BUS599 MoD 1 SLP Assign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BUS599 MoD 1 SLP Assign - Essay Example ents are quite sensitive to its prices, but do not mind on issues ascribed to its performance; clients do not mind any variation caused on its performance, but mind its prices and clients prices as well as the performance of X7 is given equal priorities by its clients. This research will focus on an analysis of the financial years of the three products, basically taking into consideration; pricing, marketing strategies and allocation of resources thus creating an effective platform for development of appropriate operational strategies for the financial year 2016. Financial Year 2012: The respective prices of tablets X5, 6 and 7 during this financial year was; 285, 430 and 190 dollars. The products also experienced variations in cost allocation at rate of 34% for X5 and 33% each for X6 and X7. In summation, the company made sales amounting to 1,055,294,574 dollars after selling 3,102,177 units. The R&D, fixed and variable costs exhibited a sum of 784, 720, 740 dollars. The profit margins during this year was at 270, 573, 835 dollars, indicating a 26% increase of the total yearly revenue. Taking into consideration the profits accrued in 2011, the 2012 profit margin indicated a 10% increase. In relation to individual product market performance, product X5 sold more units as compared to product X6 and X7 by registering sales amounting to 1,647,592 units: This generated annual revenue of 469,563, 809 dollars with a product profit of $139, 504, 962, generating 30% of the overall annual revenue of the product. The product X7 indicated the lowest sa les during this year, after exhibiting sales amounting to 165, 586 units leading to reduced profit of 27% less as compared to the previous year, which was at 0%. Generally, the annual revenue generated from the three products during this year indicated an upward trend, despite the fact that product X 7 indicated decreased profit margins. Financial Year 2013: The Clipboard Tablet Company designated prices of the three products

Film Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film - Assignment Example Its presence or absence does not affect the main story’s message. b. Dugan’s murder is part of the plot because it gives additional reason or motivation as to why Terry would start doubting and turning his back on Johnny near the movie’s ending. It can also be a part of the story to show the ruthlessness of Johnny in dealing with those that stand in his way. c. Dugan’s testimony is part of the plot because it gives is part of a series of events that would lead up to Terry’s testimonial against Johnny later in the movie. The presence or the absence of the testimony would not affect the main theme of the movie d. Terry’s dive in the ring can both be a part of the story and the plot. It is a part of the story because it shows why Terry ended up in the docks instead of a career in boxing. It can also be a part of the plot because it would lead up to Terry becoming part of Johnny’s gang ruling the docks. 4. During the opening sequence of the movie, Munny’s balance can be seen as rather distorted, due to the loss of his wife. His crises were precipitated by the death of his wife, his inability to tend to his pigs that were getting sick with some fever, and a young man showing up in his farm to enlist his help in killing two thugs, criminal acts which he had left behind after marrying his wife (Eastwood). The fact that he is being enlisted to kill hoodlums added to Munny’s internal conflict of choosing to be a person of peace. After the young man showed up in his doorstep he started having doubts as to whether staying as the mild-mannered man his wife hoped him to be was a better option than getting back on the road and taking another person’s life in exchange for a lot of money. Since he wasn’t going to kill innocent men anyway, he chose the latter and left his children alone in the

The Corinthia Palace Hotel Company Ltd Company Tourism Essay

The Corinthia Palace Hotel Company Ltd Company Tourism Essay With 380 million international arrivals annually and market share of more than 40% of global tourism Europe commands the position as the number one tourist destination European Commission Vice-president Antonio Tajani- Journal of the Institute of Tourism Studies Dec 2010 pg 30. Company History Corinthia Palace Hotel Company Ltd is a Maltese registered company that owns The Corinthia Palace Hotel and Spa. The hotel enjoys a central location in the San Anton area. This Boutique style hotel neighbours both the Official Residence of the President of the Republic of Malta and the San Anton Botanical Gardens. Initially in 1920s, the site was a private residence called Villa Refalo, which was later sold to the Pisani family in 1959. (IL-Haddiem, 1968). The villa was transformed into the Corinthia Restaurant in the 1962. The company name Corinthia stems from the trademark columns that remain a prominent feature in the Villa Corinthia Restaurant. The restaurant prospered and was particularly popular with both locals and expatriates on field breaks from Libya. The success of this fine dining restaurant led the Pisani family to engage the services of architect Dom Mintoff, who designed and supervised the building of one of the finest hotels of its time. The hotel was amongst one of the first five star hotels in Malta to have full conference facilities in addition to 141 rooms, 11 suites, Garden Spa and 5 food and beverage outlets. The official opening of the hotel in the June of 1968, was conducted in the presence of then Minister of Education, Culture and Tourism, Doctor George Borg Olivier, His Excellency Duke of Edinburgh and renowned actor Roger Moore. The success of this enterprise has set the foundation for Corinthia Group of Companies, as we know it today. The group is organised into four business units, each of which plan and implement well-defined strategies driven by single objective of continued growth. The unanimity of purpose, to achieve our founders vision, towards expanding the Corinthia Portfolio Internationally, is driven by Mr Alfred Pisani himself. To date the company owns or operates sixteen hotels in nine countries. Mission Our Mission is to provide our guests with the craftsmanship of care Company Philosophies The company philosophy is primarily based on the core values, mainly integrity, honesty, trust and respect, which form the foundation of relationships within the Corinthia Group as well as with our customers and business partners. Definition of an Industry. There are numerous sources that provide a definition of an Industry, however, the succinct description in The Oxford English Dictionary of an industry is as follows :- a particular form or branch of economic or commercial activity Snapshot of the Tourism Industry in Malta Economic Performance According to its 2010 report  [1]  , Travel and Tourism contributes towards 19.4% of the GDP (EUR1,151.4 million) with a forecasted increase of a further 3.6 % by 2020. Export earnings from International Visitors is expected to reap in the region of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 777 million with a forecasted growth to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 1443.4 million in 2020. Currently, 23.7% of the labour market are employed in industry related occupations and it is anticipated that this will rise to 28.9 % by 2020. These statistics substantiate that Travel and Tourism is perceived to remain one of the key engines for growth for the Maltese Economy. Tourist Performance Although the National Statistics Office has not issued the official statistics for 2010 Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism estimated that the total number of Tourists to the island was in the region of 1.3 million  [2]  . This is an .1 million increase on 2009 figures  [3]   Capacity : The National Statistics Office December news release Collective accommodation establishments :Oct 2010 reported that there are a total of 158 accommodation establishments on the Maltese Islands which equates to a total bedstock of 17,966 . During the month of October statistic report that the total amount of non resident arrivals in109,581 visitors who stayed an average stay of 6.3 nights. 5 Star Hotels on the Island Currently , there are a total of fifteen accommodation establishments that are classified with a 5 star rating. During the month of October, this accommodation tier enjoyed an occupancy of 73 %. Having an information at hand is invaluable when assessing the viability of an industry. The World Travel and Tourism Council uses set Indices which can be valuable to ascertaining an Industrys attractiveness and future economic potential. The use of PESTLE to scan the Broad Environment for drivers of change There are numerous characteristics or strategic elements that can influence the life cycle of the local tourism industry. One organisation, acting independently, may have very little influence on the broad environment: however, the forces in this environment can have a tremendous impact on the organisation (Enz, C.A, 2010).p16  [4]  . Consequentially, if one was to consider this statement in todays local business scenario, it consolidates the school of thought that theres a limited likelihood that organisations have opportunities to influence the broad environment. However, according to The principle of Enactment organisations do not have to submit to the existing forces in the environment. (St.John, Harrison ,2010)  [5]  . One example of how this is validated in the local context, is through management agreements that hoteliers have formed with Internationally renowned Brands. In contrast, the Corinthia Palace Hotel, has established its own brand called Corinthia Hotels International Ltd (CHI Ltd). The strategic choice to create a Maltese Brand is a means to differentiate between the International brand names such as Hilton, Inter Continental, Marriot and Starwood Hotels that currently operate on the Island. Through a concept of backward integration the Corinthia Brand has eliminated having to pay substantial contributions to third party Management Companies by forming its own unique Brand. Additionally, it has been able to penetrate the International Tourism Industry by offering Management Contracts to overseas operators in the Industry. The task of measuring competitiveness is full of complexities as there are numerous forces at play. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to have a thorough understanding of both the potential threats and opportunities available. This will then provide the basis for which a company responds to trends and influences by integrating its resources to achieve a strategic advantage on its competitors. Local firms competing within the Tourism Industry invariably have similar resources available to them. Additionally, each will be challenged by similar forces. Therefore, it is safe to assume that most will pursue similar strategies. However, the company that best acclimatises itself through capitalising on its strengths, its unique resources and capabilities is more likely to be successful. All organisations formulate business plans that will enable the firm to use its core competencies to achieve its mission, goals and strategies. PESTLE Analysis Therefore, in order for any business enterprise to adapt to the broad environmental forces it is common practice to analyse key indicators in the macro environment by situational analysis. The four areas that are believed to influence and form the context in which the firm operates are as follows :- Political Forces Economical Forces Socio cultural Forces Technological Forces The Political Environment can significantly influence an industry and organisations. Economic Performance Political Scenario in Malta The tou The Maltese Government recognises that Tourism is a key contributor to the Maltese Economy. The government has collaborated with Public Employment Services, Educational Institutions and Social partners to invest and improve on the current skills set of the current labour market. The broad environment. Forces within both the Broad and Task environment are critical determinants for strategy formulation for any organisation. However, the core of a firms business environment is formed by its interaction and between three key stakeholders and their impact on the market place :- Customers, Suppliers, Competitors. This is more commonly known as the Task Environment. All contemporary organisations within all Industries face forces that can significantly affect profitability. If a firm understands these forces, then it can develop a business level strategy that allows the business to either take advantage or protect itself from these forces, which in turn allows the firm to be consistently profitable.'(Ahlstrom.D,2009)  [6]  . Although many business models exist, most companies use the framework of environmental understanding established by Economist Michael Porter to measure potential of an in Industry. Porters Five Forces Model In the March- April 1979, one of the most cited authors in Business and Economics, Professor Micheal. E. Porter, published an article in the Harvard Business Review, titled How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy.  [7]  . In this article he wrote : Competition in an industry is rooted in its underlying economics, and competitive forces exist that go well beyond the established combatants in a particular industry. Customers, suppliers, potential entrants, and substitute products are all competitors that may be more or less prominent or active depending on the industry. The state of competition in an industry depends on five basic forces. The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit potential of an industry. This article formed the basis of Porters Five Forces Model. This user friendly model is now widely applied by many organisations to formulate the firms business level strategy. Corinthia Palace Hotel is no exception. Key strategic decision makers within the company use this model in their business plan to represent their analysis of the dynamics of the competitive structure and each forces influences the Maltese Tourist Industry . Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining Power of Suppliers Threat of New Entrants The Threat of Substitute Products or Services Function The hotel has two primary functions which are to provide accommodation and catering services to travellers. Market Although perceived as a business hotel, the main market is leisure travellers. The tour operator and Leisure Segments constitute approximately 64% of the hotels market share. The company enjoys amongst the highest customer retention rate within the Corinthia group, averaging in the region of 20%. Suppliers

