The Characters Of Stapleton And The Joker - 978 Words

One wears a sleek, purple suit, while the other wears a dirty, grey suit. Even though both characters are wearing a suit, it is necessary to look in between the lines at the diction that the author uses to build characterization. The man that wears the sleek, purple suit is the Joker from the many productions in which he existed, and the man that wears the dirty, grey suit is Stapleton, from The Hound of the Baskervilles. Stapleton and the Joker may be extremely contradistant, but they both share one affinity, the evilness that rushes through their blood. In their books and movies, Stapleton and the Joker are the main villains, which makes them very related. By looking at both of the creators’ imagery, it is clear that the Joker and†¦show more content†¦Stapleton does not support the crimes that Stapleton does, so much that she wrote, â€Å"As you value your life or your reason, keep away from the moor.† (43). The matron was trying to keep Sir Henry Baskerville away from Baskerville hall, and away from the death that faced him. Stapleton and the Joker are similar and diverse because of their corresponding heroes. The Joker’s opponent is Batman. He is an immortal being, and usually catches the Joker at the end of whatever the crime is. Also, when the Joker does a crime, Batman usually knows that the Joker was the one who did it, mostly because he is such a vicious person. Nonetheless, Stapleton is able to hide in plain sight the fact that he murdered Sir Charles Baskerville, with his charming appearance. Stapleton was hiding his crimes by admitting, â€Å" ‘I had a school, ‘ said stapleton. ‘It was in the north country. The work to a man of my temperament was mechanical and uninteresting, but the privilege of living with youth, of helping to mould those young minds, and of impressing them with one’s own character and ideals was very dear to me. ‘ â€Å" (103). Stapleton seems so nice and sympathetic , so much that he made a school, so it was hard for his opponent, Sherlock Holmes, to find out that he, out of all men, was the killer. Although The Joker and Stapleton are different, their personalities share one main connection, that they both are surprisingly vain. The Joker thinks highly of himself, as well as his

Strategic Audit

Question: Discuss the strategic issues of the organization Zara. Answer: Summary of SWOT The selected company, i.e. Zara is a powerful brand with its marketing presence in the major countries as part of the major continents like America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Therefore, the company faces high level of burden in meeting the various needs of its customers from different segments in order to retain the leading position in the fashion industry. The significant strength of the company depends on the prompt response of Zara regarding the designing process through the internal chain of operations (Cooperet al. 2016). Zara uses to design and manufacture new products according to the market demands and supply them to its various departmental stores in the multiple geographical locations within two weeks. Therefore, the promptness of the internal operations of the company is known to be one of the major strengths for facilitating the growth of Zara within the identified market. However, the company face challenges in terms of gaining competitive advantage in different countrie s as part of its international market (Sandbergand Mena2015). The particular constraint is faced by the company in the process of maintaining the flexibility in prices of its products due to the involvement of high shipping costs. As a result, the company is unable to supply the significant volume of products to the low cost countries. Nonetheless, as a devastating retailer in the world, Zara can apply its innovative strategies to counter the challenges and cope up with the latest trends of manufacturing and distribution process. Identification and Evaluation of Four Corporate or Business Level Strategies Four of the major strategies applied by the company are outlined in the following paragraphs: Cost leadership strategy In the designing process of the business, Zara has adopted an haute couture process with the aim of minimizing the costs and maintaining the high fashion at the same time (Fink2013). The particular trend of the fashion world is largely maintained by the designing process of the company by using the less expensive fabrics. The effectiveness of the certain cost leadership strategy is based on the small quantity of production of each category of design. With the help of the identified process, Zara can effectively determine which specific design should need to be produced to a larger