Whole Body Vibration and Bone Mass.Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Research Paper

Whole Body Vibration and Bone Mass.Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise On Lower-Extremity Muscle Strength - Research Paper Example Method: Randomised controlled trial involving 16 elderly women, randomised into experimental group (n=8) and control group (n=8) based on strict inclusion criteria. They were exposed to whole body vibration on a vibrating platform for 24 sessions 3 times a week. On the vibrating platform, both the groups performed two dynamic exercises and one static exercise, and the frequency of vibration was progressively increased in the exercise group to 20-32 Hz while the control group always received 10 Hz. The outcome measures were serum PTH, calcium, phosphate, and beta crosslap along with anthropometry and a 30-second chair test. Results: The serum PTH concentration increased significantly in the experimental group by 44.3%, but the responses of blood calcium, phosphate, and beta-cross lap had no significantly demonstrable change. In both the groups, the 30-second chair test showed significant changes in the strength level of both the groups with considerable change in the experimental group. Anthropometric data demonstrated usefulness of training in the experimental group. Critique: The details of the power calculation have not been given, and given the small size of samples in each group, the reader have a chance to doubt the reliability and validity of the data collected. The exclusion criteria given tend to exclude any other confounding factors that may influence PTH, calcium, phosphate, or vitamin D metabolism.... The exercise regimens and workup schedule also indicate involvement of all the muscle groups. The details of the WBV training sessions had been given in separate tables, and the results have been discussed. Appropriate statistical analysis has been undertaken with complementary pre-post test analysis of physical condition and anthropometry with statistically significant changes demonstrated through increase in PTH levels. The effects lesser intensity WBV had no significant effects, although there were no increases in circulating calcium or phosphate levels. It can be argued that this study could have determined the time variations in calcium and phosphate levels with the changes in the PTH levels, but the design did not incorporate that. As a result, it is not possible to say whether these changes in PTH could at all lead to bone mineralisation. The authors admit that as a limitation of this study that this study could not determine whether the rise in PTH level with WBV could achiev e its main objective of accomplishing improvement in bone mineralisation. The rise in PTH may also lead to increase rate of bone demineralisation, but concurrent estimation of pro-collagen I levels do not show bone degradation. The small sample size poses another limitation, which confounds the effects of exercise in improving the strength of the muscles; however, despite these limitations, this study reveals the positive effects of WBV in bone mineralisation in the elderly population (Martna et al., 2009, 1-6). 2. Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Exercise on Lower-Extremity Muscle Strength and Power in an Older Population: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Rees, SS., Murphy, AJ., Watsford, ML., (2008). Aim: To investigate the effects of vibration exercises on

Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels Research Paper

Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels - Research Paper Example Indeed, alternative energy sources provide both the environmental safety benefits and reliability of energy supply not provided by fossil fuels. Early human beings used various natural sources of energy for their activities, notably wind, solar and water. But with the Industrial Revolution came the dependence on coal as a source of energy for American factories and later adopted worldwide. According to Brazier, this dependence borrowed from the primary energy source which came about in the same period; petroleum. The European-Americans brought a new meaning to this resource which had previously been considered as a nuisance by farmers. Altogether, coal, natural gas, and oil, considered as fossil fuels from animals and plants that existed millions of years ago, which were then buried underneath the surface of the earth and due to pressure transformed into combustible materials have been largely used as fuel. The first deposits of fossil fuels were discovered in the Cambrian period. Bu t the modern world has become more aware on the non-renewable nature of these fossil fuels and the negative impact of its by-products and has hence appreciated the use of alternative sources of energy including solar, wind and water. The current debate that surrounds the use of either of these energy sources calls for elaborate evaluation so as to ensure the sustainability of the environment and continued effective industrial processes. The current generation and distribution of power in most areas have been operated on fossil fuels, popularly coal. The portability of fossil fuels makes it easy for organizations to easily store and transport the energy source when needed, be it fuel oil to be used in a furnace or coal to be used at a coal plant.  

Fiction as History Essay Example for Free

Fiction as History Essay He was known as â€Å"Gabo† to the people living in Colombia and to those who knew him by his reputation. He was not only a short-story writer, a novelist and a screenwriter by profession for he was also a journalist—these were only among the many things which gave him the honor as among the famous writers of Latin America and one of the most significant 20th century authors. At the age of 65, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982: the product of the combination of an early life largely influenced by his grandfather and a life lived through the ways and means of journalism after quitting law school (Williams, p. 135). Gabo is considered to be a pioneering author in the Latin American â€Å"Boom† during the 1960s, stemming from the fame he achieved through his masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude and his indispensable presence and role in Latin American literature (Maurya, p. 54). One Hundred Years of Solitude has been significantly understood by critics and literary scholars as a history of Gabo’s rendition of the circumstances during the strike that happened back in 1928 in Colombia (Posada-Carbo, p. 401). That magnus opus of Gabo is said to scrutinize the Colombian regime’s repressive nature as well as the strike itself which claimed the lives of many workers. Throughout the course of his career, the literary style known as â€Å"magical realism† has been largely attributed to Gabo as he was the one who popularized the literary technique of using magical events and elements so as to give real experiences the fitting explanations (Hinds and Raymond, p. 897). Gabo is also said to have been an influential writer not only for his fellow Latin Americans but also for fresh authors and budding writers from other nations. For Gabo, reality is a very significant theme and ingredient in his writings, especially evident in his works â€Å"In Evil Hour,† â€Å"Big Mama’s Funeral† and â€Å"Nobody Writes to the Colonel† (Aizenberg, p. 1239). These three works of Gabo reflect the kind of Columbian society where he lived inasmuch as they also reflect the reality of life in the nation. The theme of reality is the foundation for the rational structure of the books of Gabo, although European readers may tend to be less aware of the reality that Gabo wants to send across and tend to be more inclined to interpret his works as testimonies to his magical realist craft. The first few years in the career of Gabo Marquez saw a struggling journalist in him. He was literally a travelling journalist simply because he was always on the move, transferring from town to town across Latin America and Europe. At one point, he worked for El Espectador back in 1955 as a correspondent reporting from Rome and Paris. Although the newspaper was shut down by the dictator Rojas Pinilla which took away his position as a journalist, Gabo nevertheless was able to pick up on where he was left and continued his writing career in Mexico City. In the City, he did not only work as a journalist; he also worked as a screen writer and as a publicist before moving back to Barcelona during the 1970s. Although Gabo was a well-travelled writer, it can be said that he never fails to at least think about his hometown and reflect it on what he has written. Evidence to this is his constant use of the town â€Å"Macondo† in his many stories which reminds the readers of the town of Aracataca where Gabo was born and lived his childhood days (Molen, p. 4). This was true right from the time when Gabo began writing to the time when he was able to considerably attain success in the literary limelight. Nonetheless, the time when Gabo began writing was a significant event for the literary scene in Hispanic American societies because the literature in those regions was characterized either by realist-modernist or super-regionalism during the middle part of the twentieth century. Those were the times when Latin American writers were busy either writing as a modernist or as a realist—both having the tendencies to categorize themselves as ‘regional’ writers or writers who either depict or mask reality in their respective places. Maurya Vibha further suggests that there is an apparent â€Å"absent history in the Third World conditions of Latin America† and a â€Å"link between postcolonial fiction and a desire to think historically† in the works of Gabo (p. 54). If Vibha is indeed right, then there is strong reason to believe that what Gabo did in his works is to provide that link and, in the end, to capture the significance of those ‘third world conditions’ into a piece of literature which depicts the stark reality in Latin American societies. Apparently, the works of Gabo, if not the course of his life, present the struggles faced by Latin Americans in their own territory as well as in others. In effect, it can be said that Gabo’s ‘magical realism’ is indeed a combination of the depiction of the social realities that the author saw in his lifetime and of the literary magic that he used in depicting those realities. Although European readers may get the impression that the literature of Gabo is ‘magic’ in itself, it should not be the case that the substance of his works be confined to that magic alone for it transcends the barriers of that magic by portraying reality at its highs and lows. Works Cited Aizenberg, Edna. Historical Subversion and Violence of Representation in Garcia Marquez and Ouologuem. PMLA 107. 5 (1992): 1239. Hinds, Elizabeth Jane, and Raymond Leslie Williams. Interview with Gabriel Garcia Marquez. PMLA 104. 5 (1989): 897. Maurya, Vibha. Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Social Scientist 11.1 (1983): 54. Molen, Patricia Hart. Potency Vs Incontinence In The Autumn of the Patriarch Of Gabriel Garcia Marquezpotency Vs Incontinence In The Autumn of the Patriarch Of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature 33. 1 (1979): 4. Posada-Carbo, Eduardo. Fiction as History: The Bananeras and Gabriel Garcia Marquezs One Hundred Years of Solitude. Journal of Latin American Studies 30. 2 (1998): 401. Williams, Raymond Leslie. The Visual Arts, the Poetization of Space and Writing: An Interview with Gabriel Garcia Marquez. PMLA 104. 2 (1989): 135.

Testbank for macroeconomics canada in the global environment Essay Example for Free

Testbank for macroeconomics canada in the global environment Essay Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomics Canada in the Global Testbank for Macroeconomic. The test bank is what most professors use as a template when making exams for their students, which means there’s a very high chance that you will see the exact questions in the tests! The file is either in . doc, . pdf, excel, or zipped in the package and can easily be read on PCs and Macs. Delivery is INSTANT. You can download the files IMMEDIATELY once payment is done. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Our response is the fastest. All questions will always be answered in 6 hours, most of the time within 30mins. We also faced similar difficulties when we were students, and we understand how you feel. But now, with the Official Test Bank, you will be able to * Anticipate the type of the questions that will appear in your exam. * Know the correct answers to those questions. * Reduce the hassle and stress of your student life. * Improve your studying and get a better grade! * Get prepared for examination questions. * Save you time and help you understand the material. This is the authentic testbank that is designed for your specific textbook. Delivery is made immediately via digital download so there is no waiting. Test Bank is guaranteed accurate.