Educational Goals and Philosophy :: Education Teaching Careers Essays

Educational Goals and Philosophy In this day in age, opposing views and philosophies are emerging in the public school systems quicker that we can really develop a thorough understand and sound, sturdy opinion of them. As an educator, I believe it is important to be supportive and open-minded for the students. My concern is not only for the students’ education, but also their personal well being and emotions. Every student is raised differently, with beliefs and morals that may oppose the beliefs of their fellow students and teachers, as well as other members of their community. These students should not feel segregated or suffer from the harsh words and acts of others that may disagree with their views. My job is to secure the feelings of each student and to help them realize that this is one of life’s lessons and that they should face the world with an open mind and warm heart. These ideas represent my own personal beliefs. After reviewing the several different philosophies discussed in my education class, I have come to realize that I do not believe in one particular philosophy. I agree with several aspects of each of the different philosophies that are prominent in our nation’s schools. My classroom is going to be a positive learning environment and a comfortable, welcoming setting for all of my students. To be a great teacher, I need to be able to understand where my students are coming from when they express their concerns or show signs of confusion, pain, or any other behaviors that do not correspond with their personality. I want to know my students on an individual basis where I can have a loving, caring, understanding and open relationship with them and still gain their respect for me as an educator. The teachers that remain in my memory the most where the ones that thoroughly taught their lessons and strived to help each individual student understand the material and work to their fullest potential. These teachers were also the ones who expressed the most care and love for their students. They worked to develop a strong bond with each individual student so that they may feel secure and comfortable in their classroom, knowing that if they ever needed any help or support, their teacher was always the one they could turn to for guidance.

Gladstone’s liberalism

This question focuses on Gladstone's liberalism and to what extent he applied it during his first ministry, 1868-74. Liberalism is a political philosophy that stresses individual liberty, equal opportunity and rights, Victorian liberalism was a mixture of ideology, morality and self-interest, and it advocated civil and religious liberty. Gladstone was the embodiment of Victorian liberalism, he tried to put forward his liberalism but he often found that he fought a lone battle in the cabinet. To assess the extent of how much Gladstone's liberalism was applied during his first ministry, I will be looking at the acts that were passed during this period and looking at how liberal in nature they were. His attention was mainly focused on Ireland as he said in his own words â€Å"It is my mission to pacify Ireland†. He put forward 3 acts and bills concerning Ireland, at the time these were fairly controversial, as he was one of the first Prime Ministers to address the Irish question. The first act that Gladstone passed as Prime Minister was The Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act. This broke the connection between church and state and ended the Anglican church's status as the established church of Ireland, this aimed to reduce endowments and redistributing a third of its annual reserve to non-religious ends, e. g. improving hospitals. This was quite a liberal act as it allowed people to freely attend whichever church they wanted. This however showed Gladstone's willingness to solve a problem without appreciating its background and not understanding its immediate practical requirements. Th Irish Church Act was Gladstone's first liberal move and gave an indication of the path his future acts would take. His second act in 1870 was The Irish Land Act. This was initially one of his most liberal measures as it gave a lot of the protection to the tenant, the individual, but it was diluted so its effectiveness was reduced. It said that tenants should have greater protection from eviction and should be compensated if their rent was deemed excessive, be given compensation for improvements and repairs they had made and that new tenants should compensate the old tenants for their share in the property. The most important part of this at was the compensation if the rent was deemed excessive; Lord Salisbury objected to this clause as he said that no court had the right to adjudicate on the fairness of rent. This omission made the bill limited and unremarkable, this caused anger as it did not live up to its expectations and it failed to realise the aim of the land-lord. At first this bill promised to be a very important bill as it finally gave protection to the tenants but in the end it just made the tenants position less secure as land-lords could now freely increase rent as there was no-one to stop them. This should have been another success for Gladstone but after it had passed through parliament it became just another ordinary act. The Education Act of 1870 put forward by William Forster allowed for the continuation of denominational schools, but in districts where schooling was deficient a locally elected board would be set up. This had the power to organize schools and enforce the attendance of children aged between 5 and 12 who were not being educated in any other way, the boards could also decide whether religious teaching was to be given in their schools. This mainly benefited the working class who before had been unable to send their children to school because it was too expensive so the children went to work instead. The two main organizations involved in this act were the National Education League and Union. The League was non-conformist and wanted gratuitous secular education, the Union was Anglican and wanted religious teaching. The pressure resulting from the conflict between the two groups produced the Cowper Temple Clause; this meant that only non-denominational religious education was to be provided in schools receiving state aid. This was an important liberal act as it gave educational opportunities to the working class who had never before had the chance of free schooling. Other important acts included The 1870 Civil Service Act. This meant that all positions within the civil service were open to public competition, this was obviously a liberal act as it gave the opportunity to people to hold positions which had never been open to them as before a system of patronage was used. Army reforms were also introduced these were the 1871 Army regulation Act. The aim of this was â€Å"To combine in one harmonious whole all the branches of our military forces†, this abolished the system of purchase, an officer bought his commission and could sell it for whatever he could get, and also flogging in peacetime was abolished. The 1871 University Test Act made positions of teaching at Oxford and Cambridge open to non-Anglicans. The Ballot Act introduced the secret ballot, this meant that people could express their opinions without being persecuted. The Trade Union Act of 1871 legalized trade unions. Workers were now protected and had their interests looked after so if they felt that they were being treated unfairly they could do something about it. All of these acts cohered with the liberal philosophy, they gave long overdue equal rights and opportunities to everyone. One of the final acts by Gladstone was the Licensing Act of 1872. This tightened the control on licensing and fixed public houses opening and closing times, with this Gladstone did his party immense harm by alienating brewers and distillers who naturally turned to the conservatives. Gladstone had no doubt in his mind what had caused his election defeat in 1974, in a letter to his brother he commented † We have been borne down in a torrent of gin and beer†, this act did more harm than good and ended Gladstone's first ministry. Gladstone's serious view of life, his devotion to progress and his insistence on justice and right made him a leader who was idolized or hated. His was the figurehead of liberalism and his many liberal acts showed how passionate he was about it. He was not a great Prime minister but during his first ministry he tried very hard to spread liberalism that appealed rather to a particular mentality that might be found in all classes, so in fact it was above class. In conclusion Gladstone's liberalism was his belief in equal opportunities, in an era when this was not available to everyone it was a very brave belief as many of the population could not afford schooling, but thanks to Gladstone this problem was now fixed. He applied his liberalism to a great extent as he introduced some very important changes, these being the Education and Irish Church acts. The way his ministry ended showed that he had not finished and more was to come, mainly his pursuit of Irish Home Rule. He was probably more important for what he was than what he did.

