Worst Day Of Life

The worst day of my life was when I lost my thumb it was very painful I was emotionally scared and I cant play video games like normal people. I lost my thumb when I was only a few years old and it hurt a lot. It got taken off in a bike chain. Thats how I lost my thumb. Im not able to play video games like normal people play. My thumb is always sliding off the buttons. It always hard to keep up when playing video games with my friends. Its really annoying to play. Im not as accurate when playing games. I always die a lot in the games I play. Also I lose a lot when Im playing two player games. I cant move my thumb as fast as normal people. I end up in last often in games. I get problems holding things. That is what disadvantages I have when playing video games. When I lost my thumb it was very painful. My thumb was ripped off painfully in a bike chain. I think I should have sued the people that made the stupid bike. When it fell off it was just sitting there and that was bad. When it got cut off it was gushing lots of blood. There was blood every where. When this happened the carpet was soaked in blood it was weird. Then they took me to the hospital and they stitched it up because they couldnt put it back on because it was cut into small pieces. They had to but a cast on to. It was different when they took it off because I didnt have a thumb and that was different. Thats what were some painful things about my thumb being ripped off. It emotionally sacred me for life. I was never the same. I couldnt hold a cup that easy. It made it hard to write. Ive always and forever be a freak. People call me a freak. Its really funny looking. Ill never be like the normal people. They laugh at my missing thumb. I cant always join into normal activities of normal people. Thats why I sacred for life forever. Thats why the worst day of my life was when I lost my thumb. It was bad because that was my most painful experience I have ever had. It sacred me emotionally forever. I can never be the same.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 18

After breakfast Matt went online to find two stores, neither in Fel ‘s Church, that had the amount of clay Mrs. Flowers said she'd need and that said they'd deliver. But after that there was the matter of driving away from the boardinghouse and by the last lonely remains of where the Old Wood had been. He drove by the little thicket where Shinichi often came like a demonic Pied Piper with the possessed children shuffling behind him – the place where Sheriff Mossberg had gone after them and hadn't come out. Where, later, protected by magical wards on Post-it Notes, he and Tyrone Alpert had pul ed out a bare, chewed femur. Today, he figured the only way to get past the thicket was to work his wheezing junk car up by stages, and it was actual y going over sixty when he flew by the thicket, even managing to hit the turn perfectly. No trees fel on him, no swarms of foot-long bugs. He whispered â€Å"Whoa,†in relief and headed for home. He dreaded that – but simply driving through Fel ‘s Church was so horrible it glued his tongue to the top of his mouth. It looked – this pretty, innocent little town where he had grown up – as if it were one of those neighborhoods you saw on TV or on the Internet that had been bombed, or something. And whether it was bombs or disasterous fires, one house in four was simply rubble. A few were half-rubble, with police tape enclosing them, which meant that whatever had happened had happened early enough for the police to care – or dare. Around the burned-out bits the vegetation flourished strangely: a decorative bush from one house grown so as to be halfway across a neighbor's grass. Vines dipping from one tree to another, to another, as if this were some ancient jungle. His home was right in the middle of a long block of houses ful of kids – and in summer, when grandchildren inevitably came to visit, there were even more kids. Matt just hoped that that part of summer vacation was done†¦but would Shinichi and Misao let the youngsters go home? Matt had no idea. And, if they went home, would they keep spreading the disease in their own hometowns? Where did it stop? Driving down his block, though, Matt saw nothing hideous. There were kids playing out on the front lawns, or the sidewalks, crouching over marbles, hanging out in the trees. There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on There was no single overt thing that he could put his finger on that was weird. He was Stilluneasy. But he'd reached his house now, the one with a grand old oak tree shading the porch, so he had to get out. He coasted to a stop just under the tree and parked by the sidewalk. He grabbed a large laundry bag from the backseat. He'd been accumulating dirty clothes for a couple of weeks at the boardinghouse and it hadn't seemed fair to ask Mrs. Flowers to wash them. As he got out of the car, pul ing the bag out with him, he was just in time to hear the birdsong stop. For a moment after it did, he wondered what was wrong. He knew that something was missing, cut short. It made the air heavier. It even seemed to change the smel of the grass. Then he realized. Every bird, including the raucous crows that lived in the oak trees, had gone silent. All at once. Matt felt a twisting in his bel y as he looked up and around. There were two kids in the oak tree right beside his car. His mind was Stillstubbornly trying to hang on to: Children. Playing. Okay. His body was smarter. His hand was already in his pocket, pul ing out a pad of Post-it Notes: the flimsy bits of paper that usual y stopped evil magic cold. Matt hoped Meredith would remember to ask Isobel's mother for more amulets. He was running low, and†¦ †¦and there were two kids playing in the old oak tree. Except they weren't. They were staring at him. One boy was hanging upside down by his knees and the other was gobbling something†¦out of a garbage bag. The hanging kid was staring at him with strangely acute eyes. â€Å"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be dead?†he asked. And now the head of the gobbling boy came up, thick bright red al around his mouth. Bright red – – blood. And†¦whatever was in the garbage bag was moving. Kicking. Thrashing weakly. Trying to get away. A wave of nausea washed over Matt. Acid hit his throat. He was going to puke. The gobbling kid was staring at him with stony black-as-a-pit eyes. The hanging kid was smiling. Then, as if stirred by a hot breath of wind, Matt felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It wasn't just the birds that had gone quiet. Everything had. No child's voice was raised in argument or song or speech. He whirled around and saw why. They were staring at him. Every single kid on the block was silently watching him. Then, with a chil ing precision, as he turned back to look at the boys in the tree, al the others came toward him. Except they weren't walking. They were creeping. Lizard-fashion. That's why some of them had seemed to be playing with marbles on the sidewalk. They were al moving in the same way, bel ies close to the ground, elbows up, hands like forepaws, knees splaying to the side. Now he could taste bile. He looked the other way down the street and found another group creeping. Grinning unnatural grins. It was as if someone was pul ing their cheeks from behind them, pul ing them hard, so that their grins almost broke their faces in half. Matt noticed something else. Suddenly they'd stopped, and while he stared at them, they stayed Still. Perfectly Still, staring back at him. But when he looked away, he saw the creeping figures out of the corner of his eye. He didn't have enough Post-it Notes for al of them. You can't run away from this. It sounded like an outside voice in his head. Telepathy. But maybe that was because Matt's head had turned into a roiling red cloud, floating upward. Fortunately, his body heard it and suddenly he was up on the back of his car, and had grabbed the hanging kid. For a moment he had a helpless impulse to let go of the boy. The kid Stillstared at him but with eerie, uncanny eyes that were half rol ed back in his head. Instead of dropping him, Matt slapped a Post-It Note on the boy's forehead, swinging him at the same time to sit on the back of the car. A pause and then wailing. The kid must be fourteen at least, but about thirty seconds after the Ban Against Evil (pocket-size) was smacked on him he was sobbing real kid sobs. As one, the crawling kids let out a hiss. It was like a giant steam engine. Hsssssssssssssssssssssss. They began to breathe in and out very fast, as if working up to some new state. Their creeping slowed to a crawl. But they were breathing so hard Matt could see their sides hol ow and fil . As Matt turned to look at one group of them, they froze, except for the unnatural breathing. But he could feel the ones behind him getting closer. By now Matt's heart was pounding in his ears. He could