The Connection between Bush and the Royal Saudi Family Essay

The Connection between Bush and the Royal Saudi Family - Essay Example (Sirota, Harvey, & Legum, 2004, np) That in and of itself was note worthy enough, but when coupled with the events surrounding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks suddenly everything took on new meaning. It all began in the 1968 when Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard. He is introduced to and got acquainted with Jim Bath, a former Air Force pilot and the future mediator between Bush and the royal families in Saudi. Years later, Salem Bin Laden, older brother Osama bin Laden, would enter into a trust agreement with Jim Bath, whereby Bath acted as the bin Laden family's representative in North America, investing money in various business ventures. And as if by chance, the same Laden in 1978 invested more than 1 Billion dollars in a Texas based Oil Company called Arbusto - not so surprisingly a Bush venture. Thus began the legacy which has spanned nearly forty years to date. During this same time period George H. W. Bush was climbing his way up the political ladder. In 1976 he was named director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As luck would have it for the Bush family, during his tenure as CIA Director, the senior Bush arranged training for the Saudi Royal Family's security force. This act sealed the association between the two families. During this time while still with the CIA, George H. W. Bush "privatized various CIA assets, with Bath considered one of the beneficiaries because of his involvement in the aircraft business." (Saudi, 2003, pp. 1) During 1980 the senior Bush was on the Primary Election ballot for the Presidency. He lost to Ronald Regan, but in a show of party unity Bush became Reagan's Vice-presidential running mate. In 1988 Bush ran for election and won. As early as 1991 there had been links place between the Bush and Saudi Royal Family, but its significance would not be truly felt for another 10 years. During 1991 Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), a Mid-Eastern bank financed in part by Khalid Bin Mahfouz, who is closely tied to both the bin Laden and the Royal Family, was arrested for withdrawing huge sums of money from the bank prior to its being seized by the U. S. Government for money laundering and other fiscal illegalities. Instead of facing jail time, however, he was levied hefty fines which he paid. 1991 also saw the beginning of the first Gulf War. Bush ordered the military attack to expel Saddam Hussein and his forces from Kuwait in order to ensure the oil pipelines remained open. The decision to enter Kuwait was also discussed with the Saudi government and they urged Bush to use U. S. military forces to expel Hussein. Having the U. S. involved in the first Gulf War was in the Saudi's best interest. They didn't have to launch a military attack against a Middle East neighbor, and, further, if Hussein had been left unchecked he could have very well also invaded Saudi Arabia. The first Gulf War was very short lived and in a matter of just a few days Kuwait had been liberated. There was much debate by the American public at this time as to whether the President should have 'kept going' at that point and remove Hussein from power. However, under advice of his military strategists and political advisors, the military was ordered out of the country. Bush senior was not re-elected in 1992 and many people felt it was due

Eagle's Nest Hotels Case Study - Detailed Implementation Plan Essay

Eagle's Nest Hotels Case Study - Detailed Implementation Plan - Essay Example Some special arrangements need to be made to meet the requirements of the government policy and to fix that an additional cost of US $30 million is required. The original budget was $125 million but that has been reduced to US $75 million. This reduction in our budget is all across the portfolio. How it will affect the operations, let’s take a closure look. Here at our Eagle Nest operations department we have to act accordingly to cope with this challenge. Our plan of action includes budgeting (cost reduction) in the following. The building rented will be hosting a room quantity 120-150 commercial Target Date Even though we are starting the business in January but our target is July to capture the mass tourists market. When they will be coming to visit the Amsterdam Metropolitan in crowds. So we have ample time to get things fully running. Our key areas to focus on are 1) Food production, products purchase technology, menu card planning, supply and consumption control, and occ upational hygiene. 2) Food and Beverage Service (rendering services to clients, wines and beverages purchase, meeting visitors, orders fulfillment) 3) Housekeeping 4) Front office operations (reception and accommodation of visitors and further service rendering). 5) Interior Product description It is a modern fashionable motel in the heart of Amsterdam Metropolitan. ... Key risks and mitigation The key risk that we face is the competition. We don’t need to worry about the reputation or the brand loyalty. There are many huge hotel giants already operating there. Our original budget of $125 million was sufficient to compete with them. But now the budget has been rescheduled. We were aiming for advertisement at a grand level but the budget being reduced has forced us to rethink on that strategy. We will spend very little on TV advertisement. We are taking the route via the internet. Impact on operations Department Just like the other departments, the impact on the operations department will be quite severe. We will be forced to cut down on cost. In terms of percentage, it will be round about 40% of our total original budget. The biggest challenge is to cope with the legal requirements as those cannot be avoided. We are looking for very efficient plans in cost reduction. As we simply cannot compete in such a high profile area such as the Amsterda m Metropolitan without having our arsenal filled with the top quality armoury. Time plan The operations procedure will commence as soon as we get the contract for having the building on rent. Starting with the interior of the hotel. Furniture, china, linen, Kitchen ware, furniture are the major things to get our motel running. Given the area of Amsterdam Metropolitan, we are expecting a very high competition. The key thing to keep in mind is that we cannot start with the state of the art interior and the building outlook. Probably it is very much noticeable at this stage that the budget getting reduced by 40% is very favourable for us. People in the metropolitan area of Amsterdam prefer the culture of that place. Our target guests will include a major percentage of

Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Culture - Essay Example The pregnant women are also prohibited from touching anything with glue to avoid the child being born with birthmarks (Community College, 2005). About foods, the Chinese also believe that if the expectant woman eats too much the baby will be too large making the labor harder. The mothers are advised to take coconut milk, so that the baby will have a good quality skin. On sex determination, the Chinese believe that if the belly is pointed the baby will be a boy and if rounded, it will be a girl. When the baby is finally born, it is the role of the father to give it the first bath. The placenta must be kept near the birth place so that in death, it is used as a sign of atonement and humility of the life on earth. The placenta can as well be used to make medicines cure various diseases (Simpson et al., 2008). Post-partum care involves taking of hot foods, including ginger, pig’s feet, and high protein meats, to rebuild the lost blood supply. Cold foods are believed to cause headache or arthritis in old age. To prevent complications, the mothers should avoid showering, washing hair, or exposing themselves to cold conditions. Before handling the baby, they are required to purify their hands using ginger. To increase milk production, the mothers are required to take papaya soup and fish. The first milk, colostrum, is considered dirty and should be discarded (Community College, 2005). In conclusion, Chinese people have a strong belief in their culture as long as the pregnancy is concerned. They observe the practices right from the pre-natal stage to post-partum care and the way the child is raised. Women are more inclined to the

Discrimination Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Discrimination Worksheet Essay †¢ What is discrimination? How is discrimination different from prejudice and stereotyping? Racial and Ethics Group 13th Edition by Richard T. Schafer defines discrimination as the denial of opportunities and equal rights to individuals and groups because of prejudice or for other arbitrary reasons. Discrimination is different from prejudice and stereotyping because discrimination is the act of excluding a group from some right, privilege, or service which is based upon some form of prejudice or stereotyping. Stereotyping is a generalization of a group of people from a certain race which is usually negative and a prejudice is a first impression of a person which is usually based off a stereotype. Discrimination is actual positive or negative actions towards a person or group based solely on their differences. An example would be an employer not hiring Hispanics because he does not like them. †¢ What are the causes of discrimination? Discrimination is caused by race, religion, gender, ethnicity; this can affect promotions, or even getting the job to begin with. Discrimination is often based on ignorance, fear and stereotypical viewpoints. There are many causes for discrimination. One of which is learned from behavior. If you grew up seeing discrimination practiced by your parents, you will probably follow the same mind-set and this will be passing on through generations and generations of families. Racism is the major cause of Discrimination. It creates a big gap between people the hate for minority groups and the action to oppress them. For example to deny a Hispanic family living in an all-White community. †¢ How is discrimination faced by one identity group (race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability) the same as discrimination faced by another? How are they different? Discrimination at times is something one person cannot control such as age, race or even one’s disability. The similarities are that they are all suffering at the hands of insensitive and ignorant people. To be honest I really do not think there is an actual difference at all in the discrimination faced by one group versus another group. To me discrimination is discrimination. I do not see a difference with discrimination from one person to another person; the only difference is that person’s ethnicity. Someone may not like blacks over Hispanics but when it comes down to it and they had to choose let’s say for example an employment opportunity that person might go along with the black person. That one person might have just picked the black male over the Hispanic male because he does not like Mexicans and now that one person may think all Hispanics are Mexican.

