Lego Case Essays

Lego Case Essays Lego Case Paper Lego Case Paper TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction1 Strategic Analysis2 A. Internal Core Competences2 B. Company mission and vision3 C. Future goals4 D. Organizational Structure5 E. 7-S model analysis76 Improvements9 Open Innovation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 A. Organization of innovation. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 B. Matrix Innovation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 12 Reference14 Appendices†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 A. Memos†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦15 B. Project A Log for mm215†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. 17 Executive Summary LEGO Group began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, and has a long history which started with making wooden toys, plastic toys and then getting to the famous brick. Because of the foreign competition, many companies, including LEGO, had to reevaluate their strategies to regain competitive advantage. As a consequence, the current corporate vision in Lego energizes all employees. Furthermore, the bond between them and top management can make every decision become a successful strategy. LEGO Goals focus on increasing, developing and expanding â€Å"direct to consumer† activities. The company has three main divisions in order to secure a successful implementation: â€Å"Market and Product† division, â€Å"Community, Education and Direct† and Operation division. This report discusses the 7 S model analyses: strategy, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff and skills. Excelling in this areas, LEGO became the fourth biggest toy manufacturer in the world and the brick was called the â€Å"Toy of the Century â€Å". LEGO Games provide the opportunity for a unique combination of building with Lego bricks and social play with family and friends. LEGO core values are: fun, creativity and quality. The company structure consists of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and four Executive Vice Presidents each responsible for their own business area. The company has always been a family business and now it’s the first time when an outsider becomes part of it, but with his visionary leadership style pulled LEGO out of the crisis. The biggest innovation of LEGO is the way they work with users and other external agents for development and product improvement. For the manufacturing of new products LEGO implemented a mechanism known as LEGO Development Process (LDP). The company has split its innovation efforts into 8 distinct areas, from product development to business model innovation. This report reviews and synthesizes the information presented on the project, and shows case of the Group’s strategies and vision. The issues of diversity and innovation occupy a central role in showing the company’s values. Nevertheless, the Group must advance and focus on its fundamental mission, adapting to the external realities that affect the market. Introduction The LEGO Group, a privately held company based in Billund, began in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen (1891 – 1958), a carpenter, who began making wooden toys in 1932. In 1947, it started to produce plastic toys, and in 1949, LEGO began producing the now famous bricks, calling them â€Å"Automatic Binding Bricks†. Bricks are colourful and they are accompanying array of gears, mini-figures and various other parts. LEGO Company takes its name from the two Danish words ‘Leg Godt’ meaning â€Å"play well. † The LEGO Groups motto is ‘det bedste er ikke for godt’ which means roughly only the best is good enough’. This motto was created by Ole Kirk to encourage his employees never to skimp on quality, a value he believed in strongly. The motto is still used within the company today. Today, LEGO Group ranks among the four biggest construction toy company around the world. Globally, there are approximately 10,000 employees in the LEGO Group, which is presented in more than 130 countries. The concept of â€Å"Play Well† serves their philosophy for all LEGO products today, a philosophy encouraging children to be open and curious, to stimulate their creativity, imagination and learning – while they’re having fun. In 1968, LEGOLAND Billund opened and it became Denmark’s most popular tourist attraction outside the capital. LEGOLAND parks are family parks in which children enter an exciting world of adventure built of LEGO bricks. There are 4 LEGOLAND’s in the world and soon there will be 5. There is one in the south of England, which opened in 1996, one in USA, in California which opened in 1999 and one in Deutschland, which opened in 2002. LEGO Group announced the opening of 2 new LEGOLAND parks, in Florida at the end of 2011 and in Malaysia in 2012. Strategic Analysis The threat of foreign competition has caused many companies to re-evaluate their strategies in order to regain the position of competitive advantage. The whole purpose of a strategic analysis is to figure out the most suitable planning strategy in respect to the company’s production and people, to set overall goals for the business and to develop a plan to achieve them. This process involves stepping back from the day-to-day operations and asking where the business is heading. 1 Internal Core Competences [pic] All the internal core competences that LEGO promote are properly balanced, adding value to the company strategies. Leadership The corporate vision is inspirational and energizes all employees throughout the company. Leaders are energetic, communicating strategic decision and lead by example. The top management within LEGO Group knows how to help its employees to expect and respect data-driven decision making, by making strategy everyone’s job: the work force understands the strategy and further, understands how their locale, everyday decision can contribute to successful strategy implementation. Corporate Culture The shared values of the LEGO Company within the employees are what link the organization together so that everyone lives the values, nurturing an attitude of relentless growth. Teams are infused with purpose, personality and passion for continuous improvement. Empowered Employees The employees of the LEGO Company are sharply aligned with the corporate vision and strategy, having a decision-making authority. All the innovators employees have the freedom to experiment, fail and begin again more intelligently. Performance Management LEGO Group has two major systems that are performance wise: motivation systems and suggestion systems. Motivation systems encourage extraordinary performance from all employees, as suggestion systems involve them in continuous efficiency improvement. Corporate Capabilities Combining all the structures, LEGO has established strong corporate capabilities on the basis of high promotion of effective creativity, ideas and knowledge. Within the company, teamwork is made a religion and innovation teams are empowered and diversity is leveraged. 2 Company mission and vision For the vast majority of companies, having well-defined visions and mission statements changes nothing. The exercise of crafting them is a complete waste of time and talent, if visions and mission statements are used for nothing but being published in the annual report and displayed in a reception area. In connection to this, LEGO Group has a remarkable strategy of sharing the missions and vision among all the employees and customers. Mission: ‘Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow’ LEGO’s ultimate purpose is to inspire and develop children to think creatively, reason systematically and release their potential to shape their own future experiencing the endless human possibility. Based on the world famous LEGO brick, the company currently provides toys, experiences and educational materials to children living in over 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 10,000 employees and is the fifth-game material in the world. Vision: ‘Inventing the future of play’ LEGO wants to pioneer new ways of playing, play materials and the business models of play leveraging globalization and digitalization it is not just about products, it is about realizing the human possibility. In order to achieve this, LEGO is: We try to achieve this by providing a wide range of fun and high quality, based on our build system. In the hands of children, encourage products to implement the unique LEGO style: a style fun, creative, engaging and stimulating all at the same time. This activity provides children self-esteem and allows them to experience the special pride of getting things. Throughout the process, develop automatic and informally a set of future skills of ou tstanding importance: The resolution of problems from a creative standpoint, structured, curiosity and imagination, interpersonal relationships and physical motor skills. Building with LEGO is ultimately synonymous with play. 3 Future goals The LEGO Group has seen continued growth over the previous five years, and sales have increased by double-digit growth rates in the last few years. On this basis, seven growth goals have been defined by the company: Increase market share in USA Increase market share in Eastern Europe Invest in emerging markets Develop innovative new products Expand â€Å"direct to consumer† activities Expand LEGO Education The company’s aim is to create growth in the area of educational materials for preschools, schools and educational institutions all over the world. Expand Electronic Activities The LEGO Group currently operates on electronic platforms through the www. LEGO. com website and video games. According to LEGO’s website, its electronic presence will be further expanded, in particular through LEGO Universe – the first MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) from the LEGO Group, which was launched in the second half of 2010. 4 Organizational Structure An organizational structure combines activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. In order to secure the successful implementation of the LEGO Group strategy a new organizational structure was introduced in Feb 2006 with three main divisions: 1. The ‘Market and Products’ division is focusing in creating value for the customers and ensure a higher degree of innovation. 2. The ‘Community, Education and Direct’ Division is developing the group xisting and new direct-to-consumer sales and ensure that the unique LEGO communities are catered through direct dialogue. 3. In order to ensure optimal operation and efficiency, all the supplies of products via the value chain , as well as the supply chain and central functions will be united within the ‘Operations’ Division. 