volume. Alternatively, the company can cut the production process of identified design at any time promptly. Single Business Strategy The business strategy of Zara is based on the production of clothing products, as 95% revenue of the company comes from the clothing accessories (Hill, Jones and Schilling (2014). Apart from that, the business model of the company is constantly focusing on diversifying the business products to capture expanded markets (Stuberet al. 2013). The business strategy of Zara is focusing on the development of products apart from the clothing items. For an example, the participation of Zara can be observed in the home furnishing under the brand name of Zara Home. It contributes 2.3% of the total revenue of the company (Pinkhasovand Nair2014). By looking at the scenario, it can be stated that Zara should need to emphasise more on the areas other than the fashion manufacturing process. Transformational strategy The strategies developed by Zara are highly focused on achieving efficient regarding both global and regional responsiveness. From the analysis of the internal operations Zara, the company can avail more flexibility in terms of designing and moving products from the production centre to the department stores (Stacket al. 2014). The particular process provides benefits to the company through the vertical integration of its business strategy. Due to the proposed application, the possible transformation of the corporate strategy is observed, as it helps Zara responding to the local changes related to the customer preference. Additionally, the significant feedbacks of the customers are directly forwarded by the company to its massive designing team through the application of its transformation strategy. Business model innovation Innovation is an integral part of developing the corporate strategy by the chief level executives of Zara. According to Sorescuet al. (2012), the retail business model should need to comprise three critical elements such as format, governance, and activities. Effectively maintained business model helps the retailers to develop strategic options to include innovation in the corporate strategies comprehensively (Pinkhasovand Nair2014). Zara has fruitfully maintained the three mentioned elements in its strategies throughout its operating period to achieve success within the transformational market. For an example, technologic advancements of different regions determine the application of different format of activities for the company within the chosen industry. Moreover, different activities of Zara in the number of countries reflect unique cultural implications. Zara understands the vast range of difference between governance and quality structures in the var ious international levels to conduct significant strategic analysis for entering the new markets. Identifying at least three significant strategic issues that Zara faces As the business world is adopting the digital marketing marketers rather prefer to rely on the digital marketing campaigns. Likewise, the organization Zara has gained an enormous popularity after adopting the digital marketing strategies. However, the organization has to deal with some strategic issues that may appear to be serious challenge to the organization. While considering the internal strategies of the organization, it has been identified that most of the stores of Zara are located in Europe, which is making the organization vulnerable to anything that could cause disruption in the region. The strategic issues faced by the Zara can be categorized while developing the marketing approaches. The competitors are in the rush of reducing their lead-time. It has been observed that customers decision to buy the products depend on the personal state. It has been identified that Zara has implemented different marketing strategies from the initial phase; however, the implemented strategies are not to advertise through the traditional media. One of the major issues found in the marketing strategies adopted by Zara is the pricing policy. In response to the aggressive pricing strategies of the competitors, the organization Zara set high price for the products. The organization Zara has been implementing competitive pricing strategies. Therefore, due to the high price of the products, the organization may lose its customers. In addition, due to the economic uncertainty in the economy, the people in European countries may not afford the price for the products. Furthermore, it can also be added that the fashion industry in UK has been dynamic. The competitor determined to change their marketing strategies on a regular basis. Likewise, the entry of the new organization is also considered as the big threat