Free Essays on War On Terror

How does one expect to win a war on terrorism? Fighting terrorists is like fighting drug cartels. The terrorists have the advantage. They are small and maneuverable unlike the US, which is large and sluggish. We have so many rules and procedures for fighting wars by the time we are prepared to strike our intelligence will be obsolete. Our organizations are so mechanical with their rules and regulations, it makes us more susceptible to infiltration. The very freedoms we try to protect are what make the US such any easy target. The only way for George Bush to fight this war is the same way his father fought the Gulf War: Lots of air strikes. They are much more effective and run a lower risk of further American casualties. We have the money, and technology to use missiles so why not use them? Why should we put more Americans in danger? Possibly the worst mistake the United States can makes using ground troops. Have we learned anything from Vietnam? We can’t go into hostile terrain and territory with large armies trying to fight conventional warfare. Our forces would be picked off one by one by snipers and well-fortified bunkers. If the US should move in with ground troops, there should only be well planned tactical strikes that require few people and once in the field has no or limited contact with high command (Clark). This will protect both the men and the mission. The biggest problem I can foresee is the fact that we don’t really know who we are fighting. Even if we were to assassinate Bin Laden would that stop the al-Qaeda(bin Laden’s terrorist organization). Most cells of the al-Queada are completely autonomous. They raise their own funds and plan their own missions (Beyer, 59). Plus, there are fanatics that operate completely independently of large organizations. Can we stop them all? Because we are concern about civilian casualties, how do we strike the terrorists who live and operate in major cities? ... Free Essays on War On Terror Free Essays on War On Terror How does one expect to win a war on terrorism? Fighting terrorists is like fighting drug cartels. The terrorists have the advantage. They are small and maneuverable unlike the US, which is large and sluggish. We have so many rules and procedures for fighting wars by the time we are prepared to strike our intelligence will be obsolete. Our organizations are so mechanical with their rules and regulations, it makes us more susceptible to infiltration. The very freedoms we try to protect are what make the US such any easy target. The only way for George Bush to fight this war is the same way his father fought the Gulf War: Lots of air strikes. They are much more effective and run a lower risk of further American casualties. We have the money, and technology to use missiles so why not use them? Why should we put more Americans in danger? Possibly the worst mistake the United States can makes using ground troops. Have we learned anything from Vietnam? We can’t go into hostile terrain and territory with large armies trying to fight conventional warfare. Our forces would be picked off one by one by snipers and well-fortified bunkers. If the US should move in with ground troops, there should only be well planned tactical strikes that require few people and once in the field has no or limited contact with high command (Clark). This will protect both the men and the mission. The biggest problem I can foresee is the fact that we don’t really know who we are fighting. Even if we were to assassinate Bin Laden would that stop the al-Qaeda(bin Laden’s terrorist organization). Most cells of the al-Queada are completely autonomous. They raise their own funds and plan their own missions (Beyer, 59). Plus, there are fanatics that operate completely independently of large organizations. Can we stop them all? Because we are concern about civilian casualties, how do we strike the terrorists who live and operate in major cities? ...

Most Popular Articles February 2008

Most Popular Articles February 2008 Most Popular Articles February 2008 Most Popular Articles February 2008 By Daniel Scocco Below you will find the most popular articles of the past month. Check them out if you missed any. Laugh About Writing: Writing doesn’t always have to be a serious business. Though it’s wise to make sure that you write correctly, there’s a lot of fun to be had when playing with words. Poll: Should We Write email or e-mail? I am pretty sure that you already considered if you should be writing the abbreviation of electronic mail as email or e-mail (or as something else yet). The same confusion applies to the abbreviations of electronic commerce, electronic book and so on. Top 5 Tips When Bidding For Freelance Work: One way of obtaining freelance work is by bidding for work through websites like GetAFreelancer.com, Guru.com or Elance.com. This route to contract work is a handy tool for stop-gap work but can be a minefield for the uninitiated. The idea is based on the eBay model, where clients post the type of work they are looking for within a budget range, timescale, and description of the work they need completed. Freelancers then bid on the job, and the client selects the best fit, or sometimes unsurprisingly, the cheapest offer of work. Rite, Write, Right, Wright: Here are four frequently misspelled words that your computer Spell Check won’t catch. What is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?: The terms metaphor and simile are slung around as if they meant exactly the same thing. A simile is a metaphor, but not all metaphors are similes. Fun With Words: Palindromes: Palindromes are words, phrases or number sequences that read the same way in both directions. Palindrome derives from the Greek for ‘running back again’. Both the Greeks and Romans are known to have enjoyed palindromes. The Greeks also published palindromic poetry. Warning: Microsoft Did Not Invent Grammar!: Most people who advise on writing tell you to check the spelling and grammar on your work. This is good advice. Top 5 Freelance Mistakes To Avoid: The road of freelance writing is fraught with pot-holes, sharp bends, and hidden horizons, so it pays to know a few of the mistakes in advance to help make the journey go that little bit smoother. 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 General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesWhenever vs. When EverCareful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

Exporing the properties of gases Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exporing the properties of gases - Lab Report Example ain objectives of these experiments were to develop skills in performing simple gas phase experiment, determine the effects of variations in the three variables of an ideal gas and test the formulated hypothesis. Our first hypothesis was that the pressure of a given volume of gas increases with a decrease in the gas volume at a constant temperature. Our second hypothesis was that increase in temperature of an enclosed gas sample increases the pressure exerted by the gas at a constant volume. Our final hypothesis stated that the volume of any gas increases with an increase in temperature at a constant pressure (Daniel et al 275). Boyle’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas and its pressure at a constant temperature. The syringe plunger was pressed to increase the pressure as the volume decreased. The pressure was recorded using the pressure sensor. Charles law experiment was done to study the relationship between volume of a given gas sample and its temperature on a constant pressure. Gay-Lussac’s law experiment was done to study the relationship between the temperature of an enclosed gas sample and the pressure exerted at a constant volume (Daniel et al 275). Test of our hypothesis gave positive results hence our hypothesis were adopted. It was discovered that decrease in volume of a given gas increase the gas pressure at a constant temperature Increase in temperature led to increase in volume of a given gas at constant pressure and pressure increase with increase (Daniel et al 275). Gas is one of the states of matter besides liquids and solids. There are very many types of gases some of which are poisonous while others are not. A gas like Hydrogen Sulphide is very poisonous while oxygen gas is not poisonous. All the gases have varying pH values whereby some are acidic, neutral or basic but not both. Gases like CO2, O2, H2 and N2 among others are found naturally on the environment (Daniel et al 275). The ideal gas

