above-average concentration of the contaminated material which takes about 6 to 7 hours. EPA observed, in the preliminary review of the EIS, that the testing sequence should not include a one-step change from ‘0’ to above average concentration of the contaminant material. Demonstrated performance is required by EPA throughout the range of soil contamination. EPA also, suggests that the

How to lie in Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How to lie in Statistics - Essay Example I feel statistical information presents the facts as they are. The characteristics of the samples are made to show the characteristics of the entire population under study. The sample’s statistical results are generally assumed not to represent the characteristics of those who are not part of the population. For example, the $25,111 salary represents the average salary of people chosen for the statistical tests (such as people in Yale alone). However the $24,111 salary does not represent the people not chosen for the survey, such as the people working in Alaska (14). Likewise, the $25,111 average salary is true only for the time period when the statistical tests were undertaken. However, the $25,111 average salary may not be true when the same statistical tests were taken 30 years prior to the current Yale statistical tests. Likewise, a similar test conducted 20 years after the current statistical tests will generally show a different statistical finding (18). Interpreting the difference in the findings, the statistical findings should not be taken as occurring in ALL situations; to do so would be a lie. It is a lie because interpreting the statistical results is all-encompassing would be too twisted, exaggerating, oversimplified, or distorted. Sales people would use the average results of statistical test to convince the prospective buyers to purchase their wares; the sales persons are willing to lie to generate sales. Consequently, many buyers are persuaded by the statistical test results to buy the sales person’s products and services. The buyer wants to join the â€Å"band wagon† by buying what the average person wants to buy (103). I feel the author (9) correctly emphasized the statistical data can show the validity of the first sentence â€Å"There’s a mighty lot of crime around here†. However, such interpretations are subject to correction. For example, statistical data showing the number of crimes committed in one neig hborhood can be more persuasive to the leaders when compared to absence of statistical information on the same topic. In fact, the average person can easily draw up several theories based on common sense or statistical trends. However, the trends are high probabilities (not100 percent assurance) of future outcomes. Further, I correctly understand that statistical information correctly presents quantitative as well as qualitative figures as basis for decision making. The manager can base one’s expansion policy on the statistical figure stating there is a huge profit. However, the manager must beware of false statistical figures. The statistical computation of the gross profit figure may be based on erroneous data. Likewise, the manager must ensure that the mathematical computation of the statistical results is accurate (112). To ensure that statistical outcomes are reliable, the manager must determine if the there is no distortion or manipulation of the raw statistical data ga thered. Someone may have intentionally changed or manipulated the real statistical data to suit selfish or biased needs. The spoiled statistical data will generate unrealistic statistical findings. The unrealistic statistical findings will trigger unprofitable management decisions (133). I think statistics generally shows facts that are based on real outcomes. The records of the Connecticut Tumor Registry show that cancer survival has increased due to the

Museums In Between Social Duty and Controversy Assignment

Museums In Between Social Duty and Controversy - Assignment Example Traditionally museums have collected and exhibited fine art, natural history, ancient history, and ethnography. Due to this lack of interest in historical collections, the 1976 exhibitions in Western Australia contained "nothing about Aboriginal history: it remained elsewhere within a safer context of anthropology. There were few women. A large model of Queen Victoria and a little later a very genteel parlor scene constituted the sole female presence in the gallery." (Anderson, Selling) These were two of the major issues that later have shaken the tranquil world of Australian museums. Aborigine history and women's contribution to social development have superficially been approached and even diminished by setting specific exhibitions in locations that belittle their importance - as for instance is the case of the Powerhouse Museum reopening exhibit in 1988. (Anderson, Selling) Feminist groups have become increasingly displeased with the dim presence of women's history in public exhib its. They have also protested against the male predominance in museums managements and "have formed a separate association within the museum professional organization, to promote debate on this issue and to raise the profile of women in the profession." (Anderson, Selling) At the Powerhouse Museum, "women are largely absent", or whenever present, they "are cast as the passive recipients of technological advance"(ibid). It goes the same with the Museum of Victoria, which is 1985 exhibited the "Story of Victoria" where women are present in a small section that dealt with "women's suffrage and with one of the women's early strikes"(ibid) but nothing more.

INTERNSHIP REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

INTERNSHIP REPORT - Essay Example I will be elaborating my job role in this report as it is only due to the job role, I have been able to learn numerous new things, which I believe will help me throughout the professional career. While working with the organization, I came to know about the significance of organization culture and the role it plays in shaping the organization function. In this context, the thrust and emphasis will be on the aspirations of the labour force, the behavioural pattern of the employees and customers and management attitude. Hence, I will be highlighting about the culture of our organization. Apart from that, I will be analysing the external business environment of the country of operation and the general environmental overview. Lastly, on the basis of the findings I will be drawing a relevant conclusion by highlighting the relevant points from the study. Then I will be also enumerating my personal experience with the company and how I will be making use of those learning in the future. Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a non profit organization based in Monaco. The organization came into existence in the year 1944 and was founded by Henry Giessenbier, Jr. The organization, during its inception was deemed as Service/NGO firm. JCI is basically a membership-based non-profit organization. Currently, the organization has over 200,000 members of age 18-40 years. The members are spread over 100 countries and belongs from 5000 different countries. Junior Chamber International (JCI) is currently headquartered at St. Louis, Missouri, USA and the headquarter employs around 20 individuals. These individuals are responsible for overseeing the activities of JCI, administering the overall organizational finances and provide members with optimum tools and resources so as to help them improve projects on national and local level. The company is also regarded as the world’s largest non-sectarian and non-political youth service organization. The members of

