Alphagan P Essays -- Drugs, Treating Glaucoma

There has been a new step in science leading towards evolution. Alphagan P has been recognized as the next leading pharmaceutical in treating Glaucoma. It is gentle to the ocular surface, unlike other medications which can harm it. Alphagan P provides IOP lowering which is comparable to beta blocker, but is without the adverse affects that most other medications cause. It is an alpha-2 agonist, which is a class of drugs that bind to and stimulate alpha-2 adrenergic receptors, causing responses comparable to those of adrenaline and noradrenaline. Alphagan was first introduced in 1996. The latest generation of â€Å"adrenergic agonist† is thrity times more selective for alpha 2 receptors than apraclonidine. Because of its selectivity, it does not include the alpha 1 side effects that affect the heart and blood pressure. The most significant side effects are drowsiness, a dry mouth, and fatigue. There is also surface irritation, with about â€Å"7 to 15 percent of patients experiencing allergic conjunctivitis. Alphagan has stayed popular since it first came out despite its side effects. What should you know about Alphagan P before using it? Make sure to not use brimonidine ophthalmic (Alphagan P) if you have used an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) within the past 2 weeks. Inform your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, heart disease, circulation problems such as Raynaud's or Buerger's disease, high blood pressure, have a history of fainting or low blood pressure. Make sure to not use the medication if you use contact lenses because the medication contains a preservative that can be absorbed by soft contact lenses. If ... ...wing through with their education. Studies are now being done to further investigate this occurrence. Although Alphagan P has a list of adverse reactions reported, it is still the most used medication used to treat patients with Glaucoma. Many clinical studies have been done on the drug since it came out in 1996, and further enhancements have been made since. Works Cited Osborne, S., Montgomery, D., Morris, D., & McKay, I. (2005). Alphagan allergy may increase the propensity for multiple eye-drop allergy. Eye, 19(2), 129-137. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701441 Bowman, R. C., Cope, J. J., & Nischal, K. K. (2004). Ocular and systemic side effects of brimonidine 0.2% eye drops (Alphagan ®) in children. Eye, 18(1), 24-26. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6700520 ALPHAGAN P: THE NEXT STEP IN THE EVOLUTION OF GLAUCOMA THERAPY. (2003). Review of Ophthalmology, 10(9), 8.

Consider the representation of women in James Bond films

Since 1962, when the first film was produced, a total of 22 James Bond films have been made. The James Bond franchise has become extremely popular and well-known all over the world. Although each film is unique in its own way and the storyline differs from film to film, there are certain generic features that have become things the audience recognises and expects to find in all Bond films. These features include gun fights, car chases (usually featuring an Aston Martin), exotic locations, gadgets, villains and last, but certainly not least, girls. All of these things make up a kind of ‘Bond cocktail' that the audience of these films has come to love and that has made these films as successful as they are. Umberto Eco described the Bond narrative as, ‘a series of moves on a chess board, with characters playing out their usual functions. ‘ This refers to how the Bond films all have similar pieces or ingredients and they each have a part to play to make up this ‘Bond cocktail' like how chess pieces all have different moves they can make. One of the most important of those generic features is the Bond girls. Bond girls also have certain criteria that the audience expects them to fulfill in the films and they have become famous for. The connotations of the term Bond girls are normally attractive, desirable and sexually available, especially to Bond. However, Bond is often seen to use the women as playthings for his pleasure that he often sleeps with and then discards. They are regularly portrayed as needing Bond's protection and acting in a very passive and submissive manner towards Bond. However, it is debatable as to whether this is not the case with all women in Bond films and some people believe that some Bond women are liberated and they use Bond themselves rather than it being the other way round. The definition of liberated is ‘not bound by traditional or sexual roles' and for this to apply to the female characters in Bond films they would have to avoid fulfilling their traditional roles in the films. The traditional role of women would be as housewives that stay at home and do domestic tasks while the men go out to work. In sexual terms women would traditionally get married and settle down and only have sexual relations with one man. A big traditional role of women is that they are second to men and men are more dominant and have power over women. Two Bond films where women play very large parts and are showcased in a number of different ways are, ‘Goldfinger' and ‘The World Is Not Enough'. Goldfinger was first screened in 1964 and was one of the first Bond films produced; at a time when audiences were just being introduced to the ‘Bond cocktail' and more specifically, Bond girls. The story follows Bond as he tries to spoil the plans of the villain Goldfinger who aims to contaminate all the gold in Fort Knox so that his own gold increases dramatically in value. This would severely damage the world economy and Bond has to stop Goldfinger from detonating a nuclear bomb in order to save the gold. One of the main women in this film is Pussy Galore; she is a pilot employed by Goldfinger that is repeatedly given the job of escorting and taking care of Bond, before switching sides, with Bond's influence, and helping to stop Goldfinger. The other two women that play important parts in the film are sisters, Jill and Tilly Masterson. Jill initially works for Goldfinger, before meeting with Bond and then being killed by Goldfinger as punishment. Following this, Tilly attempts to murder Goldfinger for revenge; however she becomes involved with Bond in the process before also being killed by Goldfinger's henchman, Oddjob. ‘The World Is Not Enough' was released almost 40 years later in 1999, meaning it was aimed at a more modern audience and this is visible throughout the film. The storyline is similar to that of ‘Goldfinger', as a villain (this time a man called Renard) is attempting to blow up a stretch of oil pipe line with a nuclear bomb, meaning the only supply of oil can come through one pipeline. This pipeline is owned by Elektra King who is initially meant to be innocent and under Bond's protection until it is revealed she is working with Renard. Bond then faces the task of stopping the bomb with the help of a nuclear physicist called Dr. Christmas Jones. Apart from Christmas and Elektra there is one other woman that has a big role in the film and that is M (head of MI6); which contrasts with ‘Goldfinger' in which M was a man. In the 1960's the roles of women were changing a lot. During the Second World War women had been given the opportunity to go and do â€Å"men's† jobs in factories as the men were abroad fighting the war. After this women began to move closer to equality with men and they started to have their own freedom. They were no longer just housewives that were inferior to men and this attitude continued into the 1960's. In Goldfinger this is visible because the women in Pussy Galore's flying circus are pilots, which is quite a difficult and complicated job. However, there are also parts of this film that show that women may not have reached complete equality with men yet, as some of the female characters appear weak both physically and mentally and are left out of important events. Feminism is all about recognizing the need for women to have equality with men and feminists work to create that equality. In history there have been three major waves of feminism and one of those took place just after the Second World War, continuing up until the start of the 60's. This surge in women campaigning for equality worked alongside the fact that women had proven themselves in men's jobs during the war and, although some men disliked it, women did make a very large step towards full equality with men. In the 1990's, attitudes towards women had changed even more and were very similar to today. Women had equality with men and could pretty much do any job that would have before been seen as a job purely for men. This is shown in ‘The World Is Not Enough' where Dr. Christmas Jones is a nuclear physicist which is an extremely hard job and she must be very intelligent to do it. However, some of the Bond girls in the film still seem to just be used as sexual objects by Bond and this would suggest they are not fully liberated despite reaching equality with men. Two key parts of both the films are the opening credits. In ‘Goldfinger' images from the film are projected onto the body of a woman, who is painted in gold, using