5 7-S model analysis7 [pic] You can divide the factors into so-called hard and soft factors. Strat egy, structure and systems fall under the hard element because they can be easy to identify and affect. On the other hand there are shared values, style, staff and skills which fall under the soft elements because they can be difficult to identify but are equally important to have a successful company all around. Strategy: The company plan or route-map to maintain competitive advantage Structure: The company hierarchy Systems: The day-to-day processes and procedures throughout the company Shared Values: The core values of the company Style: The company leadership style Staff: The companys employees and their broad abilities Skills: The skills and competencies of employees Strategy: LEGO is always trying to have a competitive advantage. Always trying to expand and get the LEGO band into other countries and have also inspired to open LEGO amusement parks around the world – USA, Germany, Japan and England. Their market share in the US has increased with 5% over the past years and it is also their assessment that it can increase more over the next years. They have become the fourth biggest toy manufacturer in the world and manage to keep their position because they are very innovative and always come up with new concepts and new ideas of fun and play for kids to engage in. Structure: The company structure consists with the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer and 4 executive vice presidents with responsibility for their own business areas. This has both pros and cons. They all specialize in their area and that can be a pro because they know everything there is to know about their area and they are excellent at their job. It can also be a con because it also means they do not know a lot about the other business areas and it would not be the easiest thing to go help the other vice presidents if they needed it. Systems: LEGO has since 2005 been undergoing major organizational change and the CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp introduced the LEAN process in the company. It is a system that has two main areas, customer value and waste. Shared values: LEGO Games provides the opportunity for a unique combination of building with LEGO bricks and social play with family and friends. Players build the game from bricks, play it – and can then build a new version of the game or change its rules. The many games in the series have been developed on the basis of LEGO core values: fun, creativity and quality, and with an appeal to children aged five years and older. Style: The company has always been a family business with a member of the original family at the top, but now for the first time it’s an outsider that has been made Chief executive officer. He has a very visionary leadership style, and you can see that because he pulled LEGO out of a crisis and saved it from destruction, and focuses on how the leader defines the future for followers and moves them towards it, with his 4 vice presidents each responsible for their own business. He carried out the LEAN process and it has shown to be a great success. One of the areas in LEAN is about reaching the full potential of the employees and having them think about improvements regarding the customer’s needs. For this to work it is very important that the management have an attitude that shows trust, recognition and respect towards the employees. The company also has a unique and admirable style when you look at their code of conduct making sure that all their suppliers work after their high standards, and LEGO require that their suppliers sign a statement saying they follow the Code of Conduct of LEGO which is regarding: Child labour Pay and work hours Discrimination Force and harassment Forced labour Work environment Environment Fighting corruption Staff: The LEGO Group has 10,000 employees and they are both experienced and competent and they care a lot about all their employees being trained by someone more experienced so they learn from the inside and from the best. They show their employees a lot of trust so that they fe el confident and like a big part of the organization. Skills: The creative core of LEGO is made of 120 designers, always making sure LEGO is ahead on the toy ideas. Most of them have designer degrees and art school degrees although this is not a requirement to be a part of LEGO’s creative core. They always have to be on top of things and they are very skilled and capable, which is also a part of the great leadership style at LEGO. By doing the analysis of all these elements of LEGO it gives an overview on the internal organization, and it is clear that LEGO is a very functional company with a very capable CEO who is always up front on the marked and trying to make LEGO even bigger. There is always room for improvement but LEGO has a good solid organization for that Improvements Every process produces information on the basis of which the process can be improved. The focus is on continuous improvement throughout the organization through constant effort to reduce waste, rework and complexity. LEGO Company has business process thinking and it is based upon the central belief that is fundamentally the simplicity, shared vision and technology enabling that creates value to the customers and builds a good image for the organization. Integrating best practices Outline best possible strategies Because of their organizational structure with four vice presidents responsible for their own business areas, it could be a good idea to have them work in each other’s areas to get a wider knowledge about the other areas and make it easier to help each other if needed. World Class Competitiveness Market impact, focus on a balanced culture Further definition of client’s needs Development of an Integrated Strategy Built outcomes into new strategies Simplifying the processes, measures, and data gathering for a better action planning. Employee force development Prioritizing the options, resourcing the teams and find the most suitable plan for action. External improvement Developing the customer relationship Long term relationship with the suppliers Customers focus and feedback Open Innovation Since the discovery of its benefits, many companies are distinguished for being at the forefront of work processes and methodology, have opted for open innovation. He who works alone, he adds, who works in networks, it multiplies. The scenario has changed and we need not only internal innovation, the advantages or benefits that represent the adoption of open innovation models in companies or organizations, such as cost reduction, flexibility of structures, accelerated innovation and creativity or increase revenue, but we need for an organization to be more efficient against the competition, both in creation and in the capture of value. What is it? Basically expand innovation, listening in decision-making organizations to all its members and outsiders and not limited to R D Department or the Directorate. Open Innovation brings together innovative products and innovation model business across the R D process. In the research phase, companies seek and discover inventors, start-ups and other sources of available technologies that can be used as a basis for internal development project or assembly. In the development phase, established firms can acquire innovations outside that provide the opportunity to develop new generations of technology. In the marketing stage, it can buy or sell products or technologies, depending on the potential value that can be generated. Open innovation has acquired a new dimension, thanks to booming Internet collaborative tools and social networks. The most important for each organization must be clients, users and beneficiaries of each product or service. There are many cases in which companies currently have user communities of each brand that have given a boost in times of decline. External flows of technology, experience and knowledge through the collaborative work we now, say that open innovation have even become an almost essential tool for some companies when it comes to reinvent itself, leaving behind the obsolescence that seemed doomed their products and services. The biggest innovation of LEGO is the way they work with users and other external agents for development and product improvement. An example of this is what happened whit the product LEGO Mindstorm, a line of building blocks and programmable robots. Given its complexity, users, children and adults, without programming knowledge could not build their robots and make them work correctly and that frustrated them, so that meant Lego was facing a drop in sales. The first step to solve this problem was to seek advice from the outside. They got prototypes mountable in 20 minutes and easy to use for people without computer and programming skills. Later, they took a real leap electing 5 people from their community of consumers, 5 people with experience in computer science, programming and design and were fans of Lego. They worked on a new prototype of Lego Mindstorm, but were not paid with money but with advantages in the purchase of new products that were not yet on the market and free tickets to LEGOLAND. In addition to that, 100 users formed a community of developers. Shortly after the release of Mindstorm, a hacker revealed the programming code and hung it on the network. Lego then saw a new opportunity to increase the added value of their products to share with the world some of their knowledge. Another example of Open Innovation is the website that created LEGO, Lego Factory, where people can customize and design their own toy and buy it. Also, people can upload their designs and if they are good, Lego makes them to sell to the public. This makes LEGO closer to the people and that consumers will identify more with the company and its philosophy. And its a very good method of developing the user loyalty. 1 Organization of innovation For the manufacture of new products LEGO implanted a mechanism known as LEGO Development Process (LDP). This mechanism became a cumbersome bureaucratic mechanism because the workers had to fill in many forms, and each product took a long time to arrive to the market and only a few products were finally launched to the market. This process was modified and simplified, steps were removed, and the results to be obtained at each stage of the innovation process were clarified. The company has split its innovation efforts into eight distinct areas, from product development to business model innovation. It divides responsibility for them across four areas of the firm: the functional groups, the Concept Lab, Product and Marketing Development, and a unit called Community, Education, and Direct. To implement the new innovation process and manage and coordinate innovation across the entire company, LEGO created an Executive Innovation Governance Group. This committee determines innovation goals and strategy, decides the portfolio of innovation projects that the LEGO Group will take on, coordinates efforts, it delegates authority, allocates resources, and monitors the development process through the LDP review points. The four areas in which it divides the process of innovation are: 1. Functional Groups: Create core and enabling business processes in functions from Sales to manufacturing and supply chain. Areas of Innovation: core processes (sales, operations, financial planning), enabling processes (forecasting, marketing planning) 2. Concept Lab: Develops fundamentally new products and play experiences; located in its own building. 3. Product and Marketing Development (PMD): Develops the next generation of existing products and innovates on existing play themes (for instance, â€Å"pirates†), packaging, and campaigns. Areas of Innovation: Messaging (advertising campaigns, websites) Offerings (products, packaging) Platforms (toys’ technology elements) 4. Community, Education, and Direct (CED): Supports customer communities and taps Them for product ideas; manages the LEGO retail chain, the online store, and educational-market offerings; creates online play experiences. -Areas of Innovation: consumer interaction (communities, customer service), sales channel (retailers, direct to consumer), business model (revenue, pricing). 