for Zara. In order to resolve this particular issue, the organization has implemented the diversification marketing strategy(He 2012).However, the implementation of this strategy has not been effective, as the organization did not experience any growth in the business. As mentioned by Willemset al. (2012), almost 90% of Zaras sales revenue usually come from their clothing business despite having home furnishing under the brand Zara Home. In addition, Zara seeks to achieve both global efficiency as well as responses from the local environment. In this context, Hill, Jones and Schilling (2014) added that Zara has more flexibility than its competitors with respect to the moving the products designing stage to the store shelf. Thus, to respond to the local customer preference, Zara tends to transmit the feedbacks directly to its design team in Span facilitated by the information technology. Nevertheless, the customers in European countries have not shown much interest in buying the products as the price for the products are comparatively high. Although, the organization has focused on the quality of the products, the pricing is one of the major factors in the countries that have unstable economic environment. On the contrary, it has also been identified that the competitors such as HM, Forever 21 and Uniqlo may harm the business of Zara in respect to the customer loyalty (Garrigos-Simon, LapiedraAlcam and Barber Ribera 2012). Recommendation and Conclusion In order to deal with the above discussed strategic issues, the organization Zara could apply cost leadership strategy, which could help to reduce the price of the products and act as the low cost producer in the industry for a particular level of quality. The organization could sell the products at average industry price to gain profit higher than the competitors in the market or they could sell the products below the average industry price to increase the market share globally. Furthermore, it can also be added that in the event of the price war, Zara could maintain some profitability leaving the extent of competition behind. Conversely, without the price war, if the industry matures and the price of the products could decrease. Thus, it can be mentioned that if the organization could sell the product at the cheapest price, they will remain profitable for long time. As the cost leadership strategy is usually effective in broad market, Zara could implement the strategies in the Euro pean market. Some other ways that Zara could implement such as acquiring the cost advantages by developing the process efficiencies and deriving the unique access to a wide source of lower cos materials through optimal outsourcing. However, in order to adopt the cost leadership strategies, the organization needs to have effective distribution channels. Reference list: Cooper, Z., Koritsanszky, L.A., Cauley, C.E., Frydman, J.L., Bernacki, R.E., Mosenthal, A.C., Gawande, A.A. and Block, S.D., 2016. Recommendations for best communication practices to facilitate goal-concordant care for seriously ill older patients with emergency surgical conditions.Annals of surgery,263(1), pp.1-6. Fink, C., 2013. The Triumph of the Dark: European International History, 19331939. By Zara Steiner. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2011. Pp. xiv+ 1222. Cloth $65.00. ISBN 978-0199212002.Central European History,46(02), pp.437-439. Garrigos-Simon, F.J., LapiedraAlcam, R. and Barber Ribera, T., 2012. Social networks and Web 3.0: their impact on the management and marketing of organizations. Management Decision, 50(10), pp.1880-1890. He, N., 2012. How to Maintain Sustainable Competitive Advantages-----Case Study on the Evolution of Organizational Strategic Management. International Journal of Business Administration, 3(5), p.45. Hill, C.W., Jones, G.R. and Schilling, M.A., 2014. Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Pinkhasov, M. and Nair, R.J., 2014. The strengths and weaknesses of luxury. InReal Luxury(pp. 28-55). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Sandberg, E. and Mena, C., 2015. Exploring strategic strengths and weaknesses of retail purchasing groups.The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research,25(3), pp.276-297. Stack, R.J., Llewellyn, Z., Deighton, C., Kiely, P., Mallen, C.D. and Raza, K., 2014. General practitioners perspectives on campaigns to promote rapid help-seeking behaviour at the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.Scandinavian journal of primary health care,32(1), pp.37-43. Stuber, K., Bruno, P., Kristmanson, K. and Ali, Z., 2013. Dietary supplement recommendations by Saskatchewan chiropractors: results of an online survey.Chiropractic manual therapies,21(1), p.1.