Hanson :: essays research papers

. What kind of authority did he have? What were his limitations? Was the principle disclosed? Is there a question of interpretation? Is the principal bound by the agents statements? Tests – 1. An agency is a relationship based on an express or implied agreement by which 1 person, the agent, is authorized to act under the control of or for another, the principle, in negotiating and making contracts with third persons. 2. A general agent is authorized by the P to transact all affairs in connection with a particular kind of business/ trade. 3. The usual method of creating an agency is by express authorization, that is a person is appointed to act for, or on behalf of another. **A majority of states, by statute, require the appointment of an agent to be in writing when the agency is created to acquire/dispose of any interest in land 4. An A. has implied incidental authority to perform any act reasonably necessary to execute the express authority given to the A. **3rd persons should recognize that a contract made with an officer of a private corp. may not be binding unless ratified by the P. 5. When the A, makes know the identity of the P. and the fact that the A is acting on behalf of that P., the P is disclosed. 6. To avoid any question of interpretation, an A should execute an instrument by signing the P’s name and either By: or Per: and the agents name 7. A P. is bound by a statement made by an A. while transacting business within the scope of authority. This means that the P cant later contradict the statement of an A and show that it is not true. Application –   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Alexander Sumner Company is one that buys and sells real estate and has subsidiaries that act as brokers bringing together commercial landlords with businesses that need to rent commercial space. One of those subsidiaries is the Alexander Sumner Industrial Company which is a corporation. James Hanson works as VP for that corporation. As VP Hanson negotiated and made contracts with businesses to rent commercial space, for the AS Company. He was an agent for the company in many of these situations before, and so he did have the authority as an agent to make arrangements with Ms. Rogers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now, when the arrangements were being made, Hanson told Ms. Rogers that a current tenant of a building had over 40,000 sq.

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Essay -- Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Mildr

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is set during the Great Depression, in the rural areas of Mississippi. The majority of the people in this community are sharecroppers, who are greatly dependent on plantation farming. The Logan family is fortunate because they have a piece of land of their own, so unlike other black sharecroppers they do not have to be dependent on the whites. However, due to the sharp decrease in the price of the cotton crop the family have to work hard to keep it in their hands, whilst also providing food in order for them to survive. The situation is further worsened because of the severity of racism and segregation in the society. The Logans are one of the few families who own land and this causes resentment from the whites whose beliefs are that black people are inferior and the whites must maintain their supremacy. David Logan and Uncle Hammer both believe that prejudice must be stopped, yet the ways in which they fight against it differ greatly. Papa prefers to act non-violently and to work within the system. He does so by concentrating on paying off the mortgage of the land so that his family will be on an equal par with the whites and have self-respect. He modifies his behaviour and considers things carefully in order not to jeopardise the land and the safety of his family. Hammer on the other hand has left Mississippi to get away from the prejudice, but once confronted with it again; he reacts violently and impulsively. Being a single person he puts his sense of injustice before concern about repercussions against the family. Papa works on the railroads in order to support his family and the land, so as a result he only returns to Mississippi during the wintertime. Unlike Papa, Uncle Hammer does not live with the family. He is not married and lives in Chicago where segregation is less severe, and thus has the opportunity to earn a good salary. When he visits the Logan family during the Christmas season "Uncle Hammer wore, as he had everyday since he had arrived, sharply creased pants, a vest over a snow-white shirt and shoes that shone like midnight.'; This shows that he is not afraid to flaunt his wealth, which in turn provokes the whites. His aim is to show them that black people can be as equally successful. Also the black community admire him for his achievements, "Uncle Hammer... ...n never to give up and to fight against racism. "We keep doing what we gotta, and we don't give up, we can't'; They also teach the children to demand respect. This plays an important part in the stability and the survival of the family. Another thing they have in common is that they both value their roots through the act of story telling, passing on their cultural heritage from generation to generation which happens often throughout the novel. For example during Christmas time Papa tells the children, "and ole Hammer and me, we used to sneak up there whenever it'd get so hot you couldn't hardly move and take a couple of them melons on down to the pond and let them get real chilled.'; In conclusion Uncle Hammer behaves much more impulsively than Papa, who can control his temper very well. He does not act spontaneously and thinks things out carefully, unlike Hammer who often acts on the spur of the moment. Despite the differences in their self-control and lifestyles, they are loyal family men who have similar values and principles and want to pass on their culture and teach the children their history. In view of this Uncle Hammer and Papa have more in common than is different. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Essay -- Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Mildr Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry is set during the Great Depression, in the rural areas of Mississippi. The majority of the people in this community are sharecroppers, who are greatly dependent on plantation farming. The Logan family is fortunate because they have a piece of land of their own, so unlike other black sharecroppers they do not have to be dependent on the whites. However, due to the sharp decrease in the price of the cotton crop the family have to work hard to keep it in their hands, whilst also providing food in order for them to survive. The situation is further worsened because of the severity of racism and segregation in the society. The Logans are one of the few families who own land and this causes resentment from the whites whose beliefs are that black people are inferior and the whites must maintain their supremacy. David Logan and Uncle Hammer both believe that prejudice must be stopped, yet the ways in which they fight against it differ greatly. Papa prefers to act non-violently and to work within the system. He does so by concentrating on paying off the mortgage of the land so that his family will be on an equal par with the whites and have self-respect. He modifies his behaviour and considers things carefully in order not to jeopardise the land and the safety of his family. Hammer on the other hand has left Mississippi to get away from the prejudice, but once confronted with it again; he reacts violently and impulsively. Being a single person he puts his sense of injustice before concern about repercussions against the family. Papa works on the railroads in order to support his family and the land, so as a result he only returns to Mississippi during the wintertime. Unlike Papa, Uncle Hammer does not live with the family. He is not married and lives in Chicago where segregation is less severe, and thus has the opportunity to earn a good salary. When he visits the Logan family during the Christmas season "Uncle Hammer wore, as he had everyday since he had arrived, sharply creased pants, a vest over a snow-white shirt and shoes that shone like midnight.'; This shows that he is not afraid to flaunt his wealth, which in turn provokes the whites. His aim is to show them that black people can be as equally successful. Also the black community admire him for his achievements, "Uncle Hammer... ...n never to give up and to fight against racism. "We keep doing what we gotta, and we don't give up, we can't'; They also teach the children to demand respect. This plays an important part in the stability and the survival of the family. Another thing they have in common is that they both value their roots through the act of story telling, passing on their cultural heritage from generation to generation which happens often throughout the novel. For example during Christmas time Papa tells the children, "and ole Hammer and me, we used to sneak up there whenever it'd get so hot you couldn't hardly move and take a couple of them melons on down to the pond and let them get real chilled.'; In conclusion Uncle Hammer behaves much more impulsively than Papa, who can control his temper very well. He does not act spontaneously and thinks things out carefully, unlike Hammer who often acts on the spur of the moment. Despite the differences in their self-control and lifestyles, they are loyal family men who have similar values and principles and want to pass on their culture and teach the children their history. In view of this Uncle Hammer and Papa have more in common than is different.