2 Matrix Innovation After failed innovations in different types of products, to make it easier and specific new process development (LPD) for each area, to help coordinate and identify the innovations necessary to develop a new product, LEGO creates the Matrix Innovation. This matrix identifies four areas in which innovation can take place within the company product, business, communication, and the process as well as the innovativeness of the improvements. In completing the matrix is achieved coordinating innovation efforts and identify where they need to focus resources. Matrix also used innovation as a guideline for restructuring the company and clarifies specific innovation responsibilities for each department. This allows each group to have greater authority and responsibility in achieving their goals. It also serves to coordinate this new form of open innovation in which ideas are taken into account and use the work of consumers, retailers, start-up companies, inventors and others who are interested in helping in developing Lego products and innovation. Reference http://1000ventures. com/business_guide/org_balanced_5elements. html businesslink. gov. k/bdotg/action/detail? itemId=1079687246r. i=1079687767r. l1=1074404796r. l2=1074446322r. l3=1079687477r. s=scr. t=RESOURCEStype=RESOURCES http://en. wikicollecting. org/the-lego-group http://cache. lego. com/upload/contentTemplating/AboutUsFactsAndFiguresContent/otherfiles/download98E142631E71927FDD52304C1C0F1685. pdf lmcuk. com/management-tool/the-7-s-model-for-organisational-change http://aboutus . lego. com/da-dk/corporate/default. aspx ouh. dk/wm267615 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Lean_manufacturing docstoc. com/docs/6899468 http://blogs. alianzo. om/redessociales/2008/08/08/innovacion-abierta-casos/ slideshare. net/dsanchezbote/open-innovation-comunidad-de-innovadores-presentation josemira. com/2011/01/articulo-el-fenomeno-de-la-open-innovation/ www. LEGOFactory. com innovationgovernance. net/legostudy. html innovationgovernance. net/legomatrix. html Appendices Memo To: Meg Sonderlund From: Maria Carlsen Date: October 10th 2011 Subject: My development during project A During the week of our project A regarding the LEGO Group I feel like I had a personal development with understanding and helping my group members. It was a challenge to communicate and work together as a team with someone who is from another country and speaks another language, and is maybe used to doing things differently from me. I always fall into the role of the leader in a group and is used to doing things my way and just had everyone follow me. But this week I got a lot better at slowing down and listening to the others and explaining what I meant and what I am doing so they could understand and also lean. I was really nice to help and show them ways to do things, and I also learned from them. I got better at Word processer by the help from one member of my group and she also showed me how to do a great layout for a paper and a power point. It was a challenge to work together in such a big group and with people that have such different backgrounds, but I really enjoyed it and I think I also became a better team player this week and got better at doing things together instead of just doing my own thing and finish my part. This group came together and I also made some friendships I don’t think I would have otherwise so that makes this week a success. To: Meg Sonderlund From: Hannah-Rebecca Doukhan Date: October 10th 2011 Subject: The memo of Project A During this week of Project A, I have improved some knowledge about the LEGO Group, in constructing a paper and in Word Processor. I can use my class of Communication and Organization to write the paper. Furthermore, I have improved my English and met new people. Indeed, during this week I learned so many things about LEGO Group. I already knew the company because in France we have the LEGO toys, but I didn’t know that it is a Danish company and that it is the fourth biggest toy company around the world. It was so interesting to learn things about this group because it is very stimulating to be acquainted with a company better. Furthermore, for the presentation of the paper, we have to make a table of contents automatically generated by our word processing program. But I did not know how to do this. So I did some researches on Internet and now I know how to make a table of contents automatically on Word. When I arrived in Odense, I had some difficulties in speaking English and still have, but this week helped me to improve my English. I think I have made more progress during this week than since I got here. All the day I spoke English with the other members of my group and I had to be understood by them, so I had to make effort. During this week, I have met some nice people. And it was so exciting to speak with them. They helped me improve my English, they corrected my mistakes. To conclude, I think I can say that this week was a very good week. I learned so many things and it was more stimulating than classes. To: Meg Sonderlund From: Laura Dragomir Date: 07. 10. 2011 Subject: Personal Development This memo has a key role in showing case of my personal development while working in a group for Project A. In the beginning it took me a lot of time and energy in understanding and accepting the others ideas and proposals, but soon I found out how interesting and challenging a group task can be. I have learned to develop my analytical skills and to be more concise about all the knowledge that I want to pass on. Furthermore, I was introduced to a practical issue of analyzing a theory model and I believe that my knowledge in that area has improved considerably. Other than the achievement and improvement of the practical skills I have also enjoyed the social part of the group project. I got to know my group colleagues better than I would have done it in the class room, and it was very exciting to learn about their different life stories. Other than reaching a positive result in the group project we also established a connection with each other. To:Meg Sonderlund From: Maria Enasoae Date: October 7, 2011 Subject: The Memo of Project A During our first project, the Project A, having like task the LEGO Company, I consider that we gained more knowledge about LEGO, we had the opportunity to implement some things from the communication class, and not the last is that we learned working like team. We met during this week; we talked and exchanged ideas between us, sharing tasks that we hope to be fully accomplished. Like every beginning, was a little bit difficult to work with people that you don’t know very well, speaking in English instead of your mother tongue, different culture, different ways of thinking, but I think the end was a benefic one and we made a pretty good job. We worked allot for this project, we tried to find as many topics discussed to lead us to a favorable result, each of us coming up with an idea and finally choosing the one that we all agreed. We learned how to make an Executive Summary, Appendix, and Analysis, how to write them in Word, how should be the page, and many other interesting and useful staffs. Besides working to this project we made time also for coffee breaks and lunch, moments of relaxation in which we had the opportunity to socialize, to find out more one about each other, we talked about us and our personal life, daily life, things that we like and things that we don’t like, we learned how to communicate, and in my opinion the communication is crucial between members of a group or organization to be successful in their jobs. I think now, after this project, we learned many new and interesting things about us, like team, we get used more one with each other and become more confident regarding our qualities and also defects. Now, that the project it’s done and our mission has ended for the moment, we hope that will have achieved good results to be proud of. It was a nice and positive experience, first project like group, so for us it was a first step until the next projects, and our target for the future is to reach higher and higher like team. We thank you all for your interest and attention, hope you liked our project and team work! To: Mary M. l. Sonderlund From: Gustavs Erglis Date: October 7, 2011 Subject: Project A Project A was a great experience for me, because I’ve never really done anything like this before. At first it was very hard for me to understand what the objective was, and what do I have to do, but thanks to my group mates I kind of managed to get through my part of the work. Also I really liked that this was the second time we did a case together, so we didn’t have to spend much time getting to know each other. I gained a lot from this project. For example, I learned something about the strategic analysis, for any means I don’t want to say I’ve gotten very good at it, but at least now I have some knowledge about this. We had a very nice atmosphere in our group, everybody was very friendly and helped me, when I had some difficulties. In the end I can say that I really enjoyed doing this project, and I’m glad that we got through without many major difficulties. To: Meg Sonderlund From: Amador Ignacio Fidalgo Omil Date: October 10th 2011 Subject: The memo of Project A Work on this project on LEGO Group has been interesting because I learned many things about this company and also because it helped me to improve my English skills a little because I have a low level. I liked working with my classmates because they listen to my views and helped me when I had some problem with vocabulary or looking information. And I liked to know the working method of Lego. Learning this new concept to me that is the Open Innovation as Lego takes into account the opinions of its users to develop or improve their products. I think it is a philosophy of work very interesting and exciting to the fact that consumers can make decisions on the product creation process that subsequently will buy. Maria Carlsen Hannah-Rebecca DoukhanPROJECT A Laura DragomirLog for group 2 Maria Enasoae Gustavs Erglis Ignacio Fidalgo Monday October 3rd The group met and got the assignment on the LEGO Group. We all agreed on going home and each find some information about LEGO and come up with some ideas on how to do the paper and which model to use, and then we agreed to meet Tuesday morning to brainstorm all of our ideas and start the paper. Everyone did a really nice job and came up with different interesting ideas for our project. Tuesday October 4th We met at 9 o’clock and started brainstorming and showing the others what we came up with for the paper. At first we had a hard time getting started and trying to figure out what to write in the project and which models to use. After some discussion and debating we made a rough draft of the table of contents and divided it so we each had an area to focus on and also decided to do a little bit of homework each day so we do not fall behind. After dividing the different parts of the paper we could decide to stay at the school and work or go home. Some went home and some stayed a little longer. Wednesday October 5th We met at 10 o’clock this morning and started reading what everyone did at home. Everyone did a really good job and had a lot to share. We now have 17. 000 keystrokes and are almost done with the paper, so all we need is just a few last parts of the paper and all the appendices, and for everyone to read through the paper so we can do the power point. That is what we plan to start tomorrow. This day was a really good day. We worked very well together as a team and listened to each other and tried very hard to understand and explain if someone had a hard time with the language or something else. Thursday October 6th We met at 10 o’clock to finish the paper and start our executive summery and power point. We all had some different ideas of what to write in the executive summery and we discussed a little bit and tried to put everyone’s ideas into it. Hannah-Rebecca worked on the layout of the paper and the power point and the others worked on the summery and the grammar in the paper. Friday October 7th Today we just finished the last grammar corrections in the paper, the table of contents and the last touch to the power point. Some members of the group had some jobs they did all through the week. Hannah-Rebecca worked on the layout of the paper and the power point and did a very fine job on both. She is the creative one in the group, and Laura and Maria C did all the grammar and spelling corrections in the paper. The rest of the members helped out where it was needed and also did work from home like everyone else in the group. This team worked very well! Tietgen Business College MM215 COM 1st Semester Project A 2011 Carlsen Maria Doukhan Hannah-Rebecca Dragomir Laura Enasoae Maria Erglis Gustavs Fidalgo Ignacio Group 2 21,054 keystrokes Meg Sonderlund Peter Storm-Henningsen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ProductBusinessCommunicationProcesses 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Meg Sonderlund Peter Storm-Henningsen 1st semester mm215 21 22

