Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Biodiversity of the Pacific Islands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biodiversity of the Pacific Islands - Essay Example The wildlife trade is one factor in this decline, particularly an improvement in transport facilities has made it possible to ship animals and plants and products derived from them anywhere in the world. Wildlife trade is a highly profitable business and involves a wide variety of species with millions of animals and plants traded each year to supply the demand for pets, ornamental plants, furs, skins, leather and timber, and articles manufactured from these materials. Incredibly, the wildlife trade is second, in monetary terms, only to the drug trade, and perhaps the arms trade. The annual average trade in wildlife products is estimated at around five billion US dollars.   The Impact of Deforestation   The effects of deforestation are quite evident all across the Pacific islands and indeed across all world cultures. However, perhaps the area which is most devastated is the island of Papua New Guinea. Current estimates of forest destruction are hard to come by but in the late 1980's the forest was being lost at a rate of 21,000 - 22,000 ha per year (Hurst, 1990; Mullins, 1994). Forest product production has increased from 300,000 cubic meters in 1969 to over 1.7 million cubic meters in 1989. Most of these exports are in the form of logs, so Papua New Guinea misses out on any "value added" component that would result if timber were milled locally. Foreign investors, mainly Japanese, Malaysian, Korean, and Chinese, dominate the timber industry. In the late 1980's local timber companies only had rights to one-fifth of the available logging concessions (Barry, 2000).   The Pacific forests are rich in wildlife. Placental mammals, marsupials, birds, and reptiles abound. Doubtless, there are a lot of species that have not yet come to scientific attention. There are 650 species of birds, 500 of which are confined to the forests (Hurst, 1990).

Monday, October 28, 2019

John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

John Stuart Mill and Utilitarianism Essay John Stuart Mill published Utilitarianism in 1861 in installments in Frasers Magezine it was later brought out in book form in 1863. The book offers a candidate for a first principle of morality, a principle that provides us with a criterion distinquishing right and wrong. The unilitarian candidate is the principle of utility, which holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness; wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happpiness. By happiness is intended pleasure and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain and the privation of pleasure. One version of cecular utilitarianism was represented by William Godwin the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley, who achieved great notoriety with the publication of hil Political Justice of 1793. Godwins use of the principle of utility for the cause of radical political and social critique began the identification of utilitarianism with anti-religiosity and with dangerous democratic values. The second version of secular utilitarianism, and the one that inspired Mill, arose from the work of Jeremy Bentham. Benthan, who was much more successful than Godwin at building a movement around his ideas, employed the principle of utility as a device of political, social, and legal criticism. Benthams interest in the principle of utility did not arise from concern about ethical theory as much as from concern about lefislative and legal reform. Though Bentham and Godwin intended it to have this function in the late eighteenth century, utilitarianism became influential only when tied with the political machinery of the Radical party, which had particular prominence on the English scene in the 1830s.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Welcome staff, students, family, and graduates. Today marks a special day in our lives. Today is the day of our graduation. It seems with every graduating class there is a certain amount of responsibility placed on the graduates. For this year’s class it is no different, in fact more has been placed on this class than any others in history. The Class of 2006 is going to shape our world for the 21st century; the Class of 2006 is going to improve our lives and our country. We can talk all we want about the things we want to accomplish or change, but if we do not reach out for opportunities, then all of these ideas are fantasies. This is what I want to talk about with all of you today. First, what is an opportunity? An opportunity is the chance to do something to improve ourselves or the lives of others. When we were freshmen, our teachers, counselors and administration urged us on to excel in the classroom, join a sports team or help with an activity for the school. As we grew older we had to motivate ourselves to do these things. There is a young lady graduating tonigh...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Consumer behavior Essay

1. A marketer of health food is attempting to segment its market on the basis of Australia consumers’ self image. Describe the four types of consumer self-image and discuss which one would be most effective? There have 4 types of self image which are actual self image mean that how consumers see themselves; the second one is ideal self image mean that consumers would like to see themselves; third one is social self image mean how consumers feel other see them and the last one is ideal social self image which mean how consumers would like others to see them. For the health food products that are consumed privately, consumers might be guided by the actually self image. Consumers might select a different self image to guide their attitudes or behavior 2. Describe the type of promotional message that would be most suitable for: a) Highly dogmatic consumers b) Inner directed consumers c) Consumers with high optimum stimulation levels d) Consumers with high degree of recognition e) consumers who are visualizes vs consumers who are verbalizes 3. Find three print advertisements based on Freudian personality theory? Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality is the cornerstone of modern psychology. This theory was built on the premise that unconscious needs or drives, especially sexual and other biological drives are at the heart of human motivation and personality. Inside the theory, there have three interacting systems are id, superego and ego. For example, there has an id-driven impulsive behavior which is the Courtesy of Interflora @ Interflora Australia. The other example is emphasizes the pleasure benefit from Passion Pink Venus. 4. How does sensory adaptation affect advertising comprehension? How can marketers overcome sensory adaption and increase the likelihood that consumers will notice their ads? The term adaptation refers specifically to getting used to certain sensations, becoming accommodated to a certain level of stimulation. Sensory adaptation is a problem experienced by many TV advertisers during special programming events such as Olympic games. Some  markets seek unusual or technological media in which to place their advertisements in an effort to gain attention. 5. The retail stores have images of their own that serve to influence the perceived quality of the products they carry, as well as the decisions of consumers as to where to shop. A study of retail store image based on comparative pricing strategies found that consumers tend to perceive stores that offer a small discount on a large number of items as have lower prices overall than competing stores that offer large discounts on a smaller number of product. 6. Describe how manufacturers if chocolate bars can apply their knowledge of differential threshold to packages and process during period of: a) Rising ingredient costs – the financial risk because the product will not be worth its cost, it is depend on their choices to a few safe alternative. b) Increasing competition – it is the social risk which a poor product can attract customers to choice and it may cause in the social embarrassment. c) Heightened consumer awareness regarding nutrition and ingredient labeling – it is the psychological risk which a poor product choice will beuise the customers’ ego.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

How foragers and horticulturalists allocate land and labor Essay

Let’s start with a basic question whose answer may come as a surprise. What is culture and when did it begin? Culture is the multi-generational hard-drive of memory, change, and innovation. Culture transforms a record of the past into a prediction of the future; it transforms memory into tradition—into rules of how to proceed. And culture is profoundly social. It exists not just in one mind, but binds together mobs of minds in a common enterprise. When did culture first appear in this 13.7 billion-year-old universe? The answers are surprising. Most evolutionary experts say that human culture kicked off 45,000 to 35,000 years ago. Paleontologists studying pre-historic Europe call this period The Cultural Explosion. 45,000 to 35,000 years ago, men and women began to perforate, grind, polish, and drill bone, ivory, antler, shell and stone into harpoons, fish hooks, buttons, ornaments, sewing needles, and awls. Frosting the cake, humans invented musical instruments, calendars marked on pieces of antler, and paintings on the walls of caves. Then there’s the un-standard answer about culture’s beginnings, a rebel timeline of human culture that a relatively new pale anthropological school is fighting for. This new scientific movement has made its digs in Africa, not Europe, and has come up with radically different dates. Culture, says this upstart school, started approximately 280,000 years ago when humans invented the makeup industry, then followed that up with the invention of jewelry, beads, and trade. Culture is transmitted from one generation to generation and is learned mainly in childhood and during maturation. We learn not only our behavior but also our attitudes and values. The ability to acquire culture in this way makes humans highly adaptable to different cultural environments. We has humans are born with potential to learn whatever knowledge and skills are practices in are communities. When did another ingredient of culture— social memory, a memory that gives a foundation of knowledge, perception, and direction to an entire society—first arise? A firm answer is more elusive than you might think. Why? For the first 300,000 years after the Big Bang, the cosmos was host to a massive social dance. Particle gangs moved at super speed, colliding with each other like bullets smashing head to head, then bouncing away with ferocious velocity. Astonishingly, the particles involved—particularly the protons—came out of each crash with all their mass and form intact. Was this act of identity-retention a primitive form of memory? Was it tradition arisen before its time? The study examines decision of middle class of U.S. and highland Mayan parents regarding sleeping arrangements during the first two years the infants sleep with their mother up until there a toddler. But in the U.S. infants only sleep in the bed with their mother every now and then. This is how Mayan explains the closeness of their infants. When we put infant in a room by themselves then this making them impendent to be able to sleep on there on. Mayan families use there bedtimes as a routines and objects to facilitate transition to sleep. Rites of passage are a category of rituals that mark the passage of a person through the life cycle, from one stage to another over time, from one role or social position to another, integrating the human and cultural experiences with biological destiny: birth, reproduction, and death. These ceremonies make the basic distinctions, observed in all groups, between young and old, male and female, living and dead. The interplay of biology and culture is at the heart of all rites of passage, and the struggle between these two spheres asserts the essential paradox of our mortal heritage. As humans, we dwell in an equivocal world, for we belong to both nature and Reference page Cultural Anthropology (Bonvillain) Cultural Variation in Infants’ sleeping Arrangements Development Psychology 1992 Vol 4 604-613

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Novelist, Read The Bible!

Novelist, Read The Bible! Novelist, Read The Bible! Novelist, Read The Bible! By Maeve Maddox Whatever your religious affiliation or views, if you wish to enrich your writing in English, its in your interest to familiarize yourself with the language of the 1611 translation known as the Authorized Version (AV) or King James Bible. More recent translations are preferable for purposes of textual criticism, but for the lover of English, the AV belongs right next to the dictionary on the writers shelf of essential references. The Bible is not one book, its a library of different kinds of writing: poetry, history, laws, drama, and philosophy. I dont recommend struggling through the food laws or the begats (long genealogical lists), but the poetic books like Job and Song of Songs provide an inexhaustible mine of balanced phrasing and indelible imagery. Hemingway took his title The Sun Also Rises from beautiful, world-weary Ecclesiastes: One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. Some other writers got titles from the same place: Earth Abides, by George R. Steward Earth Abideth, by George Dell One Generation Passes Away, Another Generation Comes, by Joyce Jones Roe And then theres this passage from the Song of Songs (also called Song of Solomon): For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. NOTE: In this context the turtle is a turtledove. Here are some titles that this passage seems to have inspired: Our Vines Have Tender Grapes, by George Victor Martin The Little Foxes, by Lillian Hellman The Voice of the Turtle, by John Van Druten Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison Among the Lilies, by Mary Adriano and Mary Bruno Winter is Past, by Ruth Axtell Morren Some readers may balk at the old -eth endings. One way to deal with them is to read them as -es verbs. Another way is to read from the Revised King James version which modernizes the grammar: One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever. Thanks to a multiplicity of websites equipped with great search engines, you can go directly to the stories you want to read. A good place to begin is The Bible Gateway. Who knows? You may find the perfect title for your next novel. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†15 Idioms for Periods of Time