Naval History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Naval History - Essay Example The Great Britain in a competition to match German Naval Power, constructed large battleship referred as HMS Dreadnoughts; this battleship was the dominant naval technology in the 20th century. People had a strong impression on this ship and many countries, specifically Germans were uneasy with British dominancy on Naval Space.1 The United States also constructed a more sophisticated Battleship referred as the HMS Agamemnon; this ship was constructed under President Roosevelt’s regime in the early 1902. The HMS Agamemnon was characterized by high-firing gun caliber. Before construction of the Agamemnon, the United States of America had also constructed HMS Dreadnoughts. Another similarity in relation to naval innovation between in the United States of America and the Great Britain was exhibited in the manner by, which the battleships were constructed. The HMS Dreadnoughts constructed by the United States of America and that constructed by the British, were fitted with Long Range Gunnery, however, they could only fire within a short period of time. The Idea of the fitting HMS Dreadnoughts with Long Range Gunneries was emulated by the United States in 1903, after the Yalu River Battle with Japanese: These long range gunneries were referred as Torpedoes. Similarly, the British Navy also saw the need to engage their opponent from long ranges of approximately 6000ft when using HMS Dreadnoughts. 2 Additionally, the use of Sub-Marines was an idea that was emulated by the United States as well as the Great Britain in the First and the Second World War. The use submarines to undertake naval warfare in the early 1900’s was perceived as a crude approach towards war both in the United States and the Great Britain. However, submarine as a naval technology was also subject to change and improvement and both the nations emulated the use of different classes of submarines i.e. the United States used the U-class models among other models,

The Big Five model Essay Example for Free

The Big Five model Essay The Big Five model is an inventory tool which is very helpful in assessing one’s personality by evaluating five dimensions; these attributes are conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Although these five dimensions alone cannot explain the human personality in its entirety, psychologists have agreed that these dimensions do encompass both heredity and environmental factors. This model has proved to be quite effective in evaluating potential candidates for jobs since the measure of its dimensions can be correlated to performance outcomes of various job roles (Tyler Newcombe, 2006). Conscientiousness is a dimension of the human psyche which emphasizes the need to be disciplined and goal-oriented. Individuals who have a high level of conscientiousness are usually very duty-bound and organized. Openness to experience is a personality trait which influences the extent to which an individual is open towards new and abstract concepts and thoughts. Individuals who are well-endowed with this trait are very creative and outstanding in problem-solving due to the ability to expand their horizons. Extraversion is an inclination to socialize and interact. People who posses a high level of extraversion are out-spoken and tend to easily mingle with new people. Agreeableness is a quality of being accommodative of other people’s actions and opinions. People who posses this quality are cooperative and work extremely well in groups. Neuroticism is a tendency to frequently and suddenly experience negative emotions such as depression, anger, anxiety or fear (University of Wisconsin). Neurotic individuals exhibit unpredictable behavior and mood swings due to the inability to keep their emotions under check. Samantha’s decent score in openness to experience signifies her willingness to experiment with new ideas. Her moderately high score in agreeableness implies that she is quite unbiased, fairly analytical and does not take things personally. Samantha’s excellent score in conscientiousness suggests that she is a very dependable and self-motivated person who is capable of gaining the respect of her associates. Her outstanding scores in extraversion vouch for her dynamic personality and indicate that she is free of inhibitions. She also has low neurotic scores, which implies that she is a calm and composed person. All these are indispensable qualities of a good leader and would certainly make Samantha an excellent manager. Reference: Tyler, G. and Newcombe, P. (2006). Relationship between work performance and personality traits in Hong Kong organizational settings. International Journal of Selection Assessment, 14, 37-50. University of Wisconsin. (n. d. ). A Quick Overview of the Big Five Model of Personality. Retrieved 28 January, 2007 from http://www. uwmc. uwc. edu/psychology/big_five. htm

Eve’s Apology Essay -- Literary Analysis, Aemilia Lanyer

Is this an apology or blame? In the beginning, God tells Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit. Adam disobeys God by doing so, but most people put the blame on Eve. In the poem, â€Å"Eve’s Apology,† Eve expresses her feelings toward the entire situation and shows how she is not to blame. She blames Adam for the pain we endure today. Eve eats from the forbidden tree out of curiosity. She wants to share it with Adam, so he can feel like she feels. Eve gives the fruit to Adam out of love, but she does not force him to eat it. Adam has control of his mind, so he disobeys God on his own. â€Å"Do not the thing that goes against thy heart† (Lanyer 424). Aemilia Lanyer, the author of the poem, â€Å"Eve’s Apology,† lived in the mid 1500’s and 1600’s. Living in this time period, had much influence on her writing. She published her landmark book, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum, the same year that the King James Bible and three of Shakespeare’s plays were published (Wilhelm 424). Lanyer brings out the life of this poem with the poetic devices, irony, and unusual language. To begin, the poem, â€Å"Eve’s Apology,† uses many different poetic devices such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme scheme, and simile. The author uses a great number of alliteration, which is the repetition of constant sounds generally at the beginnings of words. Alliteration can be seen in the words â€Å"what† and â€Å"weakness† in line 3. Some more examples of alliteration throughout the poem are â€Å"subtle serpent’s† (23), â€Å"he had him† (24), and â€Å"with words which† (30). Assonance, the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end with different consonant sounds, is another poetic device that the author uses greatly. Some examples of assonance are found in lines 10 â€Å" The ‘p... ...g this poem, the author reveals older examples of words and phrases that we do not know or use today. Throughout "Eve's Apology," Layner confidently makes her point of female inequality and female injustice by using poetic devices, while continuing to keep an ironic tone and bring out unusual language. She is clearly trying to prove that woman and men are equal. She suggests that because Adam is a man, thus "stronger" than Eve, he should be held responsible for eating the forbidden fruit rather than the "weaker" Eve. Layner believes that men should not look down upon women as lesser and weaker than themselves; she successfully proves that women deserve an equal status with men. Throughout the poem, Layner makes the point that the reason men have always been condescending to woman is dishonest because men are actually more at fault for the pain we endure today.

Why alcohol should not be legal?

