Friday, December 27, 2019

The History of Growth - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1396 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Did you like this example? History of Growth Since 1914, the first scheduled air service began in Florida, air travel industry has been facilitating economic growth, world trade, global integration and tourism industry over the last century. In North American, airline industry has undergone a significant development since the end of World War II. As the important of air transport has been recognized through the war, the demand for civil air transport grew explosively. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The History of Growth" essay for you Create order Many airlines had opportunities to increase their fleets and operate new routes (Airline for America, 2007). In 1978, Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act that transferred the control right over airline industry from the government to the market. The deregulation and liberalization widely spread from U.S. to the entire world that helped shape the evolution of the competitive international airline industry (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). In Canada, the government fully deregulated airline industry in 1987 and adopted the Blue Sky Policy to encourage the liberalization of Air Transport Agreements in 2006(Transport Canada, 2012). At the beginning of the 21st century, airline industry experienced a financial crisis because of the global economic recession. Even worse, the September 11 terrorist attacks aggravated the industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s difficult situation. The safety and security issues became critical to both airlines and passengers. From 2001 to 2005, th e net losses of U.S. airline industry were over $40 billion (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). In 2008, the whole airline industry once again faced serious challenge from high fuel prices and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Great Recessionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . The operating profitability in 2008 is dropped from 4% gain in previous year to a disappointing loss of 1% (International Air Transport Association, 2010). Life Cycle: Maturity The current life cycle of Canadian airline industry is in the stage of maturity. The industry growth has decelerated and the competition is aggressive. The industry performance often fluctuates with the economy. As the result of the low industry profitability, cost management and efficiency improvement became the major strategic targets of airline industry instead of capacity growth. According to the data in Airlines Industry Profile: Canada (2005), the global economic downturn resulted in the Canadian airline industry presenting a negative compound annual rate of change of 4.4% over the 2000 to 2004 period. The demand of industry declined until 2003 that remained unchanged in the period 2000-2004. Facing the brutal market competition, airline mergers and acquisitions have been prevailing across the entire industry. In 2000, Air Canada increased their market share by the acquisition of and merger with their largest competitors Canadian Airlines. Although the performance had been im proved over 2005-2008, following the global airlines industry trend, Canadian airline industry suffered another decline in 2009 because of the high fuel price, disappointing demand and the economic recession. Over the last five years, the industry revenue growth was slightly below the Canada GDP growth after the recession. The data of Airlines Industry Profile: Canada (2014) showed that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the industry in the period 2009-2013 was 7.1%, while GDP grew at the compound annual rate of 8.5% over the same period. Looking forward, the growth of the industry is predicted to slow down with a CAGR of 3.8% for the next five years. Structure Legacy carriers often refer to airlines that established before the deregulation. They usually own more luxury aircrafts and offer first and business class seating with higher level of services. After the airline industry deregulation, legacy carriers started to use a hub-and-spoke system to organize their flights. The system allows airline to select some airports in major cities as hubs and connect to other cities as spokes. It provides less number of routes with more frequent services which increases the transportation resource efficiency. In addition, the system also allows legacy carriers to provide international long-haul flights. Therefore, in order to take advantage of competition among the major international gateways, domestic carriers have built alliance relationship with foreign carriers. Canadian air carriers can benefit from the alliance because of its important geographic location (Madore Shaw, 1993). Today Star Alliance is the largest global airline alliance with 26 member airlines including Air Canada. Competing against legacy carriers, low cost carriers have played a key role in short-haul domestic routes by using point-to-point system. Instead of stopover at hub, point-to-point system reduces connections and travel time. The low cost carriers expanded their significant market share during economic crisis in 2000. They offered lower fares and less services to attract price sensitive consumers. The most successful part of low cost carriers is the higher labor productivity than legacy carriers. The flexible work culture and cross-utilization employees create a labor cost advantage for low cost carriers (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007). Economics Airline industry is one of the lowest returns on invested capital among all the industries, which on average the returns hardly meet investorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ earning expectation. The averaged ROIC of global airline industry is 4.1% over the period 2004 to 2011, which is enable the industry to pay for its debt interest costs and small dividend. However, it was still far below the average cost of capital of 7.5 %( IATA, 2013). According to the IATA Industry Statistics (2014), the revenue of global commercial airlines in 2013 was $710 billion, and the net profit was 10.6 million, only a 1.5% margin on revenues. The global airline industryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s fuel cost accounted for 30% of the total $690 billion operating expense, which continues to be the largest proportion of operating cost. The total fuel bill of $210 billion, compared with the industry profits of 10.6 billion, showed that the entire airline industry facing the structural issues that squeeze the profit too thin. F or North American market, the net profit in 2013 was $7 billion, and EBIT margin was 5.3% on revenues, which was higher than the other regions (IATA, 2014). In Canada, the airline industry value was $17255.6 million last year, and the market volume was 59.5 million passengers. For Canadian airline industry, domestic is always the largest segment of the total volume (Martketline, 2014). Technology Since the rising fuel price and air pollution are two most important issues for aviation, the airline industry has been developing technologies that would improve the aircrafts fuel efficiency throughout the years. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization environment report (2010), compared with aircraft in 1985, modern aircraft has reduced 15% fuel burn and deliver 40% lower carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, the government of Canada launched the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) to encourage research and development of strategic innovative projects in the aerospace and defence sectors. The SADI has invested $300 million to improve aircraft engine technology and fuel consumption (Finance Canada, 2013). Three significant technologies in aircraft design are prevailing in the industry. The first is weight reduction, which can maximum the carrierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s load factor using same amount of fuel burn. Future aircraft will have 70% advanced mate rial, including à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“composite wings and parts of the fuselageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  to reduce 15% weight. The second is aerodynamics improvements that reduce friction drag and maintain optimal laminar flow. The potential application areas are wings, nacelles, empennages and winglets. The last one is engine-specific performance improvement, which can provide clean and efficient power. The achievement of engine improvement in last ten years provided 2% fuel consumption improvement. As the technology matures, new engine is expected to save 15% fuel consumption (ICAO, 2010, p.74-75). Reference: Airline for America. (2007). Airline Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.airlines.org/Pages/Airline-Handbook-Chapter-1-Brief-History-of-Aviation.aspx International Air Transport Association. (2010). Airline Profits 2008. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/Airline_2008_Profits_Feb2010.pdf Transport Canada. (2012). The 2006 Blue Sky Policy: Objectives, Principles, and Approach. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/Airline_2008_Profits_Feb2010.pdf International Air Transport Association. (2013). Profitability and the air transport value chain. Retrieved from https://www.iata.org/whatwedo/Documents/economics/profitability-and-the-air-transport-value chain.pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2007). Airline Industry Overview. Retrieved from https://web.mit.edu/airlines/analysis/analysis_airline_industry.html Madore, O., Shaw, J. D. (1993). The Canadian airline industry: its structure, performance and prosp ect. Retrieved from https://publications.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP/bp329-e.htm#A. Industry Marketline. (2014). Airline Industry Profile: Canada. Retrieved from https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?si[email  protected]/* */vid=15hid=112 Datamonitor. (2005). Airline Industry Profile: Canada. Retrieved from https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?si[email  protected]/* */vid=2hid=112 Finance Canada. (2013). Budget Plan 2013. Retrieved from https://www.fin.gc.ca/new_template/2013/doc/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html International Civil Aviation Organization. (2010). ICAO Environmental Report 2010. Retrieved from https://www.fin.gc.ca/new_template/2013/doc/plan/toc-tdm-eng.html Fact sheet: https://www.iata.org/pressroom/facts_figures/fact_sheets/Documents/industry-facts.pdf

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Petsmart Financial Analysis - 1010 Words

