Human Papilloma virus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Papilloma virus - Essay Example They each have their own surface that they prefer to attack. Some like the moist areas such as the mouth, anus and genitals while others prefer the hands, face and scalp. â€Å"When HPV does take hold, it grows a lump of thickened skin. Thats the wart.†(Davis,2011). The wart will shed its skin in time and that skin will carry, and transmit the virus. They will form painlessly on the hands, face or scalp. The â€Å"Plantar† wart will form on the soles of the feet and are the only painful form of wart. On the genitals a painless cauliflower like growth will form. In extreme cases HPV can cause cancer of the cervix, penis, vagina or anus. The wart will cultivate its own blood supply and nerve and this makes it very difficult to just go away on its own. The body will eventually recognize and fight the virus by creating its own antibodies to HPV and will cause the wart to drop of, but, this takes time and normally will take one to two years. There are over the counter remedies including Salicylic Acid which will irritate and eliminate the wart. There are also prescribed therapies such as Antiviral Creams that stimulate the immune system and stunt the growth of warts and you can also have the wart surgically removed. Vaccinations are available for girls at 11-12 years of age and for boys from 9-26. I am not a medical expert, but it seems to me that warts are just a relatively innocent, annoying part of human life in much the same vane as pimples. We have medical experts who like to dramatize some aspects of medicine and try and frighten us with their fancy words and researches. â€Å"HPV Infection is Usually a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and is Easily Spread by Having Sex with an Infected Person†.(Mayo Clinic,2010.) .There is a stigma as soon as â€Å"Sexually Transmitted† is quoted. Well guess what? you can catch the common cold if you have sex with someone who has the Flu. Does that make the common cold a sexually transmitted disease?, I think not.

Legal clinical choice Essay Example for Free

Legal clinical choice Essay The case of Harriton v Stephens tackled the controversial wrongful life actions. It sought to finally pass upon the validity of the said action under Australian law. Such actions are controversial and complex due to the questions of law and public policy surrounding it. The determination of the issue is of great importance, especially now, because of the recent developments such as abortion becoming a legal clinical choice if it was made to avoid chronic disabilities due to in utero related deceases. This paper will seek to provide an analysis of the finding of the High Court: namely, the majority’s proposition that wrongful life actions can not prosper because the victim could not demonstrate that he or she had suffered any harm capable of being understood or assessed by the court as well as Kirby’s proposition that denying the existence of wrongful life actions erects an immunity around health care providers whose negligence results in a child who would not otherwise have existed, being born into a life of suffering. Section 2. Facts Alexia Harriton was born â€Å"profoundly, incurably and tragically disabled†. The disability was due to her exposure to the rubella virus before she was born. Olga Harriton, the mother of the appellant, called Dr. Max Stephens, a general practitioner, to treat her for an illness. She informed him that she was concerned because she was getting rashes and fever, two symptoms of the rubella virus. She further informed the doctor that this was a problem because she believed herself to be pregnant. Under the advice of the doctor, Mrs. Harriton underwent blood testing to determine if she had the rubella virus and to check if she was indeed pregnant. Upon the release of the results, she contacted Dr. Paul Stephens, the son and partner of Dr. Max Stephens, to present the results of the blood testing. He concluded that she was pregnant but was not suffering from the rubella virus. However, it would seem that Mrs. Harrington was misdiagnosed by Dr. Paul Stephens. As a result, Alexia was born suffering from mental retardation, blindness, deafness and spasticity, all of which are effects of the exposure to the rubella virus. Alexia filed a wrongful life action against Dr. Stephens under the claim that had he been diligent in his duty as a doctor, he would have correctly diagnosed Mrs. Harriton who would, as a result of the information about the effects of the virus to the child and the option to undergo abortion, have aborted the fetus avoiding the wrongful birth of Alexia. The case was dismissed in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the Court of Appeal, before it was brought to the High Court of Australia, which ultimately dismissed the appeal. Six judges ruled in favor of the respondent. Kirby J was the lone dissenter. Section 3. Analysis A. Duty of Care The question of whether or not Dr. Stephens owed Alexia a duty of care by providing Mrs. Harriton with advice, which would ultimately lead to her being aborted is the principal issue in this case. It is the opinion of the majority that there is an inextricable link between the existence of a duty of care and the existence of a legally cognizable damage suffered by the plaintiff in such a way that if the latter is absent, the former can not exist. The majority’s reason for this proposition is that damage is the gist of an action for negligence. The existence of a duty of care presupposes that damages would result to the offended party as a result of the negligence of the party owing the duty of care. The lone dissenter, Kirby J, on the other hand, did not believe that damage to the plaintiff should be proved in order to establish the existence of a duty to care. Contrary to the opinion of the majority, he did not believe that there was a legal relationship between the two concepts. His Honour was content to conclude that the case fell within the established duty of care that a doctor owes to a foetus to avoid causing it prenatal injury. Analyzing both approaches, it can be observed that damage is an issue that looms largely in the ratio of the majority as compared to the ratio of Kirby J’s opinion. As a result, the absence of proof of injury according to the â€Å"well-settled and well understood principles† of tort law was the main reason why the action failed.

Bennet on Religion :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bennett sets up an unsettling depiction of today’s society. However, it seems as though he is merely trying to draw pathos out of readers. He mentions the most heinous crimes, and extreme situations and attempts to pass it off as a normal occurrence in society. He states over and over that â€Å"something has gone wrong with us.† Though some of the situations he speaks of are accepted as socially deviant but most all of society, some of it is extremely relative. He speaks a great deal on out of wedlock births. And further, he goes onto to include them in a list of things that â€Å"are not good to get use to.† To some people, out of wedlock births are not a horrible things. It is common for single women to want to have a child before they are no longer able to. He loses some ethos when he attacks this perspective, especially being that this viewpoint is becoming more and more accepted. Also, he speaks a great deal about our low achievement sc ores on the secondary education level, but fails to mention how our educational institutions are set up differently than other countries. For example, we, by law, require all minors to attend school, where as many other countries do not, and only educate the more intelligent students. Equal education oppurtunities cannot be a bad thing, or credited to social regression. Bennett also lays a great deal of blame on the media. He makes the transition from Bach and Buddy Holly to Guns ‘n’ Roses and 2 Live Crew. However, he left out nearly two decades of music which, in essence had the same types of messages as these two examples. He does not note any â€Å"social regression† during this era, so it seems to be an indirect correlation between social deviance and music.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bennett offers the solution of bringing religion back to educational institutes. He states that â€Å"we must have public policies that once again make the connection between our deepest beliefs and our legislative agenda.† It is unfair to assume that the morality set up by the ten commandments in the Bible is even an accurate distinction between what is and is not moral.

Contractual and Non Contractual Liability Essay

I. Contract   A contract is an agreement having a lawful object entered into voluntarily by two or more parties, each of whom intends to create one or more legal obligations between them. The elements of a contract are â€Å"offer† and â€Å"acceptance† by â€Å"competent persons† having legal capacity who exchange â€Å"consideration† to create â€Å"mutuality of obligation. † Contracts may be bilateral or unilateral. A bilateral contract is an agreement in which each of the parties to the contract makes a promise or set of promises to each other. For example, in a contract for the sale of a home, the buyer promises to pay the seller $200,000 in exchange for the seller’s promise to deliver title to the property. These common contracts take place in the daily flow of commerce transactions, and in cases with sophisticated or expensive promises may involve extensive negotiation and various condition precedent requirements, which are requirements that must be met for the contract to be fulfilled. Less common are unilateral contracts in which one party makes a promise, but the other side does not promise anything. In these cases, those accepting the offer are not required to communicate their acceptance to the offeror. In a reward contract, for example, a person who has lost a dog could promise a reward if the dog is found, through publication or orally. The payment could be additionally conditioned on the dog being returned alive. Those who learn of the reward are not required to search for the dog, but if someone finds the dog and delivers it, the promisor is required to pay. Elements At common law, the elements of a contract are offer, acceptance, intention to create legal relations, and consideration. Offer and acceptance In order for a contract to be formed, the parties must reach mutual assent. This is typically reached through offer and an acceptance which does not vary the offer’s terms, which is known as the â€Å"mirror image rule†. If a purported acceptance does vary the terms of an offer, it is not an acceptance but a counteroffer and, therefore, simultaneously a rejection of the original offer. Intention to be legally bound In commercial agreements it is presumed that parties intend to be legally bound unless the parties expressly state the opposite as in a heads of agreement document. For example, an agreement between two business parties was not enforced because it contained an ‘honor clause’ which stated the parties wish that the agreement not be reviewed or enforced by a court. In contrast, domestic and social agreements such as those between children and parents are typically unenforceable on the basis of public policy. For example, a husband agreed to give his wife $100 a month while he was away from home, but the court refused to enforce the agreement when the husband stopped paying. Consideration is something of value given by a promissor to a promisee in exchange for something of value given by a promisee to a promissor. Typically, the thing of value is a payment, although it may be an act, or forbearance to act, when one is privileged to do so, such as an adult refraining from smoking. This thing of value or forbearance from some legal right is considered to be a legal detriment. In the exchange of legal detriments, a bargain is created. II. Contractual Liability Contractual liability, is exactly as it sounds. A contract is a legal binding agreement between two or more persons.  When you sign, or agree to the terms of a contract, then you have accepted the contractual liabilities set forth in the document. Liabilities are things that you can be held accountable for, and may have to repay or replace, in the event that they occur. For example, a renter’s agreement may state that, â€Å"†If upon moving out of the premises stated in the contract, any part of the premises is destroyed, you may be accountable for and have to pay to repair, or replace the damage†Ã¢â‚¬ . Contractual liability (or liability because of a contract) has a very broad meaning—a promise that may be enforced by a court. Consider the following simple example. I agree to paint your house for $1,000 and collect $500 prior to the job. After I accept the $500, I obtain a more lucrative offer and never show up to paint your house. You can go to court and claim the $500 you paid me, as I have breached the contract. Your claim is a contractual liability claim. Contractual liability can take many forms, but is basically holds you accountable for damages that are stated in the contract. Another example can be a publishing contract. If you are found guilty of plagiarism, the publisher is not accountable for the act. It is your contractual liability, to release the publisher from fault, and take it yourself. In a nutshell, contractual liability, is anything that you agree to in the terms set forth in a contract. Before entering in to any contract, if you do not understand the terms, consult with an attorney. III. Non-contractual liability The term non-contractual liability can be defined as tort liability. Tort liability is legal obligation of one party to a victim as a results of a civil wrong or injury. This action requires some form of remedy from a court system. A tort liability arises because of a combination of directly violating a person’s rights and the transgression of a public obligation causing damage or a private wrongdoing. Evidence must be evaluated in a court hearing to identify who the tortfeasor/liable party is in the case. Some torts are also crimes punishable with imprisonment, the primary aim of tort law is to provide relief for the damages incurred and deter others from committing the same harms. The injured person may sue for an injunction to prevent the continuation of the tortious conduct or for monetary damages. For example, a factory was built in A village. Then this factory releases so much smoke and waste which can harm to human health and environment. Therefore, this factory has to take responsible for her releasing. Among the types of damages the injured party may recover are: loss of earnings capacity, pain and suffering, and reasonable medical expenses. They include both present and future expected losses. Torts fall into three general categories: intentional torts (e. g. , intentionally hitting a person); negligent torts (e. g. causing an accident by failing to obey traffic rules); and strict liability torts (e. g. , liability for making and selling defective products). Intentional torts are any intentional acts that are reasonably foreseeable to cause harm to an individual, and that do so. Negligence is a tort which depends on the existence of a breaking of the duty of care owed by one person to another from the perspective of a reasonable person, it is just carelessness not intenti on. Strict liability wrongs do not depend on the degree of carefulness by the defendant, but are established when a particular action causes damage.