Wholesale Marketing Channel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wholesale Marketing Channel - Case Study Example Furthermore, these retailers create delays in order to frustrate the customers and tarnish the reputation of the company in the market. As a result, the most appropriate marketing channel for FOXXY is the use of the wholesalers. Unlike in Canada whereby the company was able to use internal sales representatives to distribute products in different parts of the country, the US market requires a different approach. The reason is that the target market requires different segmentation strategies in order to position the products strategically in the market. Therefore, the use of wholesalers will offer the company with an opportunity to focus on the production system. Therefore, the company will produce high quality products which meet the tastes and preferences of the target market (Keillor, 2013). The reason is that majority of the target customers are young people who have a disposable income that they are willing to spend on high quality products. However, this group has access to information especially from the social media. As a result, they can easily shift their loyalty to new entrants in the market. Local wholesalers understand the market dynamics in the United States. With the increasing levels of globalization, it has become critical for the company to focus its attention towards customers’ satisfaction. However, due to the fact that FOXXY is an external company, many of its subordinates do not understand the US market. Each market has its unique culture which must be taken into consideration while marketing and distributing the products. Therefore, in order for FOXXY to achieve this objective, the company should have to employ local subordinates who understand the local consumption culture. This would delay the expansion program and affect the future plans of the company. Moreover, the US market prefers to be associated with products that have been produced locally (Reidenbach & Goeke,  2006).

Retail Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Retail - Research Paper Example There are numerous retail organizations in the United States of America. Coach, Inc tends to deal with luxury leather based goods and is situated in America. It initiated as a small leather goods company and in the present times the company is popular for its ladies handbags as well as other items such as luggage, wallets, novelty accessories and briefcase among others. The main focus of the study is to comprehend the history of the chosen retail organization i.e. Coach, Inc. The study further progresses with the identification of the corporate stakeholders and responses to their issues. It will also attempt to offer the role of the retail industry in its social, economic and political setting. The domestic and the international ethics along with the ecological as well as natural resources affecting the company will be discussed in the paper. The retail industry might confront numerous social issues which need to be paid due attention. Therefore, the paper will try to throw light upo n the social issues faced by the company i.e. Coach Inc. The paper will endeavor to rate the industry’s overall social responsiveness and its accomplishments in the retail sector and will also attempt to rate the industry in terms of Saint Leo University’s core values. It will try to suggest changes that need to be made to be more in line with the core values of the Saint Leo University. History Coach Inc. was initiated in the year 1941 in the New York City. It was formed as a partnership named as Gail Manufacturing Company. Gail Manufacturing Company started as a family-owned business possessing that used to prepare small leather-based goods such as wallets as well as handbags. It was in the year 1946 when Miles Cahn as well as his spouse Lillian entered into the company. Both Miles Cahn and Lillian were the proprietors of the leather handbag producing company and they had good information regarding the leatherworks as well as business. It was by 1950s when Miles Cahn took over the business and operated it himself. During 1960s, Miles Cahn identified the different properties belonging to leather utilized for making baseball gloves. Miles Cahn recognized numerous ways of processing leather so that it can be made stronger as well as flexible. The company began preparing numerous handbags in order to complement the factory’s small margin in wallet manufacturing. The brand name given to the purse was Coach. It was during the 1960s when Miles Cahn recruited Bonnie Cashin to work for Coach. Before joining Coach, Bonnie Cashin was a renowned fashion designer. This deal proved to be the most renowned business alliances. Bonnie Cashin was there in the company from the year 1962 to 1974 and thus made alteration in the design of the bags. It was during the mid 1970s when the manufacturing of the handbags was shifted away from New York City to some other place in the United States. It was during the same period when the name of the company was change d to Coach Products, Inc. The company recorded strong business during the 1970s as well as 1980s and the company as well evidenced good demand for its products, it initiated a mail order system. Gradually, the company restricted its sales to