Delamere Vineyard Essay

â€Å"Delamere Vineyard is a small, integrated winemaking business in Tasmania, specializing in pinot noir (red) and chardonnay (white) wines. Richard Richardson, Delamere’s owner and winemaker, manages and operates the vineyard and winery largely alone. His products have won praise and awards in the past, but Richardson strives continuously to improve. Delamere competes in the high-priced segment, in which quality is paramount. Richardson is well equipped as a winemaker–with a Ph.D. in agricultural chemistry and 15 years’ experience.† (Harvard Business School, 2000) Winemaking is a very exclusive, yet competitive business that requires great care and understanding of customer demands. Problem Richard Richardson, winemaker at Delamere Vineyard, is facing a change in his production of wine with uncertainty because of his ongoing desire to improve quality and sales. He has relied on his scientific knowledge to steer his company and now would like to move forward and improve his quality of wine and increase profit. Richardson is in the process of upgrading his production process to produce a better quality product based on customer satisfaction and wine critics, and needs to make a decision on how he will implement this. Objectives/Goals Richard Richardson is facing challenges for the new direction of his company. He needs to make some decisions as to his innovative way of wine production to enhance the quality and increase his profit and sales. Richardson needs to improve customer satisfaction for his pinot noir and chardonnay wines. Richardson has to improve his marketing and advertising for the vineyard to increase sales and profit. Richardson needs to find a niche in the wine industry and set his wine apart from the other vineyards. Richardson has been making mediocre wine for the past 15 years and desires to set his company apart by increasing the quality and production of his wine to boost profit and sales. â€Å"At the establishment of his vineyard, Richardson had drawn inspiration from his scientific training and the advice and example of others who preceded him† (Harvard Business School, 2000). Richardson needs to focus on the process of developing quality wine with the purpose of meeting a large percentage of customer satisfaction without sacrificing capital or increase costs in production over a long period of time. Since Richardson is fixated on two types of winemaking, he needs to focus on the ways to improve quality and control outcome to maintain consistency throughout the years. Customers are quick to notice subtle changes in wine quality and are apt to err on the side of caution when deciding on future purchases. Wholesalers are the wineries main source of sales and they â€Å"sought consistent quality at a moderate price, and favored wines that would have wide appeal by being made in a recognizable and popular style† (Harvard Business School, 2000). Richardson is very emotionally attached to his business and takes the entire role of decision making upon himself. Richardson needs to consider insight into new trends in winemaking and procedures that have worke d in the past with other vineyards. Delamere Vineyards should be a family business built on the constant goal of improving production, distribution, sales and quality. Analysis Delamere Vineyard is currently producing pinot noir and chardonnay wines at varying qualities to satisfy the demands of the consumers. Richardson has been working on his wine selection and vineyard for 15 years and is now in search of improvement of for quality of wine. Scientific knowledge has allowed him to start and continue his business of wine making with little knowledge of the process most winemakers go through to produce a quality and enjoyable wine selections. Richardson, while his process so far has yielded positive results, is in need of reevaluating his production process and possibly the distribution process to increase his business. Richardson bears the entire responsibility of decision making for the company. â€Å"While instinct coupled with analysis may make a powerful decision-making combination, beware intuition’s pitfalls. Often, your gut is just plain wrong – because it’s subject to biases† (HBR, 2001). Decisions that involve where a company’s future is headed and changes in operations must be made with a clear head, and the long time notion of three heads are better than one should come into play. Richardson admits that sales is dependent on the quality of the wine. The process of winemaking is difficult to specifically characterize and replicate for consistency. Richardson has pinpointed some areas in his business where improvement can be made to set his wine apart from the competition while increasing productivity and sales. His first option involves â€Å"consideration to amend winemaking procedures to eliminate the possibility of oxidation as the wine matured. Excessive contact with oxygen, along with other chemicals, induced compounds called aldehydes, which could create a distinct and unpleasant flaw in the wine’s taste, unforgettable bitter aroma somewhat akin to stale oil, along with an unattractive browning of the color† (Delamere Vineyard, 2000). This option leads to a constant output of good quality wine. This process will allow Richardson to attract a large amount of customers through both mail order and wholesalers due to the fact that this process can produce the same type of wine product every year. Customers tend to feel at ease purchasing wine from distributors who have produced the same product on a constant b asis and feel comfortable with the level of quality. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is the â€Å"wonder drug† to combat oxidation in the winemaking process. Considering the fact that most winemakers tend to agree that the introduction of sulfur dioxide (SO2) is the failsafe solution to preventing oxidation, the decision to incorporate some level of sulfur dioxide should be definitely considered and implemented. Richardson claims that he presently includes a small amount of sulfur dioxide into his winemaking process and it debating his new approach; continue his current process, increase his SO2 or spend time and money and waste some of his product to develop the correct scientific method for the incorporation of sulfur dioxide. Logic and reasoning would conclude that Richardson should stick with industry standards when it comes to the level of sulfur dioxide to add to the winemaking process since it has been proven time and again with success. He is dissatisfied with his current wine production, and therefore, he should not even consider the approach of â€Å"doing nothing† when it comes to preventing oxidation in his wine. The long term benefits of spending time perfecting the process of how much sulfur dioxide to add to the mix could be beneficial to Delamere Vineyard. Richardson has the ultimate goal of setting his wine apart from other manufacturers while keeping the small family business image. He is already well versed and educated in science and would not need to enlist in outside help to spend time perfecting his process. Sticking with the status quo on the mixture will likely ensure consistency in the short run, but prove to be a common type of wine in the industry. â€Å"Over the years, various management studies have found that executives routinely rely on their intuitions to solve complex problems when logical methods (such as a cost-benefit analysis) simply won’t do. In fact, the consensus is that they higher up on the corporate ladder people climb, the more they’ll need well-honed business instincts. In other words, intuition is one of the X factors separating the men from t he boys† (HBR, 2001). Richardson is more likely to trust his scientific knowledge and experiment with possible scenarios to advance his understanding of the winemaking process to guide him towards perfection. Richardson’s second possible project involves finding a way to deepen the color of his red wine. Richardson is convinced that his main market Australians would be more likely to purchase his wine if it had a fuller red hue. Richardson identified that other manufacturers succeeded in darkening their wine by providing a longer maceration before and following fermentation and introducing higher temperatures during fermentation. The dilemma was that Richardson was already performing these tasks with his current wine, which meant his only option would be to transition from his currently fermentation process to a more sophisticated one. This process would cost the vineyard $30,000 to purchase and at least 10% of product with no real assurance that it will be successful. The cost-benefit of this approach will lead to Richardson risks capital that he doesn’t have available to waste to hopefully produce a product that has a hue preferred by his customers. Managers â€Å"apply factual research to historical precedent that’s so widely accepted in an organization that it’s no longer challenged. Things deemed to be common knowledge are often the result of inferences made by the ‘primal’ mind – they’re a product of evolution, and so tend to be governed by emotions and instinct† (Harvard Management Update, 2002). Richardson has conflicting views on his long-term goals for his vineyard. On one spectrum he is focused and passionate about improving the quality and consistency of his wine and winemaking process to increase sales and profit. Richardson would also like to accomplish this in his small family owned business with almost the entire operating burden placed solely on himself. On the other hand, Richardson has mentioned the potential long-term growth benefits of quality improvements to his vineyard. Richardson has not made note to how his family owned vineyard would continue to operate should they increase production and sales of their product. Investing time and money into growing the company would require increased staff and land to store the wine barrels before sales and distribution. Richardson needs to weigh his options and focus on his own long term personal goals in addition to the organization. Does he want to be working for the next 30 years? Employing in outside sources of help will bring a fresh perspective to Richardson’s winemaking approach. Richardson’s third possible improvement is to determine the best mix of whole bunches, stalks, and de-stemmed grapes to include in his crush to speed up and automate production. When Richardson was evaluating this option, red flags were popping up at every point. Initially, he specified that is option did not solve any foreseeable problem with his winemaking process; therefore if there is no problem a solution cannot be developed. Second, this type of fermentation would require more space in his winery and limit his ability to control the entire winemaking process. Since most of his potential projects focused on more control in the development of wine, this idea actually contradicts Richardson’s problem with his vineyard. â€Å"The ability of managers to solve problems and make decisions rationally has long been assumed to be one of the valuable products of experience on the job. But close observation of their actually practices has shown that even veteran managers are likely to be very unsystematic when dealing with problems and decisions. And their hit-or-miss methods often produce decisions based on erroneous conclusions, which means that the decisions must also be wrong† (HBR, 1965). Any option that would increase his cost while not ensuring a definite increase in profit would be making a decision which would hinder the ability to prosper in the future. The small chance that altering the mix of grapes would result in a more complex and aromatic wine does not outweigh the potential result that the wine could rapidly turn to vinegar spoiling his entire vintage. Recommendations â€Å"Winemaking is capital intensive, in terms of both investment and working capital. Startup costs for even a small vineyard and winery were heavy, relative to anticipated cash flow† (Harvard Business School, 2000). Richardson needs to consider enlisting outside help experienced in the business of winemaking who can lend some insight into new trends in winemaking and procedures that have worked in the past with other vineyards. The ability to bounce ideas off other people who have knowledge in winemaking will allow Richardson to make future decisions without bias. He currently relies on intuition, past experience in his vineyard, and his scientific background to produce his wine. Richardson needs to incorporate a full-time staff that can use his ideas and industry standards to not only improve the quality of wine, but improve the manufacturing process which can develop his company as well. Richardson will not be able to run his family business as a one man shop when his sales double. Richardson would also benefit from removing his cognitive blinders in his company and investigate other vineyards that have been experiencing the same type of situations. Usually businesses experience the same types of problems in manufacturing and distribution, and learning from other companies mistakes will allow managers to make reasonable decisions with minimal risk. Richardson should prioritize his projects and develop a time line for completion based on the risk assessment. The idea of eliminating the oxidation in the mine is an option that will provide the least amount of financial loss. Richardson would be smart to start his project with industry standards for the introduction of sulfur dioxide while also taking time to use his scientific knowledge to find the perfect mixture for future vineyard growth and quality development of the pinot noir. Richardson would be foolish to entertain the idea of spending $30,000 which is almost half of his net income on a rotofermenter. The outcome would only generate a 10% increase in price and the cost-benefit/long-term benefit is nonexistent. In decision making, managers can take on the six thinking hats to solve the problem. The â€Å"black hat† in decision making allows â€Å"participants to identity hazards, risks, and other negative connotations. This is critical thinking, looking for problems and mismatches† (Six Thinking Hats, 2010). His â€Å"black hat† decision making skills should see that a 10% increase over a period of 1 year would only yield $25,000 if it succeeds. Richardson’s third project idea of switching to whole bunch fermentation will cost him too much in wine product spoilage, take away valuable winery space that could be used for extra wine barrels and produce no guaranteed profit if successful. This idea would be beneficial if Richardson would commit to long-term goals of increased staff, especially in the managerial capacity. This would also allow him to focus on perfecting his winemaking process while someone else could focus on day-to-day operations. Works Cited (2010, Aug. 6 ). In Six Thinking Hats. Retrieved Aug. 17, 2010, from http:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Thinking_Hats Hayashi, A. (2001). When to Trust Your Gut. Harvard Business Review, pp. 3-11. Stauffer, D. (2002). How Good Data Leads to Bad Decisions. Harvard Management Update, pp. 1-5. Stryker, P. (1965). Can You Analyze This Problem?. Harvard Business Review, pp. 73-78. West, J. (2000). Delamere Vineyard. Harvard Business School, pp. 1-21.