fight a group of them – but not with a group on his back. Some of them looked only ten or eleven. Some looked almost his age. Some were girls, for God's sake. Matt remembered what possessed girls had done the last time he'd met them and felt violent revulsion. But he knew that looking up at the gobbling kid was going to make him sicker. He could hear smacking, chewing sounds – and he could hear a thin little whistle of helpless pain and weak struggling against the bag. He whirled quickly again, to keep off the other side of crawlers, and then made himself look up. With a quiet crackle, the garbage bag fel away when he grabbed it but the kid held on to what was in – Oh my God. He's eating a baby! A baby! A – He yanked the kid out of the tree and his hand automatical y slapped a Post-It onto the boy's back. And then – then, thank God, he saw the fur. It wasn't a baby. It was too smal to be a baby, even a newborn. But it was eaten. The kid raised his bloody face to Matt's, and Matt saw that it was Cole Reece, Cole who was only thirteen and lived right next door. Matt hadn't even recognized him before. Cole's mouth was wide open in horror now, and his eyes were bulging out of his head with terror and sorrow, and tears and snot were streaming down his face. â€Å"He made me eat Toby,†he started in a whisper that became a scream. â€Å"He made me eat my guinea pig! He made me – why why why did he do that? I ATE TOBY!† He threw up al over Matt's shoes. Blood-red vomit. Merciful death for the animal. Quick, Matt thought. But this was the hardest thing he'd ever tried to do. How to do it – a hard stomp on the creature's head? He couldn't. He had to try something else first. Matt peeled off a Post-It Note and put it, trying not to look, on the fur. And just like that it was over. The guinea pig went slack. The spel had undone whatever had been keeping it alive up to this point. There was blood and puke on Matt's hands, but he made himself turn to Cole. Cole had his eyes shut tight and little choking sounds came from him. Something in Matt snapped. â€Å"You want some of this?†he shouted, holding out the Post-it pad as if it were the revolver he'd left with Mrs. Flowers. He whirled again, shouting, â€Å"You want some? How about you? You, Josh?†He was recognizing faces now. â€Å"You, Madison? How 'bout you, Bryn? Bring it on! You all bring it on! BRING IT – â€Å" Something touched his shoulder. He spun, Post-it Note ready. Then he stopped short and relief bubbled up in him like Evian water at some fancy restaurant. He was staring right into the face of Dr. Alpert, Fel ‘s Church's own country doctor. She had her SUV parked beside his car, in the middle of the street. Behind her, protecting her back, was Tyrone, who was going to be next year's quarterback at Robert E. Lee High. His sister, a sophomore-to-be, was trying to get out of the SUV too, but she stopped when Tyrone saw her. â€Å"Jayneela!† he roared in a voice only the Tyre-minator could produce. â€Å"You get back in and buckle up! You know what Mom said! You do it now!† Matt found himself clutching at Dr. Alpert's chocolate brown hands. He knew she was a good woman, and a good caretaker, who had adopted her daughter's young children when their divorced mother had died of cancer. Maybe she would help him, too. He began babbling. â€Å"Oh, God, I've gotta get my mom out. My mom lives here alone. And I have to get her away from here.†He knew he was sweating. He hoped he wasn't crying. â€Å"Okay, Matt,†the doctor said in her husky voice. â€Å"I'm getting my own family out this afternoon. We're going to stay with relatives in West Virginia. She's welcome to come.† It couldn't be this easy. Matt knew he had tears in his eyes now. He refused to blink, though, and let them come down. â€Å"I don't know what to say – but if you would – you're an adult, you see. She won't listen to me. She will listen to you. This whole block is infected. This kid Cole – â€Å"He couldn't go on. But Dr. Alpert saw it al in a flash – the animal, the boy with blood on his teeth and his mouth, Stillretching. Dr. Alpert didn't react. She just had Jayneela throw her a packet of Wet Wipes from the SUV and held the heaving kid with one hand, while vigorously scrubbing his face clean. â€Å"Go home,†she told him sternly. â€Å"You have to let the infected ones go,†she said to Matt, with a terrible look in her eyes. â€Å"Cruel as it seems, they only pass it on to the few who're Stillwell.†Matt started to tel her about the effectiveness of the Post-it Note amulets, but she was already cal ing, â€Å"Tyrone! Come over here and you boys bury this poor animal. Then you be ready to move Mrs. Honeycutt's things into the van. Jayneela, you do what your brother says. I'm going in for a little talk with Mrs. Honeycutt right now.† She didn't raise her voice much. She didn't need to. The Tyre-minator was obeying, backing up to Matt, watching the last of the creeping children that Matt's explosion hadn't scattered. He's quick, Matt realized. Quicker than me. It's like a game. As long as you watch them they can't move. They took turns being the watcher and handling the shovel. The earth here was hard as rock, heavy with weeds. But somehow they got a hole dug and the work helped them mental y. They buried Toby, and Matt walked around like some foot-dragging monster, trying to get the vomit off his shoes in the grass. Suddenly beside them there was the noise of a door banging open and Matt ran, ran to his mother, who was trying to heft a huge suitcase, much too heavy for her, through the door. Matt took it from her and felt himself encompassed in her hug even though she had to stand on tip-toes to do it. â€Å"Matt, I can't just leave you – â€Å" â€Å"He'l be one of those to get the town out of this mess,†Dr. Alpert said, overriding her. â€Å"He'l clean it up. Now we've got to get out so we don't drag him down. Matt, just so you know, I heard that the McCul oughs are getting out too. Mr. and Mrs. Sulez don't seem to be going yet, and neither do the Gilbert-Maxwells.†She said the last two words with a distinct emphasis. The Gilbert-Maxwells were Elena's aunt Judith, her husband Robert MaxWell, and Elena's little sister, Margaret. There was no real reason to mention them. But Matt knew why Dr. Alpert had. She remembered seeing Elena when this whole mess had started. Despite Elena's purification of the woods where Dr. Alpert had been standing, the doctor remembered. â€Å"I'l tel – Meredith,†Matt said, and looking her in the eyes, he nodded a little, as if to say, I'l tel Elena, too. â€Å"Anything else to carry?†Tyrone asked. He was encumbered by a canary birdcage, with the little bird frantical y beating its wings inside, and a smal er suitcase. â€Å"No, but how can I thank you?†Mrs. Honeycutt said. â€Å"Thanks later – now, everybody in,†said Dr. Alpert. â€Å"We are taking off.† Matt hugged his mother and gave her a little push toward the SUV, which had already swal owed the birdcage and smal suitcase. â€Å"Good-bye!†everyone was yel ing. Tyrone stuck his head out of the window to say, â€Å"Cal me whenever! I want to help!† And then they were gone. Matt could hardly believe it was over; it had happened so fast. He ran inside the open door of his house and got his other pair of running shoes, just in case Mrs. Flowers couldn't fix the smel of the ones he was wearing. When he burst out of the house again he had to blink. Instead of the white SUV there was a different white car parked beside his. He looked around the block. No children. None at al . And the birdsong had come back. There were two men in the car. One was white and one was black and they both were around the age to be concerned fathers. Anyway they had him cut off, the way their car was parked. He had no choice but to go up to them. As soon as he did they both got out of the car, watching him as if he was as dangerous as a kitsune. The instant they did that, Matt knew he'd made a mistake. â€Å"You're Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt?† Matt had no choice but to nod. â€Å"Say yes or no, please.† â€Å"Yes.†Matt could see inside the white car now. It was a stealth police car, one of those with lights inside, al ready to be fixed outside if the officers wanted to let you in on the secret. â€Å"Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt, you are under arrest for assault and battery upon Caroline Beula Forbes. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right, anything you say can and wil be used against you in a court of law – â€Å" â€Å"Didn't you see those kids?†Matt was shouting. â€Å"You had to have seen one or two of them! Didn't that mean anything to you?† â€Å"Lean over and put your hands on the front of the car.† â€Å"It's going to destroy the whole town! You're helping it!† â€Å"Do you understand these rights – ?† â€Å"Do you understand what is going on in Fel ‘s Church?† There was a pause this time. And then, in perfectly even tones, one of the two said, â€Å"We're from Ridgemont.†