Book Review Why We Dont Listen Essay Example for Free

Book Review Why We Dont Listen Essay James C. Peterson, author of Why Dont We Listen Better? Communicating Connecting in Relationships, through trial and error learned the value of communication balancing in which he found that the counselor must listen awhile, talk until the other person stops hearing and then listen until the person calms enough to hear again. (Peterson, 2007 Pg. 5) This concept is enlarged into a process in which Peterson calls the flat-brain syndrome. The purpose of the writing of this book according to Peterson was to assist couples in gaining the communication skills needed to improve their relationship. In this book Peterson says to make personal connection with people communication skills need to involve the stomach, which puts our feelings into words, the heart which makes clear that we are putting our own feelings into words and the head which puts our thoughts into words. (Peterson, 2007 Pg. 16) Peterson says that he uses the flat-brain syndrome to understand the problem of failed communication. Peterson explains â€Å"communication is the lubrication designed to keep our functions of stomach, heart, and head working separately and together† (Peterson 2007, Pg. 6). The gifted Peterson also takes the concept of the flat brain syndrome a step further by relating to the reader what happens when our systems (stomach, heart and head) get out of whack. (Peterson 2007, Pg. 23) In this scenario Peterson uses these parts to show what happens to communication, for example stomach overloads, hearts might turn bricklike, brains can go flat, and hearing is altered. These things of course alter the way we hear and feel. These things then set us up to fall into the flat-brain syndrome. Peterson 2007 35-48) In part two Peterson explains the â€Å"talker-listener† process or what he refers to as TLC which exhibits his feelings about the whole counseling process. Part three explains the techniques Peterson uses in listening and the traps one can fall into in the process. The process used by Peterson in this book relates things that he has tested and that work for the counselor. In closing Peterson makes clear that to â€Å"put wheels on your technique,† the counselor must exhibit warmth, genuineness and empathy. Why Dont We Listen Better?  Communicating Connecting in Relationships is a book written from the human counselor perspective. Peterson uses examples of everyday objects to relate positive plans for the counselor to put into action to achieve really positive results. Where many writers fail at connecting with their readers, Peterson brings a high level of understanding and process explanation simply by being down to earth in his communication. The whole goal of the book seemed to be to make a progressive and positive change in the process the non-professional counselor could use to aid and assist his counselee. From reading the title of the book one might think that listening is the key to the whole process but Peterson adds to the process by incorporating the qualities that pastor counselors should strive to achieve. Those qualities are caring for the counselee, genuine concern for them and the desire to point them at the real counselor. Reflection In reflecting upon the teachings of Dr. Peterson in Why Dont We Listen Better? Communicating Connecting in Relationships, I am reminded of a conversation I had with my middle son and his wife just recently. In particular this book has taught me that I need to listen better and that my boys and their wives are not children anymore. I serve as a missionary to the Navajo in Thoreau, NM. The area is desolate, dry, high and poor. My wife and I had provided a house for our son and daughter-in-law on the property of the church but the time came when they decided they needed to be in a big town where they could both work and do the things young people do. For my wife and I it was a terrible time. We love our kids and we have always been very close. My son tried to explain to me that he needed to find a good job and there were none in Thoreau and that they wanted to be independent. As I look back I realize how bad I was at listening to people that I love. I said it will cost you more than here and I am not going to support you so you can live in Albuquerque. As I think back I realize that I should have listened much better. All the things I told him came true and they came to me for help over and over. Some would say â€Å"well then why do you think that the listening thing was so important? The answer is a beautiful one†¦just the other day I offered to help him work on his car and he said to me â€Å"That’s O. K. dad I have saved up the money to get a mechanic. † Small thing to others I would say but to me he was showing me that he really had grown up. Investigation I must say that I enjoyed reading Why Dont We Listen Better? Communicating Connecting in Relationships. The book helped me to look at several realities about my life as well as my feelings compared to my reactions. I learned that the best way to have a positive relationship is to communicate. For many years the most important thing I feel that I have learned is the art of communication. Peterson has written theories that are effective and have been proven over time. Peterson has given himself to the problem of effective communication, to assisting others and to repairing and building relationships. The book was so easy to understand that I felt like I knew a lot about what Peterson was saying but I learned lots of new things as well. The talker-listener card strategy and the flat-brain theory are things that I will use in the future. It has been hard for me to listen attentively when the communication involves my kids especially when emotions are high but according to the flat-brain theory this is an area that I can work to improve upon. Peterson gives an excellent explanation about how the talker-listener card can work for me and my sons when issues like the one described above come about. Peterson has developed his processes from experiences he has had as a pastoral counselor. Why Dont We Listen Better? Communicating Connecting in Relationships has taught me to be a better listener and how to speak only when the counselee is actively listening to me. This is really a great book for those that want to learn to communicate with others better and to connect with the other party. Application As mentioned before I found this book to be very useful not only in my relationships with my family but also in dealing with the Navajo people in general. One of the things peculiar to many of the Navajo people is that they have specific ways of saying things that to the novice might not mean a whole lot but the talker-listener card methodology will help me in reaching out for their inner feelings, thoughts and desires. After reading this book I find many things that I can do to improve myself. When combined with the 7 Spiritual Gifts with 4 (DISC) Personality Types I have discovered some important information that will help me in my ministry. For example the spiritual gifts and behavioral blends specific to me are that my Primary Spiritual Gifts are Encouraging/Exhorting (58/60), Mercy (58/60) and Serving/Ministry/Helps (57/60). My behavioral blends say that what is expected of me is S/D but I am really C/S. My primary spiritual gifts were found to be: Encouraging / Exhorting, Mercy and Serving / Ministry / Helps. I plan to take the profile to heart mainly because some of the people that know me best have said that the profile was me exactly and I agree. I plan to use the suggested scripture to help me work on my weaknesses and to improve on my strengths. I have made a promise to myself and will ask God to help me to listen to what others have to say. I will incorporate a check system to improve my listening technique. I will actively try to listen to the problems of those seeking my advice. I will also attempt to share my thoughts and feelings without labeling, accusing or judging.