Immigration Camps or Hell Professor Ramos Blog

Immigration Camps or Hell Immigrants in the United States have been going through a very tough time, especially the ones that spend their days crowded in a cage like area with other immigrants. Videos have come out to the media showing the way that little children sleep with thin aluminum blankets and men gathered telling the reporters that they have not had enough food to eat and water to drink. It’s very heartbreaking to see parents being separated and sent back to their country and have to leave their children in the United States. A way to resolve this problem would be to reunite families back together. In this essay, I will be arguing that immigration camps should be fully shut down due to the terrible living conditions that the immigrants are put in and the high suicide rates and isolation that occur inside the camp. The first reason that immigrants should be reunited with their children and families is because of the terrible living conditions that they go through. Adam Serwer, a staff writer of The Atlantic, said, â€Å" It was difficult to move in any direction without jostling and being jostled.† They are given thin blankets but not enough hygiene products in order to keep clean. The children also together in a cement floor without their mothers. He also mentions that the ICE Officers don’t do anything to clean up the filth inside the camps. Serwer also compares the conditions of the current camp to the camp that used to hold Confederate prisoners. He quotes James McPherson, a historian who said, â€Å"13,000 of the 45,000 men imprisoned â€Å"died of disease, exposure, or malnutrition.† (McPherson par. 2). Henry Wirz, the warden of the prison during the Confederate War was arrested in 1865 and was accused of intending to â€Å"impair and injure the health and to destr oy the lives [of the prisoners], by subjecting [them] to torture and great suffering by confining in unhealthy and unwholesome quarters.† (McPherson par.3).   This should be able to show people why keeping immigrants insides camps in unethical and dangerous. Another situation that immigrants are put through is the food given to the men, women, and children. The food that is given to them is said to be inedible. Serwer got an actual confession from a person inside the camp saying that â€Å"The water provided them was foul,† of a dark color.† He also states â€Å" Our ration was in a quality a starving one, it being either too foul to be touched or too raw to be digested† (Serwer par.1).   Hamed Aleaziz, a BuzzFeed news reporter, states, â€Å" There was little access to hot showers or hot food for families and children in some facilities.† He also said that, â€Å"At two facilities, children and families did not have hot meals until the week the inspectors arrived† (Aleaziz par.1). Jonathan M. Katz, a journalist for The Los Angeles Times, explains that, â€Å"In the last year, at least seven migrant children have died in the federal custody.† And if no changes are made anytime soon by reuniting and closing the camps, more innocent men, women and children will continue to die under federal custody. The second reason for the closing would be that camps are also having a problem with the high suicide count that they have in their hands. Renuka Rayasam, a POLITICO based health care reporter states that, â€Å" One estimate puts the number of detainees with mental illnesses between 3,000 and 6,000.† Another statement that she has was that, â€Å"Detainees had made nouses from bed sheets in 15 of 20 cells in the facility they visited† (Rayasam par.1). Katz also says, â€Å" Memos surfaced by journalist Ken Klippenstein revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s failure to provide medical care was responsible for suicides and other deaths of detainees† (Katz par. 15). Due to all the suicides that have occured, Rayasam also states that, â€Å"Many of the migrants with mental illness are not stable enough to participate in their own legal proceedings, so they languish in detention.† Suicide isn’t the only problem that immigrants go th rough. Immigrants who are transgender or who have a mental illness are also kept isolated from all the other immigrants. Another difficulty that the migrant children is that â€Å"The Trump administration cut funding for classes, recreation and legal aid at detention centers holding minors†(Katz par. 3). He also says that â€Å"Months after being torn from their parent’s arms, 37 children were locked in vans for up to 39 hours in the parking lot of a detention center†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Katz. par.3) This is proof that shows the maltreatment that innocent children go through when they get separated from their parents and while they wait inside the camps. A solution that could help keep families together while still keeping an eye on the immigrants would be to keep them under community supervision. Alexia Fernandez Campbell, a politics and policy reporter for VOX explains that community supervision is a â€Å"Nonprofit group or government contractor provides families with social workers who help them find housing and transportation.† Another idea that is suggested by Campbell would be to â€Å"release immigrants with electronic monitoring, which generally involves placing GPS ankle monitors on adults and assigning them caseworkers† (Campbell par. 8). This would allow them to be reunited with their family members and their children wouldn’t have to live with other family members or be sent to foster care with unknown people. Social workers that would be assigned to each immigrant that was in the camp would also be able to supervise them outside of the jail. The mothers with children would also be able to get the c are that they needed from the asylum while being checked on with no problem. The article also says that, â€Å"The contractor that ran the program said that 99 percent of participants â€Å"successfully attended their court appearances and ICE check ins† (Campbell par. 15). This goes to show that the immigrants would want to follow the rules in order to try to stay in the United States.   In conclusion, the camps should be shut down due to terrible conditions that they’re going through daily. Even while being held, they should still be able to get the necessities that they need before they are sent back to their country or while they stay inside for asylum. Social workers could also make sure that they follow the rules in order to go through the immigration process. Innocent children shouldn’t have to die alone where they have access to medical care that could easily help them. They shouldn’t have to get so many terrible maltreatments while they wait for their fate in this country. Aleaziz, Hamed. â€Å"Investigators Found Immigrant Kids And Families Locked In Disgusting Conditions In Border Camps.† BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 26 June 2019, buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/inspector-disgusting-conditions-border-migrants-children. Campbell, Alexia Fernndez. â€Å"Reminder: Trump Doesnt Need to Keep Migrants in Detention Camps.† Vox, Vox, 4 July 2019, vox.com/2019/7/4/20681298/trump-migrant-detention-camps-alternatives. Katz, Jonathan M. â€Å"Op-Ed: Call Immigrant Detention Centers What They Really Are: Concentration Camps.† Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2019, latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-katz-immigrant-concentration-camps-20190609-story.html. Rayasam, Renuka. â€Å"Migrant Mental Health Crisis Spirals in ICE Detention Facilities.† POLITICO, 21 July 2019, politico.com/story/2019/07/21/migrant-health-detention-border-camps-1424114. Serwer, Adam. â€Å"A Crime by Any Name.† The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 5 July 2019, theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/border-facilities/593239/.

The picture presented above is a movie poster promoting the box office hit The Mummy Essays

The picture presented above is a movie poster promoting the box office hit The Mummy Essays The picture presented above is a movie poster promoting the box office hit The Mummy Essay The picture presented above is a movie poster promoting the box office hit The Mummy Essay The colour scheme used in this poster is gold and black which is keeping it simple and basic which is unusual seen as it is promoting a big movie title. Another unusual point about the poster is the two colours. Gold and black are not usually seen together as gold is a bright and beautiful and reminds us of the rich, lavish treasures in which the pyramids held. Black reminds us of darkness, evil, danger and secrets, which the pyramids were also supposed to have held. The key images in the poster is the face and the pyramids, these are in correlation which each other because we get the image that the face has a tremendous amount of power and energy because the pyramids are huge magnificent objects that have change the scenery of Egypt and the face compared to the pyramids is gigantic and makes the pyramids look insignificant. Also the mouth is open wide in a sort of inviting way. The lettering used in the lower half of the poster is just as significant as the colouring. The font used in the lettering is made out to be a type of old English typewriter style and the gold colouring is also made out to be the wealth and richness of the pyramids. The letters M M M Y contain smaller distorted pyramids. The M in the centre at the bottom of the poster is a sort of opening for the face and that theres a lot of energy and power behind it. It also makes you curious to see what there is in the blackness of the poster because the only true fear that people have is the unknown. The sentence at the bottom gives the image that there is a tremendous amount of evil and power for something to do what it states. The sands will rise. The heavens will part. The power will be unleashed. Three short sentences make it stick in your head and the last word unleashed make it sound as if it is an uncontrollable force because unleashed is only used with in correspondence to something powerful.

4 Huge Mistakes Job Seekers Make

4 Huge Mistakes Job Seekers Make No matter how careful and well prepared you are, mistakes are bound to happen during the job search process. Maybe you practiced a spiel for the wrong job and got your interviews mixed up, or you took the time or date down wrong, or you found an error on your resume. Whether it was a monumental or a minuscule screw-up, there are ways to recover. Here are four of the biggest and most common mistakes job seekers make and how to survive having made them.Wrong resumeYou’re applying to so many different positions and, rightly, you’ve carefully tailored your resume to each. Trouble is, now you have 20-some-odd resumes on your laptop and you sent the wrong one to this particular recruiter.If the one you submitted is only slightly different from the one you wanted to send, then it’s best to let it go. But if you submitted your Corporate Giving resume for a Marketing or Communications position, then it’s time to draft an email ASAP, kindly asking the recruiter to r eplace the resume in your file with the updated one attached. Nine times out of ten, they’ll do it and no one will be the wiser.When in doubt, bring multiple hard copies of the correct resume to your interview and make sure to give it to everyone with a simple, â€Å"here’s a hard copy of my most up-to-date resume.† No other explanations needed unless they ask. And if they do, focus on the material in the resume, not the fact that the first one you sent wasn’t perfectly spot on.Appointment chaosThis happens to everyone at some point in their lives- and almost always with something important like an interview. You’ve got a lot to keep track of during a job search- multiple positions at multiple companies, multiple resumes, and hopefully multiple interviews. If you messed up and got the time or date wrong, here’s what you do: immediately reach out to the hiring manager, state your mistake (without drama), express your sincere regrets for the m ix-up, and pivot immediately to offering to reschedule at their earliest convenience (then take whatever time they give you). You can follow this email or phone apology with a handwritten note for an extra touch. With any luck, they’ll see you as proactive, humble, and responsible, even with your mistake.LatenessBest avoided, obviously. But sometimes, even when you’ve left ample time, you’ll end up facing unforeseen circumstances out of your control, and you’ll end up late. The best strategy here is to reach out to the recruiter before you’re late, i.e. as soon as you realize you might not make it bang on time. Explain whatever situation you’re in- huge accident and traffic, broken down subway, etc. Don’t waste any breath on excuses, just state what’s happening, give them a heads up, offer preemptively to reschedule if their schedules are too tight to accommodate the delay.Even if it isn’t your fault, apologize for the t ardiness, then put the ball in their court. Most of the time  if you’ve projected calm and control in a time of crisis and have behaved responsibly under the circumstances, you’ll be fine. Remember to take a deep breath rather than run into the interview in a flustered, blind panic. Keep your head.Fumbling a questionAs soon as the answer to an interviewer’s question is out of your mouth, you realize your error. You’ve rehearsed the perfect answer to this question- or you haven’t, but you know you’re flubbing it- and you hear yourself saying something all wrong. Stop. Pivot. Say, â€Å"Sorry, let me rephrase that.† Or â€Å"Actually, let me say that again in a different way.† Your interviewer might not even notice the stumble. And you won’t have to walk out of the interview regretting your answer.Bottom line: no matter what mistake you made, recovery is possible in most cases. Just keep your cool, remain professional, a nd focus on the task at hand.4 Major Interview Mistakes (and How to Recover)

Qualitative Comparison Comparing the Political Systems of China and Research Paper

Qualitative Comparison Comparing the Political Systems of China and Russia - Research Paper Example The trends that have made China to overcome Russia, but are debatable. Political Factors China has systematically emerged as a world power majorly due to the political organization of China’s communist Party’s, whose policies have brought economic and social change with tremendous growth. Consequently, the private sector has expanded due to political and legal protection of the political class. The party has integrated itself with the private sector, with a good section of the entrepreneurs being members of the China Communist Party. Most of them were members of the party before going into business and some were allowed to join the party because of their business success. The Chinese capitalists have remained loyal to the China’s Communist Party and have not agitated for any change. Many businesses attribute their success to the policies of the party and its support. The party has promoted their business interests, leading to economic power and the economic wealt h being harmonized. The party has therefore survived and inspired national pride and increased its influence around the world (Naugton). The party has tried to balance economic growth and social economy. This has led to raised rural living standards. The state has provided income subsidies and eliminated tax on gain. The party has also tried to deal with poverty as a way of creating a harmonious society. The party has continued to reinvent itself over time beginning by being a social progressive party, to totalitarian tyranny, to developmental dictatorship. Today it protects private property and showing interest in representing the entire population. The party still has some weaknesses by choosing elites leaders and being harsh protestors. It has continued to enjoy the support of the majority in society due the perception that it promotes industrialization, economic growth political stability and social mobility (Dicks) Russia is on the other hand having moved from communism to demo cracy has faced many challenges leaving it unconsolidated democracy and almost becoming autocratic. The systems within the party are dominated by executives and the legislature. It has been a democracy in which the state control the media heavily and with civil society and non-governmental organization heavily muzzled. However, Russia is still considered freer that during the Soviet Union, despite people not being free to express themselves or to read what they would wish in the press. The security instruments were used to punish all the perceived threats and to restrict their freedom. The murder of journalists who covered the conflict between the state and the society brought to the fore the level of human rights abuse (Ghania). The quality of democracy in Russia has been low economy growth has been impeded by corruption, crime rates, diseases poor healthcare. Russia is generally lacking modern infrastructure and rule of Law. It has widespread corruption and poverty. All these got worse under Putin’s rule. These rivalry between government and business as government tried to take over valuable companies and accuses business leaders of tax evasion. This trend led to falling of stock prices. This perceived government intimidation and rough treatment leading to many businesspersons being scared, resulting in stagnation (Dicks). Economic factors The economic trends that may