Monday, October 21, 2019

Media Disgrace essays

Media Disgrace essays More coverage than O.J. More coverage than Diana. More than Oklahoma City, and more coverage than even Monica Lewinsky. You guessed it, Election 2000, and the media loved every minute of it. Savoring the proverbial field-day, U.S. journalists greatly assisted in dividing the country, destroying the peoples respect for the American legal system, embarrassing the worlds superpower, and simply annoying the crap out of everyone. To put it simply, the media didnt do its job, especially when it came to the really focal points of the recent election: pre-election coverage, election-night coverage, and post-election coverage including the Florida recount. In order to obtain more ground to cover, the media started off by telling the people just how different the two major candidates were (always relishing partisanship), when in truth, they arent that polarized. Of course, they have vaguely different views on how to accomplish certain goals, but for the most part, those goals are the same. Its the usual, strengthen our economy, preserve social security, improve education, yada yada yada; the candidates just occasionally differ on how to do so leading to an enduring joke about the American people not really wanting either candidate. The candidates are also similar in that they both exaggerated and skirted around lying in pre-election campaigning. The media compounded these problems by not being able to decide whether to be responsible enough to analyze these campaign claims and when they half-heartedly made any attempts they were often off the mark. Unfortunately, we a tendency to remember the few hits and forget the innumerable misses. For example, the media showed a keen interest in Gore's recounting the story of a Sarasota, Florida student who was forced to stand in her science class due to overcrowding. While many reports chalked it up as another Gore embellishment, few journalists acknowle...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Candid in Candidate

The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate By Mark Nichol Yes, candid and candidate are cognate. It’s ironic, of course, that a word referring to forthrightness and honesty is the basis of a noun referring to someone who stands for political office. Candid is from the Latin term candidum, which means not only â€Å"sincere† and â€Å"upright† but also â€Å"white† and â€Å"pure.† Candidatus, the Latin predecessor of candidate, means â€Å"white robed,† and alludes to the fact that those campaigning for public office in ancient Rome wore white. Candid also means â€Å"blunt† or â€Å"frank† but also came, by extension, to mean â€Å"spontaneous,† as in referring to someone photographed in a candid pose rather than a prepared one. Meanwhile, candidate now can also refer to an applicant for any position, whether in a political context or otherwise, or to someone vying for an award or one who meets, or is on track to meet, all the requirements for something. Synonyms for candidate include applicant, referring to someone who applies or asks for something, from the Latin verb applicare, meaning â€Å"fold to.† (The second syllable of apply is has the same as the word ply.) Another is aspirant, meaning â€Å"someone who tries to be or do something,† derived from the Latin verb aspirare, meaning â€Å"breathe on.† Campaigner, which refers to someone who embarks on a political campaign to seek office, derives ultimately from the Latin term campania, meaning â€Å"level ground† and referring to the type of terrain most easily traversed by an army on the march; campaign originally referred to a series of battles waged to produce a desired strategic outcome. Contender, meanwhile, refers to someone who tries to win something, especially someone with a strong possibility of victory; the root word, contend, stems from the Latin verb contendere, meaning â€Å"stretch with† in the sense of a competitor who physically strives to win. Nominee, from the Latin verb nominare, meaning â€Å"name,† pertains to someone who has been chosen to represent a political party for a specific office or someone who is being considered for a position. Prospect denotes someone likely to win or be chosen; the word, from the Latin verb prospicere, meaning â€Å"look forward,† also refers in general to anticipation or possibility, or to a lookout or a scene or a survey. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S3 Types of HeadingsHonorary vs. Honourary

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Globalization and Changing Market Trends Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Globalization and Changing Market Trends - Essay Example This may be assessed at present as already happening, in which the converging global market has created a conduit of goods and services available at almost the same prices for different countries. Stressing that the world is flat, as Levitt used it- figuratively, at least - opts to become competitive in a global market where regional, historical, and geographical divisions are increasingly becoming irrelevant. Globalization is suggested to have created a playing field in which the world is flattened, thereby allowing all participants to level off with one another and participate equally in the global market. Competitive playing fields are leveled between industrial and emerging markets, which is a product of a convergence of workflow software and of personal computer with fiber-optic micro cable, not known to human race twenty-five years ago. The surge of technology is likened to a jet plane that zooms upward, changing economic activities of domestic and global markets. Levitt indicates in his literature that the world is increasingly and inevitably becoming one, putting the multinational corporations into obsolete position, which were abounding at the time the literature was written. Levitt had a keen and clear foresight with his assumption that companies that do not adapt to the new global realities will become victims of those that do (p. 11). This has become a reality at present, in which products that do not cope with the demands of globalization and technological advancement will certainly find themselves in financial collapse. This is the reason why Kodak and Mitsubishi have to align their photo developing techniques with that of a digitalized method, since using the old film developing technique will surely assail the companies with lower income due to inability to keep track with new technology. Strategic management of firms should hence be congruent to the changing global markets. Currently, the world's needs and desires have been irrevocably homogenized as an outcome of globalization, a trend not existing in 1983, of which Levitt had been keen to make a foresight. In his views, he stated that this homogeneity makes the multinational corporation obsolete and the global corporation absolute (p. 3). This may have been true had the multinational corporations not kept up with the growing demands of a globalized market. However, due to their ability to keep up through market research, multinational corporations are still able to hold their positions strongly, updating their product lines and technology alongside current trends. Similarly, more and more European counties trail the path to offshore some or all of their operations with the advent of globalization. In this regard, foreign direct investment increases, which involve transfer of operating capacity for functions like production and transportation (Gampenrieder, 2006). Offshore strategies provide companies the capabilities to aim for distinctive, sustainable, and competitive advantages that require relocation of operating

Internet and Electronic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Internet and Electronic Marketing - Essay Example In addition, a lot of corporations now understand that the internet is a very helpful tool for better serving customers and reaching into the international markets. As the production of a company increases the need for the distribution of these products to their target customers also increases. In this scenario, the internet marketing is the most excellent way that offers higher potency and access to international markets for the marketing of products. On the other hand, traditional marketing and its techniques have turned out to be less efficient to defeat the need for more targeted and wide marketing. But, with the use of internet, the techniques of marketing have changed and improved, and now corporations are more proficient in telling their stories and carrying out their marketing communications out there (Summers et al., 2003, p.67; Watson et al., 2000; Rao et al., 1998). This report presents a detailed analysis of the GAP enterprise and its marketing activities over the web. Th e main aim of this research is to discuss the GAP web business model, its customers, products delivery, services, 4P elements and target market. â€Å"Marketing is the method of planning and implementing the ideas; pricing promotion and distribution of ideas, products, goods, and services to make exchanges that fulfill individual as well as company’s goals† (Summers et al., 2003, p.7). Kotler & Armstrong (2001) describe marketing as â€Å"a common and administrative method by which individuals and groups acquire what they need and desire by creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with others†. However, the emergence of the internet has made the process of marketing very simple. Since, the internet is offering an innovative universal technology structure to build all kinds of new products, services, policies, and organizations. It is reforming the techniques information is being used in business and daily life. Furthermore, by

Friday, October 18, 2019

Obesity in American in Relation to Increasing Healthcare Costs Research Paper

Obesity in American in Relation to Increasing Healthcare Costs - Research Paper Example Obesity in America has a direct coloration to the rise in healthcare costs today. Obesity related illnesses Diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea, are all obesity related illnesses. Diabetes â€Å"Type 2 diabetes develops when either the body does not produce enough insulin in the blood or cells ignore the insulin produced† (Obesity-Related Diseases, n.d., para.2). Obesity causes insulin’s effectiveness in controlling the body’s blood sugar to decrease. Blood sugar is overproduced to keep up with the increased intake and the body, not being able to keep up with that, causes the blood sugar levels to become high (Obesity-Related Diseases, para.2). The resistance factor of insulin in human body is exponentially increased with the presence of extra muscles. The exact link between these two factors, obesity and diabetes was clearly explained in a research conducted in 2009 by the Salk Institute researchers (Sciencedaily, 2009). The researchers found out a new cond ition in people who are obese called as the endoplasmic reticulum (Sciencedaily, 2009).This condition could appear at a higher rate in people who have very high fat percentage and because of this condition, the segregation of glucose in liver increases dramatically and hence increasing their potential to become a patient of diabetes. The presence of excessive artificial additives in many of the cheaply available foods that are mostly consumed by people who are involved in sedentary work can effectively increase the fat content of those people. This makes them obese and hence luring them to have diabetes (Sciencedaily, 2009). Cancer Several studies conducted in the past have shown that overweight could increase the percentage of people getting affected with cancer. In particular, the most common type of cancer that is exhibited in obese people is the liver cancer. Researchers from University of California, San Diego has found out through their research that one major cause for the in troduction of cancer in obese people is due to a chronic inflammation (NewsWise, 2010). In generic terms, it could be described as a state where the cells of human body interact between each other in an unruly and disordered manner causing a lot of discrepancies to occur in their working. Any kind of mismanagement of communication between the cells and in their movement leads to the advent of cancer. Such an improper metabolism could occur in a higher percentage in obese people and hence the relation between obese people and cancer has come to the fore. Cancer is not a direct result of this state but is the culmination of series of secondary problems caused by this chronic inflammation (NewsWise, 2010). Heart disease Obesity often causes heart diseases due to the fact the heart is stressed when pumping blood. The relation between obesity and heart diseases where always analyzed but was believed that it is not a direct resultant of obesity. Many other sub causes were found to be the reasons for producing heart diseases. Those sub causes include presence of hypertension when the heart rate increases extremely, decrease in the levels of cholesterol in HDL or even the above mentioned factor, diabetes (Lew & Garfinkel, 1979). It is a proven fact that these causes can occur in obese patients than a regular diet person and through this it was attributed to obesity that heart disease could also

Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Education) Essay

Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Education) - Essay Example Learning a second language (L2) can not only be a considerably challenging and daunting task for many learners, but also a rewarding experience (Lennartsson, 2008). It takes time for a learner to study and adequately develop a language. My journey of learning English has always been demanding but within the learning, I learnt to overcome its challenges. Having been brought up in Germany and studying German for most of my childhood, I did not start learning English until when I moved to a secondary school in Singapore where I struggled to cope with the language and saw it necessary. After my secondary level, I was sent to Australia to further my education where I passionately perceived the language as pleasurable to learn. In understanding my learning outcomes as an L2 learner in English, this paper aims to examine my personal experience in the study of English in the secondary and tertiary level of my education by critically reflecting on two major factors. It discusses the ‘so cial context’ and ‘motivation’ for my L2 learning in relation to the changes in learning environment across the globe from Europe to Asia where I was brought up. Looking back at my extraordinary language learning experiences in Europe and Asia, I am grateful for learning two languages in two different continents. Born in Bavaria, Germany, I was brought up there for most of my childhood. My parents, my father in particular, spoke to me in German and I adopted it as my first language (L1). At times, my mother, of Singaporean background, would speak to me in English and thus I gradually acquired it as my second language (L2). Although my English was limited and I was never compelled into learning it, German was regarded as my primary language of instruction and communication. When I was twelve years old, in the mid-80s my family moved to Singapore where my learning of English as a second language began. Having completed