How Presidents Have Used Their Power To Pardon

How Presidents Have Used Their Power To Pardon The President derives the power of pardon from Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the president power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. A reprieve reduces the severity of a punishment, but the person remains guilty. A pardon removes both punishment and guilt, which is why pardons are more likely to be controversial. The process for obtaining a pardons begins with an application to the Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney. The DOJ consults with other lawyers and judges for recommendations; the FBI runs a check on the applicant. After winnowing the applicants, the DOJ provides a list of recommendations to the office of the White House Counsel. Historical Pardons Historically, Presidents used the power to pardon to heal rifts in the national psyche. As President Bush said on 24 December 1982, When earlier wars have ended, Presidents have historically used their power to pardon to put bitterness behind us and look to the future. For example, George Washington pardoned leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion; James Madison pardoned Lafittes pirates after the War of 1812; Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederate soldiers after the Civil War; Harry Truman pardoned those who violated World War II Selective Service laws; and Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam War draft dodgers. The modern-day pardon, however, has taken a decidedly more political turn. And it may help its recipient find a job and regain the right to vote. Nixon In modern history, the most controversial pardon is probably the 1974 pardon of former President Richard Nixon, issued by President Gerald Ford. Ford assumed the presidency on 9 August 1974, the day after President Nixon resigned over Watergate, pending impeachment. Ford pardoned Nixon on 8 September 1974. Although Carter made a campaign issue of the Nixon pardon, in retrospect Fords action was brave (it was political suicide) and helped a divided nation begin to heal. Iran-Contra On 24 December 1992, President George Bush pardoned six Reagan administration officials involved in the Iran-Contra Affair: Elliott Abrams, Duane R. Clarridge, Alan Fiers, Clair George, National Security Adviser Robert C. Bud McFarlane and Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger. He compared their actions to those pardoned by Madison, Johnson, Truman and Carter: In many cases, the offenses pardoned by these Presidents were at least as serious as those I am pardoning today. Independent Counsel Lawrence E. Walsh was appointed in December 1986 to investigate the Iran/Contra affair; subsequently, Walsh brought charges against 14 people. Eleven were convicted; two convictions were overturned on appeal. Two were pardoned before trial, and one case was dismissed when the Bush Administration declined to declassify information necessary for trial.President Bush pardoned six Iran/Contra participants on 24 December 1992. Post-Trial Pardons Elliott Abrams   Pleaded guilty October 7, 1991, to two misdemeanor charges of withholding information from Congress about secret government efforts to support the Nicaraguan contra rebels during a ban on such aid. He was sentenced on November 15, 1991 to two years probation and 100 hours community service. The second President Bush appointed Abrams as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on the National Security Council for Near East and North African Affairs. Alan D. Fiers, Jr.   Pleaded guilty July 9, 1991, to two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress about secret efforts to aid the Nicaraguan contras. He was sentenced on January 31, 1992 to one year probation and 100 hours community service. Pardoned. Clair E. George   Indicted September 6, 1991, on 10 counts of perjury, false statements and obstruction in connection with congressional and Grand Jury investigations. Georges trial on nine counts ended in a mistrial on August 26, 1992. Following a second trial on seven counts, George was found guilty December 9, 1992, of two felony charges of false statements and perjury before Congress. His sentencing hearing was February 18, 1993. Pardoned before sentencing occurred. Robert C. McFarlane   Pleaded guilty March 11, 1988, to four misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress. He was sentenced on March 3, 1989, to two years probation, $20,000 in fines and 200 hours community service. Pardoned. Pre-trial Pardons Duane R. Clarridge   Indicted November 26, 1991, on seven counts of perjury and false statements about a secret shipment of U.S. HAWK missiles to Iran. The maximum penalty for each count was five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Trial date set for March 15, 1993. Pardoned. Caspar W. Weinberger   Indicted June 16, 1992, on five counts of obstruction, perjury and false statements in connection with congressional and Independent Counsel investigations of Iran/ contra. On September 29, the obstruction count was dismissed. On October 30, a second indictment was issued, charging one false statement count. The second indictment was dismissed December 11, leaving four counts remaining. The maximum penalty for each count was five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Trial date set for January 5, 1993, trial date. Pardoned. Dismissal Joseph F. Fernandez   Indicted June 20, 1988 on five counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing the inquiry of the Tower Commission and making false statements to government agencies. The case was dismissed in the District of Columbia for venue reasons on the motion of Independent Counsel. A four-count indictment was issued in the Eastern District of Virginia on April 24, 1989. The four-count case was dismissed November 24, 1989, after Attorney General Richard Thornburgh blocked the disclosure of classified information ruled relevant to the defense. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., on September 6, 1990 upheld Judge Hiltons rulings under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). On October 12, 1990, the Attorney General filed a final declaration that he would not disclose the classified information. From the  Walsh Iran/Contra Report. In addition, Bush pardoned Edwin Cox Jr., whose family contributed nearly $200,000 to the Bush familys campaigns and to Republican campaign committees from 1980 to 2000, according to documents obtained by  CNN. Cox pleaded guilty to bank fraud in 1988, served six months in prison and paid $250,000 in fines. In addition, his father (Cox, Sr.) is a Bush Presidential Library trustee who contributed between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Bush Presidential Library. A complete  list of Bushs pardons  (1989-1992) President Clintons Pardons President Clintons most controversial pardon was of billionaire financier Marc Rich. His connection with the political and business elite of both parties demonstrates that the differences among those in power are less distinct than the differences between those in power and those out of power. For  example: After hiring prominent Republican lawyers during the Reagan and Bush administrations- Leonard Garment, former Nixon White House counsel, William Bradford Reynolds, once an official of the Reagan Justice Department, and Lewis Libby, now chief of staff to Vice President Richard Cheney- Rich hired a top Democratic lawyer, Jack Quinn, to give him direct access to Clinton. Quinn, former White House counsel, runs his law practice with Ed Gillespie, a key Bush adviser and former head of the GOP. In addition, Clinton pardoned Susan McDougal (Whitewater), former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros (lied to FBI investigators about payments to his mistress) and  ex-CIA chief  John Deutch (forced out at the CIA when he contradicted White House claims that U.S. missile strikes on Iraq were effective).Review the  list of Clintons pardons  (1993-2000) President Bushs Pardons As the end of President Bushs term drew near, he had pardoned about half as many people as his prior two-term predecessors, Clinton and Ronald Reagan. Bush has issued pardons for many petty crimes committed decades in the past, ranging from possessing marijuana to moonshining. Just before Thanksgiving 2008,  President Bush pardoned 14 and commuted the sentence  of another two. This brought his pardon total to 171 and commutations total to eight. In one of the most high profile cases of his Administration, that of Scooter Libby, President Bush did not grant a pardon. He did, however, commute Libbys sentence. Another high-profile commuted sentences was that of  hip-hop musician John Forte, who was convicted in 2001 on drug smuggling charges. In Texas. Just  before Christmas, Bush pardoned Isaac Toussie who pleaded guilty in 2001 to using false documents to have mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and in 2002 to mail fraud, admitting that he had persuaded officials in Suffolk County to overpay for land. Bush rescinded the pardon the next day after press reports revealed that his father, Robert Toussie, recently donated $30,800 to Republicans. Bush let  stand a pardon  issued for Alan Maiss, who had contributed $1,500 to the presidents 2004 re-election campaign; he served one year of probation. In 1995, Maiss failed to report a fellow gaming executives alleged ties to organized crime. Bush had  pardoned 19  and provided clemency for one. See a  list of pardons  and  commutations  granted by President George W. Bush.

Answer these questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer these questions - Essay Example In the campaigning groups, for instance, Protestants who are morally upright will discourage rivalry. This creates political sanity in the country, enabling smooth flow of the political realm. It also develops convenient answers to complicated questions, therefore cubing fears while guaranteeing reassurance for the future. According to Islamic religion, the Muslims need to, not only do good to the public, but also influence and impact the public to do good. This is stated in the holy quran 12:55-56. The Muslims join the politics in order to influence the governments to do good. They believe they may not be heard while they are outside the political arena. In an example, Prophet Yusuf, living in a non Muslim country, was asked to be appointed to head the national treasury, he said â€Å"Set me over the store-houses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge† This is according to the Qur’an. Muslims also believe that they are known to revenge on any any offence against them. The implication of this is that they will always cause chaos wherever they go. To change this perspective in the minds of people, they have to be elected to the national dockets so as to reach the public and change the negative image they have in the public. Practices associated with religion, for example, Literature, arts, music, and traditions are obvious for they have brought many people together enhancing unity among people of different interests. They develop a specific culture, in which the common people have shared practices. The stories within the Bible, like the story of King David and how he became a leader of Israel, have teachings that can be drawn by the modern leaders to shape their moral behavior. An example is when King David became remorseful when he killed Uriah and lay with his wife. From this context, men can always reconcile with people they have wronged while they are in

