Critical Discourse Analysis Essay -- Social Discourse

Critical Discourse Analysis Jan blommaert and Chris Bulcaen makes a brief introduction to the study of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). CDA intends to use social-theoretical method in discourse analysis and is primarily linguistically based (Blommaet & Bulcaen, 2000, p.447). It intends to analyze the structural relationships of dominance, discrimination, power and control through a textual study (Blommaet & Bulcaen, 2000, p.448). Based on the assumption that social discourse is constructed and socially conditioned, CDA explores the power dynamics in this process. According to Fairclough, CDA analysis can be divided into three-dimensions: first, discours-as-text which analyzes the textual linguistic elements as concrete instances of discourse; second, discourse-as-discursive-practice, especially focusing on discourse processes like speech act, coherence and intertexuality; third, discourse-as-social-practice which examines the effects and the hegemonic process in the discourse (Blommaet & Bulcaen, 2000, p.448-9). While both the second and the third dimension consider the arrangement of text elements or quotes as intertexuality, the second dimension makes the interaction between text and context visible and the third dimension makes the discursive power dynamic visible as well. Moreover, they point out that CDA aims to undertake a social responsibility to correct particular discourses for â€Å"change, empowerment, and practice-orientedness† (Blommaet & Bulcaen, 2000, p.449). Because of this, CDA pay large attention to social topics and works on two main directions: power and ideology, and change of the structuralist determinism (Blommaet & Bulcaen, 2000, p.452). Although it ambitiously put such great emphasis on social phenomena o... ...te in the 1960s which reflected two opposite public opinions on Television and radio respectively. More current example could be the different experience of a same news text people read on a mainstream newspaper and on a facebook sharing page. As Blommaert and Bulcaen suggest the incorporation of linguistic and nonlinguistic dimensions, this could be taken into consideration in further studies. Reference: Blommaert, J., & Bulcaen, C. (2000). Critical discourse analysis. Annual Review of Anthropology,29, 447-66. Schroder, K.C. (2007). Media discourse analysis: researching cultural meaning from inception to reception. Texual Cultures: Texts, Contexts, Interpretation 2, 2, 77-99. Steensland, B. (2008). Why do policy frames change? actor-idea coevolution in debates on welfare reform. Social Forces, 86(3), 1027-54.

Optical Computed Tomography Essay

Development of optical computed tomography is traceable back to slightly more than a decade ago. ( Doran & Krstajic, 2006:45) The study of tissues using conventional methods and more specifically optical microscopy often suffered major problems given its inherent representation of 3-D materials in 2-D. it is on this basis that there arose the need for more advanced representation techniques. (Doran & Krstajic, 2006:47) Optimal tomography has been able to fill this scientific gap through its ability to combine a series of 2-D images to give a 3-D image. This process involves construction of a spatial 3-D distribution regarding the linear attenuation of an object with the use of samples recorded from various angles of the illumination beam transmitted. (Zhang G. Et al, 2008:2738) Significantly, optical CT has independently emerged within three differing fields. Documented evidence reveal that the earliest emergence of CT is traceable to late 1990’s discovery by Maryanski and Gore similar to the CCD-based optical scanner applicable in investigation of chemical structures that often engage in self organization was presented by Winfree. (Chamgoulov, 2006:1) Later in 2002 though Sharpe published micro-CT images of which he refers to as optical projection tomography. However, recent technologies have seen introduction of optical technology applying the use of trans-illumination tomography in the study of tissues. Optical CT thus falls within the class of optical imaging devices. Often it’s referred t as an interferometric mechanism which brings together scattered light emerging from the sample with regard to a reference beam. (Zhang G. Et al, 2008:2740) OCT’s use in tissue study experiences limitation regarding the maximum penetrable depth. The operations of optical CT originates from the beers law which describes the attenuation of light and X-rays as they move through a given medium. The law states that for uniformly distributed substance bearing a linear attenuation coefficient ? with a measuring detector at a depth d is described by the equation below l(d)= l_0 exp (-? d),l? Where l0 represents the measured intensity at depth equals to zero. Where N mediums are to be bypassed by the rays, then the equation translates as described below; l(N? y) ? = l? _0 exp{ -? _(i=1)^N- _i ? y? } The most recent development of Optic CT application has been the optical CT microscopes