Imperialism and socialism in the context of Africa Essay

Cecil Rhodes Social Darwinism advocate states, â€Å"I contend that we are the finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Leopold of Belgium, â€Å"To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate †¦is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress.† From the above assertions, it is prudent to note that, colonial powers thought Africa to be devoid of an organization in social, political and economic perspective and therefore they wanted â€Å"to make Africa, England.† In that thought of naivety of the Africans, there were societal structures and organizations which British did not care to observe. However, it was not going to be easy as where two or three cultures interact a clash is inevitable. Although Africa was not a plain or bear continent, Africans had their way of life, structure of government, religion, economic activities, education, systems of marriage and development plans for their societies, nevertheless the British brought their systems which conflicted with Africans established way of life, this was because the British, as many other European powers were economically depressed and Africa appeared to be the only way out. The British wanted to pass the three C’s; Commerce, that is to make money through the acquisition of free labor form Africans, raw materials for their industries as industrial revolution back in Britain was rapidly taking place, a market for their surplus production; Christianity to save Africans.Explorers such as David Livingstone, Vasco Da Gama, Portuguese Diego Cam and Arabs with Muslim faith had missionary zeal. The last C is for Civilization, they wanted to civilize Africans in terms of education, culture and many other aspects. Thu s, to a larger extent, the activities of British heartened conflicts. African traditional religion is rooted in the African culture, it was difficult for Christianity to penetrate through. Portuguese tried in the fifteen century and failed. For Christianity to take the course the Africans had to abandon their culture which was hard so to say. The Missionaries in the nineteenth century, however, came up with an elaborate plan for them to spread Christianity. They introduced through religion, education and health centers which contradicted informal learning and the institution of medicine men. Africans gradually began to embrace Whiteman’s way of life but not without several clashes. These battles are seen in various forms such as spiritual, doctrinal, cultural and practical. The African religion has been given several definitions by different scholars, for instance, Mbiti has elaborated aspects of African religion. In his book African Traditional Religion, Mbiti (1991) African religion is very pragmatic and realistic (p2), he explains that it is applied in circumstances where the need arises. In addition, he states that religion is rooted in the local language, so to comprehend the religious life of an African society one has to understand the local dialect. He further affirms, â€Å"To be an African in the traditional setup is to be truly religious.† (p30) He states that the religion can be seen in five aspects of culture; beliefs, practices, ceremonies and festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals and religious officials and leaders. He defines African religion as: â€Å"The product of the thinking and experiences of our forefathers and mothers that is men and women of their generations. They formed religious ideas, they observed religious ceremonies and rituals, they told proverbs and myths which safeguarded the life of individual and his community.(pp 13-14) Mbiti notes that African religion has no scriptures as compared to Christianity and other religions, it is written in peoples history, hearts and experiences of the people.(p14) Awolalu in his book Sin and its Removal in the African Traditional Religion defines African religion as â€Å"†¦largely written in the people’s myth and folktales, in their songs and dances, in their liturgies and shrines and in their proverbs and pithy sayings. It is a religion whose historical founder is neither known nor worshipped; it is a religion that has no zeal for the membership drive, yet it offers persistent fascination for Africans, young and old.† The African traditional religion was not homogeneous as the communities had different ethnic background thus the religious practices such rituals varied one community to the other. It is worth noting that it was oral, not scripted or written and was passed from one generation to the other by word of mouth, as I earlier alluded in the definitions of religion. Within their organized societal structures, Africans believed in supernatural beings together with ancestral spirits. The ancestral spirits were believed to link the living societal members to the gods. Therefore, the African traditional religion was and still is interweaved to the African culture. From the above insights, one cannot talk about African religion without African values as they are intertwined and inseparable. African religion was embedded in moral values or codes or standards which were believed to originate from God through the ancestral spirits, these values when observed one would be rewarded with maybe good harvest from their cultivation of land or increased number of the flock of cattle. When these values have violated the culprits were reprimanded. The concept of values is a vital point as one talks of the African religion. For that reason, African religion is drawn from the African values and Culture. African Culture was the source of law through the moral codes and values passed from generation to generation. From the above description, we can see that law or rules of conduct were embedded in religion and that African religion was interweaved in the African culture. Local dialect was the medium through which African culture and religion were propagated. The African religion had some institutions as Mbiti points out in the aspects of African religion, who presided over religious functions, these institutions were believed to communicate directly to ancestral spirits (living dead) who in turn would communicate to the gods and grievances of the living societal members would be heard. In the Kenyan context, these institutions include Orkoyot of the Nandi, Oloibon of the Maasai, Seers, Diviners, and Rainmakers depending on the ethnic communities which they came from. These institutions apart from the veneration of the ancestors, they blessed warrior before going for war, advised the political leaders, offered sacrifice to god and conducted rituals for the culprits who violated moral values in the community. The gods had some specific names for instance, in Kenyan context, we had Enkai for the Maasai, Encore for the Abagusii, Mulungu for Akamba, Asis the Nandi, Ngai for the Agikuyu and Nyasaye for the Luo. There were specific worship plac es which were regarded as holy, this places included shrines, mountaintops some special trees such as mugumo, hills, and some caves. The diversity of the names given to gods and places of worship, show the lack of uniformity in the African Religion. Consequently, Africans were of different ethnic background and had their own religion, gods, and religion as a community. The clashes can be seen in the five aspects as earlier alluded in Mbiti’s work that is beliefs, practices, ceremonies, festivals, religious objects and places, values, and morals, religious officials and leaders. These aspects of African religion differ from those of Christianity. The Africans believed that their religion was sourced from god, who they believed long before their ancestors’ existence. The British Missionaries conflict with Africans by telling them about the existence of a God who had a son and lived among them many years ago. The religion of British was written (Bible) thus one had to have the ability to read and write in order to understand it, whereas that of African was passed from generation to generation by oral tradition. There is an introduction of a new system of identifying the origin of religion which conflicts with the African system. Language is also conflicted as Africans could not comprehend English, hence missionaries such as Ludwig Krapf translated the Bible into the local dialect. The Africans revered in special caves, Mountaintops, hills, Forests, Special trees (mugumo) and shrines. The British tell Africans that they should worship God places called Churches. This encounter shows that there is a bit of clashing as the African places were very clearly defined and preserved by the community members. The British also seized African land to construct churches or chapels, Africans, as a result, became very hostile as they had distinct worship places which occurred naturally. They believed that their land was in cultivation and a gift from their gods. The Africans practiced their religion by reverence to their ancestors, offering human and animal sacrifices and invoking the ancestral spirits, for instance, the Umira Kager clan believed in spirits in the S.M Otieno case. They offered sacrifices in order to get favors in terms of harvest. The African worship was communal that is, all community members used to convene to pray for rain and ask for the wellness of the community. The British religion had an aspect of confession of one`s sins before worship, repentance, and forgiveness of sin are granted. This aspect of forgiveness of sins lacks in the traditional African religion, one had to be punished for wrongdoing. British missionary religion brings out an aspect of offerings in terms of money and tithe which is ten percent of one`s total earnings. The British advocated for human rights and therefore disregarded and condemned human sacrifices. In African religion, worship was led by Diviners, Rainmakers, and Seers who were considered righteous. The work of religious leaders was taught through apprecentiship and was hereditary from specific clans in the community. There were certain clans from whom diviners would descend. They were highly respected in the community. The British Christian religious leaders attend school to be trained mainly in theology. They study formalities of worship and nature of God. Any member of Christian family can become a religious leader although there are some myths which say one has to be ‘called’ by God. A Christian leader has to have the ability to read and write so as to pass the scriptures to his congregation. African traditional religion was diverse from one ethnic community to the other due to the linguistic differences, migration patterns and origin. Christianity is introduced as a homogeneous religion as the author of it is Jesus Christ, a common ancestry and reference point for all Christians. The diversity of worship is dismantled by the British introduction of this even religion. Africans were notoriously religious as it was found in each group. Africans who lived as per the traditional way of life were regarded as very religious.it is also worth acknowledging that Africans are at crossroads due to the fact that religion is embedded in the African culture and language. It is thus difficult for Africans to fully be committed to Christianity as being fully whole-hearted means they will have to abandon some of the partaking of African culture and indigenous dialect by embracing the Whiteman’s language and culture. This has already happened as some dedicated African Christians according to Quarcoopome (1987), refer to traditional religion as paganism, fetish, and animism. References. Awolalo, JO, Sin and Its Removal from the African Traditional Religion (1976) History and Government Form One to Four, KLB Fourth Edition. The People of Kenya Up to the 19th Century Kwasi W, Towards Decolonizing African Religion and Philosophy, African Studies (1998) Quarterly volume 1 Issue 4. Ojwang’ JB and Mugambi JNK (eds), The SM Otieno case, Death and Burial in Modern Kenya, (1989) Nairobi University press Mbiti, JS, African Religion and Philosophy, Oxford, England, (1999) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Mbiti, JS, Introduction to African Religion Oxford, England, (1991) Heinemann Educational Publishers. Uchenna O, African Crossroads: Conflict between African Traditional Religion and Christianity, (2008) The International Journal of Humanities vol 6 No. 2 Quarcoopome, TNO, West African traditional religion. Ibadan, Nigeria: (1987) African Universities Press. NAME: MUNYALO, DANIEL MUTHENGI REG.NO: G34/102614/2017 COURSE: GPR 100 LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITING CONVENER: DR. NKATHA KABIRA â€Å"The encounter between the British and Africans was a case of two worlds colliding.† Discuss†¦

Principles of entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principles of entrepreneurship - Essay Example Finally, the paper looks at how entrepreneurs can recognize opportunities and generate business ideas. Introduction An entrepreneur is an individual who establishes a new organization without the benefit of corporate sponsorship. Entrepreneurs venture into new business opportunities with the aim of having growth and high profitability as their primary objectives. Several myths have been developed concerning entrepreneurs. Most people believe that entrepreneurs can start new businesses, they are gamblers, they always want to own business and be completely independent, entrepreneurs work longer and harder than managers in big companies, they experience a great deal of stress and pay a high price and they are always solely motivated by the quest for the almighty dollar. In addition to this, entrepreneurs seek power and control over others and they are talented and have good ideas (Acs Z. and Audretsch, 2010). Most entrepreneurs venture into businesses for various reasons such as to gain better quality lives, to increase their profit potentials, as well as desire for independence. Most entrepreneurs possess certain elements like innovation and creativity, management skills, social networks, and effective communication (Ramoglou, 2013). . The following figure summarizes the characteristics of entrepreneurs. Literature Review Value proposition is creating utility of a product or a service to the customers thi is according to (Bovert and Martha, 2000). On the other hand, (Best, 2007) defines value proposition as all key elements included I a situation and the benefits the target customer is searching for while purchasing a product or a service. However, Sheehy, Bracey and Frazier, 1996) defines value proposition as the bundle of value that an organization delivers to its customers and this does not only include the price, selection, service, but also the intangibles like brand image and equity. The authors believe that value proposition is not only purchasing the prod uct or the service but what the customer is thinking about while purchasing the product. The following diagram shows the components of value proposition. From the diagram above it is evident that value proposition contains components such as value expectations on one side and a partners role and relative competitive position on the side of the organization. From the diagram above, value proposition entails various factors such as the market value of the proposition being created. The customer’s experiences with the value are also considered while the product and service offered is also put into consideration. Entrepreneurs then look at the benefits that will be derived from the product and services and look at alternatives that the market provides for its products and services. Finally, the entrepreneur must think about substantiate evidence that the proposition is offering. After this, the entrepreneurs are expected to review the benefits, costs, and value that the organizat ion is offering to the customers, prospective customers both within and outside the organization. In summary, the value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered and a belief from the customer that value will be experienced. There is the need for entrepreneurs to understand that there are those customers who are slow to adapt to the value proposi