multi-layering. The connotations of gold are things like precious and artistically-pleasing and this could be a metaphorical symbol for women, as the girl is motionless and very passive so she does appear to be something to be looked at and appreciated visually. Gold is also a high value commodity that can be bought and sold and this could also symbolise women being almost like possessions that men can own and that they can be bought and traded. However, the women is also wearing a bikini, which was a fashionable item of clothing in the 60's and could be worn just to emphasise that the woman is to be looked at because it is a very revealing piece of clothing. But, this could also show the liberation of women because it shows the more liberal attitude of the 60's that allowed women to be more open and free sexually. The opening credits in ‘The World Is Not Enough' differ slightly from those in ‘Goldfinger' as there is now more than one girl and they are covered in oil rather than gold. This shows that the film is more modern, as oil is probably now as, if not more, valuable than gold and this means that it has the same kind of connotations as gold; it is very expensive and precious. However, these titles contrast to those in ‘Goldfinger' because the women are a lot more active and are dancing, but they are dancing in quite a provocative way which could mean the audience is being invited to look at them and admire them, which is similar to ‘Goldfinger'. The girls are also completely naked which represents how women have become even more sexually liberated since ‘Goldfinger' and nudity had become more acceptable with the audience. An important part of the titles in ‘The World Is Not Enough' is the song and more specifically the lyrics. Firstly, the song is sung by a woman and the notable lyric is, ‘We know when to kiss, we know when to kill. ‘ This suggests that women are very smart and devious and can be killers just as easily as they can be lovers, which goes against the traditional idea that they are very affectionate and maternal and not violent at all. This could also be directly linked to the character of Elektra King who uses her body throughout the film to seduce men to get her own way and is also involved with her father's murder at the start. In ‘Goldfinger', the first female character we meet is a dancer. She is quite attractive and very scantily-clad, which shows she is dressed to be looked at and to entertain the men she is dancing for. This is shown by a high angle camera shot that initially picks her out among the men and they are all looking at her body. When Bond is speaking to his friend he looks over at the dancer and says, ‘I have some unfinished business to attend to. ‘ This is quite derogatory because he isn't referring to her as a person, which also suggests she doesn't mean very much to him. The word ‘business' is especially important here because he is kind of saying she is like a job that he has to complete and nothing more. When he then goes to see her she is initially naked in the bath and there is a camera shot of her bare back, this shows that she is vulnerable and Bond has the power in the situation because he is fully-clothed and standing over her. Then when she goes to kiss Bond he accidentally pokes her with his gun and she jumps back. That incident has a bit of sexual innuendo and when she asks him why he carries it around he jokes that he has an ‘inferiority complex'. This is sarcasm because he is actually a confident and dominant man. However, the dancer has actually double-crossed Bond and this is shown when a man walks into attack him when the dancer distracts him with a kiss; this is revealed with an extreme close-up of the girl's eye, where Bond sees the reflection of the attacker. He then uses her as a shield against the man, which suggests that she didn't mean anything to him and he puts himself before women, although it could just be because he realizes what she has done to him. This shows that Bond was tricked by the girl and she used her body to get to him, but then she was also being used by someone else to get to Bond, so she still isn't in control. Bond seems surprised that she double-crossed him, when he looks at her and says, ‘very shocking. ‘ This could suggest that he didn't expect a woman to do that to him and perhaps he underestimated her and didn't expect a woman to be that cunning. The next time we see Bond he is again with a woman and this time it is a character called Dink, who is massaging Bond whilst he relaxes on a sun lounger. This suggests that he uses women for pleasure and it is also shown that he has control over her when his friend Felix comes over. He introduces her and then says, ‘Dink say goodbye. ‘ This is an imperative, so he is not asking her to do something he is ordering her around. He then says it is ‘man-talk,' which shows that women are kept out of matters of business and they are kind of a liability. The way he talks to her with short words in short sentences also suggests that she is not very bright and gives the impression men are seen to be more intelligent than women. Finally, he slaps her bottom to dismiss her and that is very disrespectful, but she doesn't argue and just does what he says, so it appears Bond has power over women and can get them to do what he wants. A slightly similar character to Dink in ‘The World Is Not Enough' is Doctor Molly Warmflash. She is seduced by Bond when she is giving him a check up and she gives in straight away, saying, ‘you'll have to promise to call me this time. This tells us that this has happened before and it appears she can't resist Bond so again he has this kind of power over women and they find him very attractive. However, he is just doing it to get a clean bill of health, so although he may get a bit of enjoyment out of it he is still just using her to get what he wants. The difference is that she is a doctor so she is obviously quite intelligent, but even so she doesn't act professionally and is quite happy to be used by Bond. She is on top of Bond though which is a position of power, but it is still clear that Bond is in control. A complete contrast to the characters of Dink and Doctor Warmflash is the character of Money Penny. She appears in both films as she works for MI6, which is quite an important job, and is always dressed very respectably. She is also very conservative and holds traditional views and this is shown in ‘Goldfinger' when she says, ‘The only gold I know about is that on your third finger. ‘ This shows that she obviously thinks marriage is important and she is showing that she is attracted to Bond, but she wants something more than just sex, she wants a proper relationship. This is shown in ‘The World Is Not Enough' when Bond offers her a cigar and says, ‘You know what you can do with that. ‘ This could well be linked to the Bill Clinton sex scandal that had just taken place at the time, in which President Bill Clinton had been accused of having sexual relations, involving a cigar, with a woman in the White House. Money Penny then chucks the cigar in the bin to show that she isn't interested in that kind of a relationship with Bond. So Money Penny is an example of a Bond girl that doesn't get seduced by Bond and is more interested in marriage than just a sexual relationship. However, Bond then doesn't seem very attracted to her which might suggest he isn't interested in settling down and just wants to stick to sleeping with women and then moving on. The next woman that Bond meets in ‘Goldfinger' is Jill Masterson. When he first sees her she is helping Goldfinger cheat at cards and she is dressed in a very revealing bikini and is lying in quite an alluring pose. Bond then finds out that she is being paid to be seen with Goldfinger as well when he says, ‘What else does he pay you for? ‘ Here he seems to be suggesting that Goldfinger might be paying her for sex which links back to the idea that women could be seen as a possession that can be bought. However, she denies doing anything else and is clearly holds no allegiance to Goldfinger because she is then very fickle and changes sides. There are a lot of camera shots on her body during this scene that expose the fact she is only wearing a bikini, so it is again inviting the audience to look at her. She is also very passive and at no point does she try to stop Bond and it is clear he is in complete control over her which is also shown by the fact she is lying down and he is looking down at her. Then Bond quite clearly looks down her top at her breasts when she leans upwards and she doesn't seem to care, she is quite happy for him to look at her. However, she is then left out of Bond's conversation with Goldfinger, which shows that women are kept out of important affairs. This happens again when Bond receives a phone call in his hotel room and he pushes Jill's face out of the way. This is quite disrespectful, but Jill just lies back and doesn't seem to care – she is happy to do what Bond wants her to. This gives the impression that women are just seen as something to give Bond pleasure and when it comes to matters of business he sees Jill as a bit of an annoyance. They are then fully-clothed