Abstract This paper covers PetSmart and undertakes a financial analysis of this company. The companys cash flow is analyzed, including its working capital, NOPAT and its EVA. There is also a qualitative analysis that leads to the conclusion that PetSmart has reliable financial statements and would make a good investment. Body a. The statement of cash flows provides valuable, reliable information about the nature of PetSmarts cash flows. Overall, this analysis reveals that PetSmart is a reasonably safe investment. b. Free cash flow is the net cash flow from operations less the capital expenditures (Peavler, 2012). Free cash flow is important because it is the cash flow that is beyond what is necessary to maintain assets in place and to finance expected new investments (Richardson, 2006). Free cash flow is used to finance existing operations, expand existing operations, pay down debt, pay out dividends and to maintain existing assets in place. The free cash flow of PetSmart is $400.263 million, according the PetSmarts 10-K for the year ended January 29, 2012. This information is found on page 30. c. PetSmarts operating current assets are found on the balance sheet on the latest 10-K (p.41). They are defined as the current assets that are used to finance the firms activities, therefore excluding short-term investments. For PetSmart, they are as follows: Cash equivalents 342892 Receivables, net 53899 Merchandise inventories 644864 Total $Show MoreRelatedBusiness Report : Marketing Report955 Words   |  4 PagesBusiness Report: PetSmart Introduction PetSmart is a leading retail store that sells specialty pet products and services. It operates more than 1200 stores in North America and is regarded as the biggest player in the pet supplies and services industry. It came to Canada in 1996 and its store is located at Quinn drive Sarnia. They sell consumables (i.e. pet foods and treats), hard goods (i.e. pet accessories) and also live small animals such as birds, hamsters, fish etc. they do not sell dogs orRead MoreSummary Of Phoenix Arizona, Petsmart Essay2300 Words   |  10 PagesHeadquartered in Phoenix Arizona, PetSmart was founded in 1986 by Jim and Janice Dougherty and employs approximately fifty-three thousand employees with an estimated seven billion dollars in annual revenue (Forbes, 2016). Although an immense amount of money, consider Danielle Kurtzleben’s (2013) U.S. News article title which affirmed â€Å"Americans spend over $60 billion annually on their pets† (para 1). In other words, PetSmart has corn ered a little less than thirteen percent of the American marketRead MoreGardner Distibutinc Company Swot Analysis977 Words   |  4 PagesGardner Distributing Company SWOT Analysis Gardner Distributing Company purchases, sells, and distributes Iams premium pet food products (68 percent of sales), pet supplies (14 percent of sales), and lawn and garden supplies (18 percent of sales). The management team has developed a purpose, mission, and objectives; but the strategies of the firm are not clear. Defining the firm s strategies will require an understanding of the business and the two industries in which the firm operates. It willRead MoreInventory Management1906 Words   |  8 Pagesof their organization’s inventory system to the team for analysis and comparison. Each team-member, Donna, Nikki, Jerome, Jennifer and Adrian, provided a brief description of their company’s inventory system as well as a list of advantages and disadvantages. The companies include PetSmart, Starbucks, Newlife, AVON and GameStop. Each Inventory system was chosen based on the needs of each organization. PetSmart’s Inventory System PetSmart and there Out of Stock inventory system, is one of the largestRead MoreMarketing Plan6055 Words   |  25 PagesMarketing Plan: Phase I, II, III, and IV Lora, Jina, Tina, and Josie MKT 421 Jon Smith 1/25/2008 Executive Summary Petsmart would like to introduce a new product called CuddleSmart. This product has been developed in order to aid desired pet owners to control allergies caused by cats and dogs. A four-phased plan has been developed to market the new product. Phase 1 – Development of CuddleSmart †¢ Development of product – 63% of 112.9 American households have family pets. 15% of AmericansRead MoreAn Open Air Shopping Center Located At 1345 U.s.1337 Words   |  6 Pagesvisibility and easy access to the Route 1 shopping corridor, which includes retailers such as Costco, Target, Walmart, Macy’s Furniture, Modell’s, Burlington Coat Factory, Babies R Us, Barnes Noble, PetsMart, and Bed Bath Beyond. The intended market for the site is retail customers. The analysis of the market area and site demonstrated that the land use can involve retail project targeting retail customers. To support the retail development, it is essential to keep in mind two factors such asRead MoreIndividual Learning Project1536 Words   |  7 Pagesthe low? – 8.84 and 3.22 6. Who is the company’s transfer agent and where are they located? – Bank of New York Mellon Shareowner Services located in New York 7. Who are your company’s competitors? – Tiffany CO., Staples, Tractor Supply co., Petsmart, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cabella’s, Five Below, Hibbet Sports, Office Depot, Office Max, Barnes Nobel. Market Information: 8. On which stock exchange is your corporation’s stock traded? – New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) 9. What is the currentRead MorePet Servicing Center Essay903 Words   |  4 Pagespercent), according to a 2014 study by Wakefield Research. The opportunity is there. The market entry strategy The market entry strategy for a pet business domestically, here in Greenwood is simple. Our company will piggyback off companies like Petco, Petsmart and others, by offering similar services at a lower price. Yet, in order to compete in today’s world we must enter many foreign markets. Big name companies try to consolidate their orders in order to take advantage of bulk buying; we will do theRead MorePetsmart Analysis5575 Words   |  23 PagesA Financial Ratio Quarterly Trend Analysis of Petsmart, Inc. Stock symbol: PETM Listed on the Nasdaq Prepared for: In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the course: By: 1.0 Introduction This report provides a financial quarterly trend analysis for Petsmart, Inc. The U.S.-based company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of products, services, and solutions for pets in North America. The company offers consumables, which include pet foodRead MoreCase Study : Blockbuster And Blackberry Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pagesaccessories for animals in the Midwest. It import and exports animals to 30 states and 22 countries which makes it the biggest distributor in America. It competes in a very small niche of the pet store market, which makes it different than Petco or PetSmart. It legally is able to sell exotic pets from all over the world which has proven to be its biggest asset. According to an Anti-Smuggling Statute violators â€Å"Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.† (18 USCA  §

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Biomes in South Africa free essay sample

Vegetation, vegetation and fire influence positive and/or negative actions imposed on one another. Climate affects vegetation by means of any form of precipitation (rain, snow, fog, etc). Climate also affects the different types of vegetations that will burn after long periods or seasonally due to the variables of precipitation. Fires can be caused through natural impacts or through human endeavors. Fires usually arise after long dry hot periods in windy weather when humidity is relatively low. Under such extreme conditions intense fires occur. These fires can spread to far distances with burning everything in its path. Lightning is another natural way to cause fire. Human activities in contrast either deliberately or unintentionally ignite fires. With respect to the deliberate fuelling of fires, certain biomes require fire to germinate and adapt to living under these conditions, therefore humans have to ignite fires to maintain the routine of fire in fire-scarce biomes. The biomes of South Africa that fire plays the most important role in are the Fynbos, Savanna, and Grassland biomes. There are four other biomes that rarely burn. Fire is the most important in the Fynbos biome; the reasons will be touched upon in the following paragraph. Fynbos (fine-leaved bush) biome This biome describes evergreen scrublands with a deficiency in trees and grasses. There are two major types of vegetation: Fynbos and Renosterveld. There is high endemism of 80%. The range of the mean annual precipitation is between 250-800mm. Due to the high rainfall occurrence fires are then important to allow for the specific fynbos vegetation growth. There are several factors influencing fire dynamics in fynbos: global warming, grazing practices, and fire management. Fynbos must burn between 6 and 46 years of age in order to uphold its plant species. With the above said, plants have become adapted to two ways in which to manage fires: re-seeders or re-sprouters. Re-seeders are mostly practiced. Cones encase seeds that are fire-resistant hence protecting the seeds from desiccation and burning completely. These seeds are then released after the fire. The fire enables the seed to then germinate and become adapted to that environment. Most fynbos are flammable due to them containing flammable oils. These oils come from the seeds of the plant which get their nutrients from the soil and precipitation. The parent plant species die after the fire indicating a low life span and reproduction can only occur with seeds there-on-after. There are also many species that are adapted to re-sprout after the fire. Without the presence of fire, the fynbos species will age and die out. To great extents of fire burning, fynbos can become eliminated. Grassland biome Grasslands are biomes that dominate in large quantities of grass. Grasslands do not get high rainfall therefore they are said to be semi-arid. Precipitation ranges between 400-1200mm per annum. In the grassland biome fire is regarded as a secondary determinant. Fires and grazing are important factors influencing grass dominance given that under wet conditions it helps prevent trees from thriving in this region. In drier areas, trees may not grow but fire still plays a role in allowing other species to grow as well as recycle nutrients to the soil. Burning of grasslands is prescribed in areas of high biomass where grassland curing poses a wildfire threat. Farmers and nature conservators also burn grass masses to provide grazing and is known as a method called maintenance burning. There is great biodiversity in the grassland biome. These organisms are well-adapted to the environment and are fire-tolerant. Savanna biome The savanna biome is identified as a ground layer consisting of grass whilst the upper layer consists of woody plants and a lack of trees. The mean annual precipitation is in the range of 230-1250mm. Grasses fuel fire. The temperatures in savannas are high therefore savannas are only found in warm or hot regions. Due to the hot dry periods fires occur and this does not allow for the growth of trees and other plant species, if fires weren’t present then the savanna would dominate as tropical forests. Other than the grassland biome, fire and grazing are also important in the savanna because these allow for the dominance of grass. Fires in the savanna are also viewed as a cleansing medium in which old growth of grass is burnt-off. Taxa in this region have become well-adapted to living under these harsh conditions therefore they grow back to assist in continuing this vegetation type. Biomes of South Africa where fires rarely occur and are of little importance; namely: forest, succulent karoo, nama karoo and the thicket biomes. Forest biome The forest biome consists of canopy trees and other herbaceous and woody plant species. Vegetation is absent due to insufficient sunlight which is blocked out by the tall trees. The mean annual precipitation is 525mm in winter rainfall areas and 725mm in summer rainfall areas. Fires rarely burn due to the high rate of humidity. When temperatures reach a maximum, forest biomes can completely burn out-destroying the vegetation profile. Succulent karoo Succulent shrubs dominate this vegetation. There is a lack of grasses, trees and tall shrubs. There is low rainfall in the range of 20-290mm per year. This range indicates summer aridity. The aridity without the influence of other factors does not permit for fires to occur. As no fires occur, the biome is regarded as succulent. Nama karoo The vegetation is dominated by grassy shrublands. The rainfall is 100-520mm per annum. It is relatively low. Summer rainfall is a primary determinant. Grasses are needed for the fuelling of fire but in this biome grasses are present to a very small extent. Hence no fires are present. Thicket biome It contains shrubs with low trees and forest characteristics. The mean annual precipitation is 250-1500mm. There is rain throughout the year in the core area. There is summer rainfall. Due to the humidity, no fires occur. It is then said to be succulent with high humidity. Fires are not delimiting factors therefore insignificant in this biome. With the above information, you can conclude that fires are important in specific biomes with some complex and others not so complex influencing factors being mainly climate and precipitation. The other biomes mentioned rarely burn due to delimiting factors that do not necessarily require other certain factors for burning due to the nature of each biome. Whether fire is caused by humans or natural origins, it is not always taken to have devastating effects on certain biomes as these biomes exist in accordance with fire. Author: Kerina Ramparsad

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Irish Traditional Music Essay Example