Personal Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Theory - Essay Example , 1986, 115-31) Feminist theory takes the position that the portrayal of the damsel in distress has a profound view on the self-perception as children tend to emulate the characteristics of their favorite characters in children’s literature and attempt to subscribe to their respective character traits. (Zipes, 1989, 185-200) Feminist theory takes the position that the damsel in distress portrays a view of human nature that perpetuates an entirely sexist view of human nature.(Kramer and Moore, 2001) The underlying message is that the female in distress does not have the ability to cope on her own and is dependent upon a males assistance for relief. The view of human nature in this distinction between female and male characterization is exemplified in Cinderella where the damsel in distress is rescued by a Prince Charming who holds out the promise of marriage, status, wealth and happiness. The heroine is helpless and powerless and cannot find redemption without male interference. Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are similar in their respective approaches to this view of human nature in that the heroine is passive and dependant upon the strong, rich and powerful male for redemptive value. Beauty and The Beast puts forward the strong male/weak female view of human nature in a different way. In this fairy tale, the male is aggressive, cruel and punishing and is eventually tamed by the self-sacrificing, beautiful female victim. The female heroine eventually comes to the realization that the male’s cruelty and aggression were all facades for his underlying love for the female and his actual cruel and violent outbursts were merely manifestations of his love for her. (Coward, 1984, 189) Girls who read these Fairy Tales obviously form a distorted view of their perceptions of the female’s role in society. Feminist theory advocates that girls tend to idealize these feminine traits and strive to emulate them. The role of the councilor is to help women who have

Game and Sportsman Essay Example for Free

Game and Sportsman Essay Sportsmanship does not mean only taking part in sports and playing the game in conformity with the rules prescribed, but also playing the game of life in the spirit imbibed on the playing fields. A true sportsman is he who observes all those rules in life which he has been taught to observe in games. One who has achieved skill or proficiency in games but does not learn to apply the principles of sports to life in general does not deserve to be called a sportsman. On the contrary, a man who gives evidence of possessing a sporting spirit in games is still a sportsman. Usually those who play games develop into true sportsmen because their character is molded by the training they are given on the field. It implies fair play. Just in games if any player plays foul, the side to which he belongs is penalized, similarly in the bigger game of life one must always be fair in ones dealings with others. Fairness, honesty, integrity, openness of heart and frankness -these are the qualities that a sportsman must display in life. One should not practice deception, should not bluff, should not cheat others and should indulge in diplomacy or humility. A sportsman never takes undue advantage of the weakness of his adversary nor does he hit below the belt. The art implies obedience to the leader. In games the players have to obey their captain and yield to him on points on which they are in disagreement with him. They must repose the fullest confidence in him. In life too, a sportsman yields to his superior even if he does not agree with him. Respect for discipline is an essential part of sportsmanship. Team spirit is another important element of sportsmanship. In games the various players must cooperate with one another if they wish to win a match. Without mutual co-operation success is impossible. Similarly in whatever sphere of life one may be, one must aid and be aided by ones friends if one is a true sportsman. Sportsmanship consists in working in full harmony with others. In cooperation indeed lies strength. Wherever a common aim binds a number of people together, they must display their sportsmanship by working harmoniously, without friction or mutual jealousy. Finally, the spirit of sportsmanship demands cheerfulness even in the face of a defeat. When two players play a tennis match, the loser does not cherish any grudge against the winner. In fact the loser congratulates his opponent on his success and shakes hands with him. Fair play, respect for discipline, recognition of the need for teamwork and cheerfulness even in the event of defeat are thus the dominant marks of a sportsman. Sportsmanship is worthy of admiration.

Twitter: The Dangerous Effects of Social Networking Essay -- national

In our society, social networking has become very popular over the last 5 years. Twitter is a social networking site that allows users to become â€Å"followers† of other people and stay informed about current events and social trends. Many argue whether or not these social websites such as Twitter, are good for society. In two articles about Twitter, the authors present different arguments about why Twitter is good or bad for society. The author of â€Å"Heading off disaster, one Tweet at a time† by Jim Spellman, states that Twitter is a good way of communicating current events happening around the world. The other article, â€Å"Is Twitter Bad for National Security?† by Tony Bradley, argues that Twitter could have dangerous effects on our nation’s security. Social networking can be a good tool when communicating world news, such as natural disasters, because it can communicate faster that a news broadcast can. In the article by Spellman, he states that when FEMA chief Craig Fugate was made aware of an explosion in California, Fugate stated that â€Å"I got out my little Android phone and went on Twitter and pulled up the grid to search for 'explosion' and got tweets coming out of the area." After a few minutes of reviewing Tweets on Twitter, Fugate realized that the explosion was localized to one community and was very severe (Spellman). Fugate then states, "I got better situational awareness [from Twitter] before we got official word," he said. "Four or five years ago I wouldn't have gotten that quality of information" (Spellman). This information can then be quickly relayed to first responder’s en route to the incident so they can be better prepared for the conditions. This can also aid with the decreasing of response tim es and assis... ...what does matter is what people do with Twitter. The government should be aware of what Federal employees are posting, and avoid any breaches of security. With the internet within arms reach, it seems like every household in America has at least one computer that has internet access and with more and more people getting â€Å"smart phones†, Twitter is just a click away and this makes it ideal as a tool to inform the public about disasters or to gain information about what is going on in the country. Works Cited Bradley, Tony. â€Å"Is Twitter Bad for National Security?† 15 Feb 2009. Web. 3 Oct 2010. Spellman, Jim. â€Å"Heading off disaster, one tweet at a time.† 22 Sept 2010. Web. 3 Oct 2010.

Man Wildlife Conflicts

The problem of Man – Elephant conflict is more severe in the districts of Hassan and Madikeri where large herds of elephants can be seen roaming and marauding the farms especially in or near the forest areas damaging the valuable agricultural crops. At times there have been loss of human lives which only accentuates the problem taking this conflict to an entirely new level. Naturally people can tolerate the loss of agricultural crops but not the loss of their family members.But then who is responsible for all this? It is we who have intruded into their territory, converting the forests into agricultural farms, growing crops and inviting the elephants to our doorsteps to come and have their stomach fill. Its we who have fragmented their habitat by making roads, dams and canals. We have honeycombed their habitat by our so called developmental activities eating into their homelands and this appetite of ours for their areas is only increasing day by day with the bulging human popu lation.The elephants in these areas seem to have a very peculiar habit. First they have their stomach fill. After that they roam around in search of arrack which is usually being distilled in local bhatties. The arrack or the distil waste gives them a nice kick and these drunken elephants are responsible for the loss of human lives. The tools employed by the forest department like bursting of crackers, gunshots or fire torches are too primitive to stop or scare away the marauding pack of drunken elephants.The Man-Leopard conflict is more visible in the transition zone between dry plain lands and the green hilly areas. In the Chikmagalur district it is more a problem in the dry taluqa of Kadur particularly bordering villages of Kadur and Chikmagalur taluqa where the dry tract ends. Kadur is the place which earned a bad name for it about 10 years back. It was here where large number of panthers had to be shot and killed by employing and bringing so called sharp shooters from all over the state in search of an illusive so called man-eater panther.The end result of all this hunting spree was that every day and night several panthers were shot and brought to the post mortem table, post mortem was carried out and the killed panther was declared innocent as no human remains could be detected inside till finally some human hair remnants were detected in one and then only this shooting spree came to a halt. It is debatable whether it was really required to kill such a large number of panthers which is an endangered species but perhaps the department had no means to identify the rrant panther and hence large number of panthers had to be killed in search of that illusive wayward one. Moreover at times one is driven by the urge to be seen as trying his best. Probably this urge opened the floodgates and gradually people took the law into their own hands thinking that why to wait for the forest department when they can themselves teach panthers a lesson. Same happened some time back. A family of a mother panther and its two grown up cubs was seen in the vicinity of a village.They hunted a calf and ate it partially before they were chased away by the villagers. Once they left, the carcass of the calf was nicely poisoned. When the mother and the cub returned unsuspectingly next day, they consumed the remains and in the process died themselves. Leopards by nature tend to stray into the habitations in search of their kill. Their natural prey is becoming rare in the forests and the omnipresent cattle and dogs in the vicinity of the villages on the periphery of forest brings them in close conflict of the human beings.In some other areas also few panthers have had to lose their lives being caught in the snares. These snares are fixed in the barbed wire fence of coffee estates, not necessarily by the estate owners but at times by their labour in order to catch wild boars or smaller animals. However it is the panthers and Sambars who have had to pay the price with their lives for their adventure in to the estates. The Man- Tiger conflicts are by and large restricted to the high forests and the coffee estates in the vicinity of forests in Chikmagalur district.These conflicts also arise due to depredation by tigers on the cattle or getting entangled in the snares fixed in the fencings of the estates. Few tigers have been killed due to such snares. In Chikmagalur, Hassan, Kodagu and other Western Ghat districts Coffee plantations are an integral part of the topography. The conditions available in the coffee estates make them very close to look like forest. Presence of cattle in such areas makes them ideal hunting grounds for the tigers and leopards bringing them in direct conflict with the villagers.Moreover there are large number of authorized and unauthorized muzzle loading guns available making it very difficult for the wild life to survive. Primary reason for all these conflicts is fragmentation of the wild habitat. Whereas few patches have been brought under the Conservation network by declaring them as National Parks or Sanctuaries, about 85-90% of the forest areas are still outside this network. While there can be no doubt that establishing this network has contributed significantly to wildlife conservation. But real problem is that even these networks are also fragmented.Whereas total concentration in these parks and sanctuaries is on wildlife protection making the conditions ideal for wildlife, but what about the wildlife staying in forest areas outside these networks. Wildlife knows no boundaries. Creation of ideal conditions in sanctuaries has helped wildlife to multiply rapidly but where is the additional habitat required to take care of the additional population of animals, which tries to flow over to the adjoining areas only to get killed. This is particularly so with regard to the wild animals having territorial tendencies.There is need to have a continuous conservation network with sufficient area and resources to take care of the progeny. Right now almost no effort is being made to take up wild life related management works outside the parks and sanctuaries. The lands outside the parks and sanctuaries (even inside also) are constantly under threat of encroachment. Honeycombing of the forestlands has already reached extreme. The tools employed by the government in reducing the Man and Wildlife Conflicts are highly insufficient and hence not producing desired results.If we think that paying a few hundred or thousands Rupees to a person as compensation for crop damages by elephants or for a cattle killed by a leopard or tiger would save our wildlife from getting poisoned or shot, then it is nothing but our shortsightedness. Even this so-called wildlife compensation is paid to him after making innumerable trips to the concerned office. The farmer has to forego his earnings for each day he has to visit the office, he has to pay from his pocket for the bus charge and has to undergo ph ysical strain †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.And what he gets is just few hundred rupees. Such hardships discourage him and in the process he gets encouraged to take the law into his own hands and to settle scores with his tormentor- the wildlife. There are only losers on both the sides. The Forest officials are also at times not acting in tandem. There is no coordination among the adjoining units. Particularly in case of elephant herds movements between the adjoining units it can be seen. Everybody wants to drive away the herds to another adjoining unit without giving any thought.It only complicates the problems. Need of the hour is to have a stock of the real problem. And then only solutions can be found. We tend to take each problem in a routine manner. There is a tendency to leave the things to lower subordinates. The powers that be have to take everybody into confidence, discuss the issue threadbare and then have to take a conscious decision. A conscious policy decision need not be essentially sweet and liked by all but it may herald a new era where people and wildlife both can coexist beneficially.