Twilight 15. THE CULLENS

15. THE CULLENS The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke me. I lay with my arm across my eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break into my consciousness. I moaned and rolled on my side, hoping more sleep would come. And then the previous day flooded back into my awareness. â€Å"Oh!† I sat up so fast it made my head spin. â€Å"Your hair looks like a haystack†¦ but I like it.† His unruffled voice came from the rocking chair in the corner. â€Å"Edward! You stayed!† I rejoiced, and thoughtlessly threw myself across the room and into his lap. In the instant that my thoughts caught up with my actions, I froze, shocked by my own uncontrolled enthusiasm. I stared up at him, afraid that I had crossed the wrong line. But he laughed. â€Å"Of course,† he answered, startled, but seeming pleased by my reaction. His hands rubbed my back. I laid my head cautiously against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his skin. â€Å"I was sure it was a dream.† â€Å"You're not that creative,† he scoffed. â€Å"Charlie!† I remembered, thoughtlessly jumping up again and heading to the door. â€Å"He left an hour ago – after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?† I deliberated where I stood, wanting to return to him badly, but afraid I might have morning breath. â€Å"You're not usually this confused in the morning,† he noted. He held his arms open for me to return. A nearly irresistible invitation. â€Å"I need another human minute,† I admitted. â€Å"I'll wait.† I skipped to the bathroom, my emotions unrecognizable. I didn't know myself, inside or out. The face in the mirror was practically a stranger – eyes too bright, hectic spots of red across my cheekbones. After I brushed my teeth, I worked to straighten out the tangled chaos that was my hair. I splashed my face with cold water, and tried to breathe normally, with no noticeable success. I half-ran back to my room. It seemed like a miracle that he was there, his arms still waiting for me. He reached out to me, and my heart thumped unsteadily. â€Å"Welcome back,† he murmured, taking me into his arms. He rocked me for a while in silence, until I noticed that his clothes were changed, his hair smooth. â€Å"You left?† I accused, touching the collar of his fresh shirt. â€Å"I could hardly leave in the clothes I came in – what would the neighbors think?† I pouted. â€Å"You were very deeply asleep; I didn't miss anything.† His eyes gleamed. â€Å"The talking came earlier.† I groaned. â€Å"What did you hear?† His gold eyes grew very soft. â€Å"You said you loved me.† â€Å"You knew that already,† I reminded him, ducking my head. â€Å"It was nice to hear, just the same.† I hid my face against his shoulder. â€Å"I love you,† I whispered. â€Å"You are my life now,† he answered simply. There was nothing more to say for the moment. He rocked us back and forth as the room grew lighter. â€Å"Breakfast time,† he said eventually, casually – to prove, I'm sure, that he remembered all my human frailties. So I clutched my throat with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Kidding!† I snickered. â€Å"And you said I couldn't act!† He frowned in disgust. â€Å"That wasn't funny.† â€Å"It was very funny, and you know it.† But I examined his gold eyes carefully, to make sure that I was forgiven. Apparently, I was. â€Å"Shall I rephrase?† he asked. â€Å"Breakfast time for the human.† â€Å"Oh, okay.† He threw me over his stone shoulder, gently, but with a swiftness that left me breathless. I protested as he carried me easily down the stairs, but he ignored me. He sat me right side up on a chair. The kitchen was bright, happy, seeming to absorb my mood. â€Å"What's for breakfast?† I asked pleasantly. That threw him for a minute. â€Å"Er, I'm not sure. What would you like?† His marble brow puckered. I grinned, hopping up. â€Å"That's all right, I fend for myself pretty well. Watch me hunt.† I found a bowl and a box of cereal. I could feel his eyes on me as I poured the milk and grabbed a spoon. I sat my food on the table, and then paused. â€Å"Can I get you anything?† I asked, not wanting to be rude. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Just eat, Bella.† I sat at the table, watching him as I took a bite. He was gazing at me, studying my every movement. It made me self-conscious. I cleared my mouth to speak, to distract him. â€Å"What's on the agenda for today?† I asked. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I watched him frame his answer carefully. â€Å"What would you say to meeting my family?† I gulped. â€Å"Are you afraid now?† He sounded hopeful. â€Å"Yes,† I admitted; how could I deny it – he could see my eyes. â€Å"Don't worry.† He smirked. â€Å"I'll protect you.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of them,† I explained. â€Å"I'm afraid they won't†¦ like me. Won't they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone†¦ like me†¦ home to meet them? Do they know that I know about them?† â€Å"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know† – he smiled, but his voice was harsh – â€Å"on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that.† â€Å"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don't forget that.† â€Å"You paid attention,† he smiled approvingly. â€Å"I've been known to do that every now and then.† I grimaced. â€Å"So did Alice see me coming?† His reaction was strange. â€Å"Something like that,† he said uncomfortably, turning away so I couldn't see his eyes. I stared at him curiously. â€Å"Is that any good?† he asked, turning back to me abruptly and eyeing my breakfast with a teasing look on his face. â€Å"Honestly, it doesn't look very appetizing.† â€Å"Well, it's no irritable grizzly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I murmured, ignoring him when he glowered. I was still wondering why he responded that way when I mentioned Alice. I hurried through my cereal, speculating. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, the statue of Adonis again, staring abstractedly out the back windows. Then his eyes were back on me, and he smiled his heartbreaking smile. â€Å"And you should introduce me to your father, too, I think.† â€Å"He already knows you,† I reminded him. â€Å"As your boyfriend, I mean.† I stared at him with suspicion. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Isn't that customary?† he asked innocently. â€Å"I don't know,† I admitted. My dating history gave me few reference points to work with. Not that any normal rules of dating applied here. â€Å"That's not necessary, you know. I don't expect you to†¦ I mean, you don't have to pretend for me.† His smile was patient. â€Å"I'm not pretending.† I pushed the remains of my cereal around the edges of the bowl, biting my lip. â€Å"Are you going to tell Charlie I'm your boyfriend or not?† he demanded. â€Å"Is that what you are?† I suppressed my internal cringing at the thought of Edward and Charlie and the word boy friend all in the same room at the same time. â€Å"It's a loose interpretation of the word ‘boy,' I'll admit.† â€Å"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually,† I confessed, looking at the table. â€Å"Well, I don't know if we need to give him all the gory details.† He reached across the table to lift my chin with a cold, gentle finger. â€Å"But he will need some explanation for why I'm around here so much. I don't want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me.† â€Å"Will you be?† I asked, suddenly anxious. â€Å"Will you really be here?† â€Å"As long as you want me,† he assured me. â€Å"I'll always want you,† I warned him. â€Å"Forever.† He walked slowly around the table, and, pausing a few feet away, he reached out to touch his fingertips to my cheek. His expression was unfathomable. â€Å"Does that make you sad?† I asked. He didn't answer. He stared into my eyes for an immeasurable period of time. â€Å"Are you finished?† he finally asked. I jumped up. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Get dressed – I'll wait here.† It was hard to decide what to wear. I doubted there were any etiquette books detailing how to dress when your vampire sweetheart takes you home to meet his vampire family. It was a relief to think the word to myself. I knew I shied away from it intentionally. I ended up in my only skirt – long, khaki-colored, still casual. I put on the dark blue blouse he'd once complimented. A quick glance in the mirror told me my hair was entirely impossible, so I pulled it back into a pony tail. â€Å"Okay.† I bounced down the stairs. â€Å"I'm decent.† He was waiting at the foot of the stairs, closer than I'd thought, and I bounded right into him. He steadied me, holding me a careful distance away for a few seconds before suddenly pulling me closer. â€Å"Wrong again,† he murmured in my ear. â€Å"You are utterly indecent – no one should look so tempting, it's not fair.† â€Å"Tempting how?† I asked. â€Å"I can change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, shaking his head. â€Å"You are so absurd.† He pressed his cool lips delicately to my forehead, and the room spun. The smell of his breath made it impossible to think. â€Å"Shall I explain how you are tempting me?† he said. It was clearly a rhetorical question. His fingers traced slowly down my spine, his breath coming more quickly against my skin. My hands were limp on his chest, and I felt lightheaded again. He tilted his head slowly and touched his cool lips to mine for the second time, very carefully, parting them slightly. And then I collapsed. â€Å"Bella?† His voice was alarmed as he caught me and held me up. â€Å"You†¦ made†¦ me†¦ faint,† I accused him dizzily. â€Å"What am I going to do with you?† he groaned in exasperation. â€Å"Yesterday I kiss you, and you attack me! Today you pass out on me!† I laughed weakly, letting his arms support me while my head spun. â€Å"So much for being good at everything,† he sighed. â€Å"That's the problem.† I was still dizzy. â€Å"You're too good. Far, far too good.† â€Å"Do you feel sick?† he asked; he'd seen me like this before. â€Å"No – that wasn't the same kind of fainting at all. I don't know what happened.† I shook my head apologeticallv, â€Å"I think I forgot to breathe.† â€Å"I can't take you anywhere like this.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I insisted. â€Å"Your family is going to think I'm insane anyway, what's the difference?† He measured my expression for a moment. â€Å"I'm very partial to that color with your skin,† he offered unexpectedly. I flushed with pleasure, and looked away. â€Å"Look, I'm trying really hard not to think about what I'm about to do, so can we go already?† I asked. â€Å"And you're worried, not because you're headed to meet a houseful of vampires, but because you think those vampires won't approve of you, correct?† â€Å"That's right,† I answered immediately, hiding my surprise at his casual use of the word. He shook his head. â€Å"You're incredible.† I realized, as he drove my truck out of the main part of town, that I had no idea where he lived. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. I was trying to decide whether to ask or be patient, when he turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees. And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn? The gloom of the forest didn't relent, though, for there were six primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story. I don't know what I had expected, but it definitely wasn't this. The house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration. My truck was the only car in sight. I could hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"You like it?† He smiled. â€Å"It†¦ has a certain charm.† He pulled the end of my ponytail and chuckled. â€Å"Ready?† he asked, opening my door. â€Å"Not even a little bit – let's go.† I tried to laugh, but it seemed to get stuck in my throat. I smoothed my hair nervously. â€Å"You look lovely.† He took my hand easily, without thinking about it. We walked through the deep shade up to the porch. I knew he could feel my tension; his thumb rubbed soothing circles into the back of my hand. He opened the door for me. The inside was even more surprising, less predictable, than the exterior. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have originally been several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one wide space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white. Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were Edward's parents. I'd seen Dr. Cullen before, of course, yet I couldn't help but be struck again by his youth, his outrageous perfection. At his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of soft, caramel-colored hair, reminded me of the ing? ¦nues of the silent-movie era. She was small, slender, yet less angular, more rounded than the others. They were both dressed casually, in light colors that matched the inside of the house. They smiled in welcome, but made no move to approach us. Trying not to frighten me, I guessed. â€Å"Carlisle, Esme,† Edward's voice broke the short silence, â€Å"this is Bella.† â€Å"You're very welcome, Bella.† Carlisle's step was measured, careful as he approached me. He raised his hand tentatively, and I stepped forward to shake hands with him. â€Å"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen.† â€Å"Please, call me Carlisle.† â€Å"Carlisle.† I grinned at him, my sudden confidence surprising me. I could feel Edward's relief at my side. Esme smiled and stepped forward as well, reaching for my hand. Her cold, stone grasp was just as I expected. â€Å"It's very nice to know you,† she said sincerely. â€Å"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you, too.† And I was. It was like meeting a fairy tale – Snow White, in the flesh. â€Å"Where are Alice and Jasper?