Why alcohol should not be legal 1 Why alcohol should not be legal Delono Walker Devry University April 10, 2011 Why alcohol should not be 2 In the 1920’s during world war one, the churches mostly Protestants began to lobby against the sales of alcohol: in order to slow crime and domestic abuse. Furthermore many saloons or bars were selling German products. On January 16, 1919 the lobbyist won and under the Eighteenth Amendment prohibition was created and made legal. Unfortunately it didn’t last long since bootleggers were now creating their own spirits.The bootleggers were becoming wealthy by selling illegal spirits and the States were becoming more, and more unable to police them. Crime rates were rising to new heights as the bootleggers formed mobs and syndicates gaining control of the streets. In the year 1933 prohibition was repealed, congress felt that it would weaken organized crime as well as be used to generate moneys through taxation. In my opinion this shows t hat people became desperate during the Great Depression for Alcohol. Just like marijuana, coke, and heroin: the government made a drug illegal and people found a way to obtain it.In my opinion our society feels that there is a need for it and they are right. Alcohol is a drug that stimulates economic growth and development, but not with out consequences. People have different reasons for abusing alcohol. Drinking Alcohol has many consequences. I have personally seen the effects of alcohol abuse. Alcohol should be illegal, because it is a drug that can ruin many lives, can cause mental illness, and causes crime rates to increase like other drugs. People have different reasons for abusing alcohol.Many people drink socially, while others binge drink. A person might want to take the edge off by drinking a few beers. Alcohol has become a household drug. It is served at parties and at dinners. The majority of people drink in order to enjoy themselves, however many people drink for the wro ng reasons, such as drinking to forget your problems which results in abuse. Drinking alcohol has many consequences. Alcohol also leads to physical ailments such as hypertension. If a drinker continues a pattern of binge drinking he/she might become a victim of heart disease.Alcohol also causes jaundice, which is caused by cirrhosis of the liver, as well as cause kidney damage. It can cause families to break apart. It can cause people to lose their jobs and homes. Alcohol increases chances for communicable disease. There are many people in prison, because of choices made while drinking. According to Crime in America’s statistics â€Å"drugs and alcohol implicated in 78 percent of violent crimes†(Crime in America, 2010 ). Alcohol should be illegal, because it is a drug that can ruin many lives. Thousands of people have lost love ones due hospitalization and car wrecks. According to NHTSA, 35 percent of all traffic deaths occurred in crashes in which at least one driver or non occupant had a BAC of 0. 08 percent or more and that any alcohol was present in 41 percent of all fatal crashes in 2002. †(Hingson & Micheal, 2003; Hanson) Sadly it’s not always the user that is harmed; many accidents involve pedestrians, or passengers. Furthermore drinking has long term effects, it can kill someone quickly, or slowly. â€Å"In 2006 a total of 22,073 persons died of alcohol-induced causes in the United States† (Annual causes of death in the United States, 2011 para 6) Alcohol can increase the chances of mental illness.People who suffer from anxiety or depression tend to self medicate. The user only feels a deeper feeling ofanxiety or depression, so they drink more only building a tolerance. This is known as the Vicious Circle. â€Å"Moderate doses of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine can induce psychotic symptoms in a person with schizophrenia, and small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, or other drugs can precipitate prolonged psychotic relaps es. † (Drake, 1994 para 2) People with mental illness are more vulnerable to the affects of alcohol.This is the concept behind the idea of Dual Disorder: a patient has two defined diseases. Normal people have been noted to gain mental issues from drug abuse, while people with mental problems gain drugs abuse. Many people that abuse alcohol are prone to have relationship issues. Problems controlling finances, and working their job. These contribute to an individuals need to medicate. Considering that alcohol is a depressant, in individuals that suffer from depression spirits can lead to suicide. An estimated five million of the 32 million people 65 and older suffer from depression. Russel, 2007 para 2) The chances of suicide due to drinking increases with age, because of the responsibilities that come with age. Alcohol seems to be a tool for people to evacuate the everyday life. Alcohol increases crime rates just like other drugs. There are however casual drinkers that just hav e a drink on occasion. The regular social drinkers that don’t abuse alcohol and treat it as a privilege, should they be punished for what others have, and are doing? Honestly I don’t feel as though they should. Alcohol generates money for our Government by State Tax.So why not make other drugs legal? Our Government will then be able to generate money by taxing Marijuana. It’s the same as what was happening during the prohibition: prohibited drugs are still being used without regulation and criminals are making money from it. Drug related crime on our streets can possibly be slowed by making certain drugs legal: certain dealers would no longer be able to supply if people got those drugs from a local store or pharmacy. That is why crime is lower in places like Northern California, were marijuana has been made legal in some parts.As I stated prior it seems that people are going out of their way to obtain the drug that suits them and that’s why alcohol is a d rug like the rest. I have personally seen the effects of alcohol abuse. While being a member of the Armed Forces, my associates, and I would often go to bars. While there we would go on all night binges and drink until the bar closed. One particular night we were out drinking and having a good time. One of my friends got completely intoxicated, although he was able to handle is liquor, so we didn’t see how bad off he was. We drove home and left him the car to take with him.He made it four blocks before he called us. We found him hanging on the side of a fence and the car had crashed into the side of a facility. He needed medical attention, but he didn’t want to go, because that meant discharge from the Service. So the guys and I called the local authorities and they picked him up. I wonder if he realizes that he could’ve died that night. Why alcohol should not be legal 3 References Annual causes of death in the United States. (2011). Retrieved 04 02, 2011, from http://www. drugwarfacts. org/cms/node/30 Crime in America. (2010 , march 3). Retrieved from Crime in America. Net:

Activision Blizzard

Company History and Profile Activision and Blizzard Entertainment have been longstanding brands within the gaming industry for some time. Activision started out in 1979 as the world’s first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles such as Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, in addition to developing both gaming and business applications for personal computers. One of their earliest major hit games was Pitfall, which was designed for the Atari 2600 series gaming console. This project was so successful; it resulted in the production of several clones, including stand-up arcade games. After losing a multi-million dollar judgment on damages involving a patent infringement, Activision went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and reorganization in 1991. It was during this time when they decided to concentrate solely on a video gaming production strategy, eventually developing popular games such as Sonic, Guitar Hero and the current Call of Duty Series. From 1997 to 2007, Activision acquired multiple companies geared towards strengthening their position relative to their gaming strategy, but have also kept their foot in the door for expanding their market into other entertainment ventures. Beginning in 1998, Activision launched strategic partnerships with comic and movie producers Marvel Entertainment, Disney Interactive, and LucasArts Entertainment. In 2001, Activision acquired the rights to the Columbia Pictures’ feature film Spider-Man, and had signed a multi-year publishing agreement between DreamWorks SKG in 2003. Blizzard Entertainment began in 1991 as a company called Silicon & Synapse, also designing games for Sega-Genesis, Super Nintendo, and DOS- and Mac- compatible games for personal computers. The company established the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, when they became one of the most popular and well respected makers of computer games. Blizzard’s main focus is on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, and by doing so, has maintained a reputation for quality within the gaming industry. Released in 1994, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans became their first in a series of role-play strategy games to win accolades as one of the best games of that year. Multiplayer computer games were still relatively new at this time, and Blizzard began to take advantage of the opportunities that this niche had to offer. They are now the leader in the field of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG), with more than 11. 5 million monthly subscriptions. Blizzard has additionally developed a trio of popular PC games, including the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo series, creating a culture that champions both productive and experimental creativity which inspires devoted players. Jeff Green, editor-in-chief of the online gaming magazine 1Up. om notes, â€Å"[Blizzard people] are essentially design geniuses, making games easy enough for casual players and deep enough to attract and hook hard-core players. Simple to learn, difficult to master is the holy grail of game design, and Blizzard does this every single time. † In late 1998, Blizzard Entertainment became a subsidiary of the French conglomerate Vivendi, grouped into its Vivendi Universal Games division. From 2000 to 2007, Blizzard Entertainment released several games under their trilogy series, consistently exceeding sales projections and becoming the unprecedented leader within the gaming industry. On December 2, 2007, it was announced that Activision would be acquired by Vivendi, with Vivendi contributing its gaming division plus a cash investment, in exchange for a majority stake in the new group. In 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision, using the Blizzard brand in naming the resulting company, Activision Blizzard. SWOT Analysis Strengths Activision Blizzard’s balance sheet was initially considered to be its most valuable strength when the merger between the two companies transpired; however, this was not necessarily the case. The apparent strategy was to rely on Blizzard Entertainment as a cash cow to finance the merger. With Blizzard Entertainment having more than $3. 3 billion in cash and short term investments, and no debt at the time, it had the flexibility to obtain more intellectual property and talent, and thus further help to strengthen the new company. Reeling from a series of legal actions against them, and suffering income losses in both 2008 and 2009, Activision Blizzard has finally begun to turn around their financial status, and is beginning to gain ground relative to their balance sheet. More on this matter will be discussed in the financial section of this paper. The revenue stream should only be getting smoother with the merger of Blizzard and Activision. The combined company is not as dependent as other gaming companies on console upgrade cycles for generating the majority of its revenue and earnings. Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, as a subscription service, helps to also keep the revenue stream smoother than normal. With a large and popular range of titles, Activision Blizzard can ask for, and receive more shelf space than competitors at retail outlets that sell their products, such as GameStop and Wal-Mart. Getting the product in front of consumers with favorable shelf placement is just as important in the gaming industry as it is in the grocery industry, and Activision Blizzard uses this strategy to their advantage. Weaknesses Activision Blizzard has had a previous history of difficult relations with developers. The recent firings and defections of product developers from Infinity Ward, producer of the hit release â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2† is a primary case in point. Also, legal issues have been a tremendous weakness and liability for the company. Who owns what, and what is agreed upon at times are contentious issues. The ex-Infinity Ward executives claim control of the â€Å"Modern Warfare† brand line. Additionally, the musical group No Doubt sued Activision Blizzard, claiming that their images were being used for any song in â€Å"Band Hero†, contrary to what they said had been agreed to. Opportunities At the past E3 conference for the gaming industry, current Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick noted that â€Å"There is a $3 billion used game market that we do not participate in. The only true competition within this realm is GameStop, who would potentially suffer losing a large portion of their current market status if Activision Blizzard decided to enter this segment of the market. Activision Blizzard also has strong franchising capabilities. Even in the middle of a recession, gamers are willing to pay for the newest releases and additions related to their games. A winged horse â€Å"pet† for World of Warcraft, priced at $25, was estimated by some reports to be bringing in as much as $2. 5 Million per hour for a period last spring. Activision Blizzard has the capabilities to take advantage of this phenomenon through franchising markets. The mobile gaming medium is wide open; Activision Blizzard successfully released a mobile version of â€Å"Guitar Hero† for Apple’s iPhone. It would appear that scaled-down versions of their most popular games are on the horizon to be produced for smartphones and iPads. With Activision Blizzard’s branding, they have a tremendous repertoire of brands and licenses that can be franchised or published for various markets, including clothing, toys, collectibles, comics and books, and even syndicated movies or cartoons. Threats Mobile gaming is probably their biggest threat, due to small studios being able to reach a multitude of people through inexpensive downloads to smartphones. This will certainly create a more competitive atmosphere in the very near future. Games with long franchise lives can also be a burden on the company. A good case in point would be their â€Å"Guitar Hero† game, which is getting old, with sales beginning to drop and stall. Consumer Affairs cites a â€Å"continued decline in the music genre† as the primary reason given by the company for dropping the game. Activision Blizzard, as a quality control measure, is retiring some of their lesser grossing games to concentrate on more revenue productive and newer versions of such games as â€Å"Call of Duty†, â€Å"World of WarCraft†, and â€Å"Diablo†. SWOT Conclusion When looking at the collective elements contained within the SWOT analysis, it is apparent that Activision Blizzard began their merger rather sluggishly. This could be attributed to differences in corporate cultures or their need to address and resolve pending legal issues as quickly as possible, so that finances are readily available to fund future ventures. Opportunities abound in the realm of on-line gaming, franchising, and partnerships or joint ventures with various companies in a diverse range of markets, and it would be in their better interest to take advantage of these given opportunities in utilizing a differentiation strategy that delivers both tangible and intangible attributes. Blizzard