Nike Innovation

Nike Inc. Prepared by: Chuck Viasi MBA 330 – Innovation and Technology Management August 11, 2012 ————————————————- Executive Summary Nike, Inc. is a globally-recognized athletic sports apparel company with strong brand loyalty. The foundations of Nike’s success today were established by its Co-Founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in 1972. As an athlete and a coach, their relentless pursuit of improved athletic performance instilled a competitive spirit in the culture of Nike. As such, the organization’s culture is one of the key reasons that Nike excels in this industry.We will see how the management style fosters innovation, and how the competitive spirit blended with curiosity and a constant scan of the external environment feeds the creative process. The company has become adept at integrating their knowledge into innovative approaches to improve athletic performance and connect with their customers through design and marketing. Our research on historical trends and processes within Nike indicates that the company’s core competencies are innovation and marketing; the underlying reasons the company is now the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world.As Nike faces increased costs for materials, the company has made a strategic shift to couple sustainability principles with innovation to create a better company that can, in turn, can make a better world for all of us. Ultimately, this strengthens the company’s ability to compete globally in the future as well as positively impact society. Executive Summary (Stoney/Jen)1 Table of Contents (Stoney/Jen)2 Nike’s Mission Statement (Jen)4 I. The Business of Nike (Jen)4 A. Historical Innovations (Isaac)4 B. Portfolio of Products (Isaac)5 II. Product Life Cycle (Isaac)5 III. Business Model (Isaac)6 IV. SWOT (Stoney)7A. Strengths (Stoney)7 i. Strong Cap italization (Stoney)7 ii. Globally Positioned (Stoney)7 iii. Strong Brand Recognition (Stoney)8 iv. Solid Barriers to Entry (Stoney)9 v. Innovation (Stoney)9 B. Weaknesses (Stoney)9 i. Outsourced Manufacturing (Stoney)9 C. Opportunities (Stoney)9 i. Professional Sports Market (Stoney)9 D. Threats (Stoney10 i. Severe Competition (Stoney/Jen for Adidas)10 ii. Global Economy (Stoney)11 E. How do Nike’s Strengths Reinforce Nike’s Opportunities? (Stoney)11 F. How do Nike’s Weaknesses Relate to Threats? (Stoney)12 V. Nike’s Value Chain (Stoney)12 A. Make (Stoney)12 B. Move (Stoney)12C. Sell (Stoney)12 D. Use (Stoney)13 E. Reuse (Stoney)13 F. Plan (Stoney)13 G. Design (Stoney)14 VI. Porter’s 5 Competitive Forces (Stoney)15 VII. Organization (Jen)16 A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success (Jen)16 B. Org. Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets (Jen)17 C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams (Jen)18 VIII. Innovation Proce ss (Jen)18 A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources of Inspiration (Jen)18 i. Athletes (Jen)19 ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends (Jen)20 iii. Deep Dives (Jen)21 iv. Art, Artists and Buildings (Jen)21 B. Experts, Incubation and Collaborations (Jen)22IX. From Idea to Commercial Product (Jen)22 X. Product Introduction to the Market (Jen)24 A. Marketing Strategy (Jen)24 B. Event Pacing and Limited Edition Products (Jen)25 XI. Integrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation (Jen)26 A. Nike and China (Isaac)26 B. GreenXchange, Considered Design, Considered Design Index (Jen)27 C. Impact on Corporate Goals and Strategy (Jen)28 XII. Conclusion (Stoney/Jen)28 References29 Nike’s Mission Statement: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world. *†If you have a body, you are an athlete. † ————————————————- I.The Business of the Company Nike (NYSE: NK E) makes high performance athletic clothing, footwear, sportswear, and equipment. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, OR, and employs more than 30,000 people. Nike is the most recognized and coveted sports brand in the world, valued at $10. 7 Billion. (Nike, Inc. , n. d. ) As their Mission Statement indicates, Nike innovates for all athletes – from elite to everyday athletes – to improve sports performance. Nike markets its products under its own brand, as well as Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding, and subsidiaries including Hurley International and Converse.The company also operates retail stores under the Nike town name. A. Historical Innovations * In 1962 Bill Bower man and Phil Night- Launched Blue Ribbon Sports (Tiger Shoes) with 500 dollar mutual fund. * 1978-Blue Ribbon Sports renamed themselves to NIKE. * 1980- Nike IPO and became publically traded. * 1980- First air sole shoe system Nike runner shoe * 1984-Signing of Michael Jor dan and first Air Force one basketball shoe. * 1985Air Jordan Revolution- 30 plus versions of air Jordan’s * 1989-Waffle shoe sole incorporated by adding rubber to a waffle machine. 2000-Nike shocks introduced and Nike portfolio formed * 2003- Nike ID shoe customization- allowing customers to make customized shoes from a computer, * 2006- Nike shocks tech * 2008-Nike Research lab environmentally friendly * 2011, Nike collaborated with Tom-tom for the launch of Nike+ Sport-Watch GPS. * Present Nike Innovation Kitchen- green products and greener product cycle. B. Portfolio of Products Nike’s portfolio consists of Converse, Nike Golf, Nike Baseball, Air Jordan shoes/Accessories, Hurley International.Nike is a leading designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel. Nike has done a spectacular job of diversifying their portfolio and being able to implement competitive advantage in all brands. The Company’s key product lines consist of: * Shoes * App arel * Equipment & accessories ————————————————- II. Product Life Cycle NIKE’s products and services falls in the growth stage of the product life cycle due to their ability to diversify products and rapid growth in sales and profits.According to knowledge. com â€Å"Nike is at a ranking of #135 in revenues generated by America’s 500 largest corporations. Of the nineteen billion fourteen million in revenue 2. 1 billion  was profit. † Nike is the niche when it comes to introducing new product and that is why there are at the growth stage allowing them to produce capital at a rapid pace. They always have new products coming out and new angles of approaches and that keeps them in the growth areas of the product life cycle. ———————————————— - III. Business ModelNIKE has a gift of trying new ideas that other organizations are too scared to attempt. The Nike business model consists of five steps. 1) Conducting research 2) Manufacturing product shoe, clothes, etc. 3) Retail 4) Consumers 5) Down cycling. , Nike introduces products to the market with athletic endorsements and mass marketing. They have the products assembled overseas for a fraction of the cost it would cost to manufacture in the in the United States. The Nike Corporation is known as innovators for making a product at low cost and charging an above average price in retail. I believe that this model works well for Nike as every time they have a new shoe come out that is expensive and overpriced they still have people waiting in line overnight for their shoe product. Nike Business Model ————————————————- IV. SWOT Analysis Strengths| Weaknesses| Well c apitalized| Outsourced manufacturing| Globally positioned| History of human rights scrutiny| Solid brand recognition creating competitive advantage| | Strong barriers to entry| | Innovation/product development| | Environmentally conscious culture| | Marketing| |Opportunities| Threats| Professional sports market segment| Severe competition| Growth in global apparel market| Global economy| Leadership in US market| Third world governments| Global marketing initiatives| Black market/counterfeit market| | | (MarketLine, 2012) A. Strengths i. Strong Capitalization: According to the Nike 10K report net income for 2011 was $2. 1 billion; although this is a drop from the previous year Nike still maintains a strong capital position. Last year Nike also saw their inventory go up as a result of future orders and the company repurchased $1. billion dollars of class B stock which is part of a 4 year $5 billion repurchase program. Thus far Nike has repurchased 30. 4 million shares for $2. 3 billio n. Even with this repurchase program Nike still has $4. 5 billion in cash, cash equivalents or short-term investment reserves so they are well positioned with capital for the future. (Nike, Inc. (2011) ii, Globally Positioned: Nike was ranked #1 in shoe and apparel revenue in 2011 and remains positioned well for the future. In the global shoe market there are two main players, Nike, a US-based company, and Adidas, a German company.Nike remains focused on defending their leadership position in the industry by signing contracts with the NFL, NBA, MLS, European soccer teams, and college sports teams. One of their advertising plans has historically included elite athletes like Michael Jordan, who still has the highest ranked athletic shoe in the history of the industry. Adidas sticks to its core values of â€Å"function first†. They also market their shoes by fashion, as modern, and as cool enough. While Nike is king in America, Adidas is the leader in European markets.The Adidas brand had a market share of 38% while Nike was right behind at 37% (Jones, 2011) In 2006 a study by William Hanrahan positioned global shoe marketers as follows: Hanrahan, (2008, p. 8) This graphic shows all the leading brands of shoes with their global positioning as of July 2006. Nike is located in the average to low affluent market with its main competitor being just a little larger (at that time) and a little higher in affluence. iii. Strong brand recognition creating a competitive advantage: The Nike swoosh is a recognized brand logo throughout the world.While Nike is known to charge a premium price for their average affluent market they are also known for quality and catering to the needs of the athlete. The target market for Nike is the young athletes and they are loyal to Nike as through advertising, Nike connects to this audience by demonstrating a keen understanding of their psyche and lifestyle. iv, Solid barriers to entry: Nike’s strong global brand has created a barrier to entry in the sports market. Other barriers include high capital requirements, high research and development costs, and keen innovation instincts. . Innovation: Innovation is a core competency for Nike as they pour investment dollars into research & development. The â€Å"Innovation Kitchen† generates the majority of their innovative ideas, which will be discussed in another part of this report. B. Weaknesses: i. Outsourced Manufacturing: One weakness is the fact that nearly all of their apparel and shoe manufacturing is outsourced. While this is an advantage from a cost perspective, and allows Nike to focus on their core competency, Nike gives up a lot of control by outsourcing to suppliers.The risk involved includes problems with governments and a workforce that that is out of there control. Another weakness that the company has displayed in the past is human rights and they are constantly under the pressure by human rights groups. C. Opportunities: i. The pr ofessional sports market: Nike’s target market has always been the athlete. The market segment that Nike is currently expanding is the professional sports arena with growing contracts with the NFL and other professional sporting leagues and teams across the world. Nike is the leader in the U. S. arket for all shoe and apparel sales and should continue to be the first choice of athletes who are looking to improve performance. Nike will also continue to make strides with advertising campaigns across Europe and India. D. Threats: i. Severe competition: The global shoe and apparel industry continues to experience fierce competition as major brands go head-to-head for competing for market share. According to Films on Demand video, Sports Shoe Wars, Adidas paid $1. 