in bed which is testament to the fact that full nudity was not acceptable in films at the time. Bond is then knocked out and he finds Jill lying naked on the bed covered in gold paint. She has been murdered and yet she is glamourised in her death as she is covered in gold. Bond is extremely business like about her death and shows very little emotion despite the fact that it was partially his fault. After this he just moves on and appears to forget Jill completely, which supports the idea that Bond looks to girls purely for pleasure and then is happy to discard them afterwards. In the most recent Bond film, ‘The Quantum of Solace', there a girl called Agent Fields that dies in a similar fashion. However, she is covered in oil instead of gold, and although oil is valuable it isn't at all glamorous and the black colour actually symbolises fear and death. There is also a shot of Jill Masterson in ‘Goldfinger' where there is a cushion placed in the way of her bottom and this is because the audience at the time wouldn't of approved of that level of nudity. However, in ‘The Quantum of Solace' there is an almost identical shot of Agent Fields, but there is no cushion hiding her. This shows that audiences have changed over the years and nowadays nudity is much more acceptable. Later in the film Bond runs into Jill's sister, Tilly Masterson, and she appears to be very different to her sibling. Tilly is a lot more active as she is driving aggressively and tries to shoot Goldfinger twice to get revenge for him murdering her sister. She is also dressed very respectively with her hair tied back and she uses very assertive language when speaking to Bond; seemingly unaffected by Bond's charm like her sister was. Another difference between her and her sister is that she is a lot more independent and says to Bond, ‘I can take care of myself. ‘ This contrasts to the typical Bond girl that would need Bond's help and protection. She does, however, appear to be very much governed by her emotions and says, ‘I want to kill him. When she says this she sounds almost like a little girl that is really upset and angry that they can't have there way. This is when it becomes clear that she is being controlled by her emotions, which is a more womanly characteristic because traditionally women are more emotional. She also misses Goldfinger when she tries to shoot him and then later on she is making lots of noise in the forest when Bond is silent. These things show that she isn't as skilled as Bond and it suggests that women aren't supposed to be doing the kind of work Bond does and they are incapable. It is when they are in the forest that Bond takes control and Tilly starts to become more like her sister was before she died. She becomes more passive and follows Bond's orders. Her hair is also down now, which seems like a very minor change but it symbolises the fact she has turned into more of a typical Bond girl. Then Bond there is a car chase and Tilly appears to admire Bond and all the gadgets he has in the car and even smiles a bit when before she had been serious the whole time. Bond's charm also seems to start to take an affect on her now, which suggests that all women become attracted to Bond after a while and supports the idea that Bond girls can't resist Bond. However, Bond then tells her to, ‘Run when I tell you,' which results in her being killed by the henchman Odd Job. Bond at first seems quite concerned and runs over to her, but then he seems to shut out his emotions once again and puts her behind him. This is similar to how he reacted when Jill died, it just seems to annoy him a bit and apart from that he doesn't seem to care. The main female character in ‘Goldfinger' is Pussy Galore and the first thing that is noticeable is her name. The name is very suggestive and another name that is a bit suggestive is Doctor Molly Warmflash from ‘The World Is Not Enough'. Those names are another example of the sexual innuendo that is in both of the Bond films and the name of Pussy Galore could have come from the fact that in the book written by Ian Fleming that the film is based on, Pussy was a lesbian. When Bond first wakes up to see her he says, ‘Who are you? I must be dreaming. Bond says this because Pussy Galore is very attractive and she is well-dressed, but the clothes she is wearing are quite tight-fitting and show off her body. She is friendly towards Bond, but immediately tells him she isn't interested in him when she says, ‘Turn off the charm – I'm immune. ‘ This gives the impression she isn't attracted to Bond and this is different from the idea that women can't resist Bond. She is a pilot for Goldfinger, which is quite a challenging job and Bond appears surprised when she tells him. She also has her own flying circus which shows she is a successful women and independent as she has her own business. All the pilots in this flying circus are also female which again goes against the traditional idea that women can't do jobs like piloting aircraft. She has to transport Bond on the plane and he seems to think he is in control because he swings on the chair, acts very relaxed and when she threatens him with a gun he explains it would shoot through the fuselage to try to make her look stupid. However, she doesn't appear phased by Bond and stands over him in a position of power and ignores his witty remarks towards her so she is actually the one in control. The camera shots also show this because they are mainly from Bond's perspective looking up at Pussy or from her perspective looking down at Bond; this emphasises her position over him. On board the plain there is a servant called Mai Lee who balances Pussy Galore out because she is more of a typical Bond girl. Her job is to serve Bond and she is very considerate and apologetic towards him. She also needs his help to put the plane steps down when they arrive, which suggests women are weaker and they need Bond's help, however Pussy Galore goes against this as she does everything without Bond's help and is very independent. Bond also looks at her bottom when she walks away from him which again shows women as something to look at. Later in the film Goldfinger hints that Pussy Galore should dress up to seduce Bond and distract him and this suggests that women are maybe a weakness of Bond's and he can't help himself. This links back to earlier in the film when Bond first meets Tilly Masterson and says to himself, ‘Discipline 007. ‘ This is because he was already told off by M for getting involved with women during his missions. Pussy agrees to it, but she also explains that she won't get any pleasure out of it when she says, ‘Business before pleasure. This suggests that she sees it purely as business and again is not attracted to Bond at all. It makes sex seem almost like a kind of business when it would normally be for pleasure. Pussy then dresses more in a more revealing way and puts on a friendlier front to seduce Bond, saying, ‘I'm completely defenseless. ‘ Here she is actually using Bond which contrasts to the way that Bond usually uses women and shows that women can control Bond as well as he can control them. Pussy Galore and Bond then end up having a kind of play fight in a barn and Pussy defends herself well because she knows Judo. This is unusual because women aren't normally expected to fight and perform martial arts, which again shows how skilled she is. However, Bond then gets the upper hand and ends up on top of Pussy and at this point her attitude and character change very rapidly. Bond tries to kiss her and at first she resists and fights back, but then she just gives in and kisses Bond. This is a very big piece of evidence to support the idea that the women can't resist Bond because Pussy had appeared didn't seem to be attracted to him and had been in control of Bond, but then everything changed. This could also show that it isn't that the women can't resist Bond, but they don't want to resist Bond as she gave in so easily. This also signals Pussy's change of sides and she helps to stop Goldfinger. When we next see her she is wearing light colours and this is symbolic of her change to the good side. Bond says he, ‘appealed to her maternal instincts. ‘ Which would suggest that women are caring and don' want to hurt anyone; however this motherly attitude is twisted earlier on in the film. When the pilots go to drop sleeping gas on Fort Knox they call it ‘Operation Rock-A-Bye-Baby' which is a nursery rhyme a mother would sing to nurture her child but they are actually killing people. The final part of the film shows Pussy Galore trying to signal a rescue helicopter after her and Bond jumped out of a plane with a parachute, however, Bond pulls her back and says, ‘This is no time to be rescued. ‘ After this he covers them with the parachute and it is clear that he wants to make love to her. This shows that she is a completely changed character because she has succumbed to Bond's charm and is now a traditional Bond girl. She is also positioned underneath Bond so he is in a position of power over her. ‘The World Is Not Enough' shows women as being a lot more active than in ‘Goldfinger' and this is seen with the cigar girl who is the first