Is Wind Power Green Issue 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is Wind Power Green Issue 9 - Essay Example These options may not supply the entirety of the power to the unit, but they are usually able to make a significant impact on cutting conventional energy costs, depending on the area. Naturally, in an area like the Pacific Northwest where it is usually cloudy or rainy, solar power would be less effective, and in an area where there is not much wind, wind power may not be justified on a cost basis. â€Å"Many energy providers say they have to charge more for renewables to offset the risk and expense of researching and developing new markets. "Providers say it is more expensive energy to produce, and its definitely true that wind and solar power have very small government subsidies compared to coal and nuclear power energy," says Isaac Elancavae of the Michigan Environmental Council† (Donner, 2002). As time passes, however, the cost of these options is dropping. Wind power does not create any sort of pollutant gases, as conventional power does. These elements of wind power, pros and cons, will both be explored in more significant detail later in the report, but generally, these elements are used in tandem to create living and consumer spaces that are more environmentally friendly than they were in the past. For both materials and renewable energy resources, builders have virtually endless options. In terms of material, everything from insulation (recycled spray-insulation) to flooring (non-soil eroding bamboo floors) can be seen from a building green perspective. And in terms of renewable energy, as discussed above, although the main options are till solar and wind power, there are many other options also available to builders, such as methane and geo-thermal heat installation. Generally, as these technologies age, they become progressively cheaper. One may remember when buying a VCR cost several thousand dollars, when they were first invented. Today the same player costs under a hundred

Failure on a Grand Scale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Failure on a Grand Scale - Essay Example Overall, the effort itself was a failure because of the way the objectives were carried out. Rampant corruption instilled enmity in the people unnecessarily, the focus on political rather than economic restructuring was vengeful as well as counterproductive, and the naivet of the new electorate set the stage for their unwitting participation in a process that would establish segregation and second-class citizenship for the next nine decades. Corruption. Under the methodology employed by the framers of Reconstruction, there were four demographic groups which emerged in the South: The white southerners, the Freedmen (former slaves), the Scalawags (southerners loyal to the North), and Carpetbaggers (Northerners who moved to the region) (Wikipedia 1). The white southerners were largely excluded from power by the military governors, and the Scalawags joined with the Carpetbaggers to restructure the governmental and economic systems. As in any case where there is absolute power and a vengeance mentality, exploitation became the norm. In the political processes, the Scalawags and Carpetbaggers engaged in collusion to reform every office from state governors to local commissioners. Using the power of the military and the consent of the new electorate, the entire area was destabilized to the point of requiring martial law for the majority of the period; and that didn't even stop the violence against both blacks and whites. In te rms of the economic corruption, the situation was even worse as the economic resources of the South were siphoned off into corporations run by Northerners. The Northern commercial interests formed links with their like-minded political associates and created, under color of law, one of the biggest lootings in history. Seeing the homeland violated by the Carpetbaggers and their corporate lackeys, the predictable response of the southern whites was anger, resentment, violence and, ultimately, institutional segregation. Political Focus. A second contributor to the failure of reconstruction was the fact that legislators in Washington chose to focus their attention on the political infrastructure of the states as well as the voting rights of the Freedmen. This approach reflected the political environment in the newly-reunited nation's capitol, where there was a power struggle between those who wanted a moderate implementation of Reconstruction and those who took a more radical view. The radicals won the fight handily, and the result was a political restructuring that disenfranchised almost every office holder in the South along with their former constituency. Rather than taking an economic development approach, which would have resulted in a stabilization of southern society, the top-down reformation only addressed the issue of who was in charge. Unfortunately, those newly elected officials were much more concerned with punishing the South than with transitioning it back into the Union. Had Congress u ndertaken policies of self-determination and economic development, Reconstruction might have succeeded in bringing the states back together without the socialized hatred between the southern whites and everyone else. Nave Electorate. A final consideration in the

Touched by nonprofit organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Touched by nonprofit organizations - Essay Example This paper discusses the benefits that a community reaps from non-profit organizations or rather reflects at how lives have been touched by activities and or presence of non-profit organizations in the society. Sheppard and Oehler (2009) posit that non-profit organizations bring awareness to infrequent and or otherwise neglected issues, problems and causes within the society at large. In a society, many social, health and or financial problems are evident and most are rarely addressed by the relevant local authorities. Non-profit organizations are often at hand to address such abandoned people hence restoring some sense of hope to those suffering from such problems. In addition, most non-profit organizations provide job training services to the untrained members of the society as well as to those seeking further development. These services are made available to the people with ease which helps improve the community’s character and quality. The economies associated with these organizations on average stretch less funds from the private sector, the public sector and the foundation itself via reduced costs of operations for the organizations existing in a given location (Tess, 2003). Consequently, Tess (2003) reveals that the centers are able to serve more people as well as provide increased services hence impacting more people. With continued growth and development come increased investments into new infrastructure in the community thus expanding the impact of the organization. Most non-profit organizations develop centers in economically distressed areas. According to Shaffer, Deller and Marcouiller (2004), the presence of new infrastructure in these areas results in the development of new property, renovation of property, establishment of new business ventures, expansion of current business organizations as well as increased investment in public amenities and infrastructure. The availability of these entities requires management forces and as such many

Growing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Growing - Assignment Example Balancing classroom activities and creating time for co-curricular is essential in reaffirming student’s academic performance. Social media interaction through Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn, are critical to keeping learners updated on vital issues and trends in their fields of study. Digital technology plays an integral role in shaping today’s life. Technology has a great influence in nearly all the fields of life ranging including education. Introduction of distance learning allows people from all walks of live to access quality education regardless of their location. Digital technologies improve access to information, storage, and retrieval of documents through development of school websites and cloud computing. According to Higgins, Xiao & Katsipataki (2012), studies linking provision and use of technology to attainment indicate consistent positive association with education outcomes. Computers are essential in carrying out research, doing assignments and presentation as they provide the based updated information. Technology acts as a supplement to regular teaching hence should not be applicable as a replacement. In addition, tested attainment gains are evident in mathematics, science and in improving the learners writing intervention in literacy. In conclusion, being a user of the digital devices such as laptops and tablets, I regularly visit social media as a source of vital information and interaction with friends’ schedule in their daily program. Balancing of academic and other activities is my crucial tool in monitoring and limiting unproductive use of technologies. Higgins, S., Xiao, Z. & Katsipataki, M. (2012, November 26). The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Full Report. London: Durham University Education Endowment Foundation. Richtel, M. (2010, November 21). â€Å"Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction.† The New York Times.

How Do Artists See Art In Vasari's Biographies Essay

How Do Artists See Art In Vasari's Biographies - Essay Example We have to be aware of the social and cultural history of the period before we attempt an assessment of Vasari. The rising social and cultural claims of the visual arts led in the sixteenth century in Italy to an important new development that occurred in the other European countries somewhat later: the three visual arts, painting, sculpture and architecture were, for the first time clearly separated from the crafts with which they had been associated in the preceding period. The term Arti del disegno, was coined by Vasari , who used it as the guiding concept for his famous collection of the biographies. Besides, at the time of Vasari the opinion of the crowd was still considered a significant factor in the evaluation of art and therefore the addition of popular elements including a discrete element of fiction could not be faulted1. Perhaps, Vasari's verbal portraits of artists do not have the intensity or the gravity of the oeuvre of the geniuses described therein. However, his yardsticks seem to have been versatility as well as originality. Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446), for example, was a Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, his 'genius was so commanding that we can surely say he was sent by heaven to renew the art of architecture'. Perhaps the greatest contribution made by Brunelleschi to art was to that of design through a very careful study of the perspective (The perspectival rendering of a scene is a projection of a scene from an eye point, as sectioned by the plane of the canvas.). At the time of Brunelleschi, the practice of art with the use of perspective was at an all-time low because of the errors of practice of others2 . The perfection in perspective that he achieved made him so happy that he took the trouble of drawing the Piazza san Giovanni and showed all the squares in black-and-white marble receding beautifully. In fact, Brunelleschi's genius contributed significantly to the origins of a naturalistic trait in art and a clear shift from the highly stylized modes of Renaissance art In a review of the book Georgio Vasari: Art and History that appeared in The Art Bulletin (June, 1998), Paul Barolsky has written that there was an element of mythopoesis in the writings of Vasari and this pleasurable mix of myth, document and fact has given Lives a unique place which cannot be claimed by the modern art historians. Whereas modern art historians chose to flaunt their scholarship through monographs, Vasari chose to hide himself in the glorified biographies of the artists he admired and in the process he carefully mixed into what he wrote classical and even Biblical allusions. This lent his biographies a sense of mystery and inexplicable adulation of the artists themselves and their views on art. Donatello (1386-1466) was another artistic genius whom Vasari chose to portray. He was a Florentine sculptor who had an awesome impact on the arts and artists of the Renaissance. He invented the shadow relief technique called schiacciato ('flattened out'), a technique in which the sculpture seems very deep even when done on a shallow plane. A great friend of Brunelleschi, Donatello had once remarked, after seeing an artwork based on crucifixion similar to the one made by him and criticized by Brunelleschi, that 'Your job is making Christs and mine is making peasants.' It was Donatello's humble submission of the lofty genius of his friend

Growing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Growing - Assignment Example Balancing classroom activities and creating time for co-curricular is essential in reaffirming student’s academic performance. Social media interaction through Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn, are critical to keeping learners updated on vital issues and trends in their fields of study. Digital technology plays an integral role in shaping today’s life. Technology has a great influence in nearly all the fields of life ranging including education. Introduction of distance learning allows people from all walks of live to access quality education regardless of their location. Digital technologies improve access to information, storage, and retrieval of documents through development of school websites and cloud computing. According to Higgins, Xiao & Katsipataki (2012), studies linking provision and use of technology to attainment indicate consistent positive association with education outcomes. Computers are essential in carrying out research, doing assignments and presentation as they provide the based updated information. Technology acts as a supplement to regular teaching hence should not be applicable as a replacement. In addition, tested attainment gains are evident in mathematics, science and in improving the learners writing intervention in literacy. In conclusion, being a user of the digital devices such as laptops and tablets, I regularly visit social media as a source of vital information and interaction with friends’ schedule in their daily program. Balancing of academic and other activities is my crucial tool in monitoring and limiting unproductive use of technologies. Higgins, S., Xiao, Z. & Katsipataki, M. (2012, November 26). The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A summary for the Education Endowment Foundation. Full Report. London: Durham University Education Endowment Foundation. Richtel, M. (2010, November 21). â€Å"Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction.† The New York Times.