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example Human resource plays a very important role in the development and success of any organization so was the case with Wal-mart. Sam Walton from the start of this business was surrounded by the most creative and hardworking employees. The employees are still working with their complete dedication and interest to achieve the goal of the mission statement. There are many internal and external challenges faced by the Human resource of Wal-mart such as the employee turnover rate, less capable employees in the developing countries, world politics, economics, inflation, exchange rates, etc. However, Wal-mart successfully faced all the hurdles in its way and qualified to be considered the largest retailers chain in the world. But there is always a room for further improvements and achievements and to fill that gap Wal-mart should continuously come up with new and different ideas to remain dominant in the retailer’s world. Organizational Analysis of Wal-mart Today, the customers not only want to buy things that they want but they actually want to enjoy their shopping experience. Now customers want a lot of merchandize available under one roof with the satisfying services and lowest possible prices, friendly and pleasant shopping environment with free parking. Wal-mart promises to give all of this to its customers (Walton, 2012). Wal-mart is a super store which features maximum number of high quality merchandize with comparatively low prices and gives its customers an everlasting shopping experience. It serves more than 200 million customers per week (our story, 2012). It has retail stores, online services and mobile alerts operating in 27 countries under 69 different banners. The first Wal-mart store was open in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Sam Walton’s unparallel devotion to the company and the leadership skills lead the organization to where it is now standing. He was the man behind the success of the unique retail store. He believed in leadership through serv ice and customer satisfaction. The basic idea behind Wal-mart was to serve the customers with low prices and great service. The target market of Wal-mart is that segment of customers who want multiple things such as grocery, electronics, apparel, stationary, decorative, and every other thing under one roof. These customers want a pleasant buying experience and goods services and satisfaction along with low prices. Wal-mart is very successful in fulfilling its customers’ requirements and therefore it has started the online and mobile services as well considering the current market trends and intense competition. The customers who believe in saving and spending good lives are the real customers of Wal-mart. In 1960, the whole idea of retail stores was changes as the Wal-mart step in the world of retailers. By 1967 Wal-mart was able to own 24 stores with $12.7 million sale (history timeline, 2012). Later in 1980’s the first Wal-mart supermarket was opened with general mer chandise. In 1987 the company installed the largest satellite communication system in the United States of America. In 1990’s Wal-mart was marked as the most successful and the biggest retail store. By 2002, Wal-mart was among the 500 ranking of the America’s companies. In 2012, the company has celebrated its 50th anniversary with 2.2 million associates, 200 million customers and 10,000 stores in 27 countries. Mission Statement Wal-mart was made with the mission of

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Ethics - Assignment Example The idea of isolation and possibly being hated by fellow students pains her very much making her at times to yell loudly and burst into tears. The teacher’s first suspect on the Denise case of the dead rat seemed to be a provoking kid and seem not to care much since she just looks very comfortable when the teacher glances at her. The information needed to resolve this dilemma is the reasons that could be the motive behind such mistreatment to Denise. The dilemma would only be solved when the key reasons as appear to why this harsh handling of Denise continues by the fellow students. The first solution is to seek on how to bridge the information gap by finding the right facts that would have played a role towards the mistreatment of Denise. This would unearth the core issues quickly. However, Johns, McGrath & Mathur (2008) indicate that striking an adequate information balance is difficult due to varying divergent views of each character. Unethical teacher behavior would provide the environment for poor behaviors amongst the students. There should be strict restrictions and punishments towards awkward behavior like putting dead rat into another student’s locker. This will instill discipline and order amongst the student. However, a few cases of such kind would still appear. Unethical teacher behavior would make it impossible to implement the solution. According to Paul (2012), there should be interactive sessions, for the students to interact freely and associate with each other with courage and confidence. A talk should be undertaken with the whole students’ fraternity to elaborate on the key significance of being each other’s brother’s keepers and the essence of peaceful coexisting

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example Human resource plays a very important role in the development and success of any organization so was the case with Wal-mart. Sam Walton from the start of this business was surrounded by the most creative and hardworking employees. The employees are still working with their complete dedication and interest to achieve the goal of the mission statement. There are many internal and external challenges faced by the Human resource of Wal-mart such as the employee turnover rate, less capable employees in the developing countries, world politics, economics, inflation, exchange rates, etc. However, Wal-mart successfully faced all the hurdles in its way and qualified to be considered the largest retailers chain in the world. But there is always a room for further improvements and achievements and to fill that gap Wal-mart should continuously come up with new and different ideas to remain dominant in the retailer’s world. Organizational Analysis of Wal-mart Today, the customers not only want to buy things that they want but they actually want to enjoy their shopping experience. Now customers want a lot of merchandize available under one roof with the satisfying services and lowest possible prices, friendly and pleasant shopping environment with free parking. Wal-mart promises to give all of this to its customers (Walton, 2012). Wal-mart is a super store which features maximum number of high quality merchandize with comparatively low prices and gives its customers an everlasting shopping experience. It serves more than 200 million customers per week (our story, 2012). It has retail stores, online services and mobile alerts operating in 27 countries under 69 different banners. The first Wal-mart store was open in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Sam Walton’s unparallel devotion to the company and the leadership skills lead the organization to where it is now standing. He was the man behind the success of the unique retail store. He believed in leadership through serv ice and customer satisfaction. The basic idea behind Wal-mart was to serve the customers with low prices and great service. The target market of Wal-mart is that segment of customers who want multiple things such as grocery, electronics, apparel, stationary, decorative, and every other thing under one roof. These customers want a pleasant buying experience and goods services and satisfaction along with low prices. Wal-mart is very successful in fulfilling its customers’ requirements and therefore it has started the online and mobile services as well considering the current market trends and intense competition. The customers who believe in saving and spending good lives are the real customers of Wal-mart. In 1960, the whole idea of retail stores was changes as the Wal-mart step in the world of retailers. By 1967 Wal-mart was able to own 24 stores with $12.7 million sale (history timeline, 2012). Later in 1980’s the first Wal-mart supermarket was opened with general mer chandise. In 1987 the company installed the largest satellite communication system in the United States of America. In 1990’s Wal-mart was marked as the most successful and the biggest retail store. By 2002, Wal-mart was among the 500 ranking of the America’s companies. In 2012, the company has celebrated its 50th anniversary with 2.2 million associates, 200 million customers and 10,000 stores in 27 countries. Mission Statement Wal-mart was made with the mission of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

US covert action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

US covert action - Essay Example programs and policies abroad that are not apparent or acknowledged publicly. Whether it is a realistic expectation for U.S. to continue with covert action? There is no realistic expectation that U.S. can continue with covert actions without been discovered. Covert action remains a third option for American foreign policy beyond the initial two options of diplomacy and combat. On covert action, the CIA can be regarded as damned when they do, and damned when they do not. Can one expect the U.S. hand to remain "hidden" even if the action is discovered? Covert actions details activities of the U.S. government to influence political, military, or economic conditions abroad. The U.S. government conceals its responsibility based on the justification that the U.S. responsibility would render an operation infeasible. The core objective of covert action rests on influencing events overseas secretly and in support of U.S. foreign policy.2 The U.S. would be overly optimistic for its hand to rema in â€Å"hidden† even if the action is discovered.... For instance, if Israel was to admit having a nuclear program, such an action can trigger a nuclear arms race within the Middle East, who may feel threatened by Israel. Plausible deniability or the non-attribution to the U.S. for its covert operations makes it impossible to trace back to their point of origin. Plausible deniability is pertinent in protecting the U.S., and it operatives’ from the consequences of disclosures. Measures to make covert action a continued viable policy? Covert action is a necessary, but controversial instrument for U.S. foreign policy. The government should undertake covert actions only if: the intentions and objectives are concisely spelled out, just, and reasonable; there is a reasonable possibility of success; the methods envisaged are commensurate with the objectives; and, due deliberation undertaken with the full knowledge and concurrence of appropriate constituents. Question 2: (A) What was the objective of each operation? The overthrow of Mos sadeq in Iran (1953) arose when Kermit Roosevelt and few other CIA operatives orchestrated a successful coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq the U.S perceived as becoming allied with Iran’s Soviet-dominated Tudeh Party. Roosevelt secured the hesitant support of the Shah dismissing Mossadeq. Zahedi, a highly ranking officer, selected to lead the coup.5 In the wake of the success of the Iranian operation, the CIA also orchestrated a combination of both military and psychological pressures to force leftist Guatemala president, Jacobo Arbenz from office in 1954. The operation (labeled as Operation BPSUCCESS) utilized an invasion by a ragtag â€Å"liberation† army, fictional arms drops, psychologically effective CIA air attacks, and disinformation disseminated to prompt

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay Example for Free

The Fall of the House of Usher Essay The narrator is a very altruistic character in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher†. He sincerely cares about Rodrick, even though his friend is slightly mentally insane, which creates a very complex relationship between the souls. Although the narrator initially intends to save Roderick from his own demise, he was forced to reject Rodrick as Mr. Usher was the source of his own torment. The narrator originally earnestly desires to go to Rodrick’s house. In the text, the narrator talks of Rodrick as having â€Å"an earnest desire to see me, as his best, and indeed his only personal friend, with a view of attempting, by the cheerfulness of my society, some alleviation of his malady † (Poe 1). The narrator uses the words â€Å"desire†, â€Å"cheerfulness†, and â€Å"friend† to describe how Rodrick contacts him. The word choice that the narrator uses can be grouped together as â€Å"happy† words, just like in a usual relationship. The happiness proves that the narrator still believes that him and Rodrick are friends, even though he has not met Rodrick in years and that he wants to save Mr. Usher from his own demise. However, Rodrick quickly forces the narrator to lose his aura of happiness. Rodrick unnerves the narrator throughout the text to the point where the narrator gave up on Rodrick, which is apparent through the use of disheartening words. In the text, the narrator describes Rodrick as having â€Å"A cadaverousness of complexion ; an eye large, liquid, and luminous beyond comparison (Poe 2). The usage of the word â€Å"cadaverousness† alludes to death, and the usage of â€Å"luminous† makes Mr. Usher seem mysterious. Mysteriousness and death are common words to portray someone beyond repair. By using this kind of wording, Poe is revealing the narrator is disgusted by the new Rodrick. The disgust leads the narrator to rejection. The narrator is rejecting of Rodrick. In the text, the narrator states â€Å"His action was alternately vivacious and sullen. His voice varied rapidly from a tremulous indecision hich may be observed in the lost drunkard, or the irreclaimable eater of opium † (Poe 2). Poe uses the words â€Å"tremulous†, â€Å"drunkard†, and â€Å"opium† to describe Rodrick. A synonym for â€Å"tremulous† is â€Å"quavering†, which is a word that describes a voice during a lie. â€Å"Opium† and â€Å"drunkard† are words related to addictive vices, which cause people to lie. Lying causes people to not trust the liar, which leads to rejection. The rejection allows the narrator to let his conscious remain free. To keep his conscious alive, he has to rid himself of the dirtiness. The narrator must â€Å" wipe his hands clean† of Rodrick to be able to continue living. The narrator realizes that Rodrick is the source of his own problems. In the text, it states â€Å"But, as I placed my hand upon his shoulder, there came a strong shudder over his whole person ; a sickly smile quivered about his lips ; and I saw that he spoke in a low, hurried, and gibbering murmur, as if unconscious of my presence. Bending closely over him, I at length drank in the hideous import of his words † (Poe 6). The diction used has much hurt and anguish. The hurt exists because the narrator notices that his friend is doomed. The narrator also uses the words â€Å"shudder†, â€Å"hideous†, and â€Å"sickly† to describe how Rodrick acts. The word choice that the narrator uses emphasizes that Rodrick is doomed. The pain of seeing his best friend in this situation would force any reasonable man, such as the narrator, to â€Å"wipe his hands clean†. The narrator originally intends to save Rodrick, but once he sees what state Rodrick is in, he realizes all hope is lost. He is sincerely pleased to see Rodrick when the letter first comes and believes that their relationship will be like it once was, until he met Rodrick in person. He cares about Rodrick, but realizes that Mr. Usher is doomed. He is disgusted by the â€Å"new† Rodrick and rejects him. He understands he must â€Å"wipe his hands clean†. The narrator has a very intricate relationship with his old friend Rodrick Usher.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Fly Away Peter :: essays research papers

