Fire Prevention and the Federal Government Essay Example for Free

Fire Prevention and the Federal Government Essay Many government agencies make fire prevention as part of their mission. America has the highest fire death rate is the highest in the world. Fires kill 3,700 and injure over 20,000 people each year. Property loss is about $11 billion per year. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has helped to reduce fire deaths by half. They have contributed to fire prevention and suppression more than any other government agency. In 1974, Congress established the United States Fire Administration . Their mission is to provide national leadership to local fire and emergency services. It is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA became part of the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. Their mission is to â€Å"reduce the loss of life and property and protect the Nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters† (â€Å"About USFA†, n. d. ). The Department of Homeland Security was formed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Their primary mission is to protect the country from terrorism. Since the USFA was created for the sole purpose of the prevention, preparedness, and response to fires and other emergencies, it has contributed the most to the cause. â€Å"America’s fire death rate is one of the highest per capita in the industrialized world† (â€Å"About USFA†, n. d. ). Thus, it is still an improvement since more than twenty years ago. In 1971, 12,000 people and 250 firefighters died as a result of fires. USFA continues to make our communities and society safer today. Reference U. S. Fire Administration. About the U. S. Fire Administration. Retrieved August 3, 2008 from http://www. usfa. dhs. gov.

Religious Symbols in Society: Church vs. State Essay -- Religion

In our daily lives, without even recognizing it, there are religious symbols present all around us. If we are carrying money, â€Å"In God We Trust† is a religious symbol that is present on our currency. If we happen to say the pledge of allegiance we are saying â€Å"one nation under God† which alludes to God and the Catholic religion. Around the holidays, there are Christmas decorations present everywhere, which are religious symbols of the Catholic faith. None of these things seem bad or harmful to anyone in any way. They are not harming anyone. Are they? Well, they are not harming anyone directly, but have impacted people because it is through the presence of these symbols that neglects all other religions and is feeding into the issue of the ongoing church versus state argument for separation. Religious symbols are aspects of all different religions that strengthen faith, promote certain beliefs, and represent the fundamentals of that specific religion. According to Furst’s article on the use of physical religious symbols, â€Å"As beings that are both body and spirit, humans use symbols in order to perceive and to grasp realities that are not empirical. As social beings, humans use symbols to communicate with others,† (p 2). But, there are many issues that arise when these symbols are involved and existing in the media, the state, our government, and the public. Mainly this is because symbols are truly powerful and represent controversies that come along with different religions. Furst also states that, â€Å"symbols play a powerful role in the transmission of the culture of human society,† (p 2). If religious symbols transmit culture into society, then people in our society are going to pay very close attention to what symbols are present... ... Case may Determine Direction of Church-State Law." Church & State 62.10 (2009): 220-2. Web. Boston, Rob. "Prayers, Preaching & Public Schools: Religious Right Activists use Wide Variety of Tactics to Evangelize in the Classroom." Church & State 62.10 (2009): 223-6. Web. Furst, Lyndon G., and Stephen J. Denig. "The use of Physical Symbols to Transmit Culture in Religious Schools: A Comparison of Adventist and Catholic Schools in America." Journal of Empirical Theology 18.1 (2005): 1-21. Web. Stevenson, Dwight Eshelman. "Religious Symbols and Religious Communication." Lexington Theological Quarterly 1.3 (1966): 69-79. Web. "Wandering in the Desert: Justice Scalia's Dangerous Plan to Secularize the Cross." Church & State 62.10 (2009): 230-318. Web. Zenit. "Christmas Symbols Not Welcome in Many U.S. Classrooms " National Catholic Register 77.51 (2001) Print.