Book Review of a Thousand Splendid Suns

Book Review of A Thousand Splendid Suns 17th century Afghanistan poet Saib-e-Tabrizi wrote this commendatory poem after visiting Kabul. ‘Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye; Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass; One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs; And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls. ’ In this world there are still many women say that they are suffering unfair treatment and demand for the right to vote, the right to manage.But to the women who had experienced two Afghanistan war (The first time Afghanistan war: from 1979 to 1989, the former Soviet Union armed invasion of Afghanistan. Second Afghanistan war: the second Afghanistan war in 2001 is based on United States-led coalition forces on October 7, 2001 for Afghanistan war cover to the Organization and the Taliban, for the United States on the revenge of the 911 incident, also marks the start of the war against terrorism. Not ended. ), the only thing what t hey want is to live.Khaled Hosseini has lived in the United States since he was fifteen years old and is an American citizen. His 2003 debut novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. His second, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was released on May 22, 2007. In 2008, the book was the bestselling novel in Britain (as of April 11, 2008), with more than 700,000 copies sold. In 2006, he was appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Office) goodwill ambassadors, currently residing in Northern California.The Buffalo News says ‘Hosseini's literary abilities are such that he is able to do what all great artists do: take individual stories and, through the alchemy of insight, compassion and expression, universalize them—thereby turning them into art. ’ For reasons why he wrote this novel, Khaled Hosseini is saying ‘ although life is filled with pain and bitterness but each a sad plot can let people see hope in the Sun. Each faces behind dusty has a soul. Dedicated to Afghanistan's women.In 2003, returning to Kabul I see wearing traditional female twos and threes to go masked costume in the streets, was trailing behind their children dressed in rags, begging passers-by give change. At that moment, I would like to know, where they have been taken to life. What they dream, hope and desire? Did they talk about love? Husband how man? Spread in Afghanistan in the years to 20 years of war, they lost what? I talked with many women in Kabul; their stories are real people and heart.When I began to write of the thousand splendid Suns (a Thousand Splendid Suns), I find myself constantly think of those full of toughness of Afghanistan women. I though they may not be thrown describing Laila or Mariam source of inspiration for the role of the story, however their voices, faces and life stories of perseverance has always haunted me, and about the novel, I had a most inspiring is from Afghani stan collective spiritual power of women. ’ Mariam (She is my favorite role in this book), the illegitimate child of a Herat businessman, is forced into a loveless marriage at age fifteen to a middle-aged Kabul shoemaker, Rasheed.He demands absolute obedience from his spouse, as well as strict observance of Islamic customs restricting the movement, appearance and attire of women. In the early years of their marriage, Rasheed's mandates run counter to the modernizing forces in Kabul, where many women hold professional jobs, teach at the university, or run for public office. But with the rise of the Taliban, a whole society falls into lockstep with these dictates of Sharia, traditional Muslim law.Laila, a woman young enough to be Mariam's daughter, becomes a reluctant member of this household, when her parents are killed in a bombing, and all her friends have either die d or departed from Kabul. Rasheed takes her on as a second wife, and his bullying and overbearing behavior gr ow all the worse as the two women band together to resist his authoritarian control over their lives. When they try to escape, an Afghani man betrays them at the bus station and takes Laila's hard-saved money. This makes Rasheed even more abusive.A few years later the Taliban come into town, and all the stereotypes of the Taliban are emphasized, as if Hosseini was given the charter to reinforce them. Mariam ends up killing Rasheed in trying to save Laila from being killed by him. So, Mariam is executed by the Taliban, who â€Å"cannot† accept her story because of her being a woman. Thus, Mariam's woeful existence comes to end. Her whole life is a necklace of tragic events, pieced together one after another. And with her death, the reader is left with an enduring sense of sadness for M ariam, especially in the fact that Hosseini never did give her a break in her fictional life.As for Laila, she ends up traveling to Pakistan to marry her original love(r), eventually returning b ack to Kabul to work with an orphanage. The novel traces the trials and tribulations of Mariam and Laila as they struggle for survival, and eventually plan for a daring escape attempt that puts them at odds. Not only with Rasheed, but also with an entire society that sees them as little more than chattel. Hosseini skillfully develops the complexities and predicaments of his plot, which constantly intersects with political and social events in recent Afghan history.When I saw this book, thinking it may like The Kite Runner; finally, we will smile for the happy ending. But I was wrong. I was shocked when I read to Mariam lastly dead in order for Laila’s escaping. In the past years, Mariam has been in a miserable life. A birth is being neighbors’ laugh at, played a trick on illegitimate. Once a month to see her father. Then, naively think can and live with the father, but has to face her mother's death and father’s betrayal. At the age of 15, she is arranged to mar ry Rasheed, a shoemaker from Kabul who is thirty years her senior Also is not out of the mother's grief is far to marry someone from distance. She turned to Jalil again,’ tell them. Tell them you won’t do this’ Waiting. A silence fell over the room. Jalil kept twirling his wedding band, with a bruised, helpless look on his face. From inside the cabinet, the clock ticked on and on. † When I saw here, I feel myself becoming Mariam, despite knowing the answer is ‘ no ‘ but also hope that their father would not do such cruel things. In Kabul, Mariam becomes pregnant seven successive times, but is never able to carry a child to term, and Rasheed gradually becomes more abusive. â€Å"His powerful hands clasped her jaw.He shoved two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it. Mariam struggled against him, mumbling, but he kept pushing the pebbles in, his upper lip curled in a sneer. ‘Now chew,’ h e said. Through the mouthful of grit and pebbles, Mariam mumbled a plea. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes. ‘CHEW! ’ he bellowed. A gust of his smoky breath slammed against her face. Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth cracked. ’Good,’ Rasheed said. His cheeks were quivering. ‘Now you know what your rice tastes like.Now you know what you've given me in this marriage. Bad food, and nothing else. ‘Then he was gone, leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars†. Beside the shortly peace time of weeding,, Mariam has always been that a dozen years of life. Full of cursing and render phase. Read here, how much I hope that she will be a turning point in life. She can have a happy life, a long time to heal he pain since childhood and adolescence. But life is often not as we expected. After Laila marry to Rasheed, Mariam's identity than wife more like a maid.Mariam also abhorred La ila, but after all, both they are poor women. So, when Mariam says â€Å"There's nothing more I want. Everything I'd ever wished for as a little girl, you've already given me. You and your children have made me so very happy. It's all right, Laila jo. This is all right. Don't be sad. â€Å"Laila could find no reasonable answer for anything Mariam said. But she rambled on anyway, incoherently, childishly, about fruit trees that awaited planting and chickens that waited rising. She went on about small houses in unnamed towns, and walks to trout filled lakes.And, in the end, when the words dried up, the tears did not, and all Laila could do was surrender and sob like a child over whelmed by an adult's unassailable logic. All she could do was roll herself up and bury her face one last time in the welcoming warmth of Mariam's lap. Later that morning, Mariam packed Zalmai a small lunch of bread and dried figs. For Aziza too she packed some figs, and a few cookies shaped like animals. Sh e put it all in a paper bag and gave it to Laila. â€Å"Kiss Aziza for me,† she said. â€Å"Tell her she is the noon of my eyes and the sultan of my heart.Will you do that for me? † I can not control my excitement and couldn't help but shed tears. This great Mariam, although she was so limited in education, her fate has been so bumpy. But she still pay her own life in exchange for the freedom of Laila . And finally, as she died lonely, was killed by Taliban with stones. Her fate was unfortunate. Her fate was always driven. Even if Her one day have mastered fate, ending is ironic. She is not demanding from fate what, a little happy, it will make them happy. ‘Mariam wished for so much in those final moments.Yet as she closed her eyes, it was not regret any longer but a sensation of abundant peace that washed over her. She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And ye t she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. It was not so bad, Mariam thought, that she should die this way. Not so bad. This was legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings. This paragraph for Mariam after her and Laila killed Rasheed, at the end of the execution ground inner monologue. ) Fate did not forgive her, but she eventually forgave fate. She was patience, she is great. Than Mariam, I personally think that Laila is much more fortunate. She was born in a wealthy family, has a good education. But war deprived this beauty girl of happy life. She was forced to separate from her lover- Tariq and all her families died because of the war. Due to be alone in the world, she was forced married Rasheed.The girl's life was completely changed because of the war. It is no doubt that she felled from heaven into hell. But luckily the nice girl met be auty minded Mariam. Because Rasheed found that the first child is not his own, also began to maltreat her. All the good luck seemed to give the Laila. After Mariam and Laila’s escape failed, Laila met Tariq again on the streets of Kabul. Finally, Mariam and Laila killed their husband together. Mariam clocked all charges and let Laila peaceful leave with Tariq. Thanks author for Laila does a person know to be grateful. As she walks to her desk at the front of the class, Laila thinks of the naming game they'd played again over dinner the night before. It has become a nightly ritual ever since Laila gave Tariq and the children the news. Back and forth they go, making a case for their own choice. Tariq likes Mohammad. Zalmai, who has recently watched Superman on tape, is puzzled as to why an Afghan boy cannot be named Clark. Aziza is campaigning hard for Aman. Laila likes Omar . But the game involves only male names. Because if it's a girl, Laila has already named her. In the end of this novel, Laila with Tariq together go back to Kabul and set up a locally school. Laila do this in order to repay this piece of land and her Savior Mariam. Finally, I want to talk about on the Mariam and Laila common husband Rasheed. Mariam and Laila live in a patriarchal authoritarian society, where women must obey their fathers, husbands and sons, only a son can give them access to social status. Rasheed for their husbands, the â€Å"me, and do not allow cursing, screaming, begging and howling, only the daily routine of playing and being hit. And that violence is a social and legal recognition. To a certain extent, we should not condemn Rasheed. Although he married to the pretty young girl Laila by telling lies, said Tariq is dead. Has a very oppressive side of his character. He was the victim of the system. He not only represents himself, mapped out a malformation of social moral values. In Afghanistan even more we don't know where in the world, there are many men are affe cted by social oppression and do the same cruel treatment of women and children.This book makes me sigh, how many injustices and tribulations a woman can bear. Originally Jalil like Nana, instead finally came into Nana seduce Jalil; just because have no child, ridiculed in a wife bear husband ridicule, irony and even beatings; to innocent little lives in the stomach, Laila can give up name node, you can discard face, She can give up everything that she can give up. Afghanistan woman in the face of suffering like a snowflake falls in General on other people's Windows, quietly melting, no sound, no moaning, only silent obedience of loneliness and despair.But suffering does not make them progressive annihilation, but shaped their great personality and will. Beset the outbreak of war, disease, families of the lost, which, on their face with a bear patiently the calm, give them the desire to live more strongly. Any suffering won't make them shaken confidence in life, because in their min d, have no â€Å"disappointed†, not â€Å"sad†. Unfortunately for it, they must endure, and it is still affordable. Normally I'm more of an action-adventure type reader when it comes to novels and recreational reading.But I was given the chance to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner), so I decided to try something out of my normal genre. I am so glad I did. This is a stunning and moving novel of life and love in Afghanistan over a 30 year period. And the past Afghanistan in my eyes has been always associated with wars, the Taliban, Bin Laden, displacement, terrorists and Jihad. By the author and his beautiful writing, I saw Afghan are yearning for freedom, hope in the future In our society now, from the films, books or other media, we tend to see are both indifference of humanity in a little bit.And this book tells the inexcusable age, two Afghanistan unlikely friendships between a woman and not destroying love story. Husseini st roke light, sincere, simple, time spans forty or fifty years, depicting two different character actress: Mariam and Laila, struggling their tragic twists and turns of fate, their stories heavy despair and warm bright, behind the sad story of the stubborn looking good and hope not to be destroyed. Through it, we should realize, that human society still need to love and trust. Humanity just like the splendid suns will follow in every corner of the world.