† Edward asked, but no one answered, as they had just appeared at the top of the wide staircase. â€Å"Hey, Edward!† Alice called enthusiastically. She ran down the stairs, a streak of black hair and white skin, coming to a sudden and graceful stop in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shot warning glances at her, but I liked it. It was natural – for her, anyway. â€Å"Hi, Bella!† Alice said, and she bounced forward to kiss my cheek. If Carlisle and Esme had looked cautious before, they now looked staggered. There was shock in my eyes, too, but I was also very pleased that she seemed to approve of me so entirely. I was startled to feel Edward stiffen at my side. I glanced at his face, but his expression was unreadable. â€Å"You do smell nice, I never noticed before,† she commented, to my extreme embarrassment. No one else seemed to know quite what to say, and then Jasper was there – tall and leonine. A feeling of ease spread through me, and I was suddenly comfortable despite where I was. Edward stared at Jasper, raising one eyebrow, and I remembered what Jasper could do. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake my hand. But it was impossible to feel awkward near him. â€Å"Hello, Jasper.† I smiled at him shyly, and then at the others. â€Å"It's nice to meet you all – you have a very beautiful home,† I added conventionally. â€Å"Thank you,† Esme said. â€Å"We're so glad that you came.† She spoke with feeling, and I realized that she thought I was brave. I also realized that Rosalie and Emmett were nowhere to be seen, and I remembered Edward's too-innocent denial when I'd asked him if the others didn't like me. Carlisle's expression distracted me from this train of thought; he was gazing meaningfully at Edward with an intense expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once. I looked away, trying to be polite. My eyes wandered again to the beautiful instrument on the platform by the door. I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn't really good – she only played for herself on our secondhand upright – but I loved to watch her play. She was happy, absorbed – she seemed like a new, mysterious being to me then, someone outside the â€Å"mom† persona I took for granted. She'd put me through lessons, of course, but like most kids, I whined until she let me quit. Esme noticed my preoccupation. â€Å"Do you play?† she asked, inclining her head toward the piano. I shook my head. â€Å"Not at all. But it's so beautiful. Is it yours?† â€Å"No,† she laughed. â€Å"Edward didn't tell you he was musical?† â€Å"No.† I glared at his suddenly innocent expression with narrowed eyes. â€Å"I should have known, I guess.† Esme raised her delicate eyebrows in confusion. â€Å"Edward can do everything, right?† I explained. Jasper snickered and Esme gave Edward a reproving look. â€Å"I hope you haven't been showing off- it's rude,† she scolded. â€Å"Just a bit,† he laughed freely. Her face softened at the sound, and they shared a brief look that I didn't understand, though Esme's face seemed almost smug. â€Å"He's been too modest, actually,† I corrected. â€Å"Well, play for her,† Esme encouraged. â€Å"You just said showing off was rude,† he objected. â€Å"There are exceptions to every rule,† she replied. â€Å"I'd like to hear you play,† I volunteered. â€Å"It's settled then.† Esme pushed him toward the piano. He pulled me along, sitting me on the bench beside him. He gave me a long, exasperated look before he turned to the keys. And then his fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with a composition so complex, so luxuriant, it was impossible to believe only one set of hands played. I felt my chin drop, my mouth open in astonishment, and heard low chuckles behind me at my reaction. Edward looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break, and winked. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"You wrote this?† I gasped, understanding. He nodded. â€Å"It's Esme's favorite.† I closed my eyes, shaking my head. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"I'm feeling extremely insignificant.† The music slowed, transforming into something softer, and to my surprise I detected the melody of his lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes. â€Å"You inspired this one,† he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet. I couldn't speak. â€Å"They like you, you know,† he said conversationally. â€Å"Esme especially.† I glanced behind me, but the huge room was empty now. â€Å"Where did they go?† â€Å"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose.† I sighed. â€Å"They like me. But Rosalie and Emmett†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, not sure how to express my doubts. He frowned. â€Å"Don't worry about Rosalie,† he said, his eyes wide and persuasive. â€Å"She'll come around.† I pursed my lips skeptically. â€Å"Emmett?† â€Å"Well, he thinks I'm a lunatic, it's true, but he doesn't have a problem with you. He's trying to reason with Rosalie.† â€Å"What is it that upsets her?† I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer. He sighed deeply. â€Å"Rosalie struggles the most with†¦ with what we are. It's hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she's a little jealous.† â€Å"Rosalie is jealous of me?† I asked incredulously. I tried to imagine a universe in which someone as breathtaking as Rosalie would have any possible reason to feel jealous of someone like me. â€Å"You're human.† He shrugged. â€Å"She wishes that she were, too.† â€Å"Oh,† I muttered, still stunned. â€Å"Even Jasper, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's really my fault,† he said. â€Å"I told you he was the most recent to try our way of life. I warned him to keep his distance.† I thought about the reason for that, and shuddered. â€Å"Esme and Carlisle†¦ ?† I continued quickly, to keep him from noticing. â€Å"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn't care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she's been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential makeup, that I was too young when Carlisle changed me†¦ She's ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction.† â€Å"Alice seems very†¦ enthusiastic.† â€Å"Alice has her own way of looking at things,† he said through tight lips. â€Å"And you're not going to explain that, are you?† A moment of wordless communication passed between us. He realized that I knew he was keeping something from me. I realized that he wasn't going to give anything away. Not now. â€Å"So what was Carlisle telling you before?† His eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"You noticed that, did you?† I shrugged. â€Å"Of course.† He looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds before answering. â€Å"He wanted to tell me some news – he didn't know if it was something I would share with you.† â€Å"Will you?† â€Å"I have to, because I'm going to be a little†¦ overbearingly protective over the next few days – or weeks – and I wouldn't want you to think I'm naturally a tyrant.† â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we're here, and they're curious.† â€Å"Visitors?† â€Å"Yes†¦ well, they aren't like us, of course – in their hunting habits, I mean. They probably won't come into town at all, but I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight till they're gone.† I shivered. â€Å"Finally, a rational response!† he murmured. â€Å"I was beginning to think you had no sense of self-preservation at all.† I let that one pass, looking away, my eyes wandering again around the spacious room. He followed my gaze. â€Å"Not what you expected, is it?† he asked, his voice smug. â€Å"No,† I admitted. â€Å"No coffins, no piled skulls in the corners; I don't even think we have cobwebs†¦ what a disappointment this must be for you,† he continued slyly. I ignored his teasing. â€Å"It's so light†¦ so open.† He was more serious when he answered. â€Å"It's the one place we never have to hide.† The song he was still playing, my song, drifted to an end, the final chords shifting to a more melancholy key. The last note hovered poignantly in the silence. â€Å"Thank you,† I murmured. I realized there were tears in my eyes. I dabbed at them, embarrassed. He touched the corner of my eye, trapping one I missed. He lifted his finger, examining the drop of moisture broodingly. Then, so quickly I couldn't be positive that he really did, he put his finger to his mouth to taste it. I looked at him questioningly, and he gazed back for a long moment before he finally smiled. â€Å"Do you want to see the rest of the house?† â€Å"No coffins?† I verified, the sarcasm in my voice not entirely masking the slight but genuine anxiety I felt. He laughed, taking my hand, leading me away from the piano. â€Å"No coffins,† he promised. We walked up the massive staircase, my hand trailing along the satin-smooth rail. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards. â€Å"Rosalie and Emmett's room†¦ Carlisle's office†¦ Alice's room†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gestured as he led me past the doors. He would have continued, but I stopped dead at the end of the hall, staring incredulously at the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward chuckled at my bewildered expression. â€Å"You can laugh,† he said. â€Å"It is sort of ironic.† I didn't laugh. My hand raised automatically, one finger extended as if to touch the large wooden cross, its dark patina contrasting with the lighter tone of the wall. I didn't touch it, though I was curious if the aged wood would feel as silky as it looked. â€Å"It must be very old,† I guessed. He shrugged. â€Å"Early sixteen-thirties, more or less.† I looked away from the cross to stare at him. â€Å"Why do you keep this here?† I wondered. â€Å"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle's father.† â€Å"He collected antiques?† I suggested doubtfully. â€Å"No. He carved this himself. It hung on the wall above the pulpit in the vicarage where he preached.† I wasn't sure if my face betrayed my shock, but I returned to gazing at the simple, ancient cross, just in case. I quickly did the mental math; the cross was over three hundred and seventy years old. The silence stretched on as I struggled to wrap my mind around the concept of so many years. â€Å"Are you all right?† He sounded worried. â€Å"How old is Carlisle?† I asked quietly, ignoring his question, still staring up. â€Å"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday,† Edward said. I looked back at him, a million questions in my eyes. He watched me carefully as he spoke. â€Å"Carlisle was born in London, in the sixteen-forties, he believes. Time wasn't marked as accurately then, for the common people anyway. It was just before Cromwell's rule, though.† I kept my face composed, aware of his scrutiny as I listened. It was easier if I didn't try to believe. â€Å"He was the only son of an Anglican pastor. His mother died giving birth to him. His father was an intolerant man. As the Protestants came into power, he was enthusiastic in his persecution of Roman Catholics and other religions. He also believed very strongly in the reality of evil. He led hunts for witches, werewolves†¦ and vampires.† I grew very still at the word. I'm sure he noticed, but he went on without pausing. â€Å"They burned a lot of innocent people – of course the real creatures that he sought were not so easy to catch. â€Å"When the pastor grew old, he placed his obedient son in charge of the raids. At first Carlisle was a disappointment; he was not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist. But he was persistent, and more clever than his father. He actually discovered a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of the city, only coming out by night to hunt. In those days, when monsters were not just myths and legends, that was the way many lived. â€Å"The people gathered their pitchforks and torches, of course† – his brief laugh was darker now – â€Å"and waited where Carlisle had seen the monsters exit into the street. Eventually one emerged.† His voice was very quiet; I strained to catch the words. â€Å"He must have been ancient, and weak with hunger. Carlisle heard him call out in Latin to the others when he caught the scent of the mob. He ran through the streets, and Carlisle – he was twenty-three and very fast – was in the lead of the pursuit. The creature could have easily outrun them, but Carlisle thinks he was too hungry, so he turned and attacked. He fell on Carlisle first, but the others were close behind, and he turned to defend himself. He killed two men, and made off with a third, leaving Carlisle bleeding in the street.† He paused. I could sense he was editing something, keeping something from me. â€Å"Carlisle knew what his father would do. The bodies would be burned – anything infected by the monster must be destroyed. Carlisle acted instinctively to save his own life. He crawled away from the alley while the mob followed the fiend and his victim. He hid in a cellar, buried himself in rotting potatoes for three days. It's a miracle he was able to keep silent, to stay undiscovered. â€Å"It was over then, and he realized what he had become.† I'm not sure what my face was revealing, but he suddenly broke off. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked. â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured him. And, though I bit my lip in hesitation, he must have seen the curiosity burning in my eyes. He smiled. â€Å"I expect you have a few more questions for me.† â€Å"A few.† His smile widened over his brilliant teeth. He started back down the hall, pulling me along by the hand. â€Å"Come on, then,† he encouraged. â€Å"I'll show you.†