'The characters of Imogen, Ashley and Jim counter the despair created by war'. Discuss. This idea of a countenance between the peaceful world of the sanctuary and the the chaotic world of war is one adapted by many, and with good reason. Through his novel, Malouf seeks to convey to the reader various themes. This is cleverly done in a number of ways, just one of which is this juxtaposition of the relationship between Imogen, Ashley and Jim and how it represents a peaceful world, and the 'despair created by war', its destructive nature and the effect it has on the world. The bond between Imogen, Ashley and Jim is founded on their passionate interest and love of the birds, and the individual gifts that each brings to that interest: Jim's special knowledge, Imogen's photography and Ashley's sense of the land and nature. The relationship between the three reflects the calm, balanced and tranquil order of the natural world. Their appreciation of the 'primitive power' of the bush represents a harmony, it goes 'beyond mere convention or the law'. Malouf, in creating such a powerful representation of the natural world, has prepared us well for the impact of war. The relationship established between Imogen, Ashley and Jim in the first half of the novel is skilfully juxtaposed with the trauma and upheaval of war in the second half. It is indeed a stark contrast to the tranquility of the sanctuary. The 'catastrophe' and 'madness' of the war hearlds Jim's 'fall from innocence'. This provides a dramatic contrast in mood, setting and action from the harmonious peace of the sanctuary section. The 'natural cycle of things' that Jim has been so in tune to has disappeared with the disturbance and destructive nature of war. Throughout the latter half of the novel, during which Jim is caught like a fly in the web of war, the layers of discontent are evident - disharmony is a constant theme. This is made far more apparent through the way in which Malouf uses Jim as a reference to the old world, when everything was ordered and followed a pattern. Jim was there because of the unnatural act of war, but as 'a kind of private reassurance for himself alone', there is 'the presence of the birds'. This allows him 'to find his way back at times to a natural cycle of things that the birds still followed undisturbed'.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The United States Must Abandon Nuclear Power Essay -- Argumentative Pe

The United States Must Abandon Nuclear Power The United States must re-examine many policies previously accepted as reasonable, especially its own national energy policy. As the largest overall and per capita energy consumer in the world, the U.S. needs to decide upon a reasonable source of energy for the foreseeable future, especially since its energy needs will increase dramatically during that time. With political instability likely to remain the norm in the Middle East, oil continues to be an energy source of questionable reliability; in addition, current estimates of worldwide reserves suggest we may in fact run out of oil entirely in the next fifty years. Natural gas reserves are in fairly short supply too, and costs limit its uses as well. Another major alternative, coal, has become the nation’s leading energy source (providing more than 55% of the country’s electricity), and projected supplies could last for hundreds of years (Sweet 49). However, the tremendous output by coal-fired plants of CO2—the major â€Å"greenhouse† gas—along with other atmospheric pollutants makes it equally as undesirable as oil. The final major source of energy on which the U.S. currently depends is nuclear power, and many (including the author of a Time magazine article in the April 29, 1991 issue) see it as a viable alternative, provided solutions are found to a few â€Å"minor† difficulties. Once the facts are known, though, it becomes clear that nuclear power (both fission and fusion) is not the answer to our current U. S. energy dilemma, primarily because it presents great risks and creates tremendous pollution hazards, and, further, because it also will continue to support the status quo of huge multi-national corporations dominating e... ...Dangers of Nuclear Power. London: New English Library, 1986. Croall, Stephen. Nuclear Power for Beginners. New York: Pantheon Books, 1983. Curtis, Richard, and Elizabeth Hogan with Shel Horowitz. Nuclear Lessons: An Examination of Nuclear Power’s Safety, Economic and Political Record. Harrisburg: Stackpole Books, 1980. Faulkner, Peter, ed. The Silent Bomb. New York: Random House, 1977. Greenwald, John. â€Å"Time to Choose,† Time 29 April 1991: 54-62. Shrader-Frechette, K. S. Nuclear Power and Public Policy: The Social and Ethical Problems of Fission Technology. Boston: D. Reidel Publishing Company, 1980. Stoler, Peter. Decline and Fail: The Ailing Nuclear Power Industry. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company,1985. Sweet, William. The Nuclear Age: Atomic Energy, Proliferation and the Arms Race. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1988.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Apple Swot Analysis

Company background Name| McDonald's Corporation| Industries served| Restaurants, Food| Geographic areas served| Worldwide| Headquarters| U. S. | Current CEO| Don Thompson| Revenue| $ 27. 56 billion (2012)| Profit| $ 5. 46 billion (2012)| Employees| 1,800,000 (2013)| Main Competitors| Burger King Worldwide,Inc. , Yum! Brand Inc. , Subway, Wendy’s Company. | McDonald’s is the world’s leading fast food restaurant chain with more than 34,000 local restaurants serving approximately 69 million people in 119 countries each day.More than 80% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local franchisees. Strengths 1. Largest fast food market share in the world. McDonald’s is the largest fast food restaurant chain in terms of total world sales (8%). It is the second largest outlet operator with more than 34,000 outlets, serving 69 million consumers every day in 119 countries. 2. Brand recognition valued at $40 million. Companyâ⠂¬â„¢s brand is the most recognized brand in fast food industry and is valued at $40 billion. McDonald’s is also famous by the Ronald McDonald clown. . $2 billion advertising budget. McDonald’s spends on advertising more than the next 4 fast food restaurant chains combined. 4. Locally adapted food menus. The fast food chain is operating in many diverse cultures where tastes in food are extremely different than those of US or European consumers. Thus ability to adapt to local tastes is one of McDonald’s strengths. 5. Partnership with best brands. McDonald’s offers only most popular brands in its restaurants, such as: Coca Cola, Dannon Yogurt, Heinz ketchup and others. . More than 80% of restaurants are owned by independent franchisees. Therefore, McDonald’s can focus more on perfecting its serving system and marketing campaigns. 7. Children targeting. The company successfully targets very young children through offering playgrounds, toys with its me als and advertisements. Weaknesses 1. Negative publicity. McDonald’s is heavily criticized for offering unhealthy food to its customers, stimulating obesity and strong marketing focus on very young children. 2. Unhealthy food menu.Although McDonald’s tries to introduce healthier choices in its menu, the menu is largely formed of unhealthy meals and drinks. Such menu offering prompts protests by organizations that fight obesity and hence, decreases McDonald’s popularity. 3. Mac Job and high employee turnover. Mac Job is a low paid and a low skilled job, which is often seen negatively by its employees. This results in lower performance and high employee turnover, which increases training costs and add to overall costs of McDonald’s. 4. Low differentiation.McDonald’s is no longer able to substantially differentiate itself from other fast food chains (at least not enough to gain some market share) and opts to compete by price rather than by additional features. Opportunities 1. Increasing demand for healthier food. While demand for healthier food increases, McDonald’s could introduce more healthy food choices in its menu and reverse its weakness into strength. McDonald’s is trying to seize such an opportunity and soon plans to open only vegetarian restaurant in India. 2.Home meal delivery. McDonald’s could exploit an opportunity of delivering food to home and increase its reach to customers. 3. Full adaptation of its new practices. McDonald’s has redesigned its logo and restaurant design in 2006. In addition, it has introduced some new practices. In a result, remodeled restaurants have seen 8-9% higher than average market growth. McDonald’s should finish remodeling all of the restaurants and adapt the best practices in them as soon as possible. 4. Changing customer habits and new customer groups.Changing customer habits represent new needs that must be met by businesses. So far, McDonald’ s has been successful in introducing its McCafe, McExpress and McStop restaurants to meet the changing customer habits and the needs of previously untapped customer groups. Threats 1. Saturated fast food markets in the developed economies. The fast food market in the developed countries is already overcrowded by so many fast food restaurant chains and this already proves to be a threat to McDonald’s as it barely grew through 2012. 2. Trend towards healthy eating.Due to government and various organizations attempts to fight obesity, people are becoming more conscious of eating healthy food rather than what McDonald’s has to offer in its menu. 3. Local fast food restaurant chains. Local fast food restaurants can often offer a more local approach to serving food and menu that exactly represents local tastes. Although McDonald’s does a great job in adapting its own menu to local tastes, the rising number of local fast food chains and their lower meal prices is a thr eat to McDonald’s. 4. Currency fluctuations. McDonald’s receives a part of its income from foreign operations.The profits that are sent back to US have to be converted into dollars and may be affected by the exchange rates, especially when the dollar is appreciating against other currencies. In 2012, McDonald’s profit was largely affected by appreciating dollar. Lawsuits against McDonald’s. McDonald’s has already been sued for many times and lost quite a few lawsuits. Lawsuits are expensive as they require time and money. And as McDonald’s continues to operate more or less the same way, there is high probability for more expensive lawsuits to come. References: 8. The New York Times (2012).How McDonald’s Came Back Bigger Than Ever. Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2012/05/06/magazine/how-mcdonalds-came-back-bigger-than-ever. html? pagewanted=2;_r=0;ref=mcdonaldscorporation 9. McDonald’s Investors (2013). Company profile. A vailable at: http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/investors/company_profile. html 10. Wikipedia (2013). McDonald’s. Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/McDonald's 11. United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2012). 10-K Form McDonald’s Corporation. Available at: http://sec. gov/Archives/edgar/data/63908/000119312511046701/d10k. htm

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Food Trip Essay

Revolutionaries and activists, tried of associating the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) with these words? Well, it’s time to change your thoughts. PUP isn’t just for words like those mentioned above, please try to look at the brighter side. PUP isn’t just the way you think it is. All the speculations about our school aren’t true. Actually, if you’re inside our campus, you’ll surely have a wonderful time. The school offers delightful treats such as low tuition, high quality education and most especially, foods. I recommend you to go to PUP and I assure you a cheap and an enjoyable food trip for you and for your friends. TRUST ME! ï Å  PUP has it all, from snacks to lunch and to every kind of foods that you will surely like. I bet if you enter our campus, you won’t go out of it without being tempt to buy foods because of its cheap price. Be sure to prepare your spoon and fork as I introduce to you the best foods at the lowest price our campus can offer. 1.Value Meals (20php – 35php) One cup of rice with any ulam of your choice. These include dinuguan, chicken fillet, fried chicken, beef steak, adobo, burger steak, liempo, giniling, sausages, vegetables, etc. Imagine?!! With just 30php, you will experience tasting lutong bahay even if you’re away from home. 2.Buy 1 Take 1 Burgers (25php – 32php) Say goodbye to Jollibee, Mcdonald’s, KFC, and other burger – producing fast food chains. PUP has the cheapest burger ever. With just 32php, we can avail two burgers and that is if you are in PUP. While in fast food chains, you will just be left with dissatisfaction. 3.Clubhouse (20php) All the PUPians know this – clubhouse is a triangle – shaped sandwich with egg wrappings and ham fillings. Well, the best thing about this food is that it is served with free drinks. Yes!!! You heard it right! It’s with FREE! FREE! FREE! AS IN FREE DRINKS which comes in various flavors. As far as I know, it is one of the highest grossing and most sought food in the University. It is so SULIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! 4.FEWA (33php or 37php) FEWA is also known as Footlong and Egg Wrapped Around. It is a sandwich with footlong (can be either regular in size or jumbo) wrapped in fried scrambled egg with cheese and cabbage. Another reason why you would enjoy this food is because of its vendor who has great sense of humor. Wondering who? Well, better check him or, should I say, her? At the East Wing of PUP canteen. 5.Fruit Shakes and Juices (10php-20php)