Domestic violence and criminal theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Domestic violence and criminal theories - Essay Example This has contributed to blaming on the recipients personal maladjustment, instead of a relationship dynamic. Attachment theory does not necessarily place much emphasis on the individual’s mental representation of a relationship, but rather highlights the reciprocity between individuals within relationships. Attachment represents an instinctive motivating force that enables secure dependency, which, in turn, complements autonomy. The accessibility and responsiveness of the attachment figure is central to the securing of binds via emotional engagement and the development of trust (Bartholomew, Henderson and Dutton 43). When attachment behavior fails to manifest, separation distress may arise whereby the insecure models may recreate insecure patterns within adult relationships (Fisher and Steven 373). According to the pioneers of attachment theory, an infant establishes a â€Å"working model† of what can be anticipated from his/her primary caregiver. In the event that a caregiver persist in responding in expected ways, the infant’s model persists; nevertheless, in the event that caregiver’s responses become constantly erratic, the infant may be compelled to alter or revise his/her model, and consequently, the security of the attachment changes (Godbout, Dutton, Lussier and Sabourin 365). Children construct a representation of their own value guided by their experiences and opinions of the caregiver’s capability, availability, and willingness to avail care and protection. Nevertheless, not all attachment are positive and despite the fact that secure attachments are desired and most evident (60-75%), avoidant, disorganized/disoriented, and ambivalent attachments can also develop amid parent-child relationships that are less predictable (Waters and Cummings 164). Attachment theory stipulates that child abuse yields insecure and anxious attachment, which can be ambivalent, avoidant, or disorganized/disorganized. Anxious attachment is linked to later

Evolution of Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evolution of Revolution - Essay Example Marlon Brancho is an American screen and stage actor of the film the wild ones. He brought realism to the film industry thus becoming influential. The film Wild One starred by Marlon Brando features on real life event that occurred in 1947 during a weekend in California whereby a gang of motorcyclists converged and dominated in a small Town for two days causing trouble without confrontation (Harris 5). In addition, Easy Rider is an American road movie acted in 1969 by Peter Fonda. On the context, it depicts two bikers traveling through American southwest and south to New Orleans to attend a Mardi Gras. They have an objective of achieving freedom. In their trip, Wyatt and Billy meet and took a meal together. They leave for Mexico where they bought drugs intending to sell it at the American border. They sold the cocaine to a man riding in Rolls Royce (Canby 3). In the rebel without a cause film, conflict is ensued with remarkable symbol of social unrest such as drug abuse, violence, sexual promiscuity anxiousness over the future and emotional isolation. The film depicted extends of turmoil associated with the adolescent. The film directed by Ray gave both social commentary and unlike previous films it depicted delinquents in slums at urban environment. In my opinion, the movie acted in Hollywood had common themes used that showed such families as perfect avoided. In a further aspect, the rebel without cause considered American family as not perfect. In all cases, all have their missteps. I do not concur with the existence of as completely joyful families as rebels show the tortures among parents and mostly in youths (Ebert 7). We can see a rebellious teenager, who upon enrolling in his new high school after meeting a girl, disobeys his parents and goes against the schools bullies thus portraying the king of moral decay among American youths, critique parental style. From the film, it is seen that after James dies, the rebel was released.

Distribution and Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Distribution and Retailing - Essay Example Brief Overview of the Scenario The paper describes about the managerial issues faced by Katie Collins, the managing director of Fashion Wholesalers in relation to its distribution and retailing functions. Fashion Wholesalers is a clothing manufacturing company which principally targets women operating as the agents of UK with the networking comprising around 30 manufacturing Scandinavian and German clothing producers. It also supplies for approximately 120 small sized retailers. The products that are distributed through Fashion Wholesalers target primarily the housewives within the UK. The distribution activity of the company, i.e. Fashion Wholesalers, can be described on the following grounds. It has been observed that the buyers of Fashion Wholesalers, belonging to the age group of 30 to 60 years usually perform 4 trips for collecting the produced materials from the suppliers in the market. The process of ordering for the company is carried out in every season based on the scheduli ng of delivery of products by the buyers on a monthly basis. The produced products are then distributed to the warehouse located at Peterborough. The process of delivery in Fashion Wholesalers includes showrooms from where the buyers can directly make their purchases in person. Notably, the clothing products are manufactured all-round the year and the samples are distributed in all the seasons, along with the continuation of warehousing and dispatching activities. Contextually, it can be observed that the demands for the products are quite high attracting most of the targeted customers in the niche markets of retailing. It is worth mentioning in this context that most of the targeted customers depend on Fashion Wholesalers for supplying quality products at cheaper rates which has further accelerated the growth rate in the organisation. 1.2. Rise of Conflict in Fashion Wholesalers Channel conflict usually occurs if there are clashes of methods and goals between the members belonging to a channel of distribution. Notably, because the distribution channel of Fashion Wholesale is performed on the basis of multiple dimensions involving multiple layers such as the suppliers, the producers and the end users, which further continues throughout the year, there are high chances for Fashion Wholesalers to witness similar disruptions in their distribution process. Theoretically, distribution channel conflicts can be categorized into horizontal and vertical categories. Where horizontal channel conflicts signify gaps and limited cooperation among members belonging to similar level, the vertical channel conflict indicates dismissal among members belonging to different levels in the channel distribution (Jicheng, n.d). In the currently practiced distribution channel of Fashion Wholesalers, probability of both these conflicts to arise can be observed apparently. Additionally, resource scarcity can be determined as another significant aspect to cause conflicts in the channel of distribution. In the context of Fashion Wholesalers, it can be stated that owing to the complexity of the distribution channel framework, conflicts might occur among the members due to insufficiency of resources for manufacturing clothing products and/or due to their inefficiency to allocate the available resources efficiently so as to serve the retailers all around its target market in a time-efficient and cost-effective way. Moreover, if Fashion Wholesalers attempt to sell a proportion of the produced products by themselves directly

Electronic Channels Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Electronic Channels - Assignment Example Most often this comes as a contrary expectation to any commercial entity. Since the electronic channels allow the consumers to carry out their transactions from most convenient locations, they eventually affect the role of retailing traders. Even when the electronic retailing mode is scaled against other methods, it contributes to a very minor percentage of the total retailing outputs. This however is bound to change with the advent of ever changing scale of globalization. It is expected to shoot higher in the near future when electronic means shall be inevitable to institutions and corporations (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Some products are more appropriate for electronic channels. This is largely determined by the market trends and behavior. For instance, some factors like public perception on the channel fundamentally contribute to this preference. Moreover, other factors like the effort inputted by the market segment, time that the commodity takes to be delivered and intentions by consumers to search for prices, all count (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). There are some products inappropriate for electronic channels. Examples of such include experience goods. These are goods that one has to assess based on their tastes and preference for them. For example, a brand of wine can only be assessed once one has had a taste, but not by online inquiry (Lechner & Hummel, 2002). Lechner, U. & Hummel, J. (2002). Business models and system architectures of virtual communities: from a sociological phenomenon to peer-to-peer architectures. International Journal of Electronic Commerce , 41-53. Soon, A. & Luis, F. (2012). Social Media in Governmnent- Selections from the 12th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research(dg2011). Journal of Information Technology Management, Policies, and Practices ,

Changes in Family and Personal Finances in the Last Generations Essay

Changes in Family and Personal Finances in the Last Generations - Essay Example Political factors such as the Cold War and political tensions globally also affected their productivity and participation in economic activities, which in turn affected their financial status. These people benefited from the social and political stability witnessed from 1970-2000. Personal and family finances of people of generation Y have changed because of changes in government policies, information technology and globalization. Most generation X families relied on one paycheck. This means that only one spouse engaged in economic activities. Though these families relied on one paycheck, they spent 54 percent of their income. Spending was mainly concentrated on fixed expenses such as insurance, mortgage, food and loans. Conversely, most generation Y families have both families working. These families spend 75 percent of their earning on fixed expenses (Warren and Tyagi 20). The spending trends of generation X and generation Y are important because they show that generation Y is more financially vulnerable than their counterparts of generation X. In case of uncertainties such as illnesses and job loss, people of generation X could easily cut back on their spending. These families used 54 percent of their income on fixed expenses and 46 percent on discretionary spending such as fashion and vacation. They could easily cut back on these spending in order to ensure that they overcome the uncertainty. A generation ago, families could address setbacks such as illnesses and job loss by cutting back on their spending. 54 percent of the income of these families was used on fixed expenses.