woman to appear in the film. She is very business like and is wearing a suit so she looks completely professional. However, she is also quite attractive and you can tell Bond notices this when she says, ‘Do you want to have a look at my figures,' and he replies with, ‘I'm sure they're all perfectly rounded. Here he is obviously referring to her body rather than the mathematical figures she is referring to, but Bond's charm doesn't rub off and she looks at him angrily. However, Bond could be saying this because he doesn't because he doesn't think that a woman should be involved with business affairs and that is why he made the joke about body, because when she goes and sits to the side he becomes a lot more serious in conversation with the men in the room. However, the girl then kills the banker Bond is speaking to and runs off, which shows that women are obviously just as capable as men at killing people. Bond then meets her again in a boat chase around London. During this she is dressed in red, which symbolises danger and could be a metaphor for how dangerous the women is. She has a bigger boat than Bond which gives her a bit of power over him and she also fires a gun at him during the chase; showing she isn't afraid to kill again. Despite this whole action sequence though she still remains dry and always looks beautiful, where as Bond is soaked. This could again show that she has power over him, or it could suggest that she is still something to be looked at. During the course of this she seems very in control and dangerous she sacrifices herself at the end when Bond has caught her after saying, ‘You can't protect me; not from him. ‘ This shows that she is actually very scared and fearful despite putting up a fearless front during the boat chase. A female character with a very important role in ‘The World Is Not Enough' is the head of MI6, M. This differs from ‘Goldfinger' in which M was a man and it reflects that, in reality at the time, the head of MI6 was a woman called Stella Remington. Obviously this role gives M a lot of power and is the first woman we have seen that actually has power and control over Bond and he has to follow her orders. She also fits the role very well and remains calm when the bomb goes off in the building she is in. However, she does show her emotions at a funeral, when she hugs Elektra in a kind of motherly role. Later on in the film Bond accuses her of letting herself be ruled by her emotions when he says, ‘With all due respect, I don't think you should be here. This is after M has come to see Elektra and then, when Elektra reveals that she is actually in league with Renard, M realises that she did actually make a bad judgment based on her emotions and she loses control and slaps Elektra. This incident suggests that women may always be governed in some way by their emotions and that they can't always control them because M slaps Elektra out of anger. The idea of emotions clouding a woman's judgment suggests that men are more in control of there emotions and don't let them get in the way; this is shown by the cold heartedness Bond seems to show at the death of the women in both films. Earlier in the film however, M does show that she is perfectly capable of keeping her emotions locked up when she explains how she advised Elektra's father to not pay the ransom for Elektra when she had been kidnapped before. She says, ‘Against every instinct in my heart, every emotion as a mother. ‘ This again refers to the maternal instincts of women and how they want to be affectionate and care about people; however it also shows that they can ignore those maternal instincts as well and act more like a man – putting their emotions aside. The thing that stands out most about M though is that fact that Bond treats her with a great deal of respect, even when he thinks she is in the wrong, and this is shown again with the quote above in which Bond says, ‘with all due respect. ‘ M is possibly the only woman that Bond willingly allows to control him and that he has a completely professional relationship with. Finally, M shows that she is very clever and capable to fend for herself, when she uses a clock to send out a signal to Bond after she has been captured by Elektra and Renard. Elektra is possibly the most important woman in ‘The World Is Not Enough' because she is a villain and she manages to use and manipulate Bond during the course of the film. She tricks Bond, at first, into believing she is innocent and they end up making love with each other. This shows again that Bond's desire for women is almost a weakness for him because initially he says to Elektra, ‘This is a game I can't afford to play. ‘ Here he is referring to getting into a relationship with her, because M had told him not to. However, he then ends up sleeping with Elektra, which suggests he couldn't resist her. This is a role reversal because it is typically women that can't resist Bond, but here it is the other way around. During the bedroom scene, both Bond and Elektra are on top which could symbolise a balance of power between the two. There is also more nudity than in the scene between Bond and Jill Masterson in ‘Goldfinger' which reflects the fact that it is aimed at a more modern audience which now finds nudity more acceptable. During that scene, Elektra also reveals to Bond how she escaped her kidnappers, ‘I seduced the guards. I used my body. This shows that she is willing to use her body to get what she wants and that could very well be what she was doing at exactly that moment with Bond because it gave her power over him. This is because Elektra then turns on him later on after he accuses her of being with Renard, ‘You used me, you used me as bait. ‘ Here she is referring to him sleeping with her and it shows how manipulative and clever she is because she is making Bond feel guilty when it is actually her in the wrong. Elektra is also the only woman that actually seems to appeal to Bond's emotions in the films. When he sees a tape of her after she escaped from her kidnappers she is crying and Bond touches the screen and seems genuinely sorry for her and he appears to care for her a lot. Later in the film, Renard teases Bond with the fact that he slept with Elektra before him, ‘I broke her in for you. ‘ Bond gets really angry at this because he realises that Elektra was just using him. The language Renard uses here is very derogatory and sexist and suggests that he was in control of Elektra and took advantage of her; however she could again have been using Renard to get what she wanted. The way Elektra uses her body to manipulate men and get what she wants is quite ironic because that is what Bond normally does to other women and it proves that it can work the other way around. In the casino Elektra draws a queen of hearts and this could also be a symbol of the way Elektra uses her body to play with men's emotions of love and with their lust to get her way. Finally, Bond is put in an execution chair and Elektra is slowly tightening the screw that can break his neck when she says, ‘I've always had a power over men. This is symbolised by the fact that she is on top of Bond in a position of power and she also has the power to kill him. She is also obviously referring to how she has used her cunning to manipulate Bond and he is now completely vulnerable whilst she is in control. However, Bond counters this by saying, ‘You meant nothing to me; you were just one last screw. ‘ This is again sexual innuendo because he is referring to when he had sex with her and also to the fact that she is about to kill him with one last turn of the screw on the chair. After this Bond escapes and points a gun at Elektra. It appears, at first, that his emotions are affecting him because he doesn't seem to want to kill her, possibly because she is a woman. He does shoot her though and afterwards he doesn't seem to care very much. This shows that Bond puts his emotions aside and links back to the idea that the Bond girls don't mean anything to him and he just discards them and moves on. The final Bond girl in ‘The World Is Not Enough' is Doctor Christmas Jones. When we first see her there is quite a long camera shot that pans up her body and this again invites the audience to look at her and admire her body, like an object. She wears some very tight-fitting clothes that emphasise her body and are quite revealing as well, but she also wears some scientific clothes that show that she is obviously very intelligent because she is an IVA Nuclear Physicist. At first she doesn't appear at all attracted to Bond and says, ‘Are you just hoping for a glimmer too. ‘ Here she is putting him down and it again questions whether Bond girls actually find Bond irresistible. Christmas is also very professional and even when she is in danger she appears calm and looks like she can look after herself. At one point however, Bond grabs her to remove her from danger and this could be for either of two reasons. It could be because she is a woman and he cares for her, or it could be because he realises he is going to need her help. Later on it is clear that Doctor Jones is more intelligent than Bond, but he still seems to control her and tell