2 billion to retain the rights to the China Olympics for advertising rights at 23 of the 24 venues. The thought behind Adidas advertising campaign was â€Å"1. billion people with 2. 4 billion feet. † India is cle arly the next battle ground. Adidas is Nike’s most formidable competitor; the fight for market domination has spanned many decades and is publicly fought. Nike is the industry leader in the U. S. footwear and athletic apparel industry and has a strong brand portfolio (â€Å"Zacks Bull†, 2011). Adidas is known for making a solid, quality product which has historically missed consumer tastes. This was evident in a kid focus group conducted by Adidas in which kids were asked â€Å"if Adidas were at a party, where would it be? The kid’s responded â€Å"hanging around the keg† while â€Å"Nike would be with the girls. † (Stevenson, 2003) The belief at Adidas is Nike’s leadership position has been achieved solely through marketing, not through quality product performance. In a short film about the 2008 Olympic Games in China, Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas explains: I think if trying to find differences between the two companies, we’d have to say Adidas is more oriented towards product and performance and Nike more towards marketing. If they need hip hop culture to do that they will use it.But don’t think that Nike puts more into lifestyle than we do. We also communicate a great deal, like I said, we’re trying to do that in connection with the Olympic games†¦to win the people of China by saying we’re the ones who are helping your athletes. (Kirchhoff, 2009) In 2006, Adidas acquired Reebok to strengthen its position against Nike. The acquisition of Reebok led to control of 20% of the market as opposed to Nike which, at the time, had about a third of the $145 billion worldwide market. (Sorkin, Feder & Dash, 2005) The acquisition gave Adidas more leverage to compete for celebrity athlete endorsements. ii.The global economy is another threat that has already taken hold with a clear slowdown in worldwide shoe and apparel sales over the past few years. While the economy continues to be a proble m, a clear threat to Nike remains the volatility of third world governments where much of the materials and manufacturing is completed. E. How do Nike’s strengths reinforce their opportunities? Being well capitalized, Nike is in a position to take advantage of the professional sports organizations and teams target market. Many of these teams are recognized around the world and the Nike swoosh will be prominently displayed on their uniforms.Strong barriers to entry allow Nike to focus on their current competition with few to no disruptive technologies introduced by other companies in the shoe or apparel market. F. How do Nike’s weaknesses relate to their threats? Outsourcing manufacturing is a company decision they are comfortable with as they have done this for several decades now. The main benefit behind the outsourcing is expense reduction, and ability to focus on core competencies. However, along with these expense reductions comes human rights scrutiny that tends t o follow Nike wherever they go. A good reputation takes a long time to build and a short time to lose.But, they have made similar strides in the past with environmental groups and now will not allow harmful substances to be used for research and development there environmental groups recognize their environmental corporate culture and have worked closely with Nike over a period of 14 years to create these environmental values within the company. (Kirchhoff, A. (Director) (2009). ————————————————- V. Nike’s Value Chain Make, move, sell, use, reuse, plan, and design. A. Make: Since 1995 Nike has reduced petroleum based solvents used to manufacture shoes by 96%.Nike also created a new rubber that targets the reduction of the most toxic chemicals and shared the formula with the entire industry. The Nike â€Å"make† portion of the value chain employs 1,000,000 wor kers in 50 countries. The have also conserved enough materials in the last 5 years to produce an additional 15 million pairs of shoes. B. Move: Since 1995 Nike has used 100% recycled cardboard for shoe boxes. Clothing is also made from a lighter material which allows for less water usage in cleaning and it dries faster saving energy and allowing for larger drying loads in the process.Nike has 23 distribution centers located around the world and is working with logistics partners to reduce the footprint created in shipping and packaging of products. C. Sell: From June 2010 to January 2012 Nike employees donated 17,207 hours for community projects just in their North America retail stores. The employees completed 543 different projects that targeted youth sports. Approximately 219,000 plastic shopping bags were saved by the retail team in Australia in one year. With the plastic bag savings they began to charge an additional 10 cent fee and all proceeds from this fee were donated to lo cal youth sporting programs.This program resulted in a 55% reduction in plastic bag usage from the previous year and generated $26,000 for youth athletic programs. D. Use: In 2006 Nike did a study to find out where the most CO2 was being generated during the lifecycle of a typical pair of shoes. The study showed that 46% of these emissions came from the washing and drying. To further the study Nike came up with a 39% reduction in energy use simply by washing in cold water. This study was performed in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint and clothing now comes with instructions to use cold water and dry on a line instead of a dryer where possible.This cleaning method will also extend the life of the clothing. E. Reuse: Packaging accounts for up to 22% of the waste in the Nike value chain. Since 1995 all shoe boxes have been made from 100% recycled materials. In every square yard of school playground â€Å"play top† rubber there are approximately 40 pairs of grinded up shoe s where the rubber has been recycled. Nick also incorporates fiber into their Hyper Elite Platinum shorts that is made from 100% recycled polyester. The recycling of shoes has reached 25 million pairs collected globally since 1990. Nike’s goal is to â€Å"weave yesterday’s products back into tomorrow’s value chain. F. Plan: In 2010, Nike founded the Green Xchange with several other companies in an attempt at open innovation with other businesses. This Green Xchange is used to share intellectual property and conserve the planet’s resources and climate. In 2011 nearly 500 tons of waste was composted from the Nike headquarters and approximately 1. 6 million pound of waste was recycled. Those 500 tons equals about 65% of the total waste. Business travel has also been reduced to 3% of past travel requirements. Nike also focuses on minority owned businesses. G. Design: Each year over 16,000 materials are used in various products each year.Each pair of shoes co ntains about 30 different materials alone. Because so many different materials are used Nike has come up with â€Å"materials index† that measures the impact of each material in four areas. These areas include energy, chemistry, water, and waste. In 2010 15 million T-shirts were made using organic cotton that was grown without the use of fertilizers, defoliants, or pesticides. Nike has evaluated over 80,000 different to measure their environmental impact and typically uses 6 that make up most of their materials volume. These 6 items are polyester, rubber, cotton, synthetic leather, and leather and EVA foam.Finally, through planning and reducing their waste stream approximately 280,000,000 plastic bottles have been saved from landfills and used in polyester textiles. â€Å"In 2011, more than 31. 5 million Nike garments contained at least some recycled polyester fiber. † (Nike value chain, 2012) —————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ———————————————— ————————————————- VI. Porters 5 Competitive Forces à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- The Organization (Format taken from Quick MBA, 2010) ————————————————- VII. Organization A. How the Culture Supports Innovation and Success An organization’s culture is typically defined by management at the top. Without a doubt, Nike’s legendary former CEO and Co-Founder, Phil Knight, was influential at developing a culture of innovation. His odd management style inspired employees to make their own decisions.He deliberately didn’t respond to questions or offered a vague nod. His executives became adept at interpreting his lack of response or nods as freedom to do their own problem solving and innovate. Most employees, like Tinker Hatfield, VP of Innovation, considered silence a yes to move forward. (Roth, 2005) Parker has c ommented that Knight has â€Å"always given me incredible freedom in my roles. † (Birchall, 2007, para 8) Whether intentional or unintentional, Knight personally provided critical ingredients for cultivating and nurturing a culture of creativity and innovation.The competitive spirit is deeply ingrained in the culture and employees are driven to succeed. The highly-popular slogan â€Å"Just Do It† is an internally-embraced philosophy that captures this competitive spirit. Nike’s culture gives employees the opportunity to accomplish, occasionally fail and learn from mistakes. Repeated failure faces punishment. (Jagersma, 2003) Curiosity is considered key to success and it is expected that employees will maintain a level of curiosity or risk failure.According to author Fields, the former CMO of Nike, Scott Bed bury, was quoted in the book Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today's Cluttered Marketplace, as saying: â€Å"If you were the head of Nike