Childhood Obesity and Fast Food Essays -- Obesity in Children

In recent years there has been a growing epidemic of obesity, especially in America. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey posted on the Center for Disease Control website there are 12.5 million children from ages 2 through 19 that are obese. Many people are starting to complain that the commercials and ads for these restaurants are the result of such an incline in obesity. Although there have been current ad campaigns aiming at children to live a healthy life style there are still hundreds of advertisements that are putting restaurants in a sort of ultimatum position. Either restaurants change their advertisements or they improve their menus. In 1979 McDonalds debuted their world famous Happy Meals to the public. It included a hamburger, soft drink, French fries, and do not forget a toy, which the happy meals have become so famed for having. To this day McDonald's as well as Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy's all offer a kid's meal that accompanies a toy . Children of course don't seem to mind the free gift they receive with every meal; however parents are becoming enraged that the free toy is a lousy gimmick making kids unhealthy. Most of these advertisements use current children's movies and already existing toys. The ads are also not limited to games and prizes that are usually attached on the bag or box of the meal. Pretty much the more popular the toy the more likely children are going to ask their parents to buy the meal. Well some parents and advocates have had enough of the promotion of toys and have taken strides to no longer have toys in their child's meal. One county in particular, Santa Clara in California, has already started the movement to ban toys. In April of 2010 6 county officials vo... ...move.gov/ ? About McDonalds_2011. McDonald's Corporation. Web. 26 Apr 13 2011 http://www. aboutmcdonalds .com/ mcd Fast Food facts_2011. Rudd Center. Web. 26 Apr 2011 http://fastfoodmarketing.org/ ? 10 Webley, Kayla. "A Brief History of McDonald's Happy Meal-TIME." Fri. 30 Apr 2010 5 Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews-TIME.com. Web. 27 Apr 2011. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599, 1986073,00.html 4 "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Childhood: Data |DNPAO| CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 27 Apr. 2011 http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/ data .html 9 "san Francisco Bans The Happy Meal." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 2 Jan. 2011. 27 Apr. 2011. 8 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/02/san-francisco-happy-meal-ban- mcdonalds_n_777939.html

Chemestry Assessed Practical :: Papers

Chemestry Assessed Practical Variables: The variables for this practical are: 1. The metal that it used- magnesium, copper or iron. 2. The amount of metal that is used- any amount as long as it is divisible by 0.5 grams. 3. The concentration of the solution of the solution- molarity 0.1M or 0.5M. I am going to change the amount of metal. Fair Test: To make this a fair test I must keep everything constant except the variable (the amount of metal). But even the variable must be changed at a consistent rate (going up in 0.5g). Method Apparatus List:  · Copper Sulfate solution (0.5M).  · Powdered magnesium (15g in total).  · 2x Beaker.  · Measuring cylinder.  · Safety goggles. Measurements: I am going to use 50cm ³ of copper sulfate and then us the following measurements of powdered magnesium 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g, 2.0g, and 2.5g. =================================================================== Safety: I will wear safety goggles throughout the experiment, I will be careful when I pour the solution and when I am shaking it I will shake it gently. Equations: [IMAGE]Magnesium + Copper Magnesium + Copper Sulfate Sulfate [IMAGE]Mg + CuSO4 MgSO4 + Cu Method: I will measure out 50cm ³ of copper sulfate solution (0.5M) in a measuring cylinder then add it to a polystyrene cup, as polystyrene is a bad conductor of heat. Before I add the magnesium I will wait until the copper sulfate solution is at a consistent temperature and take and record the start temperature. I will then add the desired amount of magnesium (as it already weighed out for me) to the copper sulfate solution. I will observe what happens and measure the temperature change from the start to 1 minute and to 2 minutes. I will repeat this twice and then work out an average temperature change for each separate amount of powdered magnesium. If I get a result that is completely different to the other one then I will record this as a Chemestry Assessed Practical :: Papers Chemestry Assessed Practical Variables: The variables for this practical are: 1. The metal that it used- magnesium, copper or iron. 2. The amount of metal that is used- any amount as long as it is divisible by 0.5 grams. 3. The concentration of the solution of the solution- molarity 0.1M or 0.5M. I am going to change the amount of metal. Fair Test: To make this a fair test I must keep everything constant except the variable (the amount of metal). But even the variable must be changed at a consistent rate (going up in 0.5g). Method Apparatus List:  · Copper Sulfate solution (0.5M).  · Powdered magnesium (15g in total).  · 2x Beaker.  · Measuring cylinder.  · Safety goggles. Measurements: I am going to use 50cm ³ of copper sulfate and then us the following measurements of powdered magnesium 0.5g, 1.0g, 1.5g, 2.0g, and 2.5g. =================================================================== Safety: I will wear safety goggles throughout the experiment, I will be careful when I pour the solution and when I am shaking it I will shake it gently. Equations: [IMAGE]Magnesium + Copper Magnesium + Copper Sulfate Sulfate [IMAGE]Mg + CuSO4 MgSO4 + Cu Method: I will measure out 50cm ³ of copper sulfate solution (0.5M) in a measuring cylinder then add it to a polystyrene cup, as polystyrene is a bad conductor of heat. Before I add the magnesium I will wait until the copper sulfate solution is at a consistent temperature and take and record the start temperature. I will then add the desired amount of magnesium (as it already weighed out for me) to the copper sulfate solution. I will observe what happens and measure the temperature change from the start to 1 minute and to 2 minutes. I will repeat this twice and then work out an average temperature change for each separate amount of powdered magnesium. If I get a result that is completely different to the other one then I will record this as a

Isaac Asimov: Envisioning the Future of Our Own Humanity

â€Å"If it brings me humanity, that will be worth it. If it doesn't, it will bring an end to striving and that will be worth it, too. † (The Bicentennial Man 22). Isaac Asimov, a dreamer who with humble beginnings pushed science fiction into the beginnings of reality. There is no one quite like Asimov. He has written more on more subjects, and better on more subjects, and more unexpectedly on most subjects, and in more ways on more subjects, than anyone else in the field. He writes poetry, limericks, short stories, novels, essays, articles, nonfiction books, trilogies, jokes and so on-more of them than anyone else could imagine (The Bicentennial Man 1). With all his intelligence, and all his heart, he fought for a world in which his ideas could become reality. His humanity was found in his struggle to educate us all, encouraging us to expand our horizons beyond our own lack of knowledge. This fact is alluded to in an article he wrote to Newsweek in the 1980s, â€Å"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge’† (â€Å"A Cult of Ignorance† 19). His view of the world included us understanding. His oppression was caused by our ignorance. Isaac Asimov was born sometime between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 (In Memory Yet Green 1). His parents did not remember the exact date of his birth but claim it to be around that time. He himself celebrated it on January 2nd (In Memory Yet Green 1). He was born to Anna Rachel Berman Asimov and Judah Asimov, a Jewish Russian couple. At the age of three, his whole family immigrated to the United States to the city of Brooklyn, New York (Biblio). Asimov graduated high school early, starting college and writing his first published novel which he completed by the end of college (http://psu. edu). Asimov was a man who spent his entire life writing. His earliest writings were found in magazines. His friend and publisher John W. Campbell saw his early stories as rough but promising (http://psu. edu). The story that really launched his career was Nightfall. Nightfall was a simple story, written about how a society could potentially collapse if great change occurs even if that change is not inherently negative. In Nightfall and Other Stories, he writes, â€Å"The writing of ‘Nightfall' was a watershed in my professional career †¦ I was suddenly taken seriously and the world of science fiction became aware that I existed. As the years passed, in fact, it became evident that I had written a ‘classic'† (Nightfall and Other Stories). His career and fame continued to grow as the years passed. Beginning in 1942 and ending in 1945 he worked for the Philadelphia Naval Air Experimental Station (Biblio). During this time he started work on five novelettes and four novellas that are now known as the Foundation Trilogy. Of the trilogy, Charles Elkins of DePauw University wrote, â€Å"Among SF series, surely none has enjoyed such spectacular popularity as Isaac Asimov’s Foundation stories† (http://psu. edu). The Foundation series received numerous awards for its quality and content, eventually ending up in a Hugo award for Asimov (WorldsWithoutEnd). In the Foundation series, through the use of science fiction he tackled the issues he was passionate about. In his novel Pebble in the Sky he writes about racism. The story is written in the view of humans of other worlds holding a prejudice against Earth-dwellers because they â€Å"simply do not like the Earth† (http://psu. edu). He also tackled another issue that lays claim to how he lived his life. In book three of the foundation series, The Mayors, he begins to describe a religion that focuses on science (Foundation). As an atheistic humanist minority in a culture that was vastly overpoweringly theist, the best approach he took to tackling the issue of religion was through science fiction. As an educator at heart, he just wanted us to challenge the status quo with what we understand. In The Mayors, the religion of science worships a mythical galactic spirit. It is strikingly similar in some respects to modern religion, as this storybook religion had both a prophet, a story of how it all began, and a book of rules to live by (Foundation). His views on religion can be read inside the stories that he wrote. The life of Asimov cannot simply be summed up in a short phrase or story. He was an influential writer, attacking literature in many different writing formats. He fought for the rights of others, shaping our belief systems through the use of storytelling. He pushed for greater desire to learn in all of us, by writing of a robot that learned to become human (The Bicentennial Man 22). The call to be human and to remind us to be human was the goal of Asimov.