Today’s “Alternative” Newspapers Essay Example for Free

Today’s â€Å"Alternative† Newspapers Essay Two fundamental cultural currents swept through America in the latter half of the Twentieth Century. In the mid-1950’s the Beat Generation began flourish primarily cour-tesy of the â€Å"hip† authors of the time: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S. Bur-roughs. Within a short decade the second wave, arguably built on the first, known as â€Å"hippies† developed primarily through the young musicians of the era: The Warlocks, later known as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane to name just two. Along with the music came the War in Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement, campus protests and a very healthy distrust of anyone over thirty and anything of Mainstream America. The flower children of the sixties had no trust of the â€Å"establishment† newspapers and alternative â€Å"free presses† came into being. Like most things in popular culture the East and West Coast took the lead and eventually any city of size or any city with a large university had a â€Å"radical† free press. Two of the oldest were The Village Voice in New York (Greenwich Village) was born in 1955. The West Coast had the LA Free Press, es-tablished in 1965. These two â€Å"alternative†, â€Å"radical† or â€Å"underground† papers were the strongest and most influential of the genre which included The Detroit Free Press, the Berkeley Barb and the San Francisco Oracle among a host of others. (1) All of the papers shared an â€Å"in your face† attitude towards â€Å"Amerika† as their edi-tors preferred to write. All of the papers were ferociously opposed to the War in Vietnam, the â€Å"military-industrial complex† and traditional politicians. Their reporters religiously covered every rock music show that came to town and every album they produced. Popu-lar â€Å"underground† comics, such as The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Susie Cream-cheese and Mr. Natural provided ribald if not pornographic humor. Not to be forgotten was some of the strangest classified ads to ever be published. As Grace Slick, songstress and radical voice of the Jefferson Airplane proclaimed at Woodstock, â€Å"It’s a new dawn. † Times changed and virtually all of the free presses faded like so many denim jeans. The two notable exceptions just happened to be the oldest, The Village Voice and the LA Free Press. Both have gone from hard copy newsprint found in â€Å"head shops† to electronic print found by Google. But the attitude remains. The LA Free Press, always the most radical, lists a daily death count of Iraqi citizens and bills itself as â€Å"the true alternative to corporate controlled media. † (2) The Village Voice is still growing on its radical liberal roots but has a mellower style and prefers to rejoice in all things New York. (3) Despite their longevity and acceptance by a now-international audience, either paper would still blanch at the thought of being considered â€Å"mainstream† and both are still in-fluential, entertaining and worth reading. Works Cited (1) Stephens,Mitchell. â€Å"History of Newspapers†. Colliers Encyclopedia On-Line. http://www. nyu. edu/classes/stephens/Colliers%20page. htm (2) The Los Angeles Free Press. http://www. losangelesfreepress. com/ (3) The Village Voice. http://www. villagevoice. com/

Purpose And Significance Of The Study Education Essay

Purpose And Significance Of The Study Education Essay According to Alwright (1983), classroom-centred research is any study which investigates what occurs in the classroom; that occurrence could be related to the way a teacher interacts with his students; the way students interact with one another; the conditions which promote effective learning; or anything else related to learning in the classroom. Throughout the past five years, the majority of MA ALT research at Newcastle University has been predominantly classroom-centred Why?. Researchers have either examined and scrutinised the teaching practice, approaches and methodologies adopted in their own diverse, international teaching contexts (Aslanidou, 2005; Al-Nufaie, 2006; Abu Baha, 2007; Al-Zughaibi, 2008; Chen, 2009); or they have explored a variety of cognitive and linguistic difficulties that L2 students face when learning English, suggesting possible causes and solutions to these problems (Hu, 2005; Chou, 2006; Huang, 2007; Chen, 2008; Al-Rahbi, 2009). Although classroom-centre d research is a fundamental part of ALT and unquestionably serves its purpose; if and when research conducted external to the classroom produces new insights into effective language learning, it is equally significant; as the essential aim of all ALT research is to add to current world knowledge (Hedge, 2000). A minute number of MA ALT researchers at Newcastle University have investigated topics which are external to the classroom yet promote effective language learning indirectly (Walter, 2006; Lambton, 2006; Pelik, 2008; Michalska, 2009); surprisingly however, no researcher has ever inquired about the role EFL managers may or may not play in language learning. This is particularly surprising because global EFL institutes such as IH, Bell, and WSI all require clarify these acronyms prospective EFL managers to be MA ALT qualified. These institutes insist EFL managers possess this qualification based upon the assumption that it equips them with the knowledge necessary to be a successful EFL manager. Contrary to their belief, although an MA ALT course does present recent theories and debates regarding language learning, it fails to sufficiently address the specific needs of an EFL manager; this is most evident in the fact that there is no EFL Manager: Theory Practice type module available f or MA ALT students. Due to the lack of research about EFL management, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of EFL managers in language learning. Although some ALT professors are intrigued by this research project and have clearly stated: this is an interesting topic (Windeatt, 2010:2); others have their doubts about its relevance and have said: I do not feel that this is remotely within my sphere of competence; the question really is whether it is within Applied Linguistics. No need for this in my opinion but u could ask him about it Essentially it deals with educational management; the fact that the product is language teaching is no more relevant than groceries are to the management of Sainsburys (Cook, 2010:3). Though everyone is entitled to his own opinion, this view towards ALT research and EFL management is arguably flawed for the following three reasons: Firstly, the Board Directors of TESOL Inc. (2005) advise ALT researchers to be diverse in their choice of research topics in order for theories about effective language learning and teaching to continuously advance. They urge researchers to explore the field of ALT from a wide variety of angles and viewpoints; and to be innovative in the type of research they conduct. To date, ALT research has demonstrated that language learning can be affected by learner styles; psychological factors; teaching methods; socio-cultural factors, and many other issues (Hedge, 2000). In spite of this, there is no published material on the influence that EFL managers may or may not have on language learning, which implies this particular project is innovative and has the potential to fill an obvious information gap. Secondly, the fact that this project is closely related to educational management, is not necessarily a negative point; on the contrary, this type of research may be part of the logical progression of ALT. Historically, ALT research has always followed a similar pattern to Education research (Grenfell, 1998). Both fields were initially predominantly teacher-centred, meaning the majority of research conducted in these fields focused heavily upon teachers, teaching theory and practice. Over time, their research became student-centred, meaning the general research focus shifted toward the student, his experience as a learner, and methods of promoting effective learning. Essentially, research in both fields has historically been classroom-centred. In recent years however, Education research has taken a step outside of the classroom by looking at how external factors such as school administration affects learning (Charles, 2010). As will become evident from the literature review, there has been a substantial amount of research conducted on school effectiveness, which indicate that second only to explicit teaching, school management has the greatest influence on classroom learning. Based upon Education research, coupled with the recent emergence of global ALT seminars on EFL Management and HE courses in EFL Management (ibid); it is reasonable to assume that future ALT research will explore the role of EFL managers in language learning more thoroughly. Thirdly, the mere fact that a world-renowned scholar of linguistics would imply there is no difference between managing a Sainsburys store and managing an EFL school is reason enough to conduct this research. If such a hypothesis is correct, then researching this topic could provide valuable information for EFL schools such as Bell and IH; perhaps they should be employing staff with general management experience and BAs in Business Studies rather than an MA in ALT? On the other hand, if such a hypothesis is in incorrect, then researching this topic could provide ALT researchers with new insights into the role management in language learning. Additionally, as pointed out by one of the participants of this study, research such as this is useful as it gives EFL managers the opportunity to reflect upon their own practice, and the way in which they contribute to a language students learning experience. Moreover, potential EFL managers, such as some of the students on this MA ALT programme , may find this research useful for the theories it presents regarding the role that they will eventually adopt. The acid test of theory in an applied discipline such as educational management [or ALT] is its relevance to practice (Bush, 2002:15). Scope Context of the Study The purpose of this study then, is to investigate the role of management in language learning; and it is arguably a significant piece of research, as it can have both academic and real-world implications for the reasons already mentioned. Initially, over a dozen private British Council accredited ESL schools throughout the U.K. were contacted and asked to participate in the study; unfortunately, all of these schools declined without providing reasons why. Based upon their unwillingness to participate, and the guidance of Windeatt Cook (2010), it was decided that the most feasible method of research would be to conduct an exploratory case-study on the ESOL department of a public tertiary institute in the North East of England. I donà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t know According to the participants who were interviewed in this study, the purpose of ESOL departments in British tertiary institutes is threefold: 1) To provide EFL courses for international students who want to study in the UK for a fixed period of time, then return to their home countries. These students generally tend to study EAP courses in preparation for IELTS exams or entrance to a British university; however, some of them study English for business purposes, whilst others simply want a general English course. Whatever the reason, these courses are similar to the types of courses provided by schools such as Bell and IH. 2) To provide ESOL courses for people residing in the UK who want to live here permanently. These students are generally asylum seekers who have fled their own countries due to severe personal circumstances. They tend to study ESOL courses either in preparation of UK citizenship tests; or to equip themselves with the language skills necessary to communicate by English in their day-to-day lives. 3) To provide teacher training courses for native speakers of English who want to become EFL teachers; or for current EFL teachers who want to gain further qualifications. These training courses can vary from Cambridge CELTA and DELTA courses to academic Diplomas and BAs in TEFL. The ESOL department which took part in this study was composed of several managers and approximately seventy teachers. Organisation of chapters Having justified the purpose of this study and providing background information about its research context, the organisation of this dissertation essay is now presented below: Chapter 1: Introduction this chapter highlights the importance of conducting research on the role of EFL managers in language learning, and introduces background information about the context of this research project. Chapter 2: Literature Review this chapter presents key theories about educational management and specifically looks at research into the claims Education researchers have made concerning the influence managers have on learning. Based upon these claims, the role of management in an ESOL context is discussed Chapter 3: Methodology this chapter states the research question and describes the research design and procedures used in this study, including information about the participants and data collection methods employed. Chapter 4: Data Analysis this chapter provides a critical analysis of the results in relation to the literature review. Chapter 5: Conclusions finally, conclusions from the entire investigation are presented here. ______________________________________________________