Basketball, you damn well better know what's going on in the minds of young basketball players–the music they listen to, their vernacular, how they define success, what they fear, what they dream. The bulk of it is just about getting out there and wandering around. And anybody in the marketing group at Nike was penalized, if not put into early retirement, if they didn't get out there, if they weren't continually curious. (Fields, 2007) Hero worship is also deeply ingrained in the culture. Buildings on the Beaverton, OR campus bear the names of image-building power athletes. (Rapaport, 2002) To evoke the spirit of innovation through organizational history, storytelling about heroes and heritage is a critical part of Nike’s corporate culture. (Ransdell, 1999) Ekins, Nike’s official company storytellers, sport a swoosh tattoo on their ankle and evangelize about the Nike brand and its sports technology. (â€Å"Remarkable†, 2010) Today, the management style of Mark Parker, CEO, c ontinues to nurture innovation and keeps the channels for creativity open.He does not shut people down in meetings and prefers to let people share what they’re working on, even if a project will not get a green light. (McGirt, 2010) B. Organizational Structure for Optimal Alignment with Customer Markets In the mid-2000s, the company moved from a product-based structure to a customer-focused organization with categories like women’s fitness, running, and basketball. This allowed Nike to follow the greatest opportunities and to develop communities of shared interest both internally and externally. (Birchall, 2007) In 2009, another restructure aligned the brand by six new geographies hich allowed Nike to get closer to the customer, reduce management layers and increase the speed of decision making. (â€Å"Nike, Inc. Announces,† 2009) This structure allows Nike to more efficiently focus on the unique cultures of these sports, share knowledge, and inform the creative process. C. Breaking into New Sports with Independent Teams Breaking into new sports markets is a strategic endeavor for Nike. The company sets up independent entities and forms teams with external talent to allow it to be as agile as needed for success.To break into the skate market, the company brought former head of Nike’s upstart soccer division out of retirement. The division was set up as an independent unit with 11 employees who were all skaters from other parts of the industry. The skate team spoke to consumers for two years before it offered its first products exclusively to skate stores on short-runs and has since captured market share. (Stone, 2004) Golf is another market which required a different approach to break into it. The golf unit was formally separated from the rest of the company on its balance sheet.A 12-handicap golfer and long-time employee, Bob Wood, was asked to head the division, and other executives were brought on board from the industry. Since s electing Tiger Woods to represent their line of products, Nike has captured market share in golf. (Stone, 2004) ————————————————- VIII. Innovation Process A. Innovation Kitchen and Sources for Innovation Inspiration The Innovation Kitchen is a think tank within Nike’s headquarters where innovative technology and other special projects are invented by its 125-person research team.Tinker Hatfield, VP Innovation and Special Projects, leads the team. He is a famed designer of Nike’s most popular and innovative designs, including the Air Jordan, and is regarded as the keeper of the founder’s legacy of innovation. As Hatfield explains, the Kitchen is separated from the rest of the organization: â€Å"We're not so much tied into the sales of shoes. We're here to improve athletic performance. † (Rapaport, 2002, para 25) While casual visits by the CEO ar e common, direction for their work does not come from above.It is guided by a philosophy established by Knight: â€Å"It’s really risky not to take risk. † (Brettman, 2011b, para 7) The research team is free to explore as many ideas as they can. Behind Nike’s core competency in innovation is a finely-tuned integration of learning with creativity. (Stonehouse & Minocha, 2008) Hatfield believes what designers draw or design is a culmination of everything he or she has seen or done in life at that point. (Longeville, 2006) To Hatfield, internal ideas generated from sources such as focus groups are generated in false environments, thus not the preferred source for ideas. Eckoff, 2007) Instead, creativity and inspiration is regularly sought out from a wide variety of external influences. The insights provoke new ways of thinking and innovating. i. Athletes: For Nike, design is rooted in the belief that form follows function. Top athletes have been – and wi ll continue to be – the primary source of design inspiration. According to Parker, â€Å"what we learn from them is who we are. † (McGirt, 2010, para 8) Nike employs pro athletes, either with the company or via sports marketing contracts, to evaluate and weigh in on shoe design and development from a performance perspective. Datamonitor, 2012) They are frequent visitors to the Nike Sports Research Lab, where biomechanics experts study how to enhance their performance using cutting-edge sports technology and equipment. (McGirt, 2010) How the R&D team of scientists analyzes the results sets Nike apart. According to Mario Lafortune, Director of Nike’s R&D Lab: We have developed an expertise in interpreting the data for designing footwear. How you interpret data to derive footwear criteria is really a level of expertise that very few people have. Holloway, 2004, para 7) Inspired design originates not just from input on functionality, but as Hatfield explains : You have to spend time getting to know an athlete, his motivations and his life. Understand his needs and his wants. The real fun comes in the end when you make observations that have real meaning. (â€Å"Interview: Tinker Hatfield ,† n. d. , para 14) ii. Customers: Lifestyle Trends: Nike understands that to grow, recognizing new customer needs and offering solutions is critical. (Patnaik, 2005) Nike’s ability to apply outside the box thinking to existing solutions has proven successful.For example, by looking at the lifestyle of the runner, Nike teamed with Apple to create Nike+, a digital sports kit comprising a sensor that attaches to a running shoe with a wireless receiver which connects to the iPod. The information tracked by the sensor sends information to the iPod for uploading and tracking progress on www. nikeplus. com, then shared on Facebook and Twitter to connect with other runner communities. For the Nike+ customer, the exercise experience has extended b eyond a pair of running shoes. As of 2010, 2. million kits were sold and due to that success, the kit has been expanded into other athletic activities, such as gym workouts. (Ofek & Wathieu, 2010) iii. Deep Dives: To stay ahead of consumer trends, Nike designers regularly seek inspiration through intense immersion into subcultural experiences, or Deep Dives. According to John Hoke III, Nike’s global creative director of footwear design, the purpose of Deep Dives is â€Å"to interpret, translate and try to make new connections†. Deep Dive cultural explorations have included American car culture, Palm Springs mid-20th-century design, inner-city hip-hop music and origami.Other lighter immersions such as trips to the zoo to sketch animal feet are part of this process as well. The idea is to infuse thinking with new design and aesthetic possibilities and inform new ways of connecting with their target customer. (Rapaport, 2002) iv. Art, Artists and Buildings: The work o f street artists have served as sources of inspiration, both in adding aesthetic appeal to shoes and in helping Nike establish credibility with hard-to-reach audiences. Parker has developed a network of artists as a long time art collector.He tapped his graffiti artist network to help establish authenticity in the hard-to-break-into skate market. Mr. Cartoon, a Los Angeles graffiti-and-tattoo-design star, was asked to design limited-edition versions of classic Nike shoes and was given a platform to hold special events advocating design self-discovery to Latino youth. This demonstrated Nike’s ability to understand and connect with this unique culture. The shoes are now collector’s items. Parker continues to stay connected with his artist network as he considers them as influencers of influencers in pop culture. Birchall, 2007) After travelling to Paris to see Pompidou Centre, a building characterized by exposed mechanical systems and bright colors, Hatfield suggested th e air bag of the shoe be exposed and visible through the sole. His idea was initially met with resistance from many. The Head of Marketing for Running couldn’t figure out how this shoe could be sold. (Longeville, 2006) Now, the Air Max line of shoes has been wildly successful. B. Experts, Incubation, and Collaborations Other external resources are tapped as part of Nike’s innovation process.Research committees and advisory boards with experts such as athletes, coaches, trainers, equipment managers, orthopedists, and podiatrists are frequently consulted with. (Datamonitor, 2012) Nike also sets up venture capital offshoots to explore new ideas. In 2011, the company set up the Sustainable Business & Innovation Lab to back other start-up ventures focused on alternative energies, efficient manufacturing practices, and companies that promote healthy lifestyles. (Kharif & Townsend, 2011) Other groups are tasked with collaborations.Parker was concerned about Nike innov ation being too insolated and set up Explore to pursue long-range innovation possibilities with academics, inventors and other companies. (Exon, 2002) One of Explore’s successes was the collaboration with Apple to produce Nike+. (Birchall, 2007) Analysts believe that a 55% growth in membership for Nike+ was responsible for an increase in sales in the running division up 30%, to $2. 8 billion. (Cendrowski, 2012) ————————————————- IX. From Idea to Commercial Product Innovation at Nike is clearly a bottom-up process.After ideas are generated, the labs have what is generally referred to as a peer review. At this time, research ideas are shared internally with lab peers and the lab director only. If the lab director believes the idea is worth pursuing, resources are allocated by the lab to investigate it further. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) At the investigation stage, external knowledge is gathered. Patents are researched to ensure no patent infringement. If the idea seems feasible based on information gathered in the steps in this process, the idea is developed further into a prototype and patents are filed. (Rodrigues, R. personal communication, June 10, 2012) The lab funds development of a prototype in what is generally known in engineering as the laboratory phase. About once a month, senior executives are invited to review prototypes and vet them against Nike’s mission statement and corporate goals. If a prototype is accepted, the idea could potentially be pitched to the board of directors. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) As an example, in the mid-80s, Parker, product designer at the time, was working on a side project visible air in which the sole cushioning technology would be exposed so the customer could see it.He was invited by Phil Knight to present his prototype to the board. (Mc Girt, 2010) At this stage, the lab might also produce a white paper with â€Å"ideas on feasibility† which is usually written for manufacturing and division heads of product lines. It may be unclear at this point which product line this technology might be used in, and there is most likely internal competition as to which division might get it. (Rodrigues, R. , personal communication, June 10, 2012) The visible air technology spurred the Air Max shoe line for running, basketball and cross-training.In Nike’s bi-annual Concept Debut, the review committee (CEO and heads of global footwear design) reviews all designs for products due to hit the market in the next18 months. Details of each prototype are discussed and sketches critiqued. If a product passes review, the company intends to commercialize and produce it and will fund it. All the regions are brought on board to determine the go-to-market strategy. Marketing is involved at this stage. (â€Å"Online extra: Chaos,à ¢â‚¬  2007) From there, the product is transferred to manufacturing for production.No doubt, Nike’s lab has a close relationship manufacturing suppliers and they are involved much earlier in product development than this stage. For example, the Flyknit due to hit stores July 2012 is made from a knitting process which weaves an entire shoe upper in one piece. With 35 fewer pieces to assemble, this is a revolutionary approach to shoe production as it eliminates the cutting and stitching process, translating to less labor and higher profit margins for Nike. (Townsend, 2012) Manufacturing most certainly played a role in the product development process. ———————————————— X. Product Introduction to the Market A. Marketing Strategy As one of Nike’s core competencies, marketing plays a pivotal role in the company’s success. Historically, Nike has utilized an a lmost formulaic, two-prong approach to marketing – elite athlete endorsements and establishment of an emotional connection with their customer. Some of the greatest elite athletes have been paid by Nike to help design, develop, and sell merchandise through endorsements.Tiger Woods was signed in 1996 and by 2001, Nike’s market share in golf jumped from one to six percent, or $50 million. (Cummings, 2001) Instead of focusing on the product, Nike’s advertising strategy seeks to establish an emotional connection with the customer by setting a mood. Just after Nike’s revenues fell 22% in 1986, Nike launched its first national ad campaign which featured the song Revolution and intertwined clips of elite Nike athletes with clips of everyday people. The underlying message was athletes prefer Nike, buy Nike and you can play as good as them. Lane, 1996) By 1988, revenues rebounded to $1. 2B and by 1989; the company regained its leadership position, earning $1. 7B i n revenue. (Jorgensen, 1994) However, as Nike’s total marketing budget has climbed, it’s spending in U. S. TV and print advertising has dropped by 40% in the past three years signaling a marketing strategy shift. In 2010, Nike launched Nike Digital Sport, a new division aimed at developing devices and technologies for users to track personal sports statistics. Now, customer data can be mined and online communities established, placing Nike where the customer is. Cendrowski, 2012) While initial attempts have not been so successful, true to Nike’s innovation process, the company integrates its knowledge into new tactics and continues try new approaches. B. Event Pacing and Limited-Edition Products Nike has been known to utilize two strategies to stimulate demand: event-timed product releases and limited-edition product. Nike both releases new products to coincide with big sports events – and also delays them. Earlier in 2012, the Foamposite One Galaxy glow- in-the-dark shoes were released to coincide with the NBA All-Star game in Orlando.This year, new home and away soccer apparel in the team colors for FC Internazionale were released in time for the 2012-2013 Milan soccer seasons. (Nike, Inc. , 2012b) In 2007, Nike delayed the release of the new Michael Vick shoe when Michael Vick was caught in a dog fighting scandal. (Briggs, 2007) When coupled with limited-run production, marketing hype has led to success, if not violence. Nike makes it known that the Jordan XIs — Jordan's most sought-after shoe – are released once a year as a limited edition.The December 2009 holiday season release of Air Jordan XI Concords caused violence and a stabbing. (Hill, 2011) But at more than $1 billion in sales, the Jordan brand now makes up roughly 5 percent of Nike’s overall revenues. (Rovell, 2009) ————————————————- XI. I ntegrated Strategy: Sustainability and Innovation The integration of sustainability and innovation as a value-creator forms the core of Nike’s new strategy. (Brettman, 2011a) Nike believes corporate social responsibility extends beyond the walls of their headquarters to the industry and society.The goal is to innovate systematically throughout all businesses processes and to affect change industry-wide for the good of society. Nike’s troubles in China led to heightened awareness about corporate responsibility and the company’s impact on society. A. Nike and China Nike and several other name brand organizations have had trouble with child labor issues. There have been allegations of child labor and horrid working conditions. According to Irene Alfred from Nike slave labor† Nike is having difficulties with the publicity it is receiving about its labor practices in China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.In China, employees for Nike work twelve hour shifts for several days a week. Their wages are as low as sixteen cents an hour there is no union†. Nike is working on improving conditions for its international employee’s in1998 Mr. Knight stated,† Public speeches regarding his plan for the labor conditions to be brought up to standards. I feel that this is a great step to take in showing that Nike does actually care about its employees and the conditions they work in. Finding contractors that follow the health and safety codes and staying away from the corrupt government involved contractors.Incorporating interest in the educational systems where they are involved and showing the communities you operate in that you do care about their welfare status. Phil Knight did the right thing by addressing the media about theses speculations and taking action and getting involved with the citizens is a great first step. In addition, by going into these very poor countries that are plagued with hunger, poverty and illiteracy, Ni ke is giving these people a second chance at life by providing them with jobs to provide their families with meals and a chance to get an education and break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty in these communities.B. Green Xchange, Considered Design and Considered Design Index Now, Nike is driven to affect systemic change through open collaboration and designing products with sustainable design choices. In 2010, Nike launched the GreenXchange, a web-based collaborative network promoting the creation and adoption of technologies for new sustainability models and innovation. (Albanese, 2012) Nike’s new design philosophy, Considered Design, utilizes sustainable design choices at the start of the creative process to innovatively eliminate design and development waste.Sustainability is measured using metrics in their Considered Design Index. Nike intends to share this Index to create an industry-wide scale. (Nike, Inc. , 2012a) C. Impact on Corporate Goals/Strategy As Nike contin ues to integrate sustainability goals into their innovation processes, the company continues to raise their performance expectations. In May 2012, Nike announced new sustainability performance targets, both short and long term, and a company-wide commitment to further integrate sustainability principles into its innovation processes, governance and portfolios. â€Å"Nike, Inc. Introduces,† 2012) ————————————————- XII. Conclusion Nike’s intense passion for and focus on improving athletic performance has been the driver behind the company’s ability to establish a leadership position in the market. The competitive culture is sharply focused on winning in whatever endeavor the company endures, and their innovation processes support this Just Do It mentality. Their ability to finely integrate creativity and learning forms the core of their innovation proces s.Their curious culture uses external knowledge gained to innovate for the athlete and make an emotional connection with their customer through marketing. The company continuously refines their approach, as evidenced in their new marketing strategy, and as they continue set new challenges, Nike positions itself to defend their leadership position. ————————————————- References Albanese, M. (2012, Feb 06). How she leads: Hannah jones of nike. Greenbiz. com, Retrieved from http://www. greenbiz. com/blog/2012/02/06/how-she-leads-hannah-jones-nike Alfred, I. Jan 2003). Slave Labor. Retrieved on May 30, 2012 from http://from http://ihscslnews. org/view_article. php? id=121 Birchall, J. (2007, Mar 18). The man who made a career out of cool. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://www. ft. com Brettman, A. (2011a, Oct 04). Hannah jones of nike delivers message of doom and hope at g ogreen ’11 conference. Oregon Live. Retrieved from http://www. oregonlive. com/playbooks-profits/index. ssf/2011/10/hannah_jones_of_nike_delivers. html Brettman, A. (2011b, May 11). Nike designer describes life inside the innovation kitchen. [Blog Post].From http://blog. oregonlive. com/playbooksandprofits/2011/05/nike_designer_describes_life_i. html Briggs, B. (2007, Jul 18). NFL megastar vick’s endorsements in danger. msnbc. com. Retrieved on July 31, 2012 from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/19834805/ns/business-us_business/t/nfl-megastar-vicks-endorsements-danger/#. UCH28qNf9Mg Cendrowski, S. (2012, Feb 13). Nike's new marketing mojo. CNN Money, Retrieved from http://management. fortune. cnn. com/2012/02/13/nike-digital-marketing/ Cummings, B. (2001). Star power. Sales and Marketing Management, 153(4), 52-59. Retrieved from

The Power of Setting Using Vivid Description to Enthrall Your Readers - Freewrite Store