Entertainment has been at the forefront of this type of strategy long before their merger, with such features as Battle. net forums for its customers to chat, exchange ideas and strategies, and submit feedback on given games. Each day hundreds of gamers post new ideas and petitions in Battle. net forums while there are always assigned personnel on Blizzard’s behalf to read and respond to them. By infusing a culture of having gamers as employees, coupled with the feedback it gets from its Battle. net forums, they are capable of using this data in designing or making improvements on their current games in real time as well as future games. They additionally hold several events annually for their gaming customers to interact with and launch new products. BlizzCon (in the United States) and the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational (held in various other countries) are major events that showcase their talent and customer oriented initiatives. With Activision coming on board, they have taken a major step in creating a company that is virtually one with the gaming community on both a consumer level as well as a personal level, which should be a viable recipe for success, regardless of which direction they choose to go. Five Forces Analysis Barriers to Entry †¢There are little to no barriers to entry. Popular games are being developed at a rapid pace throughout the industry. †¢Activision Blizzard posses an advantage, however, with their scale and catalog of games, in addition to third-party developer relationships. †¢Their main advantage relative to this issue lies in their manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Threat of Substitutes †¢There are currently no close substitutes for games such as â€Å"Call of Duty† and â€Å"World of WarCraft†, however, new games always have a potential of becoming popular, depending upon their format, story line, and general audience appeal. Other types of entertainment could also be classified as substitutes, such as music and movie videos, but it is unlikely that they would surpass the popularity of Activision Blizzard’s more popular games. Power of Buyers †¢With on-line distribution capabilities becoming the norm, buyer power is diminishing. †¢Activision Blizzard allows for â€Å"real time† consumer feedback through various forums, which gives them a differential advantage when developing new games due to the uniqueness of the industry. Power of Suppliers †¢Activision Blizzard relies primarily on in-house talent to design and evelop their games. †¢Supplier power is medium, primarily because developers and console game producers need Activision Blizzard as much as it needs them. Rivalry Among Sellers †¢Activi sion Blizzard is the leading MMORPG developer relative to on-line gaming, and they will continue to focus on this platform as a primary revenue stream. †¢They also lead the console gaming market, and have begun a quality control model to ensure a consistent and sustainable competitive advantage through innovation and development of quality products. Gaming is not the only business within the entertainment industry, but it serves a well-proportioned demographic, to say the least. With making a distinction between gaming and entertainment, one can see a more obvious picture developing relative to the merger between the two companies. In joining two major players with hit franchises together, Vevendi is expecting to realize a major coup within the entertainment side of this merger by taking advantage of Activision’s relationships with major motion picture production companies. And with social gaming on the rise with the launch of smart phones, there is another consideration to make within the gaming realm. With the trend towards digital distribution growing, this should continue to drive down costs, which will also open the field to potentially more on-line players. Activision Blizzard faces numerous hurdles when speaking in terms of their competitive advantage in both the gaming and entertainment industries, but to be the dominant player in both industries, one must be resourceful and innovative by nature. This is truly where both companies have dominated in the past by comparison, and will most certainly be the catalyst for a rebound performance in the future, or even a new entry into other markets as well. Key Success Factors †¢Diversified partnerships with licensing or franchising companies †¢Large inventory of product, which in turn gives them a larger portion of retail shelf space †¢New product releases (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo) †¢Leader in on-line gaming subscriptions (MMORPG) Corporate culture of gamers throughout company structure, coupled with collective talents of game designers †¢Designs and develops their own gaming platforms †¢Interactive consumer portals for input and feedback on their products (Battle. net, BlizzCon, Blizzard Worldwide Invitational) Financial Analysis Despite Activision Blizzard experiencing a couple of net losses in 2008 and 2009, the company is doing well when compared to its competitors. Its operating margin was 10. 55% in 2010, with a 5 year margin of 9%, versus its average competitor earning 9% in 2010 and average margin of 12% (according to wikiwealth. om). The 2010 net deficit in retained earnings shows that Activision Blizzard has not been profitable over its existence. While cash flow margins have been higher than its competitors at 15% over the past 5 years, versus its competitors 11% average value, there is not a large amount of cash flow for which the company can pay its operating bills, as its working capital was negative both in 2009 (at $423 million) and $1,030 million in 2010, and its liquidity ratios were less than 2. Within operations, the company has begun to manage its inventory and accounts receivable better, as its days of inventory decreased from 30 to 19 days, resulting in a better turnover from 12 in 2009 to 19 in 2010; along with the average collection period going from 63 days in 2009 to 52. 5 days in 2010. Blizzard Entertainment, one of the three segments within the company, earned approximately 35% of its total net revenues, but yielded over 60% of operating income from operations, making it the most profitable segment of the company. Keeping that in mind, it would be beneficial for them to concentrate on increased sales within this given department (on-line subscriptions) to facilitate a greater increase in revenues. As a side note, a lot is riding on Activision Blizzard’s release of their new Call of Duty console game for the holiday season. With last year’s Black Ops having sold a record $360 million in its first day, this new release could make or break their holiday season revenues. If sales do well for this holiday season, the company has the potential to enter the new year having a much greater advantage over their competition, by far. Analysis of Competitive Position Although the merger of Activision Blizzard got off to a slow start, things now appear to be on track for the current year, and their outlook seems to be in a much better financial and competitive positioning than for their three previous years. The ability to generate a sustainable and consistent revenue stream, while also keeping costs down, is one of their greatest strengths, and should continue, considering their rapidly diversifying portfolio of partners and strategic alliances. Given Activision’s partnerships and alliances prior to their merger with companies such as Marvel, Disney Interactive, LucasArts, and Dreamworks; coupled with Blizzard’s partnerships with various vendors in the apparel, toy, and collectible markets, Activision Blizzard has built a strong foundation through their broad differentiation strategy, which affords them a greater advantage of maintaining their number one position within not only the gaming industry, but opens the doors to other venues as well through licensing and franchising opportunities. The company’s diversity is a critical advantage, because it allows them room for expansion and cross-selling opportunities across various platforms or markets. Additionally, Activision Blizzard is beginning to increase their presence in China, partnering with Netease, which is considered to be one of the best eastern on-line gaming companies to date. This opportunity will allow them to distribute their StarCraft, World of WarCraft, and Call of Duty series games to an eagerly-awaiting population within that country. Activision Blizzard’s new release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this past week resulted in the biggest launch of any console game ever, and is seen as crucial to their strategy of releasing fewer, better quality game titles each year. CEO Bobby Kotick commented that within the first 24 hours of release, 6. 5 million units were sold within North America and the U. K. , for a total of $400 million dollars. He is noted as saying, â€Å"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories†. This surpassed last month’s release of Electronic Arts’ five million units of Battlefield 3 by 1. 