Irish Traditional Music Essay The Harp The harping tradition in Ireland flourished from medieval times until the seventeenth century. It was fostered and developed among the powerful and wealthy Irish and Anglo-Irish families. Harpers were employed along with poets and orators, known as reacoirs, to provide entertainment for the families. As the families acted as patrons to the harpers, they would often have solo pieces, known as planxties, written in their honour by their harper. One famous song is Planxty Kelly. The occupation of a harper was a very prestigious one. The harping tradition was passed on, father to son, for many years and was one of very few viable career options for blind boys at the time. However, after 1600, as the great families went into decline, there was a loss of patronage and harpers were left unemployed. The harping tradition then became a nomadic one, as harpers would travel from county to county, playing for money and food. There were two styles of harp: the Bardic harp and the Neo-Irish harp. The Bardic harp had between 29 and 31 strings made of wire, which were played with the nails. Usually around 70cm in height with a curved pillar and a hollow soundbox, the Bardic harp was the more resonant of the two. The Neo-Irish harp typically had 34 strings made of nylon or cat gut, which were played with the pads of the fingers. They were taller (about 91cm in height) than the Bardic harp, but less resonant. In 1792 the Belfast Harp Festival was setup with the aim of preventing the decline of the harping tradition. We will write a custom essay sample on Irish Traditional Music specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Irish Traditional Music specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Irish Traditional Music specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer It consisted of eleven harpers from the age of 15 to 97, playing pieces in their own particular style. One player that was the light of the day was Denis Hempson, age 97, being the oldest player there. Edward Bunting was commissioned by the Belfast Harp Society to record the lifestyles of the harpers as well as recording and writing down the music from the festival to preserve it for future generations. This method, unlike the oral tradition which had existed up until then, did not allow for particular nuances in style and some of these were lost. There was a harping revival in the second half of the twentieth century. The role of the harp as a traditional instrument was led by Maire Ni Chathasaigh, who had solo albums such as â€Å"The New Strung Harp† and Laoise Kelly who release the album â€Å"Just Harp† Uilleann Pipes The uilleann pipes are the characteristic national Bagpipe of Ireland. Their current name (they were earlier known in English as union pipes) is a part translation of the Irish language term pioba uilleann (literally, pipes of the elbow), from their method of inflation. The uilleann pipes are distinguished from many other forms of bagpipes by their sweet tone and wide range of notes together with the unique blend of chanter, drones, and regulators. The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and the right arm. The bellows not only relieve the player from the effort needed to blow into a bag to maintain pressure, they also allow relatively dry air to power the reeds, reducing the adverse effects of moisture on tuning and longevity. The chanter is the part of the instrument that plays the melody. Its somewhat like a low whistle except it is not placed in the mouth. Air is pumped through the bellows which is attached to the players right elbow, hence the name. To achieve the bottom D the chanter is lifted off the knee, exposing the exit of the chanters bore, where the note is produced. The chanter is set on the right knee thus closing off the bottom hole. Many players use a strip of leather placed over the knee, called a popping strap, which provides for an airtight seal. A great range of different timbres can be achieved by varying the fingering of notes and also raising the chanter off the knee, which gives the uilleann pipes a degree of dynamic range not found in other forms of bagpipes. A type of simultaneous vibrato and tremolo can be achieved by tapping a finger below the open note hole on the chanter. The bottom note also has two different modes, namely the soft D and the hard D. The hard bottom D sounds louder and more strident than the soft D and is accomplished by applying slightly more pressure to the bag and flicking a higher note finger as it is sounded. Many chanters are fitted with keys to allow accurate playing of all the semitones of the scale. Most uilleann chanters are very responsive to half-holing or sliding, which is the practice of obtaining a note by leaving a fingerhole only half covered. This is why many chanters sold in Ireland are sold without keys. The chanter uses a double reed similar to that of the oboe and bassoon. The regulators are equipped with closed keys which can be opened by the pipers wrist action enabling the piper to play simple chords, giving a rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment as needed. History The uilleann pipes developed around the beginning of the 18th century, the history of which is here depicted in prints of carvings and pictures from contemporary sources. The earliest surviving sets of uilleann pipes date from the second half of the 18th century but it must be said that datings are not definitive. Many of the early players in Ireland were Protestant, possibly the best known being the mid-18th century piper Jackson from Co Limerick. The pipes were certainly frequently used by the Protestant clergy who employed them as an alternative to the church organ. Tuning The instrument most typically is tuned in the key of D, although flat sets do exist in other keys. These terms only began to be used in the 1970s, when pipemakers began to receive requests for pipes that would be in tune with Generation tin whistles which are stamped with the key they play in: C, B? , etc. The chanter length determines the overall tuning; accompanying pieces of the instrument, such as drones and regulators, are tuned to the same key as the chanter. The D pipes are most commonly used in ensembles, while the flat-pitched pipes are more often used for solo playing. It is noteworthy that Irish music was predominately solo music until the late 19th century, when these fixed-pitch instruments began to play more of a role. Performers Davey Spillane of Moving Hearts has also recorded solo albums. Liam Og O Floinn of Planxty has also featured as soloist with Shaun Davey in The Brendan Voyage and with RTE orchestras. Paddy Maloney is with The Chieftains. Others from past and present include Seamus Ennis, Paddy Glackin and Paddy Keenan.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Delivering the Proposal and Recommendation on Restructuring Customer Service Department at Wall

The role of the consult will involve Brainstorming as the starting point in launching a new project (Wickham Wickham, 2008). Developing a new framework of processing information received from customers; Introducing a new training program for employees who are expected to work in team on test-projects; such an activity will allow the managers to define the level of the readiness of employees to make important decisions, their leadership skills, as well as their ability to accept changes; Supporting manager’s decision-making and correcting his/her actions whereas managers should be able to listen to the consultant’s advice and implement the necessary changes (Block, P., Nowlan, 2011). In addition, the consultant should be ready to face resistance on the part of the managerial staff and personnel; The role of the manager will include Controlling the availability of resource and device the exact number of people and resources needed to meet customer’s concerns; Encouraging creativity among employees and stimulate their responsiveness to the challenges that the company face (Wickham Wickham, 2008); Using Lewin’s model of change management, managers should reconsider the previous policies of HR department and introduce new communication strategies that are focused on horizontal collaboration, as well as strict distribution of responsibilities; Outsourcing is an efficient strategy that could be implemented within organization because it has two potential benefits. First, engaging ‘fresh blood’ into the staff can contribute to generating new ideas and improving the quality of communication with clients. Second, applying for new employees will promote a healthy competition among other members of the organization’s personnel; Defining dependent and independent variables. Independent variables will involve introduce training program and new employees whereas dependent variables include shifts in department organization and quality of customer services. Evaluating External and Internal Environments that Affect Business and Assessing Client Capabilities and Business Opportunities Analysis of external and internal environments is vital for any business organization because it allows managers to set the course on enhancing corporate business responsibility.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Delivering the Proposal and Recommendation on Restructuring Customer Service Department at Wall-Mart specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At this point, Wall-Mart should be more concerned with efficient human resource strategies that can create a favorable setting for their employees belonging to one of the most important stakeholders. Therefore, before entering an international market, the company should conduct a SWOT analysis to assess its readiness to face threats and gain new opportunities for development (Wickham Wickham, 2008). The secon d step of evaluating the environment will rely on analysis of economic factors, including economic wealth and distribution of customer groups. Flexibility of currency in the country is also an important threat coming from the external environment and, therefore, currency control should be a priority for the organization. Further analysis of external environment should cover environmental factors to address ecological situation, define the strategies of environmental protection. Ignorance of this factor can have legal and political consequences for an organization. Therefore, Wall-Mark should tackle this issue to maintain good reputation and expand their client base. The necessity to retain good reputation can also attract new employees and increase the organization’s competitiveness over other business organizations.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It can also mini mize the pressure on the part of the government posing legal and political regulations. Enhancing communication is possible through establishing fruitful cooperation with other environmental organizations and investors who would be interested in financing the company’s projects. Therefore, for the training program and outsourcing initiative to be successful, the managers should take care of these stakeholders and promote philanthropic responsibilities among all members of an organization. Moral stance is an integral component of acting in an international environment because it does not only establish strict ethical codes, but also enhance corporate culture. References Block, P., Nowlan, J. (2011). Flawless consulting. A guide to getting your expertise used. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Wickham, P., Wickham, L. (2008). Management consulting: Delivering an effective project (3rd ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson. This proposal on Delivering the Proposal and Recommendation on Restructuring Customer Service Department at Wall-Mart was written and submitted by user GorillaMan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Free Essays on The Iroqouis

are directly related but are not interchangeable. The Iroquois Confederacy (or "League of the Iroquois" according to the whites) was thought to have been founded in the 1500’s by the great Mohawk chief, Hiawatha. The confederacy was first made up of five tribes, the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga and Seneca. This gave them the dubbed name of Five Nations. In 1722, the Tuscarora were added to the confederacy and they were then known and the Six Nations. The Five Nations occupied an area in the present day New York, just south of Lake Ontario. The Five Nations numbered about 5,500 native Americans in their confederacy. In order to organize the affairs of the Nations the "Great Binding Law" was created. The "Great Binding Law" was the confederacy’s constitution. According to one website (ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/DatingIC.html) the confederacy is one of the oldest democracies in the world. The confederacy was thought to be a democracy because, although each tribe wa... Free Essays on The Iroqouis Free Essays on The Iroqouis Iroquois According to the New Webster’s Dictionary the definition of civilization is "a making or becoming civilized; the state of being civilized; the sum or qualities of a particular civilized society" and the definition of culture is "the social and religious structures and intellectual and artistic manifestations etc. that characterize a society." I find these definitions to be easily arguable. The only common word in those two definitions is society, but they are in no way related. I find the two words to be connected but not interchangeable. If I was to write the definitions, I would make the two words more closely related. My definition of civilization would be a community of people who settled in an area whom has also developed a common culture. My definition of culture would be the way a certain society acted and the rituals they performed (i.e. religion, holidays that are observed, language, literature, etc.). Therefore the two words are directly related but are not intercha ngeable. The Iroquois Confederacy (or "League of the Iroquois" according to the whites) was thought to have been founded in the 1500’s by the great Mohawk chief, Hiawatha. The confederacy was first made up of five tribes, the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga and Seneca. This gave them the dubbed name of Five Nations. In 1722, the Tuscarora were added to the confederacy and they were then known and the Six Nations. The Five Nations occupied an area in the present day New York, just south of Lake Ontario. The Five Nations numbered about 5,500 native Americans in their confederacy. In order to organize the affairs of the Nations the "Great Binding Law" was created. The "Great Binding Law" was the confederacy’s constitution. According to one website (ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/DatingIC.html) the confederacy is one of the oldest democracies in the world. The confederacy was thought to be a democracy because, although each tribe wa...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