The Power of Setting Using Vivid Description to Enthrall Your Readers - Freewrite Store Starting out as a fiction writer, you’ll be told to focus on plot, dialogue, and characterization - but there’s something else that should be on that list - that often gets relegated to the ‘not-so-important’ pile. The power of evocative description of the setting of your story is frequently overlooked - but it shouldn’t be. I did a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing in my mid-twenties, aftermy first novel was published. (Yeah, I know that’s backward way on, but it seemed a good idea at the time!) It surprised me that vivid description of the story setting didn’t really come up until a module on ‘world-building’ for fantasy fiction. The story setting isn’t just important in fantasy fiction. It’s important in all fiction, offering the opportunity to enthrall your readers and bring your story to life. Great fiction, I believe, is the kind that has you dreaming about the setting and the characters long after the book is finished - and if you don’t offer a vivid description of the setting to your readers, they can’t dream about it. So, now you know why creating vivid and evocative descriptions of your setting is so important, let’s look at what goes into crafting the kind of descriptions that stick in your readers’ minds. The Essential Ingredients of Vivid Settings If you’re cooking a complex meal, you know that you have to measure out the exact ingredients in the recipe if you want it to turn out as expected. With vivid descriptions of settings, you also need to include a range of ingredients - although you have a little more freedom with the quantities. The ingredients of an evocative setting are the same whether you’re writing fantasy or romance, historical fiction or a crime thriller. Let’s take a look at what you need. Sensory Details The best descriptions of settings use a lot of sensory details. As humans, we explore our world using our five senses, so it’s only natural to use the senses to craft realistic and vivid details that your readers can easily imagine. Sensory details - which evoke smells, colors, textures, sounds, and sensations - can instantly add power to any description of a setting. Of course, different settings will evoke different senses - and you don’t have to evoke all five senses in each description. Let’s look at the difference that sensory details can add to your writing in the contrast between these two descriptions: Alex forged ahead. There was a path leading through the trees and into some bushes A path of crushed pine needles wound among the trees and into a shadowy clump of bracken and snow-laden rhododendron bushes. A sharp, icy wind carried the sharp tang of pine and the damp decay of leaves on the forest floor. Sunlight spilled through the canopy of trees and reflected off droplets of water clinging to the sleeve of Alex’s jacket. A twig snapped beneath his boot, and he froze, holding his breath as the deer’s head turned sharply towards him. It sniffed the air, and then, as if it could smell the danger, bolted away through the undergrowth, its hoof-beats seeming to echo the frustrated beating of Alex’s heart. If you struggle with bringing sensory details into your writing, you could try keeping a ‘sensory diary’. By this, I mean carrying a notebook with you and spending a few minutes every day describing your setting. Focus on: What you can hear What you can see What you can smell What the surface you’re sitting on feels like What you can taste (this applies even if you’re not eating or drinking anything!) Metaphors and Similes Metaphor: A word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar; An object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else For example: â€Å"Love is a battlefield† Simile: a type of figurative language that describes something by comparing it to something else with the words like or as. For example, â€Å"Life is like a box of chocolates.† As literary devices, metaphors and similes are tools that every writer should have in their toolbox. Although metaphors and similes can become tired with overuse, their familiarity can help instantly connect your reader with the setting you’re describing - evoking powerful sensory details without having to articulate those details. Both metaphors and similes have extensively been used throughout the centuries - and to great effect. Take a look at these examples:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The sun in the west was a drop of burning gold that slid near and nearer the sill of the world.† - Lord of the Flies, William Golding â€Å"Small flames stirred at the trunk of a tree and crawled away through leaves and brushwood, dividing and increasing. One patch touched a tree trunk and scrambled up like a bright squirrel. The smoke increased, sifted, rolled outwards. The squirrel leapt on the wings of the wind and clung to another standing tree, eating downwards. Beneath the dark canopy of leaves and smoke, the fire laid hold on the forest and began to gnaw.† - Lord of the Flies,William Golding â€Å"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!† - Romeo Juliet,William Shakespeare â€Å"In the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun . . .† - The Red Badge of Courage,Stephen Crane â€Å"The water made a sound like kittens lapping.† - The Yearling,Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Similes and metaphors can be overused, however, so it’s important that you don’t rely on them too much when you’re working on writing vivid descriptions of your story setting. Instead, you should aim to balance your writing with a variety of figurative techniques. If you struggle with coming up with metaphors and similes for your writing, it may help to go through some of your favorite books and see how the authors you admire use these literary devices. Atmospheric Details Creating an atmosphere in your setting can truly take your scenes to the next level. Describing an atmosphere can add tension, a sense of urgency, apprehension, excitement, and so on. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens used atmospheric imagery in his descriptions of Miss Havisham’s house to create a vivid sense of despair and decay. The narrator, Pip, describes it as being made ‘of old brick and dismal... [with] a great many iron bars to it.’ Dickens writes: Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred [†¦] While we waited at the gate, I peeped [†¦] and saw that at the side of the house there was a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long long time. ‘The first thing I noticed was, that the passages were all dark and that she had left a candle burning there. She took it up, and we went through more passages and up a staircase, and still, it was all dark, and only the candle lighted us.’ The atmosphere Dickens creates is gothic - perfect for Miss Havisham - but you can use details like these to create any kind of atmosphere. There are particular kinds of words that create an atmosphere. For example: Rattling Creaking Thumping Whistling Shuddering Echoing Try looking at how your favorite authors create an atmosphere in their novels. Why is it so effective? Do you think some types of atmosphere are more commonly evoked in settings than others? A Note on Authenticity When you’re writing vivid descriptions, it’s easy to get carried away. However, unless you’re writing fantasy fiction (where you literally have a license to let your imagination run wild) or creating your own fictional towns, it’s important that the settings that you describe are authentic. Even if you’re creating a fictional town or city, you have to make it realistic. This especially applies if you’re writing historical fiction - but it’s important for all kinds of fiction, really. Creating an authentic setting avoids jarring the reader out of the story with a detail that is out of place in the time period or location of the setting. For example, imagine you’re reading a book set in Victorian London - in 1855. The author has been using authentic dialogue and using really evocative language in describing the setting. You’re engrossed in the story, immersed in all the details that make you feel like you can actually smell the streets of London. Then, the author has a character catching a train on the London Underground. Except you happen to know that the London Underground didn’t open until 1863. This jarring detail immediately ruins the sense of authenticity. Always fact-check when you’re writing about settings that your readers may be familiar with. All the descriptive skills in the world can’t save a novel that is inaccurate! It can be helpful to keep a file with all the necessary details about any real-life settings to ensure you’re keeping to the facts. Practice Writing Vivid Descriptions If you want to master the art of vivid description, you need to hone your skills before you start working on your novel. We’ve covered all the essential ingredients for an evocative description of a setting, so now it’s your turn to put them into practice!   Here’s some prompts and exercises to get you started: Go and sit in your local coffee shop and spend ten minutes describing the atmosphere, the sounds, the smells, the sights, and so on. If you want to make this more challenging, try emailing your description to a friend to see if they can guess the location. If they can’t, keep practicing. Find a book about the history of your town or city and pick a street or location that has changed significantly during the past 100 years. Write a scene set in the location - but describe the scene 100 years ago, then 75 years ago, 50 years ago, and 25 years ago. If you know older people who may remember the location in the past, you could share your description with them to see if they would add any different details - or take some out. Create a fictional setting for your story, and spend 30 minutes writing a scene full of vivid description. Make sure you evoke sensory details, create an atmosphere, and use metaphors and/or similes to bring your description to life. Learn from one of the greatest masters of descriptive writing: J.R.R. Tolkein. In Book One of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, he wrote: "The trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts." Get hold of a copy of The Lord of the Rings and find a passage the describes a setting. Study the language that Tolkein uses and the way that he brings the locations to life. What types of words does he use? Why are they so powerful? What similes and/or metaphors does he use? Can you identify any other techniques in his writing? Now, describe a setting using the same techniques. Go through one of your past stories/novels and find a couple of scenes that you haven’t used a lot of description in. Rewrite them, putting into practice the things you’ve learned about creating vivid descriptions.