Descriptive Essay Example Beowulfs funeral

Beowulf scene: Beowulfs funeral Imagine having a leader, a superhero who is unbeatable, slays all the enemies in his land and his victory and heroic acts travels from territories to territories and even reaches the noble ears of the king who seeks his esteemed strength to fight evil and dragons. Unbelievable, isn’t it? But true, that is how Beowulf the great superhero and leader of the Geats was and his loss was felt by all no wonder his funeral which will be discussed below was an exceptional event where funeral rites and culture was not followed because he was simply not an ordinary person even in his death. The largest and hottest fire ever built in Geat and from the imported pyre wood is blazing on the barrow. The wailing and mourning of their great leader from the Geatish people is louder than the winds, even the men who are warriors are lamenting their great loss. The roaring of the fire together with all the heat and smoke it is emitting that no one seems to notice or even care about is a clear sign that the death is all that matters to them right now and giving their all for the best funeral is all that matters at the moment. No one seems to care about the noise that is a combination of wailing, mourning, lamenting and talking all at the same time. All this is going on concurrently with the funeral pile preparation. The funeral pile is surrounded by war clothes and items like helmets, battle shields that are made from strong wood and even bright corselets in honor of the great war hero Beowulf   whose death after a long battle with the dragon and killing it has made it more superhuman. As the smoke rises towards the heavens, there are talks of what a great leader Beowulf was and how evil death is to take him away from them after bearing over fifty winters being their leader (Haley, 105). The barrow is surrounded with a beacon and it continues to rise as people of Geat surround it with an adornment of war garments, jewels (made of gold to indicate wealth, dignity and importance of the dead) and even circlets. Most of the jewels and circlets being used to surround the barrow is from the slain dragon that the men rolled over the cliff. A wall is being built by the men and it is surrounding the flames of the fire. They want the final outcome to look like a promontory that people far away in the sea can view it and acknowledge the leadership and death of Beowulf. The barrow is complete now and the mourning continues. There are twelve men who are said to be offspring of the noblemen and they are now riding round the barrow lamenting and mourning their king. Some of them are narrating great stories of his heroic acts and courageous prowess in the battlefield. The praise is now taking over the lamenting and mourning and most people are now just praising him and his kindest to his people and his mildest with his men. The sadness in the air as the Geatish people pay their last respect to their king with the mourning and lamenting even by some of the noble and strong men is an indication of the magnitude of their loss. Work Cited Haley, Albert. Beowulf. Massachusetts: Branden Books, 1978. So When Are You Buying Your Essay? Students who decide to buy essays online timely when they need help and can’t do it themselves make a wise decision. Right decision made at the right time can save you a lot of tension, as well as your grade. Get professional help now.

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls If you enjoy reading and would like suggestions for legal-themed books before you begin your first year, you’ll find a summer law school reading list for 1Ls below. If you want to check out some other reading list suggestions, check out these lists from the ABA:   The  25 Greatest Law Novels Ever  and   30 Lawyers Pick 30 Books Every Lawyer Should Read.   Sometimes before law school it can be fun to get excited about the law. And what better way to do that then reading some quality fiction and non-fiction. This list wont necessarily make you an excellent law student, but it will get you excited about the law and also entertain you while you are relaxing over the summer.   But before we dive into the list of things to read this summer, a note on what not to read law school textbooks and supplements. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to read them in law school. I wouldnt worry about the substantive law during your pre-law summer. Instead, think about working on the skills needed to  make you the best law student you can be.   Legal Fiction   The Paper Chase  by John Jay Osborn Jr.  This book, which is also a well-known legal film, follows the story of James Heart who attends Harvard Law School. You will watch him struggle in class, study for exams and fall in love. (Little known fact, the author is now a law professor himself. I have taken his class and he is not as intimidating as Prof. Kingsfield in the book!) Billy Budd  by Herman MelvilleBilly Budd is about a sailor on a British Warship. But, when he is falsely accused of mutiny he strikes back, killing another person on the ship. He is tried at sea and the book takes you through the case.   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeOne of my favorite-all-time books. The book highlights Atticus Finch who is a lawyer that has inspired new lawyers and law students for generations. If you didnt read it in school, pick up a copy today (or watch the movie which is also excellent).   