Designer Babies Essay Example for Free

Designer Babies Essay In this modern society, human thought are growing widely resulting the huge development of reproductive technologies in our life. Designer babies are created for elimination of deadly diseases and also genetic enhancement. Today, this technology has been established as an acceptable practice in removing diseases only. However, when it comes to genetic enhancements, ethical issues happen in the aspects of individuals, society and religions. According to Johnson (2009), ‘designer baby’ is defined as the baby whose genetically makeup has been artificially selected through In-vitro Fertilization to ensure the presence and absence of particular genes or characteristic. Johnson (2009) also claimed that genetic screening can reduce the baby’s chances of getting several diseases like Down syndrome. According to Brownlee (2002), in the mid-1990s, an embryologist named Jacques Cohen created a promising new technique, cytoplasmic transfer for helping infertile women to have children. In early 2003, he reported the first modification in the human genome. Cohen (2003) has created the first bioengineered baby who has three genetic parents which are mother, father, and mtDNA donor and they claimed that as The first case of human [inheritable] genetic modification resulting in normal, healthy children. According to Adnan (2010), designer babies are made in in-vitro fertilization with certain steps. Firstly, the woman hormones are taken to boost the production of egg. The woman’s egg is then removed from the ovary with the help of a special needle. The egg is fertilized and is allowed to grow into an embryo for 2 days. Scientists then screen for genes which have the risk of illness in life like Alzheimers, Cystic fibrosis and Down’s syndrome. The DNA copies are run through by using a sequencing machine. If the genetic disorder appears, those defected genes can be replaced with the healthy genes in a process called germ line therapy. Besides, scientists are able to determine the sex of the child. This is possible because woman contains only X chromosomes and man has one X and one Y chromosome. So the sex of the child can be determined by XY chromosomes. According to Tesia (2009), parents are the people who want designer baby, especially those who have an unhealthy embryo affected by deadly diseases. This is a relief to these parents as they need not to be burdened up by the expensive fees for the endless treatments that their child has to undergo of choosing by the designer baby. They choose to have a designer baby as it can avoid all the pain that they have to bear seeing their child undergoing endless suffering treatments. Designer baby also prevent their child from having a preventable disease and this will definitely relieve those parents from the financial, emotional and physical burden. Agar (2006) claimed that pre-implantation genetic diagnosis PGD is not entirely risk-free as during the process of PGD. Two cells are removed from the eight cells embryo and this may affect the growth of the embryo, whereas defenders of PGD respond that the cells of eight-cell embryos are totipotent, this mean that the eight cells embryo is still able to form all cells of the human body although two cells is removed from it. This technology has been used for a very long time, hence it is too early to say that who is certainly right in this argument. In an article written by Naik (2009), he stated that in a 2009 U.S. survey, a total of 999 people sought for genetic counseling. Most of people supported prenatal genetic tests for the removal of serious diseases. Besides, according to the survey conducted by researchers at the New York University School of Medicine, some respondents said they would want genetic testing for athletic ability, some voted for improved height and some voted for great intelligence. According to Dvorsky(2009), an excellent transhumanist bioethicist, he stated that an anti-genetic modification due to enhancement occurred in our society. A majority were replying the survey carried out by NYU Langone Medical Center due to their background condition. Their thinking was believed from an ethical perspective. Supporting the idea of genetic modification, Dvorsky(2009) said that endowing our children with good genes in order to give them an enriched and fulfilling life. With new genetics, parents’ dreams may finally be achieved as they always want the best for their children. According to Anissimov(2009), many people refuse to accept PGD and other reproductive technologies because they think that it is unnatural. From the Transhumanist FAQ, a summary from transhumanists’ response stated that in many cases, there are some practical reasons for depending on natural processes. The main point is that human cannot decide whether something is good or bad by its nature. Not every natural things are good such as starvation, polio, and being eaten alive by intestinal parasites whereas some bad unnatural things are car accidents and nuclear war. However, Yin (2005) notes that from a child’s point of view, parents place the genetic enhancements upon him or her may threaten the freedom of action. The child’s achievement in life is not fully determined by his or her own efforts, but from parental decisions. This might result in unwillingness of the child to accept responsibilities. Besides, Yin (2005) also states that some oppose genetic engineering because it will not only deepen current class divisions, but also create a new division. Due to religious and other personal reasons, many people will refuse to accept gene therapy even if the enhancements are made free because it causes the economic gap between those can afford the technology and cannot afford deepen as time progresses. Some of them reject it due to its expensive paid and lack of efficacy. According to Adnan (2010), the designer baby will raise conflict among individuals. This is because they assume that the rich will always be more beneficial compared to the poor. They propose that the rich will have more opportunities to take the advantages of the modern technology resulting the rich man baby (designer baby) will born perfect, intelligent and healthier compared to the poor baby. Though this technology can advance the personalities and intelligence, but it will be costly and will create a gap between the individuals. McIlwaine (2006) claimed that some leading philosophers will argue that a person must have capacity for memorable experiences, for communicating with others and for having preferences about continued life, or someone who is capable of treasuring their own life. With these points of view, these obviously show that they do not accept an embryo, or a foetus can be a person. For those who believe that human life only comes with self-valuation, testing on embryos and the screening of the right genetic make-up is a perfectly ethical procedure, for those embryos that are discarded are not ‘people’. So, there is no wrong in moral. However, this raises serious issues about other human beings who may by this definition, not be ‘people’ including the new born babies with brain abnormalities and injuries. According to McIlwaine (2006), designer babies also lead to ethical issues in religion too. This is due to different religions will have their own points of view. Christians say that the life begins at conception. It is clearly stated in Bible: â€Å"Before you were in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart†. This means that God chose each person even before the moment of implantation, however some are less certain. According to Malpani (2009), in Judaism, donor insemination is banned and a child is considered as the generation of the biological father. Artificial insemination using husbands sperm and IVF are accepted when there is necessary to cure the illness of infertility. From the research done, designer babies have arisen many ethical issues in the aspects of individuals, religions and society. Parents always hope to give the best for their children. With this advanced technology, some parents will take advantage on it to give their children the perfect lives. This will indirectly cause the narrowing of divisions in our society which is from social to ethical and then to economical. The rich families are usually genetically better endowed than the poor families and their jobs always come with high income compared to the poor one. As for the religious aspect, Christians note that personhood begins at conception, the moment an ovum is fertilized. However, there is variation in explaining the Bible and not everyone believe in it. Some doubt about this because if the number of lost fertilized ovum disobey this point of view, then how could the God stop the existence of some â€Å"people† in this world without any reason?

