Business Requirements at Canadian Tire Essay

The Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) was initiated in 1922 when two brothers opened an auto parts store and garage in Toronto, Canada. From 1922 to 2003, their organization grew into a much larger network of businesses, including retail, financial services, and petroleum operations (Haggerty, 2003). There was 45,000 employees working at the various CVC businesses across Canada, and more than 1,000 stores and gas bars. As stated in the reading, CTC businesses were actually comprised into five groups including the following: Canadian Tire Retail, Canadian Tire Financial Services, Candida Tire Petroleum, PartSource, and Mark’s Work Wearhouse. Initially, this group of businesses used numerous different hardware, software, operating systems, network services, development tools, and applications. As explained in the reading, the systems at Canadian Tire Retail included POS (point-of sales) systems which were networked to the Canadian Tire Retail data center. The systems at Mark’s Work Wearhouse, on the other hand, operated differently and remained separate from the other CTC corporations. While Canadian Tire Retail ran IBM-AS/400 systems in stores, CTFS utilized IBM RS6000 with Intel-Based workstations. PartSource and Canadian Tire Petroleum’s daily transactions were relayed directly into the corporate network from their point-of-sale systems. The Canadian Tire Corporation’s IT department operated and supported over a hundred different mainframe, server, desktop development and integration tools, ten different hardware platforms, 14 operating systems, seven database management systems, and over 450 different production applications. Much of the systems were described as â€Å"niche† and â€Å"sunset† technologies indicating outdated and inefficient technology. For this reason, and others, IT spending at CTC was considerably higher than the industry standard, and this would only continue to grow. It was necessary for Canadian Tire Corporation to develop an integrated data warehouse system. There were many key individuals whose roles were essential in the shift to developing a new MODULE 2: COURSE PROJECT BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS 3 strategy for Canadian Tire Corporation. Perhaps the most crucial role was that of Andy Wnek, Chief Information Officer/Chief Financial Officer. Wnek led the strategic plan in 2002 (and going forward) to develop the first IT strategy document in many years. Michael Eubanks was hired as Director of Marketing IT which came with the responsibility of creatively partnering more with Canadian Tire Retail. Bridget Martens was assigned as Business Intelligence Manager in early 2003. She was given the responsibility of coordinating the business intelligence program as it began. These individuals played key roles in the development of the business intelligence initiative at Canadian Tire Corporation. The implementation of a data warehouse involved laying out a vision to be â€Å"an agile IT team, aligned to business priorities, operating a simpler technical environment with the appropriate standardized processes† (Haggerty, 2003). In order to achieve this vision, many requirements were necessary to move forward. First of all, Canadian Tire Retail’s image had historically reflected that of a wholesaler, and the IT group had the challenge of changing this image to that of a retailer, rather than a wholesaler. In order to do this, the team realized that more data was necessary in order to analyze data as a retailer. They were required to look at data on a more analytical basis, analyzing the product, store, and margin trends (Haggerty, 2003). In order to do this, the IT group built the IW in which data was extracted, transformed, and loaded from a variety of sources. This was the essence of building the data warehouse: to consolidate the date into one main system where the information could be analyzed to help form critical business decisions. Additionally, three imperative requirements were identified during the IT strategy 2003. These included the requirements of: becoming better aligned to the business to support strategic and operational priorities and adaptability to changing business priorities, controlling costs through simplifying the technical architecture, improving productivity, and controlling expenses, and implementing governance of IT resources including standardization, risk management, and MODULE 2: COURSE PROJECT BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS 4 developing/implementing sustainable processes. The requirements laid out in this vision actually prompted the development of four programs from the periods of 2003 to 2005. The first program involved implementing a CIO governance program. The second program, provided â€Å"organizational and people capabilities† (Haggerty, 2003) and specified key services that the IT group would need to be able to support to the organization. The third involved process improvements which helped to organize an annual IT strategy planning process. The fourth program involved technological direction which â€Å"laid the foundation for re-architecting the organization† (Haggerty, 2003). The areas of business intelligence and data management, application deployment, integration and messaging, standardization and simplification, and security deployment were five areas that required immediate attention. For this reason, these areas also serve as requirements for the data warehouse and business intelligence initiatives to take place. Canadian Tire Corporation is an example of a company in distress whose current architecture and infrastructures did not suffice for longevity and success. The case study further details the journey of CTC, along with its web of networked businesses, as it attempted to change business strategy in an effort to create a more enhanced system of data warehousing and business intelligence. MODULE 2: COURSE PROJECT BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS 5 References Haggerty, N. & Meister, D. (2003). Business Intelligence Strategy at Canadian Tire [Case Study]. Ivey Management Services.

Culture Within Organizations: Southwest Airlines

A culture is a set of values that are adopted by people who co-habit any place. It consists of shared traits and lifestyles. Within an organization, culture refers to values and norms that are prevalent throughout the workplace and amongst the employees. This includes their mannerisms, attitudes, and work ethic. Culture within an organization exerts control over the behavior of people. Growth and success of a company depends largely on the type of culture which is prevalent within an organization. Many different types of culture exist in businesses today.Certain cultures encourage employees to work and grow together as a family—thereby creating unity. Others may place emphasis on higher ranking employees, which leaves those at the bottom of the hierarchy bitter or resentful, creating a workplace which may not be friendly or comfortable. Some companies may opt to stick to what they know, thereby stifling creativity and growth by eliminating experimentation. On the other hand, a company may be overly innovative and always looking for new ideas and taking new risks.Although this sounds good in theory, it may lead to an unstable work environment. Culture can either make or break an organization. Culture is not a tangible object. It is the result of management’s beliefs and values and employees’ implementation of those beliefs and values. It exists within all organizations and can be determined, for example, by looking at the dress code within the workplace. It can also be seen by observing employee interaction and behavior. One can also get an idea of an organization’s culture by taking note of its dealings with those outside of the company (i. . customer service). Culture makes up the personality of an organization. It is crucial that a positive organizational culture is created, taught and adhered to. It can be used to improve the efficiency and work ethic of employees in an organization. It also has a powerful influence over the behav ior of individuals and drives performance of the workforce. A strong personality adds character to an individual. Likewise, organizational culture gives a business its own special identity. It creates unity among employees and embeds in them the spirit of teamwork.An example of an organization which has a strong culture that has helped it thrive in the aviation industry is Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines (SWA) was founded by Rollin King, M. Lamar Muse and Herb Kelleher in 1966. They began servicing Dallas, Houston and San Antonio in 1971, after winning a legal battle fought in the U. S. Supreme Court. The airline started off by offering six daily roundtrip flights between Dallas and San Antonio, and 12 daily roundtrip flights between Dallas and Houston.They began with one simple notion: â€Å"If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly y our airline† (www. southwest. com). This notion has led to a very unique culture at SWA—one that puts customer service at its center. This can be seen through their mission statement, as per their website: â€Å"dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit†.Their exemplary form of customer service comes as a direct result of how employees at SWA are treated. â€Å"We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer† (Freiberg and Freiberg).SWA management has created a culture where employees are treated as the companyâ €™s number one asset. There is limited emphasis on formal organizational structure and the work environment combines humor with responsibility. Their happy workforce creates maximum productivity—willingly. Trust and respect between the workers and management is an integral part of the company’s success. SWA has exemplified that culture starts from within. Passion shown on the inside will reflect outwards and customers will see it. SWA has been able to do this consistently.Customers see the passion exerted by SWA employees and it makes them want to travel with them. The uplifting, spirited personalities of employees keep customers coming back for more. This can be seen in the fact that SWA has consecutively recorded profits for the last 40 years (www. southwest. com). The positive attitudes exerted by SWA employees are contagious and trickle down to its customers. As reported on the company website, â€Å"Southwest Airlines has consistently received the lowest rati o of complaints per passengers boarded of all Major U. S. arriers that have been reporting statistics to the Department of Transportation since September 1987. † The spirit that exists throughout SWA empowers its employees to believe in themselves, the service they are providing, the business as a whole, and the customers that they serve. The unique culture keeps employee morale high. All employees, including flight attendants, customer service reps, and baggage handlers, are encouraged to take whatever action they deem necessary to meet customer needs or help fellow workers (Milliman). This has led to both employee and customer loyalty.Employees feel needed which results in a devotion to the company. In turn, customers experience exceptional service where they truly are put first, creating a sense of belonging. Much of SWA’s success is due to the willingness of its leadership to be innovative. Founder Herb Kelleher studied California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines ex tensively and used many of the airline’s ideas to form the corporate culture at Southwest. Early on, they adopted the â€Å"Long Legs and Short Nights† theme for stewardesses on board typical Southwest Airlines flights.They selected beautiful flight attendants with unique personalities and dressed them in hot pants and go-go boots to ensure a fun and one-of-a-kind traveler’s experience (http://avstop. com). Operating out of Love Field, â€Å"love† became their promotional theme. Flight attendants would serve â€Å"love potions† and â€Å"love bites† (otherwise known as drinks and peanuts) to the company's clientele of mostly male business fliers (Pederson). Many decisions made by Kelleher have produced positive outcomes for SWA. For example, since its inception, SWA chose to buy its commercial airplanes from one manufacturer.This decision has allowed them to decrease operational expenses, as well as reduce maintenance and repair costs for th eir large fleet. By choosing a single supplier, the need for customer support, maintenance, monitoring, training, etc. has been reduced, thereby reducing costs for the company. They have also trimmed the time it takes to perform ground duties, once their airplanes land. This has led to a quicker turnaround time for the next flight to take off, thereby leading to profits for the company.Another move by SWA which keeps competitors at bay is their reservation system. Reservations are taken only through the internet, thereby reducing costs of using ticket counter employees. This method saves both the customer and the airline time and money. Kelleher’s paradigm for success starts with the core of the company—its employees. Hiring motivated people and allowing them to incorporate their creativity in day-to-day activities is key. By giving employees decision making abilities, they are made to feel important.A sense of pride takes root within each employee, which positively im pacts the customers that they deal with. This is reflected in their work output and creates greater efficiency, which leads to profitability for the company. Additionally, happier employees are able to provide better customer service, in turn making the experience an all around positive one. As Amy Marhoffer, Culture Communications and Planning specialist at SWA puts it, â€Å"Happy Employees=Happy Customers=Increased Business/Profits=Happy Shareholders. Although compensation is often viewed as the number one motivator, Kelleher understands the importance that employee morale plays. A little bit of fun can translate into a lot of productivity. Bailey explains how positive morale can produce more efficiency: â€Å"SWA, after pay cuts at other airlines, has the industry’s highest wages. But because of efficient work habits, measured in how much it spends to fly a passenger a given distance, its costs are the lowest among big airlines† (Bailey).It is important to note th at the success of SWA is due not only to the culture but also its ability to adapt to the industry’s needs. The airline industry in particular, is one that is heavily dependent on customer service; the happier customers are, the more positive their experience will be. Unfortunately, there is plenty of untapped productivity among corporations stuck in the old ways of oppression and tyranny. Kelleher’s approach shows that he understands people; he allows them to be themselves, which creates a positive work environment and a desire to be the best.He has successfully created a culture that has the properties of fun, entertainment and genuine care at its core. When Southwest started in 1971 they were just a small regional carrier flying from Houston to Dallas. Over the course of the last 40+ years, they have successfully expanded into a major airline carrier. SWA is now America's largest low-fare carrier, serving more customers domestically than any other airline. They are comprised of nearly 46,000 employees and serve more than 100 million customers each year.SWA operates more than 3,000 flights a day, with its subsidiary AirTran operating an additional 520 flights a day (www. southwest. com). They would not be where they are today without the innovative thinking of its leaders and the strong culture they created. Although corporate culture is not a tangible object, the results of a successful culture will produce tangible success. SWA has positioned itself for competitive advantage by creating a work environment which permits people to be their best selves and consistently outperform their competitors.It has been able to create and sustain a strong, positive culture which attracts not only the best talent, but a loyal customer base as well. The tremendous growth and profit of SWA brings to light how corporate culture, employee morale and customer service can play an integral part in the overall success of a corporation. These intangible elements are what make SWA an excellent example of a successful corporate culture. Works Cited AvStop Aviation News and Resource Online Magazine. â€Å"History of Southwest Airlines† http://avstop. om/history/historyofairlines/southwest. html) Bailey, Jeff (2008) â€Å"Southwest. Way Southwest† The New York Times Freiberg, K. & Freiberg, J. (1996) Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success. New York: Broadway Marhoffer, Amy. (2011) â€Å"Southwest Airlines â€Å"Gets It† With Our Culture† http://www. blogsouthwest. com/blog/southwest-airlines-â€Å"gets-it†-our-culture Pederson, Jay P. (2005) International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 71. St. James Press Southwest Airlines Co. (2013) †Southwest Airlines† http://www. southwest. com/