5 million units, which is their closest competitor to date in the console gaming industry. The above noted quality control strategy is just another addition to their value chain activities, in conjunction with the previously mentioned Battle. net and BlizzCon forums, which affords them a real-time advantage when designing and launching games or addressing consumer issues and concerns. By doing so, Activision Blizzard maintains a proficiency in performing their core competencies, and continues to build and evolve their competitive advantage in this area. This is one of the primary reasons that Activision Blizzard has consistently held the top ranking, in addition to their model MMORPG platform that grows in subscriptions monthly. Activision Blizzard’s portfolio of digital and console games usually attracts more hardcore gamers than casual gamers. This is a decisive advantage in an economic downturn particularly, because Activision Blizzard’s sales are not as profoundly affected when there is a decrease in consumer spending. When potential customers have limited disposable income, they need to be assured of the quality of what they are spending their hard-earned dollars on. The Activision Blizzard brand is quite often strong enough to convince a repeat customer of the quality of a new game. Additionally, with upgrades in digital distribution, the ability for companies to offer their products and services in digital form is becoming a necessity. Activision Blizzard is well aware of this occurrence, and has continuously been moving towards this higher-margin business model for quite some time. In fact, they already derive a good portion of their income as a percentage of revenues from this model, which is a great advantage over their competitors. They continue to broaden their subscription model, with an emphasis on direct distribution of its products to consumers. This also reduces income loss through having to pay out royalties to retailers and on-line gaming hosts. Project Beachhead, a new group formed within Activision Blizzard, will be bringing their hit series Call of Duty franchise into a subscription-based service in which consumers will pay Activision Blizzard directly to use a premium content that is included. Activision Blizzard is in a leading position to take advantage of this business model, considering that they have some of the most popular franchises in the world. As a point of reference, World of WarCraft currently has 11. 5 million subscribers paying fifteen dollars a month to play. Add to that the 7 million daily Call of Duty users, and one should be able to derive their true profit-making potential in this forum. Over the past twelve months, Activision Blizzard has generated just under $4. 8 billion in revenue and $800 million in operating profit, for an operating margin of almost 17% (according to Gurufocus. om), but this is actually an understatement of just how much money they are currently generating. Their growth through acquisitions and partnerships is likely to continue well into the future, where they continue to buy key franchises. As part of these acquisitions, they place a value on intangible assets (such as brands) that they purchase. They then expense these intangib les, which have no basis in accounting circles, but most certainly impact their cash flow. After adjusting for these â€Å"non-cash† expenses and other write-offs, Activision Blizzard has actually earned $1. 4 billion in operating profit, for an operating margin just under 30%. Relative to disadvantages, Activision Blizzard stands to lose some market ground due to new â€Å"casual† and social games coming out, such as Angry Birds and Farmville, but it is actually the ease of distribution from tablet devices such as the iPad (digitized games) that could cause their competitive advantage to erode somewhat. This is particularly why they are concentrating on their current business model. Recommendations Activision Blizzard’s marketing strategy is more a model for the industry, as they have partnered extensively, but selectively, with various companies and brands to diversify and expand their exposure and profitability. They have a proven track record with their on-line (MMORPG) gaming capabilities, and generate a large percentage of revenue from such. As a result, they should actively pursue this growing segment of the gaming industry, to which they are already the leading model. They should also continue their broad differentiation strategy relative to partnerships and strategic alliances, as this has proven to be quite successful for them since even before their merger. Our group recommends stepping out of their â€Å"comfort zone†, so to speak, and to begin looking at new ways to expand their brands and licenses. With this in mind, we recommend that they explore what we consider to be a â€Å"natural† transition for their gaming brands in particular, that of producing animated movies and syndicated cartoons. This actually aligns with a comment made by CEO Bobby Kotick not too long ago, in that he noted the potential of there being a StarCraft movie in the near future, which is based on one of their more popular MMORPG games. As of 11 November, their parent company (Vivendi SA) purchased EMI music group for $1. 9 billion dollars. Already owning a 26 percent market share of the music industry with Universal Music Group, Vivendi now owns an additional 9 percent, not to mention the rights to songs by such groups as the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Not only is this considered a coup within the music industry, but it could also play out relative to our recommendation, as it now gives them a solid foundation in choosing a select grouping of soundtracks for movie productions that can be targeted for various demographics ranging in ages from Baby Boomers to Gen X’ers. Our research indicates that to produce a movie, it would take an investment of approximately $200 million in revenue to do so (Negative Cost = Development Cost + Pre-Production Cost + Production Cost + Post-Production Cost). This is generally an accepted estimate of the total production cost, from the planning and development phase, to pre-production, into production or filming, and then to post-production (which includes marketing and advertising). Naturally, this estimate varies, according to several factors such as where the movie is filmed and produced, who stars in it, distribution, etc. Not only does Activision Blizzard maintain such a potential to take on a project such as this, their parent company (Vivendi) as well as several alliances and partnerships would be more than willing to share such a project cost with them, much like their current gaming model. Keeping that in mind, it would be another transition (still) to follow such companies as Pixar, Amblin, LucasFilms, and Dreamworks, which all began as production companies from one or two major film hits. Whether StarCraft would be a box office smash is anybody’s guess, but if it were, the residual revenue alone from merchandising and franchising toys, clothing, and other products sold could potentially offset the initial cost considerably, not to mention the interest it would draw from a new generation of gamers. In developing their own production company, Activision Blizzard is ensuring that their brands stay marketable well into their more mature phases, while also maintaining control of production costs and opening the door once again for profitable partnerships in future endeavors within one more market niche of the entertainment industry. References Blizzard Entertainment Inc (2010) http://blizzard. com/us/inblizz/profile. html Cavelli, Earnest (December 23, 2008). â€Å"World of Warcraft Hits 11. 5 Million Users† http://www. ired. com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1 Coleman, Freddie (2010). Why Blizzard is a Renowned Game Developer. http://ezinarticles. com/? Why-Blizzard-is-a-Renowned-Game-Developer&id=3584114 Consumer Affairs (2 Feb 2011) The Tour is Over for â€Å"Guitar Hero† Fans. www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2011/02/the-tour-is-over-for-guitat-hero-fans. html Morris, Chris (2008). â€Å"Blizzards Perfect Storm† http://www. forbes. com/2008/06/30/videogame s-blizzard-morris-tech-personal-cx Moser, Jason (2011). Activision Blizzard’s Edge May Be Smaller Than You Think† http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2011/01/31/activision-blizzards-edge-may-be-smaller-than-you-. aspx The Motley Fool- Activision Blizzard: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2010/06/15/activision-blizzard-strengths-weaknesses-opportuni. aspx The Cost of Making a Hollywood Movie (2010) www. anomalousmaterial. com/movies/2010/03/the-cost-of-making-a-movie Vivendi Will Buy EMI Recorded Music Unit for $1. Billion (Bloomberg Businessweek 11 November 2011) http://news. businessweek. com/article. asp Magic Formula Stock of the Week: Activision Blizzard (10 October 2011) http://www. gurufocus. com Universal’s $1. 9 B EMI Deal: In a Digital World, Market Share Counts for Less (Reuters. com 13 November 2011) http://www. reuters. com â€Å"Call of Duty’ Sales Hit $400 Million (The Wall Street Jour nal- Jarzemsky and Rubin, 12 November 2011) http://online. wsj. com