Scrooge over the two-day period Essay Example for Free

Scrooge over the two-day period Essay The amount of money to the Charity man; he is a changed man. He has a total change in his personality; he even plays a joke on Bob pretending to be miserly and then lights a large fire and helps Tiny Tim. Scrooge loses respect from his colleagues after using most of his money on charities. What picture do we get of Victorian London? We get a vivid description of Victorian London and the customs practiced in London during the 19th Century. Poverty is widespread, being of the middle class is popular and a small population holds the large potion of wealth. Social class dictates life and there is seldom movement within the classes basically everyone is out for themselves. Dickens gives a classical description of the London streets. There was no tinsel, but lots of greenery. All the shops were open until lunchtime on Christmas Day, because servants had to work to prepare Christmas lunch, Bakers, for example, worked a half-day on Christmas day cooking the Goose. From Dickens descriptions it was a strongly Christian society. No one would marry young, it was thought that you had to live life first and then marry. This usually meant older men marrying younger girls. Women were expected to give birth until they died, this meant most women would die during childbirth. From Dickens description he gives the impression that people no longer remembered country customs after moving to the city. When Dickens describes the behaviour and attitude of the people at the time, he is playing with words but giving an interesting insight of life at the time as well; There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. The city was a contrast; the new buildings went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where conditions were of the poorest standard. Because of the rise in population the basic needs of citizens were put at risk. In 1848, the great Potato Famine struck Ireland, this led to over 100, 000 impoverished Irish fleeing their native land and settled in London, making at one time up to 20% of the total population of the city. London was not a nice place to be in the Victorian period because of the Great Stink. The combination of coal-fired stoves and poor sanitation made the air heavy and foul smelling. For all the economic expansion of the Industrial Revolution, living conditions among Londons poor were appalling. Children as young as five were set to work begging or sweeping chimneys. Dickens himself did much to make the plight of the poor in London known to the liberate classes with his novels, notably Oliver Twist. In 1870, those efforts bore some fruit with the passage of laws providing compulsory education for children between the ages of five and twelve. What does the story reveal about Dickens? Dickens was outgoing, playful and loved to party, much like Fezziwig, the character Dickens created that taught Scrooge how to party. This is shown in his writing, particularly his love for playing with words. Dickens love of playing with words is showing in the last paragraph, He had no further intercourse with spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle. (He meant that Scrooge would no longer drink spirits. ) Dickens writes on a very personal level, he writes the Cratchits family life from his won experience. He is a very physical writer but he also has a childish nature. He makes everything young, for example Scrooges Clerk, which shows his childish outlook. Dickens shows his character through his writing, he likes the absurd and the grotesque. He takes everything to its extreme, piling up sentences and playing with language. Dickens shows his joviality and delight in life through his writing; he also shows that he is very sentimental. He personifies things as much as he can, for example he describes the ice as being Misanthropic Ice and gives Scrooges house a childish nature saying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing hide and seek with other houses. This shows the physicality of his writing and he involves all the senses. Dickens starts the story in a very moral way and continues like this throughout, with the focus being on money, this is getting his message across from the beginning. The reason for this strong message was because of Dickens own background. He lived in poverty (like the Crachits) and he was sent to the blacking factory whilst his family went to the debtors prison. He starts the story with Once upon a time making it feel like a fairy tale but also being very accurate. He has great presence in his writing, he is almost writing a moral fable. He chats with his audience creating a humorous relationship between himself and his audience. Dickens also veers from the main story line and goes into tangents of a philosophical or descriptive nature, which I feel reflects his thoughts while writing the book. He ends the story with a reference to God, God Bless us everyone, this may or may not be a reflection on Dickens believes but it did obviously have some significance otherwise he would not have ended the story in this way. The Moral of the book is Christmas is the symbol of everything that is good. Which is what Dickens wanted to promote, involving his idealisation of Christmas being about children. Dickens changed the meaning of Christmas to what we know it as today. In 1815, Christmas was not an important event for children. Jane Austen writes about a couple going to stay with relatives for Christmas, she obviously saw Christmas as not being an important time for children, which in 1815 it was not. However, Dickens soon changed this and Christmas today is now centred about children, which is what Dickens wanted to achieve.