FEA program Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FEA program - Assignment Example FEA is an exceptional reality of the wide-ranging technique with polynomial estimation functions (Ferrari, 2007). The solution method is founded on removing the spatial derivatives from the partial differential equations. It approaches the partial differential equations with a structure of algebraic equations for steady state systems, and a structure of ordinary differential equations for transient systems. 3. These equation arrangements are linear if the basic partial differential equations are corresponding. Arithmetical equation arrangements are resolved expending arithmetic linear algebra approaches. Ordinary differential equations leads to a rise in passing systems are then mathematically combined utilizing regular methodologies, for example, Euler’s technique. FEM permits comprehensive conception of where constructions arc or twist, and specifies the dissemination of stresses and dislocations. FEA applications provide a wide array of simulation opportunities for scheming the complexity of both meshing and analysis of a real life problem. Also, the expected accuracy required and related computational time necessary can be coped in same time to resolve many manufacturing practices. FEA permits whole projects to be built, great, and adjusted before the project produced. 4. Basic Principles of FEA 5. ... Every node is designed for six degrees of freedom enumerated as three transformational degrees, and three revolution degrees. Boundary condition is a method that a defined node in a FEM model is fixed to the zero state and several additional nodes in the model. A range of boundary conditions are obtainable containing: unbending or fixed, flexible spring, etc. Boundary conditions can be stated to be steady in some or complete six degrees of freedom. One must do two dimensional or three dimensional geometry which ties the existing member that is preferred to be analyzed. It can be generated contained by the preprocessor of the FEA application or beforehand produced geometry can be introduced from a computer aided designing application known as a concrete modeler. Boundary conditions (BC) can also be utilized to specify fluidic, dynamic, thermal, and electrostatic networks. In engineering analysis, linear solution points to an investigation of FEA modeled part where linear preprocessor of the item being assessed and its materials are understood to be exposed. In linear solutions, the part being assessed will not be subjected out of the elastic range of its materials. Non-linear denote to structural design of character modeled with arch. The part ingredients and boundary conditions will be laid open to non-linear actions. Specific materials display non-linear strain & stress performance and which is called as material non-linearity. If great diversions are existent, this is resulting in geometric non-linearity. Lastly, if boundary conditions change for different load ranges this is mentioned as boundary non-linearity. Static denotes to a part

U.S. History project 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S. History project 1 - Essay Example The perspective of persecuting people who belonged to the other religions motivated hundreds and thousands of people to leave their homes and migrate. People escaping these punishments being conducted by the authorities of the King Charles I mostly settled in the province of Maryland. This religious freedom was the main reason that helped establishing colonies in America which also affected the economic, social and political development in America. Therefore, diversity became the identity of the American nation. Although every individual had the freedom to practice their religion as they pleased but some people looked badly upon other religions. One of them were the close-minded New English settlers in America, it was a good and bad thing at the same time because they brought the other settlers together which later on shaped colonies but it also pushed outsiders away. These colonies accepted many other churches because of the cultural diversity. This proves that these people had much importance for religion and migrating to America provided then the incentive to practice their religion as they pleased. Religion was the basis that brought people together from other countries that belonged to a common religion. The time of the â€Å"great Awakening† when occurred in the mid of the 18th century it provided more reasons and chances to the people to practice their religion. Preachers travelled from town to town and inspired people to accept their religion. As many people believe that religion was the case that sparked revolution in England, at the same time there is a never ending debate that economics was the reason. It is valid to say that not only religious freedom was the cause; in fact economic factor was also a major aspect in the English Revolution that encouraged colonial development in North America. The statement that â€Å"the economic concerns were the major contributor for bring in British settlers† cannot be denied. These economic concern s mostly outweighed the religious concerns for British North America. Christopher Columbus used a term â€Å"New World† for the unexplored lands of North and South America. The economic concerns of the British formed the English colonies in North America; these economic concerns included exploring lands for acquiring the reserves of gold and silver. It also included a waterway that connected North America to China and also for countering dominance of any other nation in North America. The English also sought for obtaining the essential raw materials in North America that they had to buy from the European countries for large amounts of money and gold. Apart from getting a hold of the lands and acquiring valuable resources of North America, English migrates also had other plans like England needed to renew some of its assets to export them to other countries. They also wanted to help them maintain their powerful naval forces through making business ties with the prospect of flo urishing their economy by providing help to the unemployed. Therefore, it is true that both factors motivated British to migrate to North America and establish colonies. PART 2 There are multitude of reason to justify American rebel against the English empire, things that kept adding up to their frustration and then resulted in becoming a painful historical event. It is true that the American colonists

The prograssive way for Halifax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The prograssive way for Halifax - Essay Example This strategy options are the most promising one, present day situation in veterinary market is marked by two factor - specification, which is to do with the 'design quality' of service, and conformity, which is to do with the 'process' quality which is achieved are of particular importance to customers. On the other hand, Halifax can open its branchers in other city areas. This strategy will help to attract new clients providing veterinaty services near their residence. This strategy will help the clinic to create a strong brand image and increase the number of loyal customers. Service concepts of Halifax should include improvement of communication, and the environment composed of all the individual services. Client retention is important for many businesses because customers create demand in an industry. On the one hand, it helps the company to standardize services and, on the otehr hand, it secures the business from decrease in sales. Client retention is important because it helps to know customers "one by one", and it allows the firm to meet particular needs of the clients and find specific ways to solve their current problems. Also, client retention makes it possible to develop a basic long-term goal and objectives of an enterprise, and adopt courses of action and allocate resources necessary for carrying out these goals. Customer reteention will help to generate profit (McDonald, Christopher, 2003). Customers loyalty can be achieved thro... That is why maximizing each employee's potential as an individual and as a team member will be a key to maximizing the profitability of each hotel. To ensure customer satisfaction the veterinary clinic should implement and develop new strategy based on Web services. It is not a unique and a new form of service, but, unfortunately, this type of service is seldomly used by veterinary services. The idea of the web-enabling veterinary services is to provide the clinic with the tools they need to compete more e effectively and to grow their businesses successfully. To build a loyal group of clients, Halifax should consider time as the important factor of delivering service. Consider first the fee of services, a customer takes into account the delay or wait. This delay or wait will normally be evident as the period of time between placing an order and receiving the service. This is clearly an important dimension of customer service, because veterinary service is depended upon providing services at the exact time Another factors helped to retain a loyal group of clients include location of the clinic (and its subsidiaries), the cost reductions, high service quality and staff communication skills, free of charge web services and call centers. Ultimately they are the two factors which determine the quality levels provided by hotel industry to its customers. These two factors however are themselves determined by other factors. Service concepts are based on understanding the unique environment in which hotels operate. 4. What market segments exist in the market for veterinary services for household pets Market segmentation is the process identifying specific segments of clients with similar demands who exhibit similar responses to a firm's marketing mix. Within