which uses of DMD (Digital micro-mirror device). This involves an array consisting of thousands of very small micro-mirrors designed in a way that allows each to be individually controlled. This allows illumination of the specimen at different angles or rather they act as spatial modulators of light. (Chamgoulov, 2006:2) Another form of optical CT microscope employs the use of an optical scanner primarily controlled by a computer in moving of light across the given sample. (see figure 1) Such a system is made up of a pair of objective lenses with high numerical apertures, a source of light, and a detector. The optical scanner is made up of a two axis mirror consisting of motorized linear actuators. (Doran & Krstajic, 2006:50) The objective lenses numerical aperture limits the angular range. The microscope applies greater use of the radon’s transformations which is described by the equation below; l=l_(0 ) exp {–? -? (y)dy} across a given sample Figure 1: Optical CT microscope schematic representation The optical CT microscope gives 3-D images of sample being studied with the samples dimensions being visibly seen. This has thus extended its application as a way of studying tissues and body cells more effectively as previously only two dimensional images could be visualized. Data from optical CT imaging is often presented in Radon space, a 2-D form of image referred to as a sinogram. (Doran & Krstajic, 2006:51) The samples various points are said to each produce their own sinogram tracks overlaid to each other. The source and the detector are each placed on either side of the object being imaged. When the source detector is at position x, then the attenuated laser beam intensity that the detector receives is given by the equation l(x)=l_0 exp {–? -? (x,y) dy} Often the source detector track is rotated around the sample being imaged. However some designed allow the sample to rotate instead. This change does not result into a change in design except for mathematical calculations that are altered to take into consideration the resulting sample rotational angles. The equation of radon transforms then takes the form describes below; ?_? (x)= ? -? (x_? y_? )dy= -(In (l_? x)/l_0 ) Advantages and disadvantages of using optical computed tomography This technology has attracted widespread use by industrialist and other end users due to its high speed and precision. In addition it provides more detailed subsurface images of both 2-D and 3-D structures. (Sakhalkar & Oldham, 2007:104) Notably also is its capability of producing high resolution and in-depth images of tissues. This has led to its gaining popularity with ophthalmologists. Non-biological application too employs the use of optical CT as it is applicable in non-destructive testing and material evaluation. In 2007 for instance, David Stifter in his paper cited the applicability of the technology in detection of ceramic defects (Stifter et al, 2005) and other non-contact materials including glass, polymers among others. However, the technology is still considered expensive and unaffordable to most of its desirable users. Additionally, the highly scattering nature of biological tissues has limited the technology to only shallow depths in imaging penetration. References Doran, S. J. & Krstajic, N. (2006) The history and principles of optical computed tomography for scanning 3-D radiation dosimeters. Journal of physics, 56:45–57 Zhang G. Et al (2008) Use of three-dimensional (3D) optical flow method in mapping 3D anatomic structure and tumor contours across four-dimensional computed tomography data. Journal of Applied Clinical Medicine Physics, 9(1):2738 Chamgoulov, R. , Pierre L. & Calum, M.(2006) Computed tomography generates three-dimensional microscopic images of cells, Journal of Optical Engineering, 2(2):1-3. J. Sharpe, (2008) Optical Projection Tomography. Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, 8: 209-228, Sakhalkar H. S. & Oldham, M (2007) Fast, high-resolution 3D dosimetry utilizing a novel optical-CT scanner incorporating tertiary telecentric collimation. Med. Phys. 35(1):101-111 Stifter, D. et al (2005) En-face scanning optical coherence tomography with ultra-high resolution for material investigation, Journal of Optics, 13( 3):1015-1024

Intelligence Agencies and Just War on Terrorism Essay

America and its allies face Ð ° world that has become more and more dangerous with its weapons of mass destruction and Ð ° shadowy world of terrorists more than willing to use them. The wisdom of the past does not have the prescience or universal insight to deal with this new threat. America and its allies must change direction if they wish to respond to the challenge in an effective manner, even if it means employing policies that seemed dubious in the past. The state is called to protect its citizens in Ð ° Machiavellian world, filled with depravity and compromise. The church is called to submit to the superior wisdom of those who have the special intelligence, experience and expertise to handle the current crisis. Our forefathers came from Europe to settle