Pips status Essay Example

Pips status Essay Satis house represents a slow change in Pips status. Hes mixing with higher class people and becoming more familiar with Miss Haversham and Estellas frequent mood change, that he is becoming to feel more comfortable there than he would be at home and the talks about him being paid for his services. He also trys and subtley suggest that he wants to become a gentleman and he asks miss Haversham for some help to that desirable end in a round about way but she never caught on. Pip is becoming to fell that hew is superior to others, take my Pumblechook for example, 3 chapters ago he would still be respecting him but now he thinks of him as an ass and begins to think of himself superior to some. Pip feels very guilty over the pale young gentleman, this shows that he respects the upper class but at the same time doesnt want to dash every chance he has of elevating to that status, and when Joe comes back with Pip to visit Miss Haversham Joe speaks through Pip and this shows a widing gap as Joe, an acompplished Blacksmith has to speak through Pip, a mere child, this shows some change in status and an other opening of the gap between Pip and Joe. However, in the next chapter we see thing in a different light, Pips arrogance begins to shine through becuase of the eve that is Estella who has poisened his mind making fell all coarse and common, however much Dickens prepares us for this admittance we still feel like he has been a tragic victom of the leech that is love. He prepares us by giveing us sutble hints that Pip is becoming too cosy with the higher class and that Estella is one of the main reasons that he wants to join them but it is important at this point in the novel as he is bound to his trade already so he is now trapped, However we do feel sympathy for Pip even though we feel really nausiated by his arrogance because he had liked Joes trade once, but once was not now. We will write a custom essay sample on Pips status specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pips status specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pips status specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Pip says a lot of things in chapter 15 but the worst thing he syas was I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common (which means that he thinks that of his former equal), that he might be worthier of my society (he thinks just because hes hob nobbed with Mrs. Haversham and Estalla that hes king of the world) and less open to Estals reproach. Trying to say that Joe is not equal to Pip, and what started out sounding like something helpful to Joe is just for Pips own selfish reasons. He becomes condesending calling Joe Mr dear Joe and treating him like a child and Pip acting like an adult. Pip loses patience with Joes bad grammer if you was. Dickens uses this language difference to convey how Pip has changed and how he and Joe both see each other now. Later on in this chapter Mrs. Joe (Pips sister) is attacked by the file Pip gave to the convict however Pip doesnt make a huge deal about this, he made much more fuss over when he beat up the pale young gentleman than over his very own sister, lettin Estella come first in his minds, leting his judgements over the lower classes interfere with his family. However, the mood changes in chapter 17 with hiom saying if nobody told me that i was common and lower class then it would have never bothered me, PIp shows another side to him, the side that aknoledges that Estella and Miss Haversham have poisend his mind and Pips abilty to be intrrospective. Dickes does this as we need some sympathy for pip so we dont think of him as a complete blockhead when he totally screws up himself. In chapter 18 Pip is told by Mr Jaggers that he has great expectations and will be brought up as a gentleman, Pip reacts really positivley, he hears singing in my ears and Joe is really happy for him which shows that Joe has a large regard for Pip an treats him as an equal even thuogh Pip doesnt feel the same. It only really hits him that to become a gentleman he has to leave everything he has, his family, his friends and his desire to be a social climber made him lose focus on what really mattered to him and who he really cared about. In chapter 19 when he meets Mr. Pumblechook they are on friendly terms even though Pip called him an ass before, Pip is now higher class and now they can mix so Pip needs some higher class friends as he cant be around his old common friends. Pips tone soon begins to change, and by pg 149 he is unpleasent, condesending, thinks of himself as superior to his family and friends. Pip even begins to say that he wishes he was able to remove Joe to a higher sphere, in this qoute he calls Joe common, he critises him for not having chances and is now distancing himself from his family as he cant be seen with his normal, common, poor family so he cant mix with Joe anymore. Pip is now acting in a vain and superior way to everyone. In the end of the chapter Pip says his goodbyes and leaves for London the only things he has left to do is to stabilise himself and to achieve his one and only great expectation to win over the love of Estella. Over the course of volume 1 Pip has changed from a young innocent boy to a completly arrogant higher class person. Great expectations fufills the biuldingroman genre as Pip finally becomes part of the social order but now he speaks like he was always high class. The aspects that have been the most useful in charting Pips change are social conditions and desire. Great expectations is not a normal Bildungsroman because Pip narratates his own story and he streches beyond growing up, the novel meeets the typical bildungroman structure and develops it turning it into a mistrey, love story and a novel which comments on Victorian social order.