Post-conflict peacebuilding in Afghanistan

Afghanistan The aim of the following essay will be to evaluate the impact which the ISAF and peace-keeping efforts by the United Nations have had on the peacebuilding process in Afghanistan, following the US military intervention in Operation Enduring Freedom. Following two Anglo-Afghan wars, Afghanistan gained independence in 1919 and joined the League of Nations. Its example was followed by other states which gained independence from imperial domination and governance, which following the establishment of the United Nations resulted in the shaping of the contemporary geo-political order (Rubin, 2006). Afghanistan was built by the co-ordination of flows of foreign aid and when the aid flows were directed towards the sponsoring of opposing military forces, a civil war erupted, eventually leading to the collapse of the state as the flows of foreign aid were stopped (Rubin, 2002). For most of its known history, Afghanistan remained a heterogeneous and tribal state having multiple and conflicting l egal, cultural and political systems (Dupree, 2002; Simonsen, 2004). When the Soviet Union withdrew in Afghanistan in 1989, the Taliban gained supremacy within the state and the lack of consensus lead to the eruption of a civil war (Matinuddin, 1999). The period of 1992-1994 in Afghanistan was one of chaos and civil war, as the opposition factions failed to form an effective coalition government, thus leading to a civil war (Coll, 2004; Maley, 2009). In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the US and a Coalition of other states to initiate a ‘war on terror’, a result of the Taliban’s refusal to cooperate in the apprehension of Al Qaeda’s leader Bin Laden (Rubin, 2013). Following the re-capturing of the capital by the Allied forces and the dispersal of the Taliban, the foundations of Afghanistan’s re-structuring were set out in the UN Bonn Agreement (UN, 2001). In summary, it set out the path for a transition towards a western-style consti tutional democracy with significant emphasis being placed on human rights, social justice and gender equality (Nesiah, 2004). ISAF Mission Following Operation Enduring Freedom and the liberation of the capital Kabul, the UN Security council passed Resolution 1386 with which it layered the foundations of the ISAF, which was deployed initially in Kabul. The ISAF was set to operate in close cooperation with the both the UN and the Afghan government whilst working the country’s reconstruction and the training of its security personnel (ISAF, 2014). Its key participation in the reconstruction process was manifested by the establishment of Provisional Reconstruction Teams in provinces in the northern and western parts of the country (ibid.) Initially, ISAF’s mandate was constrained to providing security in the capital city, but following the UN Resolution 1510 in 2003, its mandate was expanded so as to provide security throughout the country’s territory (ISAF, 2014a). The International Security Assistance Force is representative of all NATO member state countries and over the years has been b roadened so as to include troops from non-member states such as Australia and New Zealand (ISAF, 2014b). The activities of the ISAF and its mission objective can considered in line with strategies utilised for state-building and peace-making (Rose-Ackerman, 2001). During its mandate from 2001 onwards, the ISAF has been established as the main provider of national security within the country, whilst at the same time training the newly formed Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) (ISAF, 2014). In addition to providing security on a national scale, the ISAF has been actively involved in the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of rogue militants, thus enabling the state to claim monopoly over violence (NATO, 2013). Until the expiry of its mandate at the end of 2014, the ISAF will continue to help the transitional state to train its own security forces as part of international efforts to ensure stability within the country and ensure that a peace ful transition from the civil war onto a more democratic pathway of governance is achieved. Evaluating ISAF Defining both ‘success’ and ‘failure’ in peacekeeping missions is a difficult task due to lack of consensus with regards to their definition (Druckman et al. 1997; Bellamy and Williams, 2005). It has also been suggested that peacekeeping is more likely to succeed in more developed states and in countries where the death toll is minimal (Fortna, 2004). If one is to use the latter framework, then all efforts in Afghanistan are likely to be in vain. More recent research has identified six factors which appear to be of significant relevance: the successful deployment of available resources, overlap of interest among key stakeholders, emphasis on continuous conflict regulation, external cooperation as well as recognising the specific environment in which the conflict has taken place (Wolff and Dursun-Ozkanca, 2012). In the case of Afghanistan however, the US-led invasion had no clear strategies for a state-building process (Ayub and Kouvo, 2008). As a result, the initial focus on the ‘war on terror’ lacked a clear direction at it failed to provide a clear division between short-term goals of pacifying the terrorist threat and the longer-term peace-building process within the country (ibid). The invasion of Afghanistan was not about promoting security bur rather reducing the spreading sense of insecurity in the US (Nesiah, 2004).The state-building process that followed had no clear goals and was characterised by competing paradigms, as well as incompatible agendas (Weinberger, 2002; Rubin, 2006; Suhrke, 2012). It can be argued that the Taliban resurgence in 2005 and consequent lack of security in the country precluded any substantial democratization effort. However, this ignores the causal relationship between the two: failure of the political process, and an incoherent US/NATO military strategy, which provided the vacuum and space necessary for the Taliban and other counter-systemic actors to establish and expand their influenc e in the country (Suhrke, 2008). Linked to the incoherent military strategy is the limited impact of the DDR process that was to strengthen the position of the ISAF (Reynolds, 2006; Saikal, 2012). The expansion of ISAF outside of Kabul also played a significant part in the escalation of the conflict (Suhrke, 2011). The escalating war ratcheted up the demand for rapid and visible results, both within Afghanistan and from domestic audiences in the contributing countries. To deliver quick and visible results, the interveners adopted measures that undermined basic precepts of state-building and by extension its contribution to peacebuilding. In order to rapidly create Afghan military capacity, for example, the international forces started rearming the militias (Lefevre, 2010). A large amount of resources were diverted towards training the ANA, whereas the lack of training for the ANP produced problems for the ISAF, mainly in terms of corruption and human rights abuses (Beljan, 2013). Th e establishment of PRTs throughout the country was seen as the solution for providing security and reconstruction at the same time (ibid.). However, their activity was characterised by lack of clear objectives, lack of a clear commanding structure and lack of resources (Sedra, 2005). This lack of coherence is not only characteristic of the PRTs themselves, but rather to the lack of a clear strategy for the operation of ISAF (Sperling and Webber, 2012), as the establishment of security needs to run parallel to economic development as part of restructuring efforts. As it was noted, the availability of resources for peacebuilding has a significant impact on the successful resolution of a violent conflict. Yet, the large flows of unconditioned aid are said to re-create the environment in which the civil war in the 1990s erupted and evolved (Goodhand and Sedra, 2007). Afghanistan is also a challenging case for the study and application of peace conditionalities, as the Bonn Agreement its elf only legitimised a ‘victor’s peace’, leaving the Taliban quite potent. Secondly, the dual nature of the process should be emphasised – building peace in a climate of ongoing war. The approach adopted by the Alliance forces, to create a security force whilst at the same time failing to provide an institution that is to be responsible for its management is yet another reflection of the prioritisation of short-term goals over peace-making and state-building in the longer term (Sedra, 2005). Although reconstruction has been a top priority and used as a political platform during the first parliamentary elections (Wilder, 2005), the international spending has emphasised security over reconstruction (Rubin, Hamidzada and Stoddard, 2003). The long-standing conflict itself has resulted in the development of a war economy (Felbab-Brown, 2005; Fielden and Goodhand, 2001) in which it is difficult for the emerging democratic state to claim monopoly over violence. F acing considerable historical and institutional constraints, the UN Assistance mission in Afghanistan, a part of which is ISAF, has found it difficult to implement its ambitious democratisation mandate (Tadjbakhsh and Schoiswohl, 2008; Saikal, 2012). In conclusion, despite ISAF has achieved some successes in the training of Afghanistan’s security forces and improving security (Beljan, 2013), it is difficult to claim to the mandate and goals which were set as its main tasks have been achieved. 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Available at: http://www.isaf.nato.int/mission.html ISAF (2014a). History. Available at: http://www.isaf.nato.int/history.html ISAF (2014b) Troop Numbers and Contributions. Available at: http://www.isaf.nato.int/troop-numbers-and-contributions/index.php Lefevre, M. (2010). Local Defence in Afghanistan. A Review of Government-backed Initiatives. Kabul: Afghanistan Analysts Network. Maley, W. (2009). The Afghanistan Wars. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Matinuddin, K. (1999). The Taliban Phenomenon in Afghanistan 1994-1995. Oxford: Oxford University Press. NATO (2013). ISAF’s Mission in Afghanistan. Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_69366.htm Nesiah, V. (2004). From Berlin to Bonn to Baghdad: a space for infinite justice. Harv. Hum. Rts. J., 17, 75. Reynolds, A. (2006). The curious case of Afghanistan. Journal of Democracy, 17(2), 104-117. Rose-Ackerman, S. (2001). Trust, honesty, and corruption: reflection on the state-building process. European Journal of Sociology, 42, 27-71. Rubin, B. R. (2002). The fragmentation of Afghanistan: State formation and collapse in the international system. Yale University Press. Rubin, B. R. (2006). Peace Building and State-Building in Afghanistan: constructing sovereignty for whose security?. Third World Quarterly, 27(1), 175-185. Rubin, B. R. (2013). Afghanistan from the Cold War through the War on Terror. Oxford University Press. Rubin, B. R., Hamidzada, H., & Stoddard, A. (2003). Through the Fog of Peace Building: Evaluating the Reconstruction of Afghanistan. Center on International Cooperation, New York University. Saikal, A. (2012). The UN and Afghanistan: Contentions in Democratization and Statebuilding. International Peacekeeping, 19(2), 217-234. Sedra, M. (2005). Civil-military relations in Afghanistan: The provincial reconstruction team debate. Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. Simonsen, S. G. (2004). Ethnicising Afghanistan?: inclusion and exclusion in post?Bonn institution building. Third World Quarterly, 25(4), 707-729. Sperling, J., & Webber, M. (2012). NATO’s Intervention in the Afghan Civil War. Civil Wars, 14(3), 344-372. Suhrke, A. (2008). A contradictory missionNATO from stabilization to combat in Afghanistan. International Peacekeeping, 15(2), 214-236. Suhrke, A. (2011). When more is less: the international project in Afghanistan. New York: Columbia University Press. Suhrke, A. (2012). Waging War and Building Peace in Afghanistan. International Peacekeeping, 19(4), 478-491. Tadjbakhsh, S., & Schoiswohl, M. (2008). Playing with fireThe international community’s democratization experiment in Afghanistan. International Peacekeeping, 15(2), 252-267. United Nations (2001) Bonn Agreement. Available at: http://peacemaker.un.org/afghanistan-bonnagreement2001 Weinberger, N. (2002). Civil-military coordination in peacebuilding: the challenge in Afghanistan. Journal of International Affairs-Columbia University, 55(2), 245-276. Wilder, A. R. (2005). A House Divided?: Analysing the 2005 Afghan Elections. Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Wolff, S., & Dursun-Ozkanca, O. (2012). Regional and International Conflict Regulation: Diplomatic, Economic and Military Interventions. Civil Wars, 14(3), 297-323.