in Ð ° wilderness that was not always hospitable. Death was imminent, and survival was uppermost on all their minds. The settlement in Jamestown, after the death of Powhatan, suffered an unprovoked attack at the hands of the Native Americans in 1622, in which some 375 settlers were massacred. The immediate response was to make Ð ° perfidious treaty with the natives and then starve them by burning their crops late that summer. It was Ð ° matter of survival. It was either ‘us or them’. (Amit 2003 127) â€Å"The same policy was followed by the Puritans of Massachusetts when the Pequot Indians, Ð ° most war-like people, presented an imminent threat in the mind of these settlers. Rather than wait around to die, they proceeded to attack them first, killing in one horrific conflagration of Ð ° Pequot fort some 4oo men, women and children. The exact motives behind the massacre remain unclear, but no doubt survival was uppermost in their minds. Today the situation that confronts the American people is not so different. It is similar to that of their ancestors in many ways and direr in regard to the number of lives at stake. one can debate whether the times have ‘waxed worse and worse’, but it is beyond question that the times have proved ‘more and more critical’ with their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the ever-increasing number of potential users. The nation of Israel felt this threat in 1981 when it conducted Ð ° pre-emptive strike against an Iraqi nuclear reactor. The United States roundly condemned the action at the time, but with the threat now facing them from this and other rogue nations Ð ° new policy has emerged. The nefarious intentions of the Iraqi regime are apparent to most observers. It appears as if this regime plans to continue the production of WMD and deliver these weapons themselves or distribute them through the shadowy world of terrorist networks to designated targets in this clandestine manner. The signs of the times are all around us. Iraq already has violated over fifty UN resolutions to date. The UN inspectors revealed that Saddam was vigorously working on Ð ° stockpile of WMD—chemical, biological and nuclear, and by the mid-9os he began to deny them access to his supply. He already has used these weapons against his own people and waves of foot soldiers in his war with Iran. He has pledged on Ð ° number of occasions to bring destruction upon the United States, and even planned the assassination of its former president, George Bush. He has subsidized and continues to support terrorist groups throughout the region, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad according to seized Palestinian documents. His relation to terrorism is Ð ° matter of grave concern. â€Å"(Rahul 2002 37-44) It provides Ð ° special channel to deliver and promote his wicked designs, Bin Laden has called it Ð ° ‘religious duty’ for his minions to obtain and use WMD against the infidels, but he knows that his terrorist network needs help. It is only in the movies that Dr No is able to create the facilities to manufacture and deliver WMD. In the real world of terrorism, the capacity to make and utilize these weapons requires the help of Ð ° government. Aum Shinrikyo, Ð ° Japanese cult, tried to kill thousands of commuters with Ð ° potent nerve agent but managed to kill only Ð ° dozen after spending somewhere around thirty million dollars. The loss of these lives was tragic but much less than expected and displayed the complexity of operations using these agents. The cult was not able to produce the chemical (sarin) in sufficient purity and resorted to using Ð ° most primitive delivery system—carrying it on Ð ° train and piercing bags of it with tips of umbrellas. Ð  government working with Ð ° terrorist organization would produce Ð ° more lethal combination. 3 In light of this threat, it appears as if the only long-term solution is to eliminate the regime in Baghdad. Some would argue that there is no need to rush into war. But one wonders how realistic this option is in view of the track record of the regime. Is it realistic to believe that Iraq would comply with inspectors? It did not the first time around, not in toto, would the UN impose the necessary sanctions and penalties if it did not? Or would it ignore certain closed doors and cave in as it did before to Iraqi demands? And even if unmolested, would the inspectors catch the regime in its lies, knowing that it is likely to play Ð ° shell game and was given four years to hide its weapons? (Bruce 2003 44) Donne’s fatalistic maxim succinctly defines the essential context that modern intelligence services function within, and the variables determining their relative fortunes. Their experiences suggest that they are very human institutions largely shaped by the vagaries of circumstances beyond their control, not to mention misfortune and luck. As refined information used by the state to further national goals and policies, intelligence is directed, collected, analyzed and disseminated (the ‘intelligence cycle’) within the milieu of international politics. Intelligence work must therefore function within the ‘anarchical society’ of Great Powers. 