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 56~57

56 Escape Kimi was trying to call up thunder and was having no luck at all. He'd been chanting and waving his arms for half an hour and there still wasn't a cloud in the sky. â€Å"You're not holding your arms right,† Sarapul said. He was lying under a palm tree, chewing a betel nut and offering constructive criticism to the navigator. Sepie lay nearby watching. â€Å"I am too,† Kimi said. â€Å"I'm holding them the same way you do.† â€Å"Maybe it doesn't work for Filipinos.† â€Å"It's because I'm shot,† Kimi said. â€Å"If I wasn't shot, I could do this.† Sarapul scanned the horizon. Not even a bird. â€Å"That's it. It's because you're shot.† He spit out a red stream of betel nut juice. â€Å"And you're not holding your arms right.† Kimi resumed chanting and waving his arms. â€Å"Hey!† Sarapul said. â€Å"What? Did you hear thunder? I knew I could do it.† â€Å"No. Be quiet. Someone is calling you.† Kimi listened. Someone was calling him, and they were getting closer. He limped down the beach toward the voice and saw Tucker Case coming around the island. â€Å"Hey, boss, what you doin' out here during the day? The Sorcerer gonna be plenty mad at you.† Tuck was out of breath. â€Å"He is mad. I need your boat, Kimi. And I need you to navigate for me.† â€Å"Not his ship,† Sarapul said. â€Å"My ship.† â€Å"The doc is going to kill me if I don't get off the island. Can I use your boat?† The old cannibal was silent for a moment, thinking. â€Å"Where you go?† â€Å"I don't know. Guam, Yap, anywhere.† â€Å"Can I come?† â€Å"Yes, yes, if I can use your boat.† â€Å"Okay, we leave five days. Right, Kimi?† Kimi looked at Tuck. â€Å"It not be good sailing for five days.† â€Å"I have to go now, Kimi.† â€Å"Can Sepie come?† Sepie stepped back, surprised. â€Å"You want to take me? Women don't sail.† â€Å"You come,† Kimi said. â€Å"Okay, boss?† he said to Tuck. Tuck nodded. â€Å"Whatever. Sepie, go tell Malink that I need everyone to bring drinking coconuts. Many drinking coconuts with the husks taken off. Bananas, mangoes, papaya, and dried fish if he has any.† â€Å"There is plenty shark meat,† Sepie said. â€Å"I need it now, Sepie. Go. Tell Malink that Vincent demands it.† Sarapul began to chop at the underbrush in front of the sailing canoe to clear a path to the water. â€Å"Put down palm leaf to slide ship on,† he told Tuck. Tuck began to gather long palm fronds and lay them down in a path to the water. â€Å"Kimi, can you go get the things from my pack? There's things we can use.† â€Å"What about Roberto?† â€Å"Call for him, but go get the stuff. The money too.† â€Å"Okay, boss.† Ten minutes later Tuck looked up to see Malink leading a line of Shark People through the jungle. All were carrying baskets of food and husked green coconuts. â€Å"You are leaving?† â€Å"Yes, I have to go, Chief.† â€Å"You are taking our ship and our navigator.† â€Å"And our mispel,† Abo added from behind Malink. â€Å"I have to go, Malink. The Sorcerer and the Sky Priestess are going to kill me.† â€Å"But Vincent send you. How they hurt you?† â€Å"They don't really believe in Vincent. They use him to get you to give up the chosen, Malink. They're going to start killing off your people too.† â€Å"They no kill the Chosen. Chosen are for Vincent.† â€Å"No. I told you before. They take out your organs and sell them to be put inside of other people.† Malink scoffed. â€Å"You can no put one man kidney in other man.† â€Å"It was in People magazine. Didn't you see it? Demi Moore, Melanie Griffith, Mariel Hemingway, all of them? You didn't read about it?† Recognition lit up Malink's face. â€Å"Boob job!† â€Å"Yes,† Tuck said. â€Å"Where do you think they get those boobs?† â€Å"Oh, no.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"He speaks the truth,† Malink said to the islanders. â€Å"It was in People. Put the food in the boat.† He took Tuck aside. â€Å"You will come back?† â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"And bring our navigator.† â€Å"I'll try, Malink. I really will.† â€Å"You try.† â€Å"Tide,† Kimi called. â€Å"We go now.† The center of the canoe was filled with coconuts, fruit, and bundles of dried shark meat wrapped in banana leaves. Kimi directed the men to get on either side of the canoe and push it over the mat of palm fronds to the water. When it was afloat, Tuck lifted Sepie in, then climbed in himself. Kimi, standing on the outrigger platform, started to hoist the sail. It was the shape of a tortilla chip stood on end with a bite taken out at the top. Tuck recognized the pieces of his pack sewn into the nylon patchwork. â€Å"Where is Sarapul?† Kimi said. â€Å"Here!† The old cannibal was running out of the jungle, seeming stronger now than Tuck had ever seen him. He had gone back for his spear, a long shaft of mahogany with a wickedly barbed metal tip. Tuck caught the old man by the forearm and pulled him out of the surf and into the canoe. The canoe was already fifty yards from the shore. Sarapul took the long oar at the rear and steered it toward the channel as Kimi stood on the outrigger platform and manipulated the sail. The Shark People stood on the beach looking stunned. A few waved. Malink looked forlorn, Abo heartbroken. â€Å"Thanks,† Tuck shouted over the wave. â€Å"Thank you, Malink.† â€Å"You will come back.† Malink said. It was not a question. Tuck turned to look out to sea, then looked back to see the Shark People wading into the water after them. Behind them he saw a dark figure come out of the jungle. There was no warning shot or demand to halt. Stripe came out onto the beach and opened up with the Uzi. Tuck pushed Sepie's head down under the edge of the gunwale just as a line of bullets stitched and splintered the wood. Kimi screamed and Tuck looked up to see a row of red geysers open in his back. He clung to one of the lines for a second, then fell into the sea. Another scream, this one from Sarapul, the hideous screech of a raging lynx, and the old man went over the side. The gunfire stopped and Tuck risked popping his head up to look back to the beach. Stripe was slamming a new clip into the Uzi as he waded after the canoe. The Shark People had fled from the water and disappeared into the jungle or were cowering on the beach, unable to move. With the sail loose, the canoe had swung around and was being carried by the tide toward the reef. They would miss the channel by only a few feet, but they would miss it and run aground on the reef. Tuck reached up to grab the steering oar just as Stripe let off another burst from the Uzi. At a hundred yards he was spraying a wide pattern, but Tuck heard a couple of bullets thunk into the side of the canoe. The normally crystal water near the shore was clouded with the sand and silt thrown up by the Shark People's retreat, so Stripe did not see the dark shape moving through the water toward him. He wanted a shot. He set the Uzi to semiautomatic and unfolded the stock to take careful aim. Tuck was standing now, leaning hard on the steering oar to bring the canoe around and through the channel. The outrigger scraped over the reef as the canoe approached broadside. Stripe lined up the sights between Tuck's shoulder blades, held his breath, let it out, then squeezed the trigger. Sarapul came out of the water like an angry marlin, spear-first. The metal point entered just under Stripe's chin and exited his skull at the crown, dragging brain and bone on its evil barb. As Stripe fell back, he emptied the clip into the sky. The canoe slipped through the channel into the open ocean. Out on the horizon, a small cloud appeared and dropped a mercurial lightning bolt into the sea, followed a few seconds later by Kimi's thunder. 57 West with the Bat The Sorcerer stood on the beach over the supine body of Yamata. The spear was still sticking out of the guard's skull like a gruesome note spindle waiting for a canceled receipt from the Reaper. â€Å"How did this happen?† the Sorcerer asked. Malink looked at his feet. The Sorcerer seemed more surprised than angry. A day had passed since Sarapul had killed Stripe, and Malink had waited in fear for the time when the Sorcerer would come looking for him. The other guards had torn the village apart looking for Tuck, and Malink had confessed that the pilot had left the island in an old canoe, but he had claimed ignorance of the whereabouts of the guard. Sarapul had been right. They should have pushed the body out to the edge of the reef for the sharks to eat. Actually, that had been Sarapul's second suggestion for the disposal of the body. â€Å"It look like accident,† Malink said. â€Å"Maybe he running and fall on his spear.† â€Å"I want the man who did this, Malink,† the Sorcerer said. â€Å"He is dead.† â€Å"The Filipino did this?† Malink nodded. The other guards had found Kimi's body in the village, where the Shark People had been preparing it for burial. â€Å"I don't think so. The Filipino took four bullets in the back. Whoever did this was very strong. Now you must tell me the truth or Vincent will be angry.† Malink was not afraid of Vincent's wrath. He only now realized that all the wrath his people had ever felt from Vincent had come by way of the Sorcerer and the Sky Priestess. He was afraid of the Sky Priestess. â€Å"The American do this before he leave in the canoe. The guard shoot the girl-man and the American kill the guard.† â€Å"Why didn't you tell me about this before?† â€Å"I am afraid Vincent will be angry.† â€Å"Where did they get a canoe? None of the Shark People know how to build a canoe.† â€Å"It was the girl-man. He know how. He build with Sarapul.† The Sorcerer balled his fists. â€Å"And Sarapul is gone too.† Malink nodded. â€Å"He sail away.† â€Å"Do you know where they were going?† Malink shook his head. â€Å"No. Sarapul is banished. We no talk with him.† â€Å"Where's the guard's weapon?† Malink shrugged. The Sorcerer turned his back and began walking up the beach. â€Å"Have your people bury this man, Malink. Don't let the other guards see him. And be ready. The Sky Priestess will visit you soon.† Sarapul crawled out from some nearby ferns and stood at Malink's side, watching the Sorcerer walk away. â€Å"We should have eaten this guy,† he said, kicking Yamata's body. â€Å"This is very bad,† Malink said. â€Å"He killed my friend.† Sarapul kicked the body again. â€Å"The Sky Priestess will be very angry.† Malink was, once again, feeling the weight of his position. The old cannibal shrugged. â€Å"Can I have my spear back?† Tuck knew that there was a way to use the hands of a watch in conjunction with the movement of the sun to determine direction, but since he wore a digital watch, it wouldn't have done him any good even if he knew the method, which he didn't. He guessed that Guam lay to the west, so he steered for the setting sun, spent the night guessing, and corrected his course to put the sun behind them at sunrise. He did know how to sail. It was required knowledge for a kid growing up in a wealthy family near San Diego, but celestial navigation was a complete mystery. Sepie was no help at all. Even if she knew anything, she hadn't said a word since Kimi had been shot. Tuck forced her to drink the water from a couple of green coconuts, but other than that, she had lain in the bow motionless for twenty-four hours. He was now looking at his second sunset at sea. He corrected his course and realized that they must have been traveling north most of the day. How far, he couldn't guess. He steered southwest until the sun lay on the water like a glowing platter, hoping to correct some of the damage. He really wished that Sepie would come around. He needed some sleep, and he needed some relief from his own thoughts. Thoughts of the Sky Priestess, of the Sorcerer, and of his dead friend Kimi. Despite the navigat-or's surly manner, he had been a good kid. Tuck, who had been brought up in relative luxury, couldn't imagine having endured the life that Kimi had lived. And the navigator had never given up. He had lived and died with courage. And he would still be alive if he hadn't met Tucker Case. â€Å"Fuck!† Tuck said to no one. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and squinted at the gunmetal waves. There was a flapping noise up by the mast and Tuck adjusted the steering oar to catch the wind. The sail filled again, but the flapping continued for a second before it stopped. Roberto caught the shroud line that was secured to the outrigger and did an upside-down swinging landing that left him looking to the back of the canoe. Tuck couldn't have been happier if it had been an angel hanging from his shroud line. â€Å"Roberto?† â€Å"Yes,† the bat said. He was speaking in his own voice, not Vincent's. The accent Filipino, not Manhattan. Tuck almost burst out laughing. His mood swings were so rapid and wide now that he was afraid his sanity might be falling through the chasm. â€Å"I didn't recognize you without your glasses.† â€Å"I no like the light,† Roberto said. Tuck looked to Sepie, still lying in the bow. â€Å"Look, Sepie, it's Roberto.† The girl did not stir. â€Å"You are very sad about Kimi,† Roberto said. â€Å"Yes,† Tuck said, â€Å"I am sad.† â€Å"He tell you he was great navigator and you no believe him.† Tuck looked away. Something about bats increases shame by a factor of ten. â€Å"You are going the wrong way,† the bat said. â€Å"Go that way.† He pointed with a wing claw. The wind caught his wing and nearly spun him off the shroud line. He braced himself with the other wing claw and pointed again. â€Å"I mean that way.† â€Å"You're shitting me,† Tuck said. â€Å"That way.† â€Å"That's north. I'm going to Guam. West.† â€Å"That's west. I am born on Guam.† â€Å"You're a bat.† â€Å"You ever see a lost bat?† â€Å"No, but I've never seen a talking bat either.† â€Å"See?† Roberto said, as if he had made his point. â€Å"That way.† After all the evidence is in – after you've run all the facts by everything you know – and you're still lost, you have to do some things on faith. Tuck steered in the direction Roberto was pointing. A few minutes later he looked up to see Vincent sitting on the pile of coconuts in the center of the canoe. â€Å"Good call, listening to the bat,† Vincent said. â€Å"I just wanted you to know that the Shark People are going to build some ladders.† â€Å"Well, that's a useful bit of information,† Tuck said. â€Å"It will be,† Vincent said. Then he disappeared.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Kurt Vonnegut Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kurt Vonnegut - Essay Example And unusually for this form, Vonnegut's science fiction is frequently comic, not just in the "black humor" mode with which he has been tagged so often, but in being simply funny" (Reed). Therefore, he gave a new prospective on comic and science fiction, which was refreshing to most readers. From there, some of the imagery in his books and artwork clarify what some people go through in order to survive life which encourages the reader to take an interest in it because it is something that some Americans are going through at the moment. "Vonnegut's vision of the fantastic in daily life surely must have been influenced by some of the extraordinary events that occurred while he was still a young man, such as the suicide of his mother on Mother's Day 1944 while he was home on leave; his surviving as a prisoner of war the Allied firebombing that destroyed Dresden; the death of his sister Alice from cancer within hours of her husband's death in a train crash. His fiction struggles to cope with a world of tragi-comic disparities, a universe that defies causality, whose absurdity lends the fantastic equal plausibility with the mundane. Much the same outlook pervades the graphic artworks that have increasingly occupied Vonnegut in recent years" (Reed). As it can be seen from his work, it shows a lot of imagery where people's experience when they are wounded and about to face painful consequences of life.However, some critics of his work do not think it gives true imagery of life because it seems more dramatic than that. Just as Vonnegut's prose style has often been characterized as honed-down, so too there is a spareness to his graphics. That is the chief distinction between the vigorously colored felt-tip calligraphy of the early 1980s and the later silk screened art. And in both, the relative simplicity of expression counterpoints the generosity of imagination and vision, making the work more compelling. Vonnegut's concise verbal pronouncements often deflate those myths habitually proffered as giving meaning to daily existence. Yet at the same time his ranging imagination captures the fantastic that permeates the mundane, the fact stranger than fiction that makes daily life forever beyond rationalization. That sense of the fantastic, of the chaotic that fills life with surprises both painful and comic, finds expression in his graphic art as it does in his fiction (Reed)". From there, he could accomplish his goals and successes because he had family support. Socially supportive arrangements as the attributes of socially legitimate roles which provide for the meeting dependency needs without loss of esteem, they are less likely to show aggression while suppressing destructive behavior. From there, socially supportive environments were presented as pattern interpersonal relationships mediated through shared values and sentiments as well as facilitate the performance of social roles through which needs are met. In summation, social support has been defined as an intervening factor tied directly to the coping process 1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North Americ