Benefits of Using Literature in the Classroom

Benefits of Using Literature in the Classroom This chapter attempts to emphasize on relevant literature review that illustrate the following details; definition of literature, the importance of pedagogy, benefits of teaching literature in ESL Classroom, trainee teachers, and past studies. 2.1 DISCUSSION OF MAJOR TOPICS OF STUDY Literature is defined as pieces of writing that are valued as works of art, especially novels, plays, and poems (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2005). For literature in English, William Shakespeare is one of the famous writers who had produced massive masterpieces. He had been widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds pre-eminent dramatist (Greenblatt, 2005). Literature is also known as the window of the world as it offers the learners or readers the gist of ones culture, history, and traditions (Carter Long, 1991) Literature in English has been implemented in the Malaysian education system to enhance students proficiency in the English Language through the study of a set prescribed literary text, as well as contributing to personal development and character building (Ministry of Education, 2000The claim the study of literature is fundamentally a study of language in operation (Widdowson: 1971) is based on the realization that literature is an example of language in use, and is a context for language use. Thus, studying the language of literary texts as language in operation is seen as enhancing the learners appreciation of aspects of the different systems of language organisation (OSullivan, 1991). By the end of the secondary school English Language program, students should be able to achieve the objectives set for them. Unfortunately, after ten years being in the English syllabus, literature is still not seen as an important role to learn English language in Malaysian curriculum. There are several definition of teaching, and one of the definition is by Bruner (1996), he defined teaching as an effort to assist or shape the growth of students; it is mean that teacher should have an effort such as to prepare lessons, should know extra information on what they are going to teach in order to make their students understand more. The teaching process should be a two way communication between the teacher and the students so that it will be a meaningful learning. Therefore, to be able to have a better understanding on an outstanding teaching process that results in meaningful learning, a teacher should have pedagogical knowledge on teaching which contained methods, approaches, and strategies of teaching. 2.1.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF PEDAGOGY According to Collins English Dictionary 6th Edition, 2006, pedagogy is defined as the principles, practice, or profession of teaching. Pedagogy came to be identified as practice, techniques, methods, or implementation, either separated from theory or inadequate to revise it (Salvatori, 1996). In becoming a teacher, trainees should be equipped with the knowledge of pedagogy and should be able to implement and use it in the real classroom. Pedagogy determines the effectiveness of a lesson by implementing the techniques and methods, as stated before. Effective teachers display a wide range of skills and abilities that lead to creating a learning environment where all students feel comfortable and are sure that they can succeed both academically and personally. (Early Childhood/Generalist Standards, 1998). pedagogy considers how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change (Giroux, 1994) As explained by Giroux, pedagogy promotes one individual to identify her flaws and discover the potential to be a better person. A teacher, for instance, could discover her/ his weaknesses in teaching by the approaches or strategies used in class. According to Entz (2006), it is possible to identify the crucial elements of teaching that contributes to successful learning for all children by implementing on pedagogical practices with the weakest and most challenging students. Entz adds that the most important areas of inquiry are how the teacher chooses to interact with learners, structures the classroom and delivers the content which conforms to the idea that the knowledge on pedagogy of teaching is crucial in order to be a teacher. In addition, Agree (1998) has stated that Good grasp of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and understanding students interests and needs are some of the requirements needed to teach literature competently. Therefore, it is proven that pedagogy is o ne of the important elements in determining whether the lessons are successful or not. 2.1.2 THE BENEFITS OF TEACHING LITERATURE IN ESL CLASSROOM Apart from that, teachers should have discovered the benefit of teaching literature in ESL classroom. According to Dr. Ganakumaran Subramaniam, a president of Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA), literature is introduced into syllabus for plentiful purposes. Literature is hoped to be able to (1) provide rich and diverse exposure to language, (2) improve vocabulary, syntax, and structure, (3) develop perception and interpretation skills,(4) develop comprehension and motivation. As stated in the Curriculum Specification (also known as Huraian Sukatan Pelajaran Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah), the study of literary texts is meant to inculcate values and broaden learners outlook. All the objectives mentioned can be related to literature component that existing English Syllabus. There are three core areas that literature can help a language learner. The first aspect is literature assist learners language development. According to Fook and Sidhu, (2010), a literature-enriched curriculum not only helps learners improve their reading and writing skills but more importantly helps them internalize grammar and vocabulary. Sidhu(2003) and Savvidou (2004) add that the study of literature unconsciously enhances students overall linguistic competence including their knowledge of syntax, morphology, semantics and phonetics. HiÃ…Å ¸manoÄÅ ¸lu (2005) stated that, literature provides learners with a wide range of individual lexical or syntactic items. Students become familiar with many features of the written language, reading a substantial and contextualized body of text. As stated by Davis et al (1992), literary style and structure pose a problem for students in trying to comprehend literary texts, therefore, it somehow contributes to students attitude towards literature learning. For instance, poems are identically disliked as it contains numbers of figurative language and images which students fail to interpret (Wan Kamariah, 2009). In order to make literature as the prominent role in enhancing English language, teachers should be able to change this hindrance into