Personal Recounts- a Day in the Life of Superman

A day in the life of Superman I nearly died today . I could not help but toss and turn in bed and think about how horrible my day had been . what would have happened if the Atomic Skull had hit me on my head. â€Å"Someone help me! † old . Auntie Mary was lost in the jungle. She could not find her way out and was shouting frantically for help. The sun was setting. Auntie Mary was shouting for help because she had now been captured by the notorious Atomic Skull. He was notorious because of his habit of abducting little children and the elderly. Ha ha, now nobody can save you,† laughed the Atomic Skull but he was wrong and I had heard Auntie Mary. The Atomic Skull’s teeth were a disgusting sight to look at and his face was bigger than his body. â€Å" Superman to the rescue,† I was on my way to the spot where Auntie Mary was since he was already near the jungle. I was just flying past the jungle at that time. The jungle was eerie and gloomy and had a lot of t rees. No longer than a minute had passed when I arrived at the spot where Auntie Mary was. There was one problem, she and the Atomic Skull were not there anymore.The Atomic Skull had brought her somewhere. I started to look for Auntie Mary. She was nowhere in sight. Then, I heard the rustling of leaves. I turned around and saw that there was a pile of leaves nearby which could have been used to hide behind. I then had an idea. I crept the other way round the tree to the back of the pile of leaves. That was when I saw the creepy Atomic Skull. The Atomic Skull saw me and we began to fight. There was a lot of action as well as blood. The Atomic Skull could feel a punch on his cheek and felt his hand raising up to hit me.He had a scythe in the other hand and had the mean thought of hitting me with it. Auntie Mary could not bear this sight so she turned around. I was wise and had known that earlier so I kicked the scythe out of the Atomic Skulls hand. The Atomic Skull was helpless now he was powerless and could not do anything but ask for forgiveness or so I thought so. Just as I turned around with Auntie Mary, the Atomic Skull, being very nasty, crept towards his scythe and picked it up, aimed it at me. Just as he was about to throw it, I turned around saw what the Atomic Skull was up to.I ducked just in time and gave the Atomic Skull one last kick of mine which was one of the famous style of kicks. The Atomic Skull lay there, groaning in pain as if he had fallen from a tree which was very high and broke a bone or two. â€Å"Better luck next time, Atomic Skull. Always remember that where there is evil ,there is good and where there is you , there is me! Ha ha! † I was smiling to myself because I had just realised that I had spent two hours thinking of what had happened instead of sleeping. â€Å" How silly of me! † he said before he started to snore.

Strategic human resource management

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENTStrategic human resource is planned procedure of human resource deployment to accomplish organisations end, it is consist of right HR patterns and direction determinations. Wright and McMahan ( 1992 ) , the logic of strategic direction harmonizing to articulation of the black box it shows the nexus between the HR architecture and its subsequent public presentation. Brian E. Becker and Mark A. ( 2006 ) , indispensable portion of the SHRM is consistently associate the people with the house. Schuler and Jackson ( 2007: 5 ) Human resource direction is of import section in most of the organisation, it is straight or indirectly involves all direction determinations, execution and actions, it’s chiefly focus on do a strong, long term relationship between the direction and it employees. Beer El Al ( 1984 ) , HRM is connected with all the all the activities including engaging people, using and pull offing them, the direction covers with Strategic, cognition, human capital, corporate societal duty, resourcing, organisation development, larning and development and public presentation and reward direction. M Armstrong. S Taylor. ( 2014: 4 ) . In the UK legion statements, development and unfavorable judgment occurred to the Human resource direction, Legge ( 2005: 101 ) criticised the statement of Armstrong 1987 ; Fowler 1987, and UK faculty members, Henry and Pettigrew ( 1990:18 ) , they mentioned that HRM was strongly normative at the start and it is identified and supply proposed solution noticeable alterations, while supplying more attending to the demanding lacks – in attitudes, way, range and coherency – of old forces direction. Armstrong argued that HRM is no more and no less than to personal direction it’s clearly bespeaking the of import of handling people as cardinal resource, chief concern of the top direction and its strategic planning procedure of the organisation. The Contingency Model Harmonizing to eventuality theory HRM practises are chiefly depend on its environment and state of affairss, its chiefly focal point on doing a relationship between the organisations HR patterns, policies and schemes and its concern scheme adapt to its external and internal environment. Paauwe ( 2004: 36 ) clarified: ‘ connexion between the independent variables such as HRM policies and patterns, it is different to each company harmonizing to their size, age and engineering, capital strength, grade of unionisation, ownership, location and industry sector.’ The Harvard Model Human resource direction has an impact or power on all direction determinations, doing good relationship between the organisation and employees while happening the piece happening the actions impacting the relationship, organisation should see employee as a possible plus than variable cost, besides its says about the duty of line director. The line director has more duty to do certain HR policies and competitory scheme. Characteristic of SHRM Strategic HRM is a procedure of an organisation to use their people to accomplish ends, SHRM considers people as a chief plus to the organisation, they can accomplish these ends by utilizing HR schemes and patterns and incorporate HR policies. M Armstrong. S Taylor. ( 2014: 18 ) . HR patterns help the organisation to do their determination on strategic program, through strategic program organisations can accomplish their determination on overall or precise HR scheme, SHRM is see non merely strategic besides integrate with concern and HR, illustration how they do concern and program to make. 1.2 Importance of the Strategic Human resource Management An effectual HR scheme sets to accomplish what an organisation needs to accomplishAble to fulfill and carry through concern demands.It can be an effectual and efficient programmes.The actions can happen and expect demand and the jobs.It is logically connect support each otherIdentify the demands of the organisation and its other interest holders besides line directors and employees.Human capital direction This theory chiefly see on how people contribute to the organisation utilizing their accomplishments, cognition and abilities to increase the productiveness. Management should clearly explicate the objects, demands and wants of the organisation to employees, by doing the relationship with them and their trade brotherhoods. M Armstrong. S Taylor. ( 2014: 7, 28 ) . Making common involvement between the organisation and their employees by supplying needed support to their households and demoing involvement in response to that inquiring employees to make the same think to the organisation. J Mello ( 2014: 22 ) Corporate Scheme Showing the organisations duty to the society and environment through pull offing the concern ethically. Designing and implementing policies which help to increase the employees and their part to the organisation by their effectivity, making new programmes to increase the effectivity among them to react to the alteration and the maps. M Armstrong. S Taylor. ( 2014: 27 ) . 1.3 Framework of Strategic Human Resource Management The Harvard Model Harmonizing to Beer et Al ( 1984 ) , Organization should see people as an of import plus than a variable cost, he believed that many jobs are demanding larger and longer finally shows the necessity of the long term relationship in pull offing people. The model shows that job can be solved merely when general director want see how their employees traveling to execute on new development in the organisation, such as following HR policies and patterns to accomplish their specific ends. Armstrong ( 2003 ) Line director should cook to confront increased duty to puting policies with mission and set uping competitory scheme besides identify the right method to develop and implement his personal activities reciprocally. Beer et Al ( 1984 ) Huczynski and Buchanan ( 2001 ) and Loosemore et Al ( 2003 ) mentioned that Harvard theoretical account equipped the needed connexion between organisations public presentation, the concern environment and SHRM determinations. It provide more easy method to place how SHRM act uponing other organisational activities. The Harvard Framework ( Beer et al. , 1984 ) nnnnnk Advantages of the theoretical account harmonizing to Boxall ( 1992 ) and Armstrong ( 2003 )Identifying stakeholder which helps organisation to corporate with them.It acknowledges a wide scope of contextual influences on management’s pick of scheme, proposing a engagement of both product-market and socio-culturalIt provided the uncertainty of supervisory manner, meanwhile giving more infinite to the employee influence.It place and increase the involvement among the employer, employees and different involvement groups.Strongly depend on direction voice, non controlled by the environment or state of affairs.2.1 Strategic Human Resource Procedure HRD Audit HR Roles in Constructing a Competitive Organization Future/Strategic Focus Management of Management of Strategic Human Transformation Resourcesand alteration PROCESSPEOPLE Management ofManagement of Firm InfrastructureEmployee Contribution It is varies from short term operational to long term strategic, HR professional should understand the both strategic and operational method to supply more focal point on long and short term activities, these two procedure define the most of import principal of HR activity. D Ulrich ( 2013: 24 )Pull offing the Strategic Human Resources.Pull offing the Organizations substructure.Pull offing the employee’s part.Pull offing the organisation alteration the transmutation.2.2 Role of top direction Strategic HR function of front- line direction Strategic leader should be able to expect and calculate necessary alterations to the organisation in the hereafter. ( Hitt, Ireland, & A ; Hoskisson 2007: 375 ) . It involves in different map in the organisation, pull offing the employees harmonizing to the demand of the administration is of import function for the direction. The leading should accept and construct a strong connexion between organisations external and internal concern environment. ( Huey 1994: 42–50 ) Some of the recognized feature which strategic leading contribute to implement the effectual strategic direction.Determine and plan the strategic way.Organization map should be balanced.Adequate usage of organisations resources.Following right patterns ethicallyImplementing organisational civilizationStrategic director should follow all the above strategic action to lend, implement and accomplish all the administration strategic leading ends. ( Hitt et al. 2007: 384 ) . Reason for the most of strategic management’s failure is hapless execution and deficiency of leading. HR Function Now both private and public sector organisation confronting the challenges to increase their corporate public presentation, HR map most of import among that, to accomplish the organisations efficiency and effectivity in their mark public presentation they need a transmutation, merely they can accomplish this by animating HR map. MI Hunter, MA Boroughs, MT Bendrien, MS Constance†¦ – 2012 – books.google.com Technology has the of import portion in transmutation of HR, in the traditional HR attempt and cost are high because of the deficiency of engineering. Now HR transmutation in to the new engineering provides the increased public presentation and added value to the HR map and concern itself, familiar with this connexion of the strategic attempt is of import, finally it will take to accomplish the key ( transactional and administrative ) activities of the HR’s following coevals. MI Hunter, MA Boroughs, MT Bendrien, MS Constance ( 2012: 2 ) – books.google.com