Explain the difference between quantitative easing(QE) and credit Essay

Explain the difference between quantitative easing(QE) and credit easing(CE) and discuss the theoretical channels through which they may affect financial markets - Essay Example One of the policies that were adapted in the wake of the financial crisis was the quantitative easing (QE) and the credit easing (CE). According to Ishi et al. (2009), in simple definition terms, Quantitative easing (QE) entails the direct and unsterilized purchases securities owned by the government which is usually done by the central bank. The main aim is under normal circumstances to lessen the benchmark yield curve and enhance economic activity. Most of the times, it is used when the monetary transmission is impeded seriously and the policy interest rate are falling towards near zero. It can be used to ensure that the inflation does not go below the specified target. On the other hand, Credit easing (CE) is the direct or indirect provision of credit by the central bank to specified borrowers possibly called for by the breakdown of credit marketers enhancing credit can be mainly seen as the intention of meeting macroeconomics objectives. The key aim is to reduce credit spreads in specific sectors that are usually of high macro finance importance. These purchases raise the monetary base in a way that is related to a purchase of government securities. Many Central banks have adopted the QE and CE policies. A look at such a bank is the federal bank of the United States. It has employed both the QE and CE policies which are discussed below respectively. The financial crisis and its repercussions that have been experienced recently have proven to be a great task for the Federal Reserve. Towards the end of 2008, in reaction to the economic and financial conditions that were hastily weakening, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) pushed the federal funds rate target near to zero. As the conditions deteriorated, the Fed turned to policies that were nontraditional to strengthen financial market conditions. Such policies comprised the purchases of large-scale asset which were in the range of hundreds of billions of dollars for

2 responses paper Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 responses paper - Case Study Example Acceptance of the technology is a way in which the democracy is being overlooked, further dismissing it as unnecessary and inconveniencing. I do not concur with the article. Obviously, the issue is a contest between privacy and security. In resolving the issue, I think it is important for one to question what matters between the two. Here, the answer is simple; breaching the right to privacy is not as serious as disregarding security. For one obvious reason, whereas breaching privacy may only inconvenience people, overlooking the pertinence of security would not only cause inconveniences, but also lose of lives, in the case of terrorist bombing. Clearly, it is a contest that touches on the right to life, as well. In my view, a lot of people have lost lives as a result of terrorism. The memories of September 11 attacks are still fresh and speak loudly. Besides, It cannot be disputed that airport security remains one of the issues of serious concern for most airports in the world since it also touches on safety. As such, airport security comprises of various methods and techniques that are aimed at protecting aircrafts, a s well as airports from criminal activities. This way, security protects the travelers, the airport employees and the freight. Airport security is aimed at curbing criminal activities that pertain to hijacking, destruction of aircrafts and airports, and assault on employee and passenger. The Rutherford commentary covers the case of Brandon Raub, who was taken by FBI agents and forcibly detained in the psychiatric ward. The reason give is that Brandon posted song lyrics, as well as personal political views, on his Facebook page. According to the Commentary, the issue elicited a public outcry, demanding for his release. However, the court would still disregard the fact that the interpretations of the content on Facebook would be interpreted out of the context. Consequently,

Amnesty Essay Example for Free

Amnesty Essay Ever since we started campaigning in 1961, we’ve worked around the globe to stop the abuse of human rights. Amnesty International Goals and strategy AI aims to maintain every humans basic rights as established under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. In accordance with this belief, Amnesty works to: †¢Free all Prisoners of Conscience (a POC is a person imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of their beliefs, which differs somewhat from the typical use of the term political prisoner). †¢Ensure fair and prompt trials. †¢Abolish all forms of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners, including the use of the death penalty. End state-sanctioned terrorism, killings, and disappearances. Amnesty International works to combat individual offences (e. g. one man imprisoned for distributing banned literature in Saudi Arabia) as well as more general policies (e. g. the recently overturned policy of executing juvenile offenders in certain U. S. states). Amnesty works primarily on the local level but its forty-year history of action and its Nobel Peace Prize give it international recognition. Most AI members utilize letter-writing to get their message across. When the central Amnesty International organization finds and validates to its satisfaction instances of human rights abuse, they notify each of more than 7,000 local groups as well as over one million independent members, including 300,000 in the United States alone. Groups and members then respond by writing letters of protest and concern to a government official closely involved in the case, generally without mentioning Amnesty directly. Amnesty International follows a neutrality policy called the country rule stating that members should not be active in issues in their own nation, which also protects them from potential mistreatment by their own government. This principle is also applied to researchers and campaigners working for the International Secretariat to prevent domestic political loyalties influencing coverage. Recently, Amnesty has expanded the scope of its work to include economic, social and cultural rights, saying that these concerns had arisen out of its traditional work on political and civil rights. Its 2004 annual report said that it is difficult to achieve sustainable progress towards implementation of any one human right in isolation. AI will strive to assert a holistic view of rights protection. It will be particularly important to do so in relation to extreme poverty, and the human rights issues underlying poverty. [2] As an example it asserts that The right to effective political participation depends on a free media, but also on an educated and literate population. [3]

Disaster Preparedness Plan

Disaster Preparedness Plan Abstract When I was a child my mother always kept extra water in 2 liter bottles under her sink and would call them her â€Å"Earth quack† water. Little did I know that I grew up on what is called the New Madrid vault which is well over due to happen again, the last time it released was in 1933. I never understood why she did this till I learned through the McCracken County rescue squad and DES, which I was a member of and a USAR trained member, how important it was to keep a survival kit for at least 72 hours, because that is how long that it would take to get any assistance there to help us because of all the rivers and bridges. From personal experience and living through hurricane Ivan and losing everything my self-prepared disaster kit was the second best thing I had done prior to the storm, only coming in second to evacuating. Down south before the season starts, all insurance companies, schools, and newspapers put out a check list as to things to keep in your kit. I know it was a t least 2 days before the military came in with MRE’s for us and the fire department came around handing out ice and water the same day. If it had not been for my kit I have no idea what my family and I would have done. Assignment: Develop a personal preparedness plan for a family of four that would support a the family for three days if the family did not have public utilities and was cut off from supplies Disaster Preparedness There’s not one place on this earth that are not subject to one natural or manmade disaster or another. Each individual needs to know what natural disasters are more prone to their area and prepare for such. The natural disasters are: floods, hurricanes, thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, winter storms, extreme cold, extreme heat or heat waves causing water shortages, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides and debris flow mudslides, tsunamis, and wild land / forest fires. Then there is the man made hazards like: hazardous materials incidents like chemical emergencies, nuclear power plants, and national security emergencies, such as terrorism, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear and radiological attack, and home land security advisory systems. Disaster Supply Kit Disaster Preparedness helps individuals prepare for any type of emergency conditions rather it is man-made or of natural. Depending on where you live, will also determine what kind of preparedness you may need. There is also the basic preparedness packs that all individuals needs to have. FEMA and the Red Cross offer several different suggestions to help one prepare for any type of disaster. Nearly every community in the US is subject to some kind of natural disaster, so it would make sense to prepare all homes for all the different kinds of disasters. Disaster Supply Kits Individuals need to gather water, food and emergency supplies to last at least three days or longer if possible. The only issue I had was where to store these supplies and in what. If you stored the supplies in your house and lost it you would not be able to get to the supplies you had stored. So I ended up taking a large trash can that could be sealed and putting it in the garage, sealed all the openings and used sealed Rubbermaid or other similar manufacturer’s plastic. The following is what FEMA suggests people store for a disaster of any kind; Supply of Drinking Water A minimum of one gallon of water per person per day, either buy bottled water or store tap you can use it as-is if it has been commercially treated. For well water or untreated public water, follow treatment instructions provided by your public health service. Seal the water containers and store them in a cool dark place and change out every six months with fresh water. Choosing Food Supplies When storing your food you need to make sure and date your food and replace them every six months. Pack foods in watertight bags or sturdy plastic containers. Canned foods and ready-to-eat meats, fruits, and vegetables, such as peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, cereals, trail mix, boxed or canned juices, milk and soups, instant coffee and/or tea, sugar, salt, and pepper. One needs to remember to bring a manual can opener to open several of the above foods. First Aid Supplies First aid manual, scissors, sterile bandages, gauze pads, cotton balls, safety pins, latex gloves, antibiotic ointment, cleansing agents like isopropyl alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide, germicidal soaps, moistened novelettes, needles, tweezers, scissors, thermometer aspirin, antidiarrheal medication, antacids, vitamins, and enough of your medication to last for those three days, esp. medications for diabetics, heart patients, and transplanted medications. Essential Tools and Emergency Supplies It is very important to also keep readily available things such as: batteries, battery powered radio, a weather radio, flashlight, matches, wrench, pliers, shovel, duct tape, scissors, plastic sheeting, fire extinguisher, paper, pens, pencils, needles and thread, plastic trash bags, hand sanitizer, bleach, household documents with contact numbers and important documents. Other Items you may want to put in but is not essential is something for the kids to do, like books, games and toys. Comfortable clothes and shoes, blankets, bedding and sleeping bags, as well as supplies for babies, elderly, and pets. FEMA’s Four Steps to Safety. Fema has four basic steps to develop a family disaster plan which can be applied on any disasters. The first step is to find out what could happen to you and the risk of injury that could occur if you stay in your home. With that in mind you also need to figure out what type of disasters most likely to happen in your area, and how you should prepare for each individual disasters. One also needs to know what their workplace, their children’s school or day care center, or other places where your family spends time disaster plan is. The second step is to create a family disaster plane by talking to your family members as how to respond if one occurs. Pick two places to meet if it occurs at a time that everyone is not at home and stick to it. One should also develop an emergency communication plan so if you are unable to meet up, you should have a single person designated outside of your disaster are where all family members can call to pass on information about their health and where about. One should know their easiest most convenient escape routes to take if evacuations are needed. References Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From To. Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name. Figures Figure 1. [Include all figures in their own section, following references (and footnotes and tables, if applicable). Include a numbered caption for each figure. Use the Table/Figure style for easy spacing between figure and caption.] For more information about all elements of APA formatting, please consult the APA Style Manual, 6th Edition.