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

Strategy - Essay Example Donald Hambrick and James Frederickson present a framework for strategy design insisting that a strategy has five distinct elements (Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2005, p 51). Providing the answers to five questions will distinguish these five elements allowing them to form a unified whole. Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada and also a leading provider among general merchandise, financial products, pharmacies and financial services. They have over 1000 corporate and franchised stores and they employ more than 135,000 employees, both full time and part time. As such they are one of Canada’s largest private sector employers (Loblaw Companies Limited, 2011). Strategies of a company should contain the answers to pertinent questions as to how the company will be a leader among their competitors, where will they base their activity, what is outlined in the company’s business and marketing plans to assist the company in reaching goals, how fast and in wh at order should our actions be planned to get where we want to be and in what economic ways will we realize our returns (Hambrick & Frederickson, 2005, p 3). Deciding the arena, or where the company will be active should not be a generalized decision but as specific as possible in order to focus strongly in implementing successful strategy that will allow them to expand and consider the possibility of one day reaching the status of a product, service, or company that could be considered general by the population. There are very few of these we consider to be general, meaning they are obviously the leader and most often thought of in a particular industry with little competition; the fact is that they just are and there aren’t many decisions to be made or choices when a product, service or company reaches the status of being general. Though there are many general products, such as bread, shoes, cars , etc. there are actually very few that when we think of the general word ther e is only one choice that comes to mind. This would also be considered defining the scope of the business (Collis, Rukstad, 2008, p2). While Loblaw’s mission is to be ‘Canada’s best food, health and home retailer their mission also includes innovative products at great prices (LobLaw Companies Limited.-2, 2008)’. Loblaw’s chose as it’s arena restoring innovation by making their brands and assortment of products worth changing supermarkets for and targeting consumers with specific brands and assorted product specialties that are hard to find in other supermarkets. Their brands wanted to strengthen and also revitalize product development, to simplify and also to grow. These areas are considered the arena the company has chosen to be active in. Core priorities of the company also describe strategy the company will use to achieve goals and reach milestones. LobLaw operations planned to focus on achieving greater performance and increasing engagem ent among colleagues, strengthening the customer experience, simplifying assortments and improving price perceptions (LobLaw Companies Limited.-2, 2008) Enhanced decision making support, an improvement in company infrastructure, along with better talent retention, motivation and development are also vehicles the company’s strategy includes in order to reach the goals their plans have outlined. Various vehicles are less effective than those which are concentrated and strong efforts utilizing only a few strategies at once in order to focus efforts. Differentiator’s used by LobLaw are those factors and attributes that LobLaw will use to differentiate itself among competitors; while not necessarily having one product that is used as differentiator among competitors companies can also have the best combination of differentiators can allow an

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The topic can be proposed by the writer Research Paper - 3

The topic can be proposed by the writer - Research Paper Example Putting up a business in China is advantageous in several ways. First, technological devices are used daily as a result of making live comfortable and work simple. Secondly, there is an availability of a ready market for technical inventions. Inventions of all kinds are found in America. That makes it a destination market for any inventor. The gaming industry has not been left out in the technological world. There are over 170 million hardcore gamers in the United States thus attracting inventions to meet this demand. Like their American counterparts, China is also a country that produces technology to a great extent. It is an essential industry that dominated the video games industry for many years (Grubb, 2013). The domination on the gaming platform was as a result, a successful Chineseeconomic structure. In the year 2013, China’s gaming industry generated 13 billion US dollars. The gaming industry development in China is highly attributed to established markets abroad. Like in other countries, foreign games often sell very well in the Chinese market. None the less it still has the largest mobile games market. Social media plays a great role both in America and China in marketing the latest games. Oculus, a product bought by Facebook enjoys this marketing platform mostly on Facebook. Oculus is an invention that takes players closer to reality. It also puts the player to interact with friends on Facebook in the same virtual space. Considering Facebook as a social platform and emphasis, this technology will be applied to interpersonal communication. With 208 million active Facebook users in the United States, the Oculus is set to have great success supported by a culture that embraces technology and a political platform that supports innovation. These two countries show significant potential for the Oculus. The American market will easily be accessible, the Chinese market that is greatly dominated by mobile games and faces a great challenge if the price of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Communication Studies Essay Example for Free

Communication Studies Essay This blog is for students of the Community College of St Vincent the Grenadines who are to be entered for CAPE Communication Studies examination in May 2008. The blog contains information about the course syllabus, administration and assignments as well as the course content. Wednesday, March 05, 2008 The expository presentation for CAPE Communication Studies Internal Assessmblies The presentation has two distinct parts * A FACTUAL presentation on an aspect of your portfolio theme * A presentation about your research including an evaluation of two sources of information used to prepare your factual presentation. It will have all the following 6 elements present 1. An introduction (statement of topic) In the introduction you will give a brief explanation of topic/ theme and a preview (with a thesis statement) of what you are going to cover. For example. My theme is Returning Migrants to St Vincent. Returning migrants or returnees are a group within the population of St Vincent who have spent a significant time away from the island and have then returned to permanently settle again. Returning migrants often are retired from their previous occupation which they pursued in a more developed country such as the United States, Canada or Great Britain or they have been working in another Caribbean state. According to statistics from the Customs Department given to me by Mrs B Chalres in an interview 4361 people claimed the concession for returning residents in 2005. Returning migrants experience 5 phases of adjuststment when returning which can be termed as â€Å"culture shock†. Theme ; Returning Migrants to St Vincent. a group within the population of St Vincent a significant time away from the island returned to permanently settle retired from their previous occupation (the United States, Canada or Great Britain) OR working in another Caribbean state. Customs Department (Mrs B Charles) â€Å"4361 people claimed the concession for returning residents in 2005†. Returning migrants experience 5 phases of adjustmentwhen returning which can be termed as â€Å"culture shock†. 2. A rationale In the rationale you need to explain why you picked the theme and it can form part of the introduction. In the rationale you should mention any personal interests, current academic links and future career plans which influenced your decision to choose the theme For example I chose the theme returning migrants to St Vincent and specifically to focus on culture shock because I am a wife of a returning migrant. I have a BSc honours in Sociology and the concept of culture shock is part of socio-cultural studies carried out by Kavelo Oberg 1958. In the future I will be submitting my Masters thesis on this specific issue. 3. Discussion of issues The discussion of issues is the factual presentation about the theme and its narrowed focus based on the thesis statement. It should have a distinct organisational pattern and you should aim for one of the expository structures such as cause and effect, process analysis, analysis by division, classification etc (See Writing in English) It should also be referenced and include any research findings. You will also need to give a conclusion to your factual presentation as a sort of sub conclusion don’t wait until the end Here is an example of a possible outline for my example presentation (not all of it). It uses the organisational pattern of process analysis Remember you cannot read from a script! Culture shock 5 phases Honeymoon, rejection/ regression, conformist, assimilation, reverse culture shock Honeymoon Centre for Overseas Travel â€Å"the tourist phase† Questionnaire (300 returning migrants) 78% not feel â€Å"tourist† 82% â€Å"elated† Rejection Oberg – frustration etc Questionnaire 50% wanted to return after 3 months, Reasons, poor service, backward attitude, nothing to do, boring Interview Dr Sheridan Mental health presentations tend to be in 1st 4 months of return. 4. Challenges of research You need to discuss what difficulties you faced in preparing your factual presentation. If you did not have any difficulties then just explain why. For example (in note form) Questionnaires – time consuming, identifying sample, Other sources no central data on returnees, newspaper articles useful Academic research not on St Vincent 5. Evaluation of two sources For this aspect of the presentation you need to discuss your research. The two sources need not necessarily be given as a reference in the presentation but they should be relevant. You should try to select two different types of data source e.g. a newpaper article and an interview. You may want to very briefly summarise all your sources before evaluating two for reliability and validity. Please see other parts of the blog for information on reliablity and validity. For example (in note form) Secondary sources: academic text books and journals, local and international newspapers and magazines, web sites: international public organisations e.g. Peace Corps general sites e.g. Wikipedia Primary sources interviews of experts in St Vincent questionnaire of returning migrants. Questionnaire of returning migrants Reliable: primary data source, research method suited to collecting data for social research Valid: Problem with sample size as total population of RMs unknown Problem with generalisation as differences between UK, US and other RMs more research needed. Overall reliable and reasonably valid The Experience of Return Migration: A Caribbean Perspective, Joan Phillips and Reliable Denis Conway, Ashgate Press, London 2005 Author expert Phd Social Anthrop. Specialised Caribbean writer – Canada Publisher: reputable, specialst academic main interest Social research Valid Recently published Problem no reference to St Vincent Overall general but very reliable and valid source 6. Conclusion The conclusion should be slightly different to the internal summary conclusion in your discussion of issues. At this stage you can express a personal view or put forward a possible solution. For example (in note form) Returning migrants YES culture shock 3 ways Honeymoon Rejection Conformist NO assimilation Solutions Programme – promote overseas, keep in touch, Information government FINALLLY See my other post about the reseach using the internet for idea. Make sure that you are aware of the requirements for acceptable notes during the exam and be familiar with the marks scheme it is not only content that is marked but also presentation skills.