Reflections on technology's impact on me and my friends Essay

Reflections on technology's impact on me and my friends - Essay Example Students are connected all times regardless of the place. Students surf and chat while at lecture whole, libraries and dormitories. The effects of this constant connection are increasingly become hazardous towards academic performance and happiness resulting from increased anxiety amongst the Y-generation as Ken State Research indicates. Analysis of the Ken State study attributed Lower GPA, fueled levels of anxiety, as well as lower levels of happiness to increased use of cellphones amongst the peers. According to Turkle’s TED talk, the increased internet connectedness has attracted the youth to harmful sacrifice interactive platforms that have negatively re-shaped users. The internet is never a grown up as has been misunderstood and hence an urgent call to revamp internet usability and design. According to Jenna, internet users, have shifted from the conventional culture and now live on phones in total disregard to moments. Relationships have weakened as people spent much time on devices to one another. Alerts from phones have distracted occasions and further draw people into using theirs. A situation that make people preoccupied with texts and hence many have bumped onto each along

Why I want to study fashion design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why I want to study fashion design - Essay Example This is one area that really helps me to exploit my creative urges and gives a huge satisfaction when my designs are liked by people. I have therefore decided to go for professional degree in fashion designing so that I could further explore the intricacy of the business. I believe that the degree from this college would help me to grow not only as a person but also as a professional who would be able to meet the challenges of the contemporary world. My family and friends have been the major motivating force. My passion of ethnic design and use of fusion technique in my design is my strongest point. As a child I was much enamored with the fashion magazines which use to showcase the clothes of leading fashion designers of Milan and Paris. As I grew up, I realized that while I am fascinated with the contemporary fashion designers, I am equally amazed at the variety of ethnic designs across the culture, color and nationality. The multicultural society therefore has been a very vital par t of my creativity which I believe needs to be used for exploiting my potential as a designer. In the contemporary environment of globalization, the professional degree in fashion designing would equip me with wider options to expertly exploit the opportunities and help gain a competitive advantage within the fashion industry.

Oral Language and Code-Related Precursors to Reading Essay

Oral Language and Code-Related Precursors to Reading - Essay Example Juan describes his interests as playing basketball, swimming, and fishing, which he normally undertake with his family, particularly his father and brother. He claims to have a big difficulty in school though, specifically in reading and writing English words. He says that way back in Mexico, he used to appreciate Science, but right now where every subject matter including Science needs to be learned and understood in the English language, he begins to dislike the subject matter. He has average scores in Math concepts exhibited by his scores in quizzes and long examinations. He is however poor in word attack and English vocabulary, which affects his performance in other subjects including Science, which used to be his favorite. Â  I was able to talk to Juan’s aunt once, upon visiting Juan and gathering information from his family about things related to his reading progress. This is where I found that both of Juan’s parents live in Mexico and had little schooling. The aunt related that both boys frequently scan their notes upon arriving home and practice reading orally. However, there are some questions that she could not answer, such as the correct pronunciation of a word or the meaning of a particular word, or if the sentence the boys have just uttered is grammatically correct, since she herself has a limitation in the English language as she just migrated to the United States five months ago. Juan is thus left with only the school to rely on when learning to read. Â  Juan appears to be persevering during reading sessions and tries hard to understand each word. Often, when he could not pronounce a word, he approaches me and asks how it is pronounced. He repeatedly utters the new-learned word until he thinks it sinks in.

Revise Persuasive Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Revise Persuasive Speech - Essay Example In this regard, I seek to demystify an understanding of the BOTOX procedure; the serious side effects posed by the procedure, and create awareness reiterating that BOTOX injections are harmful to one’s health. III. Today I would like to enlighten you in understanding the BOTOX procedure; the serious side effects posed by the procedure, and create awareness reiterating that BOTOX injections are harmful to one’s health. 1. The term BOTOX refers to a purified type of botulinum that is a neurotoxin. Evidently, the neurotoxin when injected results to a medical situation called botulism. In this regard, it is normally injected in small amounts so as to relax the facial muscles and minimize wrinkles. 3. In this regard, scientific information indicates that a single gram of BOTOX could result to the death of as much as one million people. On the other hand, a couple of kilos could result to the total wipeout of all humanity as we know it. B. According to the medication guide of the Food and Drug Administration, it states that BOTOX may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. These include difficulty in breathing or swallowing and spread of toxin effects. Moreover, the effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas of the body away from the injection site and cause symptoms of a serious condition called botulism. These evidently include loss of strength and muscle weakness all over the body, double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, hoarseness or loss of voice, loss of bladder control among others. 2. Moreover, according to the New York Post in December 16th 2013, Gwyneth Paltrow was quoted in an interview that, â€Å" I won’t do BOTOX again, because I looked crazy. I looked like Joan Rivers!† Also in another confession, the queen of BOTOX, Nicole Kidman admitted that, â€Å"I did try BOTOX, unfortunately, but I got out of it and now I can finally move my face again.† Such shocking confessions and lamentation just further

Economics and monopoly introduction Essay Example for Free

Economics and monopoly introduction Essay Characteristics: Single seller: One firm produces all the output of a particular product No close substitutes: Product is unique and if consumers want to buy it they must buy from the monopolist. Price maker: Since the monopolist is the sole supplier of the product, it can change the price by changing output. The firm faces a downward sloping demand curve, so increasing output lowers the price, decreasing output increases the price. The firm will set a price that maximizes its profits. Blocked entry: Entry to the market is totally blocked, meaning the firm has no immediate competitors. Barriers to entry may be economies of scale, legal, technological or another type. Nonprice competition: Since it has no competitors a monopolist cannot compete on price. Therefore, to attract new consumers the firm must engage in non-price competition such as advertising and public relations campaigns to promote its products attributes. Examples of Monopolies? www. welkerswikinomics. com 3 Unit 2. 3. 3 Pure Monopoly Monopoly Demand as seen by a Monopolist. Three assumptions: 1) Entry is totally blocked 2) The monopolist is unregulated by any government so can charge whatever price it wants. 3) The firm is a single price seller. It sells all units of output at the same price. †¢ A monopolist faces a downward sloping Demand curve. The firm D curve is the market D curve! †¢ A monopolist can sell additional output only by lowering its price (due to the law of demand). †¢ A monopolist must lower the price of all of its output, not just the marginal units, since it is a single-price seller. †¢ As a result, as output increases, the firms marginal revenue falls faster than the price. www. welkerswikinomics. com 4 Unit 2. 3. 3 Pure Monopoly Monopoly Demand as seen by a Monopolist Demand and Marginal Revenue Q 0 1 P1 2 3 4 5 P2 6 7 8 9 P3 10 P 172 162 152 142 132 122 112 102 92 82 72 TR=PxQ) 0 162 304 426 528 610 672 714 736 738 720 Demand and MR for a Monopolist P MR=? TR/? Q P1 P2 P3 D=AR=P Q1 Q2 Q3 Q MR Based on the above graph, over which range of output would a monopolist NEVER produce? Why? What information is needed to determine the profit maximizing level of output for this monopolist? www. welkerswikinomics. com 5 Unit 2. 3. 3 Pure Monopoly Monopoly Demand as seen by a Monopolist Elasticity and the monopoly Demand curve: †¢ Identify the elastic range of the demand curve. †¢ Identify the inelastic range of the demand curve. P Demand and MR PED1 P1 PED=1 Question: Why wont a monopolist ever produce at a level of output where it is in the inelastic range of its demand curve?