Aircraft crash and emergency management Essay Example

Aircraft crash and emergency management Essay Example Aircraft crash and emergency management Essay Aircraft crash and emergency management Essay Abstraction This is an over position of United Airlines Flight 232. This is about a DC-10 that was holding mechanical troubles and landed at the nearest airdrome possible. The airdrome it landed at was a Category 6 airdrome. This airdrome was excessively little for this type of aircraft. The aircraft so landed at full accelerator. Flight 232 United Airlines Flight 232 was en-route from Denver to Chicago on the 19 July 1989. During the flight there was a loud noise that was coming from the tail mounted engine. At the clip of the incident the crew heard the noise but did non cognize that the engine fan assembly had came apart with adequate force and severed through the right horizontal stabilizer. In this same country was a 10 inch broad path that all three hydraulic systems shared. When the engine cut through this it caused the aircraft to lose all three hydraulic systems that power all the flight controls on the aircraft. The crew still had control of the other two engines but no flight control power. This would hold command the flight surfaces i.e. flaps, perpendicular and horizontal stabilizers. So with this being realized the crew so started utilizing the accelerators to command the aircraft. They powered one engine to full power and throttled the other back. This helped keep the necessary header but increased velocit y greatly for all landing intents. Next the crew found the closest airdrome that they could set down the plane at. The crew found Sioux City Gateway Airport, besides known as Colonel Bud Day Field, is located 6 stat mis south of Sioux City and west of Sergeant Bluff, in Woodbury County, Iowa. This airdrome is considered a Category 6 airdrome. Sioux Gateway Airport covers a monolithic country of 2,460 estates this contains two tracks: 13/31 with a concrete surface mensurating 9,002 ten 150 foot and 17/35 with an asphalt surface mensurating 6,600 ten 150 foot ( US DOT A ; FAA, 2010 ) . I could non happen any information from day of the month of the accident but for the 12-month period stoping April 30, 2006, the airdrome had 30,726 aircraft operations, an norm of 84 per twenty-four hours: 65 % general air power, 19 % military and 16 % scheduled commercial. There are 67 aircraft based at this airdrome: 66 % individual engine, 19 % jet aircraft, 13 % military and 1 % choppers. This peculiar landing field is a double usage airdrome. Meaning that both civilian and Air National Guard usage this airdrome. The ARFF services provided for the airdrome are provided by the Air National Guard ( US DOT A ; FAA, 2010 ) . The National Fire Protection Association ( NFPA ) classifies this as a class six for their current ARFF capablenesss. After making some probe, and traveling under the ( NFPA 403 ) there are really two different class 6s. There is a 6a and a 6b, the intent for the two different class 6s is for snuff outing agent capablenesss. The one large difference that I can state between the two is that the 6b demands to be able to manage a dual decked aircraft. The installation, which is certificated under Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) ordinances 14 CFR 139, as an Index B airdrome ( Boucher, 2003 ) . The index is based on the largest aeroplane with an norm of five or more scheduled day-to-day goings ; the ordinances stipulate the minimal degree of firefighting equipment and agents for each index. For SUX, Index B was based on an aeroplane equivalent to the Boeing 737-200 series and requires a minimal 1,500 gallons of H2O for froth production. An airdrome functioning McDonnell Douglas DC -10 series aeroplanes and would necessitate more than double the measure of fire snuff outing agents required for an Index B airdrome ( Boucher, 2003 ) . With that being said and a nice feeling for the land work of the landing field. I was able to happen a picture of the plane coming in for its landing. I was really surprised to happen one and besides really lucky here is a nexus and I would advice to watch the undermentioned nexus: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dailymotion.com/video/x5yztk_1989-sioux-city-crash_news. The aircraft landing was originally planned for the 9,000 pes Runway 31. There were several troubles in commanding the aircraft. This made run alonging up the aircraft in its current status about impossible. While dumping all most of the extra fuel if non all, the plane executed a series of largely right-hand bends ( it was easier to turn the plane in this way ) the purpose was being able to be easy line up with runway 31. When the air crew came out of there right manus bends, they were left with an attack on the shorter Runway 22, this was merely a 6,600 pess over half a mile shorter, with small or no capacity to s teer. Fire trucks had already been placed on track 22, the clang trucks were expecting a landing on track 31, this caused a monolithic scuffle as the trucks rushed out of track 31 over to runway 22 ( Conroy, 2005 ) . The pilot did his best to go on and seek and command the aircraft s loss of height by seting engine push. With the loss of all fluid mechanicss, the pilot was unable to command any sort of airspeed, that being said the sink rate was really high. When it came in for concluding descent, the aircraft was approaching 240 knots and droping at 1850 pess per minute, while a safe landing would necessitate 140 knots and 300 pess per minute ( NTSB 1990 ) . The aircraft began to drop faster while on concluding attack and began swerving to the right. The really tip of the right wing was the first thing to hit the track ; this began sloping fuel and ignited instantly. The tail subdivision so broke off from the blunt force of the impact and sent the remainder of flight 232 bounce several times. This shredded the landing cogwheel and engines, eventually interrupting the fuselage into several chief pieces. On the concluding impact the right wing was sheared away and the chief portion of the aircraft skidded sideways, turn overing into its concluding place over on to its dorsum, and slid to a halt upside down in a maize field to the right side of track 22 ( NTSB 1990 ) . The picture of the clang showed the fire right flying toppling end-over-end, but if you watched the picture it is really hard to do this out. Major dust from Engine # 2 and other parts from the tail constructions of the plane, were subsequently found on farming area near Alta, Iowa. The beastly force of this clang caused pieces of the aircraft to set down about 60 stat mis north-east of Sioux City ( NTSB 1990 ) . This is where things get a small intense. The ARFF s ability to continuously remain on top of the station clang fire near the aircrafts right flying root would be a major factor. The probe besides identified several lacks in the current design and operation of the Kovatch A/S32P-18 ( P-18 ) H2O supply vehicle, the absence of FAA demands to regularly trial fire service vehicles at their maximal discharge capacity, every bit good as holds in rectifying reported lacks in Kovatch P-18 fire service vehicles ( Kolstad 1990 ) . There were two ARFF vehicles that were foremost to get at the scene of the accident. They began a mass application of snuff outing froth instantly. The underside of the fuselage, besides known as the bell of the plane was blanketed with froth. The froth cover temporarily suppressed the fire during the emptying of riders and crew ( Remember the plane is belly up ) . Harmonizing to NTSB pproximately nine proceedingss after the set downing both ARFF vehicles had ran out of H2O, a P-18 H2O supply vehicle was positioned next to the two ARFF vehicles, and a 2 1/2-inch hosiery was connected between the P-18 and each vehicle. When the P-18 H2O pump was charged to its maximal capacity of 500 gallons per minute, a limitation developed in the vehicle s tank-to-pump hosiery that stopped all H2O flow to the two ARFF vehicles ( NTSB, 1990 ) . Therefore, the airdrome s primary onslaught vehicles could non be replenished with H2O to go on assailing the fire. Two Sioux City Fire Department pumper tru cks later resupplied the airdrome s ARFF vehicles. On a side note we had discussed this really thing about holding the local fire section holding the ability to refill an airdrome in instance of an accident and this is a perfect illustration of a local section that most probably saved the twenty-four hours. The chief thing that I could non happen was if the local fire section of all time trained with the airdrome crew. However, during this hold of about 8 proceedingss, no snuff outing agent was applied to the fuselage, and the fire at the aeroplane s right wing root ( the original foaming topographic point ) intensified. Soon thenceforth, fire penetrated the cabin, ensuing in privy fires that could non be attacked by exterior fire contending tactics. This was due to the deficiency of entree to the fire being on the interior of the aircraft. Despite efforts to progress manus lines to the inside of the aeroplane, the fire intensified inside the cabin and burned out of control for appr oximately 2 1/2 hours ( Kolstad 1990 ) . The Kovatch P-18 H2O supply vehicle has no foam-producing capableness, therefore why it s a H2O supply vehicle. As Kolsatd said it is designed chiefly to provide H2O to the primary ARFF vehicles. It is certified by the maker of a H2O capacity of 2,000 gallons and a maximal H2O pump discharge rate of 500 gallons per minute ( Kolsad 1990 ) . In September 1988, the Iowa Air National Guard purchased the P-18 through the Air Force and placed it in service at SUX. It was learned that during the 2 old ages after this accident occurred that the Air Force had purchased 210 Kovatch P-18 H2O supply vehicles. The research workers besides learned that some P-18 s are based at joint-use airdromes that are certified by the FAA as holding ARFF capablenesss in conformity with 14 CFR 139. This was evidently incorrect they merely had H2O refilling capablenesss. The H2O supply vehicle was listed in the SUX airdrome enfranchisement manual, the airdrome fire head testified at the Safety Board s hearing th at the vehicle had neer been tested to its maximal discharge capacity of 500 gpm ( NTSB 1990 ) . At this point I tried really diligently to happen what are the requirements for their vehicle proving frequence ( for that specific vehicle from the maker ) . The lone thing that I could happen is that they fell under the FAA s ordinances. I truly wanted to cognize if that vehicle needed to be tested at full discharge daily, hebdomadal, monthly etc. The job here was that the fire head relied on the maker s pre-delivery mill trials of the pump s ability to dispatch 500 gpm with two 2 1/2-inch lines attached. But no testing of their ain was of all time done to verify this. Besides the fire head stated that, SUX tested the P-18 weekly at nominal force per unit area, this was less than 500 gpm. During the National Transportation Safety Board s probe, the P-18 s tank-to-pump suction hosiery assembly, a soft, 11-inch by 4 1/2-inch indoors diameter Gates rubber hosiery, was removed from the vehicle and examined at the SUX installations. The full scrutiny showed that the 2-inch internal polyvin 1 Kovatch ( maker ) stated that the internal stiffener in the soft hosiery assembly is required to forestall the hosiery from fall ining ( NTSB 1990 ) . Kovatch besides stated that the stiffener was installed by a imperativeness tantrum in the centre of the hose alternatively of being welded or made out of a different stuff. This lead to the scru tiny of the revolved stiffener, this strongly suggests that when the P-18 operator attempted to resupply the both ARFF vehicles by utilizing the two 2 1/2 inch hosieries, with the pump set to its upper limit operating capacity, there was a fleeting high force per unit area rush had occurred within the tank-to-pump piping system that caused the stiffener to travel and revolve to a place that blocked the flow of H2O to the pump ( NTSB 1990 ) . While looking at the susceptibleness of the internal stiffener to displace and rotate, the Safety Board found that the stiffener s length was about half the internal diameter of the soft suction hosiery and in head this would make a obstruction on its ain being half the diameter if non merely decelerate the volume of the H2O to the truck down. The shorter length of the stiffener caused it non to be clamped, this allowed it free to revolve and barricade the flow of H2O and it cause it to skid toward the pump consumption. This by its ego could do obstruction or failure in the system. This caused the Safety Board to be concerned that the design of the P-18, which uses a soft suction hosiery at a much critical location up watercourse of the vehicles pumps and this makes it