Comparing After Apple-picking to Apples Essay -- comparison compare co

Poetry is an attempt to describe the nature and intensity of one's feelings and opinions. Often, however, these thoughts are too vague or complex to articulate. How does a poet translate these abstract ideas into something more tangible and workable? Simple, metaphorical objects and situations can be used to represent more elusive concepts. These can be interpreted in many different ways, however, and poets often use the same symbols to produce varying effects. By comparing "After Apple-picking," by Robert Frost and "Apples," by Laurie Lee one can see how the poets coincidentally use similar subjects to discuss a broader, more meaningful issue. Both Frost and Lee use the apples in their poems to illustrate the relationship between man and nature, and to emphasize the importance of allowing natural processes to occur without interference. In addition to the use of simplified symbols, the tone of each poem and the styles in which they are written also reflect the poets' views on the to pic.   Ã‚     Frost and Lee both discuss mankind's interaction with the environment, using the apple to represent nature as a whole. Each poet achieves this differently. Frost focuses on the negative effects that occur when man disturbs nature and attempts to control it for his own gain. His poem speaks of the winter, and of an apple-picker, with his 'ladder sticking through a tree.' The narrator faces with the consequences of his actions, and realizes the severity of his mistake. 'I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight I got from looking through a pane of glass I skimmed from the drinking trough.' Frost demonstrates how quickly and harshly the cold seems to come on after the apples are unnaturally stripped away. This reflects the way the Earth ... ...h "Apples" is written reflects the empathy which connects Lee with nature. Both poets reflect their views by creating appropriate tones in their poems.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Frost and Lee illustrate the intended messages in their poems through the use of reflective tones and styles. They also use the simple symbol of the apple to represent nature on a larger scale. This allows the poets to illustrate the importance of maintaining a respect for nature and to demonstrate the effects of man's relationship with the environment. By examining Frost's "After Apple-picking" and Lee's "Apples," one is able to understand how poets often use the same subject to discuss different aspects of an issue. This is a valuable skill for communication of complex or nondescript ideas. It allows the poet to overcome the difficulty of describing the nature and intensity of his own abstract feelings.

Spiritualism Essay -- Parapsychology Essays, 2015

â€Å"Don't you remember anything?! There is no 'devil.' There is no 'hell.' There is only Unrest. There is no down, only sideways; the transparent beside the opaque, and a thin wall to separate them.† ― Leanna Renee Hieber, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy According to Merriam-webster.com, Spiritualism is a â€Å"belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living, usually through a medium†. However, Spiritualism is more than a belief. Ever since the Spiritualist movement began and spread in the 1800’s, Spiritualism has evolved into a religion that continues to be practiced today. Contacting the dead is not a pleasant subject for most people however, although Spiritualism used to be casually practiced everyday in the homes of the Victorians in the 1800s. How did something that once used to be a method of being able to re-unite with your beloved, dead, grandparents warp into something that incites fear? Spiritualism was founded by the Fox sisters back in 1848 when Margaretta and Kate Fox claimed to have heard mysterious rappings in their little home in Hydesville, New York. Apparently, their house was reputed to be haunted before the Fox family moved in and there were claims of unexplainable sounds and furniture moving on their own. Margaretta and Fox started speaking to the spirit who was allegedly haunting their home and they eventually developed a system for communicating with it. The Fox sisters would ask the spirit a question and they would get answers in return through the form of rappings. For example, they would interpret one rap for â€Å"yes† or two for â€Å"no† or they would interpret the number of rapping’s given for a letter in an alphabet. It wasn’t long before the neighbors heard about the Fox sisters’ new found abilities and gathered at their house to witness the spirit rappings for themselves. Soon, they were giving performances in major towns, and that was when the rapping phenomena began to spread. The Fox sisters gained fame through their public sà ©ances and it wasn’t long before other people started claiming that they were also able to speak with spirits and other forms of communicating with the dead were created such as table tipping and slate writing. The Victorian era was marked by â€Å"romanticism  and mysticism with regard to religion, social values, and the arts† (http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/dr-rescher-english-... ... each other. The information that I have learned regarding this topic has helped me a lot in developing my plot for a comic book that I am working on for Senior Show titled â€Å"Post-Mortem†. My story is set in the Victorian era where two brothers lament the loss of their loved ones. The older brother especially has a hard time coping with the loss of his fiancà ©, and the little brother tries to contact her and bring her back. However, instead of drawing back in the beautiful and kind fiancà © he ends up bringing back one that is hungry for revenge. Even though my story is based in the Victorian era where contacting the dead had nothing to do with evil spirits, I wanted to make my story more modern by adding a macabre touch. Works Cited McClenon, James. "The Scientific Investigation of Wondrous Events."  Wondrous Events: Foundation of Religious Belief, University of Pennsylvania Press(1994): 185-207. Print. Simpkins, Sarah. "Dr. Rescher   English 204."  STUDYBLUE. STUDY BLUE, 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2015. . Roach, Mary.  Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. Print.

Hamlet-Soliloquy

Hamlet's perceptions of himself and his way of responding to his ‘quest' for revenge? Upon examination, It is clear that Hamlet Is ‘a divided mind' due to his Introspective way of thinking; a typical Renaissance character. Soliloquy 3 reveals that Hamlet has realized that his honor code demands him to exact revenge upon Claudia. However, halls moral code manifests itself Into constant self-recrimination, testament to his character.Hamlet begins by metaphorically comparing himself to a â€Å"peasant slave†, indicating that he has not dressed his honor code, as this distinguished the aristocrat from the peasant in Elizabethan times. The use of the exclamation is the first sign of his denunciation of himself due to his lack of action. This theme is advanced when he classically alludes to Hachure in reference to the play he has Just witnessed. Hamlet is ashamed that â€Å"he should weep to her† and ponders what the actor would do â€Å"had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have? Along with revealing the intellectuality of the Renaissance Hamlet, the classical allusion demonstrates that he is clearly frustrated by his Impotence for revenge. This is consolidated In the simile â€Å"Like John-a-dreams, unapparent of my cause† where Hamlet blatantly admits to Inaction, cutting a self- deprecating Image of himself. The rhetorical question â€Å"Am I a coward† attests to his Introspective nature as he Is self-analyzing whether the last portion of his soliloquy Is true or not.This begins a series of rhetorical questions in an attempt to conjure up a ensue of passion in the demoralizes Hamlet, which culminates with the fragmented sentence, â€Å"Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain! O, vengeance! † We can finally observe Hamlet thinking about revenge and this is affirmed when he begins to devise a plan to catch his Uncle's guilt, so that he â€Å"knows his (my) course†. Despite acquiring this new-found passion, his introspection still comes through when he claims that â€Å"The spirit I have seen may be the Devil†.This religious allusion reminds Hamlet of the mantra, ‘innocent until proven guilty, and Hamlet Is out to rove Claudia' guilt as â€Å"the plays the thing wherein he'll (I'll) catch the conscience of the king†. This rhyming couplet sets the stage for his plan for revenge and affirms that he Is truly â€Å"looking for certainties In a world of Gardner). All in all, soliloquy 3 is a perfect summation of Hamlet's complicated Renaissance mind: a journey from self-deprecation to blatant passion, culminating in the official beginning of his quest' for revenge.Hamlet-Soliloquy 3 By capital responding to his ‘quest' for revenge? Upon examination, it is clear that Hamlet is ‘a divided mind' due to his introspective way of thinking; a typical Renaissance demands him to exact revenge upon Claudia. However, his moral code manifests itself into constant self-recrimination, testament to his character. Hamlet begins by by his impotence for revenge. This is consolidated in the simile â€Å"Like John-a-dreams, unapparent of my cause† where Hamlet blatantly admits to inaction, cutting a self- deprecating image of himself.The rhetorical question â€Å"Am I a coward† attests to his introspective nature as he is self-analyzing whether the last portion of his soliloquy is can finally observe Hamlet thinking about revenge and this is affirmed when he reminds Hamlet of the mantra, ‘innocent until proven guilty, and Hamlet is out to that he is truly â€Å"looking for certainties in a world of uncertainties†(Helen Gardner). All in all, soliloquy 3 is a perfect summation of Hamlet's complicated Renaissance mind; a Journey from self-deprecation to blatant passion, culminating in the official beginning of his ‘quest' for revenge.