Monday, October 7, 2019

Proposed Expansion to Develop Educational Materials for Psychologists Essay

Proposed Expansion to Develop Educational Materials for Psychologists - Essay Example In the following presentation, the highlights of the research findings are presented for your consideration. Abnormal behavior is defined as "a psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical or culturally expected response" (Christodulu 2002, screen 1). Further according to the Department of Health and Human Services there are 88,491 clinical psychologists in the United States. With this broad base of potential customers development of this line of educational aids has the potential for wide spread appeal and will increase sales revenue. (2006) Stemming from the fact that there are multiple models of abnormal behavior: Medical and Psychological; ("Psychological disorders" undated, p. 2) our opportunity to develop multiple product groups is promising. The medical model attributes abnormal behavior to medical conditions and, therefore, a medical approach is used to treat the symptoms. However, the psychological models have various perspectives in regard to treatment: mental functioning, experiences and learning are causes of the behaviors manifested. These include the behavior model which focuses on environmental issues while cognitive models stress the reasons behind behaviors. Lastly, the sociocultural model explores the cultural and social issues that impact behavior.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

What is Federalism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What is Federalism - Assignment Example The second type of federalism cooperative federalism (1945-1969).This federalism saw the national government become integrated with the local and state governments, making it hard to differentiate where one type of governance starts and the other one stops. The third example of federalism is known as New Federalism (1969-present) and since 1970s, political scholars and leaders of the New Federalism have made arguments regarding the national government becoming very influential and that control should be returned to the states(Ilka,2005). The three factors that have allowed the concept of federalism to shape American political behavior include; political behavior which is an area of political action. This takes place outside the legal and formal organizations of government. Thus political behavior in this scenario is the behavior of groups and persons outside of the government who are struggling to take possession or influence the government. Following political behavior is political activity which is commonplace to all politics. Specific principles of political science may apply to both governmental organizations and political behavior. Finally the third factor that has allowed federalism concept to shape American political behavior is political culture, which is basically the pattern of orientation to political activity and finally sectionalism which is the ties that link together classes of contiguous states (Michael,

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Describe this pic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describe this pic - Essay Example The bottom part of the picture is broader than the top part and this gives the picture the ideal shape. The artist might have done this to give it a strong base for supportive purpose. From the information provided, the picture is the courtesy of Casey Campbell and some of the materials used are ink, watercolour, and charcoal. In essence, the abstract painting has colours and designs that do not resemble the physical objects. With this, the painting becomes harder to comprehend than representational painting. The desires and skills of the artist reveal the environment and time in, which he created the art. The striking styles reveal a lot of creativity. On a personal perceptive, the goal of the artist was to show how the colour, style, and form of the subject changed from time to time. This explains why the picture broadens its colour from one circle to the other. The artists took a lot of time making series of paintings from the same subject but different times of the day. This gives viewers a quick sense of understanding what is going into the artist’s mind (Elger and Uta 22). Typically, everyone seems to see the image in a similar manner. The artist established the need to use directional subjects and words that guide viewers through the description and analysis. The focal point of the picture is the circular figure, with different shapes. As previously mentioned, all circles have a strong base decorated in bold colours. The circles consist of space, line, shape, and light and dark colours arranged in similar designs. They consist of proportion, order, pattern, rhythm, and balance. The artist employed these elements to evoke the feeling of hope and direction to the viewers. From the picture, it is evident that many people recognize the artist’s accuracy and creativity to create the image. The primary purpose of the painting was to portray a captivating image. The picture does not fully evoke feelings or emotions.

Friday, October 4, 2019

America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains Assignment

America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains - Assignment Example The end of reconstruction where Hayes withdrew the last union troops from the south also took place during this time. The civil war and the reconstruction periods were the major turning points in the history of America (Robert 2008). The civil war was a tragic conflict that made people to turn against each other brother against brother where the generic slaves were acting only as a historical backdrop. The civil war separated people and still united them as a nation. It was fought over the secession of the union. Some of the causes of the civil war were: slavery, nationalism and honor, the election of Abraham Lincoln, territorial crisis and the constitution among others. The reconstruction period followed the civil war and it disastrous as it was caused by early granting of political and civil rights to the African Americans. The reconstruction period brought about various questions like what would be the place of the freed African Americans in the south? And did the abolition mean t hat the blacks could have equal opportunities like the whites? Though the civil war was over reconstruction was also a kind of war. The civil war and reconstruction had an impact on the nationalist collectivism of the Americans as they encouraged the collectivist to promote their visions of reform and devalued the individualism of the American society. Individuality became more of a liability than an asset. Industrial expansion after the civil war made way for changes in urbanization of America. America became more urbanized, there was the growth of cities in size and population and extensive new systems of transportation. They also led to immigration of new foreign people who posed a threat to the political systems and increased the unemployment rate as they were more than willing to work for lower wages that the native-born Americans refused. The civil war and reconstruction led to problems which affect the integrity of the government, the way industrial workers are treated, the n eeds of the western farmers and the treatment of the immigrants (Perman 2008). The civil war and reconstruction had an impact on the America’s economy as it imposed substantial costs. Both civil war and reconstruction had a negative impact on the private investments through the process of range substitution. These wars led to the destruction of economic infrastructure and human lives. They undermined the state legitimacy thus posing a threat to the rule of law and property rights security. These wars created economic uncertainty on America’s economy putting both public and private investments at risk. The civil war and reconstruction had a negative impact on the economic production as it reduced the growth and level of the capital stock and damaging the government’s fiscal balance. This made the government to move its expenditure from production enhancing services to the conduct of the wars. The destruction of slavery had a negative impact on the cotton producti on. The civil war and reconstruction era impacted politics in various ways. This era led to a greater political division especially among the southerners and northerners and refused to unite. By allowing the blacks to participate in politics this led to corruption, and poor running of the government (Richard 2008). The reconstruction led to the development of the south and positive progress for the former slaves and the end of the whites’