The Firm by John Grisham  Mitch McDeere is recruited as a high paid associate at a l aw firm, but he learns he is actually working for a crime family. If you would rather, you can also check out the movie. A Time to Kill  by John GrishamIf you are interested in the death penalty, you might enjoy this book. This is John Grishams first novel and many think his best. There is also a movie if you would rather have a movie night.   Presumed Innocent by  Scott TurowThis is Turows first novel about a prosecutor accused of murdering his colleague. There is political intrigue, legal maneuvering and a quality ending.   Defending Jacob  by William Landay  The author is a prosecutor-turned-novelist. He takes the transcript of a trial and turns it into a very riveting story (which is not an easy thing to do). I actually listened to it as a book-on-take during a road trip and I thought the story was excellent!   Non-Fiction   A Civil Action by Jonathan HarrThe book discusses a toxic tort case in Massachusetts and gives you a window into how this type of litigation works. You might have also seen the move about this case too. Becoming Justice Blackmun  by Linda GreenhouseThis book discusses the mysterious world of the Supreme Court.    One L by Scott TurowA well known account of a first year law student at Harvard Law. I will warn you, it might stress you out about your 1L experience. You have been warned (and really, 1L year isnt that bad).   Personal History by Katharine Graham  Not necessarily about the law, but if you are interested in the press and freedom of the press, you will be interested in the later chapters of this book.   My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor  This is a nice read about Justice Sotomayor of the United States Supreme Court. Her book is honest and interesting for those just beginning their law school   Mindset by Carol Dweck  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹This is a fantastic book that ha s nothing to do with law school, but also everything to do with law school. This book teaches you about two different mindsets. One that can really help you be successful in law school and one that will stand in your way of success. Which one will you choose?

Employment Law--Case Report Part2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employment Law-- Report Part2 - Case Study Example In some countries (such as Canada), employment laws related to unionised workplaces are differentiated from those relating to particular individuals. In most countries however, no such distinction is made. The labour movement has been instrumental in the enacting of laws protecting labour rights in the 19th and 20th centuries." 1 "In this case the EAT held that nurses providing a telephone service from their own homes at night were working throughout the night, even though they were able to do as they wished and might be asleep between telephone calls. The employees provided emergency nursing cover for nursing homes through a booking service that was staffed by qualified nurses 24 hours a day. During the day the service was provided from various offices but at night it was provided by nurses working from their homes. The Inland Revenue NMW Compliance Team served an enforcement notice on the employer. The Employment Tribunal considered that there was essentially no difference between the day workers and the night workers, except that the night workers worked from home. The Tribunal therefore concluded that the nurses were working for the whole of their night shift. The EAT upheld the decision of the Tribunal. ... ies approached their mutual obligations and the way remuneration was calculated; and the extent to which the period during which work was performed was ascertainable. The fact that the nurses were remunerated according to a shift system illustrated the nature of the obligation, since the employer would not be expected to pay them for time when they were not working. The EAT considered that the nurses' situation was different from that of other home workers because they could not choose the periods of time during the night when they answered the telephone calls. The continuing obligation to hold themselves ready to answer the telephone throughout the night was an important element in considering which periods of time constituted work. The main issue was what was to be regarded as their "actual work". The EAT emphasised that the task is to look at all the facts of the case, rather than trying to apply a general rule or categorise the nature of the work involved." 01 Further more detailed description of type and work of National Minimum Wage Compliance Team is as Follows: "The National Minimum Wage Compliance Team is an arm of the Inland Revenue charged with the task of enforcing the minimum wage with extensive powers to bring infringing employers to the Tribunal. It has had a remarkable track record of success with well selected and well prepared cases. The result is greater compliance with the NMW, more money for workers and more tax and NI revenue for the Treasury. British Nursing Association -v- Inland Revenue ( National Minimum Wage Compliance Team ) concerned workers who operated a telephone booking service for a bank nurse agency. During the day the service was conducted from the employer's premises, but the night shift worked from their homes. The calls