Jennifer Lopez1 essays

Jennifer Lopez1 essays Jennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York on July 24, 1970. She was born in the United States to Puerto Rican Parents, Jennifer considers herself to be a Puerto Rican and she is very proud of her Hispanic heritage and culture. Her father is David Lopez, a computer specialist, and her mother Guadalupe Lopez, a Kindergarten teacher. Her parents recognized Jennifers talent and enthusiasm for performing and at the age of five the enrolled her in dance classes. Her mother said Jennifer always loved to sing, but she was also a great actress and knew that she would have a bright future ahead of her. With the support of her parents Jennifer grew up to be a very sensible girl, who is still very close to her family. When Jennifer earned her million-dollar paycheck for playing the role in the movie Selena, she bought her mom a Cadillac. Even though they saw Jennifers talent at the age of five, their relationship was not always understandable. Jennifer made a major decision and that was not to go to College. That decision was very disappointing to her parents who wanted her to go to law school. Her parents supported her pursuit of a career in show business, they did not wanted to be in the expense of her education. When Jennifer told her parents that she was not going to College and law school, they thought it was really stupid to go off and try to be a movie star. Her parents who at that time could not understand the choices she made are very happy for their daughter and what she has accomplish. When she left her home at the middle of a fight and never went back. She said, I had to make my own way and then lived in a Manhattan dance studio where she was training. Then she got an apartment with some friends in Manhattan Hells Kitchen. Since the time she move out of her home she started her showbiz career as a dancer in stage musicals and most notably in her tour to Golden musicals of ...

SMEs Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

SMEs Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example First, the availability of improved marketing intelligence has facilitated planning. Second, utilization of the computer and various mathematical models has made an impact. Third, managements are becoming more scientific and organizations are now more complex with a broader diversity of products. Fourth, business outlays are larger and risks are often greater, all of which factors necessitate planning. The company was opened in Washington in 1971. Its founders were jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, Alfred Peer. Howard Schiltz joined Starbucks in 1982 and proposed a new marketing mix: the idea was that the company should sell coffee beans and espresso drinks on the national scale. In two years, Starbucks expanded its business and bought Peet's. In 1987, Starbucks opened its first outside store. Since 2000, Starbucks expanded its global presence and opened new stores around the world. Today, Starbucks has 8,505 stores worldwide. The company states that its mission statement is more than a strategy approach but a philosophy of the company. The mission is to "establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow" (Starbucks Home Page 2008). . While this freedom from any constraints may be attractive, it also creates challenges in tackling segmentation and targeting issues. One approach in this situation is to start with an examination of consumer motivations and goals in using a product category as a basis for identifying gaps in marketplace offerings. This consumer insight is the basis for developing a product or service that addresses unmet goals. Starbucks illustrates this approach. When Starbucks was conceived, coffee manufacturers were focusing on the rational benefits of their brands such as the superior taste attributable to a particular growing process as a way of competing in a declining market. In contrast, Starbucks created a coffee-based experience in which the range of preparations and atmosphere of the stores encouraged customers to view having a cup of Starbucks as a way of indulging themselves. In essence, Starbucks targeted people seeking an indulgence experience rather than simply coffee consumption (Starbucks Home Page 2008). Strategy and Success Factors Success of Starbucks is based on its unique approach to product mix and brand. On a more everyday level, Starbucks has built a powerful experiential brand. Starbucks stores are much more than a place to purchase a jolt of java (Starbucks Strategy n.d.). They offer a brief reprieve in a hectic day; a chance to inhale the rich aroma of fresh coffee and listen to relaxing music, while tasting a rich, specially prepared brew in the company of like-minded coffee addicts. One hallmark of the Starbucks' experience, and any great experience really, is consistency. Delivering a consistently good experience is a challenge in the retail coffee business. Making a consistently high-quality caf latt, for instance, requires, first, brewing two ounces of coffee. Starbucks' guidelines require this to be drawn in 18 to 23 seconds at 90 degrees Celsius and 9 bars of pressure to produce excellent espresso (Starbucks Home Page 2008). Second, the milk must be steamed to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Most