attraction. Literature also enhances ESL students knowledge about society. In the literary texts prepared, students are exposed with various cultures from different countries. As stated by Kow (2002) noted that childrens books are multifunctional. They help students to expand their imagination, apart from literacy. Literature helps students to cope with problems be they social, cultural, racial or problems that crop up in dealing with life in the real world. It also helps to inculcate specific social attitudes that are thought to be acceptable in their community. In fact, one of the advantages of using literature is that it can serve as a medium to transmit the culture of the people who speak the language in which it is written. (Valdes 137). Valdes also warns us however, not to use literature only as a means of imparting cultural information (Valdes 137). The study of literature allows students to learn new ideas and knowledge. It adds to their understanding of concepts and cultural traditions and values and issues in life. Developing respect for self and others and encouraging one to become aware of ones audience are learning gains to be derived from the study of literature. The third area that literature will benefit English language learner is in fostering students critical thinking. As it is highly suggestive and associative, literature speaks subtly different meanings to different people. It is rare for two readers to react identically to any given text. In teaching, this has two advantages. The first advantage is that each learners interpretation has validity within limits. The second advantage is that an almost infinite fund of interactive discussion is guaranteed since each persons perception is different. That no two readers will have a completely convergent interpretation establishes the tension that is necessary for a genuine exchange of ideas. (Hismanoglu, 2005) In other words, Hismanoglu agreed that literature promotes students to think critically as they have different perception and prior knowledge towards one literary text. According to Norliana Ghani (2009), students prefer books or texts that discuss the issues of youth, relationship, and social changes. These texts or stories are usually have clear language, good organization of the plot, and thought provoking. This is the reason why in literature class, students are encouraged to have discussions or presentations of their opinions which indirectly promote critical thinking. Critical thinking is very useful when it comes to problem solving as one has to weigh before making any decisions. 2.1.3 TRAINEE TEACHERS In this study that involves trainee teachers; several aspects will be looking at. The first one is trainee teachers readiness. In assuring the objectives of the KBSM to be achieved, trainee teachers should be prepared, knowledgeable, and confident to teach the subject that they are majoring in. Teacher preparation accounts for 40% to 60% of the total variance in students achievement (Hammond, 2000). Darling Hammond also added that teacher preparation has a stronger connection with students achievement. Therefore the teachers should be aware of all topics and sub topics used in teaching process and able to discuss as well as enlighten students to understand the topic. As for literature, one of the best ways to have effective literature teaching in school is to be ready and prepared before hand. According to Safiah Osman, (1992), the success of learning and teaching will depend a great deal on the teachers. The problem raises here is whether trainee teachers are well-equipped with relevant knowledge about literature or not. As future English teachers who are going to teach Literature for the subject, they will encounter some problems in teaching literature as they have least knowledge about literature elements. For those who are taking literature as their minor, they will learn various forms of literature from the various Literature subjects for instance Asian Literature, Contemporary Literature, Women and Literature, Literature in the English Classroom, Creative Writing, and Literature and Media. Throughout these subjects, the future English teachers will be learning and analyzing the elements of literature from various pieces of work. This show they gain their knowledge of literary elements and devices needed in teaching literature. Teaching literature during micro/macro teaching is totally different with teaching literature in the real classroom. Teaching audience who have been embedded with the knowledge of the literary texts is very much easier than teaching students who have zero prior knowledge about the text. As stated in a research done by Nor Liyana Ghazali (2009), ninety seven percents of her respondents agree that prior knowledge of the literary texts is vital in comprehending the texts. Through my experience, as a student and also a trainee teacher, most students enter the literature class without reading the texts, even after the teacher had told them to do so. Teachers obviously cant delay the lessons that they have planned before hand, hence, their strategies and techniques in making these students understand and participate in their instruction is crucial. If to compare with students who have analyzed the literary texts, trainee teachers will found a huge difference and realize that their ambitiou s aims and objectives of the lessons cant be implemented in the real classroom. As Grieve stated in his Teaching Strategies and Tips for Adjunct Faculty, teacher should be able to be a facilitator of learning which means they have to know how to develop learning skills and teach students to learn and to organize their materials. He added that teachers are actors or actresses on stage. They are responsible to their audience by assuring that their appearance, conducts, communication techniques, and physical traits are constantly under scrutiny. Teachers are also advised to vary their teaching activities to keep students interested. The usage of teaching aids like films, videos, demonstrations, or mini sketch/drama should be helpful in feeding their attention span. Apart from that, teachers have to be sensitive and alert to early signs of difficulties and ready to provide assistance and referrals to the students. This is parallel to Browns suggestion in teaching English which teachers as the source of information. In literature teaching, teachers should be able to assist students with limitations in areas of reading and writing. 2.2 CONCLUSIONS As the conclusion, it can be seen from the statements above that teachers play crucial roles in determining students interest and attitude towards literature teaching. Teachers possession on pedagogical knowledge, creativity to conduct literature lessons, exposure and readiness to teach literature are the aspects to determine the successfulness of a literature lesson.