Modern Construction Methods Sustainable Built Environment

Modern Construction Methods Sustainable Built Environment The term Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) generally refers to off-site and prefabricated construction. Over recent years the use of MMC has increased within the construction industry as Construction Companys look to develop quicker, cheaper and more sustainable construction techniques than that of traditional methods. Sustainable Technology has been incorporated into construction to preserve the environment for future generations. The term Sustainable Development was first mentioned in 1987 in The Brundtland Report as, a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This got individuals thinking of ways to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by reducing waste and increasing their energy efficiency. MMC has been influenced by the Latham Report (1994), Constructing the Team and The Egan report (1998), Rethinking Construction. Both reports criticised the UK construction industrys poor performance and proposed a series of changes that were necessary to improve the performance of the construction industry. The Latham report looked at innovative ways to streamline the construction process and drive down construction costs. The Egan report highlighted the need to move towards sustainable construction with the emphasis on prefabrication and offsite assembly. (Ross, Cartwright, Novakovic, 2007). MMC is now a primary method of construction for many construction companies due to the combination of skills shortages, new regulations, specific building needs and affordability. This has created an environment where traditional methods of construction are no longer the only suitable option to consider. (Kelsey, 2005) Through this research and adding to the existing knowledge already out there, it is anticipated to find out whether or not a sustainable environment can be achieved through MMC by comparing the advantages it brings over traditional methods of construction. Aim The main aim of this research is to examine and discuss whether or not Modern Methods of Construction achieve a sustainable environment. Objectives A number of objectives have been set in order to meet the aim. These are as follows: To investigate how big a role MMC plays in achieving a sustainable built environment To investigate the different methods of modern construction currently being undertaken in the construction industry To Identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of MMC To establish if MMC provides better value for money than traditional methods of construction To establish how the industry perceives MMC Outline Methodology of the Research To achieve the aim of the research I will be using mainly qualitative research. This will involve researching literature regarding Modern Methods of Construction from various journals books and websites. I will collect data by conducting personal structured interviews with a variety of different professionals within the construction industry to gain an insight into how MMC is perceived. The information collected will be analysed and be presented in tables and bar charts so it is can easily be understood. I will then analyse my findings and a come to a conclusion. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This chapter will give a broad overview of the literature associated with MMC. Fundamental aspects of MMC will be researched including an insight into the current methods being used within the UK today. This chapter will also compare MMC with traditional construction methods and how it is perceived by the construction industry, which will be reinforced through an investigation of a project that incorporated a MMC into its build. 2.2 History of MMC MMC is a term used to describe a number of construction methods that differ from traditional methods of construction. Other meanings of the term include off-site construction, factory built and prefabrication. (Ross, Cartwright, Novakovic, 2007). Off-site construction has been around for many years and can be traced back to the 19th century where it was first used in the Crimean War in the form of prefabricated timber houses and huts due to inadequate hospital provisions (Gibb, 1999). Gibb defines off-site fabrication as, whole buildings that are prefabricated and pre-assembled remote from their final destination and installed in place with only the minimum of onsite work needed before they are fit for use.(Gibb, 1999). It wasnt until after the First World War in 1917 that the UK government introduced prefabricated housing to meet the demand for housing. This off site approach was seen as an alternative to traditional brick and block construction to help cope with the shortage of skilled labour and materials at this time (Ross, 2002). Between 1918 and 1939 various new methods of building homes had been developed that were based on the traditional methods of brick and block. Over this 21 year period 4.5million homes were built however only 5% were constructed using what was considered at this time as new methods of construction (Taylor 2006). It wasnt until the end of the Second World War that prefabricated housing really took off in the UK as traditional methods of constructing could not meet the demand for emergency housing. Taylor noted in 2006 that, the emphasis was to supplement traditional building operations with methods of construction using industrial capacity outside of the building industry (Taylor, 2006). This approach of industrialised building methods was aimed at addressing skills shortages, to improve production, reduce costs and improve the quality of the final product. The industrialisation was aimed at replacing houses destroyed by the war but also to complete the slum clearance programme started in the 1930s. It was these influences that pushed the industry to consider off-site construction again and resulted in various types of steel, timber and concrete systems being developed. This continued into the 1980s where prefabricated housing was dominated by timber frame systems and new technologies (Taylor , 2006). Since then there has been a steady shift towards off-site construction as clients demand a better quality product, faster delivery and at reasonable cost (Gibb, 1999). However there is a stigma attached with factory based construction as people generally associate this method with the post war era where homes were built as a temporary measure to ease the housing crisis. Off-site construction is not just used for building homes it is also nowadays commonly used in the residential, health and educational sectors. Since 2005 more and more key clients and construction firms are now choosing to use MMC on their projects with it now accounting for 10% of the construction market. Richard Odgen chairman of BuildOffsite believes offsite will continue to grow within the construction industry and predicts that by 2020 it will have gained 20% of the construction market (Wright, 2010). This is partly due to Private and public sector clients and major construction firms starting to see the benefits of MMC at keeping costs down and delivering projects within shorter timescales. According to Nadim, Goulding (2008) off-site construction aims, to improve business efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, environmental performance, sustainability and the predictability of delivery timescales. 