The Life Of Tupac Amaru Shakur

The Life Of Tupac Amaru Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac, Makaveli, or Pac was an iconic American Rapper, Actor, and Social Activist. Shakurs image as a Thug, and his Thug-Life persona, appealed to fans across the nation and around the world. He is one of the best selling music artists worldwide, and considered as one of the best and the most influential Rap Artist ever. Tupacs life was unfortunately cut short, after he was shot to death in 1996, at the age of 25, but his legacy lives on to this day. 2Pac was born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem section of Manhattan, in New York City. His mother is Afeni Shakur, who was an active member of the Blank Panther Party in the late sixties and seventies, and his biological father is Billy Garland, who also was a Black Panther member. Tupac was born a month after his mom was acquitted on more than 150 charges, which were charges against the U.S. government by the Panthers. His mother put his birth name as Lesane Parish Crooks, to disguise his true identity, because she feared that her enemies would attack her son. However, in 1972 after Afeni had separated from Garland, and had married Mutulu Shakur (2Pacs Step-Father), she renamed 2Pac, Tupac Amaru Shakur, after an Incan ruler who was sentenced to death by the Spaniards, the name Tupac Amaru means, Shining Serpent, in the Inca language. Shakur had a half-sister, Sekyiwa, who was two years younger than him, and an older stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, who appeared on many of his recordings. 2Pac was surrounded by struggle, incarceration, murder, and more illegal activities from an early age. His mother had ties to drugs, his stepfather was wanted by the FBI, his godfather was convicted of murder and more. When he was twelve years old his mother enrolled him in Harlems 127th Street Repertory Ensemble, where he started learning and practicing acting. In 1986, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. At Baltimore he completed two years at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, and then transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, jazz, poetry and ballet. Pac used to have rap competitions with school mates and friends, and would always win. And even though he did not have flashy, trendy clothes, he was very popular because of his personality, good sense of humor, rapping skills, and his ability to mix in with a variety of crowds. During those years, Pac also developed a close relationship with Jada Pinkett Smith, and there relationship lasted until his death. In June 1988, the Shakur family moved yet again, this time to Marin City, California. Here 2Pac attended Tamalpais High School. In 1989 Shakur started to take poetry classes of Leila Steinberg. Steinberg organized a concert for Tupac, and a former group of his called Strictly Dope. This concert led to Tupac being signed, and becoming set up with the rap group Digital Underground. In 1990 Pac was hired as the groups roadie, and back up dancer. From then on, Pacs rapping career began. His skills were first debuted in 1991, as Pac had vocal turns in popular songs by Digital Underground. He began to rap with the group, and he was in their music videos. Then Pac decided to go solo. Later in 1991, he released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. His debut album did not sell too well at first, because of marketing troubles, until Interscope Records started to sell his record. In 1993, Pac released his second record, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. This record did better than the first, with hit songs like Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around which featured members of Digital Underground. Later that year 2Pac formed the group Thug Life, with his friends, and he considered the concept of Thug Life as a philosophy of life. As his fame as a rapper started, Tupacs troubles with the authority also began and increased. In late 1991, Pac had tried to a file a ten million dollar civil suit against Oakland Police Department, claiming that he was brutally beaten for jaywalking. More problems followed. In 1992, a Texas trooper was killed by a teenager, who was listening to 2Pacalypse Now. This raised a lot of media controversy. The Vice President of the nation at the time, Dan Quayle, demanded that the album be withdrawn from music stores and the media across the nation, and denounced the album, saying it has no place in our society. However Interscope refused, and Shakur stated that his album aimed at the problems facing young black males, even though it was criticized for its images of violence towards law enforcement, and graphic language. In 1992, Tupac had an incident with people in Marin City, in which shooting was involved, this eventually led to a wrongful death suit against him in 1995, stating that hi s shooting killed a six year old in Marin City. Tests proved that neither Pac nor his entourage was the shooter. Criminal charges were not sought, and Tupac settled with the family of the boy with an amount between three hundred to five hundred thousand dollars. In late 1993, Pac and his friends had an altercation with two Atlanta off-duty police officers, again shooting was involved. One of the police was charged with firing at Shakurs car, and later lying to the police during investigation, but all charges were dropped against all parties. In 1994, he was convicted of attacking a former employer while on a music video set, and was sentenced to fifteen days in jail for that. A big case against Shakur was in November 1993, when Pac and a couple of his friends were charged with sexually abusing a woman in a hotel room. The woman accused many charges against Pac and his friends, but Pac denied the charges. He claimed that he had prior relations with the woman in his hotel room, and th at she revisited his hotel room, when the acts she claimed took place. He also claimed that he had fallen asleep shortly after she arrived, and he woke up to her accusations and threats. Most charges were dropped, but Pac was convicted of sexual abuse and was sentenced to one and a half years in a correctional facility. He later wrote in his songs, how he is not and can never be a rapist. As if the legal problems were not enough, 2Pac was robbed and shot on the night of November 30, 1994, the night before the verdict in his sexual abuse trial was to be announced. Tupac was shot five times and robbed after entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan. He was shot by two armed men in army material. Doctors at the Bellevue Hospital, where he was taken immediately after the incident, stated that he had received five bullet wounds, two in the head, two in the groin and one through the arm and thigh. Tupac checked out of the hospital three hours after the surgery, against doctors orders. And he entered the courthouse in a wheelchair the day after, where he was found guilty for sexual abuse, and sentenced to a year and a half to four years in prison on February 6, 1995. Tupac would later accuse Sean Combs, Biggie Smalls, Andre Harrell for the shooting, he also suspected his close friend/associate, Randy Stretch Walker. This accusation heated the West-Coast East- Coast Rivalry. The Prison Sentence was a major experience in Pacs Life. He began serving his sentence at the Clinton Correctional Facility on February 14, 1995. Shortly afterwards, Pac released his album, Me Against the World, which became multi-platinum. He is the only artist to have an album at number one on the Billboard 200, while serving a prison sentence. The album broke records, like the highest first week sales for a solo male rap artist at the time. Shakur married his long-time girlfriend while in prison, Keisha Morris, on April 4, 1995, but they later divorced in 1996. Also during his sentence, Pac wrote a screenplay, read many books by Niccolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzus The Art of War, and other political philosophy and strategy works. After serving eleven months of his sentence, in October 1995, Pac was released mainly due to the influence of Suge Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. Suge Knight posted a 1.4 million dollar bail in exchange for 2Pac to release three albums under the Death Ro w Label. Being a member of Death Row Records was a major part of 2Pac Rapping Career. When Pac was released he formed the group called Outlaw Immortalz, with his close people. And he went to song recording immediately. He released the double album All Eyez on Me, which were the first two albums part of his three-album commitment. The album sold over nine million copies. Pac continued his recordings with Death Row, even with the increasing problems with the label, when Dr. Dre left as producer to start his own label, Aftermath. Pac produced hundreds of track, during his time with Death Row, and most of the songs were released after his death. 2Pac also released songs like Hit Em Up with the Outlawz, lyrically assaulting Biggie and others associated with him and Bad Boy Productions. This was during the East Coast West Coast Conflict. 2Pac was also close with Rapper Snoop Dogg. On July 4, 1996 Pac performed at the House of Blues with the Outlawz, Snoop Dogg, and Tha Dogg Pound, which was his las t live performance. 2Pac also released his fifth and final studio album under the name Makaveli (from his influence of Niccolo Machiavelli), the album was The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, the album was completed (the lyrics, production and more) within seven days, hence the name. Pac also had plans of starting Makaveli Records, which would have included Outlawz, Wu-Tang Clan, Big Daddy Kane, Big Syke, and Gang Starr. The Great Rappers life was unfortunately limited. On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur attended the Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas. At the time Pac was engaged to Kidada Jones. After the fight Pac and his entourage along with Suge and his assistants assaulted Orlando Baby Lane Anderson, a member of the Southside Crips, because earlier that year Anderson and fellow Crips had robbed a member of the Death Row entourage. After the brawl Shakur got in Suges black 1996 BMW and they were on their way to the Death Row owned Club 662, and on the way, while at a red light, a white, four-door Cadillac rolled to their right side, opened a window and fired gunshots. Shakur was fatally wounded, and Suge was injured. They were rushed to the University Medical Center. Shakur went through many surgeries, life-support and more, unfortunately on the afternoon of September 13, 1996, Shakur died of internal bleeding, and his mother made the decision to tell t he doctors to stop the attempts to revive him. He was pronounced dead at 4:03 p.m. and the official cause was respiratory failure and cardiac arrest along with multiple gunshot wounds. Shakurs body was cremated and some of his ashes were later mixed with marijuana and smoked by members of the Outlawz. The murder case is a cold case. Due to lack of progress on the case by law enforcement, many independent investigations and theories have emerged about the murder. However, the main suspects are not found, and the case has not been solved. Tupac Shakur was not only a rapper. He was an actor; he played in several movies before his death, and was going to release more, if he had not died. And he also was a social activist. Through his music and image, he cried out to higher authorities to look out for the people in the slums and the ghettos. In his songs he explains the troubles of the people in the urban areas, he reflects on how they need help, and also gets mad at how the government does not care. He is a very big influence to people worldwide for who he represented, as in a young black male, who came out of the slums, became famous, and wanted to make a change. He was also a strong poet; his works are very inspirational and influential. In many interviews, 2Pac has claimed that he will soon try to start a political party, for the people who are not represented by the government, including African-Americans, Mexicans, Armenians and more. He was a very complex artist. He had the Thug-Life persona, of not a gangster, bu t a thug, a black male from the streets, who held his own, yet he had a soft side, and expressed it in his music. For example he addresses to Black women in the ghettos to be strong, he motivates them like in Keep Ya Head Up, and he also expresses his soft side through songs such as Dear Mama and more. He read works of Machiavelli, Maya Angelou and more. And he has said, Im not saying Im gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world. Pacs legacy lives on to this day, and he is known world-wide. Rappers today always make references to him. About.com named him the most influential rapper. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized him as the highest selling rapper, he was inducted in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame in 2002, he has made it has Number 1 MC on MTV in 2003, fans have voted him as the greatest rapper of all time in the Vibe magazine poll in 2004. And he is also in the Definitive 200 list of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is known as the King of Rap by many. His mother has founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation, and the foundation has opened the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts. Hes been in several movies, many documentaries and movies have been released about him after his death such as Tupac: Resurrection, many books have been written about his life, and five and counting albums have been made with his music, and recorded works, after his death. The Legacy of Tupac Amaru Shakur lives on today, through his fans worldwide.