1 Equally significant is the extent to which intelligence functionaries serve at the mercy of their policy masters. The intelligence officers themselves, in their various professional incarnations, are the ‘desperate men’ in this formulation, striving as they do to carry out their risky and/or problematic duties in the face of inertia and outright opposition on the part of rivals, enemies, and occasionally their own countrymen. It is unlikely that any intelligence service in history has ever completely escaped subjugation to such restrictive bondage. â€Å"As mentioned in the previous chapter, the war on al Qaeda should be Ð ° deliberate broad-front attack. It is already that in practice, but the rationale for sustaining this approach is less established and troubles are certain because such Ð ° strategy requires relating the efforts of multiple agencies, subagencies, and even nations, and it sometimes necessitates rapid action. This would seem to require two enhancements of capability which may at first seem contradictory, but they are complementary and equally important. â€Å"(Paul 2002 31) These facts hold particularly true for the office of Strategic Services mission in London, America’s critical liaison and operational intelligence outpost during the Second World War. Expanding to Ð ° peak of 2,800 personnel in 1944, OSS/London was originally established in October 1941 with the arrival of Ð ° single representative, followed by Ð ° staff nucleus the day after America’s entry into the war. Eventually consisting of contingents from the four major OSS branches-Research and Analysis, Secret Intelligence, Special operations, and X-2 (counter-intelligence)-the mission served as Ð ° focal point for Anglo-American intelligence relations in the decisive theatre in the war against Germany. The London mission was at the heart of OSS relations with British intelligence, and as such it personified the essence of that connection in the Allied war effort. The Allied invasion of Europe ensured that OSS/London, more than any other OSS outpost, would have the greatest opportunity to perform Ð ° decisive role in the intelligence war. Other OSS missions would also make important contributions, notably in Cairo, Algiers and Italy; but these were ultimately secondary theatres, while in the Pacific and Asia, OSS never acquired the sound relationship with the military necessary for intelligence operations. London was at the heart of the Allied war effort, and at the heart of the Anglo-American alliance itself. While intelligence exchanges with the Soviet Union have been documented by Bradley F. Smith, London was the ‘big league’ in Allied intelligence during the war. Many significant matters were accordingly played-out there, offering detailed examples of intelligence services in action. The experiences of OSS in London therefore illuminate the process by which America was introduced to the various components of intelligence and clandestine work, and how well American intelligence performed in its own right. As the presumed precursor to the post-war US Central Intelligence Agency, OSS further invites study in order to understand the antecedents of America’s Cold War intelligence service. The significant Anglo-American context of the evolution of modern American intelligence moreover suggests that the Anglo-American ‘Special Relationship’ had an intelligence component that was manifested most strongly and clearly in OSS/London. (Bruce 2oo3 75) The mission thus provides Ð ° case study of how US intelligence matured and became institutionalized within the context of the larger Anglo-American political-military alliance. This analysis accordingly examines an aspect of that alliance and of intelligence history in particular, that has not yet been explored in any comprehensive detail. It is part of Ð ° current historiographical review of the significance of intelligence services in military and international affairs. It specifically examines OSS/London within the context of Anglo-American relations, as well as the evolution of both modern American, and Allied, intelligence during the Second World War. The general research approach blends what has been termed the American and British ‘schools’ of intelligence scholarship. The more historical nature of British intelligence studies has been noted by Kenneth G. Robertson, while Roy Godson’s ‘Intelligence: an American View’, in Robertson’s British and American Approaches to Intelligence, distinguishes between this historical methodology and the more conceptual or theoretical nature of American studies (for example, Sherman Kent’s Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy). British diplomatic historian D. C. Watt has therefore identified these approaches as two distinct schools of intelligence study, though Ð ° recent noteworthy British contribution to the theoretical school is Michael Herman’s Intelligence Power in Peace and War, which surveys the interrelationship between post-war