her what to do and she doesn't object. Later in the film, she dresses up and uses her body to lure Zukovsky and distract him. She is very clever, but she still needs to use her beauty, which suggests that Bond girls can't just be intelligent; they have to be attractive as well. She is also left out of the business conversation between Bond and Zukovsky despite the fact she is very smart and knows what is going on. This links back to the idea that women can't be involved in business affairs and don't have a part in making decisions. At the end of the film, Bond makes two jokes about Doctor Jones that involve sexual innuendo. First he says, ‘I've always wanted to have Christmas in Turkey,' and then he says, ‘I thought Christmas only comes once a year. ‘ These witticisms both refer to him sleeping with Doctor Jones and again she has given into Bond's charm by doing so. Her behaviour is similar to that of Pussy Galore in ‘Goldfinger' in the way that she initially resisted Bond and didn't seem attracted to him, but then gave in and ended up sleeping with him like a typical Bond girl. In conclusion, I think there are examples in the Bond films of girls that are like the stereotypical Bond girls that are attractive, sleep with Bond and require his protection before he just discards them and moves on. These women, like Jill Masterson and Molly Warmflash, appear to be used by Bond partly for his pleasure and partly to get what he wants. However, there are other characters, Elektra King especially, that use Bond themselves to get what they want. The main way they seem to do that is by using their bodies; as it appears Bond is at times incapable of resisting his desire for women. Another important thing to note is that in ‘Goldfinger' the only woman that really had any power and an important role was Pussy Galore. Where as, in ‘The World Is Not Enough' nearly all of the female characters have power and a big role to play. It is also the only film where any women have power over Bond, because M is obviously his boss and at times Elektra King has power over him as well. This proves that Bond is not always on control of women. This change in attitude over time is most likely because attitudes towards women changed and they gained equality with men by the time ‘The World Is Not Enough' was made, while they were still moving towards equality at the time ‘Goldfinger' was released. These historical factors are the most likely reason for the kind of evolution of Bond girls to the point where they sometimes control and out-smart Bond where as he used to always have power over them. Overall, Bond girls do appear to be liberated to a certain extent because they are not always bound by traditional sexual roles, which is shown by the way they are sometimes on top and in control in bedroom scenes. However, there are many instances where Bond has power and control over women and nearly every woman in the films seems to find him irresistible, which suggests that Bond girls are not completely liberated because they still appear in a lot of aspects to be inferior to men. Although, in the more recent films, Bond girls seem to be liberated in nearly all aspects they still don't appear to be quite there yet. I think Bond girls never will be fully-liberated either, simply because if they were they wouldn't be fulfill the well-known criteria of Bond girls and would therefore ruin the Bond cocktail. However, I may be wrong and, referring back to the quote by Umberto Eco, perhaps Bond girls could be the queen in the game of chess and they have the ability to move in any direction making possible for them to change without ruining the formula.

How does Yukio Mishima portray Glory - 1085 Words

How does Yukio Mishima portray Glory The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with The Sea is a story about a 13 year old boy, Noboru who had lost his father 5 years ago. His mother, Fusako owns a luxurious clothing store and lives a lonely life as a widow. Noboru is part of a gang that is led by another 13 year old boy called â€Å"The Chief†. Instead of referring to one another by their names, in the gang, every member is referred to as Number One, Number Two and so forth. Noboru and the gang participates in horrible acts such as dissecting and dismembering a cat. Everyone in the gang are nihilists, they believe they are the wisest of all and that they are incorruptible. Led by The Chief, who grew up not having good relationships with his parents and spent his time reading old books in his library, the gang are firm believers of tradition and follows the Bushido code, the ways of the Samurai. The story continues with Fusako meeting a sailor, Ryuji and they both fall in love. Ryuji is first presented as a simple man whom also have strong traditional beliefs. However, he has been influenced by Japan’s westernization to change his social status and keep up with the rapidly influenced Japanese society. Ryuji is a person who is pleased with his physicality, however his personality is depicted by Mishima as â€Å"unsociable and eccentric† [pg 15]. This is done by Mishima to make us feel sympathetic towards Ryuji because his loneliness makes him seem weaker although he is presented as aShow MoreRelatedThe Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea1834 Words   |  8 PagesThe Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea is a novel written by Yukio Mishima in 1963 and it revolves around concepts of traditional Japanese culture and philosophy and the contrasting values imported from the West. The novel as a whole is very politically charged mainly because it is an allegory of the effects of World War II on Japan and deals with the conflicting cultural prin ciples that arose from it. The plot is set in a small shipping town in Yokohama, Japan and centers around a sailor named

Definition and Examples of Textspeak

Textspeak is an informal term for the abbreviated language used in text messaging  and other forms of electronic communication. The term textspeak was coined by linguist David Crystal in Language and the Internet (2001). Crystal argues that texting is one of the most innovative linguistic phenomena of modern times (Txtng: the Gr8 Db8, 2008).  Not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Examples and Observations [I]n 2003 a story was widely circulated that a teenager had written an essay entirely in textspeak, which her teacher was totally unable to understand. As no one was ever able to track down the entire essay, it may well have been a hoax . . .. The reported extract began like this: My smmr hols wr CWOT. B4, we used 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF thr 3 :- kids FTF. ILNY, its a gr8 plc. And it was translated like this: My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York. Its a great place. If Id been the teacher, I would have given the student 10 out of 10 for her linguistic ingenuity, and 0 out of 10 for her sense of appropriateness (or alternatively, 10 out of 10 for cheek). . . .[I]t is worth noting that the sentences use (informal) standard English grammar. The second sentence is really quite complex, with its careful use of tense forms, coordination, and word o rder. -(David Crystal, Txtng: the Gr8 Db8. Oxford University Press, 2008)Instant messaging and texting condense language to its lowest common denominator; these forms misuse grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation for the sake of brevity.But this is still communication. We need to understand textspeak in all kinds of situations, because it is one of the languages our students use daily. -(Judy Green, How Bullets Saved My Life: Fun Ways to Teach Some Serious Writing Skills. Pembroke, 2010)I wish you wd tell me how u.r. when u. write. -(Thomas Hardy, letter to Mary Hardy, 1862; quoted by Michael Millgate in  Thomas Hardy: A Biography Revisited. Oxford University Press, 2004) Cons and Pros Some observers are decrying textspeak as a product of modern-day inertia and laziness-inducing technologies. Helprin ([Digital Barbarism,] 2009), for instance, cautions that such forms of communication, and the internet generally, produce an addictive effect on how people process information, rendering them much less pensive and less inclined to appreciate artistic and literary greatness. Others respond that textspeak is no more than an efficient way to create written messages for informal communication. People use textspeak, not to generate thoughtfulness and literary communication, but to keep in contact and to facilitate communication. In no way does this imply that people have lost the desire to read and reflect upon the world. -(Marcel Danesi,   Language, Society, and New Media: Sociolinguistics Today. Routledge, 2016) Textspeak Baby Names Yes, were all getting stupider, or at least some of us are. This is the clear message behind the story of text-speak baby names appearing on birth certificates. Britons have become so addicted to abbreviation, it is claimed, that names such as Anne, Connor and Laura have been rendered An, Conna and Lora. Six baby boys have been christened Camron rather than Cameron. There are, apparently, several Samiuls on the list. The online parenting club Bounty lists a Flicity. Given the unstoppable rise of text language, says the Daily Mail, it was only a matter of time before childrens names went the way of traditional English. -(Tim Dowling, Is Text Speak Really Shaping Baby Names? The Guardian, April 1, 2008) Textspeak in a Business Setting Write Like youre Texting!Apologies--I should have written, Wrt lk yr txting! The proliferation of texting has created a brave new world of incompetence. Does textspeak get the point across? Almost always. Does textspeak in a business setting make the writer look like a semi-literate 12-year old? You betcha! -(Jeff Havens, How to Get Fired!: The New Employees Guide to Perpetual Unemployment, 2010) The Lighter Side of Textspeak Youre saying LOL. Youre verbal texting. . . . If you’re going to ‘laugh out loud,’ why aren’t you laughing out loud? Why say it? Why not just laugh? -(Larry David, Palestinian Chicken. Curb Your Enthusiasm, 2011) Alternate Spellings: text speak, text-speak