Thursday, October 3, 2019

The Pursuit of Happyness Essay Example for Free

The Pursuit of Happyness Essay The Pursuit of Happyness is a story of a man, Mr. Chris Gardner, who invests his savings to portable bone density scanners. He had a five year old son named Christopher. Chris introduces these scanners to the doctors which he believed much better to X-rays. But along his journey of being a salesman, their financial condition gets worse. To him selling one is can be used for buying their needs so he treasured these scanners very much. He tried to figure out on how to sell these scanners but unfortunately he loses everything. His wife leaves him, he loses his house, bank accounts and credit cards and earning money became difficult for him. Experiencing this trouble, Mr. Chris decided to become a professional endeavour after meeting his friend at Dean Witter. It is not easy for him because he needs to become an intern for six months without any pay but Mr. Gardner is determined because he believed that this will help him to rise again and support his son. His passion to be a stock broker can be seen through his determination. He became homeless, go to office in a messed up clothes and even slept in bathrooms, and community shelters. But despite of all these, he is really willing to sacrifice everything just to achieve his goals. And this sacrifice was worth it because he was chosen by the firm to work for them. Now, Chris has been working hard to support the needs of his son. Lesson learned: The movie â€Å"The Pursuit of Happiness’ is really inspiring that made me realize the following thoughts: * It’s not enough for you to work instead it is better if you work hard for you to achieve your goals in life. Just always do your best and think that it is your last chance to prove your worth. * Be yourself. Don’t fake yourself just to impress anyone. As what this line says, â€Å"We cannot please everyone†, so just be yourself. We are all unique in our own ways and this uniqueness is your asset. * It’s worth the wait. Not all things you want will be favorable to you. It’s not like a blink of an eye then you get it, definitely it’s not. We must learn that achieving your dreams corresponds to a big responsibility, right time and off course working on it. You are dreaming because you want it to happen because it will lead us to our greatest achievements. * Big things come from small things. It’s like a step by step process. Before we reach our goals we need to undergo a lot of hindrances and difficulties because it’s part of our lives. But we need to face. Just believe that one day, you will be able to reach the top and the bigger dreams of yours. * Stay focus. Despite of the obstacles that you encountered, stay focused. Look for inspiration that will serve as your motivation to pursue. * My family is my inspiration. All the things I’m doing is not just for myself but for my family. They give me strength and motivation to pursue my dreams. Our family is someone whom we can be with in times of happiness and sadness. We should treasure them. * Perseverance and patience is needed if you want to become something. Be patient because everything will happen at the right time. Just learn how to wait. Entrepreneurial values/behavior executed by the main character and its application to our lives: The attitude that Mr. Chris Gardner, main character, executed in the movie is the following: Being a risk-taker. Mr Gardner was able to risk his investments to that portable bone density scanner and stick to selling this despite of their financial condition. He needs to sell at least one because this means money to them. As of today, a lot of entrepreneurs are becoming risk takers. This is one the entrepreneurial traits that we must possess. Risks are everywhere, the greater the risk the higher the return depending on how are you going to handle it. Being an opportunity seeker. Always look for possibilities. Be an observant and look for opportunities. As to what happened in the movie, Mr. Gardner found it difficult to earn money that will support their needs. Being a salesman is not enough so he looks for another job which is being a stock broker. If he was able to achieve it, a lot of opportunity will come along the way. As entrepreneurs, we must look for the opportunities and use this to come up with a good idea. For example, recently the use of social media is emerging so you may use this as one of your marketing strategies. Be optimistic. Despite of everything that happened to Mr. Gardner, he still looks at the positive side. He once felt unappreciated by the people but he tried her best to overcome these trials and determined to pursue his dreams. As entrepreneurs, we must not easily give up. In some instances, your business will undergo downs but you should take this as a challenge for you to pursue. Don’t let anyone antagonize you because you know yourself better than anyone. You should know your strengths and weaknesses. So be a positive thinker and believe that you will find yourself reaching your goals. Invest in yourself. Mr. Gardner accepts the internship for six months despite of not receiving pay. It is an indication that he wanted to learn more because learning doesn’t stop. We must think of ways on how we are going to improve ourselves. This case is also applicable to those who wanted their business to be known and succeed. They are conducting research and development studies so that they can go with the new trends. Look for solutions. Don’t let your problem hanging and find for possible solutions because problems are never ending. Favorite lines in the movie: â€Å"Don’t ever let somebody tell you can’t do something†¦you got a dream, you gotta protect it† This is one of my favorite lines in the movie because it reminds me that it is free to dream so dream big and do your best to let it happen. I am always dreaming to become successful in life and how am I going to achieve this? Well, I’m studying hard because this is the only way that I can repay the sacrifices of my parents. As entrepreneurs, we must believe in ourselves. Just don’t let others make you down. Be creative, innovative, work hard, possess entrepreneurial traits then you can do something. Take risks and conquer you weaknesses. Use your strength and don’t stop learning then you are protecting your dreams. â€Å"I know how to find the answer†¦ I will find the answer† Don’t say that you don’t know the answer instead look for the possible answers. As entrepreneurs, we are always looking for opportunities and we are looking for problems that our market had been encountered. And from these we need to find solutions because this can be our key to success. Just know how we are going to establish a good process to come up with a good solution. â€Å"How do we know the pursuit in it? † We all have different definitions of happiness. It is how we are going to achieve the happiness we are aiming for us to be contented. As long as you know that you’ve tried your best and you are satisfied, then you’re happy. As entrepreneurs we must find our own happiness because this may help in achieving your short and long term objectives. Important resource that the character used: Mr. Gardner uses his skills in dealing with numbers. He tried to become good to people and be friends with them. He tried to give time to the internship because he knows that it is worth the wait. He learned a lot. And this learning helps them to achieve his goal to pursue his own happiness. Mr. Gardner finds inspiration through his son that also helped him to overcome his troubles in life. It is inspiring that the main character used all the possible resources to pursue his happiness. My own resources and how I will pursue my own happiness: In my case, the resources I have are my efforts and perseverance to do such things. I’m always determined to fulfil a task. I’m always willing to learn because this can help me to achieve my goals in life. I may not have a lot of money but I have a lot of friends. They are the one who guides and supports me in everything I go through. Also, I have my family who is always there to support me through thick and thin. They are my inspiration. I want to be equipped with skills so that it will be not that difficult if I need to do something. Happiness for me is a very broad word. I am happy as long as I am satisfied. In pursuing my happiness, I use my resources. I will always try to do my best to achieve my goal and make others happy as well.