structures, tasks, and effectiveness. This study for its part demonstrates the influences of both schools by linking theoretical concepts to the role of intelligence ties within the larger wartime Anglo-American alliance. (Neville 2004 45) The second general purpose involves judging the relevance and professionalization of the OSS intelligence effort within the Anglo-American alliance, much of the existing literature on OSS has been preoccupied with the question of whether OSS had an impact on the war, of whether it accomplished anything of consequence. This very concern dominated the first ever OSS conference held at the US National Archives in July 1991. (Paul 2001 38-77) There has moreover been Ð ° number of recent works beginning to examine the documentation on the OSS operational record in various geographic areas, such as Romania and China. 7 Richard Aldrich has gone Ð ° considerable way toward surveying OSS links and rivalries with British intelligence in the Far East. 8 Particularly noteworthy in terms of this present study is Jay Jakub’s recent Spies and Saboteurs, Ð ° survey of Anglo-American ‘collaboration and rivalry’ in espionage and special operations in North Africa, Yugoslavia, Asia, and France. Jakub focuses on identifying varying degrees of mutual dependence and independence in these specific operational realms, and is Ð ° more substantially documented approach to the operational evolution of OSS, including within OSS/London. Having said that, no existing work on OSS has really addressed the experience of any OSS mission in terms of the trend identified by Andrew and Dilks, or provided Ð ° comprehensive analysis of all the major OSS branches in their activities. The question of overall OSS significance to the war effort also remains largely unresolved historiographically. This present study therefore strives to detail OSS/London’s evolution and activities comprehensively, and to establish their larger significance to the institutionalization of American intelligence after the war. The third major research goal flows naturally from the second: to illuminate this alliance intelligence relationship within the larger framework of Anglo-American ‘competitive cooperation’. This phrase was coined by David Reynolds to describe how Britain and America acted in concert as circumstances required, while still maneuvering for advantage and preeminence as powers. Linking this phenomenon with the ambiguity, ambivalence, misuse and circumstance inherent in intelligence operations as suggested by intelligence theory invites an analysis of the intelligence relations between two major wartime powers, or more bluntly, to place this intelligence study within the context of Great Power politics. (Anthony 2002 122-56)

Retention and financial benefits of remote working

Retention and financial benefits of remote working Workers have come a long way with Teleworking and that is why National Telework Week has been organized to recognize employee retention and financial benefits of remote working. Brian Christensen who is one of the employees Cisco System Inc, which is a computer networking firm, recalls how he was forced to move from his home in San Francisco to be near the company’s headquarters in California.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Retention and financial benefits of remote working specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because he was always late at work due to the long distance drive. Christensen used to take 90minutes driving to work which was 50 miles away from his home. Despite the harsh conditions, he was expected to work for 10-hour days. Christensen laughs when he looks at how things have changed as compared to the past 18years. Being the director of information systems at Cisco, Christensen now has more re sponsibilities to attend to. He is responsible for mobile and home service offering for 63,000 employees with $43 billion Company (Meg par. 1). Today, Christensen is able to work several days within a week from home and that is why he encourages other clients and co-workers to do the same too. According a survey report, roughly 90 percent of employees are working at least one day a week from home. Cisco has taken the mandate to promote employee empowerment to facilitate success in their jobs. Better results will be recorded if the employees work from home as compared to the hours they spend in the office. Being a networking company, Cisco has taken the forefront to facilitate a movement on the benefits of teleworking not only to the benefits of employees but also as a way of making business operations to be more global by attracting and retaining workers of highest quality that will boost the productivity of employees. Actually it is Cisco Company that has sponsored the National Tel ework Week which is to begin on Monday. Telework Exchange Company is responsible for organizing the event since the company also promotes teleworking particular in federal government.