The Problems with Fracking Essay -- Environmentalism, Human Health

No Fracking Way Imagine a world where fresh and clear water was a luxury. Imagine water so contaminated with chemicals that every plant it comes into contact with dies. As the trees begin to die, oxygen levels drop. As the vegetation dies, wildlife begins to die out. The polluted water which flows through the ground into wells causes instant contamination. As the water flows out of the sink, one can strike a match and light the liquid on fire. Showering in these chemicals is out of the question. Fresh water has become a comfort, rather than a given. Could planet Earth survive this existence? If hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, were deemed legal, this question may be put to the test. Fracking is a process in which chemicals, sand and water are used in â€Å"high volumes†¦ to fracture gas-bearing layers of rock† (Dolesh 2). As the rock breaks, natural gas is released and then collected to be used as energy. The United States is currently sitting on a gold mine of natural gas which could stimulate our ever declining economy. The question is what price are we willing to pay for a temporary fix? Fracking is a dangerous process that should be deemed illegal due to its harmful short and long-term environmental effects. Before one can see the devastating effects of fracking, one must first understand how fracking works. As previously stated, the main intent of hydro-fracking is to access and harvest natural gas that lies below the surface of the Earth. Having formed over 400 million years ago by the collision of tectonic plates (Marsa 3), the Marcellus Shale plays host to a gold mine of natural gas, which is currently at the center of the fracking debate in the Northeastern region of the United States. Unfortunately, access... ...er, Cyril Josh. â€Å"Fracking Up: New York State Continues The Debate Over Gas Extraction Process.† New York Amsterdam News (2011): 4. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2011. Dolesh, Richard â€Å"Fracktured Parks.† Parks & Recreation 46.6 (2011): 56-61. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. Marsa, Linda. â€Å"Fracking Nation.† Discover 32.4 (2011): 62-70. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. Morriss III, James C., and Christopher D. Smith. â€Å"The Shales And Shale-Nots: Environmental Regulation Of Natural Gas Development. (Cover Story).† Energy Litigation Journal 9.4 (2010): 1-23. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Peltier, Robert. â€Å"Fracking Problems.† Power 155.8 (2011): 6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Rahman, Hashim. â€Å"New York Puts Fracking On Hold.† Planning 77.2 (2011): 4. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2011.

Essay on Owen Meany -- essays research papers

Essay On: â€Å"A Prayer For Owen Meany† In the novel â€Å"A Prayer For Owen Meany,† John Irving creates the character of Owen as a foil to John, the protagonist. Owen Meany embodies the qualities of a true leader while John grows more like his father: doubtful and lost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, immediately there is a clear difference between Owen and Johnny. There is the field of academics; Owen is the head of his class while he helps John not to fail in his studies. There is Owen, very sure of his belief system and Johnny, very doubtful and unsure about his beliefs or feelings towards’ god.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the novel, John has a constant hero worship of Owen. An example of this is when Owen begins to lead the rector and his wife in the production of the pageant of ’53: â€Å" Thus did Owen get his way, again; â€Å"On the hay† was where he would lie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This excerpt shows Johnny in awe of his friend. The way Owen takes charge of the situation and creates the pageant the exact way he wants it. This also identifies another theme in the book, the theme of purpose. Owen has a new sense of purpose now that his parents have told him that his was a virgin birth; he is as close to a lord Jesus as anyone in history. Then there is John, who ends up being Joseph out of the fact that Owen prescribed him the part.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, outlined for us is Owens advantage over Johnny in the sense that Owen has a purpose that is ver...

Data And Storage Essays -- Technology Computers

There are many aspects of computing that are important: accuracy of data input, convenience and quality of output, optimal storage devices, and processing speed of a computer. What are all these things and what are the best methods or types? Data Input Fundamental to accuracy of data input is assurance that the information system will be able to properly automate the collection of information and that the end-user is aware of and understands how information should be recorded. Stair and Reynolds (2006) supports, â€Å"Input can be a manual or an automated process. A scanner at a grocery store that reads bar codes and enters the grocery item and price into a computerized cash register is a type of automated input process. Regardless of the input method, accurate input is critical to achieve the desired output.† Printed questionnaires should be manufactured on machine-readable paper and analyzed by scanners that are capable of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) or Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the results into a digital format that is automatically placed into a database for storage. Queries can then be utilized to poll or collect information from the questionnaires. Telephone surveys should consist of precise questions that require simple answers that can be input by pressing buttons on a touchtone phone. Users who do not have a touchtone phone should be allowed to answer verbally via an interactive voice recognition system (IVR). Bank checks should be printed on machine-readable paper utilizing magnetic ink such that machines can quickly and accurately scan the document and convert the data into a digital format. Additional security measures such as watermarks and holograms may be utilized based on level of se... ... hard disks – seek time and data throughput. Data on a floppy disk is generally slower than CD ROMs and is generally used for storage purposes. Much of the same concepts apply to floppy disks are applied to hard disks and CD ROMs – seek time and data throughout. There are many aspects of computing that exist today, some top of the line technology while others are becoming obsolete. What is most important is that there is accuracy of data input, convenience and quality of output, optimal storage devices, and processing speed of a computer. References Laurie J. Flynn (2005). Intel and Micron Plan Flash-Memory Venture. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. C.6. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from Banking Information Source database. Stair, Ralph M & Reynolds, George W (2006). Fundamentals of Information Systems. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology

Dysfunctional Organizations Are Like Dysfunctional Families

Quality, timing, and cost will all usually be less favorable than planned. Projects will be routinely delayed, costs will routinely be revised upward, quality will be at risk of being forgotten in the quest for profitability and timeliness, products will be at risk of many and/or severe defects, and customer satisfaction will lag behind more capable and less dysfunctional competitors. Similarly, a dysfunctional family will have parallel problems with achieving its goals.An imbalance of power is a frequent cause of dysfunction in families. Imagine: a family with several children embarks on a big project, a trip to Ocracoke Island, for xample. If one child is more demanding, needy, or otherwise exceptional, and the family has developed a dysfunctional behavior pattern centered on that child, things will be disrupted and plans will not work out. The child may have to stop at every rest stop, and take a long time getting back into the car, delaying progress on the trip.The father may kno w the ferry schedule for getting to the island, and know when the family needs to be at the dock, but he may not be able to change the child's behavior, nor the behavior of the mother who caters too much to the demanding child. Random and unanticipated delays caused by the child, who has no understanding of the constraints the father faces, make them late and they miss the ferry, incurring additional cost of a night's stay on the mainland. An imbalance of power is also a problem for large companies.I have worked for companies in which one top manager or one function, product styling, for example, can cause a nearly-perfect parallel to the dysfunctional family. The product styling group knows when they need to finish the design, but their Job is to make the product look attractive, and they have so any people involved, from multiple levels of the organization, that they can't get it done on time. Top managers come through the studio to look at the new design, but, many having been en gineers and designers in the past, they each see something they feel needs to be changed.Since they don't come through the studio until the design is supposed to be nearly complete, their suggestions set back the design process, and the design is late. The engineers who have to integrate the design with functional parts are left to play â€Å"catch-up† with their designs, involving late changes, vertime, and a huge amount of rework to recast financial fgures, get revised quotes from suppliers, re-time the plans, etc. , etc. The suppliers, too, have to change their plans and designs and renegotiate with their suppliers in turn, and are delayed as well.Packaging, marketing materials, sales and service training classes, and many other efforts are all set back. Even if top management is understanding and â€Å"lets well takes sa'. n. y management at the top, executives or parents, to limit dysfunctional behavior and keep things on track. In my five different careers I have seen this same asic pattern repeated over and over, becoming nothing more than the standard way of doing business for some organizations. The only mitigating force I know of is having really sa'. . y upper management who understand how such things happen and are willing to actively work to avoid them. A smart top manager can rein in the overzealous designers, for example, and understand the principles of diminishing returns and the need to understand when â€Å"roughly right† is good enough. Similarly, the skilled parent can understand the problems caused by favoring one child over nother, and carefully manage the behavior of the individuals in the family so that the familys overarching goals are met.Maybe it's Just my experience, but I have seen that such skill and savvy are all too rare. Ethnic or national culture can be a significant factor in instances of dysfunction. Interestingly, management sa'. n. y and parenting skill are heavily influenced by cultural factors. In Western cultures where there is a strong value placed on individuality, managers can acquire the â€Å"gunslinger† mentality, which makes them think they have to do everything themselves and be the best at everything.With such managers collaboration and communication can suffer and, while they may be stars in their own right, the organization can suffer from the conflicts and snafus that will result. Similarly, in a strongly patriarchic culture, the father, feeling like he must be the all-knowing authority, may ignore the small child who hears the tire rumbling as it starts to go flat, and as a result miss the ferry due to a shredded tire and the time required to fix it.Organizations can become dysfunctional by promoting those who do extremely well. Some businesses promote engineers and designers who create great products to high level management ositions, and then some wonder why the organization does poorly. I have often noted that many engineers take this career direction because they don't like dealing with people, and would rather â€Å"stick their head in a machine† and make it work as nearly perfectly as possible than negotiate with other people.To take someone who, by their nature, hews to Jobs that avoid interaction with people and put them in a Job that requires excellent people skills is asking for trouble. They will not only be uncomfortable and unhappy, but they may not understand interpersonal and organizational behavior well, struggle, and not do a very good Job. At the same time, to go back to engineering would be a terrible demotion and pay cut, so they are stuck, often for decades, in a position for which they are only marginally suited.Many parents, like many executives, were never suited or well prepared for their roles. Similarly, many parents become that by accident, perhaps through lack of proper attention to contraception, or through social imperatives – older family members who lobby hard for grandchildren, for example. S ome parents had tough childhoods, for example, and never had the chance to witness good parenting as children, yet they ften find themselves responsible for a family with children and (perhaps) a spouse, and even elderly parents that need their care.In a society with little focus on or cultural knowledge around good parenting, they will be severely challenged to run a family effectively or avoid the mistakes that were perpetrated on them as children. Dysfunction tends to stick around and follow organizations and families. Thus, in creep in over time, and propagate forward from one generation or regime to the next. It is for this reason that sometimes a board of directors of a corporation will dismiss ot only a CEO but many of his reports as well, and bring in fresh management talent from outside the company to try to instill a new culture.While this is drastic and difficult in a business organization, it is even more difficult and disruptive to a family, and usually involves social service organizations and courts intervening in ways that may or may not produce better long term results for the family members. In both cases the situation must be extremely bad before such changes can be Justified, and a majority of such situations probably are never very well addressed.