2.3 Types of Off-Site Construction There are many different types of MMC currently being used within the UK however MMC only accounts for a small percentage of the overall value of the UK construction sector. This is due to the industries reluctance to adopt new innovative building techniques as new technologies usually require new ways of working and thinking (Nadim, Goulding, 2008). Many people who are currently involved in the off-site sector believe the time is right for the clients, designers and contractors who have ignored it in the past to now accept off-site construction and realise its benefits (OSM, JUL 2010). Ogden has spent the last 10 years campaigning to change the industries perception of offsite and he now believes the UK is on the cusp of change he says, We have been here many times before in a cycle where offsite has come up higher on the agenda, been discussed and then gone away again, Ogden says. But I think this time will be different. In fact, I dont just think, I know. Change needs to be adopted in order to meet the fierce housing targets and lessons can be learned from other countries like Japan where offsite construction is a mainstream construction method (wright, 2010). Ogden believes, the pressure to meet sustainability and carbon efficient/ neutral codes, will force firms to take offsite seriously. These new codes introduced around the world are aimed at preserving resources and achieving a more sustainable built environment. Ogden goes onto to say, I am sure that carbon efficiency codes will soon become law. It is not hard to see that using products that have been made in a controlled environment will do a better job at meeting standards. (Wright, 2010). The government is planning to spend vast amounts of money on new schools and hospitals in the forthcoming years. Peter Bonfield, Managing Director of BREs Construction Division, says: Off-site construction is ideal for the health and education sectors because you can fully fit out an operating theatre or school room in the factory. Then, during the school holidays, you could add new classrooms without affecting the operation of the school, or extend a hospital wing without disrupting the existing wards. (OSM JUL, 2010) this demonstrates the benefits of off-site construction on delivering major construction projects. The different methods of construction include: 2.3.1 Volumetric Construction Volumetric construction is also known as modular construction and involves the production of three dimensional units within a factory (Figure 2). Once completed the units are transported to site and stacked onto the foundation to form the structure (Figure 3). All internal finishes, services and furnishings are completed in the factory therefore only a small amount of work has to be completed on site (Gibb 1999). Depending on the design specifications of the units some external finishes can also be installed in the factory and the small amount of work that is required on site is to make good joints between units (Ross, 2005). Volumetric construction is considered to be most effective when used to construct hotels, student accommodation, fast food restaurants and hospitals where the construction of each floor is continually repeated as the NHBC states, Volumetric construction is most efficient when used for large numbers of identical units (NHBC, 2007). Gibb (1999) also notes it can be used to construct highly serviced areas in buildings such as toilets/ washrooms, kitchens, plant rooms, building services and lifts (Gibb, 1999). The method has only recently been adopted by house builders where a typical house consists of four units and a roof. Units can be constructed by almost any material however the most commonly used materials are steel, timber and concrete. Units are generally the same size due to transport limitations as noted by Ross (2005), usually less than 4m in width and, although unit lengths of 16m are possible, lengths within range of 8-12m are more typical. This is to ensure the safe transportation of units to site without being damaged. 2.3.2 Panellised Systems This method of construction involves building flat panel units within a factory and assembling them on site to create the buildings structure. The two main types of panel that are used are open or closed. An open panel system generally comprises of a metal or timber frame that is constructed in the factory then delivered to site where the insulation, services, windows and internal finishes are installed (Figure 4). A closed panel system differs from an open panel system as it can also be made from concrete and normally has windows, services, internal finishes and external finishes fitted in the factory before delivery to site (Figure 5) (NHBC, 2006). 2.3.3 Hybrid Construction This method of construction combines panellised and volumetric methods that are constructed in a factory and transported to site. Hybrid can also be referred to as pods and used for highly serviced areas such as kitchens and bathrooms within offices, hotels and student accommodation (Gibb, Pendlebury, 2006). The pods are delivered to site with all services and fittings in place ready to be installed (Figure 5). This reduces the level of trades needed compared with other components of the building. The Hybrid approach brings flexibility to the development and reduces the uniformity of design (Taylor, Fisher, Wamuziri, 2009). 2.3.4 Sub-assemblies and components This method covers items that are not commonly considered as off-site manufacturing but applies Sub-assemblies or components that have been innovatively factory fabricated. Ross (2005) defines this method as, items that are not full systems, but which use factory made components either within manufactured structures or within otherwise traditionally built structures. However traditional components such as windows and doors do not constitute modern methods of construction as they are usually used in all types of construction (NHBC, 2007). The main categories sub-assemblies and components fall under are floor and roof construction, pre-fabricated foundations, wiring looms and prefabricated plumbing (Figure 6).