Friday, November 15, 2019

DIY X-Y Plotter Design

DIY X-Y Plotter Design Objective: The design report includes the details about the process involved in building a DIY XY-plotter and programming the device to draw a square or a circle with precise dimensions and scale. The components and the design is made feasible to the budget available i.e.,  £100 GBP. The device is designed and built with accuracy to meet the given task by performing and validating the test required. In the final step of this project, the precision rate and accuracy is taken care to get the necessary output. Introduction: A XY plotter is a two dimensional printing or writing machine with continuous lines in x and y axes. The pen held by the pen control moves in all possible directions such as forward and backwards, as well as sideways and diagonally over a flat surface. Each axis of the plotter is controlled by separate single stepper motor and railings, the pen is controlled by servo. The electricals are controlled and achieved by the controller which is lpc1768 and 12v power supply. In this project, the machine has been designed to draw a square or a circle on a A5 drawing bed given, depending on the configuration selected. This project should meet specific requirements. Some of the constraints to take into account are the material provided, which is acrylic, the controller to be used, which is the mbed lpc1768, and a felt tip pen and the sensor, which is solenoid. Not to mention, the overall budget should limit an amount of  £100GBP. XY movement mechanism: The plotter has two axes control and involves movement of the pen in x and y axis. Each axis of the plotter is controlled by single stepper motor, which is NEMA stepper motor 17. The design involves the A5 bed with the dimension 300mm in length and 180mm in width which moves in the direction forward and backwards using single stepper motor on edge of the sliding bed. The pen is controlled by servo and the conveyer holding the pen is moved in the direction left and right using the stepper motor placed attached to the gears at the back end of the plotter. The design is expected to be plotted on the A5 sheet of dimension 250mm in length and 150mm in width. The pen can also be controlled by solenoid for continuous movement of the pen on the A5 bed, due to the feasibility and availability servo is replaced by solenoid in the project. The basic idea of the plotter design is shown below. 1a. The front view of the design 1b. The position of the stepper motor for A5 bed control. 1c. The position of the stepper motor for conveyer control. 2. The servo to control pen 3. The solenoid LIST OF THE COMPONENTS AND ITS COST Components required Cost per piece(approx.) Mbed lpc1768 controller  £40 NEMA stepper motor 17(2 no)  £8 Stepper motor driver DRV 8825(2 no)  £7 Bread board  £2 Acrylic sheet  £15 Solenoid  £23 Total  £95 Resource usage plan: Week no: 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Laser CAM software Mechanical platform development(building x-y axes) Mechanical platform development(movement of pen and the railings) Mechanical platform demo Software development(motor movement) Software development(plotting) Software, electrical and mechanical demo Final demo Report preparation Report submission Critical evaluation: The challenges faced in this project are as follows The precision of the output, because the railings are replaced for linear bearing and screws the precision is expected to differ from the other x-y plotters. The positioning of the pen, the solenoid is made capable enough to sense the position of the pen and move to the desired position to start plotting. The movement of the pen for neat and clear plotting without any scribbling on the paper. The stability of the machine to sustain the power supply and railings. Testing plan: The plotter is tested for the positioning of the pen and its control. The sensor is tested for any obstacle on the plotting surface. The evaluation of performance, as well as the precision rate and accuracy, not to forget the timing to plot the given design. References and Bibliography: http://www.instructables.com/id/X-Y-Plotter http://www.planetarduino.org/?cat=501 https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FAlBPFC41FsM%2Fsddefault.jpgimgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.planetarduino.org%2F%3Fcat%3D501docid=4vmP-FZ2mZej4Mtbnid=sDST5jp8d5VvOM%3Avet=1w=640h=480bih=651biw=1366q=electronic%20diagram%20of%20DIY%20Printing%20tiny%20images%20using%20Arduino%20Uno%20ved=0ahUKEwi7qrDOrpDSAhVGHJAKHaGxB0gQMwg6KBUwFQiact=mrcuact=8#h=480imgrc=sDST5jp8d5VvOM:vet=1w=640 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%E2%80%93Y_plotter https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fs.storage.akamai.coub.com%2Fget%2Fb57%2Fp%2Fcoub%2Fsimple%2Fcw_timeline_pic%2F5e202714dd0%2Fd6c91cf7036cb97f2e46f%2Fbig_1441790454_image.jpgimgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcoub.com%2Fview%2F82ma7docid=6kkein0mM-O7BMtbnid=e3QH-bglqz1ulM%3Avet=1w=1280h=720bih=651biw=1366q=DIY%20Printing%20tiny%20images%20using%20Arduino%20Uno%20ved=0ahUKEwiY44OQsZDSAhVElJAKHbHzCJIQMwgaKAAwAAiact=mrcuact=8#h=720imgrc=e3QH-bglqz1ulM:vet=1w=1280 https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fhackadaycom.files.wordpress.com%2F2016%2F12%2Fscreenshot-2016-12-06-10-48-52.png%3Fw%3D800imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhackaday.com%2F2016%2F12%2F12%2Fdiy-mini-printer-is-95-wood-prints-tiny-cute-images%2Fdocid=iDfAJ95GWy7MeMtbnid=IG6-g0DBQKyfgM%3Avet=1w=800h=428bih=651biw=1366q=DIY%20Printing%20tiny%20images%20using%20Arduino%20Uno%20ved=0ahUKEwiY44OQsZDSAhVElJAKHbHzCJIQMwgcKAIwAgiact=mrcuact=8#h=428imgrc=IG6-g0DBQKyfgM:vet=1w=800 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlBPFC41FsM

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Venezuela Culture

In all cultures, there are different dimensions that can be categorized into a continuum. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck have functions of cultural patterns such as common human problems, preferred solutions and most importantly, a continuum. A continuum is how things are rated by percentages. For example, happiness. It could be either more or less in certain situations. In Hofstede’s dimensions of culture, there are two topics and only one can be higher in certain cultures than others. The country I chose to do is the culture of Venezuela.Venezuela is very similar to the rest of the Latin American countries but has exceptional characteristics when it comes to the dimensions that Hofstede describes. The dimensions of culture that will be discussed fall into the four common ones: collectivism, power distance, masculinity and low uncertainty avoidance. Venezuela is a unique country with many different ideas that relate to their culture. Venezuela falls into the collectivism category. This means that the country unites as one, focusing on the needs of groups rather than the individual themselves. The other side of the dimension is individualism.Individualism, as its name says, focuses on the individual where they have to sand up for themselves. Collectivists tend to have large, extended families which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (Individualism 2009). Also, they work on becoming very skilled at something they are interested in. Venezuelan people are all about being loyal to each other. They see more good in a group, than good in the individual. In Venezuela, the labor force has grown a lot over the past few decades. The unemployment rate has been very low and even woman have been getting jobs.The government has worked together so that almost everyone is employed. Labor relations in Venezuela were consultative rather than confrontational, and the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers had good working relationships with the major bus iness group, the Federation of Chambers and Associations of Commerce and Production (Haggerty, 1993). Compared to other Latin American countries, there wasn’t a bad case of labor relations. The government wanted to make sure everyone in Venezuela was working. It’s good to be a collectivism culture because everyone comes and works together as a group.Power distance is another dimension that can be classified as either high or low. This is determined by how much a culture has respect for authority. High power distance focuses more on higher status of power. Teachers, parents and supervisors are treated with respect and are expected to show authority. Low power distance is a little more laid back. People can talk to whomever they want about anything. For example, an employee is able to talk to their manager about comments for the company or business they work for. Venezuela falls into the high power distance category.People with elite status are more educated and focus ma inly on their business and professions. Venezuela was one of the very few countries in Latin America where a number of elite-supported scholarly and community welfare foundations provided support for an imaginative variety of programs and scholarships (Haggerty 1993). People in middle class respect the elite. Thought it is possible to move up from middle class to elite, this can only happen through successful business deals or by marriage. Either way, Venezuelans know to respect the authority wherever they are. Venezuela has a president and vice president who serve five year terms.The president chooses his cabinet and determines the number of ministries. The president is the main leader in charge whom everyone looks up to. He commands the armed forces, calls special sessions of the Congress, and exercises sole control of foreign policy (Haggerty 1993). Venezuela follows a governmental policy where the president has the highest status, followed by the vice president, then it gets low er from then on. Having high power distance does not necessarily undermine the population, but is accepted by the whole Venezuelan culture as one. Masculinity versus femininity, contrary to it’s name, has more to do than just gender roles.Some masculine characteristics focus on a competitive economy, working hard to get by, and fighting as a result of conflicts. Cultures with this dimension are more aggressive. Femininity on the other hand focuses on more calming features. For example, negotiating to resolve conflicts, women are representing in the government and working to live a good life. Venezuela in this case is more masculine. They are more aggressive than other cultures. Violence and crime increased appreciably in the last decades of the twentieth century and have become major issues of popular concern (Dinneen 2003).Having higher crime rates, though that’s not always a good thing, shows the masculinity in the culture. Men take the majority of the power when it comes to government. Although the Constitution of 1960 declared that men and women were formally equal under the law, women who had been active in the struggle for democracy found themselves devoid of its privileges and marginalized from politics (Wagner 2005). Though it said women were just as equal as men, that didn’t live up to its word. Women were still not allowed to participate in higher politics and businesses.They were expected to stay at home and take care of the house and children. Venezuela is ranked higher in the masculine dimension among all of the other Latin American countries. Venezuela’s uncertainty avoidance is considered lower than the other Latin American countries. Some traits of low uncertainty avoidance include openness to change, tolerance of diversity and hold back emotions. Where as in high uncertainty avoidance, they tend to follow strict rules, express emotions, and have a weak interest in politics. The goal of the culture is to control almo st everything in order to avoid the unexpected.Thanks to their need for security, Venezuelan managers take fewer risks, govern with more written rules and experience lower labor turnover (Workman 2008). There have been processes of social and political changes. Theses processes have attracted more international attention over the years and for more to come. Venezuela was the world’s leading exporter of oil. Venezuelan’s leaders wanted to concentrate on the oil industry as the main source of financing for their reformist economic and social policies (Haggerty 1993). They weren’t afraid to find new non cabinet ministries and form new policies to expand their economy.Even with the economic crises that occurred with the collapse of the financial system in 1994, the government worked to get it back up. When it comes to differences, Venezuelans try to explore the issue. They are curious to what is going on. If they need to make a change, they will do so and take the r isk. For example, during the 1980’s Venezuela had a huge foreign-exchange revenue from oil. Because of this, they developed a voracious demand for imported luxury goods that persisted even as oil prices ebbed in the mid do late 1980’s (Haggerty 1993).This resulted in a weakness in the Venezuelan economy. Even though this happened, the government wasn’t afraid to take the risk. In conclusion, Venezuela has many different characteristics that make them a unique culture. Being a collective culture, they unite as one. They like to focus on everyone as a group to make sure everyone is satisfied. They also fall into the high power distance category. Venezuela has high power authority that is respected by everyone. If they have questions, the people with high status will have all the answers.Venezuela is also a masculine culture. Men dominate over women for occupations and power. Also, this makes the country more aggressive than others. They stand up for themselves and aren’t afraid of anything that comes in contact with them. Finally, Venezuela has low uncertainty avoidance. They will take a risk if they want to and they aren’t afraid to show emotion. This shows they are a strong country that will make changes if it is a concern. Venezuela is a very well-rounded culture with many great qualities about them.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The movie â€Å"The Day The Earth Stood Still† is more of a propaganda film with themes than a science fiction film because its sci-fi characteristics almost feel like an afterthought. The movie is set in the early 1950’s, when American's showed deep concern towards Communism. Fear of the unknown, which was associated with Communism, is also a major point of the film and it exploits this theme with knowing veracity. In most respects, Klaatu is the epitome of this fear, and the characters of the film react to the alien with fright, due to our perceptions of the unfamiliar. The scene where Klaatu is shot because the soldier doesn’t know what the unknown device in his hand was is an example of fear in America at that time. Another theme the movie seems to deal with is religious symbolism. The arrival of a spaceship in Washington D. C from the sky carrying a celestial being that wishes to speak to the world but is denied doing so He is wounded and taken to the hospital where he escapes and assumes the identity of a Mr. Carpenter. It is after performing a â€Å"miracle† this Mr. Carpenter finds himself persecuted and executed by the powers-that-be for trying to deliver a message of peace and universal brotherhood. It is only after the Mr. Carpenter is resurrected and ascends into the heavens that his message is allowed to spread amongst the peoples of the world. This whole movie is taken from the bible and is a parody of Jesus Christ, right down to the usage of the name â€Å"Carpenter†, which was the job Jesus took during his lifetime. The movie also predicts what the military thinks like and the power it has and how it cannot always be good. The part of the movie where Klaatu speaks to the scientists about atomic power is an example. He speaks about using it for good like in his space craft, not for making weapons to destroy each other. He goes on to say that continuing to use it that way will only lead to earths destruction. Klaatu is informing the military to think on how they use the science that is given to them and to clean up their act. Another revelation that the film creates about the military is that they are everywhere. When the ship first lands the military had been tracking it and now has posted soldiers around the ship. Later when Klaatu escapes, the military leads the manhunt instead of the police through the city. Finally even after Klaatu’s death the military commands the police to let no one in or out to see the body. All these factors suggest to the viewer that the military is there for them, that if the Communists or another type of threat where to arrive in the United States the military would act at once for the protection of its citizens. The Day The Earth Stood Still remains on of the most significant science fiction movies ever made, and it has lost none of its impact, even after more than fifty years. Its themes can still be applied today because of the fear we have of terrorism and the threat of nuclear attacks from them.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Defining Abuse