Animation Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Animation Critique - Essay Example Utilization of animatronics is expected to fade off in the next ten years in the entertainment industry. Film producers have been adopting several new mechanisms of public entertainment (Abbott, pg. 252). They are creating a realistic interaction of the imaginative objects and people. Engineers are improving the technology day by day, to suit the diverse and rapidly changing needs of the target populations. A revolution is expected to happen as the machines become sophisticated day by day. Essentially, scientists are even coming up with a mechanism where such robots will even be in a position to think and act just as human beings do (Schell, pg. 97). The e-robots will have an instinct ability that will reason just as human beings. It will be in a position to detect human emotions such as sadness or happiness. Out of detecting the human emotional happiness, the machine will act to improve the human mood. It will further create a close connection with the human beings (Peltoniemi, pg. 350). Additionally, toy robots are becoming of great use among the children, who are discarding the traditional toys. In essence, machines are replacing all the functions in all sectors. Therefore, extreme changes are expected with reference to the animatronics use in

Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Evaluation - Essay Example In order to fathom the restaurant’s attributes, an insightful evaluation of the atmosphere, service offered, food and bar is necessary. As one approaches the Olive Garden Restaurant in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the architectural design of the building heralds a traditional Tuscan inspired farmhouse. The sight itself presents an aura of the traditional home that preconditions your mind to what lies within the walls. The articulately manicured lawns and the landscape design present a picturesque environment that is truly magnificent. I am truly impressed with the serene environment and the welcoming aura so far. However, the meticulousness in the landscape may scare one into thinking that the restaurant is exclusive to the rich in society. As one enters the waiting lounge, the lobby is complete with comfortable seats for waiting guests. Furthermore, the wall decor is filled with bright colors that portray the ambience of an Italian market. The familiar and delectable aroma of I talian dishes is ubiquitously present in the air. The ambience in the dining area is accentuated by the presence of a fireplace and dining booths with arched entrances. Furthermore, the dining area is decorated with flowers in strategically located flower vases. Certainly, the atmosphere set so far appeals to the senses and makes any guest feel at home. The quality of service exhibits itself when a waiter soon approaches me and warmly welcomes me to the restaurant. The waiters are smartly dressed in black trousers and white shirts. Moreover, the aprons are uniquely magnificent due to the golden color. All the waiters are engaged in an orderly rush serving the guests who are dotted in almost all the tables. Clearly, they are efficient in their service as they seek to attend to all the guests as soon as they arrive. The restaurant is full of guests in almost every table. The crowd puts off the homely feeling of the restaurant and brings one to the realization that it is a business joi nt favored by many customers. From the adverts posted in the restaurant’s website, the information states that the waiters and chefs are sent to the culinary Institute of Tuscany in Italy. The purpose is to enable them to get better insight into the Italian culture of cooking and winery. I set out to establish if the fact holds any water. Consequently, as the waiter patiently waits for me to place my order, I decide to ask him the best Italian appetizer for lunch. The waiter does not fail in his mastery of the Italian cuisine and recommends that I start with choice appetizers or antipasti such as Bruschetta, Caprese flatbread, the Grilled chicken flatbread or the Lasagna fritta (Olive Garden). I opt to order the grilled chicken flatbread for a start. The silverware set up in my dining table has been meticulously arranged complete with cutlery, plates and napkins. Five minutes later, the waiter returns withan appetizer dish of grilled chicken flatbread that neatly served on ex quisite plates. As the waiter leaves me with the appetizing dish, my personal views on his services so far is hospitable, patient, time conscious, neat and knowledgeable. The grilled chicken flatbread is an Italian appetizer made with ingredients of chicken, basil, roasted chili peppers, garlic spread and alfredo. The meal is warm, and the aroma emanating from the meal is enough to whet anyone’s appetite. After having a slice of the flatbread, I am not quite impressed by it.