Book Report On The Book Le Gai Savoir - 1421 Words

I remember the first time I heard about Nietzsche was a few years ago, in my chemistry class. I had a friend who spent all his time, in science classes, reading books about philosophy. His nonconformity caught my attention. I started to be interested by the big mustache of the author on the cover page of his book Le Gai Savoir, because I knew, of course, that all authors with big mustache – such as Victor Hugo and Albert Einstein – wrote about great things! So I started to read Nietzsche s works. Then, one day, my dad caught me reading Le Gai Savoir and he told me that this philosopher, born in a town near Leipzig on 15 October 1844 (Wotling 797), had changed the way he perceived his life. He told me that when he was eighteen in China, he was very poor and due to his stressful condition, he failed the final admission exam for a university. Because of the high amount of population and competition in China, the final exam decides unfortunately the fate of a person. He had developed depression. However, one day, he bought a Nietzsche s book and started to read it. He told me that Nietzsche s poetry and positive ideas motivated him to change his life, to be greater, and to become who [he really is] (Nietzsche, Le Gai Savoir 251). And this is why he wasn t afraid of immigrating to Canada with my mother. In this essay, I will introduce this great philosopher and I will show that he agrees with the point of view of Socrates that an unexamined life is not worth living,Show MoreRelatedHomosexuality and University Press5666 Words   |  23 Pageshow unreliable such data often are. Hirschfeld also came with the first urban geography, â€Å"Berlin’s Third Gender† (1904) in which he described the city’s gay subculture of bars and parks and the elaborate world of male prostitution. Mainly German books on the history of sexual morality (â€Å"Sittengeschichte†) that often included chapters on homosexuality, preceded and influenced the work of later sociologists and historians, like Norbert Elias and Michel Foucault. The work of these psychiatrists who

Petroleum and Supply Chain Free Essays

A Report On Castrol India Ltd. , Mumbai Assignment: Supply Chain Executive Summary Castrol India LTD. Castrol India Limited is a Public Limited Company with 70. We will write a custom essay sample on Petroleum and Supply Chain or any similar topic only for you Order Now 92% of the equity held by Castrol Limited UK (part of BP Group). From a minor oil company, with a share of about 6% in 1991, Castrol India has grown to become the second largest lubricant company in India with a market share of around 28%. Castrol India manufactures and markets a range of automotive and industrial lubricants. It markets its automotive lubricants under two brands – Castrol and BP. The company has leadership positions in most of the segments in which it operates including passenger car engine oils, premium 2-stroke and 4-stroke oils and multigrade diesel engine oils. Castrol India has the largest manufacturing and marketing network amongst the lubricant companies in India. The company has 5 manufacturing Plants across the country, including a state-of-the-art plant in Silvassa. The company reaches its consumers through a distribution network of 270 distributors, servicing over 70,000. retail outlets. From a minor oil company, with a share of about 6% in 1991, Castrol India has now grown upto a market share of around 28%. Product and services * Passenger car oil * Gear Oil * Diesel Engine oil * Two wheeler engine oil * Grease * Coolant * Castrol Supply Chain Network Overview * Manufacturing facilities : In India there are 12 production facilities with major ones at Patalganga, Silvassa, Tondiarpet, Paharpur. Each production plant has its own capacity in terms of different packing lines and not SKU. | * Plant and capacity data Daily available filling capacities across current locations(in KL) – Single | Shift w/o overtime*Data taken by project Report | | | Distribution: Inbound Logistics: The base oil for Castrol is centrally purchased by British Petroleum. Some of the Indian refineries also provide base oil to Castrol India Limited. The oil is brought to the plants by tankers from offshore tanks. Castrol India Limited has four plants-Patalganga, Silvassa, Paharpur and Tondiarpet and in total 12 filling stations. Outbound Logistics: Castrol has three tier distributor structure-distributor hubs (CDC/RDC), carrying Forwarding Agents (CFA) and Distributors. The transportation from manufacturing plant to distributor hub is called Primary Transportation (P0). Transportation from distribution centre to carrying forwarding agency (CFA) (P1), from warehouse to warehouse (P2) and warehouse to customer and distributors is called Secondary transportation. The entire country is divided into four zones North, East, West and South. There are 30 CFA,2 DC and 4 Marine warehouses in India. The diagram below shows the supply chain distribution structure at Castrol India. There are five layers – Supplier, Plants, Distribution Hubs, Warehouses and Distributors. Castrol has recently implemented DRM in which demand is generated at the CFA level once the inventory at the distributor level falls below an established norm. * The diagram below shows the supply chain distribution structure at Castrol India. There are five layers – Supplier, Plants, Distribution Hubs, Warehouses and Distributors. Castrol has recently implemented DReaM in which demand is generated at the CFA level once the inventory at the distributor level falls below an established norm. Global Reach: The global reach of British Petroleum is shown in the below mentioned figure. Castrol is a subsidiary of that. Planning Process: Forecasting: Generating production forecasts is a key business process in the oil and gas industry. Production foreca sts are used to calculate cash flow using economic models and to assess reserves in the corporate portfolio. These forecasts impact the financial health of the company and its market value. To generate forecasts, the super majors use in-house reservoir simulators and commercial simulation products, several of which exist on the market. Generally, companies use a variety of methods for production forecasting. Production forecasts for brown fields, i. e. fields currently in production, are regularly updated with production data acquired with off-take volumes. Many production forecasting software products on the market are generally applied on a fit-for-purpose basis. Reservoir simulation is a standard part of the reservoir engineer’s toolkit for generating production forecasts. The reservoir models have become more sophisticated over the years, due to the increasing computing power available, with the creation of earth models and use of high-technology tools to acquire data for history matching. For brown fields it is common practice to use a reservoir simulation model and history to match the model with new reservoir data on a regular basis and run the model in forward prediction mode to generate forecasts of oil, gas and water production volumes. Use of 3-D seismic data acquisition became widespread in the 1980s and 1990s. This has allowed construction of detailed reservoir models of the subsurface architecture and identification of additional oil (new zones, bypassed oil, etc. ). Increasing use of geostatistical models during the 1990s has raised the awareness of risk and uncertainty and their impact on decision-making. The driving force has been to reduce the bandwidth of uncertainty, i. e. to narrow the range of uncertainty by using multiple realisations. Systematic application of statistical techniques may be used to understand the predicted reservoir behaviour and the range of production forecasts. Production forecasts can also be generated using traditional methods, such as decline curves. Classical reservoir engineering methods, such as material balance, should also be in the reservoir engineer’s toolbox. It is important to recognise that the reservoir simulator should not be used as a ‘black box’. For history matching, the production data has to be quality-checked to ensure good quality control and validity. The forecasts