Defining Abuse Free Online Research Papers Have you have ever pushed, threatened, or touched someone inappropriately? If so, you have either physically, sexually or verbally abused someone. Generally speaking, the word â€Å"Abuse† means treatment of something, such as a person, or thing, that causes some kind of harm or is against the law or just plain wrong. Physical abuse is a form of abuse, which involves contact intended to cause pain, injury, suffering or harm. Sexual abuse is the forcing of non-wanted sexual acts by one person to another. Last, Verbal abuse is when a person uses foul language or says things that threaten or make a person feel scared, which gives the aggressor power over the victim. Sometimes the victim may even die of a severe injury, emotionally or physically, which the abuser has made occur. Physical abuse may occur anywhere from a high school to you own house. Between midnight and four am, 4 out of every 10 children in the world are physically abused. Striking, punching, pushing, slapping, pinching, kicking, tripping, and strangling are all forms of physical abuse. This form of abuse may cause shaking, scars, scratches or bruises. Physical abusers can be anybody not just dirty people who are perverts. They can be your parents to even your teachers. Physical abuse is one of the most dangerous form or abuse, and it is one of the leading causes of death. There are many ways to abuse people; sexual abuse is the second main form of abuse. Sexual abuse occurs when an adult or youth uses someone for sexual purposes when they don’t want it, such as rape. This form of abuse also includes oral, anal, genital, buttock, breast contact and sexual stimulation. When sexual abuse occurs, the victim is most likely a girl that is a child or adolescent, and a man or older boy is most often the abuser. One-third of all sex crimes, the victim are males, otherwise they are females. Sexual, unlike most forms of abuses are reported. In some cases, the sexual abuse isn’t even thrown into jail. If a person is verbally abused since he or she was a child, he or she can get long-term affects. The experiences you go through when you are a child provide a system for the expression of the children’s intelligence, emotions and personality. When those experiences are always negative, children may build up emotional, behavioral and learning problems that carry on during their lifetime. There are many different types of verbal abuses such as threatening, yelling, insulting, and many more. Some symptoms of verbal abuse are headaches, dizziness, and many more. Once this abuse gets to the victim, he or she will be emotional hurt. Once a person is emotionally hurt, he or she may feel that they are not wanted in this world, and may even kill themselves. Based an the information I have provided, you should realize that abuse can hurt you physically or mentally, and it could potentially scar you for life. Abuse can occur to any body, at any time, and at any place. If you know anyone who is being abused, you might want to help him or her out and try to understand what he or she is going through. By talking to the school guidance councilors, they may offer some suggestions, or even speech to higher authorities. Sometimes talking things though with your family members may even resolve matters. Everyone goes though it once in there life, so if it happens too you don’t worry about it because you’re not alone. Research Papers on Defining AbuseArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenStandardized Testing

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur was an example of a truly gifted person who made many wildly diverse discoveries in many different areas of science. He was a world-renowned French chemist and biologist whose work covered the way for branches of science and medicine such as stereochemistry, microbiology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. He also proved the germ theory of disease, invented the process of pasteurization, fermentation, and developed vaccines for many diseases, including rabies. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in Dole, France, and grew up in the small town of Arbois. As a young boy, Pasteur showed no particular interest in science. His talents were mainly drawing and painting. During his youth, he developed an ambition to become a teacher. During his studies to become a teacher, a chemistry professor, Monsieur Jean-Baptist Dumas, fascinated him. He decided that he wanted to learn to teach chemistry and physics, just like his favorite professor. (Debre, P. Louis Pasteur.) In 1847 he earned a doctorate at the Ecole Normale in Paris, with a focus on both physics and chemistry. Becoming an assistant to one of his teachers, he began research that led to a significant discovery. He found that a beam of polarized light was rotated to either the right or the left as it passed through a pure solution of naturally produced organic nutrients, whereas when polarized light was passed through a solution of artificially synthesized organic nutrients, no rotation took place. If bacteria or other microorganisms were placed in the latter solution, then after a while it would also rotate light to the right or left. From this, he concluded that organic molecules exist in one of two forms, â€Å"left-handed† or â€Å"right-handed† forms. After spending several years researching and teaching at Dijon and Strasbourg, Pasteur moved in 1854 to the University of Lille, where he became the professor of chemistry and dean ... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur: Greatest Achievements Louis Pasteur was one of the most important scientists of our time. The foundation of our knowledge about health and disease comes from the discoveries of this one man. He made many discoveries and solutions for problems of the every day life that are still in effect today. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in a little town called Dà ´le in the foothills of the Jura Mountains of eastern France. When he was five years old his family moved to Arbois where he grew up with his father, mother, and three sisters. While attending primary school Pasteur was only an average student. Some considered him to be slow because he worked so hard on an exercise problem to make sure that he had the right answer. While in high school Monsieur Romanet, Pasteur’s principal, became interested in Pasteur and began to help him with his studies. With this encouragement Pasteur became a very good student. The principal suggested that he aim to attend Ecole Normale in Paris where he could become a professor at one of the great universities, however his father felt that this was far-fetched and preferred that Pasteur attend a more local school (Burton, 5-7). Although his father had other plans for him, Pasteur had the opportunity to attend a preparatory school in Paris before going on to Ecole Normale, however when he got to Paris he became very homesick and his father soon arrived to take him home. After returning to Arbois Pasteur attended a local school named Besancon where he worked very hard and became one of the top students in his class. In 1842 Pasteur passed the admission tests to attend Ecole Normale however he was rated fifteenth of twenty-two candidates and this was not good enough to satisfy him. He continued to study and finally in 1843 Pasteur sailed through his admission tests and was awarded fourth place among the other candidates (Burton, 7-11). Although Pasteur is sometimes considered to be th... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur LOUIS PASTEUR There is a time in every man's life when he looks to his God, when he looks at his life, when he wonders how he will be remembered. It can happen with age or with tragedy or closeness of death. I am lying here at age 45, not able to feel my left side. Not knowing if this stroke that has befallen me will end my life before the mysteries that I have unlocked can be resolved. I have asked God throughout my life to be able to "...bring a little stone to the frail and ill assured edifice of our knowledge of those deep mysteries of Life and Death where all our intellects have so lamentably failed." (Vallery-Radot, 88) Death is more familiar to me than I care to think... three of my daughters.. .my father.." I have been thinking all day of the marks of affection I have had from him. For thirty years I had been in his constant care, I owe everything to him. When I was young he kept me from bad company and instilled into me the habit of working and the most loyal and best filled life. He was far above his position (tanner) both in mind and in character. The touching part of his affection for me is that it was never mixed with ambition...and yet, I am sure that some of the success in my scientific career must have filled him with joy and pride..."(Vallery-Radot, 119) Science...it is my life..it has brought me a deepness of pleasure that I have always known yet never realized. I remember when I was working on the tartrates, tartaric acid and racemic acid or paratartrate. Tartaric acid was known to rotate light to the right, whereas paratartrate, odly enough, did not affect light in the least. "The fortunate idea came to me to orient my crystals with reference to a plane perpendicular to the observer, and then I noticed that the confused mass of crystals of paratartrate could be divided into two groups according to the orientation of their facets of symmetry. In one group, the facet of symmetry nearer my body was inclined to my r... Free Essays on Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur was an example of a truly gifted person who made many wildly diverse discoveries in many different areas of science. He was a world-renowned French chemist and biologist whose work covered the way for branches of science and medicine such as stereochemistry, microbiology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. He also proved the germ theory of disease, invented the process of pasteurization, fermentation, and developed vaccines for many diseases, including rabies. Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822 in Dole, France, and grew up in the small town of Arbois. As a young boy, Pasteur showed no particular interest in science. His talents were mainly drawing and painting. During his youth, he developed an ambition to become a teacher. During his studies to become a teacher, a chemistry professor, Monsieur Jean-Baptist Dumas, fascinated him. He decided that he wanted to learn to teach chemistry and physics, just like his favorite professor. (Debre, P. Louis Pasteur.) In 1847 he earned a doctorate at the Ecole Normale in Paris, with a focus on both physics and chemistry. Becoming an assistant to one of his teachers, he began research that led to a significant discovery. He found that a beam of polarized light was rotated to either the right or the left as it passed through a pure solution of naturally produced organic nutrients, whereas when polarized light was passed through a solution of artificially synthesized organic nutrients, no rotation took place. If bacteria or other microorganisms were placed in the latter solution, then after a while it would also rotate light to the right or left. From this, he concluded that organic molecules exist in one of two forms, â€Å"left-handed† or â€Å"right-handed† forms. After spending several years researching and teaching at Dijon and Strasbourg, Pasteur moved in 1854 to the University of Lille, where he became the professor of chemistry and dean ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