Gangster culture develop in the USA in the 1920`s to the 1940`s Essay

Why did a gangster culture develop in the USA in the 1920`s to the 1940`s ? There were several different factors that contributed to the developing of a gangster culture and the organised crime in America. The interesting thing about this is that all of the factors just happened to appear at once, creating a perfect environment for the birth of a nation-wide, organised criminal power. This criminal power could develop because the vicious increase in foreign immigrants during that time in America, which is probably the main reason. The Mafia also could develop in the US because of their really strict discipline, its organisation and hierarchy. Also important for the birth of this gangster culture was the prohibition, the fact that alcohol was illegal and the Mafia could produce it and sell it made it rich, but they had indeed other businesses too. The mighty Dons with their great gangs organised all these businesses and made the phenomenon Mafia in America in the 1920’s and 1940’s possible. The organised criminal power: First of all it need to be said what the Mafia is. The word Mafia means arrogance and presumption in Italian and refuge in Arabic, which refers to the origins of the Mafia as a society that fled to the hills of Italy to avoid attack. It is the word for a group of criminals who are sometimes linked together with a blood oath and who are not allowed to betray their secret. The first time the word Mafia was mentioned was in the ninth century in Sicily. To this time the main purpose of the so-called Mafia was it to strengthen themselves against the Arabic and Norman forces which invaded their homeland in Sicily. These Arabic and Norman forces oppressed the native Sicilians so that they had to take refuge in the surrounding hills. The intention of the secret society in the hills was it to wake a strong sense of togetherness between all the native Sicilians and to unite every native against the invaders. They tried to create a sense of family which was well organised and had a strong hierarchical layout. History of the vicious increase of foreigners: The U.S. Mafia, or the â€Å"Black Hand† as it was known in the early period, began to develop in the 1800`s in the USA because of the vicious increase in foreign immigrants during that time in America. Three million Irish, three and a half million Jews and four million Italians immigrated to America. New York was the second biggest Italian city after Naples, one quarter of New York – more than half a million people – were Italian . Although many think the Mafia had their roots in New York and Chicago it actually has been traced in 26 major cities in America. The new immigrants, bewildered by the new land, and it’s strange language, lived closely together in the Little Italy’s of New York, Chicago, New Orleans and other cities. The first time the Mafia was mentioned and therefore discovered in America was in New Orleans in the 1800à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. Police Chief David Hennesy discovered the existence of this growing gangster culture in the heart of the United States of America while he was investigating the murder of an Italian immigrant. One reason why the Mafia was able to establish itself was because they were by far the biggest ethnic group in America and they had strong and violent leaders or rather Dons. Don Vito, Vito Cascio Ferro (1862-1945), was the first Sicilian Capo de Tutti Capi. He is believed to be the one man primarily responsible for establishing the communication between the Sicilian and U.S. Mafia. He had also an important role in 1924 when many Italian Mafia members came to the USA to avoid persecution in Sicily because Mussolini was determined to rid of the Mafia in Italy. This increased the numbers of members in the organisation and developed the gangster culture in the USA. Discipline and Hierarchy: Discipline: It is quite interesting that the Mafia was able to establish itself so fast in America one important reason for this phenomenon was the discipline. First of all every new mobster (member of the family) had to go through a ceremony, this ceremony was often compared to the baptism ceremony. This ceremony was really important for the mobster because at this day he became full member of La Cosa Nostra (our affair). The newcomer was told that the Mafia is a secret society and that there is just one way in and only one way out of it. You come in on your feet and you go out in a coffin. They were told that they have to kill even their own blood family when the mobster accepted everything he was told of the rules he must abide by. These rules were the heart of the Mafia and one of the most important reasons why this gangster culture could develop in America. The most important rule in organised crime was the rule called the Omerta. The Omerta is a code of silence. A vow never to reveal any Mafia secrets or member under threat of torture or death. Another rule was the obedience rule. The obedience rule stated that the member must at all times be loyal to the boss or Don. A third law of the Mafia was the assistance to any befriended Mafia faction, no questions asked. A few others included, Avenge any attack on members of the family, because an attack on one was an attack on all, and the last rule was to avoid any and all contact with the authorities. Hierarchy: Another evidence for the strong discipline in the Mafia was the hierarchical layout. The Mafia in America was organised like a â€Å"parliament† which was called the Commission. The Commission handled interfamily disputes and set general policy for La Cosa Nostra. It acted as more of a forum of Family Bosses than a board of directors. At the head of each family stood the Dons or Bosses they were the men with all of the power in the Family. They were giving orders, and the rest of the Family were expected to follow them without question. Next in line to the Dons were the Underbosses, who were second in command. He controlled the day-to-day operations of the Family. Followed by the Consigliere or counsellors. The consigliere acts as a â€Å"counsellor† or â€Å"advisor† to the boss. He was directly under the boss in terms of the hierarchy, but he did not normally give orders. Fourth in the line was the so-called â€Å"Capo†. Capo is the short form for capodecina or caporegime and he was the leader of a â€Å"crew† or decina (literally, â€Å"group of ten†) of ten to fifteen soldiers. The Soldiers were the one’s who would enforce discipline over both members and non-members through the use of intimidation, assaults, and murder. And last were the men who did the really dirty work for the Mob, the Associates. They were not â€Å"made† guys, they just hang around with the crew. They often are willing to do anything to get â€Å"made†, and therefore handle a lot of hits. The Prohibition: Another fact that benefited the developing of he Mafia in the USA in the 1920à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s and 1930à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s was the prohibition. Prohibition basically means the legal forbidden production, transport and sale of alcoholic drinks in the USA between 1920 and 1933. With these laws the Mafia had a perfect base for its organised crime. The government of England and the American Colonies tried since 1750, almost fruitless, to stop the excessive consumption of alcohol. In the twenties of the 19th century the average alcohol consumption of pure alcohol per person was about twenty seven litres per year. The government saw a strong link between the alcohol consumption on the one hand and the rapidly growing criminality, poverty ,brutal force and the developing of great gangster culture on the other hand. They therefore have seen the necessity for an alcohol prohibition. The first prohibition law was passed in 1851 in the state Main and prohibited the production and the sale of alcohol except for medical or technical purposes. With this law all alcoholic drinks with more than 0,5 percent alcohol were forbidden. Thirteen of the thirty-one states introduced similar laws around 1850. However, the means of alliance and states for the effective enforcement were completely inadequate to the Prohibition. Follow of the national prohibition was that the Mafia made this prohibition useful to itself, they built black distillery in great extent to produce the alcohol, they smuggled it, they sold illegal through so-called bootleggers, they also sold it into Speakeasies (camouflaged Saloons) and they bribed the police the follow of all these illegal wheelings and dealings were a rapid increase of organised crime all over the USA . To this time the developing of the American Mafia was on its peak. It was expanding like never before in the United States. The fact that a thing so many people wanted to have was illegal and easy to produce was almost perfect for the organised crime and the Mafia. War of the women: But in 1873 the spectacular â€Å"war of the women† broke out everywhere in the United States. They were protesting against the Saloons which were the places of the greatest alcohol consumption and in 1900 the woman found the Anti-Saloon-League of America (ASL) that performed great political influence in the following time. Until 1916 23 of the 48 states issued Anti-Saloon Laws for the closing of the Saloons and for the prohibition of the production of alcoholic drinks. These laws were not a disaster for the gangster culture but they already lost some money in their bootlegging business. In the initial phase of the world economy crisis the prohibition opponents argued convincing, that that the prohibition disabled the increase of jobs and the income of taxes it also added the stagnation of the economy. In December 1933 the US congress with great majority discharged the 21st condition addition, with which the 18th addition, the Prohibition, was cancelled. The control of the alcohol consumption rested now on the individual states. Until 1966 every state had cancelled their prohibition laws. That was bitter for the Mafia and the Dons, because they lost one of their most important businesses and had to look for other ways to make good money. Other Businesses: The Bootlegging business was not the only illegal business in which the Mafia was involved in. Another fact why the Mafia was so successful in organised crime was because they were so flexible and had many other businesses. One of them was the Extortion of protection money which was already done in Sicily in the 1700à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. Pictures of a black hand (which was the sign for the Mafia in Sicily) were distributed to the wealthy. This was an unspoken request for an amount of money in return for protection. If the money wasn’t paid, the recipients could expect violence such as kidnappings, bombings, and murder. The methods did not change in the USA when the extorted business did not accept the assimilation to the family it had to fear terror. In cities were the Mafia was really present whole areas were extorted and did what the Don wanted them to do. The Black Hand fear became such a problem that a special Italian branch of the police had to be formed, this was essential as the immigrants did not trust the Irish/American law force, and the police had no understanding of Italian customs or behaviour. A whole net of organised crime was over the towns were the Mafia was, they controlled the illegal business like bootlegging, extortion, machine gambling, bookmaking, loan sharking, labour racketeering and kidnapping but also legal businesses like food production, they owned restaurants, they controlled the garbage disposal as well as the garment manufacturing, bars and taverns and Labour unions as well. The Don’s The Dons â€Å"owned† the cities with there businesses, they controlled everything that happened in â€Å"their towns† and ran the city in whatever way they felt. They and their gangs had a great part that the Mafia could develop in the US. The strongest and therefore probably the most famous individuals in the history of the American Mafia were Vito Cascio Ferro (Don Vito), Charlie Luciano (Lucky Luciano), Joseph Bonano (Joey Bananas, Alphonse Capone (to his friends: â€Å"Snorky,† among some members of the press: â€Å"Scarface†). These handsome individuals were so powerful and influencing that they had a great part why the Mafia could establish itself in America in the 1920à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s to the 1940à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. Vito Cascio Ferro (1862- 1945): Vito Cascio Ferro was responsible for the establishing the communication between the Sicilian and U.S. Mafia. Cascio Ferro came to New York in 1900, he already had established himself in Sicily where he commited kidnapping, extortion, arson, and threatening officials. Ferroà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s activities in the U.S. are not clear, but he killed at least one man. This man, called Benedetto Madonia, had been trying to establish a counterfeiting ring in Don