Barry Bonds

One of the baseball’s most troublesome issues has been the increasing use of performance enhancing drugs. Retired home slugger, Jose Canseco has claimed that 85 per cent of big leaguers use steroids and Xen Caminiti, who died in 2004 from drug overdose, stated in a highly publicised article in Sports Illustrated that the incidence of steroid use has mushroomed to 50 per cent of active players. Although other players have stated this figure to be exaggerated, the problem has become widespread within major league baseball.A well known sports orthopaedist, Dr. John Andrews asserted that there has been a dramatic rise in muscle and tendon injuries among baseball players related to the increased use of supplements creatine, human growth hormone, and steroids (Teitelbaum, 2005, p. 107). The use of amphetamines in major league baseball gained substantial notoriety in 1970 when Jim Bouton, a pitcher for the New York Yankees during the 1960s and the author of highly controversial book Ball Four admitted using amphetamines and estimated that 40% of other players did as well.As with football, the size and strength of professional baseball players appear to have increased markedly during the last two decades. As a consequence, suspicions of anabolic steroid use have been dramatically soared during the last decade. In 1995, the general manager of the San Diego Padres admitted to the prevalence of steroid use in at least 10%-20% of the league players (Hinitz, Yesalis, Bahrke, 2002, p. 12-13). Jose Canseco, who was the first player to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in the same year, wrote in his book ‘Juiced’ that he used steroids to help him build the muscles he needed to succeed.He also claimed that (although without proof) many players in the game had done the same. This cast grave doubts on the home run records set by Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds and others. In 2005, the congress held a special hearing to investigate the steroid problem i n baseball. Commissioner Bud Selig while testifying admitted that the sport’s hands were tied because of a complicated agreement with the union that represented the players. Baseball was not allowed to test most players for steroids. Even for those who were exposed, punishment was light (Stewart, Kennedy, 2006, p. 61).Barry Bond, the legendary baseball player, shot to power and fame by winning three MVP awards in 1990s and he was recognised as the best all round player of the decade. He became the second 40-40 player in 1996, and narrowly missed the fit in 1997. In 1998, he became the first 400-400 player in history. 1 In 2000, the house belonged to Barry, who at the age of 35 was on the brink of a remarkable run of five career defining seasons. Up to that point, he had hit 445 home runs over 14 seasons of play. In 2000, he set a personal home run record with 49, and in 2001, he set a new all time record with an incredible 73 homers.The unprecedented late career explosion of 258 home runs in five years raised suspicions that Bonds had taken illegal performance drugs, such as steroids, which Bonds vehemently denied. In 2003, Bonds hits 45 home runs, which brought him within three of his coach May’s mark on the 1. URL: http://www. baseballlibrary. com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/B/Bonds_Barry. stm, retrieved on 15th Dec, 06 lifetime list. In 2004, Bonds chased his 660th career home run to join Mays as third on the all time leaders list. But he just fell short of Mays record. He admitted struggling with the notion of surpassing his childhood idol.Bonds openly admired his idol and said, â€Å"I love him so much. It is hard subject to talk about† (Linge, p. 178). Finally, in the fifth innings of the Giants home opener, Bonds achieved the fit and coach May expressed immense happiness that third place on the lifetime homer list was staying within the Giants family (Linge, p. 178). Currently, Bond has 734 home runs, 22 from breaking Hank Aaronâ₠¬â„¢s career record of 755. He could play only 14 games in 2005 following three operations in his right knee, he came back in full force in 2006 to bat 270 with 26 homers and 77 RBI in 130 games for the Giants in2006.Although he had arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in October, he still has potential power. 2 Beginning in 1998 with injection in his buttocks of Winstrol, a powerful steroid, Barry Bonds took a wide array of performance enhancing drugs over at least five seasons in a massive doping regimen that grew more sophisticated with passing years. These facts were published in Game of Shadows, a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters at the forefront of reporting BALCO steroid distribution scandal.The Book revealed day-to-day detail of how often and how deeply Bonds was engaged in the persistence doping. According to the book, Bonds used the drugs in virtually every conceivable form, by either injecting himself with a syringe or being injected by 2. Retrieved from the URL: http://sportsline. com/mlb/players/playerpage/7447 on 14th Dec, 06 his trainer, swallowing pills, placing drops of liquids under his tongue, and in case of BALCOs notorious testosterone based cream, and he applied it locally.The authors compiled the information over a two-year investigation that included, but was not limited to, court documents, affidavits filed by BALCO investigators, confidential memoranda of federal agents (including statements made to them by athletes and trainers), grand jury testimony, audiotapes and interviews with more than 200 sources. 