A Separate Peace :: Free Essay Writer

Through out the book A Separate Peace, Gene, his growth and harmony seem to change. His opinions, and outlook on life also seem to change as his relationship with Phineas does likewise. Gene’s self-perception changes from insecurity to imitation to independence as his relationship with Phineas changes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the book begins, Gene is unsettled by Phineas and somewhat mystified by him. Like a legend from a western tale. As the book moves on and Finny starts to change Gene’s life, Gene appears to become very insecure and afraid of what will happen next. On page 11 it says â€Å" ’We’d better hurry or we’ll be late for dinner,’ I said, breaking into what Finny called my ‘West Point stride’.† Which signifies the insecurity phase of Gene’s life. He was a stickler to the rules, didn’t want to be late. He was always concerned with what was right, and proper. But Phineas changes all that in him, and rather quickly too. When Finny decides to skip dinner and wrestle instead, Gene becomes confused, but goes along with his every word, and action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later on in the book, after the accident, when Gene looks at himself in the mirror while wearing Finny’s clothes, on page 54, it says â€Å"†¦ it was no remote aristocrat I had become, no character out of daydreams. I was Phineas, Phineas to life. †¦ standing there (it seemed) that I would never stumble through the confusions of my own character again.† That meant that following that day, he was going to try to live each day more like Finny. Through out the book Phineas taught Gene more and more about himself, he taught Gene to live each day to the fullest, because you might never have another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the end of the book, once Finny has past away, Gene learns to live life for himself, not through somebody else. He was ready for anything. He no longer â€Å"owed† anybody anything. He had nothing else to suffer for. On page 195 it sums up the independence part of his relationship with Finny best. â€Å"I was ready for the war, now that I no longer had any hatred to contribute to it.

The Holocaust :: European Europe History

The Holocaust The Holocaust was the extermination of the Jews and other people whom Hitler considered inferior. It took place from 1933 to 1945. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany led this effort. About 12 million people were murdered, half of them being Jews. When Hitler took over control of Germany, everything changed. Hitler had a very strong prejudice against the Jews. He wanted to create the perfect race of blonde haired blue eyed Germans. His followers, who were the soldiers in the camps, were called Nazis. They enforced all killing that Hitler wanted done. Also, there were many other people involved in this massive genocide. Different people were leading the killing and different groups of people were being killed, not only Jews. For instance, there were many doctors who ran tests on people, but didn't care if the patients were hurt or even killed, which they usually were. All surgeries were performed without any anesthetic. These are just a couple general things that happened durin g the Holocaust. There are so many things that happened in this time period that are impossible to imagine or just are too horrible to think about. The things about the Holocaust that I find the most unnerving are the torture and pain they put the Jews and other groups through. The two main topics I feel are most serious or crucial are the medical experiments and their results and reactions on the patients. Also, the different camps, their strong points and general methods for killing used there. There are three camps that are familiar to me and I hear mentioned the most. They are Dachau, Treblinka, and of course, Auschwitz. The doctor who was most infamous for carrying out horrible experiments was Mengele. Dachau, Treblinka, and Auschwitz were three of the six concentration camps that were used for execution of Jews and other groups considered inferior. At Treblinka, 700,000 to over 1,000,000 people were killed. The gassings at Dachau never went past the experimental stage. They were in no way used as the gas chambers in Auschwitz were. Also, at Dachau, they performed Intense Cooling experiments. A summary of what they did was they'd dress the subject in certain clothes and either put their whole body, to include the brain stem, or only up to the brain stem in water which was from 2.5 to 12 degrees Centigrade. Fatalities only occurred when the brain stem and back of head were also chilled.

The Hound of the Baskervilles Essay -- English Literature

The Hound of the Baskervilles At the start of the story the setting is described through the legend of Sir Hugo Baskerville. Sir Hugo is described in the legend as a â€Å"wild, profane and godless man† This suggests that his inhumanity and â€Å"evil† make him a potentially viable enemy who will stop at nothing. It is Sir Hugo that sets the tone for the setting. Sir Hugo uses his power and Baskerville Hall as a prison for the young girl. She manages to escape by â€Å"the aid of the growth of ivy which covered the south wall.† The ivy indicated the age and wildness of the hall and its setting. The â€Å"moon† is â€Å"shining bright† and the act â€Å"which was liked to be done† on the moor adds to the sense of danger and isolation that we, as readers, encounter at the start of this tale. As grown men leave the impression of â€Å"screaming† and fear being associated with the moor, we are going to be given one final warning, â€Å"caution you to forbear from crossing the moor in those dark hours when the powers of evil are exalted† which tells us that this setting is both dangerous and a potential trap for those who dare to live there. We also learn about the death of Sir Charles. â€Å"The day had been wet† and the wild, untamed environment sets the tone perfectly for a mysterious death such as this. We are told that â€Å"there is a gate which leads out onto the moor.† This gate is like a barrier between the moor and Baskerville Hall that separates good from evil, and if anyone were to cross this barrier then anything could happen to them â€Å"Sir Charles lay on his face, his arms out, his fingers dug into the ground, and his features convulsed.† This creates a sense of isolation as it seems as if the only safe place on the entire moor is Baskerville H... ... find out who the man on the tor was. Watson says that â€Å"there was this feeling of an unseen force† out upon the moor, and because he is supposed to be acting as Sherlock’s eyes and ears, he is compelled to find out who or what this â€Å"unseen force† is. Watson goes up onto the tor which he describes as a â€Å"barren scene† and there he feels a â€Å"sense of loneliness and mystery and urgency.† Watson feels as if â€Å"the unknown might be lurking there,† and when Sherlock is discovered he reveals that the â€Å"figure of a man upon the tor† that Watson had seen upon the night of the convict hunt had indeed been Sherlock, when he admits â€Å"I was so imprudent as to allow the moon to rise behind me.† Because the unknown figure turns out to be Sherlock the mystery of the Barrymore at the window remains unsolved and the moor is still a place full of secrets and unanswered questions.