Vito’s territory without permission or authority of Don Vito. He was killed really brutally,he was cut in pieces and put into a barrel with his penis and testicles in his mouth. This showed how dangerous the Mafia was already in its early stages, as well as that the police could not really stop the uprising criminal society in the U.S. in the 1920à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½- 1940à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. Don Vito fled to New Orleans before the police could ask him one question ,he spent time organising his own counterfeiting ring along with establishing a connection for heroin smuggling with Sicily. Again nobody could stop the establishment of Don Vito. Everything seemed to be alright till Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino(police officer), could give evidence for Vitoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s illegal activities. These evidence forced him to return to Sicily where he quickly established himself as head of all Mafiosi. Again everything seemed to be alright till Lieutenant Petrosino once again appeared in his life. He came to sicily in 1909 to prove the connection between the U.S. and Sicilian mobs and hopefully to have some criminals extradited back to the U.S., including Cascio Ferro, but Petrosino soon was murdered in Sicily probably by Vito himself and two other gunmen. This story was never proved by evidence. After the killing of Lieutenant Petrosino Don Vito became even more popular in both the Sicilian and U.S. underworlds this fact helped him to establish himself as a well respected businessman in Palermo. For a certain time everything worked well, Vito even began to send Mafiosi to the U.S. to help build a criminal empire there. In 1921 Benito Mussolini came to power, one of his major aims were to destroy the strong Mafia organisation, Vito had established. Vito who had seen this coming had sent Salvatore Maranzano to the States to take over the crime empire there and to establish the Mafia in America even more. He actually planned to follow Marranzano and take over leadership himself but he never got the chance, because he was arrested in 1929. Vito Cascio Ferro was sentenced to life imprisonment. Vito Cascio Ferro established the Mafia in America, he also made sure that this criminal society had a future in the USA when he sent more Mafiosi to the States. Charlie Luciano (1896 – 1962): Charlie Luciano was born in Lercara Friddi, Sicily, on 11th November, 1896. His family moved to the United States in 1906 and they settled in New York. He began his criminal career by selling drugs when he was really young. In 1915 he was arrested in the possession of several kilos of heroin. When he came out of prison he again chose the criminal career. In 1920 he became a member of a Mafia gang, which had allready established itself in America. By 1925 Luciano criminal career was going really well, he became the Donà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s second hand, he directed bootlegging, prostitution and drug distribution. In 1929 a gang war broke out between Lucianoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s Don and Salvatore Maranzano. During this gang war Luciano was kidnapped by Maranzano’s men and was stabbed with an ice pick. His attackers thought he was dead and therefore left him. But he miraculously survived and was known from now on as Lucky Luciano. In April 1931, Luciano, Albert Anastasia and Bugsy Siegel, were involved in the murder of their Don, Joe Masseria. They now controlled the Mob Masseria had left and the business as well, so they therefore controlled one of the strongest Mafia gangs to this time. This was not enough power for Luciano, six months later he arranged the killing of Salvatore Maranzano with the help of Meyer Lansky. Luciano was now the most important criminal boss in New York and one reason why the Mafia could establish itself in the USA in the 1920à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s – 1940à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. But this was still not enough power for him and he therefore joined with Louis Lepke Buchalter, Abe Reles and Albert Anastasia to form Murder Incorporated which was an organisation that carried out executions for money. This again showed how strong the Mafia already was, they found a killing organisation under the eyes of the American law. Everything went well for the American Mafia and Lucky Luciano till 1936 when he was sentenced for a life in prison for 30 years. But once again the Mafia in the US showed its strength, Luciano could continue controlling his criminal empire from prison. In February, 1946, he was deported to Italy where he lived for a short time, but in 1947 he went to Cuba to control his criminal activities in the USA. The US were able to get rid of his activities when they sent him back to Italy again. He died of a heart attack in Naples on 26th January, 1962. Lucky Luciano was really important for the rise of the American Mafia because he unlike Maranzano, who tried to impose himself as the Emperor in an organisation modelled after the Roman Empire, Luciano organised a decentralised structure in which the major crime families divided up territories and spheres of activities and met, when necessary, to mediate differences between the various families. This served to prevent the all-out wars that had wracked the Mafia in the 1930’s while allowing organised crime to grow even richer and more entrenched in the United States of America. Charlie Luciano gained a lot of power when he killed two of the most powerful Donà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s in the USA, he also stopped the gang wars and reorganised the system how the Mafia worked. Joseph Bonanno (1905 – 2002): Joseph Bonanno became the boss of one of the most prominent crime families in the world, the Bonanno crime family. He began his career with extorting money from businesses and little crimes. In 1927 Salvatore Maranzano, who had been sent over by Don Vito Cascio Ferro, the Italian man who dreamed of Mafia control overseas, had arrived to meet up with Bonanno and others to bring the American Mafia under Don Vito’s control. Maranzano began a fight with the man who, until then, led Mafia activities in New York: Joe The Boss Masseria. The war between them became known as the Castellemarese War. Several young Mafiosi’s were involved in this war, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky and indeed Joseph Bonano, known as the young generation of mobsters. Lucky Luciano, Joe Bonanno and others were tired of the bloodshed, and fearful that all of this violence would draw too much attention from the authorities on their interests, set up a meeting which led to the creation of the crime Commission, and hits on Masseria, and Maranzano, marking the end of the era of the Mustache Petes. The Commission consisted of five Mafia families, and the Bonanno Mafia family was one of them. Bonanno took over what used to be mainly Maranzano’s faction. This Commision was really important for the uprising of the Mafia because it made sure thet the families would not fight against each other. Bonanno did not like violent conflicts, he therefore ruled his family with fairness, and in addition to his to gambling and other rackets, focused his attention on more legitimate ventures such as the clothing industry, and funeral businesses. Bonanno established himself on the West Coast, particularly California, and Arizona, and other countries such as Cuba, and Canada which again shows the great influence of Bonanno and the American Mafia to this time. Joseph Bonanno was never convicted of a serious crime. He was once fined $450 and was jailed for terms of 8 and 14 months for contempt of court for refusing to answer questions but he never had been to prison any longer then 14 months. He was really important for the uprising Mafia society because he got rid of the old generation mobster, he also set up the Commision to calm the gang wars down and took over a great crime empire of Salvatore Moranzano, which made him one of the most powerful Donà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s of the Mafia history. Alphonse Capone (1899 – 1947): Al Capone, how he was also called, is probably the most famous Mafia Boss in the history of the American Mafia. He was born in New York and was the fourth oldest of nine children. He was known as a brutal Neapolitan mobster from the younger generation, who became a powerful force in the Sicilian-American Mafia and is therefore important for the question why the Mafia could rise in America. He is probably so well known because he was as an organisational and motivational genius who served as one of the architects of the nation-wide criminal Syndicate. Al Capone’s philosophy was that laws only applied to people who had enough money to live by them. He grew up in the slums of Brooklyn & received the nickname â€Å"Scarface† as the result of a knife wound. He was a fearsome enforcer for Five Points leader Johnny Torrio. Johnny Torrio stablished himself in Chicago’s Colosimo gang Capone quickly rose to the top of the Colosimo crime empire, which thanks to Torrio and Capone, included bootleg liquor among its enterprises. Capones real time came after Torrio narrowly escaped death on Jan. 24, 1925 and left the whole gang with all its businesses to Capone. Capone organised the syndicate with a plan to make crime in Chicago and throughout the United States run like a business monopoly. Through violence Capone became king of the Chicago underworld, â€Å"The Master Criminal.† With his methods he established a $110-million-a-year empire out of bootleg liquor, gambling, prostitution & labor rackets. The police tried several times to imprison him but too many businesses were tied to legal ones and too many officials, politicians and policeman were bribed by Capone. After a series of wars against other Mafia gangs a new national Syndicate was set up which was another step to establish the American Mafia even more. But he could enjoy the new underworld just for about a month. At the end of October in 1931 he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion. He already suffered from syphilis and in jail it was getting worse . He managed to leave prison and was never again involved in underworld affairs. He died in 1947 as maybe the greatest Mafia Boss the world has ever seen. His ability to co-ordinate, managing and motivate people made him one of the most powerful Mafia individuals and he had a great deal why the Mafia could establish itself in America. The Mafia in the 1920’s – 1940’s was so powerful that the Don’s and their gangs could do what ever they wanted to do. It is questionable if the individuals of the Mafia were just more powerful and the circumstances too perfect for the growth of the Mafia, or if the Police and the politicians in America were just too weak. What I can say for sure is that throughout history the Mafia was probably the system which was better organised than every government and more powerful than every other gangster culture this world has ever seen because many things that came together by chance which made America a perfect ground for the growth of a gangster culture. One of the most important reasons was the vicious increase in foreign immigrants during that time in America, it flooded some of the most mighty Don’s in American history to the USA and gave these Don’s the Mob they needed. Another thing was that these Don’s were able to keep a really strict discipline, organisation and hierarchy. Also important for the birth of this gangster culture was the prohibition, the fact that alcohol was illegal and the Mafia could produce it and sell it made it rich, but they had indeed other businesses too. The mighty Dons with their great gangs organised all these businesses and made the phenomenon Mafia in America in the 1920’s and 1940’s possible. Bibliography: Albini, Joseph: The American Mafia: Genesis of a Legend /Appleton-Century-Crofts (1971) Arlacchi, Pino: Men of Dishonour: Inside the Sicilian Mafia /William Morrow & Company, Inc. (1992) Catania, Enzo: MAFIA /St. Martin’s Press (1978) Foreman, Laura: True Crime: Mafia /Time-Life Books (1993) Reid, Ed: The Grim Reapers: The Anatomy of Organised Crime in America /Henry Regnery Company (1969) Repetto, Thomas: American Mafia: A History of its Rise to Power /Henry Holt and Company (2004) Short, Martin: Crime Inc.: The Story of Organised Crime /Arrow Books Ltd. (1997) Sondern, Frederick: Brotherhood of Evil: The Mafia /Farrar, Straus and Cudahy (1959) Sterling, Claire: Octopus: The Long Reach of the International Sicilian Mafia /W.W. Norton & Company, (1990) Chambliss, William: Eine kriminelle Vereinigung. Politik und Verbrechen in den USA (1978) Websites: â€Å"A Brief History Of The Mafia http://www.pressanykey.com/mafia/history.html â€Å"Al Capone† http://www.tincat.demon.co.uk/alcapone.htm â€Å"Charles Luciano http://www.gambino.com/bio/charlesluciano.htm â€Å"How The Mafia Started† http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/lobby/9880/started.html