The eNotes Blog The World According to IsaacAsimov

The World According to IsaacAsimov If youre anything like the average employee at headquarters, youre probably still drooling over the forthcoming generation of Apple iPhones. So allow me to ease you out of your reverie with a fun retrospect of how our bright future was predicted near perfectly almost 50 years ago. Image via Cinema Blend Back in 1964, the Jetsons were on television, the lava lamp had just been invented, and the Moon was as yet uncharted territory. Isaac Asimov was also a popular science fiction writer of the time, though it was still six years before he would write his most famous short story I, Robot. Instead, he wrote an essay for the New York Times in which he imagined a trip to the Worlds Fair of 2014, five decades into the future. On the brink of that very event and in the middle of a whirlwind of technological advancement, lets take a look at five of the astounding predictions Asimov made for the 21st century: Image via CUInsight Lighting   Our new world would apparently be designed without windows in mind. One thought that occurs to me is that men will continue to withdraw from nature in order to create an environment that will suit them better. By 2014, electroluminescent panels will be in common use. Ceilings and walls will glow softly, and in a variety of colors that will change at the touch of a push button. Windows need be no more than an archaic touch, and even when present will be polarized to block out the harsh sunlight. The degree of opacity of the glass may even be made to alter automatically in accordance with the intensity of the light falling upon it. Sorry Asimov, but for the most part we still look to good old window dressings to block out the sunlight. We do, however, have polarized transition lenses in our eyewear. Though I believe science is still trying to work out a way that wont leave one with permanently halfway-tinted glasses in your averagely lit room There is an underground house at the fair which is a sign of the future. if its windows are not polarized, they can nevertheless alter the scenery by changes in lighting. Suburban houses underground, with easily controlled temperature, free from the vicissitudes of weather, with air cleaned and light controlled, should be fairly common. Once again weve wasted one of Asimovs completely practical ideas by employing it for needlessly decadent purposes, like having a casino in Vegas thats lit to make you feel like youre walking the streets of Paris but hey, its something. Image via Trend Hunter Food Preparation Gadgetry will continue to relieve mankind of tedious jobs. Kitchen units will be devised that will prepare automeals, heating water and converting it to coffee; toasting bread; frying, poaching or scrambling eggs, grilling bacon, and so on. Breakfasts will be ordered the night before to be ready by a specified hour the next morning. Complete lunches and dinners, with the food semiprepared, will be stored in the freezer until ready for processing. Viva the frozen dinner! Its like he had a crystal ball that stared directly into my life! I suspect, though, that even in 2014 it will still be advisable to have a small corner in the kitchen unit where the more individual meals can be prepared by hand, especially when company is coming. Hmph. Image via Scientell Robots Robots will neither be common nor very good in 2014, but they will be in existence. The I.B.M. exhibit at the present fair has no robots but it is dedicated to computers, which are shown in all their amazing complexity, notably in the task of translating Russian into English. If machines are that smart today, what may not be in the works 50 years hence? It will be such computers, much miniaturized, that will serve as the brains of robots. In fact, the I.B.M. building at the 2014 Worlds Fair may have, as one of its prime exhibits, a robot housemaid *large, clumsy, slow- moving but capable of general picking-up, arranging, cleaning and manipulation of various appliances. It will undoubtedly amuse the fairgoers to scatter debris over the floor in order to see the robot lumberingly remove it and classify it into throw away and set aside. (Robots for gardening work will also have made their appearance.) Actually Isaac, no need for a ticket to the World Fair to see the latest housecleaning robot; your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond will let you play with a Roomba for free. As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised that the author strayed from the cliche expectations that the world would be run by robots by this time. In fact, it actually seems like weve ever so slightly surpassed his visions for technology in this area, for I I have practically all the makings of a robot in a device that fits in the palm of my hand. Although, Im pretty sure were all still using it to translate Russian into English. Image via Techyuga 3D Movies General Electric at the 2014 Worlds Fair will be showing 3-D movies of its Robot of the Future, neat and streamlined, its cleaning appliances built in and performing all tasks briskly. (There will be a three-hour wait in line to see the film, for some things never change.)   As for television, wall screens will have replaced the ordinary set; but transparent cubes will be making their appearance in which three-dimensional viewing will be possible. In fact, one popular exhibit at the 2014 Worlds Fair will be such a 3-D TV, built life-size, in which ballet performances will be seen. The first point may as well be true. As Asimov correctly predicted, both the movie and TV viewers of the early 21st century are bored of 2 meager dimensions, though I still hold out hope that 3D TVs never catch on. Image via Youtube GPS and the Google Car Much effort will be put into the designing of vehicles with Robot-brains*vehicles that can be set for particular destinations and that will then proceed there without interference by the slow reflexes of a human driver. I suspect one of the major attractions of the 2014 fair will be rides on small roboticized cars which will maneuver in crowds at the two-foot level, neatly and automatically avoiding each other. These days, most of us cant walk, ride, or drive anywhere without turning to GPS. I myself am lost without my smart phone and Google maps. Literally. On top of that, the Google driveless car is almost a reality. If you live in Nevada, Florida, or California, you may just see these autonomous cars out and about on public roads. But then Asimov took it a little far thinking wed all be commuting on hovercrafts by now. Jets of compressed air will also lift land vehicles off the highways, which, among other things, will minimize paving problems. Smooth earth or level lawns will do as well as pavements. Bridges will also be of less importance, since cars will be capable of crossing water on their jets, though local ordinances will discourage the practice. Alas, were still made to suffer the pitfalls and potholes of state roads. I couldnt even touch on his ideas for video phone calls, tofurkey, or moon colonies, or indeed his terrifying idea of a vastly over-populated World-Manhattan. Even with what was at most a speculation of life five decades into the future, the writer really pegged us surprisingly well. For while his dark vision of an over-populated society has not come to pass, his closing lines show a somber knowledge of exactly where were headed: Mankind will suffer badly from the disease of boredom, a disease spreading more widely each year and growing in intensity. This will have serious mental, emotional and sociological consequences, and I dare say that psychiatry will be far and away the most important medical specialty in 2014. The lucky few who can be involved in creative work of any sort will be the true elite of mankind, for they alone will do more than serve a machine. Hope you enjoyed this look back as much as I did. Cheers to the new world!