The dangers of Scams and corruption in Sports

The dangers of Scams and corruption in Sports Cricket a gentlemans game a very famous statement adored by most of the people who played cricket or enjoyed watching it around the 70s and 80s. But does this statement still hold true? Well from the commentators or cricketing experts perspective it does. But from the viewers perspective, there is a doubt over the statement, more so on the gentlemen playing the game. The year 2010 provided these viewers with more such incidents that could raise further doubts including those on the integrities of the players. The first notable incident was when Sri Lankan cricketer Suraj Randiv bowled a no-ball to deny Indian batsmen Virender Sehwag from scoring a century. Sehwag was on 99, with India needing just one-run to win the match. Randiv deliberately bowled a no-ball. Sehwag was thus stranded on 99 even though he hit that ball for a six. After much criticism, the Lankan bowler accepted the wrong-doing, but by then; the spirit of the game was already being questioned. As if this incident was not enough to dent the spirit of the game, and as if the no-ball had not got its due recognition, three Pakistani players were alleged in the spot-fixing controversy. The no-balls were now going to get a fair deal of recognition. The three Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir had allegedly accepted bribes from bookie Mazhar Majeed. The deal was to bowl deliberate no-balls and under-perform at specific points of time or in specific overs in the 4th test match with England at Lords. The information was used by Majeed to make wagers. When the news was first reported by the News of the World, the trio denied the charges and pleaded innocence. However, with their background of having being involved in prior such controversies related to match-fixing, doping, controversies related to the death of their former coach, this incident was not something that could have been shut without any investigation. The three players were temporarily suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Notices were sent to Pakistan board and these three players, seeking information into allegations of spot and match fixing. The Scotland Yard arrested Majeed for investigating the charges of suspicion of conspiracy. Later a few more arrests were made in the case, these being related to money laundering in connection with the fixing allegations. They submitted their reports to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS was to decide whether to hold the players guilty or not. Finally, the ICC concluded on its investigation that the t hree players were indeed guilty of accepting bribes for spot-fixing. They were subsequently banned for a period of 10 years for Salman Butt, 7 for Asif and 5 years for Mohammad Amir. 5 years for Butt and 2 for Asif were suspended on the condition that both of them commit no further breach of the code. All of them were allowed to appeal against their sentences with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The sentences were aimed to thwart other such incidences from occurring. But as they say an image once tarnished is difficult to rebuild. Here the image in question is not only of Pakistan cricket but of cricket as a game. Will such sentences prevent the future occurrence of such or probably new methods of match-fixing, is something that only the time will tell. Story 2: Lost in the Woods Tiger Woods is a professional American golfer one of the most successful golfers of all time. His achievements to date by winning the most career PGA tours major golf championships make him the youngest fastest golfer to earn him such accolades. But, there is always an upside of being a sports celebrity. Your personal professional lives are followed continuously by the media public who idolise you. Woods paid the price of being a celebrity when he got involved in one of the famous infidelity stories of modern times. On November 25, 2009, there was a story published in the tabloid The National Enquirer, which claimed that Woods was having an extramarital affair with one of the nightclub manager in New York, Rachel Uchitel. The media started garnering attention to the story about Woodss infidelity after Woods suffered a car accident a day later. The accident occurred near his home when he left around 2:30 a.m. in his car. Woods had hit a hedge, a fire hydrant, and a tree which was near his house. Woods was cited for careless driving paid a $164 traffic fine. He initially refused to speak to either the media or the police. This led to a lot of speculation among his fans media persons. Finally, after 2 days, he released his clarification statement on his personal website, which mentioned that he undertook blame for the car crash and said that he didnt want any more speculation as it was his personal matter. Reports soon surfaced in the media circles saying that Woods wife, Elin, had attacked his c ar with a golf club following an argument about Woods alleged affair with Uchitel. Further interest in the story grew when a San Diego based cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs claimed in one of the magazines that she had a two-and-a-half-year affair with Woods. She also had various texts voice messages as a proof to support her claims. Soon, over a dozen women claimed through various mediums that they also had alleged affairs with Woods. This increased a lot of pressure on Woods from all sections of media, fans his sponsors. On Dec 11, 2009 he made a public statement on his website in which he admitted to infidelity and apologized for his behaviour. He also announced that he has decided to take a temporary break from playing professional golf till he settles down with his personal life. Shortly after this statement, several companies who were Woods sponsors started to reconsider the endorsement deals signed with him. On 8th December, 2009, Nielsen carried out a survey found that the advertisers had temporarily suspended television other media advertisements featuring Woods post the extramarital affairs scandals emerged. Some of the major sponsors of Woods showed him support initially and decided to retain him. But he was suspended by Gillette on Dec 11, and also by Accenture on Dec 13, stating that the golfer was no longer the right representative. The shareholders had undergone an estimated loss which was as high as $5  to $12  billion due to the Woods extramarital affairs scandal. The entire Tiger Woods infidelities controversy proved one thing that no individual can take anything for granted, even if he is the worlds highest earning professional sports athlete. Woods had admitted that he was unfaithful to his wife had extramarital affairs with a number of women. Infidelity is not acceptable by any court of law. It is the most unethical thing to happen in a marriage cannot be tolerated or forgiven by any partner (irrespective of their gender) in the world. He was caught by the charisma power that comes by being a famous sports celebrity. He had the wrong belief