3 Bond while denying the charge of steroid use was rather vague in his denial statements. In one of his statement Bond was quoted as saying, â€Å"Doctors ought to quit worrying about what ballplayers are taking. What players take doesn't matter.It's nobody else's business. The doctors should spend their time looking for cures for cancer. It takes more than muscles to hit homers. If all those guys were using s tuff, how come they're not all hitting homers? â€Å"4 People from all walks of life, from baseball fan, players, and analyst reacted to Barry’s steroid controversy and the consequent BALCO trial. Baseball player Turk Wendell reacted in Denver Post, â€Å" If my personal trainer, me, Turk Wendell, got indicted for that, there’s no one in the world who wouldn’t think that I wasn’t taking steroids.What, because he is Barry Bonds, no one’s going to say that? I mean, obviously he did it. (His trainer) admitted to giving steroids to baseball player. He just 3. http://sportsillustrated. cnn. com/2006/baseball/mlb/03/06/news. excerpt/index. html retrieved on 15th Dec, 06. 4. http://sportsillustrated. cnn. com/2006/baseball/mlb/03/06/bonds. quotes/index. html, retrieved on 15th Dec, 06 doesn’t want to say his name. You don’t have to. It’s clear just seeing his body†. 5 Journalists were although divided in their opinion regardin g the issue, majority were convinced that Bonds was guilty.Journalist George Will have expressed his view about Barry Bonds, his steroid use and its impact on the baseball statistics in the following lines. According to him, â€Å"â€Å"(Barry) Bonds' records must remain part of baseball's history. His hits happened. Erase them and there will be discrepancies in baseball's bookkeeping about the records of the pitchers who gave them up. George Orwell said that in totalitarian societies, yesterday's weather could be changed by decree. Baseball, indeed America, is not like that. Besides, the people who care about the record book — serious fans — will know how to read it.That may be Bonds' biggest worry. †5 The group who sympathises with Barry Bonds feels that he is a victim of racial prejudice. They feel that even if it is true that Bonds takes steroids, the attention that he receives far outshines that of any other athlete under investigation in the same probe. W hat the allegations of steroid use imply is that Bonds had reached his achievements on the field unfairly, and given his reputation as an unlikable player, the sportswriters and fans intend to believe this allegation.Beyond his actual guilt or innocence in this steroid probe, the public’s interest in Bonds involvement with steroids goes beyond the fact that he is an accomplished baseball player (Bloom, 2004, p. 111). 5. http://thesteroidera. blogspot. com/2006/08/memorable-steroid-era-quotes-1995-2006. html retrieved on 15th Dec, 06 Considering the fact that Barry Bonds was a steroid user, which has been proven without doubt, he should not be allowed into the Hall of Fame. This is a case of cheating and deceiving the public who passionately follow the game.If he is inducted into the hall of fame, it will be tantamount to accepting his deceitful act, which will be detrimental to the future of baseball. Moreover, since Pete Rose was denied the hall of fame for his deceiving act , it will be justifiable if Bond is treated in the same manner. As his name is already tainted, it is unlikely that people will remember him, forty, fifty years from now. His unsporting conduct and violation of sports ethics will eventually obscure him from popular memory. Only those with excellent and untainted track record, moral integrity, and true sportsmanship deserve to be incorporated into the Hall of Fame.References Bloom, J (2004) Barry Bonds: A Biography, Greenwood Press, USA Hinitz, D. R. , Yesalis, C. E. , and Bahrke, M. S (2002) Performing enhancing substances in sport and exercise, Human Kinetics Publishing Linge, M. K (2005) William Mays: A Biography, Greenwood Press, USA Stewart, M, Kennedy, M (2006) Long Ball: The legend and lore of the home run, Milbrook Press, p. 64 Teitelbaum, S. H (2005) Sports Heroes, Fallen Idols, University of Nebraska Press. The Hastings Centre Report (1985) Blood, Sweat, and Drug: The high cost being number one, Vol. 15, No. 5. p. 2

The Intersection Between Globalization And Local...