Romeo and Juliet Tragedy

Tragedy, a dramatic compostion, dealing with a serious and somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of charachter or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate, or society, to downfall or destructon. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is about two young teenagers, Romeo Monatague, and Juliet Capulet who fall deeply in love and are forced to keep their love a secreat in order to prevent the dissapointment of there feuding familes. Romeo and Juliets fate, immature acts, and secrets soon lead up to Romeo and Juliets downfall. Fate is a power that predetemines events and controls destiny. In the story, William Shakesphere is controlling Romeo and Juliet, which brings fate at fault of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. It was fate that brought Romeo and Juliet together, and made their family’s rivalrys. It is also what brought them to their downfall. If Romeo and Juliet had never met at the party, Friar Lawrence had never married them, and Juliets father wasnt forceing her to marry Paris, none of this would have happened. Fate in this story is unavoidable. Frair Lawerence played a huge role in Romeo and Juliet’s deaths. A Friar is looked up to and held responsible alot more. The Frair should have known better then to marry two young teenagers, just to end the families feud. The plan the Friar had to keep Romeo and Juliet together was insufficiently thought out which ultimatly was a major part in the tragedy. Even though Friar Lawerence knows that both the Monatague’s and Capulet’s wont be very happy with his descion to marry them, he still continues to do so. If Frair Lawrence wasnt stupid enough to keep the secreat, none of this would have happened. Juliet would have never dranken the potion, and therefore neither would have Romeo. Romeo’s immature ways also led to the tragedy. Romeo first met Juliet because he needed someone to get over Rosaline, his ex girlfriend. When they first laid eyes on eachother, they supposbly fell in love. Yes, they say it was â€Å"magical,† but it was also dumb. If Romeo wasnt to quick to get married, Juliet would not have as much feelings for Romeo as she did when they were married. Therefore Juliet probley wouldnt have gone through as much as she did to be with Romeo. Romeo made it much more complicated then it had to be by fighting and killing Juliets cousin Tybalt.

Making Your Own Luck

I should never have thrown the chain letter away. The letter clearly warned me that if I did, I would have one day of bad luck. I did not believe it, so I threw the silly piece of paper in the garbage. I thought the friend who sent me the letter was just a superstitious fool. Letters do not bring you luck. You make your own! That night, however, as I fell asleep, I had the uncomfortable feeling that something was not quite right. When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find that I had overslept and would be late for work.As I rushed down the stairs to eat a quick breakfast, I tripped over my bag and spilled glassofwateronthepileofdocuments, whichI should have presentedat the meetingthat morning. Because themeetingwasabouttobegin, Irushedto getmycaranddriveto the officeveryquickly. However, bad luck happened to me again; my car was covered by snow from last night, so I needed to take time to make them melt. On my way to work, I decided to take a shortcut through an old par t of town. I drove to an old rough road which people rarely use daily. However, when I was very close to my office, I noticed there was an accident in the front of my car.Suddenly, I heard a noisy police car and people tried to change to another lane, and I was stuck in a traffic jam. After a while, I finally arrived at work. When I arrived at work, I found a note on my desk from my boss. She wanted to see me right away. I took a deep breath and walked into her office. As I stepped inside, I noticed a scowl on her face. Of course, she scolded me for arriving late and for not preparing well for the meeting. She had had to start the meeting without any help. Because of her rage, I was received a warning letter. At 5 PM, I left my office and went home feeling very tired and disappointed.Finally, after a long and difficult day, I returned home to find that my air conditioner was broken. I could not take it anymore! It had been the worst day of my life, and I did not want anything else t o happen. I rushed to the garbage can and dug around for the chain letter I had thrown away the day before. It was covered with coffee grounds and potato peels, but I could still read the words: â€Å"Send ten copies of this letter to your friends and you will have good luck for a year. † I sat down at the kitchen table and began to make copies for ten of my friends. They could take their chances, but I was not going to have any more bad luck!

Linda Hogan

What adjectives does Linda Hogan use to describe her personality as a child in Oklahoma? 2. Does L. H. believe that she is a traditionally-minded Native woman? 3. In para 8, does L. H. state she thinks the view of the constellations is the same for the Western world as it is in the American Indian tradition? 4. 4. After rereading para 9, name the three types of writing L. H. says she does. 5. In para 12, what are the two choices for L.H. ’s main character in her novel Power? What is the main character’s name? 6. What endangered animal did a Seminole man kill in the controversial case that L. H. researched for an article she was writing? 7. What animal does L. H. write about in her poem â€Å"Affinity: Mustang†? What words describe the animal? 8. In the final para, according to L. H. , why does she write? What is her motivation for writing? TASK 2 Go beyond the text 1. L. H. riting often acknowledges traditional Native American values such as respecting the intell igence of the elders. What are some other traditional values she writes about? What are some traditional values you hold? Are your values similar to or different from the traditional values that L. H. cherishes? 2. L. H. discusses her views on the understanding of the cosmos and how the constellations have a meaning for her that is different from the traditional Western meaning.What might be some reasons for these different meanings? Do the skies and constellations have any meaning to you or to other people you know? If so, discuss this meaning and explain its importance. 3. L. H. ‘ s novel Power describes a character who must choose between two ways of life: the American world and the culture of her elders who live in their community with their own traditions.Have you or someone you know ever had to make a choice between two worlds, two ways of thinking, or two ways of conducting your life? Discuss the difficulties in making such a decision and the consequences of the choice you made. 4. In the first several paras of her essay, L. H. writes about how she grew, as a tree grows, into â€Å"a traditionally-minded Native woman† and a writer. What experiences helped her grow? In what ways have you connected your identity? What people and experiences have influenced you?

Book Assignment Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Assignment Part 3 - Essay Example While not so different from traditional villages in its desire to engage in a free exchange of ideas, the global village is one that thrives on the communication and transportation infrastructure that seems to be binding the world into one 'large, happy family'. The basic metal and cultural setup of a country is formed by it inhabitants and the people who come forth to call it home. Throughout history, there have been numerous examples of how immigrants have been an important part of the people as a whole when it comes to contribution to the cultural and basic climate of a country. (Massey et al, 2001) The case for this paper is that of America. As a country, America has been blessed with the great 'salad bowl' syndrome, wherein it enjoys a plethora of people who have come to the shores of this great country in search of opportunity. The basic reason for people migrating to a certain part of the world is the lure of opportunity as opposed to whatever threat might have met them in their home land. In this regard, the paper will discuss the book Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: US Immigration Policy in the Age of Globalization, as the authors set about describing the mindset of the immigrants as well as the hosts who came to set up homes in America. According to the authors, immigration policies and principles have been one of the most important aspects of public policy in the US. This is a part of their history. It has been mentioned by the authors that the nation had passed through perhaps the single most significant transformative period in its history by those who lived through the Civil War and Reconstruction. The great questions of slavery, sectionalism, and national supremacy that had plagued the Americans for nearly eight decades had been resolved through a combination of the force of arms and the constitutional and legal change made possible by military victory. Irrespective of the fact that most Americans believed that these issues had been permanently resolved, this period posed new challenges to American values and assumptions which in term have influenced their take on immigration policy. Three intertwining themes define the evolution of the US Immigration Policy and perspectives in the same as garnered from the bo ok: (Massey et al, 2001) (i) industrialization - the rise of the industrial economy and of accompanying issues of law, governance, and public policy; (ii) urbanization - the dramatic growth of the nation's cities as focal points for population growth and demographic change, and as centers of commerce, culture, education, news, and politics; and (iii) integration through immigration - the effects on American identity, politics, and culture of the great waves of immigration from eastern, central, and southern Europe and from Asia. The interaction of these themes added richness and complexity to late nineteenth-century American history. In order to further understand the implications set forth by the writers in this book, it is important to understand the motives behind the immigration of various groups of people so as to understand the evolution of the Immigration Policy. This has been garnered by the book as follows: Mexicans Just as labor's response to industrialization seemed threatening to prized American values of individualism, free enterprise, and social

Contemporary Issues in HR management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Contemporary Issues in HR management - Essay Example Contemporary Issues in HR management The most ostensible goal for all human resource managers is to record an improving productivity in the organisation. The performance of the organisation should be inclining against time. This concludes that managers should ensure all the employees are giving the best to the organisation. Managing and organising employees could be a hard task especially when the manager is dealing with large numbers. Apparently, productivity in most organisations is measured by the revenue that is collected via the businesses of the organisation. Therefore, managers have to ensure the revenue of the organisation is on an improving scale. However, there are several setbacks that make this a contemporary issue. First, some employees have low morale at the work place. Employees with low morale have a negative impact on the productivity of an organisation. Such employees have a tendency of not utilising their time in the organisation. These employees are a discouragement to other employees as they have ha phazard performance criteria. Since they do not give full dedication to their job, they end up giving dismal results. This affects the whole institution as the overall performance is brought down. Secondly, productivity is affected when the employees are not contented with the working shifts they are given. For instance, some employees have a tendency of refusing to work in some shifts. Though some employees are contented with working in certain shifts, they have a tendency of doing shoddy work.... The performance of the organisation should be inclining against time. This concludes that managers should ensure all the employees are giving the best to the organisation. Managing and organising employees could be a hard task especially when the manager is dealing with large numbers. Apparently, productivity in most organisations is measured by the revenue that is collected via the businesses of the organisation. Therefore, managers have to ensure the revenue of the organisation is on an improving scale (Kearns, 2006:13). However, there are several setbacks that make this a contemporary issue. First, some employees have low morale at the work place. Employees with low morale have a negative impact on the productivity of an organisation. Such employees have a tendency of not utilising their time in the organisation. These employees are a discouragement to other employees as they have haphazard performance criteria. Since they do not give full dedication to their job, they end up givi ng dismal results. This affects the whole institution as the overall performance is brought down. Secondly, productivity is affected when the employees are not contented with the working shifts they are given. For instance, some employees have a tendency of refusing to work in some shifts. Though some employees are contented with working in certain shifts, they have a tendency of doing shoddy work. This is a problem that has been affecting the human resource management as they have little to do on such situations. When employees are not contented with a certain shift in the organisation, they are likely to do a shoddy job. This will affect the productivity of the organisation to greater