The Origin Of Art Deco Cultural Studies Essay

The Origin Of Art Deco Cultural Studies Essay Art Deco, one of the most influential art movements in the art history which was influenced by various cultures and art movements of past and present, lifestyle and society of the period between two life changing world wars, was diverse in design and glamorous and luxurious in style. Key influences include many styles of art and design including the high-style French crafts, different cultures of the far distant past and contemporary avant-grade art. It has reflected these inspirations intellectually and stylishly on its wonderful designs from finest French Art Deco furniture to mass produced modern household consumer goods. It was not just a style which reflected travel and adventure, leisure and entertainment, but a taste that was highly enjoyed by both high-society elite and common man with new spirit after the Second World War. It had handed down its concepts of design and visuals of both traditional and modern style to younger art movements as well as its vibrant, bold, and glam orous style becoming an influence to many contemporary designs. Art Decos characteristics cannot be defined easily as the term Art Deco includes a mixture of styles ranging from ancient arts and traditional French Decorative Arts to mass produced Avant-grade Modernism. Benton(2003) has found that Richard Guy Wilson said in Defining Art Deco, Art Deco Society of New York News that: If we can use the term Art Deco not to designate a specific style, but rather that it is inclusive and connotes the tremendous fertility of ideas, culture and design beginning in the early twentieth century and reaching a peak in the 1920s and 1930s we will better serve our own purpose. (Benton, 2003, p16) Thus according to C. Benton (2003), Art Deco can be described as the body of artefacts including works inspired by, but not copied from, historic and traditional high styles, works inspired by various cultures of past and those inspired by contemporary avant-grade art. All these influences and inspirations which helped to become what Art Deco is started at the first major appearance of Art Deco at the 1925 Paris Worlds Fair the Exposition Internationale des Arts DÃ ©coratifs et Industriels Modernes, where the term Art Deco derived from. ORIGIN OF ART DECO Paris was the cultural centre of the Western world, as well as home of many famous artists and designers. However, after the First World War when the United States hosted several art expositions and it seemed likely to have the leadership role in vital areas of art as it had less damage physically and economically, French was determined to retain her leadership in this area. Hence according to Chandler(2000), with the return of peace and prosperity, French once again hosted an international exposition to reassert her power as the ruler of taste and style. The Exposition Internationale des Arts DÃ ©coratifs et Industriels Modernes was set to show the world that French taste would lead the way again and to define the elements of the new style which would soon be known as Art Deco. The exposition exhibited works of artists and designers from various countries where the early French Art Decos influences came from. Chandler(2000) has found that the exposition was supposed to bring togeth er the nations of the world and to show some sense of a developing common aesthetic among the practitioners of decorative arts and architecture. In fact countless talents from many countries had shown what could be done without turning back to the tradition in art and culture. The exposition was a success and the Art Deco style was born out of it. Moreover, since the exhibition, Art Deco expanded from Paris to other countries all over the world and although Americans did not participate at the exposition, the influence of this style had sprung across the country for the next two decades. The style developed mainly in France where it showed its emotional stylish playfulness. At the same time the rays of Art Deco touched upon the modern western architecture, decoration, design, and fine arts around the world, and even non-French Art Deco somehow relates to the early Parisian Art Deco designs. French-inspired ornamentations were used on American buildings continuously until the 1940s. Duncan(1999) said that the early French Art Deco style had in its moment of glory provided America with the legacy of rich architectural ornamentation. It is found that many international artists and designers adopted or adapted the design elements of high-style French Art Deco on their later modernized Art Deco. the furniture of the German Bruno Paul or the jewellery of the American firm Black, Starr Frostmany other designers throughout Europe and the United States paid vestigial homage to the French style, among them the creators of the spectacular American and English motion picture palaces, the Russian-born Serge Chermayeff and the British Clarice Cliff with her jazzy, brightly hued pottery (P.Bayer, 2000, p 10). EXTENSION OF STYLE ART NOUVEAU However, one could say that the beginning of the style Art Deco showed an early presence since before the 1925 Exposition, as early as the last years of ninetieth century when Art Nouveau gained its appreciation. The 1900 Exposition Universelle which was held in Paris, was one of the most successful and ambitious exhibitions in the history of Paris. Works of twenty four participating nations and their numerous colonies including European, American, African and Asian countries were exhibited. Hence there were varieties of fine arts, jewellery designs, ceramics and pottery, furniture and all sorts of craftsmanship which had inspired the Art Nouveau designers and some young designers who would later introduce the style Art Deco to the world. Two years later Art Nouveau became the most fashionable and sought after design style of the early twentieth century, and many designers became to develop interesting, variations and historical themes into their work. However, the style began to dec line afterwards because of the First World War and the rise of industrialization. After World War I, because of the result of the dramatic changes in social, personal and economical matters, expensive highly stylised and hand crafted Art Nouveau lost its favour and was replaced by new design concepts of mass produced modernism. The decorative aspects of the style became unessential and many European designers followed mass production and functionalism of German Bauhaus movement. Art Nouveau style was applied to low quality uninteresting products for commercial gain. On the other hand younger avant-grade designers began to experiment the modern design concepts by combining them with their predecessors fine craftsmanship to produce a design style that has both intellect of modernism and visual of the traditional styles. The cluttered floral designs, pastel colours and the overly decorative patterns and curls of Art Nouveau were stripped down to angular geometric shapes, clear bright and bold colours, uncluttered clean shapes and refined detailing of the new style Ar t Deco. Art Deco designers still kept their predecessors stylised designs and superb craftsmanship and adapted them in many of high-style Art Deco. Hence Art Nouveau style didnt come to an abrupt end but continued as Art Deco for several more years until it was replaced by mass produced modernist Art Deco designs. Art Deco is not the opposite of Art Nouveau; it is in many aspects an extension of it, particularly in its preoccupation with lavish ornamentation, fine materials and superlative craftsmanship. (Duncan, 2000, p6) Art Nouveau style mainly influenced the French Art Deco designers such as Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann who was famous for his French style Art Deco furniture designs. Moreover the influence of Art Nouveau can be seen in many of French Art Deco pochoir illustrations which adapted the elements of floral, stylised Art Nouveau with the combination of bold colours, and glamour of Art Decos characteristics. INFLUENCES OF THE ANCIENT ART As Art Deco was already gradually forming since the 1900 exhibition, the inspiration of the style is very diverse and came from different art forms and cultures. Among these influences, ancient Egyptian art and Aztec and Mayan architecture of ancient Mexico art were best known and adopted by many Art Deco artists and designers. Because of the discovery of the Tutankhamun tomb in 1922, the Egyptian art was popular among the Art Deco designers, that the craze touched every aspect of design. Fashion accessories, furniture, products and interior designs at that time had combination of Egyptian-inspired geometrical shapes with the Art Decos own stylised and decorative patterns. Egyptian arts usage of colour and ornamentations were also adopted for architectural decorations. Examples of these can be seen in usage of bold flashes of gold colour on the black granite surface of Raymond Hoods American Radiator building, and Egyptian-inspired eagle-shaped gargoyle ornaments on the Art Decos ico nic, the Chrysler Building. The ancient Mexican architecture also directly influenced Art Deco skyscrapers and interior designs. The geometric forms and patterns of rigid stonework Mexican art can be traced in many of 1920s and 1930s architecture and design. According to Baddeley(2003), the block-like mass, ziggurat forms and patterns of Manhattans skyline evoked rather than replicated the militaristic decorations of Aztec temple design. Even the zoning law applied on the New Yorks skyscrapers was based on the Aztec architecture concepts. According to Duncan(1999), the zoning law is applied to the high buildings to ensure adequate light and air for the citys working populace, hence architects developed a series of setbacks, or terraces, which stepped backwards and upwards like Ziggurats of the Aztec architecture. However, the decorations on the building and inside of the building had influences from historical art styles of Japanese, Islamic, Celtic besides Egyptian and Mexican, and sometimes all the styles app ear together to give the impression of an unspecified historicism. TRADITIONAL AND MODERNITY, DECORATION AND FUNCTION Art Deco was purely decorative and was not the leading intellectuals of the period although it had approach to functionalism of modern designs. Since World War I and rapid industrialization, most modernist artists and designers were keen to produce mass-produced designs made in new, low-cost materials and rejected any decorative intentions. However, according to Robinson(1988) many of these designers soon realised that functionalism alone cannot fulfil the customers demands as certain amount of fantasy, luxury and embellishment were required in order to fulfil their aesthetic dreams. Many designers working in more mundane materials, for mass production and the popular market, came to see forms and motifs derived from fine art as capable of bringing aesthetic value to even modest domestic environments, as well as giving value to their own practice. (Benton, 2003, p105) Thus Art Deco is decorative even when it doesnt employ ornaments and surface decorations, to provide sense of emotional fulfilment and luxury to bold machine-made items. This concept of Art Deco was practiced in many areas of designs including industrial, interior and furniture designs as well as in architectural design. According to Duncan(1999), in traditional architecture, Modernist decoration was used as a transitional device to alert the eye to a change in the buildings contour. Vertical and horizontal decorations were used to emphasize a skyscrapers height and rhythm of the setbacks, moreover colour was also applied along the setbacks on the building to provide definition to the passerby far below. Duncan(1999) has found that Hildreth Meiere, American artist and architect said in July 1932 The Question of Decorative Architectural Forum that: Decoration is that which gives color or texture, scale or pattern or interest, which is used, whether functionally or not, because it gives pleasure or expression. An architect instinctively employs it because he is an artist who designs for aesthetic enjoyment as well as a builder who must build adequately for physical needs. (Duncan, 1999, p150) Thus Art Decos modernized traditional style or decorative modern style of decorations and ornamentations were applied on everyday household products, automobiles and buildings to give certain amount of interest and luxury, as a result Art Deco became widely appreciated by the high society and considered to be the functional form of elegant and luxurious modernism. AVANT-GRADE INFLUENCES Art Deco designers and Avant-grade designers shared the same interest in applying decoration since the latter themselves became to practice the decorative arts on their artworks. Benton(2003) believed that the association between avant-grade art and Art Deco was also encouraged by decorative artists ambitions. Likewise, Art Deco designers also adapted the avant-grade movements elements in many areas of its decorations. Many of Art Decos graphic posters and illustrations showed the influence of cubism and futurism by adding abstract, fragmented, overlapped geometrical shapes with crisp rigid lines to show the periods occupation with speed and power. The influence also can be seen in the areas of product design and furniture design, for instance Erik Magnussen used the abstracting and fragmentation techniques of Cubism on his coffee service called Cubic or The Lights and Shadows of Manhatten to produce interesting and eccentric look of an usual and functional coffee set. NEW WORLD, MODERNIZATION AND MASS SOCIETY Art Deco style was influenced by past and present art movements and styles, but on the other hand, the influence came from not only creative environment but also the lifestyle and the ever changing society of the period between two world wars when the movement reigned supreme. The First World War gave a sense of break from the past and provided modernity to the whole new world which accompanied urbanization, standardization, and mass society. The new lifestyle of the modern world and the new roles for the common men resulted in mass consumption and demanding society, hence mass production became vital in manufacturing and producing areas. Deco style graphic design and posters with the illustrations of expanding leisure activities such as dance halls, and entertaining sports such as tennis and golf, as well as the brochures for holidays and beaches became the popular media between the consumers and the manufacturers as a result of demanding entertainment and pleasure by the mass socie ty of not only elites but also common people. Furthermore, developing science and technology which is a crucial element in the modern society also played an important role in creating modernity in the new world. Production and utilization of electric power, discoveries of new materials such as plastics, and the advancing techniques in creative area provided the whole new concepts to Art Deco designers and hence many artists and designers began to experiment with new design forms and materials to provide new satisfaction and fulfilment to the changing taste of the society. Robinson(1988) wrote that soon after the 1925 Exposition, superficial copies of Art Deco style products began to appear in large department stores that this took away the essential aesthetic understanding and quality of craftsmanship that had elevated the original Art Deco designs to a truly modern art form. Hence the rapid expansion of mass society and the advanced technology had soon produced a new style of Art Deco called streamlining which would replace the traditional techniques and style of Art Deco. SPEED, STYLE AND STREAMLINING The mass production of transportation methods, which is the result of the rapid expansion of mass travel, was the vital reason that the Art Deco designers turn to a new style of design and streamlining technique. According to Atterbury(2003), streamlining reflected contemporary enthusiasms for science, technology, engineering and, above all, travel and transportation. Streamlining was applied to a new generation of automobiles, aircrafts and trains, to express speed and mechanical efficiency, as well as to domestic and commercial objects where speed and efficiency were irrelevant. Atterbury(2003) also mentioned that streamlining and speed became synonymous in the public mind, and so streamlined forms were widely applied to domestic motor vehicles despite having little or no impact on their actual performance. Despite the science and rationality, the image of speed was more important and streamlining was used as decorations to appeal the surface look and seduce potential customers as the sleek contoured horizontal lines and smooth surfaces not only provide modernity, but also suggest luxury, comfort and restfulness. Works of industrial designer Raymond Loewy strongly reflected the streamlining style of Art Deco since he was one of the logical leaders who emphasized on styling this to promote mass consumption and mass production among the commercial competition during the Great Depression in America. The industrial designers attempt to modernize consumer goods as a means of boosting sales led him(Raymond Loewy) in the 1930s to the pursuit of a new style, one which evolved from the preceding fashionable Art Deco style of the 1920s and could be applied to industrial products. (Duncan, 1999, p 270) Hence new principles and application of streamlining became a fashion statement and was applied on almost every item from book covers and pencil sharpeners to the buildings decoration and the automobiles and trains. Examples of streamlining on buildings, which is known as streamline modern architecture, include the Coca-Cola Bottling Company plant, the California Petroleum Service Station and many roadside diners in Los Angeles, as well as the buildings and pavilions of the 1939 New York Worlds Fair which is known for acting as an endpoint of the Art Deco style. Like traditional stylised Art Nouveau was replaced by the mass-produced streamlined modern Art Deco after the World War I, so was Art Deco by total machine aesthetic Modernism when the Second World War definitely killed off the flame of Art Deco and the style lost its glamour after the New York Worlds Fair in 1939. Even though streamlining was popular after the 1925 Art Deco Exposition in the design of buildings and transportation, the original Art Decos decorative motifs had become out of date and took over by the pure functionalism of Post-modernist designers. Though some notable expressions of decorative exuberance inspired by Art Deco practices survived, the styles characteristic decorative repertoire and cheerfully commercial traits were widely abandoned in favour of design languages redolent of the larger social good. (Benton, 2003, p429) INFLUENCES OF ART DECO However, Art Deco recovered with the growing interest in advertising, graphic design, fashion design and glamour and individualism in the 1950s and 1960s. The major exhibitions on the subject and publications books on Art Deco fashion and fashion illustration had encouraged the revival of Art Deco. This new interest influenced many younger artists and designers such as The Memphis Group of the 1980s. According to Benton(2003), Art Deco also encouraged Post-modern architects and designers to employ a richer iconography to be playful and to take risks with materials, colours, surfaces, shapes and visual references. Although Art Deco style had left many good influential examples of designs for the future generations, there were some disadvantages in those influences it had handed down to later design movements especially popular, transient, expendable, low cost, mass produced, young, witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous and big business art movement in the 1950s which was known as Pop art. Late Art Decos mass consumption and mass production concepts of design were the certain part of the origins of mass media, and the illusion of popular artificial fulfilment of the modern art culture. Like mass produced cheap Art Deco products fulfilled the desires of the mass society after the First World War, according to Belting(2003) today visual advertising blinds the consumers eye to the thing itself and hides the illusion, its true nature behind the effects and lies of advertisements. Hence Art Decos both illustrative influence and conceptual influence has reappeared in nowadays graphic and advertising designs. Besides, Art Deco architecture and interior design also regained its popularity nowadays and the style was adapted in many of the recent architecture and replicated for the interior designs of contemporary buildings. The Parkview Square in the downtown area of Singapore, for instance is proof that the Art Deco influence is still surviving in some parts of the world today. The building design is classic Art Deco style and inspired by the Chanin Building as well as the lobby of the building is filled with Art Deco style hand crafted details and decorations. Similarly, the Williams Tower which is also known as the Transco Tower in Houston, Texas is also a fine example of Art Deco inspired skyscraper with rigid lines, angles and setbacks of the 1920s Art Deco architectural characteristics. What is more, the rotating beacon at the top which lights up at night put emphasis on the influence of the glamorous and luxurious night light of the pure Art Deco style. In addition, there are a few c ommercial and residential buildings surviving in Houston which are designed in postmodern interpretations of Art Deco streamline moderne style. Indeed, Art Deco may not be as popular as it was in its period of 1920s and 1930s,its intellectually and visually fascinating design concepts are still influencing the contemporary world and many design aspects of everyday life. CONCLUSION To conclude, Art Deco was a style as well as a total result of styles, a wonderful mixture of traditional and contemporary designs, with diverse cultures and technologies. It not only took inspirations from past and its predecessors, but also was influenced by the changing lifestyle and modernity of the period. Even though the time and the age between two wars was unrest and unstable, Art Deco had lived long for three decades and flourished successfully until the spirit died down entirely in 1939 at The New York Worlds Fair. Many iconic and notable examples survived until these days and the styles elements and characteristics are being adapted or replicated in contemporary designs by today designers. The styles concepts of uniting mass production and the artist, function and decorations, commercial profits and emotional fulfilments, had passed essential examples and lessons in the history of art and design to younger generations and new birth of modern designs. Art Deco was decorativ e using fine craftsmanship in traditional style, yet it was modern and advanced in technologies and creations. Art Deco had gained its satisfying popularity during its high time, and in fact the style is still being enjoyed by todays society. What is more, the fact that it is still influencing many designers these days is undeniable.