Holmes

Herman Webster Midget was the first American serial killer the terrorized Chicago in the late sass's, yet he was a slave to his own mind and his own disorders. Herman, who Is also famous as H. H. Holmes had two personality disorders that drove him to commit the actions that he committed. Evidence shows that Holmes had personality disorders Like narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. H. H Holmes shows signs of antisocial personality disorder in many ways. To begin with, Midget started at an early age torturing animals (CNN).He used to be afraid of actors but one day he had an experience with a skeleton and after that he was changed forever. Also in his famous castle there was remains of bodies in the basement with pure evidence of torture. It is evident that Dry. Holmes tortured these young women with no evidence of any remorse. (How Stuff Works). Dry. Holmes himself that he was slowly and slowly turning into the devil since he didn't feel any remorse o r anything of such towards his victims (H. H. Holmes; Master of Illusion, chapter 17).The treatment for antisocial personality disorder Is very tricky but usually most actors use operant conditioning-rewarding the good actions and punishing the Illegal ones-(Notational Library of Medicine). Of course such treatment was not present In the time of Dry. Holmes so he had no way of getting help. Another personality disorder Dry. Holmes had was narcissistic personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder is when a person has an inflated self image and inflated goals that he will stop at nothing to achieve them.This was the case with Midget, as a matter of fact, Herman killed his con-partner in order to perfect a con on an insurance company to get some extra money. H. H. Holmes; Master of Illusion, chapter 3). Having shown that he doesn't really care about his friend or anyone he supposedly had an emotional attachment with, he proved that he has narcissistic personality disorder. T his might be caused by his father's beating to him and his abuse. The only way to truly treat that Is through talk therapy so he can try to form deeper connections with people he should be familiar Walt(Notational Library of Medicine).Again, this kind of treatment wasn't available in the time of Dry. H. H. Holmes so he had no opportunity to seek help. Some people might argue that Dry. Midget had a form of fetishism paraphernalia since he picked out his victims to be young blonde women. Thyrotrophic, or attraction you hair could have been the reason for his choice of victims (Right Diagnosis). The treatments of this include psychoanalysis, hypnosis, behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, drug therapy(Relight Diagnosis). It's very unclear whether he had this disorder or not. All In all Dry. H H Holmes had a lot of personality disorders that led him to become the monster he was.