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The two companies believe that employees can be able to save $ 60 averagely in a week and $ 3000 yearly if they work remotely. A good example is Trademark Office and U.S. Patent which documented savings worth $19million after moving its employees to work remotely. This was more than 14years ago. The large savings were as a result of reduced transport and real estate costs and a reduction in employee turnover. A total of $ 215 billion can be saved if full-time workers decide to work remotely. The environment will also be spared from tons of 143 million pollutants. The number of employees working from home has increased steadily since 2004. However, in 2 010 the number declined as a result of recession. Most employees feared that they might be jeopardizing their boss by telecommuting. There are some managers who find it hard to believe in telecommuting. This is one of the reasons why it is not easy to shift every company to teleworking strategies. Only good results will enable managers to think of using teleworking strategies. Bibliography Meg, Breslin. Teleworking Has Come a Long Way for Workers. 4 March, 2012. Web. https://www.workforce.com/2012/03/05/teleworking-has-come-a-long-way-for-workers/

Rudolf Hess, Nazi Who Claimed to Be Bringing Peace Offer

Rudolf Hess, Nazi Who Claimed to Be Bringing Peace Offer Rudolf Hess was a top Nazi official and close associate of Adolph Hitler who shocked the world in the spring of 1941 by flying a small plane to Scotland, parachuting to the ground, and claiming when captured that he was delivering a peace proposal from Germany. His arrival was met with astonishment and skepticism, and he spent the rest of the war in captivity. Fast Facts: Rudolph Hess Birth: April 26, 1894, Alexandria, Egypt.Death: August 17, 1987, Spandau Prison, Berlin, Germany.Known for: High-ranking Nazi who flew to Scotland in 1941, claiming to bring a peace proposal. Close Hitler Associate There has always been considerable debate about Hesss mission. The British concluded he had no authority to negotiate peace, and questions about his motivations and even his sanity persisted. There was no doubt that Hess had been a longtime associate of Hitler. He had joined the Nazi movement when it was a tiny fringe group on the edge of German society and during Hitlers rise to power he became a trusted aide. At the time of his flight to Scotland, he was widely known to the outside world as a trusted member of Hitlers inner circle. Hess was ultimately convicted at the Nuremberg Trials, and would outlive the other Nazi war criminals who were convicted alongside him. Serving a life term in grim Spandau Prison in West Berlin, he ultimately became the prisons sole inmate for the last two decades of his life. Even his death in 1987 was controversial. By official account, he had committed suicide by hanging himself at the age of 93. Yet rumors of foul play circulated and still persist. After his death the German government had to deal with his grave in a family plot in Bavaria becoming a pilgrimage site for modern day Nazis. Early Career Hess was born as Walter Richard Rudolf Hess in Cairo, Egypt, on April 26, 1894. His father was a German merchant based in Egypt, and Hess was educated at a German school in Alexandria and later at schools in Germany and Switzerland. He embarked on a business career which was quickly interrupted by the outbreak of war in Europe when he was 20 years old. In World War I Hess served in a Bavarian infantry unit and eventually trained as a pilot. When the war ended with Germanys defeat Hess was embittered. Like many other disgruntled German veterans, his deep disillusionment led him to radical political movements. Hess became an early adherent of the Nazi Party, and forged a close association with the partys rising star, Hitler. Hess served as Hitlers secretary and bodyguard in the early 1920s. After the abortive coup in 1923 in Munich, which became famous as the Beer Hall Putsch, Hess was imprisoned with Hitler. During this period Hitler dictated to Hess part of what became his notorious book Mein Kampf. As the Nazis rose to power, Hess was given important posts by Hitler. In 1932 he was appointed head of the partys central commission. In the following years he continued being promoted, and his role in the top Nazi leadership was evident. A front-page headline in the New York Times in the summer of 1934 referred to his likely position as Hitlers closest subordinate and successor: Hitler Understudy Likely To Be Hess. In 1941, Hess was officially known as the third most powerful Nazi, after only Hitler and Herman Goering. In reality his power had probably faded, yet he was still in close contact with Hitler. As Hess hatched his plan to fly out of Germany, Operation Sea Lion, Hitlers plan to invade England the previous year had been postponed. Hitler was turning his attention eastward and making plans to invade Russia. Flight to Scotland On May 10, 1941, a farmer in Scotland discovered a German flier, wrapped in a parachute, on his land. The flier, whose Messerschmitt fighter plane had crashed nearby, first claimed to be an ordinary military