extremely susceptible to blockage ( NTSB 1990 ) . Not merely in the P-18 is this construct used but in other pumpers manufactured by Kovatch. There needs to be a hose made of more stiff stuff, this would hold null in voided the demand for an internal stiffener or an improved design. It is necessary to cut down the opportunities of hose obstruction regardless of operating conditions. Kolstad stated on February 15, 1989, a P-18 operated by the Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, was unable to provide H2O to an ARFF vehicle during a pumping operation. It was determined that the A/S32P-18 armored combat vehicle suction line was restricted by a PVC stiffener inside the gum elastic suction line, and they installed a clinch around the hosiery and PVC to keep it in topographic point ( Kolstad, 1990 ) . On August 16, 1989, a similar P-18 lack was found at Malstrom Air force Base, Montana. Discussions with the Air Force, Kovatch issued Technical Service Bulletin 86-KFT5-P-18-5, dated August 21, 1989. This called for the remotion o f the armored combat vehicle to pump hosiery assembly installed on all 210 A/S32P-18 vehicles and this caused for the replacing of the hosiery assembly with a new armored combat vehicle to pump hosiery assembly. This one had a 4 inch PVC internal stiffener, much stronger than the original. This caused Kovatch agreed to carry on all the providing alteration kits straight to all air bases whose references were provided by Warner Robins Air Logistics Center ( Kolstad 1990 ) . August 22, 1989, the Air Force issued a Materials Deficiency Report this caused a erstwhile trial of all Kovatch P-18 vehicles. This would demo if the stiffener installed in the hosiery had rotated laterally 90 grades or non. The maximal pump discharge rate of 500 gpm, along with the replacing of the faulty 2-inch stiffener with the greater 4-inch stiffener. This allowed 30 yearss, eight Air Force bases had rapidly responded that trials found similar lacks to those described ( NTSB, 1990 ) . Now back to the clang. From the deficiency of proper processs being followed and running out of agent. Of the 296 people on board, 111 died in the clang. The bulk were killed by hurts sustained in the multiple impacts ( as you could see by the picture ) , several in the in-between fuselage subdivision straight above the fuel armored combat vehicles died from fume inspiration in the post-crash fire. I was really surprised that anybody surprised from this clang, from the picture I thought everybody was done. This portion of the fire burned for longer than it might hold but due to the monolithic holds in the firefighting attempts. Most of the 185 subsisters that were seated right behind first category and in front of the wings. There were many riders that were able to walk out through the ruptures through the construction. Several instances of persons got lost in the high field of maize adjacent to the track until rescue workers arrived on the scene and escorted them to safety ( NTSB 19 90 ) . Of the riders of flight 232: 35 died due to smoke inspiration ( None was in first category ) , 75 died for grounds other than smoke inspiration ( 17 were in first category ) , 41 were earnestly injured ( 8 were in first category ) , 121 had minor hurts ( 1 was in first category ) , 13 had no hurts ( None were in first category ) ( Conroy, 2005 ) . The riders who died for grounds other than smoke inspiration were seated in rows 1-4, 24-25, and 28-38. Passengers who died due to smoke inspiration were seated in rows 14, 16, and 22-30. A individual assigned to 20H moved to an unknown place and died due to smoke inspiration. One individual died 31 yearss after the accident ; the NTSB classified his hurts as serious. Fifty-two kids, including four lap kids, were on board the flight due to the United Airlines Children s Day publicity. This was really dry and really sad at the same clip to hear. Eleven kids, including one lap kid, died. Many of the kids had traveled entirely ( Conroy, 2005 ) . In decision I am grateful figure one for being able to happen the picture of this specific accident. With the picture I was able to to the full understand and see the incident. It merely was nt another narrative out of a book. The interviews with the subsisters showed how existent this state of affairs was and what was traveling through their head during this important clip. Mentions Boucher B. ( 2003 ) Report of the Committee on Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/ROP/403-A2003-rop.PDF Conroy, M. T. ( 2005 ) Aircraft Accidents that Caused Major Changes to Emergency Response Equipment and Procedures. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/Member % 20Sections/ConroyPaper.pdf Kolstad, J. L. , ( 1990 ) . NTSB Safety Recommendation. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ntsb.gov/Recs/letters/1990/A90_147_150.pdf NTSB ( 1990 ) Aircraft Accident Report of Flight 232. hypertext transfer protocol: //libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR90-06.pdf United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration ( 2010 ) Airport Master Record, hypertext transfer protocol: //www.gcr1.com/5010web/REPORTS/SUX.pdf

Say No to Your Darlings

Say No to Your Darlings Say No to Your Darlings Say No to Your Darlings By Michael Veteran writers often advise aspiring writers to â€Å"kill your darlings.† Grisly, isnt it, but they all say it. William Faulkner wrote, â€Å"In writing, you must kill all your darlings.† Stephen King wrote, â€Å"kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.† Notice that King said kill three times, but then, we are talking about Stephen King. According to Slates culture editor Forrest Wickman, this advice was originally given by more than a century ago by Cornish writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch (his pen name was Q). In On the Art of Writing: Lectures Delivered in the University of Cambridge, 1913–1914, Sir Arthur Q advised: If you here require a practical rule of me, I will present you with this: ‘Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it- whole-heartedly- and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings. Observe that Sir Q didnt say murder your whole manuscript. And he didnt tell us to ignore your darlings either. No, he encourages us to put our darlings whole-heartedly onto paper. Just dont send that piece of paper to the publisher. And how did our friend Q define darlings? As a piece of exceptionally fine writing, one that happens to have been written by yourself. A darling is not a wickedly appropriate plot twist or a subtle yet deep character insight. No, it is merely a purported example of exceptionally fine writing. Does it further the story or reveal character or do any of the things that truly fine writing does? Erm, no comment. My takeaway on this: if something helps your reader, dont murder it. If it only make it easier to pat yourself on the back, lose it. Sir Q didnt really say to kill your darlings. He said okay, he said murder your darlings. No way am I going to write one thousand words encouraging you to murder a loved one. So let me adjust the analogy. Nobody wants to think about losing a beloved child. We all want to keep our darlings. But just because we love our darlings doesnt mean that right here is the right place for them. Cute as a three-year-old daughter is, I can think of a lot of places in the house that she doesnt need to be, and a lot of things she doesnt need to be doing. We would never get rid of her, but often we need to say no to her. Her cuteness makes it hard to say no, but not less necessary. Im using the singular feminine when I talk about darlings, calling her she, because losing a favorite character or passage or idea can feel giving up a favorite daughter. Deliberately giving her up, by your own choice, seems even worse. Maybe you feel like youre committing child abandonment. Except it isnt really like that. Once your book goes to press, your readers will never miss your darling. They will never know she is missing. Since she didnt really belong in your book, you will never miss her there. Yes, she seems so precious. But having your writing called precious is not usually a compliment. But what if your darling feels real to you, already a three-dimensional character in your mind or deserving to become one? What if you cant give her up? Fortunately, saying no to your darling this time doesnt mean you cant say yes to her later. Just cut and paste the passage into another file on your computer. Yes, you must remove your darling from where she doesnt belong, but you dont have to delete your darling entirely. Maybe she will fit beautifully in another story. She may become the centerpiece, the key to your new masterpiece. By the way, that other file doesnt need to be reserved only for deceased darlings. You should keep an idea file anyway, for all those ideas which you already know they dont fit into your current project. I like to review my idea files sometimes even when Im not particularly working on anything. It makes me feel more brilliant. I have to recognize, however, that not all my darlings are simply misplaced beauties. Maybe that character isnt as three-dimensional as I believed. Maybe Im deceived about the truthfulness of that plot line. Maybe life isnt really like that. Maybe my affection is misplaced. Regardless, once youve done away with your darling, immediately fill in the hole she left. Read over the part just before the cut, and keep on going and writing from there. How do you recognize a darling that needs to be removed? And where do you find the courage to remove her? Well, we often find courage and wisdom in other people. A writer needs other people alpha readers, beta readers, or a writing group. You need these intelligent, literate people to look into your story, to show you how well they appreciate the good parts (demonstrating their great insight), and to share with you how confused or apathetic they felt when they read the other parts. Inconceivable, isnt it, that so many intelligent readers dont appreciate something that is so obviously brilliant. If only one reader has trouble with it, maybe thats his problem. If many readers have trouble with it, maybe theres your problem. And you need to take care of it. Essentially, your darlings are the beloved parts of your work that dont advance your work. And you need others to help you see the truth, just some parents are incapable of seeing that their three-year-old is spoiled until others point it out. Saying no to your darlings will make you stronger. Suffering tends to do that sort of thing. Accepting another point of view will increase your empathy. Youre giving up something you love out of deference to others. Doing so will make you less selfish and a better writer. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadYay, Hooray, Woo-hoo and Other Acclamations10 Varieties of Syntax to Improve Your Writing

Military Essay Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Military Paper - Essay Example The presence of homosexuals in the U.S. military remains a hot political debate. Homosexuals are serving the military for decades now. But they are the real threat to the discipline and high standard of moral of the soldiers. Liberals want gays to serve in the military and on the other hand conservatives wish to completely ban homosexuals. Serving members who have committed a homosexual conduct justify this by their own explanation. For Example they give the reason of being alone for a longer period of time, living with room mates in the remote areas for months and even for years. (Stewart, 28-32) But the fact is that this act can not be justified especially if committed by a soldier. Reports of women being abused and raped by the military personnel has also became a very big issue of the U.S. Military. This made women feel insecure when serving in the military. In most of the cases the men who are responsible are not punished, and they are simply given warning about not to do it aga in. This problem still persists today. New laws pertaining to the presence of homosexuals in the United States Military are made, which shows a compromise in the policy. This compromise was made because the presence of those service members who have an intent or propensity of engaging in a homosexual act creates a risk to the discipline, good order and high standard of morale of the soldiers. This new policy change is referred to as â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell†. According to this new policy no one will be asked about their sexual interest when he or she is being recruited and he is also not allowed to tell anyone about his homosexual interests. This new change has worked well and has decreased the number of discharges due to homosexual conduct. (Stewart, 54) In order to protect the women from being abused or raped, there is a need of implementation