The intersection between globalization and local entrepreneurship, defined by specialists as â€Å"international entrepreneurship†, has started to receive more and more attention over the last two decades (Mathews and Zander, 2007, p. 395). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in the global economy and have a big impact on incomes, outputs, and the employment sector. The latest report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) stated that the main challenge for businesses, governments and individuals was the fragility and, at the same time, the flexibility of the economy. It doesn’t come as a surprise that small and medium-sized businesses in the UK, such as start-up manufacturers, sole traders, hair and beauty salons or†¦show more content†¦The report’s conclusion will also include critical evaluation, discussing possible recommendations and personal reflection. 2. Research Methods 2.1 Primary Research Method This type of research takes place by observing phenomena or surveying respondents. Primary data collection can be deemed as bespoke and therefore time-consuming and costly. This process is more lengthy and complex, it is typically costlier, involving experimentation, sampling, survey methods, and questionnaire construction. In this report, primary research was achieved by working closely with the owners of Dreadnought Pub, this included multiple face-to-face interviews, communication with the customers, people who have worked there in the past and everyone else related with the pub. Visiting the pub during busy times was very insightful as it resulted in analyzing the pub’s management style and the environment. With the help of Dreadnought’s full disclosure, working closely with the owners helped in analyzing the existing business plan, current entries, and various other resources, which proved very helpful to our research method. 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Latino Celebrities Show the Diversity of Hispanics

No Escape From The Incessant Dream - 918 Words

There is no escape from the incessant dream. It encompasses every factor of the modern American lifestyle. It all begins with The American Dream, in which everyone strives to become part of something bigger then themselves. The obsession, that supposedly defines how happiness can be obtained. But happiness is not, contrary to the beliefs of the American Dreamers, measured on a checklist including 2.5 kids, 1 dog, 1 cat, baby blue house in suburbs, white picket fence, 2 car garage, and a perfectly manicured lawn. That image is a facade over the ever-crumbling ash heaps of our world. It is impossible to measure one s life or happiness on a scale of coffee spoons, cars, or annual income, yet many people continue to plug away like machines for no other reason than to make the money that they honestly believe will bring them true happiness. This idea is everywhere, leaving much of America longing for a life that does not exist and working toward a goal that could never be reached in this lifetime. Madonna Marsden said it best when she stated that, â€Å"From Ben Franklin in the 1740’s to Ross Perot in the 1990’s, money means power, status, and respect† (134). For everyone this dream may be different, yet the concept remains unchangeable. Marsden also stated, With hard work comes achievement, and with achievement comes material comforts of the American Dream and sometimes even great riches and a place in history (134). The Presidency of the United States of America is an officeShow MoreRelated Analysis of The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Essay916 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust tells the story of people who have come to California in search of the American Dream. 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Evaluation of Leadership at Coca Cola free essay sample

On October 24th 1997 Doug Ivester took over as the 10th CEO and Chairman of Coca Cola, the world’s largest soft drink company, after the tenure of his predecessor Roberto Goizueta came to an abrupt end due to his sudden and unexpected death. In the 16 years as CEO of Coca Cola Yale-educated Goizueta earned himself a reputation of setting high objectives and achieving all of them. Growth in total annual sales from $5 billion in 1981 to $18. 