pilot, giving his name as Alfred Horn. He was taken into custody by the British military. Hess, posing as Horn, told his captors he was a friend of the Duke of Hamilton, a British aristocrat and noted aviator who had attended the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The Germans, or at least Hess, seemed to believe the Duke could help broker a peace deal. While detained in a hospital shortly after his capture, Hess got to meet the Duke of Hamilton and revealed his true identity. The Duke immediately contacted Prime Minister Winston Churchill and informed him that he had met Hess years earlier and the man who had landed in Scotland was indeed the high-ranking Nazi. British authorities expressed astonishment as the peculiar story of Hesss arrival in Scotland made headlines around the world. The earliest dispatches about Hesss flight from Germany to Scotland were full of speculation about his purpose and motives. One theory in the early press accounts was that Hess feared a purge was coming of top Nazi officials and Hitler might be planning to have him killed. Another theory was that Hess had decided to abandon the Nazi cause and help the British. The official story which was ultimately put out by the British was that Hess claimed to be bringing a peace proposal. The British leadership did not take Hess seriously. In any event, less than a year after the Battle of Britain the British were in no mood to discuss peace with Hitler. The Nazi leadership, for its part, distanced itself from Hess and put out the story that he had been suffering from delusions. For the rest of the war Hess was held by the British. His mental state was often questioned. At one point he seemed to attempt suicide by jumping over the railing of a staircase, breaking a leg in the process. He seemed to spend most of his time staring into space and began to habitually complain that he believed his food was being poisoned. Decades of Captivity Following the end of World War II, Hess was put on trial at Nuremberg along with other leading Nazis. Throughout the ten months of the 1946 war crimes trial, Hess often seemed disoriented as he sat in the courtroom along with other high-ranking Nazis. At times he read a book. Often he stared into space, seeming to have no interest in what was happening around him. Rudolf Hess, with arms extended, at the Nuremberg Trial. Getty Images   On October 1, 1946, Hess was sentenced to life in prison. Twelve of the other Nazis on trial with him were sentenced to be hanged, and others received sentences of 10 to 20 years. Hess was the only Nazi leader to be sentenced to a life term. He escaped the death penalty mainly because his mental state was questionable and he had spent the bloodiest years of the Nazi terror locked up in England. Hess served his sentence in Spandau Prison in West Berlin. Other Nazi prisoners died in prison or were released as their terms ended, and from October 1, 1966, onward, Hess was Spandaus only prisoner. His family periodically sought to have him released, but their appeals were always refused. The Soviet Union, which had been a party to the Nuremberg trials, insisted that he serve every day of his life sentence. In prison, Hess was still mostly a mystery. His peculiar behavior continued, and it wasnt until the 1960s that he agreed to have monthly visits from family members. He was in the news at times when he was taken to a British military hospital in Germany for treatment of various ailments. Controversy After Death Hess died in prison on August 17, 1987, at the age of 93. It was revealed that he had strangled himself with an electrical cord. His jailers said he had left a note indicating a desire to kill himself. Rumors circulated that Hess had been murdered, supposedly because he had become a figure of fascination for neo-Nazis in Europe. The Allied powers released his body to his family, despite fears that his grave would become a shrine for Nazi sympathizers. At his funeral in a Bavarian graveyard in late August 1987 scuffles broke out. The New York Times reported that about 200 Nazi sympathizers, some dressed in Third Reich uniforms, scuffled with police. Hess was buried in a family plot and the site did become a gathering place for Nazis. In the summer of 2011, fed up with visits by Nazis, the cemetery administration exhumed Hesss remains. His body was then cremated and his ashes scattered at sea in an unknown location. Theories about Hesss flight to Scotland continue to emerge. In the early 1990s, files released from Russias KGB seemed to indicate that British intelligence officers had lured Hess to leave Germany. The Russian files included reports from the notorious mole Kim Philby. The official reason for Hesss flight remains as it was in 1941: Hess believed he could, on his own, make peace between Germany and Britain. Sources: Walter Richard Rudolf Hess. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2004, pp. 363-365. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Rudolf Hess Is Dead In Berlin; Last of Hitler Inner Circle. New York Times 18 August 1987. A1.

Questionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Questionaire - Essay Example of the world, but then, many articles and reports provide the fact that big countries like USA, do not have a public insurance for majority of their people. In reality there comes uncountable advertisements and news regarding the several insurance companies and policies for health care, but those who need to get benefit does not really get it in majority. This shows that the administration has some drawbacks or to be more precise only a partial action has been taken by the authorities. The talk concerning how to reduce the expenditure for health care among the individual and the group under the health care services provided by public and private authority still continues. There has been a lot of development seen in the field of computers and wireless technology. The system of wireless health care services helps a lot in reducing the expenses to some extent by making arrangements such as fixing the Appointment for the patients, reminding the dates by sending SMS, and these gradually reduces the cost of medical expenses. The provisions of certain Health Care software, and the availability of Health Care consultants, Health Care Service Providers, help a lot in reducing the expenditure for he patients. The health insurance also helps a lot during emergency times. Though the premium rates have to be given in correct time, the effect of the insurance seems to be really worth during more expenses. The health care is usually financed by public and private authority in general. For example the â€Å"Medicare† and the â€Å"Medicaid† set to meet the health care expenses for the aged and the poor respectively. The process of Universal Health Care system which is funded by the tax revenue has two way payment system â€Å"single-payer† and â€Å"multi-payer†. The single payer is government run organization, which acts as the payer and it saves money. The multi-payer system runs with the joint venture of the public as well as private sectors as payer. introduced by the

Marketing as an Aspect of Business Research Paper

Marketing as an Aspect of Business - Research Paper Example In addition, the marketing function of business is responsible for developing long-term growth and providing and communicating value. Marketing is a critical aspect of business because it plays a critical role in improving the success of the business. Production, as well as distribution, depends primarily on marketing. However, it is common for people to consider sales and marketing as the same thing. The two aspects are quite different; marketing encompasses business processes such as promotion, public relations and sales. At its core, marketing is the process involved in the introduction and promotion of products or services into a market. On the other hand, sales is the act of purchasing or the transaction of customers buying the business’ products or services. Since the purpose of marketing is to make a business’ products or services widely recognized to the market, marketers are required to be immensely creative throughout their marketing activities. Within the mod ern, competitive business environment, getting a company’s products noticed represents quite a challenge to marketers. In terms of marketing strategy, businesses must be more focused on customers than the products (Christensen, 1997). While good and superior quality products are critical, the customer population still has their personal preferences. Therefore, getting repeat purchases is one of the hardest parts of marketing activities. Within the modern, competitive business environment, getting a company’s products noticed represents quite a challenge to marketers.... At its core, marketing is the process involved in the introduction and promotion of products or services into a market. On the other hand, sales is the act of purchasing or the transaction of customers buying the business’ products or services. Since the purpose of marketing is to make a business’ products or services widely recognized to the market, marketers are required to be immensely creative throughout their marketing activities. Within the modern, competitive business environment, getting a company’s products noticed represents quite a challenge to marketers. In terms of marketing strategy, businesses must be more focused on customers than the products (Christensen, 1997). While good and superior quality products are critical, the customer population still has their personal preferences. Therefore, getting repeat purchases is one of the hardest parts of marketing activities. Organizations use various forms of marketing approaches; however, all forms of mar keting aim at promoting product awareness to the entire market. Both online and offline marketing activities make it possible for a business to educate the market on its various products and services, which they can purchase. In addition to creating public awareness of a business’ products and services, marketing boosts a company’s sales, as well as revenue growth (Chernev & Kotler, 2009). Marketing is also important in building a company’s reputation; in order to be successful in the market, marketers typically aim at creating brand name recognition. This entails the technique through which consumers can easily associate the brand name with the logo, images or captions they either see or