Oilwell: Team Management

Oilwell Cable Division Bill Russell was acting general manager of TRW and now he is being appointed as general manager with an assignment of lay off twenty people or  achieves an equivalent reduction in labor cost. The Oilwell Cable Division is part of the Industrial and Energy Segment of   TRW that represent 24 percent of its sales and 23 percent of its operating profits. The Oilwell Division is a acquired business by TRW what was Crescent Wire and Cable Company of Trenton. The four reasons for moving the Oilwell cable (Crescent Wore and Cable Company) from Trenton to Lawarence are Lawerence is considerably closer to the customer †¢ Lawerence has a more supportive labor environment. †¢ The wage rate for the Lawerence area are very reasonable †¢ There is an already existing building Gino stripoli, formal general manager, was gien the task to start operations in Lawrence and he established new management system. He established eleven team relating the activities and all teams were doing their jobs very well. There is also a co-ordination team. The team is successful. Though there were some problems initially.There was a good deal of mistrust among employees regarding management’s   motives. There were also some technical problems. But after two years Gino solved the problems. Though TRW has ten competitors in the cable market, its market mainly depends on the demand of the submersible pumps. Because the basic product produced by the Oilwell Cable Division is wire that provides power   to submersible pumps used in oil drilling. Question: 1 Evaluate team management at TRW’s Lawrence plant. What organizational behavior system is it most similar to? Does it reflect theory X or theory Y assumptions? Answer: †¢There were in total 11 teams where five production teams are formed around the production process. †¢ Each team meets on a weekly basis or as needed and resource team meets every two weeks. That increases the coordi nation between the team and team members. †¢ There was no formal agenda but the meeting on production process and labor scheduling which increases the production. †¢ Team also build relationship between various level of the organizations Collegial organizational behavior system is most similar to. It reflects Theory Y assumption. Question: 2 Examine the results from team management at Lawrence.Do they support a â€Å"satisfaction causes productivity† or a â€Å"productivity causes satisfaction† relationship? Explain. †¢ There were some initial start-up problems, but late it seems to be a success. †¢ In the beginning there was a good deal of mistrust among employees. But later it being solved. †¢ First there was a lot of frustration with a high level of turnover. Because there was only one union employee brought from Trenton. To solve the problem a compensation scheme was developed that encouraged employees to master the various pieces of equipm ent in the plant. Turnover dropped from in excess of 12 percent to a range of 2 to 4 percent. Also employment had dropped from a high of 132 to what seemed to be a more optimal level of 125. They support â€Å"satisfaction causes productivity†. From the workers’ point of   view, the major benefit of team management is their ability to control their   jobs. This control has resulted in a high level of commitment by the employees, as evidenced by the numerous suggestions made by the teams that have resulted in significant improvements in quality and productivity. Question: 4Can participative and team management approaches work equally well during times of organizational crisis and during normal times? Explain. NO, from my opinion, though during normal times participative and team management approaches work equally but during organizational crisis it can’t work equally. The responsibility of the team management is to solve any problem equally and help other tea m members to solve the problems. But in participative approach people can deny to help others. Beside this when contradiction between the people exist the situation also become more complicated in participative approach

Pros and Cons of Part-Time MBA Programs

Pros and Cons of Part-Time MBA Programs There are many different types of MBA programs - from part-time and full-time programs to accelerated and dual programs. A part-time MBA program is designed primarily for students who are only able to attend class part-time. It is important to understand that the words part-time dont mean barely any time. If you commit to a part-time program, you will still need to make a significant time commitment to school - even if you dont have to attend class every single day. It is not unusual for part-time students to spend more than three to four hours each day on MBA schoolwork and activities. Part-time MBA programs are popular. More than half of all MBA students attend school part-time, according to a recent study from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business  (AACSB). But that doesnt mean that part-time study is for everyone. Before you commit yourself to earning your degree through part-time study, you should be aware of all of the pros and cons of part-time MBA programs. Pros of Part-Time MBA Programs There are many advantages to studying part-time. Some of the biggest pros of part-time MBA programs include: Part-time MBA programs are more flexible for working professionals; classes are usually scheduled outside normal business hours.Some part-time MBA programs require fewer course credits than their full-time counterparts.Part-time programs are typically favored by employers who offer  tuition reimbursement.Many part-time MBA programs schedule courses all year long.Part-time programs tend to cause less strain financially because tuition is sometimes cheaper.Part-time MBA students can apply what they learn as they learn it.There are many high-quality part-time MBA programs inside and outside the United States. Read more about the best part-time MBA programs. Cons of Part-Time MBA Programs Although there are advantages to part-time MBA programs, there are drawbacks as well. The biggest cons of part-time MBA programs include: Not every school offers a part-time MBA program, which means you may not be able to attend your first school of choice.Some part-time programs offer fewer course selections than their full-time counterparts.Part-time programs require fewer class hours each week but sometimes take as long as two to five years to complete.Credits that are earned through a part-time MBA program are not always transferable to other programs.Many part-time MBA programs schedule courses all year long.Working while you earn your part-time MBA can be exhausting - especially if it will take you more than two years to earn your degree.Not all part-time MBA programs offer a study abroad option or international experience, which is increasingly valuable in todays global business world. Should You Study Part-Time? Part-time programs may be the perfect solution for students who want to work while they earn their degree, but they arent for everyone. Be sure to take time to evaluate all of your business degree program options, including accelerated MBA programs, specialized masters programs, and executive MBA programs, before you commit yourself to any one program option.