The Great Depression Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Great Depression - Research Paper Example The great depression had begun in United States of America with disastrous collapse of stock market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in 1929 and had continued to fall down for three years. During that time the unemployed had risen 25 percent to 30 percent. After a year the great depression turned into across the world. The great depression severely hit those countries that were closest to United States. We collected data from past research papers, books and economic factors. The result of the research paper shows that the main reason of great depression across the nations was structural weaknesses and specific economic and political events that turned into great depression and varied nation to nation. The internal policies, structural strength or weakness made the country’s condition worse or better. Our results suggest that scholars are not agreed with exact reasons or causes of great depression. Introduction The great depression is just like a night mare in the life of an individual, which can never be faded. It is also recognised as an economic slump, which shattered the entire business environment of America. As a result, its effects can also be visualised in the business environment of the other states in the entire globe. ... of productivity and unemployment increased, creating a distressing situation in the entire world.Furthermore, the image and profit margin also reduced, leading to enhancement of the prices of varied products or services. The prices became almost sky-soaring, i.e. almost 50 percent hike, from the normal rates. Not only this, it also offered high effects over the tax revenues as well, reducing the level of incomes of the individuals in diverse regions (Robbins, 2007).Therefore, it can be depicted that the impacts of the great depression is still in an on-going situation, which might prove more hazardous in future(Craves, 2009). Causes and Effects Great economic depression resulted due to the collapse of the stock market, in the year 1930. It mainly originated in the nation of United States, but very rapidly to the entire globe into its grip. From America, it spread to Europe and then to the rest of the world, resulting in rise of unemployment and poverty. Due to this downturn almost ev ery aspect of life came to a standstill, hampering the entire business sector. As a result, the level of living standard and life style also reduced to a significant extent, resulting in augmentation of the level of redundancy and scarcity in the market (Romer, 2003). The prime reason, which is entirely responsible for this huge massacre, is the crash of the stock market in the year 1929. It is also regarded as a black Tuesday, as it offered huge negative impact over the entire world. Due to this, numerous stock holders had to lose huge amount of revenues, resulting in huge loss. Due to which joblessness raised to a considerable extent, hindering the level of existence of most of the individuals. Along with this, another imperative reason for this downfall is failure of almost 90 percent

Effects of Noise Pollution on Mental Health of Students Essay Example for Free

Effects of Noise Pollution on Mental Health of Students Essay It is interesting that noises emanating from the various types of roadways of today are still among the most important sources of environmental noise, even though the types of noise are not those that existed in Rome, Medieval Europe, or 18th century Philadelphia. Our modern roadways (including road, rail, and air) and the products of modern technology produce increasing levels of unwanted noise of varying types and intensities throughout the day and night that disturb sleep, concentration, and other functions. (Lee Fleming ) This noise affects us without our being consciously aware of it. Unlike our eyes, which we can shut to exclude unwanted visual input, we cannot voluntarily shut our ears to exclude unwanted auditory input. Our hearing mechanisms are always â€Å"on† even when we are asleep. (Babisch 113:A14-15) 3 The noise problems of the past pale in significance when compared with those experienced by modern city dwellers; noise pollution continues to grow in extent, frequency, and severity as a result of population growth, urbanization, and technological developments. For example, within the European Common Market, 65% of the population is exposed to unhealthy levels f transportation noise. (Carlos 318:1686-1689) In New York City, maximum noise levels measured 106 dB on subway platforms and 112 dB inside subway cars. These levels have the potential of exceeding recommended exposure limits given sufficient duration of exposure. (Gershon et al. 83:802-812) In 1991, it was estimated that environmental noise increased by 10% in the decade of the 1980’ s. ( Suter ) The 2000 United States Census found that 30% of Americans complained of noise and 11% found it to be bothersome. Among those who complained, noise was sufficiently bothersome to make nearly 40% want to change their place of residence. (U. S. Census Bureau, Housing and Economic Statistics Division. ) That noise pollution continues to grow in scope, variety, and