Biography of William Travis, Texas Revolution Hero

Biography of William Travis, Texas Revolution Hero William Barret Travis (August 1, 1809–March 6, 1836) was an American teacher, lawyer, and soldier. He was in command of the Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo, where he was killed along with all of his men. According to legend, he drew a line in the sand and challenged the defenders of the Alamo to cross it as a sign of their promise to fight to the death. Today, Travis is considered a great hero in Texas. Fast Facts: William Travis Known For: Travis became a Texas hero for his role in the defense of the Alamo.Also Known As: BuckBorn: August 1, 1809 in Saluda County, South CarolinaDied: March 6, 1836 in San Antonio, Texas Early Life Travis was born on August 1, 1809, in South Carolina, and grew up in Alabama. At the age of 19, while working as a schoolteacher in Alabama, he married one of his students, 16-year-old Rosanna Cato. Travis later trained and worked as a lawyer and published a short-lived newspaper. Neither profession made him much money, and in 1831 he fled to the west, staying one step ahead of his creditors. He left Rosanna and their young son behind. By then the marriage had soured, and neither Travis nor his wife was upset by his departure. He chose to head to Texas for a new start; his creditors could not pursue him into Mexico. Anahuac Disturbances Travis found plenty of work in the town of Anahuac defending slaveholders and those who sought to recapture runaway slaves. This was a sticky point at the time in Texas, as slavery was illegal in Mexico but many of the Texas settlers practiced it anyway. Travis soon ran afoul of Juan Bradburn, an American-born Mexican military officer. After Travis was jailed, the local people took up arms and demanded his release. In June 1832, there was a tense standoff between angry Texans and the Mexican Army. It eventually turned violent and several men were killed. The fighting came to an end when a high-ranking Mexican official arrived to defuse the situation. Travis was freed, and he soon found he was a hero among Texans who wanted to separate from Mexico. Return to Anahuac In 1835, Travis again was involved in trouble in Anahuac. In June, a man named Andrew Briscoe was jailed for arguing about new taxes. Infuriated, Travis rounded up a gang of men and they rode up to Anahuac, supported by a boat with a lone cannon. He ordered the Mexican soldiers out. Not knowing the strength of the rebel Texans, they agreed. Briscoe was freed and Travis’ stature grew enormously with those Texans who favored independence. His fame increased even more when it was revealed that Mexican authorities had issued a warrant for his arrest. Arrival at the Alamo Travis missed out on the Battle of Gonzales and the Siege of San Antonio, but he was still a dedicated rebel and anxious to fight for Texas. After the Siege of San Antonio, Travis, by then a militia officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, was ordered to collect up to 100 men and reinforce San Antonio, which was, at the time, being fortified by Jim Bowie and other Texans. The defense of San Antonio centered on the Alamo, a fortress-like old mission church in the center of town. Travis managed to round up about 40 men, paying them out of his own pocket, and arrived at the Alamo on February 3, 1836. Discord at the Alamo By rank, Travis was technically the second-in-command at the Alamo. The first commander there was James Neill, who had fought bravely at the siege of San Antonio and who had vigorously reinforced the Alamo in the intervening months. About half the men there, however, were volunteers and therefore answered to no one. These men tended to listen only to James Bowie, who generally deferred to Neill  but did not listen to Travis. When Neill left in February to attend to family matters, the differences between the two men caused a serious rift among the defenders. Eventually, two things would unite Travis and Bowie (and the men they commanded): the arrival of the diplomatic celebrity Davy Crockett and the advance of the Mexican Army, commanded by General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna. Sending for Reinforcements Santa Annas army arrived in San Antonio in late February 1836 and Travis busied himself sending dispatches to anyone who could help him. The most likely reinforcements were the men serving under James Fannin in Goliad, but repeated pleas to Fannin brought no results. Fannin did set out with a relief column  but turned back due to logistical difficulties (and, one suspects, the suspicion that the men in the Alamo were doomed). Travis wrote to Sam Houston, but Houston was having trouble controlling his army and was not in any position to send aid. Travis wrote the political leaders, who were planning another convention, but they moved too slowly to do Travis any good. He was on his own. Death According to popular lore, sometime on March 4, Travis called together the defenders of the Alamo for a meeting. He drew a line in the sand with his sword and challenged those who would stay and fight to cross it. Only one man refused (an ailing Jim Bowie reportedly asked to be carried across). There is little historical evidence to support this story. Still, Travis and everyone else knew the odds and chose to remain, whether he actually drew a line in the sand or not. On March 6, the Mexicans attacked at dawn. Travis, defending the northern quadrant, was one of the first to fall, shot down by an enemy rifleman. The Alamo was overrun within two hours, and all of its defenders were either captured or killed. Legacy Were it not for his heroic defense of the Alamo and his death, Travis would most likely be a historical footnote. He was one of the first men truly committed to Texas separation from Mexico, and his deeds in Anahuac are worthy of inclusion on an accurate timeline of events that led to Texas independence. Still, he was not a great military or political leader. He was just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time, some would say). Nevertheless, Travis showed himself to be a capable commander and brave soldier when it counted. He held the defenders together in the face of overwhelming odds and did what he could to defend the Alamo. In part because of his discipline and hard work, the Mexicans paid very dearly for their victory that March day. Most historians put the casualty count at around 600 Mexican soldiers to some 200 Texan defenders. Travis showed true leadership qualities and might have gone far in post-independence Texas politics had he survived. Travis greatness lies in the fact that he obviously knew what was going to happen, yet he remained and kept his men with him. His final missives show clearly his intent to stay and fight, even knowing he would likely lose. He also seemed to understand that if the Alamo were crushed, the men inside would become martyrs for the cause of Texas Independence- which is precisely what happened. Cries of Remember the Alamo! echoed out all over Texas and the United States, and men took up arms to avenge Travis and the other slain Alamo defenders. Travis is considered a great hero in Texas, and many things in Texas are named for him, including Travis County and William B. Travis High School. His character appears in books and movies and everything else related to the Battle of the Alamo. Travis was portrayed by Laurence Harvey in the 1960 film The Alamo, which starred John Wayne as Davy Crockett. Sources Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: The Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. New York: Anchor Books, 2004.Thompson, Frank T.  The Alamo. University of North Texas Press, 2005.