Obama Inaurgural Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obama Inaurgural Speech - Essay Example Despite all the issues the country has been able to recoup and has been able to fight back all issues successfully (Yahoo News, 2009). The president’s speech focused a lot on how he would work on solving issues which the country is currently facing, however this would be possible only if the citizens took up some responsibility. He also mentions that the success of the country mainly depends on the hard work, honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism. He highlighted the importance of these aspects for the country’s success. He paid a lot of importance to the divided efforts of every individual of the country to work towards fighting all the issues that the country is currently facing, which he felt is an important promise and a price to be paid by every citizen of the country (Yahoo News, 2009). President Barack Obama recognised and highlighted a number of issues that are being faced by the country at present. In the inaugural speech Obama has addressed a number of issues which he plans to resolve. President highlighted the issues of the country moving into a recession and also highlighted the various issues that have been caused due to the irresponsibility of a few people, greed and collective failure of a number of decisions made. He felt that these issues would definitely cause the country to decline to a great extent. Thus to resolve this President has tried and requested the country to understand their responsibilities and to take actions to ensure a united improvement of the country (Yahoo News, 2009). The President also mentioned the issue of conflicts and discord which has been prevalent in the country and has decided to try and solve these issues. The President highlighted that United States of America is a country with a number of different religions and a number of different cultures. Also he aims at improving the economic condition of the country and this he mentioned required responsible spending by

Biotanicals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biotanicals - Essay Example Along with their continued use as a spice, many are processed for sale as dietary and medicinal supplements. Two of these spices, garlic and turmeric, have been used by healers for centuries and their use continues today as science confirms and unlocks the mysteries behind their healing powers. Garlic and turmeric have both received increased attention in recent years as science has studied their healing properties. They are interesting healing agents as they have been used for over two thousand years in Chins, India, and throughout Asia. In addition, recent scientific studies have confirmed the positive effects of garlic and turmeric, while demonstrating the underlying mechanisms by which they work. They are also of a culinary importance and are common spices that are found in many home kitchens today. With a basic understanding of their qualities and the associated health benefits, garlic and turmeric can be incorporated in just about anyones diet. Garlic, a pungent bulb, is a spice often associated with Italian cooking, but its value goes beyond its pleasant flavor. It has been used by the ancient Egyptians and has been known by just about every civilization as a curing and healing agent (Rivlin 713S). According to Amagase, "It prevents cold and flu symptoms through immune enhancement and exhibits anticancer and chemopreventive activities" (716S-717S). It is theorized that garlic fortifies the immune system by reducing free radicals or diminishing the negative impact that they have on the body. (Amagase 722S). However, it should be noted that the health benefits of garlic typically require a long term supplemental use, and is considered preventative rather than therapeutic (Amagase 721S). Garlics health benefits to the immune system are best acquired through the regular consumption of garlic or its derivatives. Garlic not only enhances the immune system, but recent studies have indicated

Global Warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Global Warming - Essay Example Forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so when we cut them down, we allow carbon dioxide to thrive. Our drastically increasing population is also adding to the carbon dioxide, which is a result of billions of humans exhaling the gas. Of all the causes of global warming, the increasing human population is one that cannot be immediately resolved. As such, tending to the remaining factors becomes even more dire. To prevent these causes from increasing the effects of global warming, we need to create alternatives to vehicles that require fossil fuel and find construction locations that do not require cutting down entire forests. While alternate-fuel and electric vehicles are available, few people are taking advantage of them. Furthermore, little is being done to prevent the destruction of forests; we demand more buildings, and with little land available to us, we resort to destroying nature to get what we want. There are debates about policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for two reasons. The first reason is that those who can create and enforce policies are unconvinced about global warming. Though there is evidence that global warming is taking place, many people doubt its existence. As such, they are reluctant to make changes. The second reason is that creating policies would require asking humans to alter how they live. As a technologically-thriving people, changing our vehicles or locations of construction are unappealing. Science can help resolve the debate by proving that global warming is taking place and that the longer we ignore it, the worse it will become. Science can also show how the changes required to slow global warming doesn’t mean compromising the way we live; indeed, these changes would improve not only our world, but our lives as

Contemporary Disaster Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Contemporary Disaster Management - Term Paper Example The studies and researches done by Centre of Research of the Epidemiology on Disasters confirm that natural catastrophes such as flood, windstorm, surge, and other water-related disasters have killed approximately one million people in the past 20 years. Furthermore, these water-related disasters have affected the livelihoods of more than 300 million people. According to EM-DAT, these natural disasters have directly damaged the global economy and countries around the world have lost more than $US 800billion. Researches have also revealed that regions characterized by the monsoon climate are the most vulnerable. Disasters are also common in areas with large population and where economic development is quite rapid (Brown, & Duguid, 2000). Barton (1999) argued that disaster management has been a problem in most countries of the world hence the impacts of the phenomena are recurrent. Nations all over the world have joint efforts in aid to reduce the effects of these disasters on the livelihoods in the next coming years. Through Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 and the Hashimoto Action Plan: Compendium for Action, countries have established strategic goals and the appropriate global actions that reduce the effects of disasters on the economic system. Asia is one of the countries among others which have been affected negatively by water-related disasters. Asian-Pacific countries have established Asia Pacific Water Forum, a body which is primarily concerned with policing water-related disaster management programs. There are very many bodies emerging all over which would diligently improve the quality of life of populations affected by disasters. These organizations are expected to facilitate disaster management strategies in addressing effective disaster reduction solutions in the most stricken areas (Epstein, 2000).  

Cat People Psychoanalytic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cat People Psychoanalytic Analysis - Essay Example This incredible heritage reflects greatest, deepest and therefore most important components of our life. Carl Jung life’s work provided his readers all across the world with great meditations on the matter of life and death, violence and love, soul, spirit, purpose of human existence and even further away in the sphere of unconscious and therefore out of time and space, deeper than scientific approach somewhere on the threshold of religious patterns and philosophical discoveries. â€Å"Cat People† is named horror movie but it`s not a real horror from the cinematic point of view. From that point it is more of a psychological thriller and psychology in this film is exactly the prism through which it will be discussed. The plot of the film briefly consists of interactions between 4 people which are: Irena (main heroine), Oliver Reed (her admirer and later husband), Dr. Louis Judd (psychiatrist of the main heroine) and Alice (Oliver’s co-worker and later lover). Main heroine sees herself a descendant of the ancient mystical evil-worshippers who are half cats and half people. Long time ago these people have been punished for their blasphemy and even killed but some of them escaped to the woods. Our heroine tells it to her admirer Oliver whom she meets. Despite it is being truth (though only for the aesthetical effect and more as an allegory) he says that she is too imaginative and therefore it’s all just a silly fantasy. Then they agree to marry each other and this serves as a movie’s starting point of interest because if woman says that she feels like some living creature (panther) lives in her and can break out in the moment of the most passionate and intimate expression (sexu al orgasm) and her lover agrees to marry her then eventually almost anyone would wait for further conflict. This conflict doesn’t make viewer wait for him too long (film is really short) with Alice who is Oliver’s co-worker becoming a reason for Irena’s