Orlistat :: Obesity Science Pills Papers

Orlistat In today's world, people are turning more and more to the use of Pharmaceuticals to solve their problems or to improve their health. Drugs are beingused to treat everything from hair loss to impotency. There is a new pill being developed todayto treat the problems that people face due to obesity. Orlistat, which goes by the brand name Xenical, was invented and developed by Hoffman-La Roche Inc. Headquartered in Nutley, NJ, Hoffman-La Roche is an affiliate of the company known as Roche of Basel, Switzerland. This company wants to remind us that obesity is not just a cosmetic concern anymore but is associated with a risk for other life-threatening diseases. Many people are realizing this fact now and wish to do something about their weight problems before it becomes too late. The new pill is being advertised on television, magazines, newspapers, anthe Internet as a wonder drug that helps people take off the pounds and keep them off. Heart Information groupsalso claim that the drug reduces obesity-related risk factors, such as heartdisease, stroke, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and insulin levels. Orlistat claims to be a replacement for the diet drug Fen-phen, which was linked to heart valve damage. One man who took part in the longest and largest study ever done with this drug says, "In my adult life, I've always been 20 to 40 pounds overweight. It has always been a problem for me." He was able to drop 21 pounds and keep them off for two years by using orlistat along with maintaining a healthy diet. One can find numerous testimonies such as this one in magazines or on the world wide web. But just how effective is this drug and is it safe for those who use it? The appeal of orlistat to people who wish to use it is that is a new and safe approach to managing obesity. The safety of the drug is its most attractive feature because it is not absorbed into the body. Instead of reducing appetite as most diet drugs do, orlistat works as a lipase inhibitor, which means that it blocks intestinal absorption of fat by locking onto the enzyme in the gut that allows fat to pass across the intestinal wall. Only the fat is blocked, allowing proteins and carbohydrates to be absorbed.