generated by a reservoir simulator should be consistent with other reservoir engineering methods that are used, for example, in gas field P/Z plots (i. . the visual image of the gas material balance, where the original gas volume equals the remaining gas volume plus the volume of gas produced). Future trends in real time production forecasting with automatic history matching will include production data and 4-D seismic data, the creation of geo statistical models and multi-realization simulation models for forward prediction. This will s till require reservoir engineering intervention to assure and control the quality of the output. With the advent of the e-field, an executive might be directly linked to the same computer as the reservoir engineer and can view, on a screen at his desk, the corporate production forecasts and the corporate reserves being updated in real time. Oil industry (Castrol) forecasts are generated using the best-practice techniques of time-series modeling. The precise form of time-series model used varies from industry to industry, in each case being determined, as per standard practice, by the prevailing features of the industry data being examined. For example, data for some industries may be particularly prone to seasonality, i. e. seasonal trends. In other industries, there may be pronounced non-linearity, whereby large recessions, for example, may occur more frequently than cyclical booms. Approach varies from industry to industry. Common to analysis of every industry, however, is the use of vector auto regressions. Vector auto regressions allow us to forecast a variable using more than the variable’s own history as explanatory information. For example, when forecasting oil prices, we can include information about oil consumption, supply and capacity. When forecasting for some of our industry sub-component variables, however, using a variable’s own history is often the most desirable method of analysis. Such single-variable analysis is called univariate modeling. We use the most common and versatile form of univariate models: the autoregressive moving average model (ARMA). In some cases, ARMA techniques are inappropriate because there is insufficient historic data or data quality is poor. In such cases, we use either traditional decomposition methods or smoothing methods as a basis for analysis and forecasting. It must be remembered that human intervention plays a necessary and desirable part in all our industry forecasting techniques. Intimate knowledge of the data and industry ensures we spot structural breaks, anomalous data, turning points and seasonal features where a purely mechanical forecasting process would not. Inventory Planning: The company recently had implemented an inventory optimization application from Tools Group, Amsterdam, called DPM (formerly, Distribution Planning Model). But Tenaglia knew that technology was only part of the solution. After gaining some experience with the software to understand its capabilities, the European division of Castrol undertook the hard work of organizational change, creating a supply-chain planning department that was totally separate from execution functions. Aggregate Planning Methodology: Castrol initiated a program to improve their Sales and Operations Planning (SOP) processes. The team was faced with reactive supply chains caused by forecasts that were inaccurate, unreliable and incomplete. The forecast did not extend to all SKUs and calculations required intensive manual work. The supply chain was still widely order-driven and structured to be reactive, rather than proactive. The demand forecast was carried out by sales and marketing, so the supply chain people reworked the forecast in order to trigger replenishments. We had a lot of uncertainty due to poor forecast practices. † The inventory side was also challenging. Most slow moving products had excess inventory. Fast moving products were often out-of-stock. Safety stocks had been set manually, based largely on personal experience. In the calculations, there was little formal sense of supply and demand uncertainty. Safety stocks were infrequently adjusted, and when they were, it was often in reaction to a single event. For instance, an under stock situation would often trigger an increase in safety stock levels. addition, planners were expediting to constantly to overcome the poorly derived inventory targets. This expediting was triggering production reschedules and urgent deliveries, increasing costs and amplifying supply chain noise. â€Å"We’ve seen dramatic increases in our service level with significant reductions In inventory across Europe†. Castrol identified the need to build an effective SOP planning process which they would implement in one country and then roll out across Europe. The resulting system would coordinate ten independent systems into one global and unified coherent planning process, encompassing the â€Å"downstream† portion of Castrol’s supply chain, from blended oils and packaging through to the end user customer. The system would insure high service levels to customers, reduce stock-outs and cut back on manual expediting. BP Castrol quickly came to the conclusion that to accomplish the above, they needed to include nventory in their SOP process. Improving the forecasting process was clearly required, but alone it would not achieve the high customer-service levels they wanted. A Castrol uses software that analyzes demand history across multiple dimensions so you can obtain the best possible forecasts and inventory targets for driving your supply chain. Innovative and advanced technologies enable Castrol to improve and automate planning processes. Solutions span key supply chain planning areas such as Demand Planning, Demand Sensing, Promotion forecasting and Inventory Optimization. BP Castrol’s resulting system delivered the target service levels, reduced out of stocks, and largely eliminated the expediting. Over a two year period, KPIs improved dramatically. Aggregate forecast accuracy improved by 15% on average and channel forecast accuracy* improved to 90% for retail. (* % of SKUs demand within 20% of a 2 months aged forecast) Total network inventories were reduced by 35%, 20% in the first year after implementation and then 20% again in the following year. Despite the lower inventories, service levels to customers, as defined by â€Å"line fill rates†, were up by 9% overall. The system has become a unique company standard for excellence in forecasting, customer service level planning and inventory optimization. The system now spans 29 installations, 25 countries and has been expanded to two continents. The Payoff: Reduced Inventory and Higher Service Levels The replenishment flows had to be synchronized with the demand signal through optimized inventories. They improved demand sensing by generating more robust and reliable forecasts. They implemented an improved and standardized monthly demand forecast process cycle. A single point of accountability was instituted. Promotion planning and monitoring was also improved. They improved demand response by improving safety stocks using a solution provided by Tools Group. Reliable statistical modeling accurately measured demand and supply chain volatility. Reliable inventory modeling and mix optimization techniques accommodated this volatility and accurately set the inventory targets required to achieve a responsive inventory mix. The Payoff: Reduced Inventory and Higher Service Levels BP Castrol’s resulting system delivered the target service levels, reduced ut of stocks, and largely eliminated the expediting. Over a two year period, KPIs improved dramatically. Aggregate forecast accuracy improved by 15% on average and channel forecast accuracy* improved to 90% for retail. (* % of SKUs demand within 20% of a 2 months aged forecast) Total network inventories were reduced by 35%, 20% in the first year after implementation and then 20% again in the following year. Despite the lower inventories, service levels to customers, as defined by â€Å"line fill rates†, were up by 9% overall. The system has become a unique company standard for excellence in forecasting, customer service level planning and inventory optimization. The system now spans 29 installations, 25 countries and has been expanded to two continents. Pricing: The rising crude prices caused severe Base-oil supply imbalances. The shortage of raw material also severely impacted many of the small-scale players in the Indian lubricant market. (Castrol) Further, the supply uncertainty triggered rapid Base oil price increases. This in turn caused most lubricant players, including Castrol, to take multiple price increases during the year. . Economic slowdown the global financial crisis in the second half of 2008 severely impacted the Indian stock market and caused the rupee to depreciate by about 20% with respect to the US Dollar. The rupee depreciation offset benefits of softening Base-oil prices during the latter half of the year. The lower overall economic activity level and restricted availability of finan ce also impacted automotive sales and trucking activity in the second half of 2008. a slow-down in the construction sector earlier in the year due to the high interest rate regime was further affected by lack of credit in the second half. This has caused an overall slackening of demand in the lubricant market, particularly in the industrial, mining, off-road and fleet-operators segment, in the last quarter of the year. The lubricant channel partners reacted to this period of uncertainty by tightening their inventory levels, causing a one-off impact on lubricant volume in the second half of 2008. 