International Banking Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Banking - Assignment Example Bank regulation incorporates detailed regulations and guiding principles overriding the operations, activities and acquisitions of the banking organisations.1 The regulation of the banking business activities has seen a number of policies under implementation. This section aims at analysing the different objectives of the regulation in regards to the deposits and investment related business. Further, the disadvantages in the regulation of the businesses due to the behaviours they encourage in the regulated entities of their customers analysed critically. 1.2 Banking Regulation Policy Highlights Financial regulations’ role in influencing the growth of banking business principles has become a key policy issue. The regulation of corporate governance in the financial sector has initially been regarded as a special area with standards, and rules to achieve the objectives of financial regulation involving the safety and soundness of the financial system and consumer, as well as inve stor protection.2 With banking regulation, the traditional principle-agent model used to analyse the relationship between shareholders, directors and the managerial team has given way to broader policy concerns aimed at maintaining financial stability, while ensuring that banks operate in a way that promotes broader financial growth as well as enhancing investor worth.3 The main reason why banking regulation is of much essence is due to systemic risks.4 These are risks whereby, economic problems at one or more banks spill over to a great number of other banks or financial systems as a whole. Regulation whether created at initial stages or after new models are fully operational, ought to obey two principles, which are proportionality and effectiveness. Poorly designed or timed regulation can obstruct responsible providers from entering and competing profitably on a level playing field. Thus, a well equaled approach incorporates recognizing the tradeoffs between protecting customers a nd fostering financial access.5 The laws pertaining to banking regulation appear complex and confusing, but in the real sense, with understanding of the objectives, it brings out a clear understanding of the intended application and projected achievements. 1.3 Main objectives of bank regulation Prudential: involves reducing the level of risk exposure to the bank creditors considerably. Therefore, the regulation aims at protecting the depositors. The concept of prudence is integral to bank regulation and supervision as it connotes the notion that, regulation requires banking activities be undertaken with reasonable care.6 Systemic risk reduction: This aims at reducing the peril of distraction resulting from unpleasant trading circumstances for banks, that in turn cause numerous or prime bank failures. This can also be referred to as ensuring monetary stability. Banks play a pivotal role in controlling the volume of money circulating in the economy of any given state. This in turn,

Friday, November 1, 2019

House of Tata Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

House of Tata - Case Study Example The group companies would have been effective in purchasing the shares from Tata Sons. However, collusion between the companies with regard to the purchase of the exchange share would have violated the law. According to the media, the plan by Ratan of increasing the equity holdings would have raised concerns regarding the overvaluation of the shares. The deal lacked the benefit for companies that invested in the initiative (Lynch 56). The initiative by Ratan of selling 20 percent stake in the TIL to colossal of the Hong Kong-based Jardine Matheson group. This was a good idea since the firm was significantly influential throughout Asia. This deal added value by pushing the share capital of TIL up by Rs. 119, and this enhanced the venture start-ups promoted through the TIL. Ratan anticipated of Jardine contributing to the expertise in most business activities like distribution and retailing, hotels, engineering, real estate, financial services and construction. This move added value to TIL since the two companies had similar interests in exploration of potential synergy in their financial businesses. This necessitated creation of major networks for distribution of cars. Jardine believed that Ratan was careful thinker and planner, with the long-term decisions being spot-on. Though Ratan admitted of the joint venture not reading the market accurately, it was worthwhile for Jardine having stakes in Ratan (Wiersema and Joseph 65). Tata was considering several steps they hoped would give the group strong collective identity. This aimed at making Tata brand take responsibility of promoting unified brand that could have been used by all members that subscribe to the Brand Equity Scheme. Every company could have derived the benefits of promoting the Tata brand and hence enhance the Tata affiliation. The Tata sons would have required annual net income contribution of each company to meet the development costs, protect and promote the brand. The idea was good since each co mpany had to pay contribution based on the degree of brand association. Also, the involved companies had to pay the code of conduct in ensuring uniform ethical and high quality business practices. The participating companies must recognize the outstanding representation of the Tata values (Wren 98). The advantage of this initiative is that most of these countries encouraged Tata adopt a globalized and strong corporate campaign. Though the companies wanted to take advantage of the ward and opportunities off the competitive threats that emerged dramatically due to the expansion of the Indian economy, the Tata son used the fee paid by the companies in building a national and international group brand. This also enabled them emphasize on core ethics and values through advertisements. However, the domestic brand promotion would have cost the company extra Rs. 300 million yearly. The scheme also generated the debates on investment in media and public. The scheme was slated to be retroacti vely effective and was deferred in order to incorporate the additional features depending on the evolving views. This led to some Tata shareholders resenting the attempt by the Tata sons of asserting itself beyond the limits of the ordinary shareholder. Others doubted of the brand recognition offering immediate benefit to their companies while still others claimed that it was not necessarily the Tata name that promoted their success. Most companies, which benefited from the use of Tata name,

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cause and Effect - Essay Example Consequently, we should similarly examine body piercing or any kind of decoration, ornamentation or reshaping of the human body for that matter. The reasons for body piercing can be varied but it shows many facets of the truth about a person, whether that person wants to satisfy a desire, wants to express thoughts or feelings or wants to symbolize a meaning about him or herself. Desires are rational appetites which always aim to satisfy itself. Beauty is one of the most primordial desires of man, and some people wear body piercing plainly for aesthetic purposes. Women who pierce their ears often wear earrings with precious stones or metals because popular culture dictates that beauty is equated as something valuable and therefore precious. While others perceive piercing other body parts besides the ears as unique and therefore beautiful there are others who find pain and suffering as beautiful and they are referred to as sadomasochists. Though some may see this as a disorder, its psychological manifestations are viable and one such manifestation is having a lot of body piercing on the sensitive areas of the body such as the tongue and the eyes. The last desire that would make people consider body piercing is their desire to know. Many teens get pierced during their college years just because they are curious. College students get pierced mainly because they want to have new experiences while they are away from their homes and therefore dont have to worry about their parent’s reaction. Man is beautiful inside and man tries to creatively express this beauty through art hence art, properly defined, is the creation of beautiful things. The belief that body piercing can be used to exhaust creative individual expression can be traced with the emergence of body art. Piercing as a body art considers the many elements in body piercing such as the site of piercing and the kind of jewelry to be attached. Expression of the body is not

Monday, October 28, 2019

Introduction to Special Education Essay Example for Free

Introduction to Special Education Essay * students with exceptionalities exhibit differences in learning and behaviour that significantly affect their educational potential they have exceptional needs that cannot be met by typical approaches to schooling * special education is constructed and delivered to suit the specific strengths and needs of students with exceptionalities The Modern History Of Special Education. * special types of educational services provided as far back as the 18th century * modern era of special education began in the 1960s during the civil rights movement (rejected existing practices of separately educating students who were different) * early forms of special education designed to reduce perceived threats to normal students History Of Special Education (Legislation Affecting Special Education) * some Canadian provinces enacted special education legislation as early as 1969 * 1975 ground breaking legislation in U. S.  Education for All Handicapped Children Act. * least restrictive environment * individualized education program (IEP) * categories of exceptionality * 1978 Javits Gifted Talented Students Act brought number of identifiable categories to eleven * 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) added traumatic brain injury and autism to create the thirteen categories used today * IDEA â€Å"children with disabilities† instead of â€Å"disabled children† The No Child Left Behind Act: signed into law in 2002 * addresses four critical concerns. * accountability of educators for student academic achievement * flexibility of specialized funding implementation to maximize student achievement * option for parents to change child’s school if achievement is not at expected level * use of scientifically proven methods to have all children reading by end of grade three Is NCLB Making a Difference? Criticisms: * students with exceptionalities not exempt from district-wide or state-wide yearly achievement tests (law recently changed – flexibility option) * lack of available funding. * more emphasis placed on math and reading at the expense of other curricular topics To date, NCLB legislation has not significantly affected special education practices in Canada. How Is Special Education In Canada And The United States Similar? * basic practices follow the same conceptual models * major difference is way it is governed * U. S. operates under federally-mandated laws * each Canadian province and territory has own education legislation * most relevant federal law in Canada is Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Prevalence Of Students With Exceptionalities * vast majority of classrooms now include students with exceptionalities * statistics difficult to acquire in Canada * U. S. Department of Education (2002) * 8. 8% of all students have exceptionalities * 85% of these have mild disabilities * twice as many males as females Inclusionary Practices * until the mid 1980s, special education services delivered wholly or partially separated from regular classrooms * all Canadian provinces have currently adopted philosophy of inclusion. * students with exceptionalities are provided with appropriate educational programming in  appropriate environments * regular classroom is first placement option * Inclusionary Practices * inclusion better than integration or mainstreaming because it does not try to â€Å"fix the child† to suit the system * inclusion does not replace the term special education because it does not provide specific definitions for implementation * educators support inclusion but are concerned about its lack of procedures for implementation Non-Categorical Model. * data-based approach to instructional planning * does not rely on specific labels * proponents feel that labels frequently stigmatize, isolate, and stereotype individuals with exceptionalities * more concerned with functional educational services than outcomes of assessments Categorical Model * students’ needs and abilities are defined and then identified, classified, and categorized * most widely used and accepted approach. * allows educators to design effective educational interventions without over-generalizing the characteristics of specific categories to any one child * textbook emphasizes categorical model * teachers need to know the criteria used to identify students with exceptionalities and how the criteria varies across categories * allows teachers to readily notice problems that children may be having * eliminates confusion and frustration when teaching students with exceptionalities.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Roger and Me :: essays papers