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Example for Free

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? 1 Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? 2 Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? 2 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? 3 Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? 3 Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? 4 Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? 5 Technical Issues 5 Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? 5 Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? 6 Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? 7 Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? 8 Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? 9 Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? 9 IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? 10 Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? 10 Conclusion 11 Introduction There are a number of good reasons why companies should consider supporting a remote worker program including an expanded labor pool, reduced traffic congestion costs (late arriving/stressed out employees), improved recruitment and retention of staff, facility cost savings, reduced parking costs, reduced sick leave and improved worker productivity. Conversely, there are some disadvantages that companies should also be aware of including an isolated work force, family turf problems, lack of social interaction with other employees and the fear by remote workers that they will be overlooked for promotions. Companies obviously have a lot to factor in deciding whether or not to implement a telecommuting program. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide consideration points to many of the common questions facing such companies. The questions and discussion herein are divided into two primary categories: technical and organizational. They are intended to provide more generalized information that decision makers can use to enhance their understanding of telecommuting issues. Organizational Issues Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? In general, remote workers appear to be more productive than traditional office workers. In an October 1995 survey of Fortune 1000 managers, 58% reported increased productivity by employees who telecommuted. Also, according to the State of Californias Telecommuting Pilot Program, companies that implemented a remote work force experienced productivity increases ranging from 10 30%. Further, telecommuters working for American Express produced 43% more business than their office-based counterparts1. Clearly the case can be made that remote workers are indeed more productive. The primary explanation for improved productivity is a quieter work environment, which offers fewer interruptions. Certainly the remote worker also faces interruptions in their daily work, such as family business, neighbors, chores, television, etc. However these interruptions are generally much fewer than those experienced by the traditional office worker. Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? The biggest savings for companies result from reduced absenteeism costs and reduced real estate costs. Oftentimes when employees need to take care of personal business such as doctor visits, car repair, tending to children, etc. they call in sick for the entire day. However, remote workers can take care of personal business and still accomplish some or most of their work tasks from home. The International Telework Association Council estimates that employees who telecommute can save their employers $10,000 each in reduced absenteeism costs2. According to PC World, telework can cut corporate real estate costs from 25 to 90%, which can result in substantial savings for employers. In fact, ATT saves $25 million per year from employees who are full-time telecommuters3. Many companies who have implemented a successful telecommuting program have instituted hoteling systems in their offices. A hotel is essentially an empty cubicle that is set up with a phone, network connections and basic office supplies that any employee can use, often by making a reservation with an office administrator. Hoteling offers telecommuting employees a place to work in the office when necessary without employers having to provide them with a full-time workspace. Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? Without doubt one of the most important keys to implementing a successful telecommuting program is proper planning. And since every organization has their unique differences (i.e. size, industry, complexity, culture, locale), there is no single formula for such planning. However, successful telecommuting programs should address the following at a minimum: * Perform an initial assessment * Consider organizational strategy and culture * Consider the role of management * Consider the need for staff input * Determine which staff tasks are most amenable to telecommuting * Consider regulatory compliance and legal issues * Determine technology needs * Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and/or ROI analysis4 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? According to Langhoff, tasks that are most appropriate for telecommuting are jobs where a person works alone, handling information such as reports, proposals, data or research. Writers, salespersons, accountants, programmers, graphic artists, researchers, engineers, architects, public relations professionals all are prime candidates for telecommuting5. In determining eligibility for telecommuting, managers should first consider whether the employees tasks can be performed remotely. Second, an examination of the individuals level of performance should be made (i.e. are they hard working and self-motivated or do they need constant supervision and coaching?). Of course it can be tricky selecting who can and cannot telecommute; therefore companies should be aware of the potential legal implications stemming from employees who wished to work remotely but were turned down. Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? Too often companies only view telecommuting as providing benefits to them and to their employees; however, there remains potential downsides. One potential downside is the lack of social interaction between employees. Employees who work at an office setting spend a considerable amount of their day interacting with other employees. These water-cooler discussions foster a camaraderie that translates into value for companies when the same employees work on projects together or are in need of support from each other. Also, the camaraderie indirectly benefits the company when management is trying to achieve buy-in on various initiatives. Lastly, having close relationships allow employees to maintain a healthy mental balance at work resulting in an overall higher level of morale. Once telecommuting is introduced into the mixed, some or all of those relationships are lost. Analysis of past telecommuting research shows that the most cited problem associated with negative impacts of telecommuting is the feeling of isolation and loss of morale6. Although isolation feelings and loss of morale (and the resulting decrease in a companys value) are difficult metrics to measure, some workable solutions have been devised to combat these negative issues. Other solutions have included limiting telecommuting days and making sure to include telecommuting employees in company events7. Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? The office environment offers some benefits that telecommuting cannot provide. Most important amongst these benefits is the companys ability to communicate to its employees. Most offices display signs of the companys direct communication whether it is embodied in mission statements, annual goal and targets, or newsletters. Indirectly, the company communicates with corporate color schemes, promotion company clothing, and other branding material such as coffee mugs. All of these communications are omnipresent throughout the corporate office setting and help to build company pride, employee loyalty, and a sense of corporate culture. Employees who tend to work remotely are only exposed slightly to this communication through email, conference calls, and other mailed material. This lack of corporate communication may lead to low motivation, lack of identification with the company, and reduced company loyalty8. The solution to the communication challenge is to ensure that corporate communication includes channels to the remote worker. In fact, companies should recognize that off-site employees need more direct and indirect communication such that employees do not develop those negative feelings. Also, companies should make a concerted effort to limit telecommuting days and to include all telecommuting employees in company events9. Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? Another challenge with telecommuting employees revolves around their direct management. Not only do managers find it much more difficult to monitor the productivity and effectiveness of their telecommuting employee, but they are also challenged by having to change their management style to incorporate the limitations brought about by telecommuting10. Managers who have telecommuting employees are also faced with more potential issues such as family conflicts arising from their employee working from home. These conflicts cross the boundary of work and personal life, and almost always negatively impact productivity. Lastly, it is the role of managers to provide organizational support to the telecommuting employee. With the employee being off-site, the manager is usually limited to email and telephone to support his employee. This limitation further restricts a managers effectiveness and typically utilizes more of a managers time in sorting out support logistic11. Solutions to the managers challenge involve setting up a detailed action plan between manager and telecommuting employee. This action plan should be supplemented with an active communication plan12. Once expectations for both parties are clearly outlined in the action plan, both parties can then communicate progress or support needs more efficiently. Moreover, managers can adapt their management styles to telecommuting employees by setting results-based milestones and orienting tasks into projects such that managers still retain control of certain processes13. Technical Issues Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? Before considering the strategy to deploying remote access for a company, a survey should be done of the existing network and current remote access configurations. Once a complete analysis of the current configuration and future needs are assessed, then the following issues need to be included in your strategy of preparing and deploying the company network for a remote force: security, bandwidth, and infrastructure.14 Table N1 3 Areas of Security15 Internal Network Usually the most secure of the three, but still should be reviewed for any fallacies. External Network Must secure the PC in the remote location (i.e. firewalls, RSA encryption, etc) to prevent unauthorized access and snooping from the remote location. Remote Worker Least secure, must require security policies to be followed about passwords, where to connect, and who to trust. With more remote workers, there will be an increased demand of bandwidth on the network. Will the remote employees be productive with the current infrastructure that your network can provide? Perhaps considerations for upgrading from16: From To Dial-up (56K) ISDN (128K-256K) ISDN (128K-256K) T1 (up to 1.5M) T1 (up to1.5M) T3 (44.736 Mbps) With the increase demand more infrastructure will be required for allowing an increasing number of remote workers to connect to the corporate network (more servers, security hardware, and routing hardware). Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? For the employees who travel often, they are usually provided some mobile computing solutions and they have found ways to work from remote locations. However the new generation of employees, the remote worker will work from the comfort of their home. Working from home brings a new set of issues in to play. HARDWARE * Can the employee keep work and personal items separated? * If not, should the company provide additional hardware? * If the company does NOT provide additional hardware, then how much of the employees hardware can be expensed if upgrades are necessary? * The employee may need/require a fax machine, an additional phone line, or other office equipment. SOFTWARE * Software licensing has be clear-cut as far as how many computers can use the same license, however what about home workers? * The companys site licensing may not cover home computers and will require the company to pay extra for these licenses. INFRASTRUCTURE * For someone at home who has a DSL, Cable, or Dial-Up connecting, how much of that should the company pay for? * Support, Support, Support. Who will provide the maintenance and support? * Is the home PC secure? If not, who will provide the hardware/software in order to secure it? Also consider how much of the companys data should be on the personal machine. What happens if the home PC is hacked? Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? Outlined in this paper is the most common setup for a company to develop telecommuting options for their employees. However most of these configurations allow the employee to use limited resources over the Internet (access to shared folders, documents and e-mail). Depending on the size, the costs of setting up an infrastructure for telecommuting workforce could be unaffordable. The following are other options available to companies who wish to have a telecommuting workforce. Citrix Remember or heard about the mainframe days? Well, history tends to repeat itself. As more PCs were becoming powerful, we moved away from the mainframe days. However with the Internet, the paradigm of sharing resources has returned and now software applications and operating systems have the enhanced ability to handle more than one user concurrently. Citrix17 allows concurrent remote users access to a single server that will give a separate session for each user. Each user will have access to the same set applications on one machine. This solves the software licensing issues of working from a remote location as well as reduces amount of maintenance of hardware/software for the IT department. Satellite Offices Companies are opening satellite offices to reduce commute times for employees and help alleviate city traffic and parking congestion problems. This will result in reduced land costs since these centers are away from the city where the cost of living is lower.18 Telework centers are similar to a satellite office, but operate by independent parties. Unlike satellite offices, numerous employees use them. Think of these options as outsourcing building/infrastructure issues. Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? In todays information environment, connectivity has become essential for a significant portion of the workplace. Access to email, network resources, server applications, and the Internet is a continual activity for the white-collar professional. At a minimum, companies would be well served to support webmail. In much the same vein as portal email (Hotmail, Yahoo), mail is maintained on the company server. This server is then linked to a website, and employees can gain secure access to the company server via any browser. Once logged in, an individual has the full functionality of their account to compose, receive, store, and delete email without explicitly needing to connect to the company network. However, there will be a resulting lack of security employees need to be encouraged to create and regularly modify complex passwords, and to close public web sessions. That said, the security risk is only to an individual email account; not the company network as a whole. A second logical step for an IT department is to enable Virtual Private Networking (VPN). This will allow employees to connect their remote machines to the company network after establishing an Internet connection through an ISP. This machine then behaves just as a networked office-located computer. For users maintaining both an office and remote computer, this solution requires any desktop applications be maintained on both systems. To avoid this duality, many users will first establish a VPN connection and then emulate their office computer with built-in Windows 2000 and Windows XP remote desktop tools or 3rd party tools such as VNC19. In essence, the remote machine then acts as a terminal or monitor to the office computer, and the user can run the applications found on that machine without any needs for secondary software. The downside to this solution is that emulation is only as good as the connection speed. Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? Todays telephone solutions for the telecommuter generally consist of providing an office phone with call-forwarding features to an employees business cell phone an often times reimbursed expense. This avoids some of the problems associated with using a home line for a combination of business, personal, and dial-up use. The office system simplifies contacting an individual (Simply dial an extension and press 7 to connect to the forwarded line rather than maintaining a constantly changing set of employee contact information). A home line alternative is a distinctive ring system multiple phone numbers (home, office, fax) use a single line with each producing a unique ring that can be directed to an appropriate voice mail box or machine (PC, fax). A second alternative consists of an off-premise-extension (OPX) or foreign exchange (FX) system. While more expensive, these systems truly mimic the office with a separate home line that is identical to an office extension20. Electronic mail is a requirement for most remote users. IT departments can help support employees using multiple computers to access their email by allowing mail to be retained on the company server rather than downloaded to the individual PC. (As an unrelated benefit, this provides much greater redundancy in the event of a computer hard drive crash). Please see the discussion on web mail for more on remote e-mail use. A less intrusive substitute to phone conversations is instant messaging. While this has potential for both misuse and unproductive use (where conversation is more efficient), this is often times an ideal mechanism for sharing small tidbits of information and is especially valuable for troubleshooting. A more extensive tool would be the newsgroup in combination with a company intranet. Here, employees can develop an extensive knowledge base of processes, questions and answers. Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? At the lowest end of the technology spectrum, there is the traditional conference call a virtual audio meeting with many parties. In an effort to fight the inherent isolationism of remote workers, the videoconference personalizes the conference call as participants better identify with the visual image than the audio. To implement, however, youll need additional webcam hardware, videoconferencing software and a fast Internet connection. Chat rooms (a variation on the aforementioned instant messaging) are suitable for short discussions or as supplements to a meeting (agenda, minutes, links, data, follow-ups) Web conferencing often includes both videoconferencing and chat room features, but distinguishes itself in that it allows a moderator to emulate his/her desktop to the attendees. Among the forefront of the software leaders in this area is WebEx21. IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? One of the drawbacks to working remotely is the absence of immediate technical support for both trivial and complex hardware and software issues. Given that troubleshooting is often a hands-on activity, solving problems for telecommuters is likely to be frustrating and time-consuming. However IT managers can take a number of steps to reduce downtime. * Standardize the equipment and installation. The more alike your users systems are, the better positioned you will be to reproduce and diagnose problems. * Maintain an inventory of back-up equipment in the same way that a car repair shop offers loaner cars. * Set up remote users so their desktops can be emulated by technical support in this way an IT department can provide step by step demonstrations to fix problems * Maintain an easily accessible FAQ and update it with each new problem and solution Managers may also want to consider outsourcing their technical support requirements. Companies like Voyus22 provide 24 hour help desk support and web-based support applications. Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? The decision that the companies face is how much ownership the company will take for each of the types of telecommuters. For an occasional telecommuter, the employee will more than likely take on the costs. For a heavy telecommuter, the company will probably need to cover the costs to the employee. Telecommuter Type Frequency Implementation Costs Involved Occasional Infrequently Dial-up, Web-based applications Regular Scheduled intervals Remote Connection, 3rd Party Software, Laptop, Firewall, Router. Heavy Frequently to Full Time Provide second computer, VPN connection, ISP costs, other office equipment, maintenance. It is not the technology costs that make or break the telecommuting decision, but its the organizational issues that should benefit the company if deployed properly. Conclusion Telecommuting seems to be the answer to the increased workload versus work/personal life balance issue that many companies are seeking. While there exist many challenges towards implementing a successful telecommuting plan, there also seem to be many practical solutions. The real issue seems to stem from whether a company will change its processes and standards to allow for telecommuting to co-exist with office employees. Such a decision, as this paper has outlined, is not as simple as providing remote employees with an internet connection. Rather, the decision has significant technical and organizational ramifications that need to be well thought out before implementation; otherwise, the company is doomed to make the mistakes of many companies that have haphazardly gone down this path. 1 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 2 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 3 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 4 http://www.tfw.org.uk/teleworking/contents.htm 5 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 6 Pinsonneault, A. (1999). The Impacts of Telecommuting on Organizations and Individuals: A Review of the Literature, Cahier du GreSI, 99(9). 7 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 8 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 9 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 10 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 11 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 12 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 13 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 14 Ascend Communications, 2002, Telecommuting Network Guide: A Resource for Planners, Excutives, and Information Managers, http://users.skynet.be/teletravail/PDF/solut_technique.pdf 15 Jessica L. Hirsch, 2000, Telecommuting: Security Policies and Procedures for the Work-From-Home Workforce, http://www.teleworker.org/articles/telework_security.html 16 Bandwidth Savings, 2003, Services In Detailed, http://www.bandwidthsavings.net/servicesdetail.cfm 17 Citrix.com, 2003, Home Page, http://www.citrix.com 18 Hall, Aric, Bilski, Alicia, Wadman, Scott, 2003, Ways People Telecommute, http://members.tripod.com/~trom/page3.html 19 http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc 20 Wrobel, Leo A., February 1997, Helpful Hints for MIS Managers Supporting Telecommuters and Nomadic Users -Part I: Voice Communications, http://www.rewireit.com/articles/w0297.pdf 21 http://www.webx.com 22 http://www.pcsupport.com/

Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea Leadership Analysis

Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea Leadership Analysis This paper analyses the impact of poor leadership in Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea. Africa is the world’s richest continent in terms of natural resource endowment. Africa contains 50% of the world deposit in Gold, 90% of cobalt, 65% of Manganese, 40% hydroelectric power, millions of acres of land, chromium, and diamonds (Rotberg, 34). However, despite the availability of these natural resources, the African continent is still lagging behind in terms of development. People are poor, and most governments depend on aid for purposes of meeting their budget deficits (Rotberg, 51). It is important to understand that Africa has millions of talented and skilled innovators, but due to poor leadership, states are unable to hold unto these talents and retain them for purposes of utilizing them. Some people blame the problems of Africa to imperialism, and colonialism. According to scholars, colonialism played a significant role in advancing the problems of Africa. For instance, Rotb erg (27) gives an example of Congo, whereby the Belgium’s left the country without preparing its leaders for independence. As a result of this, Congo is a country that is characterized by infighting, corruption, and struggle for leadership. However, these allegations are not true, as denoted by Rotberg (27). Shaw (274) denotes that countries such as India, the United States, and even South Africa were under colonialism. However, these countries have developed economies, and some such as United States is the most powerful and richest country in the world. On this basis, the problems of Africa are associated with its poor leadership style. This is witnessed in all of Africa, including Kenya, under President Moi, Uganda, under president Idi Amin, Sudan, under president Omar el Bashir, Nigeria, under successive military leaderships.. Equatorial Guinea is led by President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo. This leader is the longest serving President in Africa, having taken power in August 1979, in a bloody coup, against his uncle Francisco Nguema. Equatorial Guinea is found in West Africa, and it is one of Africa’s largest producers of oil (Lewis, 28). In as much as Equatorial Guinea has one of the highest per capita income in the world, most citizens of this country are living poverty, they die of preventable diseases such as malaria, are unable to access basic services such as education, health care, clean drinking water. Equatorial Guinea has the highest child mortality rates who are under 5 years, in the world. This is because 20% of their children die before reaching the ages of five years. The remaining 80% of these children do not have an access of quality health care, and educational facilities. The problems of Equatorial Guinea are blamed on the leadership style of the President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo (Lewis , 18). For example, President Teodorin Mbasogo is accused of practicing nepotism while employing senior members of his cabinet and state officials. For example, in the years 2013, President Obiang appointed his eldest son, Teodorin Obiang to a cabinet position, and as the second vice president of the state. This is for purposes of preparing his son as his successor, once the president leaves power. Teodorin Obiang is always accused of embezzling millions of dollars of state money, in order to fund his own lavish lifestyle (Solo-Trillo, 139). Teodorin Obiang has been a controversial figure in Equatorial Guinea, and attracting international criticism for spending more than ten million South African rands, on a South African trip that included champagne parties, property renovations, and buying of cars. Scholars believe that the personal fortune of Teodorin Nguema emanates from his corrupt activities connected with gas and oil exploration in Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 140). Lewis (37) denotes that the foreign interests of Teodorin Nguema includes two luxurious houses in South Africa, which have a combined value of 50,000,000 South African rands, and house in California estimated to be worth 31,000,000 United States dollars, a home in Paris, and a music recording label. Mr. Teodorin Nguema also has a series of luxurios cars, and in 2008, he bought a sports car estimated at 1,100,000 million euros (Solo-Trillo, 138). Others include a Maserati model estimated at 700,000 euros, and a Bugatti Veyron model (Lewis, 33). However, in the year 2009, the government of France seized these cars, together with his other collections because of corruption claims, and in 2013, these cars were sold on an auction. The US government also seized properties belonging to the President and that of its sons, estimated to be valued at 70 million US dollars. In 2012, the United States issued a warrant of arrest against Teodorin Nguema on charges of corruption, and money laundering. The luxurious lifestyle of Teodorin Nguema did not reflect the salary that he was earning as a state minister (Solo-Trillo, 139). The cabinet of President Teodorin also receives billions of undisclosed oil revenues, which normally goes to finance their luxurious lifestyle. In a bid to prevent such kind of information from reaching the public, the government of President Teodorin Mbasogo constantly harasses the media, and foreign nationals seeking to report on the conditions of Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 133). Despite these allegations and accusations against Teodirin Nguema, president Nguema government defended him against them, and even appointed him as the second vice president of Equatorial Guinea, and a possible successor of his father. Other family members holding positions in Guinea include, Gabriel Mbaga, who is another son of the president, and he is the minister in charge of energy and oil, and Candido Okomo who heads GEPetrol, the official oil company in Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 131). It is important to understand that corruption plays a great role in undermining development within a given state. This is because the funds that could be channeled to development projects, are misused and stolen, as a result, there won’t be any money to fund the development projects in the country. It is important to denote that because of nepotism in government appointments, senior officials in the government of President Teodorin are not accountable for their activities (Solo-Trillo, 132). This is because they know that in case they do not deliver, or are engaged in corrupt activities, their patrons, who are high in the government circles, will protect them. Nepotism and corruption are not the only problem affecting Equatorial Guinea. Another major problem affecting this country is lack of a free press. Local journalists in Equatorial Guinea are unable to speak against major scandals and corrupt activities in the country (Solo-Trillo, 125). This is because the press and the media are heavily censored, and there is always a risk of reprisal in case the media highlights an issue that does not augur well with the government. It is further important to understand that the local media in Equatorial Guinea are always owned by people closer to the President, and on this basis, it is always difficult for them to criticize the policies that the President enacts. Scholar denotes that without free flow of information, it is very difficult for a state to achieve economic, political as well as social development. This is because with availability of information, public officials within a given state will be held accountable for their actions, as well as a free and an independent media will promote democracy (Solo-Trillo, 127). It is important to denote that democratic countries are characterized by economic growth and development. Furthermore, the judicial system of the country is not independent, as the President is considered as the Chief Magistrate. He oversees a body that is responsible for appointing and dismissing judges, and on this basis, the President cannot be held accountable for his actions (Solo-Trillo, 129). This promotes corruption and lack of accountability amongst senior government officials, and on this basis, Equatorial Guinea lacks behind in terms of development. Another country that has been faced with poor leadership system is Sierra Leone. After approximately 10 years of the civil war in Sierra Leone, the government and the people of Sierra Leone still face a wide variety of challenges, and this includes widespread poverty, weak governance, and systematic corruption (Shaw, 272). The anti-corruption institutions established in Sierra Leone do not have enough resources such as skilled workers to tackle the problems associated with corruption in Sierra Leone. With the peaceful elections of 2007, there are some positive developments in Sierra Leone in regard to fighting corruption and weak governance in the country. The new government established in 2007 has been able to strengthen the capabilities of the country’s anti-corruption commission, and its ability to prosecute high level corruption cases (Shaw, 279). The country also boosts of an independent media that is free from government regulation and censorship. The country also benefi ts from a good international image, with an increase in international investors within the country. However, it is important to denote that the road to