Macbeth :: essays research papers

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, supernatural powers are used by the three witches. These powers are called familiars. A familiar is a spirit often embodied in an animal and is there to serve and guard a person. Each of the witches possesses a familiar except for the third witch. Her familiar is never laid on the table for us to see. In my paper I will show how the owl is the familiar of the third witch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First you must understand what a familiar is. In Websters dictionary the word familiar is defined as a closely acquainted; an intimate associate or companion, a spirit embodied in an animal and held to attend and serve or guard a person. The clichà © of a familiar is associated to witches and demonic characters. But, this is a very untrue statement. A pet can also be a familiar to a regular person. There are four types of familiars. The first is a physical creature who lives with and has an emotional bond with a human. The second type of familiar is a creature which attaches itself to a human for the purpose of aiding him or her. The third type of familiar is an element spirit. Some witches call upon a spirit to overcome an obstacle. The fourth type of familiar is the sprit of someone who has died. They come back for some reason or purpose usually to set straight an event. These are all different types of familiars, but the one of my focal point would be attachment. In Macbeth, the owl aides the witch and also offers protection and acts as an overseer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The owl is a familiar which is associated with both good and evil. In ancient Greece, the mythological Athena, the goddess of wisdom, held the owl as her bird. The owl served a s a protector to her and accompanied armies to war. The owl was also an inspiration in everyday life for the common man. Some village healers also used familiars to help diagnose illness and to find lost objects and treasures. But, most commonly, the owl is said to be the root of all evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Roman mythology, a superstition was that witches transformed into owls and sucked the blood from innocent children. Another superstition which surfaced during the middle ages in Europe, was about an owls appearance at night. It is said that when people are helpless and blind, the owl is linked to the unknown, and if an owl called at night, the air would be filled with apprehension: a death was imminent with some evil

Revenge of the Killer Genre :: Quentin Tarantino John Cawelti Films Essays

Revenge of the Killer Genre After years of repeated thematic motifs and unchanging, stereotypical characters, films within a genre often lose their vitality. The conventions become predictable and the underlying myth becomes boring and banal. The innovative director will seek to revitalize a popular myth through a "generic transformation" (Cawelti 520). This essay shall demonstrate how Quentin Tarantino borrows a traditional myth from the gangster genre, subverts it and subsequently installs a new, unorthodox myth in its place. The end result is a new type of film that reaches beyond the established confines of the gangster genre. As with Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde, the radical innovations included in Pulp Fiction make it hard to situate the film within mainstream cinema; it is, as John Cawelti would agree, "difficult to know what to call this type of film". While Penn's film and Tarantino's Pulp Fiction clearly acknowledge the conventions of the gangster genre, it is only as a point of departure. Tarantino introduces enigmatic characters and complex incongruities which combine to successfully remove his film from the "conventions of a traditional popular genre" (Cawelti 505). Cawelti describes the myth within the gangster film as "affirm[ing] the limits of individual aggression and violence ... show[ing] how violence evokes its own inevitable doom" (Cawelti 516). In Pulp Fiction and Bonnie and Clyde, the directors subvert the "traditional elements" and the "traditional mythical world ..." (Cawelti 505) is confounded. Thus begin the generic transformations. The directors thoroughly undermine the traditional myths and effectively replace them with myths of their own construction. The complexities of structure, character and theme within Pulp Fiction exceed the conventional boundaries of the gangster genre and the myths commonly associated with gangster films become inadequate. The narrative leads to non-romanticized situations and characters that appear too realistic to be contained within the "inadequate" boundaries of the gangster myth (Cawelti 510). Here then, Tarantino is effectively exposing the inadequacies of the gangster myth. The myth of the gangster is exposure by first firmly establishing the conventional gangster persona. Within the gangster environment, a darkened night club for example, the gangster looks the part; black suit, jewellery, sunglasses and the inevitable guns construct the image of menace. So too do his mannerisms, the gangster is a cocky, self-assured tough guy. The story within the film titled "The Bonnie Situation", provides an example an undermined gangster myth. Here, the two gangsters, Jules and Vincent, must retrieve and deliver a package that has been stolen. Revenge of the Killer Genre :: Quentin Tarantino John Cawelti Films Essays Revenge of the Killer Genre After years of repeated thematic motifs and unchanging, stereotypical characters, films within a genre often lose their vitality. The conventions become predictable and the underlying myth becomes boring and banal. The innovative director will seek to revitalize a popular myth through a "generic transformation" (Cawelti 520). This essay shall demonstrate how Quentin Tarantino borrows a traditional myth from the gangster genre, subverts it and subsequently installs a new, unorthodox myth in its place. The end result is a new type of film that reaches beyond the established confines of the gangster genre. As with Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde, the radical innovations included in Pulp Fiction make it hard to situate the film within mainstream cinema; it is, as John Cawelti would agree, "difficult to know what to call this type of film". While Penn's film and Tarantino's Pulp Fiction clearly acknowledge the conventions of the gangster genre, it is only as a point of departure. Tarantino introduces enigmatic characters and complex incongruities which combine to successfully remove his film from the "conventions of a traditional popular genre" (Cawelti 505). Cawelti describes the myth within the gangster film as "affirm[ing] the limits of individual aggression and violence ... show[ing] how violence evokes its own inevitable doom" (Cawelti 516). In Pulp Fiction and Bonnie and Clyde, the directors subvert the "traditional elements" and the "traditional mythical world ..." (Cawelti 505) is confounded. Thus begin the generic transformations. The directors thoroughly undermine the traditional myths and effectively replace them with myths of their own construction. The complexities of structure, character and theme within Pulp Fiction exceed the conventional boundaries of the gangster genre and the myths commonly associated with gangster films become inadequate. The narrative leads to non-romanticized situations and characters that appear too realistic to be contained within the "inadequate" boundaries of the gangster myth (Cawelti 510). Here then, Tarantino is effectively exposing the inadequacies of the gangster myth. The myth of the gangster is exposure by first firmly establishing the conventional gangster persona. Within the gangster environment, a darkened night club for example, the gangster looks the part; black suit, jewellery, sunglasses and the inevitable guns construct the image of menace. So too do his mannerisms, the gangster is a cocky, self-assured tough guy. The story within the film titled "The Bonnie Situation", provides an example an undermined gangster myth. Here, the two gangsters, Jules and Vincent, must retrieve and deliver a package that has been stolen.

Canada Essay -- Canadian History, Mercantilism

Canada has gone through and continues to go through a dramatic and systematic change with regards to its political, societal and economical aspirations. This change is not just domestic but also global in its scope, brought on by the advent of a paradigm shift from Keynesianism to that of neoliberalism. Although I believe that this transition has been largely beneficial to the world, there are others, namely unions, some feminists and religious groups that dispute this based on diametrically different perspectives, to that of my own. I will however conclude that these different perspectives are the result, of the relative nature of paradigms. For a new paradigm may solve problems susceptible to the old paradigm, but may also cause problems that were once solved (Browett 1985 p. 790). In this regard I can agree that the transition to neoliberalism from Keynesianism has indeed affected some social classes more than others. Thus the groups that are affected may see neoliberalism as det rimental, causing these individuals to miss the old Keynesian paradigm, referring to that particular period as a â€Å"golden age† compared to the neoliberal era, which seems to be characterized as the equivalent to the medieval dark ages. Neoliberalism is seen as a; blight upon the world, by its detractors. The core aspect of the neoliberal paradigm is based on neoclassical policies of open and free markets, thus things like free trade and capital flight are the driving force of the ideology, that the market should be free. Critics to this policy say that free trade and capital flight allows Multinational Corporation to â€Å"transcend the nation state†, meaning that capitalism is increasingly international and not confined to a particular nation or territory... ...er. I think that as neoliberalism spreads economic prosperity to all flung corners of the world it will also spread democracy with it, for many individuals will have greater say due to increased spending power; problem is that many developed nations may lose some democracy, for the economic elite will have consolidated their power with the increased economic disparity. The only solution to this I believe must be an international law, of a rather hefty death tax to eliminate billionaires and thus destroy the cohesiveness that that particular group of individual derive their power as outlined by (Pintich p.185). This coupled with international will to break apart monopolies and or pursue cartels with criminal activity. If these rather unlikely steps are taken then I gather that democratic principles can be upheld and greater distribution of wealth can be achieved.