Mercedes Benz Essay

Mercedes-Benz (German pronunciation: [mÉ›Ê Ã‹Ë†tÍ ¡seË dÉ™s ˈbÉ›ntÍ ¡s]) is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG, and the brand is used for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Germany. The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz but traces its origins to Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’s 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz’s 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first automobile. Mercedes-Benz’s slogan is â€Å"Das Beste oder nichts† (English: â€Å"The best or nothing†). Mercedes-Benz is part of the â€Å"German Big 3† luxury automakers, along with Audi and BMW, which are the three best selling luxury automakers in the world.[1][2] Contents [hide] Karl Benz made the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first automobile, in Mannheim, Germany Mercedes-Benz traces its origins to Karl Benz’s creation of the first petrol-powered car, the Benz Patent Motorwagen, patented in January 1886[3] and Gottlieb Daimler and engineer Wilhelm Maybach’s conversion of a stagecoach by the addition of a petrol engine later that year. The Mercedes automobile was first marketed in 1901 by Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. The first Mercedes-Benz brand name vehicles were produced in 1926, following the merger of Karl Benz’s and Gottlieb Daimler’s companies into the Daimler-Benz company.[3] Throughout the 1930s, Mercedes-Benz produced the 770 model, a car that was popular during Germany’s Nazi period. Adolf Hitler was known to have driven multiple of these cars during his time in power, with bulletproof windshields. Most of the surviving models have been sold at auctions to private buyers. One of them is currently on display at the War Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. Mercedes-Benz has introduced many technological and safety innovations that later became common in other vehicles.[4] Mercedes-Benz is one of the best known and established automotive brands in the world, and is also the world’s oldest automotive brand still in existence today. For information relating to the famous three-pointed star, see under the title Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft including the merger into Daimler-Benz. Subsidiaries and alliances[edit source | editbeta] As part of the Daimler AG company, the Mercedes-Benz Cars division includes Mercedes-Benz and Smart car production.[5] Mercedes-AMG[edit source | editbeta] Mercedes-AMG became a majority owned division of Mercedes-Benz in 1998.[6] The company was integrated into DaimlerChrysler in 1999,[7] and became Mercedes-Benz AMG beginning on 1 January 1999.[8] Mercedes-Benz McLaren[edit source | editbeta] Between 2003 and 2009, Mercedes-Benz produced a limited-production sports car with McLaren Cars. The resulting Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was an extension of the collaboration by which Mercedes engines are used by the Team McLaren-Mercedes Formula One racing team, which was then part owned by Mercedes. McLaren ceased production of the SLR in 2009 and went on to develop its own car, the McLaren MP4-12C, launched in 2011. Maybach[edit source | editbeta] Daimler’s ultra-luxury brand Maybach was under Mercedes-Benz cars division until 2013, when the production stopped due to poor sales volumes. Production[edit source | editbeta] Factories[edit source | editbeta] Besides its native Germany, Mercedes-Benz vehicles are also manufactured or assembled in: Argentina – manufactures buses, trucks and the Sprinter van. This is the first Mercedes-Benz factory outside of Germany. Built in 1951.[9] Austria (G-Class)[10] Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil[11] – manufactures trucks and buses. Established in 1956. The A-Class (W168) was produced from 1999 to 2005 and the C-Class was produced until 2010 as well. Canada China Egypt via Egyptian German Automotive Company Hungary[12] India (Pune)[13] India, Chennai (Daimler India Commercial Vehicle ) – Trucks & Engine Manufacturing unit India, Bangalore (R&D) Indonesia[14] Iran (not since 2010[15]) Malaysia[16] Mexico – (Mercedes-Benz Mexico fully manufactures some Mercedes and Daimler vehicles completely from locally built parts (C-Class, E-Class, M-Class, International trucks, Axor, Atego, and Mercedes Buses), manufactures other models in complete knock down kits (CL-Class, CLK-Class, SL-Class, SLK-Class) and manufactures a select number of models in semi knockdown kits which use both imported components and locally sourced Mexican components (S-Class, CLS-Class, R-Class, GL-Class, Sprinter). Nigeria[17] – assembly of buses, trucks, utility motors and the Sprinter van Philippines Russia – joint venture Mercedes-Benz Car Trucks Vostok in Naberezhnye Chelny (jointly Kamaz) .Available in trucks Actros, Axor, multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks Unimog. Spain – factory at Vitoria-Gasteiz, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Viano and V-Class have been built there. South Africa[18] South Korea – Mercedes-Benz Musso and MB100 models manufactured by SsangYong Motor Company. Thailand – assembly of C, E and S class vehicles by the Thonburi Group[19] Turkey (Mercedes-Benz Tà ¼rk A.Åž.)[20] United Kingdom – the SLR sports car was built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. Brackley, Northamptonshire, is home to the Mercedes Grand Prix factory, and Brixworth, Northamptonshire is the location of Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines United States – the Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sport Utility, the R-Class Sport Tourer, and the full-sized GL-Class Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle are all built at the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International production facility near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.[21] Trucks (6,000 per year in the late seventies) were once assembled in Hampton, VA.[22] Vietnam – assembly of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. Established in 1995.