political stability and economic development in Sierra Leone has not been easy. This is because since independence the political leadership in Sierra Leone was characterized by corruption, nepotism, a weak social society, electoral violence, and a collapse of the country’s education system (Shaw, 281). It is important to understand that Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. It is important to understand that during the first four years after independence, Sierra Leone under the leadership of Milton Margai was prosperous (Shaw, 276). This is because Milton Margai, the first prime minister saw leadership as a chance to serve the people, as opposed to following selfish interests. However, after his death in 1964, the new leadership of Sierra Leone, led by Albert Margai was undemocratic, corrupt, and they practiced nepotism. For example, in the 1967 elections of Sierra Leone, Albert Margai could not tolerate any person opposing his party. He used violence and threats to intimidate the opposition parties into submission (Bangura and Marda, 22). It is important to understand that due to corrupt related activities, there were riots in Sierra Leone, leading to the fall of Albert Margai. After the fall of Albert Margai, the army under Steven Sisaka carried out a coup, and installed Steven Sisaka as the new leader of Siera Leone. This was in April 1968. Sierra Leone was characterized by military coups that replaced one military leader, with another (Bangura and Marda, 41). It is important to denote that with the entry of Sisaka Steven, a military leader, Sierra Leone turned into a one party state, as opposed to the constitutional democracy it was, during the leadership of the Margais. The leadership of Sisaka Stevens saw the destruction of the parliament, and any other forms of accountability such as the judic iary and other governance institutions. The leadership style of Stevens was characterized by executions, torture, control of information, and corruption. In 1985, Major General Joseph Momoh took power from Sisaka Stevens, who opted to step down. Momoh led Sierra Leone for seven years, leading to widespread corruption, and a total collapse of the Sierra Leonean economy (Bangura and Marda, 49). Due to lack of accountability and poor leadership, the government was unable to pay the salaries of its civil workers, and important commodities like energy were very scarce in Sierra Leone. The education system also collapsed, with many youths roaming the streets of Free town idle. This also led to a brain drain, where professional of Sierra Leone fled to country, and went overseas in search of a good life. By 1991, this country was ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world, and an all out civil war broke out in Sierra Leone (Bangura and Marda, 36). On this basis, it is important to understand that due to poor leadership, Sie rra Leone the government of Sierra Leone was unable to provide services to its citizens, leading to the fall of the government under consideration. In conclusion, poor leadership is one of the main reasons as to why Sierra Leone experienced a bitter civil war, and Equatorial Guinea is lagging behind in economic, social and political development. It is important to understand that due to poor leadership, people in Sierra Leone became very poor, and they were unable to afford education and other basic needs such as food and clean water, as a result, they were lured by rebel movements to fight within its ranks. Sierra Leone learnt from this bitter civil war that took place between 1991, to the early years of 2000s. As a result, Sierra Leone is a practicing democratic country, having established good institutions of governance, for purposes of checking the executive government. On the other hand Equatorial Guinea still continues with this practice of poor governance, and this is mainly because its hasn’t experienced a change in hands in terms of governance. As a result, Equatorial Guinea is considered as one of the poor count ries of the world, with its people lacking the very basic needs. Works Cited: Bangura, Joseph J., and Marda Mustapha. Sierra Leone beyond the LomeÃÅ'  Peace Accord. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. Lewis, Marvin A.. An introduction to the literature of Equatorial Guinea between colonialism and dictatorship. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007. Print. Rotberg, Robert I.. Governance and leadership in Africa. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Print. Shaw, Ibrahim Seaga. The politics of humanitarian intervention: a critical analogy of the British response to end the slave trade and the civil war in Sierra Leone. Journal of Global Ethics 6.3 (2010): 273-285. Print. Solo-Trillo, Eduardo. Equatorial Guinea: an Eternal Present. Journal of Conflictology 4.2 (2013): 124-159. Print.

There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College There are many arguments to support the abolishment of core classes in college. One reason is a financial one: a great bulk of tuition money that the students pay to college is for their courses. It is not right to have the college take this money and make the student's decisions for them. The students should have the right to make this decision on their own. This does not only make for unwisely spent funds, but also unhappy students who are therfore not going appreciate a forced class. Secondly, college is where a person goes to discover him/herself. This is one of the many goals of the college system, and that discovery process is hindered by unneeded, mandatory classes. Students should be able to try many different classes to discover what interests them the most, not to be fed knowledge that they very well might know already (and is perhaps of no interest to them). If required courses were eliminated, it would free up much time that students could then use to pursue their own interests. College exists to help people become unique individuals, not to put every person into the same standard mold. Thirdly, college selection systems are designed to admit most students on the basis of what they know already (after all, the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college). If the selection system was actually accurate or efficient, they would have chosen students who already knew the material that was required, thus not needing to take the core classes. This would save funding for the university because they would not have to teach redundant classes that only review what a student knows. For an institution that promotes self discovery and educational freedom, mandatory courses seem to be dogmatically needless. There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College There are many arguments to support the abolishment of core classes in college. One reason is a financial one: a great bulk of tuition money that the students pay to college is for their courses. It is not right to have the college take this money and make the student's decisions for them. The students should have the right to make this decision on their own. This does not only make for unwisely spent funds, but also unhappy students who are therfore not going appreciate a forced class. Secondly, college is where a person goes to discover him/herself. This is one of the many goals of the college system, and that discovery process is hindered by unneeded, mandatory classes. Students should be able to try many different classes to discover what interests them the most, not to be fed knowledge that they very well might know already (and is perhaps of no interest to them). If required courses were eliminated, it would free up much time that students could then use to pursue their own interests. College exists to help people become unique individuals, not to put every person into the same standard mold. Thirdly, college selection systems are designed to admit most students on the basis of what they know already (after all, the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college). If the selection system was actually accurate or efficient, they would have chosen students who already knew the material that was required, thus not needing to take the core classes. This would save funding for the university because they would not have to teach redundant classes that only review what a student knows. For an institution that promotes self discovery and educational freedom, mandatory courses seem to be dogmatically needless.