that he had the power to perform any actions, and his brand image his fan following would not cause any harm to him. He was under the impression that normal rules/laws followed in society did not apply to a big sports celebrity like him. This brought to his downfall his multiple infidelities tarnished his on-field brand image built by him from over a decade. His acts had disappointed his fans, fami ly, friends business partners all over the world. Woods officially divorced his wife on Aug 23, 2010. Currently, Woods has made a comeback to professional golf but he is neither in the best of his form on-field nor does he have the support that he used to have before the controversy. Story 3: Olympics take a Dope Olympics, the greatest sporting event in the world, is not free from issues and one of the issue which is bothering the organizer for a long time is usage of performance enhancing drugs. The genesis of using the similar things can be found in Ancient Olympics in form of specially cooked lizard meat which would improve athletes performance. In modern Olympics, there have been many cases where players have been banned for using drugs starting with alcohol usage in 1968 till 30 athletes were banned in Vancouver in 2010. IOC (International Olympic Committee) along with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has taken a strong stand against use of such elements. In fact, Zero Tolerance for Doping was adopted as an official slogan for the Beijing Olympic Games (2008). The case which we are going to see how Bahrain Athlete Rashid Ramzi was stripped of his gold medal for doping in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Rashid Ramzi climbed to the top of the Asian scene, after transferring to Bahrain, winning gold medals at the Asian Athletics Championships and the Asian Games 2002. He set an Asian indoor record over 800 metres to take the silver at the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships-his first global medal-and took part in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He reached the peak of his discipline the following year by becoming both the 800  m and 1500  m champion at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics the first man to ever do such a double at the competition. He failed to retain his titles at the 2007 World Championships, but still took the silver medal over 1500  m. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he was the recipient of the first ever medal for Bahrain at the Olympics winning the 1500  m gold medal. However, he failed to maintain his integrity before performing at 2008 Olympics Games. His result (of winning gold medal in 2008) did not stand and he was excluded from the sport for two years after his test came back positive for the banned blood-boosting substance CERA (Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator), a newer version of a endurance-enhancing hormone that was cutting edge stuff. In April 2009, the Bahrain Olympic Committee reported Ramzi tested positive for doping at the Beijing Games. Ramzi tested positive for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO. Ramzis backup B sample was tested on June 18, 2009 and in July 2009 it was announced Ramzis B sample has tested positive as well. In November 2009, Ramzi was stripped of his gold medal. An important thing to note, here, is the players (many others including Ramzi were suspended or stripped of their medal) were knowing about illegal use of drug CERA but test to check CERA were not available before. So, players took advantage of it. But, as soon as test came into existence, it was applied on players and were given appropriate punishment. This incident tells us how hard IOC and WADA tries to eliminate drug issue from Olympics, usage of such drugs will become integral part of Olympics unless Players take a moral responsibility of eradicating drug demon. Story 4: Corruption in Commonwealth Games 2010 They killed animals, cut trees, displaced people, snatched livelihoods, destroyed river, looted the taxpayers, violated all possible labor laws, increased cost of living to unimaginable heights, asked students to vacate hostels, destroyed heritage of this age old city and all this in the name of Green Games. Yes, as a matter of fact the only thing green about October 2010 held Commonwealth Games in the capital city was the money involved in it. The mission of this game included creating sustainable environment and leave behind a lasting legacy and values include transparency. Delhi had won the bid in November 2003, in last six years whatever happened in the name of Games completely defied above mentioned vision, mission and values. On the contrary, the opacity in the conducting of the games deeply scarred the sentiments of the people and the civil society in India. The destructive development that had happened over the years in the name of a game has tarnished the image of India to a great extent. Initially the estimated cost of the games was around Rs. 150 crores which rose to Rs. 70,000 crores. Common mans hard earned money was used in an extravagant and reckless manner. There was corruption ranging from procurement of small items like towels, soaps etc. to construction of bridges and stadiums. Before the start of the games, corruption was suspected but the magnitude was not known. The cost of renovation of a stadium proved to be more than building a new stadium. There were reports of child labour in the construction of venues. Death of 48 labourers did not make much news and was mentioned in passing. For some of the mess in Delhi, Congress blames MCD controlled by BJP while BJP and other opposition political parties directed their fingers to the ruling party at Delhi. Allegations of corruption spanned a broad spectrum including issuing of  contracts and purchase of equipment from treadmills to toilet rolls. Indias anti-corruption watchdog identified more than 16 projects with possible irregularities. Allegations of corruption over the Commonwealth games 2010 event that took place   in Delhi in October 2010 are being investigated by several bodies including the  anti-corruption watchdog, the state auditor, the CBI and a special committee set  up by Prime Minister Singh. The Congress-party led coalition government came under fierce criticism for  mismanagement and ineptitude over the sporting extravaganza which cost up to Rs. 70,000 crore (USD  6 billion). It is obvious that a complete lack of governance and accountability has led to all kinds of politicians and officials diving in to make a quick buck out of the governments magnanimity. The Congress party, as a desperate measure to save its face, eventually sacked Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising  committee, as secretary of the partys parliamentary wing. Recently, Kalmadi and his Aides have been arrested and questioned by the CBI regarding the irregularities in the run-up to hosting the just-concluded Commonw ealth Games. What was supposed to be Indias moment of glory was turned into the countrys hour of shame. *.*.*.