[23] Jordan : buses company factory Elba House, Amman . Quality rankings[edit source | editbeta] Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had maintained a reputation for its quality and durability. Objective measures looking at passenger vehicles, such as J. D. Power surveys, demonstrated a downturn in reputation in these criteria in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality, a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according to J. D. Power.[24] In J. D. Power’s Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place and earning several awards for its models.[25] For 2008, Mercedes-Benz’s initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, to fourth place.[26] On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant.[26] J. D. Power’s 2011 US Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability Studies both ranked Mercedes-Benz vehicles above average in build quality and reliability.[27][28] In the 2011 UK J. D. Power Survey, Mercedes cars rated above average.[29] Models[edit source | editbeta] Mercedes-Benz A-Class (compact) Mercedes-Benz C-Class (D-segment) Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (4-door coupà ©) Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Executive car) Mercedes-Benz S-Class (luxury sedan) Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (sportscar) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series (supercar) Mercedes-Benz M-Class (luxury SUV) Current model range[edit source | editbeta] Mercedes-Benz carries a full range of passenger, light commercial and heavy commercial equipment. Vehicles are manufactured in multiple countries worldwide. The Smart marque of city cars and Maybach luxury cars are also produced by Daimler AG. Models: A-Class – Hatchback B-Class – Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) C-Class – Saloon, Estate & Coupà © CL-Class – Luxury Coupà © CLA-Class – 4 Door Coupà © CLS-Class – 4 Door Coupà © E-Class – Saloon, Estate, Coupà © and Cabriolet G-Class – Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) GL-Class – Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) GLA-Class – Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) GLK-Class – Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) M-Class – Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) R-Class – Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) S-Class – Luxury Sedan SL-Class – Roadster SLK-Class – Roadster SLS AMG – Coupà © and Roadster Viano – Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Citan – Mini MPV Trucks[edit source | editbeta] See also: List of Mercedes-Benz trucks Mercedes-Benz Zetros used for snowplowing Unimog, a famous allround vehicle by Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Trucks is now part of the Daimler Trucks division, and includes companies that were part of the DaimlerChrysler merger. Gottlieb Daimler sold the world’s first truck in 1886.[30] Buses[edit source | editbeta] Main article: Mercedes-Benz buses Mercedes-Benz produces a wide range of buses and coaches, mainly for Europe and Asia. The first model was produced by Karl Benz in 1895. Limousines[edit source | editbeta] The Mercedes-Benz 600 or 600S Pullman Guard limousines offer a â€Å"bulletproof† option and have been used by diplomats worldwide.[31] Vans[edit source | editbeta] Mercedes-Benz Sprinter used as a police bus Mercedes-Benz Viano Mercedes-Benz produces a range of vans including the Mercedes-Benz Vito, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Mercedes-Benz Vario. In 2012 it announced the Mercedes-Benz Citan, a version of the Renault Kangoo. The first factory to be built outside Germany after WWII was in Argentina. It originally built trucks, many of which were modified independently to buses, popularly named Colectivo. Today, it builds buses, trucks and the Sprinter van.[citation needed] Significant models produced[edit source | editbeta] 1928: SSK racing car 1930: 770 â€Å"Großer Mercedes† state and ceremonial car 1934: 500 K 1936: 260 D World’s first diesel production car 1936: 170 1938: W195 Speed Record-breaker 1951: Mercedes-Benz 300, knownly as â€Å"Adenauer Mercedes† 1953: â€Å"Ponton† models 1954: 300SL â€Å"Gullwing† 1959: â€Å"Fintail† models 1960: 220SE Cabriolet[disambiguation needed] 1963: 600 â€Å"Grand Mercedes† 1963: 230SL â€Å"Pagoda† 1965: Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1966: 300SEL 6.3 1968: W114 â€Å"new generation† compact cars 1969: C111 experimental vehicle 1972: Mercedes-Benz W107 350SL 1974: 450SEL 6.9 1975: Mercedes-Benz W123 Wagon – Mercedes’ first station wagon 1978: 300SD – Mercedes’ first turbo diesel 1979: 500SEL and G-Class 1983: 190E 2.3–16 1990: 500E 1991: 600SEL 1995: First ‘Joint Mercedes-Benz & AMG’ (C43 AMG) 1995: Mercedes-Benz SL73 AMG, 7.3 V12 (biggest engine ever put in a Mercedes-Benz) 1996: Mercedes-Benz SLK 1997: Mercedes-Benz A-Class and M-Class 2004: Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and CLS-Class 2007: E320, GL320 Bluetec, ML320 Bluetec, R320 Bluetec 2010: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Car nomenclature[edit source | editbeta] Until 1994, Mercedes-Benz used an alphanumeric system for categorising their vehicles, consisting of a number sequence approximately equal to the engine’s displacement in liters multiplied by 100, followed by an arrangement of alphabetical suffixes indicating body style and engine type. â€Å"C† indicates a coupe or cabriolet body style. â€Å"D† indicates the vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine.†E† (for â€Å"Einspritzung†) indicates the vehicle’s engine is equipped with petrol fuel injection. In most cases (the 600 limousine being the exception), if neither â€Å"E† or â€Å"D† is present, the vehicle has a petrol engine with a carburettor. â€Å"G† indicates the Gelà ¤ndewagen off-road vehicle. â€Å"K† was used in the 1930s, indicating a supercharger (â€Å"Kompressor†) equipped engine. One exception is the SSK, where K indicates â€Å"Kurz† (short-wheelbase). â€Å"L† indicates â€Å"Leicht† (lightweight) for sporting models, and â€Å"Lang† (long-wheelbase) for sedan models. â€Å"R† indicates â€Å"Rennen† (racing), used for racing cars (for example, the 300SLR). â€Å"S† Sonderklasse â€Å"Special class† for flagship models. â€Å"T† indicates â€Å"Touring† and an estate (or station wagon) body style. Some models in the 1950s also had lower-case letters (b, c, and d) to indicate specific trim levels. For other models, the numeric part of the designation does not match the engine displacement. This was done to show the model’s position in the model range independent of displacement or in the price matrix. For these vehicles, the actual displacement in liters is suffixed to the model designation. An exception was the 190-class with the numeric designation of â€Å"190† as to denote its entry level in the model along with the displacement label on the right side of the boot (190E 2.3 for 2.3-litre 4-cylinder petrol motor, 190D 2.5 for 2.5-litre 5-cylinder diesel motor, and so forth). Some older models (such as the SS and SSK) did not have a number as part of the designation at all. For the 1994 model year, Mercedes-Benz revised the naming system. Models were divided into â€Å"classes† denoted by an arrangement of up to three letters (see â€Å"Current model range† above), followed by a three-digit (or two-digit for AMG models, with the number approximately equal to the displacement in litres multiplied by 10) number related to the engine displacement as before. Variants of the same model such as an estate version or a vehicle with a diesel engine are no longer given a separate letter. The SLR and SLS supercars do not carry a numerical designation. Today, many numerical designations no longer reflects the engine’s actual displacement but more of the relative performance and marketing position. Despite its engine displacement in two litres, the motor in A45 AMG produces more than 375 horsepowers so the designation is higher as to indicate the higher performance. Another example is the E250 CGI having greater performance than the E200 CGI due to the different engine tuning even though both have 1.8-litre engines. From the marketing perspectives, E200 seems more â€Å"upscale† than E180. Recent AMG models use the â€Å"63† designation (in honor of the 1960s 6.3-litre M100 engine) despite being equipped with either a 6.2-litre (M156) or 5.5-litre (M157) engine. Some models carry further designations indicating special features: â€Å"4MATIC† indicates the vehicle is equipped with all-wheel-drive. â€Å"BlueTEC† indicates a diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction exhaust aftertreatment. â€Å"BlueEFFICIENCY† indicates special fuel economy features (direct injection, start-stop system, aerodynamic modifications, etc.) â€Å"CGI† (Charged Gasoline Injection) indicates direct gasoline injection. â€Å"CDI† (Common-rail Direct Injection) indicates a common-rail diesel engine. â€Å"Hybridâ⠂¬  indicates a gasoline- or diesel-electric hybrid. â€Å"NGT† indicates a natural gas-fueled engine. â€Å"Kompressor† indicates a supercharged engine. â€Å"Turbo† indicates a turbocharged engine, only used on A-, B-,E- and GLK-Class models. All model designation badges can be deleted upon the c

Blood Brothers: Act One on Social Class Essay

Look again at the extract on page 24 starting with â€Å"Do you want to come and play?† and ending with â€Å"now you say after me: ‘I will always defend my brother’.† With reference to the ways Russell presents the theme of social class in the extract and elsewhere in the novel in act one, show how far you agree that there is no escape from the effects of social class for the characters in the play. Willy Russell successfully expresses the unfair treatment and inequality of social class by using the families in â€Å"Blood Brothers† as a microcosm of the 1980’s British working class. Russell uses a variety of linguistic techniques and dramatic devices such as: dramatic irony, Greek chorus, the foreshadowing of events and much more to establish social conflict. A very radical method used in â€Å"Blood Brothers† is the use of a narrator who distinguishes the juxtapositions of scenes helping us to identify mirroring and parallels in the play, allowing the audience to diagnose the immorality of social classes. The narrator is also very vital in this play as he enables the audience to be involved which therefore allows the audience to judge the series of events in this play with social class and how money can buy power. â€Å"Blood Brothers† has a collection of themes which follow along the terms on injustice and prejudice, themes such as, â€Å"Fate Vs. Free Will, Friendship, Tragedy/Comedy, Social Injustice, Family Relations And Social Class. â€Å" Much like social class, this play has a cyclical structure. This highlights the inevitability of social class. Russell expresses that your social class and your placement in society is preordained, for example when Mickey questions Edward, â€Å"In the what† referring to the dictionary. This provides us with a simple display of how Mickey’s upbringing and social division marginalises him from certain aspects of middle upper class and other features. What is shocking but not surprising is that Mickey does not know what a dictionary is; this is also because we have a prejudice state of mind. Mrs.Johnstone is not well educated or wealthy, so unfortunately this passes onto Mickey giving us the same impression of him. We as an audience automatically categorise Mickey as â€Å"trouble†, even the Policeman defines Mickey as â€Å" one of† clustering him into lower class, and the tragic thing about this is that there is no escape for Mickey or the rest of the John stone children. On page 24 the use of profanity attracts Edward as such colloquialism is seen as â€Å"smashing† and â€Å"Fantastic†. When Edward â€Å"awed† towards Mickey it expressed the difference of their social classes and contrasted upbringings. In this case it appeared backwards, as the hierarchy of the society should make Mickey feel inferior to Edward but due to their ages this is absent. There is an innate honesty about children, but there is also a mind free of division. The older we get the more we close off from society and others, we seem to visualise ‘our kind’ and follow such people whom we find interests in common and equal intelligence. However in children they believe is no reason to outcast someone unless they have done something bad to them. As Mickey and Edward get older they soon find reasons such as social class to individuate each other but this cannot be helped as there is no escape