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As... The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As...

Marketing :: essays research papers

American companies take many things into consideration when marketing products in other countries. The article â€Å"Tough Cookies† by Oliver Libaw, and the article â€Å"Not so fast† by Jean-Marc Lehu discuss marketing American Products in other countries. â€Å"Tough Cookies† discussed Nabisco and their success of selling Oreos and Chips Ahoy in Mexico. â€Å"Not so fast† discussed the triumph of the store Crazy George, which is like American Rent-A-Center, in the United Kingdom and their failure in France. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was established in 1994, made it possible for Nabisco to sell their products in Mexico. NAFTA produced almost free trade between the United States and Mexico. The European Union (EU) did basically the same thing as NAFTA in Europe. EU produced many marketing advantages because it made it possible not to have to market items by one nation at a time. NAFTA and EU make marketing products in other countries easier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nabisco took a big chance by marketing their cookies in Mexico. Nabisco succeeded in establishing their products even though Mexico was in a recession. The company realized that there was an open opportunity for their products. In Mexico there was not a cookie exactly like theirs. Oreo and Chips Ahoy are the best selling cookies in the United States so they thought that the products might do the same in Mexico. They did not have an expansive advertising campaign. Instead they relied on in-store promotions. On reason for their success is that they have a strong distribution and name recognition. Many people did not think that the product would sell, even though they have great presence. There are two main events that might have helped Nabisco. One event is that snack foods are cheaper, so instead of eating more expensive, healthy foods, people switched to a substitute. Another event is that the people who were buying the cookies are the wealthier individuals, which price would not effect them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is research that proved to Nabisco that they would be successful in Mexico. There are generalizations that have been discovered for many cultures, each culture respond to products and marketing differently. Hispanic culture as a whole are very name brand oriented, they especially American products. They are willing to pay a little extra for quality that goes along with a name of a product. This would make sense for the success of Nabisco. Their cookies are slightly more expensive then other cookies but they were still successful in the Mexican market. Nabisco also did not spend much on advertising, they relied on word of mouth to get their name around. The buying pattern of the Hispanic culture suggests that they listen

Of Mice and Men Characters Essay

In the novel, Candy and Curley’s wife play a large part of the ideas that Steinbeck wants to convey through â€Å"Of Mice and Men†. Steinbeck shows this via the events and treatments that these two characters undergo. Their speech and actions also indicate major themes in the world they were in and how desperate the era was. Candy presents an element on the sadness in the novel; he’s a unfortunate man who’s passed his expiry date. He’s been involved in an accident and lost his arm and by this, he has been reduced to the swamper of the rank- a very low status job. Steinbeck may specifically choose this job for candy as a swamper (a cleaner) tends to be a job that woman generally work as and in this job, they often gossip a lot like Candy does. He does this as it is the only pleasure that he can experience in his sad rotting life. This paints the portrait of how sad Candy’s background may be and soon this is elaborated on even more in future events. In the middle section of the book, we see how Candy is bullied by Carlson into having his best friend- his dog put down. We know that Candy is very close to his dog as Steinbeck actually chooses to describe the dog very similarly to Candy. They are both old, physically impaired and get described generally as a liability. Steinbeck chooses to describe the dog as â€Å"ancient† which produces strong imagery of a dog being similar to an old antique. Although it may possess positive connotations, it is obvious due to Carlson’s reaction that the dog is old, dirty and has no purpose anymore. Soon after as Carlson enforces the idea, Candy desperately tries to dismiss it. It states how he looked â€Å"helplessly† which shows how reluctant he is but knows there is no other possible outcome. Carlson even shows utter disrespect to his dog by pointing at it with his â€Å"toe†. By using his tower, he suggests that the dog is on par with the lowliest part of his body and doesn’t require the effort to use his hands. Nevertheless, Candy shows no aggression to this outrageous act and concedes to Carlson’s insensitive actions. Steinbeck may choose these chain of events to show how a cruel world the characters and people had to live in. It really puts forward survival of the fittest and shows how depressingly cheap life is since people can easily walk over you when you’re unable to fight for yourself. Even after all the abuse he has received, Candy is still able to show kindness to others. At the point where Candy overhears George’s dream, he slowly asks whether he can join them. We know that he isn’t greedy at this point since he repeatedly mentions how he would willingly try his best with jobs such as â€Å"cook† or â€Å"hoe† despite he â€Å"ain’t much good.† He also says how he is willing to give up all his money he received when he â€Å"los'† his â€Å"hand† and this just shows how he is desperately giving all he has to help them only for a little in return. Steinbeck emphasises how emotionally willing Candy is that he would trade in the compensation for something irreplaceable to him for the benefit of others. This makes the reader sympathize with Candy and understand how strong dreams are in life; how they give people hope, the strength to keep living and the strength to be a nice person again. Curley’s wife on the other hand is the complete opposite. Her story plays a large part in the novel as it shows how dreams can crush people’s hope as easily and they give people hope. Throughout the novel, we have always seen Curley’s wife as the problem. She is described as â€Å"poison† and â€Å"jailbait† by George which initially makes readers dislike her. We feel that she can cause the downfall of our newly made friend’s dreams so she is instantly given a hostility status by Steinbeck. However, he may deliberately do this to create a larger impact when we learn why she may possibly act the way she does. At earlier stages of the novel, we learn how Curley’s wife loves and seeks attention. Steinbeck describes how she was â€Å"standing† at the doorway blocking off the â€Å"sunshine