5 billion in 1997 and rises in net profits and company’s market capitalization of 700%, respectively 4000%, underline his more than successful leadership (Walter, Knopp Reavis 2005). In 1997 analysts expected former company president Doug Ivester, 50, who received unanimous support from the company’s board in the election process for the new CEO, to continuously meet annual financial targets set in the Goizueta era. The company’s board was completely convinced of Ivester’s qualification for the leading position in as he had already proven himself within in various tasks and jobs over the past decades (Walter, Knopp Reavis 2005). â€Å"Whenever he sets a target, he hits it† (Morris 1998) is a quote of board member Allen recorded at that time which describes the general perception of Ivester in 1997. Goizueta himself saw a â€Å"godsend† (Hays 2004, p. 36) in Doug Ivester, an aggressive worker, but most of all a financial mastermind. They worked together closely for more than a decade, kept on posting spectacular gains and beat market expectations constantly. Also, Goizueta referred to Ivester as his â€Å"partner† (Walter, Knopp Reavis, p. 4), his predetermined successor, the one he carefully groomed to give him the experience and expertise in essential leadership skills (Morris Sellars 2000). Nevertheless, only 26 month later in December 1999 Doug Ivester was pushed to resign from his job as the head of the company on account of outsized pressure from board directors who had lost confidence in his leadership. Under his tenure return on equity declined significantly from 57% in 1997 to 35% in 1999. (Morris Sellars 2000) Thus, the question arises, why did such a successful and celebrated manager fail at the very highest corporate stage and why did his tenure turn out as management story full of leadership lessons? In this paper Ivester’s behaviour, actions, and traits are discussed in coherence to leadership literature and theories to evaluate his approach to leadership and to draw recommendations for the future selection of CEOs at Coca Cola. Leadership Evaluation of Douglas Ivester Given Ivester’s financial background as an accountant at Ernst Young who at first worked for Coca Cola as an external auditor and was subsequently hired by officials in 1979 to work for the company’s financial department (Walter, Knopp Reavis 2005), his approach to business and work was about being direct and analytical (Hays 2004). Morris Sellars (2000) mention his total focus on discipline within his work approach and his deep conviction of the fact that organizations that are highly disciplined entail most creativity. In accordance to Walter, Reavis Knopp (2005) he was an introverted, even blunt leader who emphasized structure as a key issue in his leadership approach. Ivester compared business operations with chess games and imposed rigid control systems within the company. People referred to him as a brilliant and ambitious â€Å"adding-mashine† (Hays 2004, p. 34) until he was elected the new CEO of Coca Cola in 1997. At this point in time, his biggest strengths arguably turned into his biggest weaknesses when his tasks changed from executing corporate strategy to setting corporate strategy, representing and leading a global multinational corporation. Ivester’s lack of flexibility and undersized cognitive ability became obvious in his inflexible acquisition strategy of Cadbury Schweppes despite rising European regulatory concerns in 1998 and his misinterpretation of the contamination scandal in Belgium in 1999 when Ivester ignored the perception of the European population which was still sensitized by Britain’s ’94 mad-cow disease. In this respect Bazerman Chugh (2006) argue that total focus can limit awareness, an essential prerequisite for leadership. After all, Ivester’s misjudgements and failures in both cases turned out to be extremely costly and unfavourable for the company’s image (Walter, Knopp Reavis 2005). This indicates that Ivester simply lacked these character traits which Kirkpatrick Locke (1991) claim to be essential personal traits of successful leaders. In accordance to the situational leadership model of Hersey and Blanchard (1988) leaders are also required to adjust their styles contingent on present situations and the maturity of their followers. Being resistant to any kind of advice Ivester nevertheless kept on telling his employees what to do as he was convinced to know everything better than his employees (Morris Sellars 2000). His leadership was described as a â€Å"one-man highwire act† (Morris Sellars, p. 114+). This also portrays his arrogance and his underdeveloped emotional intelligence – people even referred to him as â€Å"the iceman† (Hays 2004, p. 174). Goleman (1998) argues that emotional intelligence includes five critical components. Besides self-awareness and self-regulation emotional intelligence perceives social and motivating skills as well as empathy as essentials for leadership success. Ivester, however, commonly showed no interest in small talk, he even discouraged staff by inappropriate criticism and intimidations. In general he refused to motivate and empower his employees. On account of his rigidity regarding corporate structures Ivester minimized information, responsibility, authority and trust provided to his staff demanding steady notifications and justifications about every single action (Hays 2004). He did so regardless of the fact that empowered people tend to be more committed to their tasks and as a