Preparing for a layoff 7 steps you need to take

Preparing for a layoff 7 steps you need to take Sometimes you see the warning signs coming- you got a bad performance review, or your coworkers are being laid off left and right. Whether it’s the business itself showing signs of budget cuts or just a gut feeling you have, if you’re worried that a layoff is coming your way, now is a smart time to get financially prepared for when you need a cushion to fall back on. 7 steps to preparing yourself for a job lossSpend time job-browsing each weekKnowing what companies are hiring and what opportunities are available now can help you later on down the road. It takes about three to six months to find a new job after a layoff, but if you start researching your next best job now, you can get closer to the three-month mark or even beat it.The better prepared you are for finding your next job, the better your financial situation will be. Keeping an eye out for openings of a company you’d love to work for will help you get in the right routine before the pressure is on. Eve n searching potential part-time opportunities to help keep you afloat as you find a full-time position could be an excellent option. And if your company has any networking events, take advantage! Get started on making a connection now so you don’t have to worry later.Budget nowFor some, it’s enough to make ends meet with steady employment. If you don’t like spreadsheets or math, or spending time on your budget, get over that quick. Being aware of how you spend your money can be eye-opening, and simple changes can help you stretch your dollars.  Analyzing your spending habits and challenging yourself to spend less- whether it’s eating out less or making your own coffee at home rather than buying on the way to work- can help you prepare for a job loss so you are aware of the amount you need to cover the essentials.Start an emergency fund (if you don’t already have one)Your finances should be more than a matter of simply paying your bills on time- u ltimately, you want to be able to save for the future. But not everyone is in that position yet. Even if you live paycheck to paycheck, try to pay into an emergency fund a little each week, like it’s a bill you owe to your future self. Future you, suddenly caught without a functioning hot water heater, will thank you.Get what benefits you can nowDoes your current job offer dental coverage? Go see the dentist now before you’re hit with a layoff. Same goes with your primary physician. Get a routine physical done before you potentially lose those benefits. Many jobs also offer career advancement opportunities, or other perks like a Health Savings Account or 401K matching. Figure out how you can get the most out of these opportunities now. If your company offers severance pay, calculate that into your budget to see if it will be enough to keep you afloat for several months.Build a new revenue streamAssess your skills, and explore opportunities for side gigs. Some ideas are freelancing, being an Uber driver, or bartending, but there are many ways to make extra cash each week beyond your current job- even if you simply want to sell stuff you no longer need on eBay. Finding small ways to earn extra cash will help you save more, and if you do get laid off, you will have another source of revenue to fall back on- and another opportunity to build upon.Target your debtBeing in debt means you’re paying more for something than you should because you’re paying interest over time. Many people have crushing student loan debt, credit card debt, or mortgage payments to make each month that can be hard to tackle when you’re laid off. There are temporary fixes, like deferments for student loans or transferring credit card debt to zero interest cards, but ultimately you need to make a plan to pay it off. Even consider looking at refinancing or discussing potential payment reduction plans with lenders- because the longer you delay actually paying, the more you end up owing over time.Research unemployment benefitsUnemployment benefits will differ by state and by job and can be difficult to navigate, especially while you feel the emotional and financial effects of job loss. Learning the rules a little before you’re hit with a layoff can help you prepare. Even simply figuring out what amount of money you’ll receive can help you target the budget you’ll need to stick to as you search for your next job opportunity.

Response paper on a novel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Response paper on a novel - Essay Example It is necessary to analyze the long and short-term effects of both parties while analyzing animal rights. Alma and Dave LaJoy are interested in saving different animals while Boyle tries to highlight a person with rights over nature. The author also uses flashback with intention of highlighting development of animal rights over a distinct period. The author also provides his viewpoint through stylistic and entertaining approaches. Alma’s job includes eradicating wild pigs and black rats. Coincidentally, the black rats are similar to the animals that Alma’s grandmother encountered after the shipwreck. It is evident that Alma’s rival Dave LaJoy intends to save the animals that the park management wants to remove. This creates a disagreement between Alma and Dave LaJoy. The management decides to use poison to eliminate the rats while Dave flies to the forest to drop pellets containing Vitamin K that would neutralize the poison. The short-term effect is that rats cou ld be eliminated. However, there will reach a point when the rats would become an endangered species or face elimination. Furthermore, elimination of rats could result to over population of murrelets that is a source of food for rats. Additionally, other animals that feed on rats could get extinct. It is quite ironical for the National park to kill one species of animals to save the other. The elimination of rats could also open gates for lawsuits against the national park. Lastly, it creates enmity between Alma and Dave. As a result, Dave heckles  Alma at meetings, has her car vandalized and plants a secret agent in the office to spy on her (Boyle 100). Boyle tries to show who has right and control over nature and animal rights. It is particularly effective for author to use Alma and Dave who have different viewpoints on issue to tell the story from several angles. The most appealing character is behind the controlled execution of rats because she intends to protect the indigenou s species of the islands though she disregards animal rights. However, there are faults in her techniques because indigenous animals that depend on rats for food would be endangered. It is also evident that the food chain could be distorted. The author demonstrates that no matter how compassionate the intention, every solution has consequences especially within complicated eco systems. Boyle effectively communicates the fragility of Mother Nature’s (Boyle 150). The key highlight of her job is ensuring that Channel Islands’ original environment is restored to original environment. This will involve taking some hard decision and actions such as getting rid of wild pigs and black rats that would lead to animal rights concerns. Apparently, her grandmother had encountered some rats during her attempt to clamber into the Anacapa Island in the aftermath of the wreckage of the ship. However, Alma’s work is not going to be an easy one owing to the conflicts of interests involved. While she is determined to, get rid of the animals from the Island, Dave Lajoy, and her nemesis thinks otherwise. He thinks that saving the animals is a better idea and commits him towards this course. As a result, an atmosphere of controversy ensues. While Alma relies on her environmental consciousness, her opponent, Dave is relying on his richness. However, none of them fits into their prejudices completely. T.C Boyle argues that this is a regular situation in real life (Boyle 183). Boyle uses historical flashback because