in the doorway† deliberately. This implies that she wants the men in the bunkhouse to look up due to the sudden change as she purposefully blocks the light off so that they would do so. It also describes how she was â€Å"heavily made up† that she was making a large effort to attract attention of the men. The word â€Å"heavily† also has connotations that she was trying to hard to an extent where it had negative effects on her. This may also symbolize her character through physical features- that her personality has been corrupted and turned ugly. In the final stages of the book, we learn what has driven Curley’s wife to act in this aggressive way. Although she speaks to groups of men with hostility, when its one on one, it runs a lot more smoothly and she seems like she enjoys herself. This has a large contract since there is juxtaposition between section 4 and 5. We see her nasty side where she mock George, Lennie and Candy’s dream calling it â€Å"baloney† and â€Å"scoffs at it† yet even herself who has been crushed by her own dream may â€Å"secretly believe†. This shows that beneath this angry cover of hers, may be a vulnerable person who only feels the bitterness and jealousy of other’s happiness hinted by the phrase â€Å"secretly believe†. Steinbeck states this about the cowboy magazines to suggest what type of sad life people live in however, within dreams still lies hope but people are afraid to admit to the hope since they are scared of the criticism others show. This idea is developed implicitly mainly by the word â€Å"secret†. Through this attitude, people have become cynical and cold over the time which is what Steinbeck may want to show us. Curley’s wife shares with Lennie her dream in section 5. The fact that she has never told anyone (which she states herself) shows how underneath all the bitterness she has experienced, the memory of the dream she once had (or partially may still have) changes her to be kind and share her deepest secrets with a stranger. On the other hand, Lennie may be an exception since he is â€Å"nuts† implying that he may be able to keep this secret. Furthermore, we learn how Curley’s wife left home since she had a hunch that her mother â€Å"stole† her letters. The word â€Å"stole† in this context possesses quite negative connotations since Curley’s wife directly accuses her own mother for betraying her. However, this was most likely an excuse and lie to herself since she couldn’t bear the reality of having her dream crushed by the stranger who created it. This yet again emphasises how strong dreams were at this time which broke lives altogether. Compare how female speakers are presented in ‘Havisham’ by Carol Ann Duffy and one poem from the Pre-1914 Poetry Bank. The two female speakers in â€Å"Havisham† and â€Å"The laboratory† both are presented as rather mentally unstable people. They both have experienced rejection from a man and feel belittled or embarrassed by this. However, their reactions and response to this rejection differ to a huge extent. The speaker in â€Å"Havisham† is shown to have rotted away being devoured by her bitterness whereas the speaker in â€Å"Lab† seemed to be slightly more insane driven by her jealous feelings of insecurity to try and kill someone. The bitterness from the character in â€Å"Havisham† is clear from the start. She describes the man who left her as a â€Å"beloved sweetheart bastard†. This use of oxymoron shows several possible connotations. By putting two very opposite words together- one stating strong affection and one stating utter most hate, the idea that beneath the hate she holds against him lies love for him. Elaborating on this may suggest how she may hate him as she can’t have him or even because she actually still loves him deep inside. Above all, this suggests how she can’t seem to let go of him and move on which presents her mental state to the readers. Likewise in â€Å"Lab†, we understand the feelings of the speaker through clever use of language. For instance, Robert Browning chooses to say â€Å"devil’s smithy†. Devil automatically conjures the sense of evil or corruptness whereas a smithy is somewhere where things are made such as weapons (blacksmith). These combined imply that a creation of evil with malicious intent is occurring in the poem. Soon after we discover that the protagonist has experienced similar rejection to that of â€Å"Havisham†. â€Å"He is with her† suggests that the man he wants is with another woman. By referring to them as â€Å"he† and â€Å"her†, it creates an enigmatic feeling or even that their names are insignificant and it is purely the concept that she has been left for a woman who is better than her which causes her rage. We know that she is also jealous when the speaker wishes for the other woman â€Å"breast and her arms and her hands† to â€Å"drop dead†. She specifically chooses these body parts implying that these are the parts which the other women best her at and this is why she hates them. In â€Å"Havisham†, the speakers reaction to this rejection was simply to rot with it burning them. She continues to feel this bitterness as suggested with the word â€Å"Spinster†. This word possesses a harsh consonance sound as if she spits it out with such disgust. It is also a one word sentence which emphasises it and also makes it out to be some what of an insult. The word â€Å"stink and remember† following afterwards reinforces this as if she’s being driven crazy by the thought of people calling her a â€Å"spinster†. Thus all she does for the rest of her days is rot in her hate. We get the impression that she’s been doing this for years since she describes how her â€Å"dress yellowing†- yellowing suggesting dirtying from the years it’s been on her. On the otherhand, the speaker is â€Å"Lab† is made out to be more malicious than having thoughts of hate. As she makes the poison, she describes the creation with very vivid verbal details. â€Å"Grind away, moisten and mash up† create strong imagery and each of the verbs hold strong care in creating something. By suggesting this care and importance that has gone into the poison, it seems that she really relishes the creation. And finally as she fantasises about how delicious the event would be, she thinks about how the â€Å"dying face† would be â€Å"branded† into the male characters mind. She wants to mentally scar him with the horrendous image possibly for punishment or to make him see how ugly the other woman is when she becomes â€Å"shrivelled† suggesting how her face would become contorted with agony. As she describes this with such detail and precision, the poet presents to us how malicious and bitter the speaker is. A thus through use of language and theme, the poets have successfully produces a very clear image of the bitter, hate filled speakers and how they’ve become this way and even how they have dealt with this. The speaker in â€Å"Havisham† rotting and â€Å"yellowing† opposed to the â€Å"minion† in â€Å"Lab† who relishes in the thought of killing and branding someone with the scarring image of death.