magnitude is unquestioned; it is only the extent of the growth that remains unknown. In comparison to other pollutants, the control of environmental noise has been hampered by insufficient knowledge about its effects on humans and about dose-response relationships, but this seems to be changing as more research is carried out. However, it is clear that noise pollution is widespread and imposes long-term consequences on health. (Committee on Environmental Health, American Academy of Pediatrics) In 1971, 4 3a World Health Organization (WHO) working group concluded that noise is a major threat to human well-being. That assessment has not changed in the intervening 30-plus years; if anything, the threat has intensified. The various sounds in our environment (excluding all those sounds that arise in the workplace) to which we are exposed can be viewed as being either necessary (desirable) or unnecessary (undesirable). One might consider the sounds produced in and around our homes by garbage disposals, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, refrigerators, furnaces, air-conditioners, yard maintenance equipment, and the many other mechanized time and labor saving devices, which we all use and enjoy, as being necessary. We are exposed to the noise of radio, television, and related technologies; children are exposed to a wide variety of noisy toys. (Axelson Jerson 76:574-578) The noise of internal combustion engines (modulated by legally required mufflers), jet engines (modulated by improved design and by altered flight paths), and train horns at grade crossings (modulated by new Federal Quiet Zone rules), might all be considered necessary. There are numerous other such examples of machines or activities that produce sounds that are tolerated because they accompany a desired activity or they serve an important societal purpose, such as the sirens of emergency vehicles. But what about sounds that accompany an undesired activity, that have no societal importance, or that we consider unnecessary? What about the sounds produced by the so-called boom-cars that are roving, pulsating noise factories? What about the uncomfortable sound levels at concerts, in theaters, and public sporting events? What 5 about the noise of slow moving train horns in urbanized areas or the early morning sounds accompanying garbage collection? What about all the noise on our streets to which buses, trolley cars, car horns, car alarms, motorcycles, and un-muffled exhaust systems contribute? What about the risks to children from noisy toys and from personal sound systems? What about the noise of barking dogs, leaf blowers, and recreational vehicles? What about the noise of low flying aircraft? In general, sounds that we deem unwanted or unnecessary are considered to be noise. Our society is beset by noise, which is intrusive, pervasive, and ubiquitous; most important of all, it is unhealthy. Most reasonable people would agree that much of the environmental noise to which we are subjected serves no useful purpose and is therefore undesirable. The variety of noise polluting devices and activities is large and seems to be growing on a daily basis, although there is no consensus about what items are useful and desirable or noise polluting and unnecessary. Domestic tranquility is one of the six guarantees in the United States Constitution, a guarantee that is echoed in some form or other in every state Constitution. In 1972, the Noise Control Act was passed by Congress, declaring, â€Å"†¦it is the policy of the United States to promote an environment for all Americans free from noise that jeopardizes health and welfare. In 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that nearly 100 million Americans lived in areas where the daily average noise levels exceeded those identified as being safe. (Environmental Protection Agency) However, in 1982, the government abruptly terminated federal funding for the Office of Noise 6 Abatement and Control, the vehicle by which the public was to be protected from the adver se effects of noise. The lack of funds threw total responsibility for noise control to the states, which have had a spotty and generally poor record with respect to noise abatement. Shapiro ) Since the Act itself was not repealed, local and state governments may have been deterred from trying to regulate noise. Furthermore, failure to repeal the Act sent the message that noise was not an important environmental concern. As a result, in the United States, most police departments seem to be unwilling or unable to respond to noise-related problems in a way that provides any measure of genuine or timely control. Yet, in most cities, as noise pollution continues to grow some say as much as 6-fold in the past 15 years so do complaints about noise. Complaints to police and other officials about noise are among the most frequent complaints by residents in urban environments; in 1998, noise was the number one complaint to the Quality of Life Hotline in New York City. In 1996, the Federal Environmental Agency in Germany reported two out of three of its citizens had complained about excessive noise. (Bronzaft 2:1-8) The number of people exposed to unhealthy levels of noise in the United States is unquestionably greater than it was in 1974; the degree of oversight and control is unquestionably less. II. Research Body