from this. Their social class unfairly forces them to exclude those who are not their â€Å"own kind†. The theme of social class is consistent throughout the play, Russell presents that there is a level of discomfort between those of different social class. This can be seen when Sammy labels Edward as a â€Å"friggin’ poshy†, this strong use of vindictive language against Edward is not entirely Sammy’s true opinion but what he has been raised to think due to social class. It is not Mrs.Johnstone’s fault but possibly her attitude to those in higher classes than her own makes her children feel angry or annoyed as they see their mother being walked over and treated incorrectly. Through this play it is presented that those of lower class cannot escape their â€Å"debts†, we can identify those of lower class by their use of liverpudian slang. Mickey refers to his mother as â€Å"me mam† whereas Edward refers to â€Å"mummy†, even though these words do not have a great difference we can still see that use of â€Å"me mam† is very slang like and is indicative of a poor vocabulary and suggests difficulty of self-expression. Throughout this play there are many events when Mrs.Johnstone loses her voice. When talking to the policeman on page 42, Mrs.Johnstone loses her voice suggesting that metaphorically in the ranking of social class her class has no voice in society and their judgement is unwelcome and this is also shown when she â€Å"nods†. This is almost dehumanising those of lower class and classifying them as inferior to those above them. With this is mind Mrs. Lyons is able to dominate Mrs.Johnstone whether it is money or her use of power. In act one Mrs. Lyons repeats the word â€Å"please† whilst using a cajoling tone forcing Mrs.Johnstone to capitulate to her wishes reinforces the fact that Mrs. Lyons could ‘buy’ anything she wanted in a sense shows her power, but the mere fact she can buy â€Å"a baby† presents her as Mephistopheles like character. Mrs.Johnstone is emblematic of Faust; therefore we can allude to the fact that their â€Å"pack† is a Faustian pack. The use of biblical references such as â€Å"the bible† denotes to the day of reckoning and how â€Å"a debt is a debt†. In the scene where all the children are playing, they sing about how â€Å"the whole thing is just a game†. The extended metaphor of debt is an allusion to the Faustian pact once again and this continues to embed itself within the play as the song â€Å"easy terms† mirrors the characteristics of the â€Å"binding agreement†. The tension and suspense is heightened by the non-diegetic sound of a heart beat which is abruptly cut off. For money to signify power sets the lower classes within the debt abyss foreordaining that there is no escape. In act one Willy Russell suggests a level of discomfort between classes as the policeman uses dialogue such as â€Å"Um†¦Err†. The policeman has no class in the play he is neither middle nor lower class but he more likely represents the attitude of society although he is not important as a character. In this scene the policeman’s jocular tone with Mr. Lyons contrasts with his contemptuous tone with Mrs.Johnstone. This is symbolic of how each class is treated differently and also how their only escape would be money. Mr. Lyons gives the policeman whiskey when entering his house; this immediately makes the policeman owe Mr. Lyons. As you cannot accept something and do nothing in return, once you accept a gift or item essentially you belong to the giver. This is just a simple example of how the Lyons and their situation is a microcosm of the power imbalance between the working class and the middle class in society as a whole. Unfortunately for Mrs. Johnstone she cannot do the same as her debt is what prevents her level of social class and level of dignity and respect increasing meaning she hasn’t any escape from the effects of social class as she cannot escape her debt. In â€Å"blood brothers† Russell suggests that women only have one of two priorities: He attempts to express that in the 1980’s a woman’s place is in a family. For example Mrs. Lyons does not work and she does not seem concerned about any other factor apart from a child and raising a family. Possibly alluding to the fact that she has nothing else to fill her void or her need for independence; however a child can fix that. Although if we look at Mrs.Johnstone’s situation is seems that her main focus is her income and trying to provide for her family. Russell is suggesting that in the 1980’s women had to chose between work and family. Even though Mrs.Johnstone is optimistic as she exclaims, â€Å"next week I’ll be earning†, the mantra of this sentence heightens our level of empathy and sympathy for her as we now that it will never be next week, as she has no escape from her debt or her working class life style. The different levels of so cial rankings determine which lifestyle they women can obtain in the play. Russell equates class with destiny, as Mrs.Johnstone’s low expectation for her children influences the fate of her children. The scene where she sings about how â€Å"He wouldn’t get into fights, he’d leave matches alone† is one of the first signs of how Russell presents the effects of social classing. The next sign is when Mickey looks up to Sammy as a role model, this is a poor role model but to Mickey and his working class family Sammy is a prime product of his class. The signs forebode the destiny of Mickey’s life, as from his mediocre education to his unemployment and the tragic murder of Edward it exploits that it was inevitable. In fact Mickey laments that he â€Å"could have been† referencing to his brother Edward, his sense of grief and dissatisfaction later in his life results in his revenge against Edward. Mickey was never given as a break from the effects of social difference therefore he continued the path he was destined as there was simply no escape for him. Overall Russell successfully presents the effects of social conflict through the effective use of a narrator and his use of foreboding not to mention his use of dramatic irony. Russell has a true concept of what it was like in the 1980’s working class, he expresses the heart wrenching difficulties for those of different classes and how power can be used as a weapon.