Conflict Resolution Styles in Organizational Behaviour Essay

Conflict is a process that every one of us has experienced throughout our lifes. There are various definitions of conflicts as described by different authors but generally, conflict is a process whereby one individual’s interests is opposed or negatively affected by the other party (McShane et al. 2010). Workplace and organisational conflicts are usually more complex. Isenhart and Spangle (2000) points out that at the beginning the conflict may start because of improper placement of workers and their responsibilities in a workplace, but it may get worse if they faces unfair rules, ineffective management, unclear responsibilities or too much work assigned. Organisational conflicts can result in many possible outcomes, the negatives ones such as damaged employee relations, violence, increased tension between bosses and employees but it can have positive outcomes too such as increased employee-cohesiveness and increased motivation. How it will be achieved will be discussed throug h the elements of conflict and will be listed in greater details. Ways in which people approach conflict Avoiding Avoiding is probably the fastest way of resolving a conflict but at the same time it is not the best way because most of the time the avoider will remain unhappy even after the conflict. It does not permanently resolve the conflict (McShane et al. 2010) and in my opinion it is just ‘postponing’ the problem to have it solved at a later date. McCollum et al. (2009) states that the person who is avoiding thinks that confronting the conflict will bring more trouble than it is worth. The avoider also decides to not deal with the conflict because he or she might not have the confidence to do so. This seems like the more popular choice amongst the five ways in which people approach conflict based on my experiences because people simply do not want unnecessary trouble or aggravate the problem, especially if it is a minor issue. Avoiding pays no attention in concerns of either self or others (Kotthoff & Spencer-Oatey 2008). This is the least-sought option amongst the five approac hes but however, McCollum et al. (2009) suggests that avoiding can be a tactical approach when the other party has more strength and authority over you; and/or the avoiding the conflict will bring little or no devastating consequences. Problem-Solving I deemed this to be the most effective way in resolving organisational conflicts because both parties will benefit if they manage to find a double-win solution to the problem. This is considered to be the most desirable approach to conflict as there are no negative impacts at all. Only positive results will surface. Runde & Flanagan (2009) suggests that there might be a link between avoiding and problem-solving. Because many people tend towards avoidance, they often rush through problem solving and immediately use the first solution that they can think of so as to quickly get over the conflict, without any beneficial solutions. The key in using problem-solving as an approach to resolve conflicts lies in having patience to create multiple potential solutions. Careful reflection and consideration will progress into agreements that are both satisfying and successful (Runde & Flanagan 2009). Therefore when undergoing problem-solving, both parties must not rush to a solution immediately o r else the solution may backfire or do not satisfy both parties’ needs. Three strategies that help people manage conflict Before discussing about the three different strategies that help people to manage conflict, the strategies used are basically divided into three categories and they are interest-based, rights-based and power-based (Jameson 2001). Three different strategies from the three categories will be discussed respectively. Jameson (2001) advises that all resolutions of disputes and conflicts should start with a interest-based strategy, and if it does not resolves the conflict, it is followed by a rights-based strategy and if conflict persists, power-based strategy is then applied. Mediation (Interest-based) Jameson (2001) suggests that mediation is a form of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution). Research has shown that interest-based strategies such as mediation had the best long-termed results such as improved relationship between parties, greater commitment to solutions and reduced future conflicts from happening. This is why involved parties in a conflict should use this approach as it reaps the most benefits. Even though there are many theories and various methods underlying mediation, it is generally defined as an intervention by a neutral third party which facilitates the process but allow participants in the conflict to control the outcome (Jameson 2001). Depending on the severity of the conflict, the mediator is to provide useful information in legal issues, help the participants into perspective thinking, provide a guide in finding the most satisfying and realistic settlement, help to improve the working/personal relationship between participants, or engage in some combination of the above methods. Inquisitorial Intervention (Rights-based) This describes intervention by a person of a higher authority; in most cases is the manager, who will make a final decision. Managers who adopt this strategy allow employees more or less control over presentation of their arguments before deciding on an appropriate solution (Jameson 2001). Because the third party(manager) listens to every party’s arguments before making a judgment, the manager acts as a ‘judge’ and this usually results in a win-lose situation, unlike Mediation which results in a win-win situation most of the time. Employees are given the opportunity to present their arguments and influence the final decision and this result in higher amount of fairness and satisfaction with outcomes. Employees involved in the conflict usually agree that the outcome decided by the third party is fair, but it could be better if they are able to retain the outcome control. Restructuring (Power-based) This is the more realistic popular method amongst power-based strategies because they are efficient (at least in the short run) and it follows a problem-solving procedure that is actually part of the managerial role (Jameson 2001). A powerful third party restructures the work and responsibilities of employees in order to solve problems. For example if employees does not see eye-to-eye with one another and it affects efficiency or quality of work produced, restructuring may simply solve this issue even though parties involved are not satisfied but at least they will not be able to see each other, proving restructuring to be a efficient method in the short run. This method may be efficient if time issues are being involved, such as the organisation needs to achieve a certain target by a certain date. Influence of culture in conflict resolution styles The three cultural values dimensions that are popularly discussed are individualism-collectivism, power distance and high-low context (McShane et al. 2010). Low/high context: refers to the amount of information contained in a clearly-expressed message versus implied message (Adair et al. 2004). Low-context culture is direct and negotiations are analytical and fact-based, while high-context culture is indirect and high-context negotiators tend to use an indirect communication method with usually contains implied meanings. An example of a low-context culture would be the United States of America and a high-context culture will be Japan (Adair et al. 2004). Individualism/Collectivism: Individualism refers to a society where the relationships between people are loose and they are expected to look after themselves or their immediate families only. Collectivism which is the opposite, refers to a society that people focus on being harmonious and emphasize on cohesiveness within themselves. In organisational context, individualism means individuals only care about their own goals and prefer to work alone and collectivism means working harmoniously in a teams and it emphasizes on teamwork. Power distance: McShane et al. (2010) defines power distance as the degree of importance that people place on status and power to control. Basically it means that human inequality may occur in many fields such as status, wealth, power, rules etc. In organisational settings it refers between superiors/managers and employees mainly. In a high power distance working environment, employees tend to just do their work without raising doubts or question their bosses, due to fear in the difference of their power, low power distance means otherwise, where employees and their superiors work hand in hand to resolve issues. A few decades ago, managers can spend up to twenty percent of their time in resolving conflicts. Nowadays, conflicts are generally much more complex and take up more time to resolve due to technological advances, world’s exponential growth rate and globalization which led to increase contacts between people of many different cultures (Kotthoff & Spencer-Oatey 2008). This suggests that our modern world has an increase of numbers of cultural conflicts and they are usually hard to resolve due to the extreme range of differences in thinking, values, ethics etc between individuals of different cultures. To further elaborate on this point, Brigg (2008) states that most experts in this field now come to an agreement that culture frames the experiences of conflict of people, their reactions and responses to other people in conflict, and the types of strategies they might consider to manage or otherwise address disputes. Therefore when facing against a cultural conflict issue, one must understand that the other party does not grow up in the same environment as him/her, had not been taught the same teachings and values since young. To put in simpler terms, the definition of what is right and what is correct might not be the same between the two parties. This also explains why it is so difficult in applying conflict resolution styles when it comes to cultural conflicts because it is hard to accept the other party’s â€Å"correct† values which may be the â€Å"wrong† values of one as both of them have been gorged those values since young in their growing up environment. Conclusion Two ways of conflict-handling styles were discussed and avoiding can be a good approach sometimes despite many of its negativity and although problem-solving is the best approach, it cannot be rushed and many potential solutions must be raised in order to finding the best solution. Three strategies from three different categories of conflict resolution styles were discussed and despite the major differences in terms of popularity of usage and way of handling, all the three strategies can produce effective results in organisational settings if they were applied in the correct circumstances. Three cultural values dimensions were discussed and it was also explained that influence of culture in conflict resolution styles remains fundamentally significant and it is currently the most challenging in conflict resolution.

The Manual Method compered to ICT

I did not have to use any form of computer of ICT equipment to do this task, as it could have been done by hand. To do this I would take a piece of paper and pencil and draw the company logo and either by freehand, or with the use of stencils could have written out all of the information required and then included the vacancy details. To keep a track of the staff wages and production situation I could have used a card for each position. This would keep all of the job details including: shift times and rates of pay etc. I could use an adding machine to calculate pay, tax and national insurance etc. This manual system would be very time consuming considering the staff wages needs to be recalculated on a regular basis. THE BENEFITS OF ICT The use of ICT is of great benefit for this type of system as once the details are created for the first time they can be used over and over again. This can be done by saving the original spreadsheet and pay slip template then recalling it each time it has to be used. The spread sheet and pay slip can be updated easily by adding, removing or changing information. No need to start all over again each time a week, no need for a rubber or correction fluid if you make a mistake or want to delete information. I have the use of tools such as spelling or grammar checking, I can easily experiment with different size and shape of typeface, I can use colour, clipart, boarders, word-art, tables and frames to make the pay slip easier to read. By using a spreadsheet, similar features as above can be used for adding, changing and deleting information. The uses of formulas help with calculations these are redone automatically each time workers details might change. For example the user would not have to recalculate the total pay or the number of hours worked or garments produced, if job roles changed or wages went up or down, income tax and national insurance can change at least on a yearly basis. Spreadsheets are used as modelling tools to make predictions. For example, as manager could see the over all cost of the company staffing if there was to be a 3% pay rise or pay cut for all of the staff, or if they were to increase or decrease the piece rate for the number garments produced. If a manager had to make a report about these predictions he or she could use the chart functions within the spreadsheet to create a graphical of these situations. ICT has made great steps in the communication of information, files can be sent and received by e-mail instantaneously. Data can be passed around a network for other users to access or the system could be placed on a disk or CD-ROM, which could be used to keep it safe or to pass it to other places or sites.