Roger and Me The film was one that utilized and demonstrated many techniques found in the genre of documentary. Michael Moore took every aspect of making a film and flawlessly executed it. The resulting product was one that was to the point and interesting. The first thing that I realized was Moore’s ability to use B role and integrate it seamlessly into the film. One example would be when he was moving home from San Diego. The story cut to a scene in a movie that was of a man coming home from the army. I remember thinking that even though this film had nothing to do with the story at hand, it was very clear as to what happened. He saved a few mins of film and got straight to the point. Various other film clips were used to tell the story. This brings me to the second point, which is Moore’s ability to hold the audiences attention. You have a film about the town of Flint, Michigan and the trouble it went through during the GM plant closings. Right now I can think of a few thousand ways a filmmaker could have taken this story, added his point of view, and bored me out of my mind. That couldn’t be any farther from the truth. I found myself drawn into the story that Michael presented. He used comedy to pick up some slower parts and good camera angles to keep my attention on the screen. As for Story and Characters Moore once again used text book accuracy and added his twist. He picked a few characters and used them through out the film. This is something that kept the audience from getting confused. I think a lot of filmmakers screw up by introducing too many characters. For example, the sheriff deputy was a main character the makes you realize the truth behind what was going on. The Deputy represented the problems and pain that GM was causing by closing the plants.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

The dramatic irony of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? † conveys the tone of warning about temptation. Connie’s situation is that she does not feel appreciated at home and uses her looks and actions to get attention and appreciation from boys even if it is short-term. She is self-conscious about her looks and is constantly worried about how other people perceive her. Friend’s fantasy is that Connie will willingly go with him and be his â€Å"lover† (605) even before he officially met her.The reality of the situation is that she does not want to go with this strange man, but is being forced into it because of her fear, which makes her weak and submissive. Connie is fifteen years old and obviously self-conscious because of the love that she never receives at home. Her whole life revolves around attention from boys since she does not feel loved at home. Her sister June appears to be the favorite in the family, as she receives all of the positiv e attention. Connie's mother doesn’t speak kindly to Connie or about Connie, and Connie doesn't think well of her mother either.Her father does whatever he can to please Connie but doesn’t seek for a good father-daughter relationship. They never talk about what is happening in their lives and act as if they are only acquaintances. Connie wants to appear older and wiser than she actually is and her head is always full of meaningless daydreams to help her cope. Her promiscuity leads to attraction from boys and older men where she becomes terrified and realizes that she is not as grown up as she thought.Connie comes face to face with the harshreality of being forced into adulthood at the age of fifteen because of the special attention of Arnold Friend. 2 Arnold Friend is a smooth talker and has a great influence on the actions of his victims. His word choice appeals to teenagers as does his clothing. He is a short and stocky guy who stuffs his boots to make him seem talle r and wears a leather jacket to look young and desirable to teenage girls. The fact that his feet do not touch the bottom of his boots alludes to the devil’s hoofs, significant in that he resembles the devil’s ability to deceive. Don’t hem in on me. Don’t hog. Don’t crush. Don’t bird dog. Don’t trail me† (608) are slang that he rattles off because he momentarily forgets what sayings are popular so he reconciles by making them up on his own. He has a moment when he breaks down in front of Connie and starts to lose his cool, calm, and collected personality showing his panic in possibly not being able to get his way. This shows that he is narrow-minded and does not settle for anything that he does not approve of.His main focus is on retrieving girls for rape and murder and always goes for the attention-seeking personalities to make it easier to reach this goal. Friend is living a fantasy, while Connie asserts the reality of the sit uation. When these worlds mix, it is obvious that Connie does not have control and Friend becomes dominant. Friend’s alternate world is made up of his desire to have â€Å"dates† and â€Å"lovers† (605) when in actuality, he forces women to show him affection by kidnapping them, raping them, and then killing them.Friend’s forceful words show how he is caught in this dream of what Connie is going to do with him and how perfectly it will all work out in the end when in all actuality, Connie has no intention of willingly going with him. He continuously harps on the fact that he is going to get his way because he insists that his dreams are true. Every time he talks about his fantasy, Connie has a bold statement declaring that she is willing to fight against his dream and 3 bring it back down to a reality as she tries to reason with him. Friend has the gift of persuasion where his greatest tools for manipulation are his words.He â€Å"promises† (607) t hat he will not harm Connie as long as she does not follow through with what he considers threatening. Connie separates her mind from her body because she suddenly loses control. She is used to being on top and empowered but Friend comes along and takes over. The dramatic irony, during the course of their conversation, implies that Connie was in control of the situation to begin with, but Friend managed to obtain ultimate control of the situation by having her succumb to his power. Modern culture promotes having fun and doing what feels good in the moment.Connie has poor communication with her family, shown by her rebellious behavior and lack of respect for her parents. She chooses to distance herself from her family which results in them not being there when she needs them the most. Parents are supposed to be protectors and leaders in their children’s lives and when these key aspects are not present, a window is opened for the victimization of youth. The consequences of such situations result in a predicament like Connie’s and becomes an immense concern for the effects that modern culture has on youth. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been â€Å"Where are you going, Where have you been:† The Media’s effect on youth In this 1966 short story written by Joyce Carol Oates, fifteen-year-old Connie is a self-absorbed teenager who spends her time fantasizing about romance and searching for attention from men. While out with a suitor, a strange man promises her, â€Å"I'm gonna get you, baby† (2). Connie doesn't think much of the incident until one day while alone at home; the man comes to â€Å"get† her. The assailant, Arnold Friend, is kind at first then progressively becomes aggressive and violent towards her.Though at first she enjoys Arnold’s attention, once his demands become sexual and violent, her confidence diminishes. While Connie attempts to evade Arnold’s commands, she becomes powerless against the man and eventually follows him to â€Å"go for a ride† (3). While â€Å"Where are you going, Where have you been,† appears to simply be a tragic story about the abd uction and rape of a young girl, it is more importantly a statement of the time on the over-sexualization in the media.From the time period the story was written, the 1960’s, we know that society as a whole was exploding with counter-culture and rebellion. In response to the Vietnam War, for the first time in history, music rapidly became highly influential and that of a sexual nature. This first wave of over-sexualized media is what influenced Connie and millions of the time to exploit their sexuality. The youth of the time period are commonly thought of as being extremely responsive to the world around them.With music being more suggestive than in the past and young people being more expressive and experimental, Connie grew up in a drastically changing world complete with the need to be sexual and to really stand out in order to be noticed. Media became more widespread and important in the 60’s than it had ever been before. When the TV and radio weren’t focusi ng on the war efforts in Vietnam, they showed the youth’s protest, and push to â€Å"Make Love, Not War:† an iconic phrase that illustrates the push towards sexuality during that time.Connie, an adolescent of this explosive period, is a prime example of sexualization in the media having a detrimental effect on a person. It is her need to be desired that makes her appealing to Arnold Friend, and leads to her demise later in the story. Music is a major theme in the story: Connie constantly listens to music and associates music with pleasure in multiple instances. At one point, she even says she â€Å"listened to the music that made everything so good† (2). Upon Arnold’s arrival we see that he is listening to the same music as Connie, which serves as a way to connect them.Since music plays such a prevalent role in Connie’s life, we can conclude that music is the media that influences her to behave in a sexual manner. From the music that she listens to , Bobby King, we get the impression that she links her idea of romance (that derives from the music she listens to) to the confidence and maturity she pretends to have when it comes to boys. Music plays in every situation where she intends to be sexually desired; while out with boys, out with her friend searching for attention, while laying out in her backyard, and even at the beginning of her conversation with Arnold.Music and Connie’s sexuality are inextricable tied together–once Connie becomes frightened of Arnold and is no longer exploiting her sexuality, there is no further mention of music in the story. While it is understood that Arnold will most likely harm Connie, he also is whisking her away (or saving her) from a morally loose society–that very same society that made her the over-sexualized girl we see in the beginning of the story.Everything about Connie indicates that she has been socialized into how the media thinks a young girl should be–fr om her suggestive clothing to her desperate attempt to be sexually desirable to the male population. Despite what she leads on, Connie is actually sexually innocent. Her innocence is echoed by her child-like naivety of opening her front door to a complete stranger while alone, as well as the fear that consumes her while she could have been calling the police to prevent her murder.Arnold’s desire for the young Connie may be Oates’ way of portraying how perverse the media’s ploy to sexualize America’s youth is as well. The â€Å"Lolita Effect† is even a relatively recent concept. A â€Å"lolita† is a young girl who is viewed in a sexual manner, while the â€Å"lolita effect† is not only the corruption of a child by an adult, but exploiting an adult by a child that has been corrupted by society. Connie exploits her sexuality so well in the beginning of the story. It is her sexualization at such a young age that causes Arnold to find her attractive and is the real life tragedy that comes from the story.By the end of the story, as the title suggests, Connie undergoes a major change. She ties to be an adult, but when Arnold challenges her with sexual advances, we see the frightened child she is. Arnold is merely an agent to portray the evils that exist in the media. He illuminates the fact that our culture’s media gives young girls the unattainable idea that they must behave in a certain way in order to be attractive, and that a man finding them sexually attractive is of upmost importance even as a pre-teen.The sexualization of young girls causes adult men to be attracted to them, creating an even further over-sexualized society. A young girl’s sexuality is such a vital aspect of the maturation process: a process that is malfunctioning or happening far too soon because of the media. It is the evil in the media that causes Connie to fall victim to the media’s harmful portrayal of femininity. Media teaches us that being a typical young woman in today’s society is contingent on the amount of sexuality her appearance exudes.Connie so perfectly replicates how young girls in America that are being over-sexualized through music or television without even being aware of it. The tragic way that Connie is stripped of her childhood suggests that â€Å"where you are going,† is dependent on where you have been. In â€Å"Where are you going, Where have you been? † Oates’ does a terrific job of hyperbolizing the affects of the media’s influence while pointing out the very unexaggerated truth that over-sexualization in the media is detrimental to all aspects of society.