Cultural Diversity in the Media Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity in the Media Essay The term drugs refer to anything, which is not prepared by organisms and is generally considered that drugs are not part of food we eat. Although drugs also refer to Medical ailments (pills, syrups, capsules etc) but here we are discussing recreational drugs which are: LSD, Shrooms, Alcohol, Caffeine, Catnip, Salvia, Cocaine, Crack, DXM, Ecstasy, Ephedrine, Heroin, Inhalants, GHB, Tobacco, Cannabis, Methamphetamine, Milk (artificially prepared), Peyote, Nutmeg, Oxycontin, Ketamine, Whiteboard Markers and so on. Drugs have its uses and abuses. But mostly, its uses are almost negligible when one starts introspection of the conditions of society caused by the abuses of Drugs. Societies are damaging because of evils of the alarming increase in the intake of drugs all over the world, which is followed by the increase in crime and decrease in national income. It has been surveyed that people portray abnormal, illegal and ruthless behaviors after intake of drugs. Alcohols being widely available in societies of west provide easy hand in the provision of drugs. In America alone, every third child is said to be tainted by the drugs. All teens see some type of drug use or abuse in school or in the media. â€Å"The nineteenth-century explosion of drug use had gotten out of hand. Wiliam Halsted invented nerve-block anesthesia with cocaine (1885) but developed such a craving for the drug that his friends had to put him aboard a schooner for several months so he could kick the habit. He did, but became addicted to morphine from the ships supplies. It was long a closely guarded secret at Johns Hopkins University that one of the institutions founders was a junkie. Halsteds student, James Leonard Corning, invented spinal anesthesia with cocaine. Every family has a vicious drunkard dad or uncle on the loose; mournful mamas swigged patent medicines by the gallon; kids raised on heroin cough syrup graduated to coca-filled soft drinks. † Increasing display of drugs as element of â€Å"Being cool†, â€Å"Easy money†, â€Å"Failure in love†, â€Å"Family problems†, â€Å"Peer Pressures† and â€Å"Complexes†, in movies is grasping the attraction of teens and young adults. â€Å"An estimated 66. 5 million Americans 12 years or older reported current use of a tobacco product in 2001. This number represents 29. 5 percent of the population. Youth cigarette use in 2001 was slightly below the rate for 2000, continuing a downward trend since 1999. † Rates of youth cigarette use were 14. 9 percent in 1999, 13. 4 percent in 2000, and 13. 0 percent in 2001. The annual number of new daily smokers age 12 to 17 decreased from 1. 1 million in 1997 to 747,000 in 2000. This translates into a reduction from 3,000 to 2,000 in the number of new youth smokers per day. † Some of the most important movies to display drugs as an inspiration for live life, business and culture are given with their detail account of criticism and background. 1. The Blow The Blow was released in 2001 was based on a true story. The story of George Jung, the man who established the American cocaine market in the 1970s. It was directed by Ted Demme. The screenplay is by Nick Cassavetes and David McKenna. It is story of young man of middle class family struggling for a better place in society, which unfortunately do not turn out be very fruitful for the fate of the family. George then moved to California, where he starts his own business in which he finds both success and imprisonment. In prison, he meets a cellmate who introduces him into a partnership to the lucrative new market in cocaine. When George Jung released from jail he quickly becomes instrumental in establishing the exploding US market for cocaine in which he claimed that he handled about 85% of the supply in the 1970s. Although it was a movie that could be presented as a masterpiece for the awareness of the society, the movie missed its attempt. The death of the hero was tragic but his appearance in the movie appealed the young generation to a great extent. â€Å"Blow outlines the lifestyle of a mega-rich smuggler — the border crossings, the ruthless negotiations, the sudden betrayals, the wild characters, the run-ins with the justice system, the inherent problems in dealing with massive amounts of cash, the temptations — and, ultimately, the tragedy of blowing all of your dreams for greed. † 2. Trainspotting This Academy Award nominated movies was produced in 1996. Denny boyle directed it. This movie was based on a novel â€Å"Trainspotting† by Irvine Welsh. The screenplay was adapted from Welshs novel by John Hodge. This movie begins with the narration by Renton, who is a rent boy, he tell others that they should choose to live traditional family life. After his narration he tells that his train of thoughts ends with â€Å"who needs reason when you’ve got heroin? † all of his friend were addicted to drugs. The movie rotates all about dirty drugs business and its dealings. The movies most critical part is when Renton leaves drug addiction he feels no purpose of life. He then also deals in selling the heroin. Later Renton realizes that his friends are no his friends at all and leave them for a better life. â€Å"Its release sparked controversy in some countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, as to whether it promoted drug use or not. U. S. Senator, Bob Dole, decried its moral depravity and glorification of drug use during the 1996 U. S. presidential campaign, although he admitted that he had not actually seen the film. † 3. The basket ball diaries This movie was produced in 1995 and was directed by Scott Kalvert. It was written by Brian Goluboff. The movie is an autobiographical account of poet and rock musician Jim Carroll. The running time of movie was 105 minutes. As a member of an outwardly invincible high school basketball squad, Jims life centers around the basketball court and the court becomes an allegory for the world in his mind. It was biggest dream of Jim to become Star of basketball. He was Catholic high school student but later become drug addict due to bad company. Jim and his friends roam the streets of New York City as trivial thieves and revolts. Soon school expelled the Jim for he took drugs before game. Later Jim faces more trouble when his family throws him. This movie is a critical for most of its scene describing, â€Å"A youth (a mere school boy of age 13) is enjoying the drugs† and hence portrayed that it is not very offensive of a young boy or girl to take drugs in that age specially. â€Å"This movie contained incredibly dark and vulgar guided imagery which could quite possibly lead the impressionable into moral and value modification, poor coping skills, and dangerous decision-making. † 4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The movie Fear and Loating in Las Vegas was released on May 22, 1998. It was directed by Terry Gilliam. This film was based on Hunter S. Thompsons 1971 novel Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Journalist Raoul Duke and attorney Dr. Gonzo travel from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1971 to cover a motorcycle race for a sports magazine and enjoy a haphazardly planned vacation. Fueled by the massive amount of drugs they purchased with an advance from a magazine to cover a sporting event in Vegas; they set out in the Red Shark. Wreak havoc upon the citizens of Las Vegas. Encountering police, reporters, gamblers, racers, and hitchhikers; they search for some indefinable thing know only as the American Dream and find fear, loathing and hilarious adventures into the dementia of the modern American West. The movie is filled with violence and drugs series. It effected the audience to en extent that even an incident got attached to it. During shooting Gilliam was approached by a group of young men, one of which complimented him on the film in general, but said that his favorite scene was the andrenichrome scene. He said that he had used the drug and that Gilliam had captured the effects perfectly. Gilliam didnt have the heart to tell the kid that it was made up, and went along with his story. 5. Dazed and confused Dazed and confused is a 1993 American film written and directed by Richard Linklater. The movie tells the stories of the last day of school in May 1976 in a Texas suburb. As the movie begins, the last day of school at a high school is beginning. The last day at Robert E. Lee High School proceeds with regular classes but the soon-to-be-senior class (Class of 1977) is more interested in getting ready for the annual hazing of the incoming freshman class, which will take place after school. The hazing is depicted as a ritualized event that has the support of the town, in the movie. Randall Pink Floyd was a football player who moves with simplistic grace among groups of greasers, nerds, stoners, and athletes alike. The coaches introduced a new policy for the upcoming 1976-77 school year in which athletes have to sign a written pledge that they will not use alcohol or illegal drugs. Pink refuses to sign the pledge sheet. The coach berates Randall Floyd for hanging out with that other crowd (referring to his stoner friends) and Floyd takes offense to it. â€Å"The movie conspicuously shows the much more relaxed attitudes toward both teenage alcohol consumption and driving with open beer containers at the time; Kramer can easily buy beer as the lawful Texas drinking age at the time was 18 and even that was lightly enforced. † References 1. http://www. thc-ministry. net/history-of-drugs. html 2. http://www. getsomeblow. com/index2. html 3. http://parentingteens. about. com/cs/drugsofabuse/a/druguse10_2. htm 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Trainspotting_(film) 5. ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP) by Thomas A. Carder http://www. capalert. com/capreports/basketballdiaries/basketballdiaries. htm 6. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fear_and_Loathing_in_Las_Vegas_%28film%29 7. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dazed_and_Confused_(film)

Virtue and Man Essay Example for Free

Virtue and Man Essay Throughout the ages, many have spent their lives on a quest for power, believing that power holds the key to all they desire. Yet power, with its illusive duality, may enable one to accomplish amazing feats or result in ones tragic downfall. In Macbeth, the character of many power hungry men was put to the test, and each respond differently based on the traits they possess. For many different characters in Macbeth, Shakespeare entwines the traits, which epitomize a man, none of greater importance than ones honor. Throughout Macbeth, many of the characteristics that embody a man vividly display themselves. However, no individual portrays all of these traits. Malcolm lists many of these desirable traits: The king-becoming graces, As justice, verity, temp’rance, stableness, Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude. . . . (IV iii 106-109) While this list of virtues and traits holds a high mark for any man, many men in Macbeth prove they possess these traits. Malcolm, Banquo, and Macduff exhibit courage, and fortitude in their willingness to shed their own blood in order to overthrow the tyranny of Macbeth. This display of devotion to their country earns them the respect of their countrymen. Furthermore, to earn the title of â€Å"man† one must prove himself worthy of the trust of others. Macbeth himself comments on the value of trust when he says, â€Å"The service and the loyalty I owe, / In doing it pays itself† (I iv 25-26). While a man gains respect by earning the trust of others, trust does not come without responsibility. Banquo epitomizes this responsibility as he resists the temptations to succumb to the witches lure: So I lose none In seeking to augment it but still keep My bosom franchised and allegiance clear, I shall be counseled (II i 34-37). Macbeth acts irrationally upon the predictions of the witches, yet Banquo does not fall prey to the false hopes they promise. Each of the traits previously mentioned serves a man well; however, a man has little without honor. Lacking that crucial trait prevents one from attaining many things, including that of reaching one’s full potential. To impress upon Duncan the importance of this quality, Macbeth remarks, â€Å"Which do but what they should by doing everything / Safe toward your love and honor† (I iv 29-30). Yet Macbeth, a man once honorable, strays from his good heart and begins to entangle himself into a web of deception and evil. By abandoning his most precious characteristic, honor, Macbeth has all but committed himself to a tragic downfall. Feared as a tyrant, Macbeth’s struggle with temptation afflicts many men. Many a man, once noble in their ways, have unfortunately chosen a road of evil and paved their own destruction. Macbeth laments, â€Å"And that which should accompany old age, / As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have . . . † (V iii 28-30). At this point near the end of Macbeth’s life, he realizes the fatal mistakes he has made, yet his realization comes too late. Though once an honorable and respected man, the road he has chosen proves to be one of no return. Although Macbeth ruinously, fell to the hands of evil, the triumph of good directly correlates to the traits of those men who put and end to his tyrannical rule. Macbeth’s destruction ideally reiterates the words said by Mr. Lincoln and impeccably proves his point. God’s architecture of everyman skillfully shows how vital specific traits and characteristics are to the make-up of a man. Yet he empowers us to choose how we use them.