Mise-En-Scene in Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver is about Travis Bickle, a â€Å"sick† taxi driver who is both a prophet and/or a mad man. We are never allowed to know what the movie itself thinks of him, we are never told to love him or hate him and the movie never states whether he is ethically right or wrong. This movie is not about the answers to the problems of the society. It is just about the questions and unknowns. It is just an interesting journey in the modern society that could make people discuss about Travis hours and hours. Talking with other people, I was amazed how people can think of him in different ways. Some say he is â€Å"sick†, some say he is their â€Å"prophet†. The fast cuts in the editing (when he practices with the guns) make us enter in his state of mind. But also, some long takes force us to analyze and understand what happened (Very high-angle takes that Scorsese calls â€Å"Priest shots† after the massacre. ). The movie switches dynamically between these styles, which leaves the audience an infinite ways of thinking about the Travis. This is beyond doubt not a journey like Odysseus where the hero always moves forward. In Taxi Driver the hero's journey is always around the same circle. He does not meet any new people or experience new situations. Same people turn around him, or maybe he turns around the same people and he repeatedly recognizes similar concepts in them. In a realistic movie the fact that he meets with those people so many times and in so many different places would be a mistake. However, this is not a realistic movie. Palantine who was already around him (thanks to the posters and Betsy) gets into his car (which is highly unlikely to happen); he sees Iris in many different unrelated places (three times); Scorsese appears in the movie twice (the unknown one of these is in the scene where we first see Betsy. He is also watching her in the back. ). Also different people reminds him of similar concepts: Betsy and Iris are both woman who are to be saved from the lives they are stuck in, and he sees many different people who cannot communicate with him. This circle with Travis in its center is also represented in the camera movements: either the camera is traveling around him or it is panning to show the panorama of the New York life through his eyes. Moreover, in two different scenes the camera and Travis make the other 180 degrees of the circle and meet at the same place. These formal elements help us understand and feel how Travis is also encircled and alone in that sick world. The fact that this is not a realistic movie is also proved by some of the elements in the narrative. First of all, Travis is described as someone who never sleeps, and we really never see him sleeping. Secondly, the time gaps between the shots (sometimes a week, or maybe a month: after he first signs up for the job, the next shot is in his apartment, and he describes his daily routine. ) also prove that this is a stylized movie. Lastly, although he is almost illiterate (- Education? – Yes, some, you know, here and there! ), he has a diary and we hear him telling us what he is writing. He sometimes even becomes poetic. All of these are almost implausible for an ordinary taxi driver. As a final point about the realism, I think the appearance of Scorsese himself is to remind us that â€Å"this is just a movie† and that we should not get into the story too much. I think he appears at a very important point, when everything starts to boil and the audience risks to be caught in Travis' delirium too much. Travis' alienation and loneliness is one of the most underlined ideas in the movie. Even when he is with other people he is very seldom shown as having a real communication with them. One very interesting shot is when he first sits in the cafe with his friends. He sits on the other side of the table and they are on the other sides of the frame. They seem like they are very far apart from each other. Also, when Travis talks with other people (except Iris and Betsy) he never looks at them. There are even some shots where we see what he is looking at, which shows his disconnection with those people. Naturally, for a person so disconnected to the society â€Å"exchanges† are very important. It could be an exchange of a gun or a paper or feelings. Scorsese emphasizes these using some unusual high angles, looking at the action from above. It happens four times in the movie: in the taxi office, in the movie theater, in the gun exchange, and most importantly when he first declares his love to Betsy in the campaign headquarters. In the last one, there is only a shot of the desk from above and the camera is panning in a strange way with no obvious reason. However, we know from the two other scenes that this shot underlines the â€Å"real exchange† of feelings between Travis and Betsy. Furthermore, in one of the best shots of the movie, after his useless and empty talk with Wizard the camera just stands and watches his cab going away and fading in the streets while Wizard is looking at him. The scene announces his detachment from the people and the society. As Taxi Driver is not moving forward as a movie, there is no reason for an obvious change in style. The dizziness of the colors and the fact that the background is often out-of-focus in the whole movie reminds us that there is no way to see the society in a sharper way and finding solutions. We are almost lost in it. Very shiny colors, especially reds, blues and greens, form the main palette of the movie. However, there are some slight changes of colors. For example, in the scenes where he continues his relationship with Betsy, a peaceful green dominates the screen. In the scenes leading to the final massacre, red becomes the leading and threatening color. Again, after that, green again becomes the main color as the scenes have a feeling of calm in them. Moreover, the Sport's street is darker than many of the places in the movie suggesting a mystical feeling, which prepares us to the climax that happens there. Other important things I want to note about the mise-en-scene are the costumes and the hairs. Travis often changes the way he is dressed and his hairstyle according to the situation. He becomes a very nice-looking guy when he is going to meet with Iris or Betsy. He wears his nice shirts brushes his hair. When he is going to show his anger or his dark side he either wears his marine or leather coat and leaves his hair as it is or even, at the end, shaves it. These changes show the instability of his personality and the two opposite characters of Travis Bickle, a prophet and a sick guy. When he looks nice, we tend to like him; when he looks crazy, we are afraid. Furthermore, the costumes and the hairstyles help Scorsese call attention to one of the most important parallelisms of the Taxi Driver that I already mentioned. Betsy often wears red clothes as Iris does when they meet with Travis. In addition, they are both blondes. That forces us to understand the parallelism between them; according to Travis they are both to be saved from the lives they are stuck in. The climax of the film is obviously the massacre as it is probably the most intense and shocking scene of the film. It is shot and edited as if it was a dream and we are never sure whether it really happens or whether it is just Travis' imagination. The only thing we know for sure is that it is the explosion of his unexpressed feelings toward the society and the manifestation of his hate against the people. The use of red and some unusual high angles stress the dreamy quality of the scene. Sport's reappearance and Travis' survival despite the shot that just missed his throat are out of our worst nightmares. Again, Scorsese does not expect us to believe in it. He just wants us to meditate in what happened. The following scenes also have the same dreamy mood. The greens dominate the night scenes and an interesting peacefulness is expressed with the very slow panning of camera and the tender voice of Iris' father. Also the fact that Travis got away without going into prison and Betsy's way of looking that shows her admiration for him make the scene seem like a wonderful dream. At the very end, although Travis is again driving the car, his face is lightened very strongly in a way we are not used to in the movie (It was always dark! ). Is he enlightened? Is he a prophet? However, suddenly, something happens and his face seems red in the mirror, but he fixes it. Is he a lunatic? Is he dead or dreaming? You won't find the answer to these questions in this movie.