result more creative and higher performing (Campling et al. 2008). Ivester who detested risk and kept his focus on the â€Å"sure-thing single† (Morris Sellars, p. 14+) ignored that innovative and sustainable successful companies require a certain extend of risk and flexibility. (Barsh, Capozzi Davidson 2008) Evaluating the leadership approach of Doug Ivester additionally it is to mention that effective leadership requires power to influence other people’s behaviour. Campling et. al. (2008) distinguishes between position power in the form of reward, coercive and legitimate and personal power in the form of expert and referent sources of power. The latter sources of power demand knowledge, charisma and interpersonal skills. Having established a rigid control system, Ivester exclusively relied on legitimate power to get things done (Hays 2004). Whetten Cameron (1991) argue that successful leadership requires all types of power and appropriate use to achieve goals and to pursue a shared vision in the long run. As such, Ivester’s leadership approach can basically be described as contrary to the one of his predecessor Robert Goizueta who considered management as a â€Å"people-relations business† (Walter, Knopp Reavis, p. 3). They complemented each other perfectly as long as they were leading the company together and Ivester flourished in his role as the financial mastermind of the company (Hays 2004). But as soon as Goizueta was gone it became obvious that Ivester who â€Å"knew the math, but not the music† (McKay, Deogun Lublin 1999) was not only unable to share visions and goals (Morris Sellars, p. 114+). On top of that he was not even able to set up clear visions and values for the company itself as â€Å"he seemed to lose sight of the big picture† (Morris Sellars, p. according to his oversized focus on details and numbers. Being a leader with visions and the ability to communicate them in a compelling sense however is an important characteristic of transformational leadership which Gardner (1998) urges to be the appropriate leadership style in settings with continuous and vast changes to retain sustainable corporate success. This leadership style requires charismatic leaders that inspire staff members with thorough uses of personal power, empowerment, motivation, rewards and intellectual stimulation. As previously discussed in the evaluation of Douglas Ivester’s leadership approach neither did he apply any of those tools nor did he value them at all. In accordance to Bass (1985) Ivester could best be described as a transactional leader as someone who is more methodical and structured in his leadership approach. This leadership style however is considered to be insufficient to cope with challenges and demands of dynamic work settings (Campling, et al. 2008). Recommendations concerning the election of a new CEO for Coca Cola In retrospect on his 26 month long tenure as the CEO of Coca Cola it became more and more obvious that Ivester emphasised â€Å"substance over style† (Morris Sellars, p. 114+). For more than a decade excellent financial expertise made him the perfect second in command but subsequently his narrow-mindedness also prevented him from being a successful leader. Given the tremendous impact of the selection of the CEO in the life of an organization the board of directors at Coca Cola Company are ought to be more careful in setting selection criteria regardless of the eligibility of internal candidates. Primarily, a strategic fit and leadership capability of candidates are essential and given the leadership lessons evaluated in this paper the election of an external candidate providing adequate leadership experience can often be the logical and more reliable choice in many cases. According to the evaluation of deficits in Doug Ivester’s leadership approach the board is therefore strongly recommended to consider characteristics of transformational leaders in their CEO-selection process who can accomplish excellent performance predominately by â€Å"providing followers with a vision that instills true commitment† (Johns Saks 2008). Also considering the fast changing organizational and economical environment this paper argues that future CEOs at Coca Cola need to embody not only flexibility but also proven skills in cognitive ability. Leaders have to be able to focus on the big picture and make the right decisions especially in times of crisis and change. On top of that the global dimension and worldwide operations of Coca Cola deserve attention within the selection process. Thus, future leaders of Coca Cola need to provide a global mindset, high tolerance for ambiguity and cultural adaptability. In accordance to Petrick et al. (1999) excellent global leadership competencies, which complement transformational leadership, will meet the demand for sustainable competitive advantage and result in superior corporate performance in the 21st century.