Blue Velvet

Over history, literature has impacted the approach and understanding of multimedia, pop entertainment. Furthermore, it has shaped our social ideologies, contesting current norms, and furthering our own examination of societal approaches and schools of thought. Much of the narrative and film techniques have incorporated a psychological and psychoanalytic examination of human nature and how it impacts everyday life. David Lynch's film, Blue Velvet is one of the most influential films, pushing the world of entertainment into new perspectives, reshaping much of the technique producers undertake. Blue Velvet served as a major catalyst for independent filmmaking, which largely reshaped multimedia entertainment. Throughout this film, Lynch heavily relies on Freudian theories, specifically revolving about the Oedipal complex/conflict, sadism, masochism, and fetishism as a connecting point between the characters. Throughout this paper, I apply these Freudian techniques on the psychoanalytic level by examining and analyzing various characters. This will further illustrate how Blue Velvet as well as other works that are heavily based on psychology, impact our society. Lynch's film was particularly influential because of his incorporation of darker topics, as well as the connection between his film and Franz Kafka's work in terms of grotesque themes. Lynch helped to shape literature as well, during the tone of this period of darker themes in creative works, because authors began to incorporate darker themes in their own work. The Gothic is a particular genre that Blue Velvet helped to shape. Not only did the film address psychological levels and theories that had yet to be fully represented in pop-media film, but it also utilized a popular Freudian theory called the uncanny. Lynch achieves this because, throughout the film, people are often unable to describe what they've seen. Lynch focuses on the opening setting of Blue Velvet in a small town, encapsulating an idealistic All-American image. The audience is given a picture-perfect neighborhood where children cross the street with the help of a crossing guard in uniform, surrounded by a scene of blue skies, white picket fences, and colorful tulips in blossom. These images force viewers to think about how we collectively define the American Dream, as well as what the â€Å"perfect life† is. By doing so, Lynch is able to tap into our psyche; this storybook beginning allows him to go deeper, behind the fences and smiling children, into a world of anything but perfection. Lynch's influence on society's perception of the â€Å"American Dream,† adds to the importance of his film. Irena Makarushka's article, â€Å"Subverting Eden: Ambiguity of Evil and the American Dream in Blue Velvet.† Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation, enhanced the reshaping of our psychological perception of the American Dream, through her examination of life and society. She utilized Blue Velvet to further her notions through varying ideas and contexts. Furthermore, she examined Lynch's film, because it encapsulated the concept that life is not as it always seems; the â€Å"American Dream† often serves as a faà §ade, blinding society to the darker, perhaps more realistic, side of life. When the film begins to shift into scenes of hungry black insects, the tone and ideas within viewers' minds begin to shift. The contrast between the insects and the happy children at play reveals a struggle between what Freud referred to as the Id and the Superego: â€Å"Professor Freud came to the very significant conclusion that the neurosis represents a conflict between the ego and the id (the instinctive needs); the psychosis between the ego and the outer world; and the narcissistic neurosis a struggle between the ego and super-ego. The differentiation of the mental apparatus into an id, ego, and super-ego thus resulted in a clearer understanding of the dynamic relations within the mind† (Alexander 176). This quote allows us to understand that the children at play are representative of the Id because of our instinctive needs, such as protection, which in this case was provided by the crossing guard; the black insects are representative of our Superego because they focus on â€Å"the part of a person's mind that acts as a self-critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers,† which correlates to the darker side of society. Lynch's psychologically metaphorical tactic essentially forces viewers to understand that life is not as perfect as it may appear to be, and evil often occurs behind the closed doors of the â€Å"cookie cutter† house. His use of aesthetically pleasing scenery in the beginning, however, is important to remember:It is only rarely that a psychoanalyst feels impelled to in-vestigate the subject of aesthetics even when aesthetics is understood to mean not merely the theory of beauty, but the theory of the qualities of feeling. He works in other planes of mental life and has little to do with those sub-dued emotional activities which, inhibited in their aims and dependent upon a multitude of concurrent factors, usually furnish the material for the study of aesthetics. But it does occasionally happen that he has to interest himself in some particular province of that subject, and then it usu-ally proves to be a rather remote region of it and one that has been neglected in standard works. (Freud 1) Freud is essentially saying that aesthetics often impact the feelings one feels. This being said, Lynch needed to provoke a feeling of peace and happiness at the beginning of Blue Velvet in order to emphasize the shift of these emotions, into those of fear, terror, and confusion. This tactic allowed Lynch to augment the correlation between emotions towards perceived cultural images, and feelings when people recognize that life is not always as perfect as it seems in the â€Å"American Dream.† This point will be examined at length throughout this paper. Blue Velvet serves as a pivotal film because of the psychoanalytic components, particularly in terms of the characters. Each character is symbolic of varying psychological theories. Furthermore, the way Lynch introduces characters contains several Freudian theories. The first character viewers were introduced to was Jeffrey Beaumont. Beaumont came upon an ear while walking near his home. Psychologically speaking, the Freudian theory has noted that when someone dreams about dethatched body parts, it is symbolizing male castration. This is important to note when analyzing Blue Velvet. Before applying this theory to Blue Velvet, the concept of dreams is important to understand in terms of its applicability to the film. Dreams are heavily influenced by the image of our culture, and how we construct it. Lynch undertook this influence, applying it to Blue Velvet, by reconstructing our understanding of the American Dream through tropes of mystery revealed when viewers are introduced to the darker truth behind the beginning of the film's portrayal of the American Dream. The dreamlike imagery he used, relating back to the uncanny, begins with the main character, Jeffrey's discovery of the severed ear. The uncanny focuses on the human mind and mindperecpeiotion in correlation to creative works such as Blue Velvet. Just as Freud noted that detached body parts were subconscious thoughts of male castration, Jeffrey's finding was representative of the general unconscious of society. When Beaumont brought the severed ear to the police department, the detective, Detective Williams, urged Jeff to let the incident go, because there were darker problems occurring in town. As expected, Jeff ignored Williams' comment, deciding to pursue the matter himself, receiving help from his girlfriend, Detective Williams' daughter. Relating back to the detached ear, it largely foreshadowed the upcoming events. As noted above, a severed body part often resembles male castration on the psychoanalytic level. When Jeff began to investigate the case, he soon found himself encountering a nightclub singer and her sadistic male abuser. This singer, Dorothy, and her abuser, Frank encapsulate the Freudian definition of sadism and masochism. Due to the looming issue of male castration, one could assume that Frank was possibly interested in sexual dominance, power, and pain in order to compensate his own sexual insecurities. Freud heavily believed that sadism and masochism, which is a form of sexual pleasure derived from inflicting pain upon others or receiving sexual pleasure from receiving pain, was associated with innate male sexuality (Freud 1). Viewers watch as Frank belittles, insults, and beats Dorothy, but soon discover that she gains pleasure and arousal from the abuse. Here, Lynch is exposing society to the darker side of sexuality, utilizing psychological theories, and forcing viewers to think about their own sexuality. Furthermore, he is allowing several people to act on their own fantasies as an outsider in a fantastical world. This greatly relates to the purpose of the Gothic genre, which is to expose and allow people to process and cope with difficult issues without actually having to endure the pain in reality. When examining Dorothy and Frank on the psychoanalytic level, the Oedipal complex is also seen. Freud believed that the Oedipal complex was a child's internal desire to have sexual relations with their parent of the opposite sex (Klein 12). Applying this theory to the characters, Frank largely represents the child, while Dorothy represents the mother, in a dysfunctional mother-son relationship. Interestingly, despite Frank's aggression, he referred to himself as a baby, illustrating his oedipal fantasy. It Is heavily illustrated, here that Lynch wanted to confront the less than comfortable theories and fantasies that many people truly have. Essentially, Lynch is supporting the notion of â€Å"forbidden emotions in powerful but carefully distinguished forms† (Johnson 522). By this, he means that often times repressed, and or, unconscious emotions that are ignored due to stigma, are expressed in other ways. Lynch was able to depict this through the characters throughout Blue Velvet and their sexual tendencies and personas. Jeffrey represents the Oedipal complex even more. When Jeffrey's father was stung by a bee in his garden, he is brought to the hospital. During this time, Jeffrey stayed home, tending to domestic duties and obligations. His father's incapacity and helplessness forces Jeffrey to go to his father's home and hardware store. Fittingly, it was around this time that Jeffrey found the ear. This discovery could be representative and symbolic of his own feelings of castration because of the domestic duties he began to take on. Generally speaking, the ear is representative of male's anxiety and shame towards their Oedipal fantasies. Lynch was able to depict this anxiety-provoking journey through Jeffrey's own investigation of the severed ear. Jeffrey's anxiety and tension were, not surprisingly, further exasperated by Dorothy. His sexual attraction and longing for a desirable, yet perverse female, relates back to the Oedipal complex. It is more important to focus on Dorothy, because of her perverse sexual nature, and how it impacts the men around her. Moreover, the psychological reasoning behind these fetishes and tendencies forces readers and viewers to think about themselves, and possible pervasions, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and society. It particularly addresses inner conflict and tensions. Some of these inner tensions can be seen in Dorothy though her fetishes. In terms of fetishism, Freud also heavily studied this psychological phenomenon. Fetishism relates to sexuality, especially in terms of children's sexual fantasies towards their parents. The author's claim that we must question of our own perception of reality, as well as the issue of good versus evil, was precisely what Lynch forced his viewers to do throughout Blue Velvet. Makarushka tended to use the term â€Å"illusion† quite often, which was interesting, because Lynch's film had a strong illusionary tone to it, tracing back to the uncanny, and the dreamlike imagery and emotions throughout his film. Her article was complementary to Blue Velvet because she was able to pose the mysterious and often unsettling aspect of reality versus illusionary life in the supernatural sense throughout the film. Furthermore, it did force readers to question how realistic the perfect, â€Å"cookie cutter,† image of the American Dream is, ultimately redefining its meaning. When thinking about the â€Å"American Dream,† society has always seen it as the ultimate standard of successful, happy living. This very point was denounced by Lynch through Blue Velvet. Just as Makarushka brings into play the idea that this concept is too good to be true, â€Å"However, closer scrutiny reveals that things are not what they seem. The slick, picture-perfect surface of the American Dream lacks substance and depth,† Lynch applies this idea to Blue Velvet (Makarushka 33). The idea that things are not as always as they seem pushes readers of Makarushka's article, and viewers of Lynch's film, to think about their lives and purpose beyond materialistic, professional, and superficial levels. This essential argument, encapsulating her entire article, reiterating that there is more than meets the eye, is emphasized through Lynch's character depictions throughout the movie. Jeffrey and his girlfriend seem to have the looks, charisma, and typical life that anyone would strive for, but as the movie progresses, characters such as Dorothy illustrate the darker side of life, involving heavy issues such as drugs, which subsequently make viewers think about life on a deeper level. Difficult topics such as drugs and abuse are not often talked about, or even thought about, in families living the American Dream, which says a lot. Psychologically speaking, the avoidance and ignorance of realizations and discourses about topics such as these can heavily influence people's psychological state. By forcing viewers to reflect on our own lives, past the jobs, kids, home, etcetera, Blue Velvet makes us begin to think about ourselves and identity on authentic levels. This makes Lynch's work particularly influential on the psychoanalytic level, because by Makrushka arguing that we as individuals, must view life through multilateral lenses, as opposed to the unilateral lens we lean towards, in this case, the unilateral lens being the American Dream, people can begin to address their unconscious and subconscious mind, resulting in a fuller understanding of themselves and others. Essentially, both Makarushka and Lynch show us that we must look past the American Dream, into the painful reality of life occurring outside of the protected bubble we place ourselves in. As a result, we become more aware and self-understanding, making us more organic and insightful individuals of society. Another philosopher that attests to Lynch's psychological notions within Blue Velvet is Louis Althusser. His observations of ideology, throughout Ideological State Apparatuses, are particularly seen in terms of his repressive and ideological state. Lynch's depiction of the crossing guards, fireman, and detectives relates back to the repressive state because it is one in which cooperation from the public is achieved through physical coercion by means such as the police. Blue Velvet illustrates what happens when these authoritative figures dissipate, â€Å"The loss of an authoritative interpretative frame of reference results in a cultural disequilibrium. For Lynch, this decenteredness is affirmed in the experience of the ambiguity of evil which ultimately subverts the unambiguous claim of the American Dream† (Makarushka 32). Althusser's ideological state resembles more of a soft power that is sustained by cultural institutions such as church, family, and culture. It also values a sense of choice of what reality is imposed. This state specifically correlates to the reshaping of the American Dream throughout Blue Velvet because it questions what life is like beyond the perfect image, and what reality really is. By seeing what happens when the repressive state fails, we can see how softer figures can reshape people's understanding of life, reality, and deeper meaning. The American Dream must be redefined, and the psychological impact of the human mind must be addressed, according to Lynch. His film, Blue Velvet essentially allows us to understand that the true American Dream is one in which we are self-understanding, multilateral, and questioning of who we are beyond the image we portray, through its psychologically dynamic characters. Through his focus on Freudian theory, human understanding is better emphasized, increasing our own understanding of the self and others.