The Impact of Invasive Species on Ecosystems Essay examples -- Environ

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Influence on ecosystems range from human causes like the bulldozing of a forest to natural causes like a fire or a flood.   In recent times, the introduction and spread of invasive species has transformed native communities rapidly and, in some cases, created irreversible damages.   In the Earth’s history, changes have often occurred in the ecosystems.   For example, glaciers and the retreat of glaciers cause wide-spread changes.   However, although change is a constant in ecosystems, animals and habitats often cannot adapt to the rapid alterations of non-natural stresses.   Harm to the environment from the introduction of invasive species occurs through changes in the habitat and declines in the native species.   Invasive species can make changes in a habitat’s physical structure, hydrology and salinity, productivity, energy flow, and fire cycle.   Declines in biodiversity occur through competition, disruption of the food web, and genetic hybridization.   These habitat and species modifications could create an irreversible shift in the ecosystem, creating an altered, stable state.   While invasive species cause damage in many ways, one of an invasive specie’s most devastating effects is habitat modification.   Once a habitat is physically altered, even if the invader is removed, it becomes difficult or impossible to reverse the effects.   In Life Out of Bounds, author Chris Bright describes the cycle of degradation (1998).   As local creatures disappear, the loss weakens the strength of their ecosystem.   An artificially simplified community is more likely to break down and the effects of disturbances, such as fire or flood, are likely to be more intense, leaving the area open to more invasions.   According to Bright, as ... ... on natural ecosystems.   Washington, D.C.:   Island Press. Devine, R.   (1998).   Alien invasion: America's battle with non-native animals and plants.   Washington, D.C.:   National Geographic Society. Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds.   (2002).   [Online].   Available:  Ã‚   http://ficmnew.fws.gov/index.html   [2002, October 14]. Office of Technology Assessment.   United States.   Congress.   (1993, September).   Harmful non-indigenous species in the United States.   Washington, D.C.:   U.S. Government Printing Office.   (OTA-F-565)   (Y 3.T 22/2:2 H 22/993) Soulà ©, M., & Orians, G. (Eds.)   (2001).   Conservation biology:   Research priorities for the next decade.   Washington, D.C.: Island Press. Van Driesche, J., & Van Driesche R.   (2000).   Nature out of place:   Biological invasions on the global age.   Washington, D.C.: Island Press.