9-11 and how it affected the United States Essay

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a day that devastated our entire nation and changed the lives of every American in some way. This was one of the most horrible tragedies in our nations history, because of all the lives lost and the twin towers that were demolished. The events that took place on September 11 had an outstanding effect on our country. The 9-11 tragedy was terrible yet unforgettable event. One year after this tragedy feels like a very short period of time. There was Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma City, and now 9-11 is added to the list of American tragedies. With all the deaths of 9-11 almost everyone knows someone or knows someone who knows someone that was either in the World Trade Center and survived or died in the World Trade Center. This is an extremely sad but true way to look at it. Our country now tries to move on from this terrible experience, but will never forget it. 9-11 affected everyone as a whole as well as personally. See more:Â  Social Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay For better or for worse the September 11 tragedy changed America. Besides taking thousands of lives and knocking down the Twin Towers this tragedy has brought our nation closer together. We will now have another topic to add to the history books and pass on to prevent something like this from happening again. All Americans will remember where they were when the Twin Towers went down. Another affect anyone can see all around our country is patriotism. Everyone now has new pride in the United States. Although the events of 9-11 took so much away from us it made our country stronger as a whole.

Explain the welfare requirements and guidance of the relevant early year’s framework Essay

Explain the welfare requirements and guidance of the relevant early year’s framework Welfare requirements were bought in, in September 2008 as part of the EYFS welfare requirements and are compulsory. These are split into 5 groups which our operational planning covers. Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare has legal and statutory guidance, general legal requirements cover and as a setting we must take necessary steps to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. We must promote the good health of children and take necessary steps to prevent cross infections, and take appropriate action when they are ill. Children’s behaviour must be managed effectively and in a manner appropriate for their stage of development and particular individual needs. Specific legal requirements and statutory guidance covers safeguarding, information and complaints, premises and security, outings, equality of opportunities, medicines, illness and injuries, food and drink, smoking and behaviour management; these cover the many day to day activities we provide as a nursery. Suitable people include vetting procedures, health, training levels, qualifications and ratio and staff qualification levels. Suitable premises covers children are looked after that premises and environments are safe. Organisation is more to do with the promotion of learning and development. This is where planning and organising of settings systems provide each child with fun, yet challenging learning and development experiences to meet the child’s individual needs. Like key workers promote equality of opportunities and anti-discriminate behaviour, sensitive observations, fire detecting equipment, suitable for all users, meets all the health and safety regulations. Documentation records and documentation that is kept in the setting referring to policies and procedures required for the safe and efficient management of the setting and to meet children’s individual needs. All records are kept in accordance with the data protection act 1998 and the freedom of information act 2000 and children must have certain data kept on them at the setting; such as their name, date of birth, and address, emergency contact details.

Dbq Regarding the Literary Responses to World War 1 from 1914 to 1928 Essay

Historical Context: World War 1 (1914-1918) was a war that was inevitable, but almost entirely underestimated. As the war dragged on for four years and millions of lives were expended in the name of victory, many were greatly impacted culturally, mainly Europeans and Americans. In what was known as the lost generation, many poets and writers developed new forms of literature in response to the devastating consequences of the war. DBQ Prompt: Identify and analyze the various European and American literary responses to World War 1 created during the war and in the decade after the end of World War 1. Document #1 ————————————————- Source: Paul Valà ©ry, French poet and critic, â€Å"The Crisis of the Mind,† evaluation of European mind and civilization (1920). ————————————————- ————————————————- The storm has died away, and still we are restless, uneasy, as if the storm were about to break. Almost all the affairs of men remain in a terrible uncertainty. We think of what has disappeared, and we are almost destroyed by what has been destroyed; we do not know what will be born, and we fear the future, not without reason†¦ Doubt and disorder are in us and with us. There is no thinking man, however shrewd or learned he may be, who can hope to dominate this anxiety, to escape from, this impression of darkness. ————————————————- Document #2 ————————————————- Source: Roland Leighton, British soldier serving in France, letter to fiancà © Vera Brittain (1915). ————————————————- ————————————————- Among this chaos of twisted iron and splintered timber and shapeless earth are the fleshless, blackened bones of simple men who poured out their red, sweet wine of youth unknowing, for nothing more tangible than Honour or their Country’s Glory or another’s Lust of Power. Let him who thinks that war is a glorious golden thing, who loves to roll forth stirring words of exhortation, invoking Honour and Praise and Valour and Love of Country. Let him look at a little pile of sodden grey rags that cover half a skull and a shine bone and what might have been its ribs, or at this skeleton lying on its side, resting half-crouching as it fell, supported on one arm, perfect but that it is headless, and with the tattered clothing still draped around it; and let him realise how grand and glorious a thing it is to have distilled all Youth and Joy and Life into a foetid heap of hideous putrescence. ————————————————- Document #3 ————————————————- Source: Ernest Hemingway, American author and expatriate, â€Å"The Sun Also Rises,† expatriate character adventure (1926). ————————————————- ————————————————- You’re an expatriate. You’ve lost touch with the soil. You get precious. Fake European standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed with sex. You spend all your time talking, not working. You are an expatriate, see? You hang around cafes. ————————————————- Document #4 ————————————————- Source: F. Scott Fitzergerald, American writer, â€Å"This Side of Paradise,† examines post-war morality with fictional love plot (1920). ————————————————- I simply state that I’m a product of a versatile mind in a restless generation-with every reason to throw my mind and pen in with the radicals. Even if, deep in my heart, I thought we were all blind atoms in a world as limited as a stroke of a pendulum, I and my sort would struggle against tradition; try, at least, to displace old cants with new ones. I’ve thought I was right about life at various times, but faith is difficult. One thing I know. If living isn’t seeking for the grail it may be a damned amusing game. ————————————————- Document #5 ————————————————- Source: Eleanor Chaffer, French woman, poem â€Å"Lost Generation† published in a newspaper (1921). ————————————————- ————————————————- Look not for the flower of innocence in these eyes, ————————————————- Gravely and silently they have looked on death, ————————————————- Seen terror rain down from unfriendly skies, ————————————————- Learned while yet infants how frail is man’s breath. ————————————————- They have turned from a landscape where the ground ————————————————- Is poisoned and destroyed: give them a toy ————————————————- And it is held in their hands with no sound ————————————————- Of childish mirth. This solemn-faced small boy ————————————————- Is older than his father: in his face, ————————————————- Wisdom is the ghost that will not leave; ————————————————- The world to him is a wild and dangerous place; ————————————————- No covert here where he may hide and grieve. ————————————————- Look well on these, and on the world we made ————————————————- As heritage for them — and be afraid! Document #6 ————————————————- Source: Wilfred Owen, English poet and soldier, Dulce et Decorum Est, addressed to his mother, written 1917, published later (1920) ————————————————- ————————————————- If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory That old lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori ————————————————- Document #7 ————————————————- Source: D.H. Lawrence, English novelist and poet, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, fictional protagonist has a love affair, examines structural morale (1928). ————————————————- ————————————————- Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard work: there is now no smooth road into the future: but we go round, or scramble over the obstacles. We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen. ————————————————- Document #8 ————————————————- Source: Kathe Kollwitz, German expressionist artist, The Survivors (1922), by Kathe Kollwitz ————————————————- .

Project Management Strategic Issues Assignment

Project Management Strategic Issues - Assignment Example The design of the building was given by  Enric  Miralles  and the construction of the building started in June 1999. The project was a constant target of disagreement and condemnation for the choice of the site, complex design and costs incurred. The final completion date of the building was in 2004, which was almost three years behind the original schedule and the project overran the cost of ?40m to ?414m which was many folds higher than the allocated budget. The major reason for the cost overrun as explained in the public enquiry by Peter Fraser in 2003 were the inefficient methods in which most important design changes were executed by the  Holyrood  project team. The paper undertakes a detailed study of the Scottish Parliament project, the reasons of the failure of the project, the course of direction as the project advanced to its final stage and the  recommendations  that could have saved the failure of the project followed by conclusion. ... The Management appeared to be unable to give a clear perception of the Quality v/s Cost aspect of the Project, which led to complications later on.  The initial cost estimate of the New Project at  Holyrood  was  GBP  40  Miilion, subsequently revised to  GBP  50 Million. However this was never believed to have any sanctity. The Acting Minister of Scotland, Mr. Donald Dewar desired the project to be completed as early as possible. The process of selecting the Construction Management was done without adequate regard for the risk factors. Quality was the over-riding priority in the scheme of things, rather than cost and timely execution. It was much later when the delay became a very visible issue that stress was laid on completing it early. Even at that stage no rescheduling of the work to reflect the acceleration of pace was done. The cost escalated unreasonably because of the numerous design additions and alterations demanded by the client. Fig 2: Escalated Costs sin ce Sep 2000 2.2 Lack of Budget Clarity The Project was managed through Construction by Contracting.  The utilization of this type  of project management methodology permits the initiation of the on-site construction before the finalization of the complete project design. This strategy helps to reduce the time. However, in the case of the  Holyrood  project, no main contractor was hired  initially  and the client hired as many as 60 small time individual contractors whose services were taken up at different times. These individual contractors were to work under a construction management  firm  and the client remained the employer at all times. However, this  method turned