The Case of the Misplaced Modifier

The Case of the Misplaced Modifier The Case of the Misplaced Modifier The Case of the Misplaced Modifier By Carla Lowe As a freelance editor and proofreader, the misplaced or dangling modifier is a common writing error I see. That sentence should have made you cringe, or at least confused. It introduces an all-too-frequent grammatical problem found in writing: misplaced and dangling modifiers. First, what’s a modifier? A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that â€Å"modifies† (says something about, describes, clarifies, qualifies, limits) another word, phrase, or clause. Modifiers are either adjectival (modifying nouns or pronouns) or adverbial (modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs). The challenge with modifiers lies in knowing where to place them. A misplaced modifier can create confusion and drastically alter the meaning of a sentence because it appears to modify the wrong thing. Misplaced Words Many single-word modifiers are often misplaced; these include only, almost, just, even, merely, hardly, and nearly, for example. Consider how the meaning of the following sentence changes, depending on where you place the word only: Only Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser. (No one else but Susie gave $20.) Susie only gave $20 at the fundraiser. (The only thing Susie did was give $20.) Susie gave only $20 at the fundraiser. (Susie didn’t give any more than $20.) Susie gave $20 at the only fundraiser. (Susie gave $20 at the only available fundraiser.) Susie gave $20 at the fundraiser only. (Susie didn’t give $20 anywhere else.) One trick to help you avoid misplacing these types of modifiers is to place the modifier next to (or near) the word/words it modifies. For the above sentence, if you want only to modify $20, then use the third example. Misplaced Phrases/Clauses Phrases and clauses are also regularly misplaced in writing. Examples: My husband asked me if we might consider having another baby during our friends’ baby shower. (implies that the husband wants to have a baby during the shower) I found a new scratching post for my cat, which was on clearance at the pet store. (implies that the cat was on clearance) To correct these sentences, place the modifying phrase/clause closer to the word/words it modifies: During our friends’ baby shower, my husband asked me if we might consider having another baby. I found a new scratching post, which was on clearance at the pet store, for my cat. Dangling Modifiers A pet peeve of mine, the dangling modifier is usually a phrase or an elliptical clause (a dependent clause in which some words have intentionally been left out), often at the beginning of a sentence, that either doesn’t modify anything specific in the sentence or modifies the wrong word or part of the sentence. Consider my introductory sentence: As a freelance editor and proofreader, the misplaced or dangling modifier is a common writing error I see. Of course, you can probably figure out what I was trying to communicate, but the dangling modifier is distracting and creates ambiguity; it illogically implies that the modifier is actually a freelance editor and proofreader! So how can I fix the sentence? As a freelance editor and proofreader, I notice that many writers struggle with misplaced and dangling modifiers. Now, the introductory phrase (As a freelance editor and proofreader) correctly and logically modifies the pronoun I. Remember the trick to place the modifier as close as possible to whatever it needs to modify, and you’ll avoid the majority of errors associated with modifier placement. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?10 Types of TransitionsComma After Introductory Phrases

Arizona statehood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arizona statehood - Essay Example Wanting to return to Spain, de Vaca turned him down, and Marcos turned to Estevanico for help, letting him go ahead of him. Francisco Vasquez led an invading army of Spaniards, looking for the mythical gold cities, the following year (AZ Big Media, 2011). However, Coronado made it only as far as Kansas before turning back, his only major discovery being the Grand Canyon. For the next 250 years, from 1540-1810, the Spaniards ruled Arizona, considering it a desert land that was worthless and left its natives alone (The Robinson Library, 2012). It was referred to as New Spain’s Pimeria Alta colony. However, silver and gold were soon discovered and they began expanding their influence by moving in that area. Arizona’s name comes from Spaniard owned silver mines. Father Kino who was an Italian priest came along with the Spaniards and was the most famous European at this time. Father Kino was instrumental in bringing new farming methods and education. As a fierce opponent of slavery, he was hugely popular among the natives of Arizona (The Robinson Library, 2012). During his mission to bring the Southern Arizona tribes to Christianity, he established twenty-four towns and missions including Tucson. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1810 and Arizona formed part of its territory. Some American mountain men did venture into Arizona, including Kit Carson who was the first American to travel the length of Arizona and back, but it was left alone for a while since its tribes were considered savages. America moved against Mexico in 1846 to seize land stretching from Texas down to the Pacific Ocean (e-RD, 2011). However, they had no way to get to California, which they had already established interest in before the beginning of the war. On the other hand, the Mormons had been evicted from Illinois, and they wanted to establish a colony in Utah. Therefore, they struck a deal with the US government as suppliers of labor to build a road from New Mexico to San Diego. They managed this but by using a longer route than was necessary, although this meant that they escaped the Apaches, who were known to be vicious and would have attacked them (e-RD, 2011). After, winning the Mexican war, the question turned to the drawing of the Southern border. The Northern States, which were the most dominant, wanted the line as north as possible since New Mexico and Southern Arizona was a slave friendly territory as it lay south of the line at Mason-Dixon (Facts About..., 2012). The border was thus drawn along the Gila River. Ambassador James Gadsden then travelled to Mexico with the view of making a purchase for some of Mexican territory. Mexico actually needed this money and offered the North of Mexico and Baja California. However, Congress authorized a bare minimum to regain the Mormon built road as they were afraid of adding more territory that ran slavery. According to Mexican law, native tribes had their land claims recognized but Americans only con sidered title deeds as land claims. The Apache wars lasted from 1848 to 1886 with the surrender of Geronimo after which the south of New Mexico was enjoined with the American Confederate States (Facts About..., 2012). Arizona has a unique political history. It was the first state to allow women voters, as well as the first to allow judges to be recalled. It was also the first state to let public petitions override the legislature and constitution of the state. Its recent reforms have included state