2. Crude oil Crude prices continued to remain an important cost input element to Base-oil in addition to supply demand economics. In 2008, crude prices rapidly increased and crossed US$145 a barrel in July. This triggered steep increases on various crude derivatives including Base-oils across the globe. In the second half of the year the crude prices collapsed but the depreciation of the rupee against the US Dollar offset some of the increases. Refiners also carried inventory of high priced crude procured earlier and as a result, the benefits of the falling crude prices were not passed on by refiners to industrial customers in tandem with the crude prices. The following graph indicates the trend of crude prices 3. Base-Oils and Additives The steep rise in crude prices severely impacted the Base-oil prices with multiple price increases charged by the Base-oil refiners. At its peak, the Base-oil price touched uS$1800 per ton in the second half of the year, almost doubling from 2007 exit levels. The increases were regular and quick until September 2008. Supply situation had further deteriorated due to refinery closures, production issues and turnaround at domestic and international sources. Due to limited availability, customers were put on allocation by major refineries. Post the crude prices falling from the high of over uS$145 a barrel and the economic slowdown, the availability of Base-oils witnessed strong improvement. However, there was very little reduction in prices till the last quarter due to the depreciation of the rupee against the US Dollar and the high inventory of Base oils held by refiners in anticipation of demand. Input costs of additive manufacturers witnessed a rapid increase and with the expectation of higher demand, the pricing balance tilted in favor of additive manufacturing companies. Additive prices witnessed an increase of circa 25% over the 2007 levels. However, Castrol has managed the volatile input prices by ensuring effective procurement and inventory management. Productivity of purchasing spends and working capital management has been an area of focus. Tight control of Base-oils and additives inventory has ensured higher inventory turnaround and release of cash in a timely manner for the business. EXCECUTION: Checking and Controlling of Inventory Plan: The management conducts physical verification of inventory at reasonable intervals during the year. b) The procedures of physical verification of inventory followed by the management are reasonable and adequate in relation to the size of the Company and the nature of its business. (c) The Company is maintaining proper records of inventory and no material discrepancies were Noticed on physical verification. Performance Evaluation Parameters: †¢ Facilitate planning, execution, and management †¢ Enhanc e visibility †¢ Reduced inventory and demurrage cost †¢ Improve productivity and operational efficiency †¢ Respond quickly and synchronize changes †¢ Reduced costs †¢ Improve decision making Increase customer satisfaction †¢ Build strategic relationships †¢ Improve agility, competitiveness, and business performance Information Technology : In the oil and gas industry, knowing where and what product is being produced or delivered is essential to an efficient and effective organization. The use of IT to offer possible remote control of equipment and facilities, transaction services monitoring, and even transportation management service is important. Firms like British Petroleum have developed new systems to aid in their business operations by using these technologies. Past and present methods of communication in the oil and gas industry have included satellite communications (on a limited basis), Cellular and Specialized Mobile Radio, fiber-optics, and general offshore telephone service using radio frequencies consisted of a radiotelephone based antenna/transmitter that would allow communications between any offshore oil platforms and land-based telephone networks. These systems required a team of employees to monitor and report to management on a continuing basis. Currently, cellular and specialized mobile radio services are in the process of providing better services to the offshore drilling platforms and are generally expected to replace the older offshore radiotelephone systems found primarily in the Gulf of Mexico region. Such systems make use of these technologies to reduce and/or eliminate on site monitoring by a team of employees. With respect to labor costs, the organization could save substantial amounts of money because there is no need to have personnel continuously on location to inspect, monitor, maintain, and/or report conditions. Wireless data provided by implemented wireless technology would automatically produce reports on processes. Adjustments could be made at appropriate times reducing any overtime payments. The benefits of IT integration to the Castrol as a whole could be substantial. Supply Chain Collaborations, Coordination, And Cooperation Supply-chain management requires an oil and gas company to integrate its decisions with those made within its chain of customers and suppliers. This process involves relationship management by the company. Both customer relations and supplier relations are key to effective coordination of supply-chains. Often, the interaction between suppliers and their customers are adversarial in nature, based on a negotiated contract that spells out all the terms and conditions by which all parties are required to comply. Instead, a firm can create long-term strategic relationships with their suppliers. In most cases, it is a collaboration process between the oil and gas operating company and its suppliers. One of the weaknesses of a supply-chain is that each company is likely to act in its best interests to optimize its profit. The goal of satisfying the ultimate customer is easily lost and opportunities that could arise from some coordination of decisions across stages of the supply-chain could also be lost. If suppliers could be made more reliable, there would be less need for inventories of raw materials, quality inspection systems, rework, and other non-value adding activities, resulting in lean production. Coordination from the perspective of British Petroleum Company involves the following issues: * ensuring supplier effectiveness n cost, timeliness and quality * setting appropriate targets for inventory, capacity, and lead time * monitoring demand and supply conditions * Communicating market and performance results to customers and suppliers. A typical challenge in the petroleum industry supply chain is the attitude and anxiety regarding collaboration and information sharing between supply chain partners. While collaboration and information sharing rep-resent a crucial factor for supply chain efficie ncy. Improved supply chain efficiency in the petroleum industry, therefore, needs a new philosophy in collaboration, even if this means working with competitors. How to cite Petroleum and Supply Chain, Papers

Thomas Jefferson and His Contradictions free essay sample

Thomas Jefferson was very aware of the contradiction between slavery and the ideas he, along with others, expressed in the Declaration. It was twice that he mentioned how the enslavement of African Americans goes against the most sacred rights of life and liberty. As well as, enslavement amounts to crimes committed against the Liberties of one people. Thomas Jefferson as well was born to a slave owning family and he himself owned slaves. Many people found it mysterious that Jefferson owned so many slaves but yet was o open in saying that slavery was immoral and it should be abolished.Even after admitting he was wrong; Jefferson still blamed the king for slavery and the slave trade. In the first paragraph of the draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson condemned the king for supporting the importation of slavery to the colonies, stating that the crown has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying hem into slavery in another hemisphere. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas Jefferson and His Contradictions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Still, this small section was asked to be dropped from the Declaration of Independence by the delegates from South Carolina and Georgia. Jefferson also based his charge due to the fact that several times during the 1 8th century, Virginians legislature passed a tariff made to put a stop on the importation of slaves. The lawmakers did otherwise, because the colony slave population was expanding rapidly and importing too many Africans would lower the price of domestic slaves whom Virginia planters wanted to sell.